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by Zdot of www.mmabrawl.com

Like in The Wrestler, MMA is crowded of over the hill wannabes. In the new and in your face growing sport of MMA, we arrived at a turning point, at the end of an era. Nevertheless pretty young, the sport has a huge sum of washed-up fighters who made the glory of MMA in the old days.


Nowadays, they can no longer compete in the sport. Are they totally crushed by the wars they have been in? Are their skills not at the level of today competition? It’s sometime hard to call since the superstars of yesterday competed against fighters that are no longer competing.


However, most over the hill MMA fighters are today abusing their passed fame to get a fight at a level they are not anymore, and a big pay day.


Lots of MMA events, big and small, are using those fighters to sell tickets without feeling any remorse, knowing that they’re going to get a major ass whopping getting into those fights.


At Mmabrawl we established the sacrosanct top 10 list to number the most wasted MMA fighters still in the business, losing fight after fight in more and more embarrassing ways, always hoping for a new world title.

# 10: Wanderlei “The Axe Murdered” Silva

No, the mistake in Silva’s name is not a typo, it’s on purpose. I know I’m going to get flamed by MMA fans since Wandi is loved by the entire community and by myself too actually.


However, let’s face it, the guy is no longer the same since his unanimous decision loss to Arona back at PRIDE – Final Conflict 2005. They gave him the rematch in an unimpressive performance at PRIDE – Shockwave 2005 and since, he’s sporting a 2-6 record. He is 4-6 in his last 10 fights getting the win only against B level fighters like Kazuyuki Fujita in PRIDE – Critical Countdown Absolute in 2006 and Kieth Jardine at UFC 84 – Ill Will, his only victory in the UFC.


I really don’t understand why Wanderlei Silva changed his style of fighting. Since the Quinton Jackson fights in Pride, he went from an extremely dangerous Muay Thai fighter style with deadly knees and elbows to an average brawler using exclusively wild looping telegraphed hooks that misses most of the time.


He doesn’t seem able to adapt to the new rules of Mixed Martial Arts where soccer kicks ( his best weapon back in the days) are illegal. Strange, as the guy is extremely aggressive and still have all the physical power and stamina needed to compete at a higher level.


He is way too much into entertaining more than competing. He even stated as being really proud of getting the knockout of the night in his last fight against Jackson… The only problem, he was the knocked out fighter!!!!

#9 Chuck “The Iced Man” Liddell

Because his best friend Dana White protected him by matchmaking him against Taylor made opponents, the Liddell’ slowing down appeared only in his last five fights. Since his first loss to Quinton Jackson in Pride at PRIDE – Final Conflict 2003, he was only matched against fighters he couldn’t lose to. Sobral, Ortiz, Couture, Horn, etc.


Until they started this “avenging loss” thing where he wanted to face all the fighters he lost to. It was OK with an aging fighter like Couture and a fighter like Horn, who was competing in smaller shows only, but when he had to defend his light heavyweight title against Jackson… It didn’t last long.

His approximate technique of striking showed holes in his style. Largely abused by fighters like Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua after that, while easily countered by Keith Jardine.


The only win he has in his last 5 fights was against Wanderlei Silva, who had the worst game plan ever to face a fighter like Liddell. In my mind, Wandi beats himself in this one, by going flat foot against him wanting to exchange, only to prove he wasn’t afraid of him…


Fighters learned how to fight him. Before that they were jumping at him trying to exchange (see Wandi). Now they discovered his limited gameplan relying only on his counter puncher style. They just have to let him attack by adopting themselves a counter puncher approach. Since Liddell has no defense and doesn’t know how to attack and protect himself at the same time…

#8 Frank Shamrock

Frank Shamrock is one of the biggest stars of the old days still active today. Well at least he was up to his last fight against Nick Diaz at Strikeforce – Shamrock vs. Diaz on 4/11/2009.


He looked so much over the hill in that one that I don’t really know if he will be able to convince a matchmaker to sign a new fight deal…


Frank Shamrock used to duck fighters for ages only to get a bigger purse. Since he left the UFC, he never really entered a championship because he was only interested in blockbuster fights to make as much money as possible.


He actually stopped fighting after his K1 win over Elvis Sinosic at K-1 – Grand Prix 2000 Final on 12/10/2000. He stopped competing for three years until he decided to only fight big names.


He fought Bryan Pardoe at WEC 6 – Return of a Legend on 3/27/2003, then waited another three years to fight Cesar Gracie at Strikeforce – Shamrock vs. Gracie on 3/10/2006 and Renzo Gracie the following year for a DQ (Knees to the Head on the Ground) at EliteXC – Destiny where he didn’t show much class for a self-proclaimed legend of MMA.


