5 times hot UFC prospects suffered shock defeats

#4. Islam Makhachev vs. Adriano Martins – UFC 192

Islam Makhachev suffered a shock TKO loss in his second UFC fight.

Right now, few fighters in the UFC are hotter than Islam Makhachev. The Dagestani lightweight has reeled off an eight-fight winning streak. If he can defeat Dan Hooker at UFC 267, he’ll be on the verge of receiving a shot at the UFC lightweight title.

Makhachev has largely risen to prominence since the retirement of his training partner and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov last October. However, he has been seen as a hot prospect ever since his octagon debut back in 2015.

That debut saw Makhachev destroy Leo Kuntz – living up to his reputation as the 'new Khabib'. However, before he could really create some momentum, he suffered a stunning upset loss to the unheralded Adriano Martins.

The fight took place at UFC 192, and saw Makhachev fight in a far too reckless manner for his own good. He came out swinging wildly, which played into Martins’ hands. Despite the Brazilian not known for his striking, he landed a clean right hand that put Makhachev to sleep.

The knockout left everyone stunned, particularly observers who expected the Dagestani to shoot up the rankings in the UFC lightweight division.

Makhachev has obviously recovered in the years that have followed. However, it took him a long time to do so, and the loss remains the only one on his MMA record to date.

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#3. Erick Silva vs. Jon Fitch – UFC 253

Hot prospect Erick Silva was derailed by veteran contender Jon Fitch at UFC 153.

Brazil has produced plenty of top-class UFC fighters, including numerous champions. In 2011, it looked like the next big Brazilian star would be Erick Silva.

A product of Team Nogueira, ‘The Tiger’ made his octagon debut at UFC 134, the promotion’s first show in Brazil in over a decade. Despite his fight being part of the preliminary card, his stoppage of Luis Ramos was so violent that fans were immediately drawn to him.

Silva returned to action in January 2012 against veteran Carlo Prater. While he was disqualified after essentially knocking Prater out with punches to the back of the head, he certainly didn’t lose any momentum. Anything he did lose, he quickly gained back when he choked out Charlie Brenneman a couple of months later.

It seemed like the sky was the limit for Silva. So when the UFC matched him with former UFC welterweight title challenger Jon Fitch at UFC 153, it felt like the final step to title contention.

Unfortunately, Fitch proved to be a step too far for ‘The Tiger’. Despite some strong moments from the Brazilian, Fitch ended up grinding him down and beating him up en route to a clear-cut decision win.

Many fans felt Fitch was past his prime at that point, while Silva looked like an unstoppable killer. However, the result sent shockwaves through the UFC, and left the Brazilian’s future title hopes in tatters.