Tony Ferguson and 4 other UFC fighters on long losing streaks

#2. Tony Ferguson, 5-fight losing streak

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is an MMA legend. He's responsible for the longest win streak in UFC lightweight history. His record features signature wins over the likes of former world champions Rafael dos Anjos and Anthony Pettis, as well as former divisional standouts Kevin Lee and Donald Cerrone.

However, Ferguson's willingness to welcome any and every opponent led to an unfortunate downswing that coincided with his declining age. At his physical peak, 'El Cucuy' was a frighteningly fast fighter with threatening skills in every facet of mixed martial arts. Yet as Ferguson aged, his speed experienced a slow decrease. Still, he remained quicker than most. Alas, once he tried to extend his win streak to 13, Ferguson was dealt a career-altering beating.

Justin Gaethje battered his opponent over five rounds before Herb Dean mercifully called an end to the bout. The loss left 'El Cucuy' uncharacteristically timid in his subsequent matchups. He lost by decision to Charles Oliveria and Beneil Dariush before sufferring the first KO of his career against Michael Chandler. Last Saturday at UFC 279, Ferguson suffered yet another loss, being submitted for the second time in his career to go 0-5 in his last 5 fights.

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#1. Sam Alvey, 8-fight losing streak

Sam Alvey is 0-8-1 in his last 9 bouts. Despite his best attempts, Alvey has not won a fight in four years. A fighter who has competed in three different divisions—welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight—Alvey has spent his most recent bouts as a 205 lbs contender. While no one ever confused Alvey for a potential title contender, he was a serviceable fighter who could be relied on to fill in spots on fight cards.

Due to the sheer number of losses he has suffered, many have begun to question why the UFC continues to keep him signed to the promotion while cutting more successful fighters for far less. A prevailing rumor that hopes to explain the promotion's reasoning is that the UFC keeps Alvey around due to his anti-union stance, which is fundamentally beneficial to the UFC's goal of maintaining its unequal distribution of profits.

Regardless, Alvey's 8 losses are troubling as they haven't come against elite-level competition. At 36 years old, 'Smile'n' will experience the effects of aging as better skilled fighters emerge to use him as a stepping stone.