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Fighters oftentimes let a loss devastate them. It's not for lack of sportsmanship though, rather it's because one loss can do so much harm to a career in the UFC. Fighters, on average, get to compete 2-3 times a year. Furthermore, most athletes rely on the win bonus to make ends meet. It also doesn't take much for one to lose their spot in the organization, as it'll take multiple wins to take a step forward, but one loss can be multiple steps back.
With that being said, it's absolutely fair for a fighter to be glum after a loss. That's not always the case, though. Many fighters have taken a loss in stride and dealt with it in a very commendable way. Taking it as a lesson rather than a loss is often talked about by fighters who use setbacks as motivation.
From figuratively taking it on the chin after literally taking it on the chin, to not making any excuses, some athletes prefer to get out in front of their loss instead of shying away from it. Here are five UFC fighters who gracefully handled a loss.
#5. Ben Askren
"Sometimes life doesn't go your way. Sometimes you get your a** kicked, sometimes you lose."
Following a record-setting loss to Jorge Masvidal, the world wondered how Ben Askren would react after his first loss as a professional fighter. Askren and Masvidal talked a lot in the lead-up to this bout, and the conversations weren't the most amicable. Finally, the two were able to take out their frustration on each other, and it only took 'Gamebred' five seconds to land a flying knee and two subsequent shots.
As the perfect career of Askren was given its first blemish, he set the standard for how a professional should deal with a bout not going their way. Very candid about this loss being a pretty bad one, the losing fighter even joked about how he set a record of some sort, as he was on the worse end of the UFC's fastest knockout.
Although losing a contest in this capacity was a completely foreign feeling to the formerly undefeated fighter, Askren made light of the situation. Acceptance was the only route Askren felt he could take, and as much as he didn't like 'Gamebred', he had no choice but to admit that Masvidal was the better fighter that night.
#4. Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler joined the UFC in 2021, which felt long overdue. Diving right into the deep end, 'Iron' debuted against a very dangerous fan-favorite, Dan Hooker. The bout saw 'The Hangman' being more patient than usual, likely out of respect for the power coming his way off of Chandler's attacks. The UFC newcomer landed a bomb and the subsequent blows halted the fight. A performance like this, backed by his resume, warranted a title fight.
With Khabib Nurmagomedov retiring, Chandler fought Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. While his sophomore UFC outing saw a successful first round in the title fight, the tides were quick to turn come round two. Oliveira landed a perfect lead-hook that floored the Bellator veteran. Chandler was obviously upset about the loss, but continued his role-model ways in a very respectful post-fight press conference.
"I really feel like I'm living a dream. Win, lose or draw. But, here we are -- got a busted up eye and another loss on my record. But hey, I've come back from worse."
Defeat often shows a fighter's true colors, and the Sanford MMA fighter showed once again that no matter the outcome, he's all class. Rather than making excuses, Chandler gave kudos to Oliveira for his grit, which was often criticized as the missing link to his game.
#3. Michael Bisping
Polarizing is Michael Bisping before and after a fight. The Brit will often, almost always, talk trash to his scheduled opponents (or even anyone in his general vicinity). In this particular case, his opponent was the returning Georges St-Pierre. One of the best fighters to compete in the UFC, 'GSP' returned to the UFC's middleweight division after a 4-year hiatus.
While things started poorly for 'The Count', he found most of his success in the third-round, but was ultimately dropped and choked unconscious as the round was nearing its end. Again, very brash in his approach, this fight seemed incredibly personal. Regardless, Bisping was as classy as one could be after losing a world title.
With no excuses made, the former middleweight champion declared that 'Rush' was the better of the two on that given night. He even crossed paths with Cody Garbrandt, who also lost on this UFC 217 card and offered words of encouragement.
#2. Chael Sonnen
"Sure, you know, I'm devastated. I came in second. I worked hard and did what I can do and all that nice stuff, but at the end of the day, you either get your hand raised or you don't, and I didn't..."
Following a breakthrough performance at UFC 117 where Chael Sonnen lost his first fight to Anderson Silva, he had every reason to be heartbroken. Sonnen lost in the worst way, as he was caught with a Hail Mary triangle choke submission in a fight where, had he not been caught, he was minutes away from winning.
'The Bad Guy' is one of the best trash talkers the UFC has seen. This was put on display in the build-up to this UFC 117 bout. It's one thing to lose, but to eat crow in front of the world, it's easy for one to make excuses as to why they didn't pull through. Sonnen delivered but didn't win, and although he could've written this loss off as a fluke, he gave Silva all the credit he deserved.
#1. Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz's career has been riddled with inactivity due to injuries. Although he's not been the most frequent fighter, Cruz proved time and time again that he's one of the best bantamweights to ever compete. Winning so much has got to exacerbate what is already a hard pill to swallow in losing.
After having his 13-fight win streak snapped by Cody Garbrandt, 'The Dominator' took to his post-fight press conference and gave a series of impactful answers. Candid about his health and confidence going into this fight, Cruz made no excuses for this loss.
"Loss is part of life. If you don't have loss, you don't grow. This isn't tough, this is life."
A rough loss predicated this press conference showing that left everyone in awe of how admirable Dominick Cruz is. Winning or losing, fans can always count on the former bantamweights greatest to be his genuine self.
