Every great sporting story has to come to an end eventually, however, some are more favourable than others. Whether it be due to a drop in confidence or just a general loss in ability, everyone drops from relevancy and it's how they come back from that which truly defines them as a competitor. Unfortunately, right now things are looking particularly bleak for one set of MMA fighters.
Of course, we are referring to the Four Horsewomen. A few years back the collective group of Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir were on top of the world. Nobody could touch them inside of the octagon and with Ronda leading the way, it appeared as if their dominance would continue on for a long time to come.
Obviously, that wasn't to be the case, and in the present day, the women find themselves on a losing streak that dates all the way back to UFC 190. It's yet to be seen as to whether or not they'll all come back from this, but one thing is for sure - when they appeared at WrestleMania 31 back in 2015 they were one of the hottest things in the sport. Fact.
So with that in mind, let's take a look at where the Four Horsewomen are now.
#1 Ronda Rousey
Oh, Ronda. Where do we start with Ronda? After tearing through any woman that stepped in her path during her initial run with the UFC, it quickly became evident that Rousey was the biggest breakout star in recent times. It's not hard to see why either, as her devastating ability inside the octagon was unlike anything we'd seen in quite some time.
However, if you fast forward, Rousey is now coming off the back of consecutive losses at the hands of Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. It's uncertain as to whether or not she'll ever return to mixed martial arts, and her star power that came from being one of the most dangerous women on planet earth has diminished greatly in the last twelve months. What a shame.
Now to a woman who also felt Nunes' wrath.
#2 Shayna Baszler
From an outsider's perspective looking in, Baszler may come across as Rousey's number two in the Horsewomen. Whilst that may be true, she certainly doesn't pose the same threat as the former champion with a relatively abysmal record of 15-11. Obviously, we wouldn't say that to her face, but then again it is pretty bad when you consider what kind of a reputation the Horsewomen had at one stage.
Poor old Shayna hasn't won a fight since October 2012 and since then has lost four consecutive bouts, with her two UFC failures coming at the hands of the aforementioned Amanda Nunes and Bethe Correia. She's a perfect example of when hype becomes a bit too much, and she's the second member of the quartet to be exposed for her numerous weaknesses.
Over to someone who actually has a losing record overall.
#3 Jessamyn Duke
Duke, as well as Shayna, actually fought under Rousey during her season on The Ultimate Fighter. It seemed as if she may well be destined for good things in the sport, especially following her victory over Peggy Morgan at The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale which actually took her record to an impressive 3-0.
However, as with a lot of things in this sport, it didn't last as Duke went on a five-fight losing streak that sees her currently stuck on a 3-5 record with one no contest. It's honestly baffling to see how far she's fallen and it just sums up how important confidence can be in contests like this because you just never know how talented the person stood across from you in the octagon really is.
We conclude with the only woman of the four to not compete in the UFC.
#4 Marina Shafir
Remember when Ronda used to tap people out for fun? Well, there was a time during her amateur career that Marina Shafir actually replicated that, finishing all five of her opponents by submission. Unfortunately, that was about as far as it went, with her professional record currently standing at 1-2 with her latest fight taking place way back in July 2015.
The other two may well have been awarded a place in the UFC based on their partnership with Ronda alone, meanwhile, Shafir clearly didn't have what it took to make it in the big leagues. Perhaps it was a case of her being overhyped, or maybe it was a psychological factor that led to her downfall which has been the case for so many fighters over the years.
