After watching UFC on Fox 8, some of the most hyped fighters on the card just didn’t perform. This isn’t uncommon. Many fighters that carry a lot of hype never live up to it. Here’s a list of my top 20 most overhyped fighters to ever compete in the UFC (and you can expect some fighters who competed on the UFC on Fox 8 card this last weekend):
20. Chris Weidman (UFC Record: 6-0)
I know, I know. Weidman just became the middleweight champion. And yes, I’m completely aware he beat the greatest of all time, Anderson Silva, to receive that belt. However, the MMA world is kidding themselves by thinking he deserved the title shot in the first place. He had just nine total fights going into that fight. Silva had more title defenses than that. And who was Weidman’s biggest win? Mark Munoz? Well then it becomes a case of who had Munoz beat. Chris Leben is his biggest win. The same Leben that is currently riding a three fight losing streak. It is evident a win over Munoz didn’t warrant a title shot against the greatest of all time. I guess he had the fighting style to give Silva his toughest test, but you can’t just pick the fighting style that people think will beat the champ. You need to have the wins to earn the title shot. In the end, Weidman got the job done. By knock out even. Silva did play around in that fight though, more so than usual. Weidman is champ but he didn’t deserve the shot. A case of an overhyped fighter. The Weidman/Silva rematch will take place at the end of this year. If Weidman can win again then he will start to live up to his hype, and that his first win over Silva was indeed not a fluke.
Credit: Teamleaks.com, CC19. Rory MacDonald (UFC Record: 6-1)
I want to like MacDonald, I really do. I’m Canadian, he’s Canadian, I should naturally be a fan of his, right? Well that alone won’t be enough for me, which is why I don’t care for welterweight (and Canadian) UFC champ Georges St.Pierre. Many people buy in to Rory’s hype, but it’s not hard to see through the hype and uncover the truth. MacDonald’s biggest win heading into UFC on Fox 8 was over ex-champ BJ Penn. As I’ve stated in a previous article, that was MacDonald’s fight to win on size alone. He looked like he was two full weight classes bigger than Penn in that fight. Thus, a win over Penn just doesn’t warrant his hype. A win over Jake Ellenberger at UFC on Fox 8 would have done the trick if the win was impressive. Instead of a war, which is what the fight was billed to be, MacDonald and Ellenberger took part in the most boring fight of 2013 and one of the worst fights I’ve seen period. They refused to really engage, as both men did next to nothing. MacDonald just happened to do a little more, getting the decision win. UFC president Dana White said, “That fight really sucked” at the post-fight press conference. It’s safe to say MacDonald’s hype won’t grow after his last performance, but he’s still carrying more hype than deserved.
18. John Moraga (UFC Record: 2-1)
Another UFC on Fox 8 fighter, John Moraga was just a case of too much too soon. He made history, going from the Facebook prelims into a title fight. A part of that is poor promotion of the flyweight division on Dana White’s part, but it’s also some serious hype for Moraga. He was considered by many a serious threat to Demetrious Johnson’s belt, and many gave him a good chance of winning. All these expectations were based off of only two UFC bouts. Moraga is the first ever to go from virtual unknown to title challenger in two fights. Again, that’s some serious hype. Hype he couldn’t live up to when Johnson submitted him in the fifth round. All of Johnson’s other five wins had gone to decision, (he isn’t a finisher) making Moraga’s loss look even worse. Johnson’s previous three opponents (John Dodson, Joseph Benavidez, and Ian McCall) all proved better than Moraga, and they received less hype. Moraga has a lot of potential and could be champ one day, but right now he doesn’t deserve the hype he’s received.
17. Hatsu Hioki (UFC Record: 2-2)
For a long time Hioki has been considered a top featherweight. He came into the UFC with an impressive 24-4-2 record, and kept going from there, winning his first two bouts in the UFC by decision. He was offered a title shot but turned in down, not feeling ready for champ Jose Aldo. However, since then he’s dropped his last two fights to Ricardo Lamas and Clay Guida. He dominated his first two opponents but against top competitors he came up short. It makes one wonder the quality of opponent he faced outside of the UFC. He now holds an unimpressive 2-2 UFC record, after once being considered a legitimate title contender.
16. Miguel Torres (UFC Record: 2-2)
Former WEC bantamweight champion wasn’t just once considered the best 135er in the world, he was considered to be one of the pound for pound best. He came into the WEC with a crazy 32-1 record and was soon their champion. He defended his belt three times before losing it to top bantamweight Brian Bowles. He would lose again to another elite fighter in Joseph Benavidez. A pattern soon followed; Torres would get the best of lesser opponents, but against the sports best, he just could not compete. His case shows why a fighter’s hype should be based off of quality of wins, not quantity.
