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Sometimes, UFC fighters lose fights. In other cases, their performances grew less impressive with each bout. No mixed martial artist likes losing. The very idea of tasting defeat is intolerable to most fighters with aspirations of elite success. In some cases, fighters change their division.
Former bantamweight kingpin Cody Garbrandt sought to reinvigorate himself at flyweight after an extremely rough patch in his former playground at 135 lbs. Unfortunately, things didn't go his way as he instead suffered a first-round knockout loss against Kai Kara-France.
Another solution that fighters typically turn to is changing their gyms. While this can sometimes work wonders, it can also have the opposite effect and stunt their growth as mixed martial artists. So with that in mind, this list details five instances when UFC fighters changed their gyms and didn't turn out well.
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#5. Randa Markos, former UFC strawweight
Some fans may not remember Randa Markos, but she was once a serviceable mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC women's strawweight division. While her career has since taken a major as she has exactly 11 losses and 11 wins on her record, she was once held in a better light.
In late 2015, she was scheduled to face a then undefeated 115'er in Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Ahead of the bout, 'Quiet Storm' changed gyms and trained at Tristar, where Canadian MMA legend Georges St-Pierre made his home. Unfortunately, her time at Tristar didn't yield the results she wanted.
She suffered a unanimous decision loss to Kowalkiewicz and subsequently left Tristar, claiming that her coaches tried to turn her into a patient fighter, which she has never been.
#4. Kevin Lee, UFC lightweight
At one point in time, Kevin Lee was a highly touted prospect that even welterweight legend Georges St-Pierre labeled a future UFC champion. Several years later, 'The Motown Phenom' is nowhere near the heights expected of him. While he has since re-signed with the promotion, he has a lot of work to do.
After suffering two back-to-back losses, Kevin Lee sought to make a change. After a recommendation from color commentator Joe Rogan, he joined Tristar. Under the guidance of Firas Zahabi, he scored the Knockout of the Year against Gregor Gillespie. But he has since declined.
He subsequently missed weight against Charles Oliveira prior to suffering a submission loss. He then returned to the welterweight division to face Daniel Rodriguez, an opponent he should have been too skilled to beat. Instead, 'The Motown Phenom' lost.
His only win since his KO against Gregor Gillespie was a decision win against a then 41-year old, over-the-hill Diego Sanchez.
#3. Rashad Evans, former UFC light heavyweight/middleweight
The start of the end for Rashad Evans as an elite mixed martial artist came after he made the decision to leave Jackson-Wink MMA. Back in 2011, 'Sugar' was forced to watch his then-teammate Jon Jones defeat Maurício 'Shogun' Rua to capture the title that he once held.
After Greg Jackson announced that he would coach 'Bones' in favor of coaching 'Sugar' in a potential bout between the two, Evans announced his departure from the team, instead joining a team known then as the Blackzillians. His decision to leave Jackson-Wink MMA did not yield positive results.
Since his departure from the team, Evans has fought 10 times, losing seven times and only winning thrice across an entire decade. While age later caught up to him, his initial lack of success was due to him no longer benefitting from the guidance of coaches who understood more about his fighting style than anyone else.
#2. Johnny Walker, UFC light heavyweight
As the largest 205'er on the UFC roster, Johnny Walker is an athletic freak. He stands at six feet and six inches in height, and possesses such a breadth of knockout power that he can always rely on the nuclear option in every single one of his fights. In early 2019, he was the talk of the town at 205 lbs.
His streak of exciting knockouts led many to wonder whether he was a future champion in the making. Some even began hailing him as the man to dethrone Jon Jones, who was the light heavyweight champion at the time. Part of what made the Brazilian successful, however, was how wild he once was.
It bled a streak of creativity into his Muay Thai foundation. After suffering two consecutive losses, he made the change to Straight Blast Gym Ireland. While he rebounded with a KO win against Ryan Spann, he subsequently lost to Thiago Santos and Jamahal Hill.
The loss to Santos was especially poor given his countryman's severe decline. Walker remains the only win on Santos' record in his last six fights. While Walker has since rebounded with two wins, only one of these wins was against a ranked opponent.
#1. Travis Browne, former UFC heavyweight
While he is currently more well-known for being Ronda Rousey's husband, Travis Browne was once considered a glimpse into the future of heavyweight MMA. Years ago, he was touted as a super heavyweight who heralded a new generation of hyper-athletic 265'ers. At his peak, he was an exciting force inside the octagon.
He possessed good movement, crushing knockout power and a dynamic arsenal of kicks and unorthodox elbows. Towards the end of 2013, he was a streaking heavyweight with 16 wins, just one loss and a draw. Unfortunately, his decision to join his then-girlfriend Ronda Rousey at Glendale sparked his decline.
He first suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss to Fabricio Werdum, culminating in his coach Edmond Tarverdyan being kicked by the Brazilian in the post-fight moment. While he rebounded against Brendan Schaub, he subsequently lost to Andrei Arlovski.
Browne never embarked on another win streak and lost four of his last five MMA bouts before retiring. Under Tarverdyan's guidance, he devolved into a one-dimensional, flat-footed boxer with none of the movement, kicks and elbows that made him worth watching.
