5 UFC fighters who were capable of brilliance but lacked consistency: Paul Craig, Melvin Guillard and more

In the world of the UFC, the most talented fighters don't always make it to the top. Instead, the fighters who can be consistently great tend to win titles and become legends.

Over the years, we've seen a number of UFC fighters who were incredibly talented and could produce brilliance at times, only for their overall consistency to let them down.

Some of these fighters were able to headline events and beat elite-level fighters, but they never quite climbed into title contention.

Here are five UFC fighters who were capable of brilliance but lacked consistency.

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#5. Paul Craig - UFC light-heavyweight contender

Right now, the fighter who falls most into the category of brilliant-but-inconsistent is definitely Paul Craig.

The light-heavyweight veteran is set to face Rodolfo Bellato in the co-headliner of this weekend's Fight Night event, and coming off three losses, he probably needs to win to save his UFC career.

To look at the octagon record of 'Bearjew', you'd probably believe he's little more than a middling gatekeeper. In 19 appearances, the Scotsman has won nine fights, lost nine and drawn one.

However, somehow, three of those wins have come over former UFC champions, all via finish. While it's probably fair to skim over his victory over a broken-down version of Shogun Rua, it's hard to sniff at the fact that he's the only man to ever beat Magomed Ankalaev, and was the first man to beat Jamahal Hill.

What's the explanation for this? Essentially, Craig is a remarkably dangerous grappler, but he's also a glass cannon of sorts who often leaves himself open to taking damage.

This means that he's never really developed into a title contender as such, but he's unique in that you can never count him out of any fight.

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#4. Alan Belcher - former UFC middleweight contender

Many fans have probably forgotten about former middleweight contender Alan Belcher at this point. After all, he hasn't fought in the UFC since 2013, when he competed in his final octagon bout against Michael Bisping.

Still, during his prime, Belcher was one of the most brilliant yet frustrating fighters in the entire promotion.

Some fighters don't live up to their nickname, but Belcher - who was known as 'The Talent' - definitely wasn't one of them.

A lethal Muay Thai striker who also had an excellent grappling game and was willing to take risks, Belcher seemed to be blessed with abilities other fighters could only dream of.

He picked up nine victories in the octagon, finishing eight opponents, including highly-rated fighters like Rousimar Palhares, Denis Kang and Patrick Cote.

However, Belcher could also be maddeningly inconsistent, explaining his six defeats.

While tight losses to the likes of Bisping and Yushin Okami could be explained, 'The Talent' was also inexplicably finished by opponents like Jason Day and Kendall Grove.

Had Belcher been able to perform at his best every time, he could easily have become a high-level title contender. Unfortunately, for reasons that are hard to fathom, that wasn't the case.

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#3. James Irvin - former UFC light-heavyweight contender

Unlike the other fighters on this list, James Irvin never really picked up any wins over elite-level contenders during his UFC career.

However, few fighters were as capable of scoring wild, flashy finishes as 'The Sandman'.

In an octagon career that encompassed just ten bouts, six of which ended in defeat, he delivered three all-time classic stoppages that can still be seen on highlight reels today.

The summer of 2005 saw him deliver one of the greatest flying knees in MMA history to take out Terry Martin in the second round of their bout. 2006, meanwhile, saw him stop Hector Ramirez with a flurry and a soccer kick to the body.

2008, though, saw his most memorable moment. In a clash with fellow striker Houston Alexander, Irvin unleashed one of the best Superman punches ever seen in the octagon to score a first-round KO.

'The Sandman' was always inconsistent, though, largely because his chin and ground game weren't that great, explaining his poor record overall.

However, given his explosive tendencies and his ability to show flashes of brilliance, he was always a must-watch fighter.

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#2. Joe Riggs - former UFC welterweight contender

The only fighter on this list to challenge for a UFC title, former middleweight and welterweight contender Joe Riggs definitely falls into the category of brilliant-but-inconsistent.

It's probably fair to ignore the second octagon run for 'Diesel', which came in 2014 and saw him lose three of his four fights. At that point, he was miles past his prime.

His first run, though, saw him fare much better. A master of ground-and-pound who was also happy to strike and could grapple too, Riggs came into the promotion in 2004 with plenty of hype.

He lived up to that hype by stopping the tough Joe Doerksen in his debut, battering him into submission with elbow strikes. 'Diesel' would later score a rare stoppage win over the ultra-durable Chris Lytle, and even outboxed Nick Diaz in a bout that became better known for the post-fight brawl in the hospital.

Unfortunately, Riggs also suffered four losses in the octagon, three via submission and one via knockout.

While there's no shame in anyone losing to Matt Hughes in a welterweight title bout, as well as against Mike Swick and Diego Sanchez, it was hard not to be disappointed with Riggs.

Despite his flashes of brilliance, he simply didn't seem to show up at all in his losses, something that was frustrating for his fans to handle.

Had 'Diesel' been consistent, he'd probably be far better-remembered than he is today.

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#1. Melvin Guillard - former UFC lightweight contender

Former lightweight contender Melvin Guillard quite regularly appears on lists of UFC fighters who never lived up to their potential. However, it's arguable that isn't quite true.

That status should be more reserved for fighters who were wrecked by injuries - Todd Duffee, for instance - or prospects who didn't quite pan out, like Brandon Thatch.

Guillard was different. At times, 'The Young Assassin' absolutely did live up to his potential. At his best, he was probably the most lethal 155-pound striker in the entire UFC, and his thunderous knockouts of opponents like Rick Davis and Gabe Ruediger remain stirring.

Guillard didn't just snack on overmatched foes, though. He also scored wins over genuinely high-level opponents like Gleison Tibau, Evan Dunham, and Jeremy Stephens.

With his natural athleticism, explosive striking and ability to bounce back up from takedowns at points, he seemed to have everything required to become a champion.

Despite this, unfortunately, 'The Young Assassin' was simply inconsistent. It's easy to explain his losses to elite fighters like Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, and Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone.

However, his defeats to fighters like Joe Lauzon, Rich Clementi, and Jamie Varner probably should've been avoidable for a fighter of his talents.

What went wrong for Guillard? Some would point to his weaker ground game or questionable chin, but in reality, he just couldn't produce his best consistently.

Had he been able to do so, it isn't a stretch to suggest he could've been a legitimate title contender - if not a champion - at his peak in 2010-11.