What’s the true measure of a champion? Is it the ability to get hit and keep moving forward, waging one side of a war of attrition until an opponent can no longer withstand the onslaught? Or, is it the ability to never be hit — going through one’s career with such an untouchable and unblemished record that the term “best ever” just has to be applied to that individual? Here’s the thing about the fight game: Eventually, even the strongest and toughest of a respective division will fall at some point. It’s rare that a fighter goes out at the top of their game.
Ronda Rousey is now in the fight of her life. She’s been promoted as the most elite athlete in her division, and today, that is not the case. Her fight is not against a fellow female warrior, but against that nagging voice in her head that may be saying, “You’re not the best.” It’s the mental battle that every caged and ringed fighter has to confront at some point, and one that Rousey will have to overcome if she wishes to step back into the cage in top form. How will she prevail against those mental detractions? We’ll have to wait and see.
Here are seven great fighters who have had the taste of defeat in their ferocious jaws, and either had to give up, or keep moving forward.
Mike Tyson
Opponent: James “Buster” Douglas
During his run in the ’80s, Mike Tyson was a rampaging juggernaut, his looping left hook decimated opponents leading to a spotless record of 37 wins with most of them coming by way of KO or TKO. By the time he fought James “Buster” Douglas at the Tokyo Dome on February 9, 1990, Tyson had already unified all the heavyweight titles: the WBC, WBA, and IBF World Championships. Tyson and Douglas engaged in a brutal slugfest, both men hitting the canvas on one occasion, but there was one difference — when Tyson fell to a vicious onslaught from Douglas, he arose on rubber legs and was deemed unfit to continue.
The loss was the first in Tyson’s career, but he would rebound and win his next eight fights before two losses (one TKO and one DQ) to Evander Holyfield truly signaled the end of the Tyson era.
Matt Hughes
Opponent: B.J. Penn
Hughes had suffered three defeats early in his career, but by 2001, the ground-and-pound wrestling specialist from Illinois had amassed 13-consecutive wins, with five of them done so while defending the UFC Welterweight Championship. (A record at that time.) For his sixth title defense, Hughes faced the berserker known as B.J. “The Prodigy” Penn. Skilled at every aspect of the fight game, Penn’s ground submissions proved too much for Hughes to handle, and he submitted the long-reigning champion.
But, the heart of a champion doesn’t stay dormant, and Hughes strung six more wins together while winning back the Welterweight Championship, and even avenging his loss to Penn by defeating him via strikes.
Oscar De La Hoya
Opponent: Felix Trinidad
For the first seven years of his professional boxing career, De La Hoya had maintained an undefeated record on the way to winning championships in four different weight classes and garnering the position of top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. That momentum, though, saw a halt in its progress when De La Hoya fought Puerto Rican phenomenon Felix Trinidad on September 18, 1999. Trinidad’s speed and athleticism outclassed the Mexican superstar, and a majority decision spelled the end for his reign at the top.
The next year saw De La Hoya lose once again, this time to “Sugar” Shane Mosley. After the loss, Oscar was able to score four wins in a row, along with championships in the middleweight and light-middleweight classes, before ending back in the loss column against Mosley once more. The second loss against Mosley would spell the end for his career, with Oscar losing three of his last six fights.
Chuck Liddell
Opponent: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
“The Iceman” had gotten used to avenging his losses. Out of his three defeats, he returned to punish two adversaries, Jeremy Horn and Randy Couture, but there was one loss he still had to avenge: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Jackson had defeated Liddell in Pride Fighting Championships, and they met again, but on the UFC stage for the Light-Heavyweight Championship, which Liddell had defended four times.
On May 26, 2007, Liddell made a costly mistake and left his chin out in the open for a “Rampage” right hook. Jackson pounced on the defending champ and knocked him out. The KO loss would be the death knell for the former king of the light-heavyweight division, as Liddell lost four of his last five fights before hanging up the gloves.
Anderson Silva
Opponent: Chris Weidman
He was considered untouchable. Stephan Bonnar said that he lived in the “Matrix,” and that his skills were too much for mere mortal men — Chris Weidman changed all that.
Anderson Silva was the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world for years, but as he began knocking down the door on 40 years of age, his once solid granite chin had evaded him. In his title defense against Weidman at UFC 162 — after 13-consecutive title defenses (a record) — Silva had grown too cocky, believing that Weidman’s best couldn’t better the Brazilian “Spider.” Silva allowed Weidman to close the distance on him as he cavorted and danced and — boom — a light combo rocked the “Spider” and knocked him unconscious.
Trying to avenge his loss, Silva was granted a rematch with Weidman, but a leg kick blocked by Weidman led to Silva shattering his shin in one of the grisliest moments in UFC history. Silva returned after rehabbing his leg and defeated Nick Diaz via decision at UFC 183, but the bout was overturned to a no-contest after both men tested for banned substances. Silva is currently riding out a suspension and is expected to return in 2016.
Cain Velasquez
Opponent: Junior dos Santos
The UFC heavyweight division is populated by behemoths, where just one punch from a lunchbox-sized hand can end things very quickly. Cain Velasquez was the recipient of such a brutal blow when he fought Junior dos Santos at UFC on Fox in 2011. A big dos Santos right hand behind the ear downed the defending and undefeated champion. A follow-up ground flurry from the Brazilian challenger laid Cain out, and a new champion was crowned.
Showing the heart of a warrior, Cain rebounded by pouncing and pummeling dos Santos in two-consecutive bouts, bloodying dos Santos until his face was unrecognizable. Unfortunately, Cain met his match in Fabricio Werdum, where Werdum’s superior ground skills led to the champion tapping out to a guillotine choke. Cain and Werdum are expected to meet again for the Heavyweight strap in 2016.
Muhammad Ali
Opponent: “Smokin'” Joe Frazier
At only 22 years old, Muhammad Ali won the World Heavyweight Championship from Sonny Liston after pounding the champ in the seventh round on the way to a TKO victory. Seven years later, Ali was set to defend his titles against the jackhammering Joe Frazier, a mighty goliath known for his punishing power. Dubbed “The Fight of the Century,” the bout was just that, with both men going toe-to-toe for 15 rounds. In the end, Joe was awarded the unanimous decision and the long-reigning champion was finally dethroned.
Following the loss, and from 1971 to 1978, Ali only lost one bout — to Ken Norton — and Ali even beat back “Smokin’ Joe” two times. The subsequent bouts with Frazier were so brutal, though, that many boxing pundits said that Ali was never the same. Ali finished his career losing three of his last four.
