#2. Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey's rise to the UFC mountaintop was as abrupt as her downfall. She may have burnt out too quickly, but her flames were arguably the brightest.
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For a time, Rousey was billed as the most dominant champion in UFC history. Commentator Joe Rogan even went as far as saying that Rousey could probably beat most fighters in the men's 135-pound division. Needless to say, all the superlatives were used to prop up Rousey's cloak of invincibility.
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Little did anyone know that Rousey would experience a hard dose of reality in the form of Holly Holm. No one gave Holm a remote chance of beating Rousey, who at the time had a finish rate of 100%. 'Rowdy' came into the fight as the -2,000 betting favorite.
All the glory and fame seemed to have gotten inside Rousey's head as it was apparent that she had zero respect for the challenger. Once the fight began, Rousey came charging forward against Holm, who is known to be a talented counter-striker.
In the first round, it quickly became apparent that Holm would not be just another victim. She tagged Rousey with several crisp counters as the champion often got caught coming in. In round two, Rousey's refusal to change tactics cost her dearly as Holm fired away until the champ couldn't take any more.
With Rousey dethroned, 'The Preacher's Daughter' exposed a glaring hole in the game of the UFC megastar. Rousey tried to bounce back the following year, but Amanda Nunes sent her into retirement for good.
#1. Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva was at the absolute peak of his powers when he squared off against then-rising star Chris Weidman. The Brazilian legend was on an unprecedented 16-fight win streak and showed no signs of slowing down.
Weidman, on the other hand, was perceived to be just the latest prey for 'The Spider' to maul. But that analysis turned out to be one of the biggest miscalculations by observers of the sport.
The ever-confident champion taunted Weidman every time the young challenger connected. Silva's decision to showboat proved to be the single biggest mistake he made in his career.
The Brazilian pretended to be hurt after receiving a glancing blow from Weidman. But the American took advantage of the situation as he relentlessly threw more punches with one of them eventually finding Silva's jaw. Just like that, Silva's six-year reign was over.
The narrative that emerged from UFC 162 was that Silva shot himself in the foot by acting carelessly. 'The Spider' was given a chance to redeem himself as he was awarded an instant rematch.
But at UFC 168, Weidman proved, once and for all, that his win was no fluke. 'The All-American' pummeled Silva and almost knocked him out again. In the second round, Weidman telegraphed Silva's low kick and countered with a check, causing the Brazilian's leg to snap in half.
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