The 10 biggest busts in UFC history

#7: Hatsu Hioki

Hatsu Hioki never did challenge for the UFC title

Japanese fighters had always traditionally struggled in the UFC, but in 2011 Hatsu Hioki was supposed to be different. Not only was he bringing a pretty impressive record into the Octagon – 24-4-2 – but he’d also had experience inside a cage, fighting for Canada’s TKO promotion on three occasions.

With 145lbs being relatively thin on contenders, he was expected to challenge Jose Aldo for the UFC title at some point.

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Hioki started off relatively well, beating George Roop and Bart Palaszewski, although both fights were closer than people expected them to be.

The Palaszewski fight was rumoured to have netted him a title shot, but instead he was matched with Ricardo Lamas – who comfortably beat him, ending that idea for good.

Losses to Clay Guida and Darren Elkins knocked him out of contention entirely, and then a win over Ivan Menjivar was followed by losses to Charles Oliveira and Dan Hooker – both of whom finished Hioki, marking the first submission and KO losses of his career.

He ended his UFC run with a record of 3-5, awful going for someone who was meant to be a title challenger.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Pratyay Ghosh