3 Most Inconsistent MMA Fighters of All Time
If you've ever seen a fighter look completely untouchable in one fight, and then unrecognizable (in a bad way) in the next, you're not alone.
In this page, we'll go over the most inconsistent MMA fighters of all time, along with what giant wins and losses they picked up throughout their career.
Table of Contents
3. Michael Johnson
Biggest Wins:
Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, Edson Barboza
Biggest Losses:
Darren Elkins, Clay Guida, Jonathan Brookins
About Johnson's Career
Michael Johnson is so inconsistent that at times, it's mind blowing to watch. Johnson has some of the best boxing the UFC, using lightning quick and crisp strikes to stun his opponents.
Johnson would dominantly defeat Interim champions such as Dustin Poirier through a vicious knockout, and Tony Ferguson through a unanimous decision, while showcasing his excellent hands.
However, he would then lose to journeymen fighters such as Darren Elkins, whose nickname (Damage) was literally created due to the amount of damage that he's able to absorb during a fight.
Fighting someone who is known to take damage, when Johnson has legitimate knockout power should be a recipe for success, but instead he was easily taken down and submitted.
Those who bet on MMA won't ever come near a Johnson fight, and for good reason. Whenever a Johnson fight is announced you truly do not know if he will shut his opponent's lights out, or if he will lose to someone that he is expected to dominate.
2. BJ Penn
Biggest Wins:
Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Sean Sherk
Biggest Losses:
Dennis Siver, Ryan Hall, Frankie Edgar
About Penn's Career
After 4 years of BJJ training, Penn became the first American to win the BJJ World championship. Additionally he was able to earn his black belt in under 4 years (on average it takes 10 years to earn a black belt, and is notoriously one of the hardest martial arts).
Penn was able to immediately be successful in Mixed Martial arts as well, becoming the first UFC fighter to become the champion of multiple divisions.
Penn was known for being able to fight anyone, of any weight class at all times. In fact, he would at one point fight Lyoto Machida at Light Heavyweight, where Machida would weigh in at 225 lbs!
However, Penn would at times become 'Unmotivated', which would show during his fights as his lack of cardio would be evident after a round of fighting. In the first round of any fight, he looked like a world-beater, but Penn would noticeably fade after the first round.
Fans would begin to question his work ethic and a mythical fighter known as 'Motivated BJ Penn' would become a running joke on Reddit.
Although Penn would defeat some of the best fighters in UFC history such as Matt Hughes, he would lose to journeymen such as Dennis Siver.
Astonishingly, although Frankie Edgar is one of the best fighters in UFC history, he would also at one point fight at 135 lbs. Penn at a point fought at Light Heavyweight! Edgar would go on to dominate Penn.
1. Shogun Rua
Biggest Wins:
Alistair Overeem, Quinton Jackson, Chuck Liddell
Biggest Losses:
Anthony Smith, Chael Sonnen
About Rua's Career
Rua is an extremely successful MMA fighter who became the UFC Light Heavyweight champion and the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion.
He would have massive wins against some of the scariest fighters in the world including Ubereem, Rampage Jackson, and the Iceman Chuck Liddell. Not only were they massive wins, he would separate each of these fighters from consciousness.
All three of those fighters became champions of an MMA organization including the UFC or PRIDE.
Despite having one of the most impressive resumes ever, he would go on to get submitted by journeyman and career-Middleweight Chael Sonnen, as well as getting knocked out by another journeyman Anthony Smith.
