5 UFC fighters who remained draws in their decline

#2. Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey

On This Day In MMA History - @rondarousey improved to 12-0 by defeating @bethecorreia in 34 seconds. The would end up being Ronda’s last in the #UFC ...#MMA #rondarousey #wmma #bethcorreia #ufc190 pic.twitter.com/AMju3VvVp8

— The Art Of Combat Podcast (@ArtOfCombatPod) August 1, 2021

The original face of women’s fighting in the UFC was a monumental crossover star at her peak. Rousey was seemingly everywhere one turned, from action movies to reality TV to the octagon.

Rousey blitzed through her time in Strikeforce undefeated. She continued her winning ways in the UFC as the promotion’s inaugural women’s bantamweight champion. At 12-0, Rousey marched into UFC 193 as the heavy favorite against Holly Holm. To the shock of millions, the once seemingly indestructible Rousey was kicked in the head and punched into defeat early in round two.

Devastated by the loss, Rousey took 13 months before returning and attempting to reclaim her bantamweight gold. By then, Amanda Nunes had begun a championship reign that continues to this day. Rousey, a judoka by trade before MMA, foolishly attempted to brawl with the ferocious Nunes. It took less than one minute for Nunes to show why that was a bad call.

Despite her aura of invincibility getting tarnished, Rousey remains a big mainstream name. Following her time in the UFC, she moved over to WWE where she proved to be an effective, if somewhat polarizing, main event attraction. She was also a part of the first ever women’s main event in WrestleMania history in 2019.

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#1. Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor

Endeavors half year turnover announced! $1.1bn. Incredible! Huge congrats to all! 2 fights it took me. Would have loved to keep it going to round out the year but this setback is just the launch pad for my major comeback!! Almost 6 weeks over surgery now! Wow! #OhYes @Endeavor pic.twitter.com/goTjuMnCFt

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 18, 2021

While it’s not too late for the former champ-champ to turn things around, recent years haven’t been kind to him in the octagon. Despite his overwhelming success outside of the UFC, McGregor has wasted much of his prime athletic years on the sidelines.

McGregor spent much of 2017 promoting his superfight with boxing legend Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather. By the time he returned at UFC 229, it had been almost two years since he last fought in the octagon.

In one of the darkest nights of McGregor’s illustrious MMA career, Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted him via neck crank in round four before all hell broke loose. Following the shocking close to the show, McGregor did not fight again until early 2020. It should be noted that, at 2,400,000 buy rates, UFC 229 is the most purchased pay-per-view the promotion has put on to date.

In January 2020, he returned to welterweight and netted a quick knockout win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. It would be just over a year before we saw McGregor fight again, this time at UFC 257. There, McGregor suffered the first knockout loss of his career at the hands of old foe Dustin Poirier.

Fast forward to UFC 264 and the whiskey magnate became the latest warrior to fall to a broken leg in the octagon.

McGregor’s drawing power remains unparalleled. Both of his Poirier fights were leagues ahead of any other UFC show this year in regards to buy rates. He has fans who love and hate him in equal measure and all of them treat his bouts as must-see events.

However, given his frustrating absences and scattershot record in recent years, it seems McGregor's best days are behind him. While his 2022 return will no doubt generate incredible revenue for the UFC, the severity of his leg injury could leave him in danger. Similar to Anderson Silva after UFC 168, McGregor’s latest setback could prove to be an anchor come bell time.