5 undefeated UFC fighters who never recovered after a loss

#2. Shane Carwin

Before Francis Ngannou set the UFC heavyweight division alight with his monstrous knockout power, Shane Carwin was the infamous power-punching behemoth. Like Ngannou, Carwin finished every single opponent he faced during his undefeated run in quick fashion. No fighter escaped the 1st round when they stepped inside the octagon to clash with Carwin.

At UFC 111, Carwin crossed paths with former heavyweight champion Frank Mir in the greatest test of his career at that point in time. It was a test that Carwin passed with flying colors as he captured the interim heavyweight title. This set up a titanic clash with reigning champion Brock Lesnar. It was a classic striker vs. wrestler matchup. Eager to avoid his foe's vaunted punching power, Lesnar tried to implement his wrestling but was initially thwarted.

Instead, Carwin rocked and badly hurt 'The Beast' en route to knocking him down. What followed was an onslaught that the referee gave Lesnar ample time to recover from. By the 2nd round, Carwin was exhausted. He had no energy to resist Lesnar's takedowns. Within 2 minutes, he tapped out to an arm-triangle. It was the first loss of Carwin's career. What followed was a second defeat at the hands of Junior dos Santos.

Unfortunately, it was the last UFC fight of Carwin's career. His blemished record dulled fan interest in his fights, and a string of injuries forced him to announce his retirement from the sport.

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#1. Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey is one of the most important women's fighters in MMA history. Without her, women's MMA would have likely found its way into the UFC much later than it did. Like Shane Carwin, the manner in which Ronda Rousey defeated her opponents earned her significant interest from fans. Her first 7 bouts all ended via 1st-round armbar.

Her 8th bout was a rematch against Miesha Tate. It was the first time a Ronda Rousey fight extended beyond the 1st round. Even then, the matchup was still something of a repeat of their first encounter. Rousey claimed victory via armbar. Instead of the 1st round, however, 'Rowdy's' win came in the 3rd round.

In her subsequent bouts, Rousey seemed to undergo an evolution as a fighter, as she bested her foes with strikes for the first time.

By the time the UFC visited Australia for UFC 193, Rousey was 12-0 and set to face Holly Holm in front of the largest crowd in the promotion's history. Alas, she was on the wrong end of a one-sided beating that culminated in a 2nd round KO after Holly landed a thunderous left-high kick.

It was a stunning defeat, causing Rousey to embark on a sabbatical from the sport. She hid her face from cameras and even imposed restrictions on interviewers to not ask her about her loss. A year later, 'Rowdy' returned against Amanda Nunes, suffering another loss. After suffering the first 2 losses of her career, Rousey retired from MMA to pursue a career in professional wrestling, where she is now a two-time women's champion