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MMA is a brutal and unforgiving sport. Many UFC fighters end their careers under unfortunate circumstances. A high percentage of mixed martial artists fighting under Dana White's banner stick around long past their athletic prime.
This has led to countless fighters being dealt brutal, career-changing beatings. In other cases, fighters once known for being dominant end up in long losing streaks that leave a new generation of fans wondering if they were ever great to begin with.
This is the predicament that B.J. Penn found himself in towards the end of his career. Fortunately, there are fighters who have had successful and even great exits from the promotion. This list looks at five such fighters.
#5. Nate Diaz, UFC welterweight
While Nate Diaz began his career as a lightweight, he spent the latter stages of his UFC run as a welterweight. While always being a household name in MMA circles, Stockton's finest became a crossover star after his legendary rivalry with Conor McGregor.
Unfortunately, it's arguable that following those two fights, he was past his prime and no longer a serious contender at either lightweight or welterweight. However, his fights remained a fun attraction for fans, and his final fight under the promotional banner was a storybook ending to his time in the organization.
In his very last UFC fight, Nate Diaz faced Tony Ferguson. His original foe, Khamzat Chimaev, was forced out of the bout after missing weight by a significant margin. Stockton's finest was likely spared a mauling from a young and extremely powerful wrestler who represented a horrible stylistic matchup for him.
The former interim lightweight champion was a foe more at a similar level. Not only did Diaz defeat 'El Cucuy', but he became the first fighter to submit Ferguson in the promotion. Lastly, Diaz, who often reps the 209 area code of his hometown Stockton, choked his foe out with 2:09 minutes left on the clock in the fourth round.
It was an ending penned by the MMA gods themselves, which allowed Nate Diaz to exit the UFC in style.
#4. Frank Shamrock, UFC light heavyweight
Younger brother to MMA pioneer and icon Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock was himself a highly skilled mixed martial artist in his heyday. His rivalry with Bas Rutten is firmly etched in the pages of MMA history. In the UFC, the Lion's Den standout was as successful as he could have hoped for.
His promotional debut was against Kevin Jackson, a former Olympic and world champion wrestler who was, at the time, undefeated. The two men fought for the promotion's inaugural light heavyweight title. Within 16 seconds of the first round, Frank Shamrock captured championship gold with an armbar.
It was a title he would never lose inside the octagon. He embarked on a four-fight win streak in the promotion before facing his brother's future rival, Tito Ortiz. The bout was voted 1999's Fight of the Year, and Frank Shamrock emerged victorious.
After defending his title, Shamrock left the UFC as its unbeaten 205lbs champion. Not many fighters leave the promotion with a win in their final fight. Even fewer do so as champions.
#3. Bas Rutten, UFC heavyweight
Like his rival Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten is a well-known legend in MMA circles. The former Dutch kickboxer spent the majority of his career in Japan at Pancrase, then a highly reputable promotion. There, he became a three-time King of Pancrase before eventually trying his luck elsewhere.
His debut at UFC 18 was successful. 'El Guapo' earned a TKO win over Tsuyoshi Kosaka before entering a title fight months later. His opponent? Future heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman. The prize? The vacant heavyweight title.
The bout was no easy victory, but Rutten squeezed out a split-decision win against 'The Monster'. In doing so, he became the promotion's heavyweight champion. Alas, it was his final UFC fight and his penultimate MMA bout. That was the Dutchman's 32nd fight.
He promptly left the promotion and retired from the sport before returning to MMA seven years later for a final fight, which he also won. Just as was the case with Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten left the UFC as a champion, a feat accomplished by very few.
#2. Georges St-Pierre, UFC welterweight
Georges St-Pierre is the greatest welterweight in MMA history. The level of success he achieved in the UFC remains untouched by those who came after him. His title defense record and the quality of foes he defeated are nearly impossible for anyone else to replicate.
During the most dominant stretch of his career, 'GSP' was frequently linked to a potential bout with then-UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Unfortunately, a fight between the two men never came to fruition.
After going on a sabbatical in 2013, the Canadian great returned four years later.
He did so to right the wrong of never trying to capture middleweight gold. Upon his return, he immediately faced then-reigning titleholder Michael Bisping. After four years away from the octagon, 'GSP' was slotted directly into a title fight against a much bigger foe.
Not only did the Canadian legend win, but he captured the title in one of the greatest pay-per-views in MMA history. After the win, St-Pierre vacated the title and retired on top of the world.
#1. Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC lightweight
There is a fair amount of mystique surrounding Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Russian grappler retired with an undefeated record. Furthermore, he has only ever lost one round in 29 fights, with the round in question involving heated rival Conor McGregor.
His final fight with the promotion and also his last-ever MMA fight was a lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje. During the leadup to the bout, many observers touted 'The Highlight' as the Dagestani phenom's toughest-ever challenger. The American's brutal domination against Tony Ferguson just months earlier convinced many he'd emerge victorious.
However, come fight night, 'The Eagle' marched his foe down and applied such overwhelming pressure that Gaethje wilted. By the second round, 'The Highlight' was exhausted, gasping for air.
It was the beginning of the end. Nurmagomedov caught one of Gaethje's low kicks – one of the American's most devastating weapons – and transitioned into a slick back-take. He quickly mounted his foe and secured a triangle choke, forcing a man who'd vowed to never tap out to tap out en route to unconsciousness.
Just like that, 'The Eagle' dominated his foe and left the promotion as the undisputed lightweight champion. Furthermore, he earned the No.1 pound-for-pound spot in the UFC rankings and ended his career with the promotion without ever losing or even bleeding in the octagon.
