Tony Ferguson and 4 other UFC fighters on long losing streaks

#4. UFC heavyweight Augusto Sakai

The UFC heavyweight division is notoriously shallow. Due to the scarcity of men large enough to compete in the weight class, the promotion has struggled to consistently sign new talents to the division, least of all due to most athletes large enough to be heavyweights often choosing different sports like American football and basketball.

Augusto Sakai was once a heavyweight prospect. The Brazilian drew the attention of fight fans for his knockout power and size. His first four fights in the promotion were successful, earning him two stoppage victories. With a record of 15-1-1, he seemed ready for the next step in his ascension through the heavyweight division. The UFC scheduled him in a matchup with MMA legend Alistair Overeem, hoping that Sakai would prove their hopes right and emerge as a new face for the large Brazilian market to get behind.

Unfortunately, their hopes were misplaced. Overeem dealt Sakai a sound defeat, TKO'ing him in the fifth round. The loss sent Sakai tumbling down the heavyweight ladder as he suffered three more losses to Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Tai Tuivasa and Sergey Spivak respectively. Suddenly, the Brazilian prospect, who had 11 TKO/KOs in 15 wins, was on the wrong end of a 4-fight losing streak, all by KO/TKO.

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#3. Raphael Assunção, 4-fight losing streak

The bantamweight division is one of the deepest UFC weight classes in the promotion. Once a fighter breaks into the top 15 of the division, it's difficult to find an easy or favorable matchup. Years ago, bantamweight standout Raphael Assunção was at the helm of a 4-fight win streak. Known for his durability and deceptive punching power, Assunção was a longtime staple of the division.

However, as old age took its hold, the Brazilian declined as a fighter. First, he suffered a loss to Marlon Moraes, succumbing to a guillotine choke in the first round in what was only the second submission loss of his career. While Assunção hoped to redeem himself by finding victory in his subsequent bout, he lost to rising contender Cory Sandhagen via a lopsided unanimous decision. Unfortunately, his next two losses were far more brutal.

Assunção suffered knockout losses to Cody Garbrandt and Ricky Simón. At 40 years old with a 4-fight losing streak looming over him, it's difficult to imagine Assunção ending his current downswing.