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Time is undefeated. UFC fighters, past and present, have all come to know that universal truth. Some mixed martial artists retire before the effects of aging become apparent. Other fighters, however, compete long beyond their athletic prime, turning their fights into showcases of their physical decline.
The likes of Donald Cerrone and B.J. Penn are classic examples of UFC fighters who refused to retire before accumulating an unnecessary string of losses that ultimately sullied their records. On the other side of the coin, Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov both retired before age could negatively impact their performances.
Unfortunately, the UFC still plays host to a range of equally legendary fighters who no longer perform as they used to. Dominick Cruz's recent loss to Marlon 'Chito' Vera at UFC on ESPN 41 was the latest case of a fighter on the decline. Thus, this list examines 5 UFC legends who are on the decline.
#5. Holly Holm
Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm will forever be known for snapping Ronda Rousey's unbeaten MMA run in one of the most spectacular championship performances in UFC history.
Sadly, soon after capturing UFC gold from Rousey at UFC 193, Holm herself lost her undefeated record in her subsequent bout with Rousey's divisional rival Miesha Tate.
During her athletic prime, Holm was a counter-striker whose use of lateral footwork and sharp pivots stumped her foes, walking them into her counterpunches and patented high kicks. However, as Holm aged and her natural speed undercut the effectiveness of her own movement, she struggled to remain the same fighter. Forced to become a clinch fighter, Holm's bread and butter became leaning on her opponents against the fence with an over-under grip.
While Holm has won and lost a few fights, her recent loss to Ketlen Vieira was evidence of how much her age was affecting her. The 40-year old seemed significantly slower, with her footwork all but a thing of the past.
#4. Miesha Tate
While Miesha Tate was never known for being undefeated or overpowering in any way, she is credited with being one-half of the greatest rivalry in women's MMA due to her 2 bouts with Ronda Rousey. Although Tate failed to capture UFC gold from Rousey, she finally realized her lifelong dream by defeating Holly Holm at UFC 196 in a shocking upset, choking her foe unconscious to bring an end to 'The Preacher's Daugther's undefeated streak.
Tate, however, failed to successfully defend her title, immediately losing it to Amanda Nunes before losing her subsequent matchup with Raquel Pennington before retiring from active competition. However, after 5 years, 'Cupcake' needed to scratch her competitive itch, announcing her UFC return. At UFC on ESPN 26, Tate faced Marion Reneau, who was 44 years old at the time and on a 4-fight losing streak.
While Tate won, she lost her subsequent bout to Ketlen Vieira, prompting 'Cupcake' to cut down to the flyweight division and face the the 38-year old Lauren Murphy. Tate's performance was shocking, looking a solid step behind a fighter who is not known for her athleticism. Tate was bloodied and battered by her opponent in a fight where Tate herself seemed like the older fighter.
#3. Chan Sung Jung
Chan Sung Jung, better known as 'The Korean Zombie', has been a staple in the UFC featherweight division for years. Although championship gold has always eluded him in the UFC, Jung has remained a top contender and is responsible for securing the first UFC win via twister. As a fighter, Jung is a heavy-handed counterpuncher whose durability serves as his primary means of defense.
When he faced Brian Ortega at UFC Fight Night 180, 'The Korean Zombie' was expected to fare well. Ortega's poor defensive striking remains a hole in his overall game as he neither moves his head off the center-line when throwing punches nor does he keep his rear hand tucked close to his chin when jabbing. More worrisomely, Ortega does not tuck his chin at all, walking straight into his opponent's punches.
He seemed like a tailormade opponent for a powerful counterpuncher like Jung, who like Ortega is also known for his supernatural toughness. However, in a shocking turn of events, Jung was thoroughly outstruck by a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist in a matchup where he looked slower and off his step than usual. While Jung won his subsequent bout against Dan Ige, his losing effort in a title fight against Alexander Volkanovski was a brutal beatdown, with Jung looking older and more lethargic. He was finished by Volkanovski in the fourth round.
#2. Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson is a former interim lightweight champion and the co-owner of the longest win streak in UFC lightweight history. However, Ferguson is also 38 years old. An eclectic fighter with an odd combination of flashy strikes and counter-wrestling tools like D'Arce chokes and other front-choke variations, 'El Cucuy' often fought using pressure as his primary weapon.
He would back his opponents up before unloading on them like an offensive buzzsaw. When foes tried to take him to the ground, Ferguson's use of the butterfly guard and elbows from the bottom rendered him a dangerous foe off his back. However, given how offensively-minded Ferguson has been, he has absorbed a tremendous amount of damage throughout his years as a mixed martial artist, culminating in a life-altering beating against Justin Gaethje.
The loss was Ferguson's first knockout defeat. Unfortunately, it wasn't the last. Ferguson's next 2 bouts were lopsided losses to Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush. In both matchups, 'El Cucuy' seemed uncharacteristically gun-shy. More shockingly, he lacked the speed he was once blessed with. On a 3-fight losing streak, he was booked into a fight with Michael Chandler. Although Ferguson did well, he ultimately lost the bout via a devastating KO, bringing his tally to 4 straight losses to cap off his decline.
#1. Dominick Cruz
Arguably the greatest bantamweight of all time, Dominick Cruz is an inimitable fighter whose unique style earned him significant success in the WEC and UFC. With the exception of his initial encounter with Urijah Faber in WEC days, Cruz was notoriously difficult to strike with. Opponents often miss when trying to crack his chin with their punches. Or at least, that was once the case.
Cruz's style of shifting alignments with his constant stance-switching and exaggerated dipping movements is a double-edged sword. By exiting off of angles every time he dips his head low to either the left or right, he exposes himself to strikes with wide arcs like kicks, especially if they're setup by the straighter punches that his exaggerated movements evade effectively. Despite the holes in his style, Cruz was fast enough to paper the cracks.
However, as age caught up to him, he began to lose a step, sustaining more damage in his last 5 fights than he had in every other fight of his career. Against Cody Garbrandt, Cruz was dropped twice. When he fought Henry Cejudo, he was dropped and TKO'd. While his subsequent bout with Casey Kenney was a typical Cruz affair, his next matchup with Pedro Munhoz again saw Cruz suffer a knockdown even in victory.
Finally, against Marlon Vera, Cruz was knocked unconscious in the 4th round after suffering multiple knockdowns. With speed no longer on his side as the 37-year old declines with age, he is no longer the untouchable Dominick Cruz of old.