He finally accepted to face Phil Baroni after a never ending trash talk promo on Youtube, were both prima dona fighters were trying to surpass each other in pimp attitude. (Shamrock won). He then decided to face serious and ranked opposition and lost first again Cung Le by broken harm and 2nd to Nick Diaz via TKO. Before that he was interested into setting up a brotherblood fight with his brother Ken…

# 7: Phil ” The New York Whooped Ass” Baroni

Phil Baroni, another drama queen! Baroni can win fights, he’s only extremely limited since he almost has no skills. Stated as a wrestler, he only relies on heavy hands to score a knock down. If he doesn’t get the KO in the beginning of the fight, he gasses out rapidly to lose by decision of submission.

He is really courageous and have a never backdown samurai attitude that fans love.


Sadly, for him, he didn’t have the chance to have a Dana White protecting him like Chuck Liddell. He has to accept all the fight proposed to him and the opposition is simply too strong for him.


In his last fight against the experienced Joe Rigg, Rigg himself mocked him when he attempted a high kick! It was priceless, he was like: “yeah man! Come On! Through another one!” all surprised that Baroni tried such a sophisticated move…


He is a bodybuilder, in love with his extremely ripped body. He never understood that bodybuilding training is not good for MMA…


He is working out at the Hammer House and this approach of training is over the hill for MMA fighting. It was all good during the Mark Coleman era but, now pumped weight lifters are too stiff and slow for Mixed Martial Arts…

# 6: Mirko “Fake Cop” Filipovic

Mirko Filipovic is a different fighter since he won the Pride 2006 Openweight Grand Prix Final. Since then, he is not fighting with the same will as he used to. He even admitted himself, after winning the Grand Prix, that he has achieved all his goals as a fighter.


Everyone forgot that line when he entered the UFC, including Dana White. He was announced as the next big thing coming to the cage, but he looked horrible and extremely pretentious, refusing to participate to press conference and being extremely cocky toward UFC  fighters.


All his UFC fights were horrible; the one against Gonzaga was the most humiliating defeat he got in his entire career. When he arrived in the US, he was full of himself, thinking that Pride Championship was the best thing on earth; he left with a 1-2 record to Japan, in order to regain some composure.


He managed to get a one fight deal in the UFC against a B level fighter, pretending to be back for good and wanting to fight for the title… only to sign to Dream the same night of the fight at UFC 99.


He seems to have used the UFC to give a shine to his record, only to sign a bigger contract in Japan. That last move made him the worse liar and biggest con-artist in MMA… Coming from a cop it’s pretty bad.

# 5: Kazushi “The Gracie Hunted” Sakuraba

Sakuraba is a mystery to me. I know I’m going to get flame for this, as Saku is probably the most admired fighter in the MMA industry. However, let’s face it, he is extremely overrated. Besides his wins against the Gracie family he was always matched to bigger, better and stronger opponents that whooped his ass every time.

Any other fighter will have his fight stopped much earlier than kazushi Sakuraba, but for unknown reasons they let the fight continue… Once in a while, he can change the path of the fight and score a win, like in the Masakatsu Funaki fight in K1, but he’s getting so much punishment in all of his fights that it’s a heartbreak to watch him compete.


Maybe Japanese fans like to see him lose? He seems to have a samurai aura that fans talk about all the time, but he lost badly to all the good fighters he was opposed to… give the guy a break, let him stay home.

# 4: David “The Container” Abbott

Tank is probably the most well-known fighter of the old days in MMA. Everyone around the world knows him. He was the Kimbo Slice of the early UFCs.

Everyone has to admit that he has extremely hard hands that even today can deliver terrible knock outs against any fighter. The guy honored his nickname pretty well. His rough and tough attitude, being proud of being an untrained Alcoholic respecting no one, pleased fans of the old UFCs.


Tank Abbott has a great sense of humor, and he’s responsible for many famous lines in and out of the UFC broadcast. Every time he had to face an accomplished fighter he lost. Normally, he wins in the first 2 minutes, otherwise he gazed out and lose. Tank sports a 10-14 fight record and he is 2-8 in his last ten fight!


His popularity is so big that he’s regularly used by B level MMA promotion to put butts into seats. He’s known to accept fights on no-time notice and doesn’t give a damn about losing. He just likes to brawl and party his brain out.


