# Fighters who crashed and burned hard



## vandalian (Oct 14, 2006)

Here's a thread for discussing fighters who started strong, but fell from grace.
One who comes to mind immediately is the late Justin Levens, started his career 7-0 and was a hyped prospect before going winning just two of his next 10 bouts.
Phil Baroni's another. And David Louiseau, although the Crow did appear to get things together before his second UFC run.
Who looked promising, but crashed and burned? Was it because the game passed them by? Were they just not that good? Or was it something else?


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## KillingRoad89 (Jul 28, 2009)

james thompson. but hes still burning and crashing.


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## Greg (UK) (Apr 23, 2007)

Steve Jennum the greatest paper champion in UFC history! Went 1-3 after winning UFC 3 with defeats to Marco Ruas, Tank Abbott and Jason Godsey

Houston Alexander as well, people were comparing him to a young Mike Tyson before he went 0-4 in the UFC, replacing his 'mug you in the parking lot' style with his bizarre dance around the ring against Kimbo.


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## _RIVAL_ (Mar 7, 2008)

Drew Fickett.

Hands the hell down. What a dissappointment.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Jake O'Brian was pretty hyped till he ran into Arlovski and got derailed. But....


Ricco Rodriguez /thread


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## Liddellianenko (Oct 8, 2006)

<insert random overhyped japanese import to enter UFC and get absolutely destroyed>

(Except Okami)


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## Greg (UK) (Apr 23, 2007)

Mark Kerr is another good example. 

'The Smashing Machine' was a much feared opponent with the World Vale Tudo Heavyweight Tournament and UFC 14 & 15 Heavyweight Tournament Titles under his belt.

Unfortunately Kerr had a dramatic fall from grace largely due to his addiction to pain killers. Going from an undefeated record to losing 11 of his last 14 fights.


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## AlanS (Jun 16, 2009)

Damn watching Mark Kerr now just makes me sad. He was the Lesnar of the 90s.


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## KillerShark1985 (Jan 6, 2010)

Rameau Sokoudjou, I remember wathing his highlight real at UFC79 facing off against Machida and thinking this guy is going to kick some ass, what a joke he turned out to be.


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## BobbyCooper (Oct 26, 2009)

KillerShark1985 said:


> Rameau Sokoudjou, I remember wathing his highlight real at UFC79 facing off against Machida and thinking this guy is going to kick some ass, what a joke he turned out to be.


Right! He was probably one of the biggest disappointments


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## Ashurum (Sep 23, 2009)

People are going to hate me but..... CroCop in the UFC


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## Tyson2011 (Jan 12, 2009)

liddell and arlovski come to mind, although i still wouldnt paticularly want to pick a fight with either of them!


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## Leed (Jan 3, 2010)

Is this topic about fighters who were only thought to be good, but turned out bad, or fighters who just crashed and burned hard? or both? :thumb02:

The first comes to mind is Soko. I remember a friend of mine saying (when I didn't no much about MMA), that he was thought to be the next LHW contender in the UFC. Well.. Before his debut, anyways. :confused05:


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## Davisty69 (May 24, 2007)

Ashurum said:


> People are going to hate me but..... CroCop in the UFC


Ad you can see, I'm a huge Cro Cop fan, and I agree with you. He came over and has looked lackluster ever since. I'd only hate you if you argued that crap that he was never any good in the first place 

I would also add "The Crow" to the list. He is still one of my favorite fighters, but he has become forgettable lately.

Luke Cummo as well. Yeah, he was never huge or anything, but putting up a good fight against Joe Stevenson in the TUF finale had him off to a solid start. Then he lost a few boring LnP decisions and was relegated to the undercards, and then cut. Don't forget the DUI. Sad times for another of my favorite fighters.


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## swpthleg (Dec 31, 2006)

Davisty69 said:


> Ad you can see, I'm a huge Cro Cop fan, and I agree with you. He came over and has looked lackluster ever since. I'd only hate you if you argued that crap that he was never any good in the first place
> 
> I would also add "The Crow" to the list. He is still one of my favorite fighters, but he has become forgettable lately.
> 
> Luke Cummo as well. Yeah, he was never huge or anything, but putting up a good fight against Joe Stevenson in the TUF finale had him off to a solid start. Then he lost a few boring LnP decisions and was relegated to the undercards, and then cut. Don't forget the DUI. Sad times for another of my favorite fighters.


