Anyone Call This (WW Chaos of Last 8 Years)?

[mkt]

It's New Year's Eve, 2011. Johnny Hendricks just KO'd Jon Fitch in 12 seconds. Rory McDonald is a rising WW--a GSP protégé with a 12-1 record. At that point in time, who would've thought:

• A now 35-year old Hendricks is retired from MMA. He was last seen getting KO'd in a bareknuckle fight. To be fair, he had a clear prime (his only losses from 2011-2015 were 2 controversial SDs in title fights), but it came and went quickly.
• Rory and 41-year old Fitch just had a draw in MMA's second-largest org, Strikeforce. Wait, no, SF folded in 2013. They fought in Bellator. Yes, young prospects Rory and Erick Silva are in Bellator, now run by Scott Coker (seriously)
• Fitch left the UFC in 2013, went on a skid losing to Palhares and Josh Burkman (not a typo or a joke). Then he turns things around, beating Okami, Shields and Paul Daley before having a draw with the champ
• Something resembling Rory's nose was last seen in 2015 during his rematch with Robbie Lawler
• BenAskren is still around, annoying as ever. Despite his long feud with Dana, he's now in the UFC

 

[tehJameson]

Hendricks could have called this, all the cheeseburgers he inhaled after usada got to him gave him foresight.

 

[Sansnom]

Meanwhile GSP remains undefeated since 07, won the MW belt and is now happily retired.

 

[mkt]

Hendricks could have called this, all the cheeseburgers he inhaled after usada got to him gave him foresight.

Zero proof that Hendricks had PED issues, but the IV ban of USADA sure hurt him. His lack of eating discipline was his demise.

 

[chinarice]

Definitely thought Hendricks would go on a long run after Georges left.

Thought Rory would be champ or a top3 for years and years.

It's crazy how a couple of fights and/or drug testing can change things.

 

[mkt]

Meanwhile GSP remains undefeated since 07, won the MW belt and is now happily retired.

LOL, should've mentioned that. But Bisping being the MW champ and defending it against 46-year old Hendo and massive-layoffed GSP would sound like pure science fiction!

 

[tehJameson]

Zero proof that Hendricks had PED issues, but the IV ban of USADA sure hurt him. His lack of eating discipline was his demise.

The PEDs he stopped using he gave to fitch.

 

[mkt]

The PEDs he stopped using he gave to fitch.

Or Woodley, who around age 34-35 suddenly put on a bunch of muscle mass.

 

[trident]

Zero proof that Hendricks had PED issues, but the IV ban of USADA sure hurt him. His lack of eating discipline was his demise.

I hope his plummet was just from the IV ban. His eating habits are well documented so it's not a shock but his power dwindled heavily.

He may have just been shot as an athlete. I was after high school, it's no joke keeping that pace, but he looked like such shit at the end, it does conjure speculation.