Fighters with the best credentials who failed the worst

[BigMuffler]

Usually when we talk about fighters with high level credentials it's a success story - wrestling Olympians like Cormier, Romero, Cejudo and McMann, striking champions like Overeem, Holm, Shevchenko and Jedrzejczyk, BJJ champions like Werdum, Jacare and Maia, and stars from other grappling sports like Fedor and the Once Ever Athlete. However, what are the best examples of world class credentials not translating well into MMA and leaving the fans who were hyped for an athlete feeling flat? Ishii might be a decent example since he never made any waves at HW despite coming in as a young gold medalist in judo, but he isn't anywhere near the worst. Jessica Rakoczy is closer being 1-5 in MMA after being a multiple time boxing champion, but she was also already older when she started. James Toney might count but I wouldn't think he ever truly dedicated himself to MMA.

Who had the greatest, um, nonsuccess relative to prior credentials outside MMA?

 

[Xaero]

Vinny Magalhaes

 

[MTL]

CM Punk

 

[DariusTheGreat]

Sage Northcutt

 

[myjohnson9]

James Toney

 

[Son of Werdum]

Rolles Gracie seemed pretty unimpressive. An ADCC silver medalist getting KO'd by Pudz.

Kevin Jackson in a way. He was 2-2 in the UFC and a loss to Frank Shamrock at that time is nothing to be ashamed of. But with the subsequent dominance of wrestlers in MMA it's kind of hard thinking an olympic gold medalist could have so much trouble at that time in MMA.

 

[Summoning]

Sexyama

 

[Gamer007]

Overeem? Great fighter but man his losses against Bigfoot and Travis were the definition of failure. The fact a prospect like him never won UFC gold is sad(or a good thing depending on how you look at it).

 

[Draxton]

CM Punk

3 time HW champ and 2 time WWE champ. He had such potential.

 

[Threetrees]

Roger

 

[nostradumbass]

Probably Dennis Kang.

 

[faustian]

Jose Canseco

 

[John Cena]

Justin Lawrence. I remember watching dude on TUF marking foos

Uriah Hall too

 

[Warehouse]

I'm tempted to say Hidehiko Yoshida, partly due to his role in Rulon Gardner's MMA foray.
An honorable mention would go out to Marcus LeVesseur.

 

[JayE]

Roger Gracie is a candidate considering he even had half decent takedowns. It's a shame he had such terrible cardio.

 

[Gnaww]

Sage Northcutt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sage_Northcutt

Absolutely, I'm not going to write the kid off tho, but I wish he would incorporate some boxing into his stand up game as well as work on ground game all over.
He can put it together in a few years but the padded record route, and caudling from having his father oversee his career will never do him any favors in the end. He's done a lot for a young guy already, but MMA is a cruel mistress and it has to suck when everytime you don't have a flawless victory fighters you grew up watching come out of the wood work to bash you on social media.

 

[Psychedelic]

Dillon Danis.

 

[fiftywattmafia]

Sage Northcutt is a great one. Will Brooks is another. Jesus he was way overhyped.

Holly Holm too. YES she beat the queen cunt but otherwise a total bust.

 

[BigMuffler]

Will Brooks is another. Jesus he was way overhyped.

Watch out, there will be a lot of ill will towards you for saying that.

One of the GOAT nicknames.

 

[Thesnake101]

Roger

That.


I just had to