I didn't know Luke Cummo got a DUI on top of everything else. That sucks. I hope some other promotion will pick him up.


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## Scarecrow (Mar 20, 2008)

Mikey Burnett is the first one that comes to mind. Former member of the Lion's Den, lost a match with Pat Miletich for the first ever UFC welterweight championship match and was an amateur golden gloves boxer. He was on the Ultimate Fighter Season 4 where he was submitted by Din Thomas.


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## swpthleg (Dec 31, 2006)

Scarecrow said:


> Mikey Burnett is the first one that comes to mind. Former member of the Lion's Den, lost a match with Pat Miletich for the first ever UFC welterweight championship match and was an amateur golden gloves boxer. He was on the Ultimate Fighter Season 4 where he was submitted by Din Thomas.


He had some sort of chronic neurological problem I thought, even before the headbutt into the wall.


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## HitOrGetHit (Jun 29, 2009)

I don't think that Chuck Liddell is a good one. He didn't start off great and then disappoint. He WAS great and then he got older. I mean if Chuck is in here then you have to throw in people like Mark Coleman and Jens Pulver. I think that they were all great and then they got too old and worn out to keep it up. Doesn't mean that crashed and burned though.


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## cdnbaron (Jan 17, 2007)

Saddest one for me to admit, but...

Carlos Newton.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Comeback*

Gomi is another one. His loss to Diaz was the first in a 1-3 skid that knocked him off of the top 10 rankings. Of course he is on a comeback so he might still have a future!


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## Damone (Oct 1, 2006)

K-Taro Nakamura.

I had high hopes, then he lost to that pudgy korean guy in, like, 7 seconds and has since vanished.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Early Champ*

Frye kind've went that way, he started strong and all but at some point he hit a wall then stopped completely!


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## Toxie (Mar 18, 2007)

Randleman *sigh*

Wanderlei after PrideFC


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## swpthleg (Dec 31, 2006)

I bet we both had tears in our eyes from the bittersweet emotions that came up watching beast killer Wandy on best of Pride. 

And we probably will again this Friday.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Tears*

Yeah probably on Friday night again!


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## Thelegend (Nov 2, 2009)

tim silva:sad02: fedor took his heart (again)
Vernon white: liddell broke his eye:eek01:


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## cdnbaron (Jan 17, 2007)

Thelegend said:


> Vernon white: liddell broke his eye:eek01:


Huh? White was 20-25-2 heading into that fight. How did that have any bearing on his career?


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## Parabola (Jan 20, 2010)

KillerShark1985 said:


> Rameau Sokoudjou, I remember wathing his highlight real at UFC79 facing off against Machida and thinking this guy is going to kick some ass, what a joke he turned out to be.


Sokoudjou was the first guy I had in mind when I read the thread title. Come on, Minowa beat him...that's when a fighter should know when to retire...


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Minowa*

He has been up and down his whole career, would do good, crash and burned, and then climbed again like with the Hulk Grand Prix!


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## Parabola (Jan 20, 2010)

kantowrestler said:


> He has been up and down his whole career, would do good, crash and burned, and then climbed again like with the Hulk Grand Prix!


Minowa is okay...what I like about him is that he'll fight anybody...


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## Barrym (Nov 19, 2006)

In a similar vein to Mark Kerr,Karo Parisyan and his fall from grace due to prescription medication


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Shamrocks*

Did I mention the Shamrock brothers slow fall from grace?


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## cdnbaron (Jan 17, 2007)

kantowrestler said:


> Did I mention the Shamrock brothers slow fall from grace?


What on earth are you talking about? Frank is obviously still a top 10 MW.


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## _RIVAL_ (Mar 7, 2008)

cdnbaron said:


> What on earth are you talking about? Frank is obviously still a top 10 MW.


Obviously.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Top 10?*

You guys are being sarcastic right?


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## HitOrGetHit (Jun 29, 2009)

MMA Weekly
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/topten.asp?articleid=14&zoneid=15

Fight Magazine *(Has him at #68)*
http://www.fightmagazine.com/mma-rankings/mma-middleweight-rankings.asp

I looked through many more as well and didn't see Frank Shamrock anywhere on a top 10 list.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Sarcasm*

They were joking dude!


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