#9 Hermes Franca
Hermes Franca was one of the most ferocious and imposing Lightweights of his day. With six ruthless finishes in as many fights, he was quickly snapped up by the UFC. And as with many before him, the ultimate proving ground revealed cracks in his game.
But Franca would learn from his mistakes and rebound by winning the WEC Lightweight belt. After two defences, Franca vacated the belt and re-entered the UFC. This second chapter was much richer, with Franca winning two Fight of the Night awards and challenging for the 155 lbs belt.
But with time against him, the 35-year-old Brazilian was released in 2009 and plied his trade in smaller promotions. Everything went downhill from there.
In 2011, Franca was arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a 14-year-old. He was imprisoned for 42 months and deported to Brazil, with a four and a half year probation that came with the sentence. Franca returned to fighting in 2014, primarily in Brazil and Russia.
