5 active UFC veterans who should have retired already

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping recently stated that "fighters are their own worst enemy". This is especially true in the case of competitors not knowing when it is time to hang up the gloves.

Time after time, we have seen fighters attempt to prolong their fighting careers. They keep going despite their bodies clearly being no longer capable of receiving the punishment needed to be an athlete at the top of the sport.

In the following list, we break down five active UFC veterans who should have retired by now.

#5. Michael 'The Menace' Johnson - UFC lightweight

Michael Johnson has forever been an enigma in the UFC lightweight landscape. 'The Menace' possessed extremely high-level striking that saw him overcome the likes of Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson and Edson Barboza. At times, Johnson appeared destined for UFC title contention.

However, inconsistency has plagued Johnson's entire career. Immediately following his win over Dustin Poirier, he dropped three losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje and Darren Elkins. An impressive win over Edson Barboza got fans talking, but then back-to-back losses against Beneil Dariush and Nate Diaz once again slowed his momentum.

At least these losses were against respected opposition. Johnson has now come up short in his last four fights, having not won since 2018, when he picked up a decision victory over Artem Lobov.

Thiago Moises, Stevie Ray, Josh Emmett and Clay Guida have each got the better of 'The Menace' since the Lobov fight. It would appear that Johnson will never reach the stardom that so many once thought he would achieve.

#4. Raphael Assuncao - UFC bantamweight

Having made his MMA debut in 2004, Raphael Assuncao is one of the most experienced veteran fighters in the UFC's bantamweight division.

Whilst experience can be enough to mask the lack of speed and durability in the bigger weight classes, older fighters tend to struggle the lower in weight they go.

This is exactly the case with Raphael Assuncao, who is now on a four fight losing streak. His last two fights have both ended via KO. His most recent came against Ricky Simon who, despite being primarily known for his wrestling prowess, right hooked him into oblivion.

In his prime, Assuncao went head-to-head with the likes of T.J. Dillashaw and Pedro Munhoz. Now, though, he is unable to even outlast the rapidly declining Cody Garbrandt.

#3. Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone - UFC welterweight/lightweight

Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone has admittedly overcome calls for retirement in the past. He altered his game to take a more technical approach in an effort to prolong his career.

However, it seems clear that his time as a fan favorite action fighter is at an end. Plainly put, Cerrone does not have the durability to compete with the top fighters in either the lightweight or welterweight divisions. 'Cowboy' has been knocked out in four of his last six bouts.

Furthermore, Cerrone has not won a fight in his last six UFC octagon appearances, with five losses and one draw. Even outside the UFC, Cerrone has been having a hard time, as both Craig Jones and Joe Solecki submitted him in recent grappling competitions.

#2. Frankie 'The Answer' Edgar - UFC bantamweight

In his prime, Frankie Edgar was one of the greatest fighters in the entire sport. He constantly defied expectations, capturing the UFC lightweight title against Hall of Famer BJ Penn, despite being undersized and a huge betting underdog.

However, Edgar's age has finally begun to catch up with him, as shown by his KO losses as of late.

His stint at featherweight was brought to an end as Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ortega handed 'The Answer' the first KO losses of his career. Edgar has since moved down to bantamweight and, whilst an initial decision win implied a career resurgance, Edgar's last two fights have proven that is far from the case.

A flying knee from Cory Sandhagen left Edgar face down on the canvas. A front kick from Marlon Vera truly highlighted that Edgar's body is no longer able to compete at the highest levels of the sport.

#1. 'Smilin' Sam Alvey - UFC middleweight

It is hard to comprehend just how Sam Alvey is still signed to the UFC. He has failed to pick up a win in his last seven UFC appearances, having lost six and drawn one. His last UFC win was a split decision victory over Gian Villante in 2018.

Even in the prime of his career, Alvey never amassed more than a four fight winning streak. He has even competed in two different weight classes, failing to put together consistent winning streaks at both 185lbs and 205lbs.

Alvey has prided himself on being a company man for the duration of his time with the UFC, often offering to step in and take fights on short notice. It is this willingness to help out the UFC that has allowed him to stay on for as long as he has.

However, at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland, Sam Alvey will take on Phil Hawes. Should he come up short against Hawes, Alvey will equal BJ Penn's record of eight fights in the UFC without a win.

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