15. Brandon Vera (UFC Record: 8-6-1)
The first man to simultaneously hold the heavyweight and light heavyweight belts. That is what Vera claimed he would be one day. He had many fooled, winning his first four straight. Since then, he has gone 4-6-1. After a run at light heavyweight, he appears to be returning to heavyweight. After poor results as of late, fans shouldn’t hold their breath on him getting any world titles. Vera created his own hype and then failed to prove he deserved it.
Credit: Vimeo.com, CC14. Shogun Rua (UFC Record: 5-5)
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is a former world champion. He might also be one of the most overhyped fighters in the UFC. After success competing in japan, people had big expectations of him when he was signed by the UFC. He did become light heavyweight champion but went into the title fight with a 2-2 UFC record. Now with an unimpressive 5-5 UFC record, he is still considered a top light heavyweight while fighters with better records are considered lesser. His poor performance in the UFC shows that he is overhyped.
13. Nick Diaz (UFC Record: 7-6)
Diaz is a fun guy to watch fight. He always shows up to go to war, and he trash talks just as good as he scraps. He did find success in the promotion Strikeforce, and he beat some good welterweights. However, these welterweights would have been ranked 10-20+ in the world rankings. He never beat anyone top 10, yet was awarded a title unification bout with UFC champ Georges St.Pierre. The bout never came to and instead fought BJ Penn. He battered and defeated Penn but as I mentioned above, Penn is a small welterweight, a natural lightweight. Therefore, he received too much hype for the Penn win. He was awarded an interim title shot, coming up short against Carlos Condit. Even in defeat, Diaz still got his title shot against GSP, showing just how overhyped he was. He again lost. Never beating the best in the world at welterweight, Diaz is somehow considered one of the best welterweights ever.
12. Jake Shields (UFC Record: 2-2, with one no contest)
Another ex-Strikeforce champ, Shields came into the UFC and failed to impress. He won a controversial decision over Martin Kampmann and was given a title shot against GSP. Many thought he would be St.Pierre’s toughest challenge. Well, he wasn’t. GSP beat him in dominating fashion just like he does to all opponents. Shields is only 2-2 with one no contest in the UFC, and his losses outweigh his wins. Surprising results for a guy who had so much hype and was considered a serious threat before entering the UFC.
11. Yoshihiro Akiyama (UFC Record: 1-4)
Viewed as one of Japan’s best, Akiyama’s UFC career is quite interesting. First he won his UFC debut against Alan Belcher. It was a great fight but the decision was controversial. Then, he lost to long time gatekeeper Chris Leben. Another great fight but still a loss on his record. He was given an even more highly regarded opponent in his next bout against long time top ten middleweight Michael Bisping. Akiyama lost again, in another “Fight of the Night”. After two straight losses, one would expect Akiyama would catch a break and get an easy fight. Wrong. On a losing streak, he receives an even BETTER opponent than in his last bout, being picked to fight Vitor Belfort, who had last fought for the belt. Akiyama was brutally knocked out in the first round. I expected he’d be released after his third straight, but instead he announced his drop to welterweight. With a poor 1-3 UFC record, he doesn’t get a low ranked opponent. No, he is given former Strikeforce middleweight champion and former UFC welterweight title challenger Jake Shields. Akiyama lost again. After losing four straight he is still magically signed with the UFC last time I checked. Akiyama is an interesting case because no matter how many times he lost or how he lost, he would still get an elite opponent. This is one of the more evident cases of a fighter being undeservingly overhyped.
10. Josh Grispi (UFC Record: 0-4)
I have no idea why someone would nickname themselves “The Fluke”. But in Josh Grispi’s case it fits. His success in the WEC seems to all be a fluke now. He came into the UFC as a top featherweight with four straight wins in the WEC. He was awarded a title shot, but when Jose Aldo was injured, Grispi didn’t sit around an wait. He took a fight with Dustin Poirier only to lose. He’d lose three more then be released. He never lived up to his hype, never looking like a title contender many thought him to be. “The Fluke”… Ironic?
9. Houston Alexander (UFC Record: 2-4)
Briefly, this guy looked like the real deal. A knockout artist with heavy hands, Alexander came into the UFC and scored an upset win over glass chin Keith Jardine, then scored another win over fellow glass chinned fighter Alessio Sakara. After that his hype train was derailed, losing four straight. Alexander never obtained any serious wins and was a case of an overhyped fighter.
8. Daniel Cormier (UFC Record: 1-0)
He has the perfect record. He is training partners with current heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez. Plus he has a UFC win over former champ Frank Mir. That win, however, went to a decision in a pretty lackluster fight. But now Cormier says if he beats Roy Nelson in his next fight, he wants to drop down to light heavyweight and receive an immediate title shot. Roy Nelson is coming off a huge loss and a win over him doesn’t warrant jumping in line at light heavyweight when there is deserving contenders in that division. Cormier is creating his own hype, something he will need few more wins for to prove he deserves.
