5 UFC prospects who didn't reach their potential this decade (2010-2019)

Modified Dec 22, 2019 21:25 GMT

Brandon Thatch was expected to become a UFC title contender at Welterweight

#5 Rony Jason

Rony Jason won the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil

The Featherweight winner of the inaugural Ultimate Fighter: Brazil season, Rony Jason seemed like he had all of the tools to reach the top in the UFC. Named after the infamous serial killer from the Friday the 13th movie series, Jason came into the reality show with a record of 10-3, and buzzsawed his way through the competition, showing ruthless finishing skills on the feet and on the ground.

A somewhat dull win over Godofredo Pepey in the season’s finale at UFC 147 soured some fans on him, but an ultra-exciting win over Sam Sicilia in a brawl at UFC 153 sent his hype train into overdrive. Had the UFC found their next Brazilian superstar? A third Octagon win – over Mike Wilkinson – suggested they had.

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Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Jason suffered a violent knockout at the hands of Jeremy Stephens in his next fight, and although he then bounced back with a KO of Steven Siler, subsequent fights against Robbie Peralta, Dennis Bermudez and Jeremy Kennedy saw him flatter to deceive – and a positive drug test for a banned diuretic in 2015 didn’t help.

The case appeared to be that while Jason’s offensive skills were tremendous – meaning he could take out lower-level fighters in stunning fashion – he just didn’t have the defensive skills nor the wrestling base to succeed at the very top level. He was released from the UFC in 2017 and hasn’t returned since.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram