UFC on FOX: No more loses for these 5 fighters
(devastating knockout courtesy of Siyar Bahadurzada vs Paulo Thiago)
Its rare to see someone in the UFC go 2 or 3 loses in a row and still get to stay with the promotion. Even more to to find someone still around with 4 loses in a row, such as Dan Hardy or Forrest Griffin. The fighters below are walking on egg shells when it comes to loses, and should expect to be around if they lose this weekend.
1) Dan Hardy: Close to two and a half years has passed since the last time Dan Hardy earned a victory inside the octagon. He put in a solid effort in a loss to Georges St-Pierre in 2010, but it’s been all downhill from there. Hardy has been defeated by just about every method possible since his tilt against St-Pierre, as he was knocked out by Carlos Condit, submitted by Chris Lytle and dropped a decision to Anthony Johnson, all in fairly lopsided fashion. In the past, the UFC has released fighters for losing just three in a row, or three of four. Not many men have bounced back from losing four in a row to go on to have successful UFC careers.
2) Thiago Silva: Silva hasn’t officially won a fight since Aug. 29, 2009, and that win came against a guy who was released from the UFC just a few months later. Silva has never beaten a legitimate top ten light heavyweight, as he struggled against top-notch contenders like Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida and Alexander Gustafsson. His forged urine sample in 2011 didn’t earn him any fans, either. The UFC is granting him a shot against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 149, and I believe a loss there might spell the end of the line for Silva.
3) Luiz Cane: Cane, a 31-year-old light heavyweight, may need a win over Yushin Okami at UFC 150 to avoid the chopping block. Dating back to Nov. 21, 2009, he has lost three of four, with all three defeats coming by way of knockout. This bout may turn out to be a league eliminator bout, as I could see a scenario where Okami gets cuts from the league with a loss to Cane. Okami has also lost his last two, and a defeat to Cane would be a terrible stain on his record.
4) Duane Ludwig: Ludwig dropped three of his last five bouts, and a loss to Dan Hardy at UFC 146 may be enough to oust him from the league. Hardy lost his last four in a row, so losing to him would not look good at all on his resume. Besides a decision victory over Amir Sadollah in 2011, Ludwig doesn’t have a single win over any top-level welterweights since coming to the UFC in 2010. Ludwig’s latest loss was brutal, getting caught in a Guillotine Choke by perennial gatekeeper, Josh Neer.
5) Yoshihiro Akiyama: Akiyama is a true legend in the sport, but how much gas does the 36-year-old have left in the tank? The UFC showed plenty of patience by not releasing him after he dropped a unanimous decision to Jake Shields in Feb., but a loss to Thiago Alves in July at UFC 149 would push his losing skid to five.
Source: Yahoo Sports