The sport of MMA is wild and unpredictable. There have been many times when a fighter in the UFC was on a long win streak and then suddenly couldn't win a fight at all.
Any fighter in the world can have an off night and lose. If they can't win a fight in a year or two, there are questions raised about how much they truly want to win again or if there is something wrong with their training.
A losing streak, especially in the top-most promotion of MMA, can be really dangerous for a fighter. There is always a threat of being released from the promotion if a fighter can't win his fights. Once released from the UFC, the popularity of the fighter drops considerably in most cases and they aren't able to secure a good future for themselves.
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Some fighters seemed unbeatable at a certain point and then suddenly out of nowhere found themselves on a losing streak. Let's take a closer look at the five most surprising UFC losing streaks.
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#5. Marlon Moraes - 4 UFC fight losing streak
Marlon Moraes was one of the most dangerous bantamweight contenders in the history of the UFC. The Brazilian was an all-round fighter with black belts in both Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu. Before entering the UFC, Moraes was the bantamweight champion in the World Series of Fighting (WSOF), where he defended his title five times.
'Magic' made his UFC debut in June 2017 against fellow Brazilian Raphael Assuncao and lost in a razor-close split decision. Moraes went on a four-fight winning streak after his debut loss, which included the brutal knockout of Aljamain Sterling and a rematch win over Assuncao.
Moraes was handed a title shot against Henry Cejudo at UFC 238. The Brazilian dominated Cejudo in the first round and it looked like it was just a matter of time before he put Cejudo out for good. But 'Triple C' rallied back and knocked out Moraes in the third round.
After a disappointing title loss, Moraes won his next bout via split decision against Jose Aldo, a fight that many people believe Aldo won. Moraes fought top bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen next. 'Sandman' controlled the pace of the fight and landed a spinning wheel kick to Moraes' head which knocked him out.
'Magic' was booked to fight another top contender in Rob Font following the fight with Sandhagen. Font came out with his patented jab and kept landing flush on Moraes' chin which eventually wobbled him. Font rushed in and got the finish.
Now riding a 2-fight losing streak, Moraes was booked against Merab Dvalishvili. 'Magic' had the Georgian severely hurt in the first round but couldn't finish him. Dvalishvili rallied in the second and finished Moraes via TKO.
The level of competition was reduced for Moraes in his last fight in the UFC. He was booked against rising contender Song Yadong. The Chinese fighter came out of the gates fast and put on a masterful performance. He knocked out Moraes just 2 minutes into the first round.
The Brazilian was now on a 4-fight losing streak and things were looking very bleak for the former title contender. 'Magic' later announced his retirement in April 2022.
#4. BJ Penn - 7 fight losing streak
BJ Penn grabbed the headlines when he submitted Matt Hughes and became the UFC welterweight champion. Penn had outstanding boxing, jiu-jitsu skills and an elite level of cardio.
Penn became the lightweight champion in January 2008 and defended the title three times. Penn was then defeated by Frankie Edgar in consecutive fights. The Hawaiian won and lost a few fights before he fought Nick Diaz, who defeated him by UD.
Penn fought rising welterweight contender Rory MacDonald next. MacDonald controlled the striking exchanges and beat Penn by decision. Penn then decided to move down to featherweight where he faced Frankie Edgar again. Edgar finished Penn by TKO in the third round after dominating the fight for the most part.
Penn was booked against young contender Yair Rodriguez next, who also finished him with a brutal front kick. Now on a 4-fight losing streak, Penn faced Dennis Siver next. The Hawaiian legend showed an improved performance from his previous fights but still lost on the judges' scorecards.
Penn was now desperate to get a win and once again changed his division. This time he moved up to lightweight and faced Ryan Hall. Hall took no time and submitted Penn in the first round. This came as a surprise to many as Penn was known for his incredible jiu-jitsu.
Penn later faced Clay Guida in the last fight of his career in May 2019 in Brazil. Guida and Penn put on a good show for the fans but Guida came on top with a decision win.
