The 10 biggest busts in UFC history

#4: Denis Kang

Denis Kang's great run in PRIDE didn't translate into UFC success

When the UFC bought out PRIDE in 2007, one of the biggest names that people wanted to see cross over into the Octagon was Middleweight Denis Kang. He’d torn through the PRIDE roster in their 185lbs Grand Prix in 2006, beating Murilo Rua, Amar Suloev and Akihiro Gono before losing a controversial decision to Kazuo Misaki in the finals.

But Kang chose to sign with K-1 instead, and lost in a pair of upsets to Yoshihiro Akiyama and Gegard Mousasi. He righted the ship with a pair of wins in 2008 though and finally made the move to the UFC. As one of the most exciting fighters to come out of Japan, everyone was salivating over his debut. Unfortunately for his fans, things went wrong straight away.

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He was beaten in his debut by an Alan Belcher guillotine choke, struggled to a win over journeyman Xavier Foupa-Pokam, and then took a massive beatdown at the hands of Michael Bisping to end his UFC run at 1-2. The case may have been that Kang was past his prime when he came to the UFC – he’d been fighting since 1998 – but there’s also an argument for him simply being a poor defensive fighter. Either way, his run was painfully disappointing.

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