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The spectacle of a UFC fight can get to the best of fighters, even if they've spent months on end preparing for the occasion.
Over the years, we've seen several fighters crumble when the spotlight gets too bright. In the recent past, the likes of Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Derrick Lewis have wilted under pressure despite being some of the most powerful punchers in the history of the sport.
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UFC legends aren't exempt from becoming gun-shy in crucial fights either. Here are five great UFC fighters - current and past - who just don't show up sometimes.
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#5 UFC welterweight Donald Cerrone
The owner of several impressive UFC records, Donald Cerrone is a UFC legend in his own right. 'Cowboy' has the most wins (23), the second-most finishes (16), the most post-fight bonuses (18) and the tied-most bouts (37) in UFC history.
Cerrone's UFC career has tapered off dramatically in the recent past, and he is without a win in his last six fights. But in his prime, he was a fearsome striker who promised entertainment each time he stepped foot in the octagon. Unfortunately for 'Cowboy', he has often failed to deliver when he has needed to the most.
Cerrone was accused of "choking" in his title fight against Rafael dos Anjos, who had stated before the bout that he believes his opponent wouldn't be able to handle the pressure. The Brazilian, who was alluding to Cerrone's losses to Nate Diaz, Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis, was proved right in the end.
Later in his career, Cerrone was easily brushed aside in one of the biggest fights of his career against Conor McGregor. He himself admitted that he was nowhere near his best on the night, and that the occasion had got the better of him. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the 38-year-old.
#4 Former UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem
A former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem enjoyed a distinguished career in the UFC's most challenging division. However, despite being a frightening knockout artist who had the power to end fights in an instant, the Dutch kickboxer has come up short multiple times in key fights.
Overeem has lost to several top-tier opponents over the course of his MMA career. He has losses to Chuck Liddell, Rogerio Nogueira (twice), Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (twice), Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva and Francis Ngannou.
Although 'The Demolition Man' has many high-profile wins on his record, such as Werdum, Mark Hunt, Brock Lesnar, Andrei Arlovski, Junior dos Santos and Frank Mir, it is clear that he doesn't take the pressure of a big fight very well. Overeem's title fight loss to Stipe Miocic was another result that added to this belief.
Concerningly, Overeem has often looked bereft of answers in big fights, in stark contrast to the manner in which he mostly runs through opponents. Unfortunately, he just doesn't show up sometimes.
#3 Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor has been in the limelight for most of his UFC career, and he handles the big occasion better than most. With historic wins over the likes of Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez, 'The Notorious' is one of the greatest fighters the UFC has ever seen.
But in the recent past, McGregor has failed to present the best version of himself in the UFC. He was first dominated and submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov, clearly not at his physical or mental best in the lead-up to and during the fight. Things didn't get better from him against Dustin Poirier, whom he was favored to beat at UFC 257.
McGregor was knocked out for the first time in his UFC career as Poirier had success in his kickboxing, before suffering another loss to the 'The Diamond' months later. Yes, the Irishman's losses were to arguably the two greatest lightweights of all time, but his performances were nowhere near the level he is capable of.
#2 Former UFC middleweight title challenger Yoel Romero
Yoel Romero is an outlier in every sense of the word. A man with probably the best physique in MMA history, 'The Soldier of God' has always been a terrifying, well-rounded fighter.
But Romero has often failed to deliver in fights he has been favored to win, or at the very least challenge his opponent seriously. His close loss to Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza was the first indication of this as he edged a controversial split decision with only spurts of explosiveness.
Romero then suffered a pair of losses to Robert Whittaker, before appearing to save face in an all-out war against Paulo Costa. But things came to a head in the title fight against Israel Adesanya, where he seemed extremely reluctant to engage, resulting in a highly underwhelming fight.
Romero added another chapter to his list of bizarre moments recently, when he claimed that he thought his Bellator debut against Phil Davis was five rounds instead of the prescribed three.
#1 Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley
The most famous case of a fighter having the blues sometimes, Tyron Woodley has often been gun-shy in fights despite being a highly explosive puncher otherwise.
The former UFC welterweight champion suffered three insipid losses in a row towards the end of his career to Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns and Colby Covington. Even in his recent boxing fight against Jake Paul, he threw away what seemed to be a straightforward victory with some average output.
Woodley was first accused of being timid against Rory MacDonald, who clinched a unanimous-decision win in June 2014. Things improved soon after as he clinched the title and defended it four times, but he didn't win a single round against Usman, Burns and Covington.
Woodley went out on his shield against Vicente Luque, but the damage had been done by then. It is now an established fact that 'The Chosen One' just freezes sometimes.
