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The UFC is always searching for the next big star. Fighters who MMA fans are eager to watch are the source of the promotion's greatest profits. Dana White and co. are constantly on the lookout for the next Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey. But over the years, the promotion has learned just how rare such stars are.
Even stars who exist in the tier below 'The Notorious' and 'Rowdy' are rare gems. The likes of Nate Diaz and, at one point, Jorge Masvidal had a massive following that was matched by very few fighters and only exceeded by the greatest stars in MMA history.
Unfortunately, stardom is a natural byproduct of a fighter's charisma and success inside the octagon. Even so, the UFC has never stopped trying to capitalize on potential fan interest, resulting in countless pet projects throughout the years. Some have been successful, while others have ended in failure.
#5. Sage Northcutt, former UFC lightweight/welterweight
Years ago, Sage Northcutt seemed to have nearly every conceivable skill that a fighter needed to achieve stardom in the UFC. He is a highly credentialed martial artist with three different black belts and an undefeated kickboxing record. Furthermore, he secured 77 world youth championships in karate.
His respectful disposition, good looks, and explosive athleticism led the promotion to believe that they had a star on their hands. He made his promotional debut as an unbeaten prospect with five wins, all of which were finishes. His first two fights in the promotion were successful as he KO'd and choked out his foes.
Talk of 'Super Sage' being a future champion became common, and he was given a lucrative contract that some veterans didn't enjoy. Unfortunately, his promotional push came to a screeching halt after a shocking submission loss to Bryan Barbarena. While he bounced back with a win, he suffered yet another loss.
This time, it was a defeat against Mickey Gall, of all fighters. This quickly dulled the shine of the karateka's potential stardom. A few fights later and he was released from the promotion.
#4. Paige VanZant, former UFC women's flyweight/strawweight
During her time with the UFC, Paige VanZant was their attempt at recreating the magic they had with Ronda Rousey. Unfortunately, '12 Gauge' was neither undefeated nor an Olympian. Instead, she was a scrappy fighter who represented Team Alpha Male. She was conventionally attractive and entertaining in the cage.
At the time, the UFC was sure that they had found a star to helm the next generation of women's MMA. Despite her toughness and tenacity, VanZant was always at the mercy of the skill gap between her and the upper echelon of the strawweight division. She was marketed as the future, alongside Sage Northcutt.
While her first three outings in the promotion were successful, the UFC opted to fast-track her into title contention by scheduling a matchup against future champion Rose Namajunas. Alas, '12 Gauge' was overmatched and choked out in the fifth round of their bout.
Her next fight fights led to a record of two wins and three losses. In the end, Dana White and co. no longer considered her a future star and she was allowed to pursue other ventures.
#3. Greg Hardy, former UFC heavyweight
Greg Hardy remains one of the most controversial signings in UFC history. The former NFL star was charged with domestic violence against an ex-girlfriend. However, the victim's failure to appear in court led to the charges being dropped. Eventually, a civil settlement was reached.
His sordid past, however, was never forgotten. Everywhere 'The Prince of War' went, he was the subject of great scorn. The same is true for his attempts at forging a career in MMA. Due to his natural athleticism and seismic punching power, he stormed through the amateur MMA circuit with three brutal KOs.
This led to significant interest in his professional debut from Dana White, who signed the former NFL defensive end to his Contender Series. After another unbeaten run of three knockouts, he was signed to the UFC. Despite dominating, he landed an illegal knee against Allen Crowder, leading to a DQ.
His subsequent two bouts were a return to form as he scored two first-round knockouts. His next fight was originally a decision win, but due to his use of an inhaler between rounds, it was overturned and declared a no-contest. He next faced Alexander Volkov in a bout wherein he was thoroughly outclassed.
While he managed to bounce back with two consecutive wins, he soon found himself the victim of a three-fight losing streak. Worse still, he was KO'd in all three losses, prompting the promotion to reconsider his potential as a heavyweight. The UFC opted against re-signing him and Hardy pursued a boxing career instead.
#2. Kimbo Slice, former UFC heavyweight
The late Kimbo Slice was a prime example of an internet sensation. He originally rose to fame after becoming the star of a series of street fights that were posted online. 'The King of the Web Brawlers' eventually parlayed his cult following and internet fame into an MMA career.
His initial run of three wins and only one loss under the EliteXC banner led to significant interest in his MMA prospects. Furthermore, his fearsome physique and intimidating disposition drew the UFC's attention. Thus, Slice took part in the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality TV series.
But to everyone's misfortune, 'The King of the Web Brawlers' had an unremarkable run on the show. He suffered a lopsided loss against Roy Nelson. While he later defeated Houston Alexander in the season finale, he suffered another lopsided defeat in his subsequent bout.
Only this time, it was against Matt Mitrione in the former street fighter's second and last UFC bout. After his performance, Dana White expressed public disinterest in continuing the promotion's relationship with Kimbo Slice and released him.
The former street fighter later signed with Bellator, defeating Ken Shamrock before engaging former childhood friend Dada 5000 in one of the worst bouts in MMA history. Slice was declared the winner before the matchup was ruled a no-contest due to a positive drug test.
#1. CM Punk, former UFC welterweight
Thus far, there has only ever been one WWE star who has carved out a successful career in the UFC. Brock Lesnar has an impressive background in amateur wrestling, through which he captured the NCAA Division I title. The same, however, cannot be said for CM Punk.
The two-time AEW champion has no athletic credentials or martial arts background to speak of. His interest in pursuing an MMA career was based purely on his interest in mixed martial arts. He dabbled in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and the promotion assumed that they could capitalize on his WWE stardom to generate PPV buys.
CM Punk was afforded nearly two years to train in preparation for his first professional bout. There was initial intrigue in his first fight, but after he was dominated by Mickey Gall in his professional debut, there was none. Punk's ceiling was extremely low.
So low that even after he was given two more years to sharpen his skills, he was thoroughly outclassed by Mike Jackson, a fighter whose record includes one win, two losses, and one no-contest. The no-contest came against Punk himself. While Jackson was dominant, his positive marijuana test led to a no-contest.
Afterward, Dana White communicated his lack of interest in seeing the two-time AEW champion fight in the UFC again.
