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Mixed martial arts is a brutal sport. That's especially true for those fighting at the highest level in the UFC. Those signed by the promotion are often rising, talented prospects or champions in other organizations. The competition on MMA's biggest stage is fierce.
But there are always those who carve out a name for themselves. Fighters like George St-Pierre, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Stipe Miocic, Jon Jones and others are legends. They've beaten almost every challenge and climbed the ranks to become champions. Many fighters who reached the top and then retired have made successful comebacks as well.
George St-Pierre clinched the UFC middleweight title in his return fight in 2017. Jones managed to reclaim the light heavyweight title in 2017 after being stripped in 2015.
But some can never pick up where they left off after stepping away. Like Brock Lesnar, who immediately became a huge star when he joined the UFC. The WWE superstar even became the heavyweight champion.
His return to heavyweight glory in 2016, however, stopped short. 'The Beast Incarnate' tested positive for a banned substance after his fight. Lesnar soon retired from MMA.
On that note, let's take a look at five great fighters who failed to make a successful comeback.
#5. BJ Penn couldn't leave the UFC
Over the years, many UFC fighters have retired, only to return with varying degrees of success. BJ Penn is a fighter who never found his winning ways after his comeback.
During his prime, 'The Prodigy' was an elite mixed martial artist. In 2002 he fought Jens Pulver for the lightweight belt but lost. In 2004 he won the welterweight title with an upset win over Matt Hughes. After avenging his loss against Pulver, he won the UFC lightweight title in 2006. He defended it three times.
He retired in 2011 after losing to Nick Diaz but made a comeback in 2012. However, he lost for the third time against Frankie Edgar. Penn then announced he was leaving for good but returned yet again in 2017. This time, he was brutalized by Yair Rodrigues. The UFC finally released the 42-year-old in 2019.
BJ Penn was among the first two-division champions. He took part in the UFC's first champion vs. champion fight. But the insistence on fighting after his prime marred a successful career.
#4. Alexander Gustafsson almost became UFC champion
Alexander Gustafsson began his MMA journey in 2007. Before coming to the UFC, he had amassed an impressive eight-fight winning streak. Most of his victories came via KO/TKO.
In 2013, he fought for the light heavyweight belt. This bout against Jon Jones would go down as one of the greatest fights in UFC history. It was a five-round war where the Swedish national would narrowly fail to capture the title.
His incredible performance established him as one of the best. Since then, however, he has won only thrice in eight fights. He retired in 2019 after losing to Anthony Smith. But only a year later, in 2020, he made his comeback.
The much-anticipated comeback of the man who almost beat Jones would not last long. His opponent Fabricio Werdum made him submit via armbar in round one.
#3. Royce Gracie's contribution to MMA is indisputable
Royce Gracie is among the most important fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. He made his pro debut at UFC 1, a one-night tournament. Gracie won the tournament, submitting men almost twice his size. Royce, along with his brothers, was a practitioner of jiu-jitsu.
The Brazilian then went on to win all his fights. Most of his opponents had a size advantage over him but lost to his superior ground game. Gracie then moved to Pride FC, where he and his brothers took part in a legendary rivalry with Kazushi Sakuraba.
In his comeback fight at UFC 60, the legend faced reigning welterweight champion Matt Hughes. It was a non-title fight at a catchweight of 175lbs. Hughes completely dominated the veteran, finishing the fight via ground and pound. Though his comeback was disappointing, Royce Gracie's contribution to MMA is indisputable.
#2. Ronda Rousey never won another UFC belt
Dana White once said women would never fight in the UFC. But nothing could be further from the truth. Fighters like Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko are among the greatest champions regardless of gender. However, none of this would have been possible without Ronda Rousey.
An Olympic silver medalist, Rousey became the first female fighter to sign with the promotion. A bantamweight champion at Strikeforce, she became the first UFC women's bantamweight champion. Rousey quickly became a star in the sport with a then-record-setting six title defenses.
'Rowdy' was so dominant that some even wanted her to fight Floyd Mayweather. She was adamant that she could win. However, it all came crashing down when Holly Holm KO'd her with a head kick at UFC 193 in 2015. Her comeback in 2016 was hyped and much anticipated. However, new champion Amanda Nunes dismantled her in 48 seconds of round one.
Following this defeat, she retired from MMA.
#1. Is Conor McGregor a victim of his own success?
No one in the UFC commands a bigger fan base or sells more PPVs than Conor McGregor. The meteoric rise of 'The Notorious' took the entire sport of MMA to new heights. He held two titles simultaneously. Eight of the top ten UFC PPVs have his name on them.
When a fighter loses a comeback fight, they rarely become popular again. But McGregor's star power is extraordinary and has become his undoing. After going through controversies and assault charges, the Irishman fought Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018.
There was bad blood between them and the Irishman got dominated. He lost in the fourth round via submission. In 2020, he won against Donald Cerrone at welterweight. But his big comeback as a lightweight was set against Dustin Poirier.
At UFC 257, Poirier won and gave 'The Notorious' his first KO loss. McGregor lost to 'The Diamond' again after breaking his shin bone mid-fight at UFC 264. He is now recovering and was recently seen walking on crutches at the MTV Music Video Awards. But the question remains, will he attempt another comeback?