He was recently used by defunct EliteXc to promote Kimbo Slice. Ken Shamrock tried to set up a fight with him by booking Tank against Mike Bourke at Wargods/Ken Shamrock Productions – The Valentine’s Eve Massacre for an easy knockout victory in 29 seconds.

Ken Shamrock on the same night squared off against a morbid obese fighter for a worked and easy victory… Ridiculously, Shamrock was caught juicing after his laughable fight and got suspended for a year… end of the story for Tank Vs Shamrock and for the family fight Frank Vs Ken.

# 3: Mark “The Smashed Machine” Kerr

Mark Kerr, once nicknamed the Titan is probably the most washed up fighter in MMA physically speaking. Actually, the Mark Kerr decline is kind of sad. The guy was an accomplish bodybuilder at his prime. Sporting an amazing body, ripped from toenails to the top of the ears.


He was extremely powerful and aggressive toward the beginning of his career. Accomplished wrestler and many times ADCC champion, he started out in MMA at World Vale Tudo Championship 3 winning the Heavyweight tournament and the three fights of the night.


He went on to win the Heavyweight Tournament at UFC 14-Showdown and UFC 15-Collision Course in the same year.


Like many US fighters, Mark Kerr went fighting in the new MMA championship in Japan and entered the ring at Pride 2. He did really well until pride 10 but, he lost two fights in a row against Igor Vovchanchyn at PRIDE 12-Cold Fury and Heath Herring at PRIDE 15-Raging Rumble.


Since then, he sports a miserable fighting record of 2-8 in his last 10 fights, losing them all in the first round.
Today he looks fat and incredibly out of shape competing in poor MMA events such as Yamma, CCCF, C-3 Fights or Xp3-The Proving Ground…


Despite being over the hill, he fought five times in 2008, being his most active year in MMA after his first year of competition, where he fought seven times in 1997.

# 2: Ken “The World’s Most Ridiculous Man” Shamrock

Ken Shamrock, one of the first UFC heroes, didn’t know when to stop. He’s the only one believing in himself today. Since years, he’s a has-been fighter refusing to let go.


He is 3-7 in his last 10 fights. He is done since the Don Frye fight that he lost in an incredible fashion. That fight is one of the best in MMA history. Maybe he gave it all there?


He tried to give a shine at his finished career starting an artificial feud with pro rival Tito Ortiz at UFC 40, using his pro-wrestler skills. He started to look out extremely annoying and despite making lots of noise with his mouth, he never concluded anything in the cage anymore.


The UFC stopped the circus after the third Tito Ortiz fight. Since, he lost to Robert Berry at Cage Rage in 2008 and got the win against Ross Clifton at his own MMA promotion: Wargods/Ken Shamrock Productions – The Valentine’s Eve Massacre.


Clifton is a morbid obese “fighter” and was used by Shamrock to build up a fight against Tank Abbott and a long time awaited fight against his brother Frank Shamrock. He got caught juicing and was suspended for a year. At his venerable age, the end of his career is passed a while ago. The need of steroid to win against such a fighter means a lot about his today abilities…

# 1: Tim Silvia

Poor guy! He really deserves the number one spot hands down! In a few months, he went from being the UFC heavyweight champion and first Fedor Emelianenko opponent to lose in a second grade MMA event against Ray Mercer, a fifty year old retired boxer.


Things started to look bad for him when he lost his UFC heavyweight title to Randy Couture. After losing against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship, he decided to leave the UFC to fight for Affliction for much more money. Nobody can blame him but, his first opponent was Fedor Emelianenko that humiliated him in 36 seconds at the first Affliction event.


Then the unexplainable happened. Tim Silvia was scheduled to compete for the third Affliction event against Paul Buentello for a huge amount of cash. His manager Monte Cox, decided to use his fighter as main event for his own crapola MMA show, the so-called Adrenaline MMA 3. For unknown reasons, he wanted to match him against Ray Mercer, a washed-up 50 YO boxer, who had lost to Kimbo Slice in his first MMA fight.


At first, it was supposed to be a boxing match and the event was supposed to take place at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City. The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board refused to sanction the fight and the event was moved to Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham, Alabama and postponed to a later date.
Only a couple of days before the event, the fight was changed from boxing to MMA again because of sanctioning problems. Mercer knocked him out with one punch in 9 seconds! The medical suspension after his KO loss forced him out of the bout and made him the joke of the year in MMA.


What the hell they were trying to do with that fight? Now his declining career is in limbo. I don’t think big MMA promotions will be interested in signing him for a major fight.

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