BJ Penn will be a legend of MMA but he tarnished his legacy as he kept fighting when his best days were behind him. New MMA fans don't seem to have an idea of who Penn was and this is a shame considering how dominant he was in his earlier days.
#3. Cody Garbrandt - 5 loses in 6 UFC fights
Cody Garbrandt was hyped up by many as the next big superstar. Garbrandt went on a six-fight win streak on his way to capturing the bantamweight title from Dominick Cruz. 'No Love' became the bantamweight champion at just 25 years of age. But after his title win, everything fell apart for the American.
In his first title defense against former teammate T.J. Dillashaw, Garbrandt looked good and rocked Dillashaw towards the end of the first round, but Dillashaw came back and finished him in the second round. Garbrandt was given an immediate rematch against Dillashaw but wasn't even able to last one round in the matchup.
After back-to-back losses, Garbrandt was booked to fight Pedro Munhoz, who also knocked him out inside one round. Suffering three losses in a row, Garbrandt took a year off and returned in June 2020 where he knocked out Raphael Assuncao in dramatic fashion at the last second of round two. Every 'No Love' fan was back on his side considering the knockout as a resurrecting moment of his career.
Garbrandt then fought Rob Font, who put on a striking masterpiece on him. The former champion was 1-4 in his last five fights and decided to drop a division to flyweight. Kai Kara France welcomed him into the division and knocked him out in the first round as well. Garbrandt is now 1-5 in his last six and the early promise of his career has fully disappeared now.
#2. Tyron Woodley - 4 fight losing streak
Tyron Woodley became the welterweight champion when he knocked out Robbie Lawler at UFC 201. Woodley had everything to look for in a fighter: high-level wrestling, great cardio, and a vicious right hand that could put anyone to sleep.
Woodley defended his title four times. He defeated 'Wonderboy' in two close fights, beat Demian Maia via UD, and submitted Darren Till in the first round. Everything was looking good for 'The Chosen One' as he became one of the most popular faces of the sport.
But at UFC 235, in his title defense against Kamaru Usman, he was dominated for five straight rounds. It was a tough loss to take for Woodley as he couldn't even win one round on any judges' scorecard.
Woodley made his return against Gilbert Burns and was once again beaten comprehensively. Woodley was then booked against Colby Covington in a long-awaited grudge match. Covington put on an incredible pace on him and finished him in the fifth round.
Woodley's last UFC fight came against rising prospect Vincente Luque. Woodley came charging towards Luque as the bell rang and had him hurt early on. But the Brazilian gathered himself and submitted the former champion in the very first round. Woodley was now on a four-fight losing streak and was released by the UFC.
#1. Tony Ferguson - 3 fight losing streak
Tony Ferguson has been fighting in the UFC for more than ten years. Ferguson won The Ultimate Fighter in 2011 and since then has been a big name in the lightweight division. After his loss to Michael Johnson in May 2012, Ferguson went on a 12-fight win streak capturing the interim title on his way.
But 'El Cucuy' never fought for the undisputed gold due to injuries and pull-outs. He was scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed lightweight title. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic the fight got canceled and he was booked against Justin Gaethje.
Gaethje put on a striking masterclass against Ferguson. 'El Cucuy' was left bloodied with a broken orbital bone. The beating Gaethje put on Ferguson was severe and referee Herb Dean decided to stop the fight in the fifth round.
Ferguson then fought against Charles Oliveira. 'Do Bronx' wasted no time in taking Ferguson to the ground. The skill level in his grappling was evident by how easily Oliveira was controlling Ferguson on the ground. The Brazilian locked in an armbar towards the end of the first, but Ferguson refused to tap. Oliveira won that bout by decision.
'El Cucuy' then fought Beneil Dariush, who also took him to the ground and controlled him there for the major part of the fight. Dariush also caught Ferguson in a submission but the American again refused to tap and carried on. Dariush came on top in a one-sided affair won by decision.
Ferguson is now on a three-fight losing streak and needs to pull out a win otherwise he could face the same fate as Woodley and get released from the UFC.
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