7. Glover Teixeira (UFC Record: 4-0)
He looks like the next UFC light heavyweight champion, but he doesn’t have the significant win in his pocket that will make him deserve his hype. He defeated “Rampage” Jackson in his third UFC outing, and Jackson is a former champ, but he’s past his prime and doesn’t seem to care about the sport anymore. Glover needs just one win against a top five light heavyweight to show he truly deserves the large amount of hype he is receiving.
6. Khabib Nurmagomedov (UFC Record: 4-0)
“The Eagle” has one of the current best records in MMA, a perfect 20-0. He’s also been unstoppable in the UFC, winning his first four straight. However, none of those men are top ten. I doubt none of them are even top fifteen at lightweight. Yet Nurmagomedov is requesting a fight with UFC legend BJ Penn and top contender TJ Grant. With a crazy 20-0 record, you have to wonder the quality of his first 16 opponents. Were they all chumps? It’s very hard to have an unbeaten record last so long. Nurmagomedov has so much hype at the moment but having never truly been tested, he doesn’t deserve it yet. His next opponent should be top ten. Only then will we know if he is legitimate. Right now he is overhyped.
5. Jason Miller (UFC Record: 0-3)
“Mayhem” Miller built his name with his trash talking and crazy antics, not so much his fighting style. Never a truly well rounded mixed martial artist, Miller gained hype with his personality and ability to draw crowds. After losing his first bout in the UFC, Miller went on to compete for world titles, and was brought back to coach The Ultimate Fighter against Michael Bisping. Despite never beating a top opponent, many gave him a shot in that fight. He was humiliated in the fight though, taking a beating and being stopped with strikes eventually. He would lose again in his next bout and then retire. Miller never lived up to the hype he created or the expectations of others.
4. Alistair Overeem (UFC Record: 1-1)
Brock Lesnar was destroyed by Alistair Overeem in the very first round of their bout. That`s what many expected to happen, but it was still big for Overeem to finish an ex-champ so quickly with strikes. The former Strikeforce heavyweight champ was given a title shot, only to fail a random drug test. When he returned, it was against resurging contender Antonio Silva. For two rounds, Overeem played with Silva, taunting him and having his way in the fight. That was until his cockiness cost him in the third round and Silva knocked him out. Hardcore MMA fans would know Overeem used to be a light heavyweight before he seriously bulked up. At his old weight class he used to get knocked out. Against guys sometimes 60 pounds heavier at heavyweight, true MMA fans knew Overeem’s chin was suspect and that the big boys of the UFC could put him away. Now Overeem is in a must win situation in his next fight against Travis Browne. If he wants another title shot he has to win. So far he hasn’t lived up to his hype.
3. Hector Lombard (UFC Record 1-2)
This was the man who was supposed defeat the great Anderson Silva. The man with the best skill set and knockout power to do it. Tim Boetsch wouldn’t have any of that. He beat the former Bellator middleweight champion by decision, derailing the hype train and ending the title fight discussion between Lombard and Silva. Lombard tried to get things going with a KO over Rousimar Palhare, but would lose after that to Yushin Okami. He’s now dropping to welterweight to try and find success. After poor results on the biggest stage in MMA, it’s safe to say a man many thought could beat the greatest of all time couldn’t live up to the hype. He is one of the better examples of how you can’t hype a fighter that hasn’t tested himself in the UFC yet.
2. Kimbo Slice (UFC Record: 1-1)
The street fighting legend Kimbo Slice became so famous with his videos on YouTube that MMA promotions around the world were falling over each other to sign the money maker. Elite XC scooped him up and he was promoted as a serious MMA fighter while beating up washed up MMA vets. The UFC finally came calling, casting Slice on The Ultimate Fighter. He beat Houston Alexander in his debut but would lose to Matt Mitrione and be released from the UFC. His star power shows as the season of The Ultimate Fighter he was on still remains the most watched season ever, but he never was the fighter that people made him out to be. Slice now has taken up pro boxing.
1. Brock Lesnar (UFC Record: 4-3)
The rest of the list my not be in order, but Brock Lesnar is the most hyped fighter to ever step into a cage. He did what no one else did, bring his WWE fans that truly loved him from pro wrestling and get them to watch him in MMA. After just one pro fight, Lesnar signed with the UFC, a clear sign of the hype starting to generate. He lost his first bout to Frank Mir by submission, but before that he had the former champ seriously hurt. From there a star was born. He won his next fight and then, controversially, was given a shot at the heavyweight title with a UFC record of 1-1 and in just his fourth ever pro fight (more examples of overhyping). However, he was victorious, stopping the much smaller but still legendary Randy Couture with strikes. He defended his belt twice before losing it to Cain Velasquez. His loss after that to Overeem prompted his retirement, yet Lesnar left his mark. Lesnar wasn’t a bad fighter. He had serious wrestling credentials and used his crazy size and strength to take down opponents and keep them there. His striking game just never caught up to his grappling. It wasn’t that he couldn’t fight. Nobody could live up to the hype Lesnar had, no matter how good. He had so much star power, generated by his freak size and personality. Since retiring, Lesnar is back in the WWE.
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