Mixed martial arts is a sport of physicality and violence. In this incredible sport where fighters are constantly competing against the very best in the world, there is absolutely no room for mistakes. The level of skill these athletes operate on is completely unlike what us mere mortals can comprehend.
That’s the thing about fights which happen at these elite levels. They are often decided by intangibles that cannot be measured. When two guys who are equally skilled step into an octagon with the sole aim of achieving physical domination over one and another, then the fight is decided by who wants it more.
Also Read: 5 stupidest things UFC fighters have done while fighting
When it comes down to these fights, they are decided by heart. By the will of not giving up and pushing on in the face of adversity. They are decided by the soul of a fighter. But, in some instances, fighters suffer a loss so gruelling that it eats away at them and they are never the same again. They lose that all-important soul.
So, without further ado, here are 5 MMA fighters who lost their soul:
#5 Josh Koscheck
Josh Koscheck was considered one of the brightest young stars in MMA during his younger days. He made a name for himself as a welterweight in the UFC and had a great start to his career until he came up against the indomitable power of Georges St. Pierre.
GSP absolutely schooled Kos in their first encounter, but the younger man still recovered from the loss and rediscovered some of his best form. Things looked like they were on the up until his second loss to the same man, St. Pierre.
Holding a respectable record of 15-5 following this loss, Koscheck’s would go on a downward spiral as he lost 5 out of his next 7 fights in the UFC to drop off the face of top-class welterweights.
Koscheck recently made his Bellator debut, following his release from the UFC, and ended up with yet another loss. A terrible path for a promising career to take.
#4 Johny Hendricks
Johny Hendricks was a premier Welterweight fighter and one of the very best to ever grace the division before he lost his soul. The cracks appeared after a controversial loss Big Rigg suffered against Georges St. Pierre during GSP’s final bout in the UFC before vacating his UFC Welterweight Championship back in 2013.
He recovered strongly from this to pick up the title GSP vacated in an absolute brawl against Robbie Lawler. Despite this victory, he would lose the title in a rematch against Lawler at UFC 181 and has never really looked the same since.
He lost 3 out of his next 4 fights consistently failing to make weight at Welterweight. Things are looking better now, though, as Hendricks won his first fight as a Middleweight. Is this a false dawn or are we about to see the resurgence of Johny Hendricks? Only time will tell.
#3 Rory MacDonald
A name no one would associate with a loss of soul at this time last year, Rory MacDonald has fallen far from grace. The 27-year-old has been one of the premier fighters in the UFC’s Welterweight division until that fight against Robbie Lawler.
In what can only be described as a war, MacDonald was knocked out in the 5th round against Lawler in a fight for the UFC Welterweight title in the 2015 Fight of the Year. It took so much out of the young man that he took nearly 11 months off before making a return against Stephen Thompson.
Unfortunately, he ended up losing the fight against Wonderboy via unanimous decision and hasn’t been seen anywhere near a UFC octagon since. There are serious doubts if MacDonald can ever hit the heights he achieved before the loss to Lawler again.
I sincerely hope Rory MacDonald proves me wrong and forces me to take him off this list soon but until then, we can only wait and see what happens next.
#2 Brock Lesnar
Despite a less than spectacular start to his MMA career, Brock Lesnar soon established himself as a dominant force in UFC’s Heavyweight division, registering impressive victories against the likes of Randy Couture, Shane Carwin, and Frank Mir on his path to the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Then came the fateful fight against Cain Velasquez. Getting mauled by Velasquez seemed to shake a deep-seated belief inside Lesnar and he never looked the same after this TKO loss. He would make one more appearance as an MMA fighter before quitting the business for half a decade.
Another early loss to Alistair Overeem back in 2011 caused Lesnar to pack his bags and head back to pro-wrestling till he made his return to the octagon in 2016 against Mark Hunt. An initially triumphant return was soured as The Beast tested positive for PEDs and his victory was overruled to a No Contest.
Lesnar recently announced his retirement from the UFC.
#1 Ronda Rousey
The Golden Girl of the UFC, Ronda Rousey, was an unstoppable juggernaut in Women’s Bantamweight division until her shock loss to Holly Holm in 2015. This loss caused Rowdy to go into hiding for well over a year, where she barely made any public appearances.
On her return to the octagon at the end of 2016, she suffered a beating at the hands of now-champion Amanda Nunes and Rousey looks like a woman who has lost the will to fight. On the evidence of things, the loss to Holm caused Ronda Rousey to well and truly lose her soul.
