5 UFC fighters who flamed out after promising starts

Hype trains are inevitable across professional sports. In mixed martial arts, very few fighters compete with the consistency necessary to become a UFC champion.

Here are five fighters who swiftly faded away after seeing their star shine so brightly for a brief moment.

Roger Huerta - UFC lightweight (2006-2009)

From his impressive record to his good looks to an exciting fight style, Huerta had all the makings of a UFC superstar. "El Matador" signed with the promotion in September 2006 and made an immediate impact, winning Fight of the Night honors in two of his first three bouts.

Everyone had taken notice, and in 2007, Huerta became the first fighter in MMA history to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. A title shot seemed within reach after he won his first six UFC fights, which included five finishes.

His 17-fight unbeaten run would end at UFC 87 with a unanimous decision defeat to Kenny Florian. Huerta followed that up with another decision loss to Gray Maynard at UFC Fight Night 19, which marked the end of his contract.

Huerta then opted to join Bellator MMA, which represented the biggest free-agent signing for the California-based promotion at the time. Huerta was unable to repeat his early UFC success, going 1-4 under the Bellator banner. He left to compete overseas for ONE Championship and fell off the MMA radar.

He returned to Bellator in 2018 and last fought in November 2019, losing a unanimous decision to Sidney Outlaw at Bellator 234. Huerta tasted defeat in five of his last seven fights and became a shell of the fighter many once thought had championship potential.

Houston Alexander - UFC light heavyweight (2007-2008)

Alexander will always be remembered for his upset win over Keith Jardine when he knocked out "The Dean of Mean" in just 49 seconds at his UFC 71 debut in May 2007. Attempting to prove he wasn't just a flash in the pan, "The Assassin" followed it up with a first-round TKO victory over Alessio Sakara at UFC 75.

People were buying into the hype, and so was the UFC. Alexander was booked for a third bout that year against undefeated contender Thiago Silva in the co-main event of UFC 78. However, the Brazilian overwhelmed Alexander once the fight hit the canvas, earning a first-round TKO victory.

Alexander went on to lose two more times before picking up a win outside the promotion, which set up a notable heavyweight matchup against Kimbo Slice at the "TUF 10" finale. In a fight many believed would end by knockout, the pair put on an uninspiring three-round affair that Slice won by decision. After losing four of five, Alexander was released from the UFC.

He'd go on to compete for a number of promotions, including Bellator, and hasn't fought since a December 2017 TKO loss to Rakim Cleveland with Primus FC.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou - UFC light heavyweight (2007-2008)

Unlike the other fighters on this list, Sokoudjou's success came prior to joining the UFC. The Cameroonian's 23-second knockout of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at Pride 33 is still considered one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. The victory came in just Sokoudjou's fourth professional fight, while "Lil Nog" had far more experience under his belt.

Sokoudjou carried that momentum into his next fight, knocking out Ricardo Arona in the first round at Pride 34. The UFC purchased Pride shortly after that win, and fans were salivating at the idea of "The African Assassin" competing in the promotion's light heavyweight division.

But Sokoudjou couldn't replicate the success. The 2001 U.S. Open Judo Championships winner was paired with future UFC champion Lyoto Machida in his promotional debut at UFC 79. Sokoudjou's lack of jiu-jitsu experience showed once the fight was taken to the ground, and "The Dragon" submitted him in the second round.

The light heavyweight prospect would bounce back in his next fight, defeating Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 78, only to get knocked out in his third bout against Luiz Cane at UFC 89. The promotion had seen enough, and less than a year after signing his contract, Sokoudjou was handed his walking papers.

Sokoudjou would go on to fight for a number of promotions, including Strikeforce, DREAM, and Bellator but was never able to generate any type of momentum. Currently sitting with a 19-18 record, Sokoudjou last fought in October 2017 when he defeated Jamie Abdallah by knockout at AFC / Kunlun Fight MMA 16.

Travis Browne - UFC heavyweight (2010-2017)

Newer MMA fans know Browne for being the husband of former UFC and WWE star Ronda Rousey. However, Browne nearly fought for a UFC championship during his prime.

The Hawaiian first turned heads when he upset Alistair Overeem at UFC Fight Night 26, which brought his overall record to 15-1-1. "Hapa" followed up the victory with another first-round finish over former champion Josh Barnett at UFC 168. That set up a heavyweight title eliminator fight against Fabricio Werdum at UFC on FOX 11.

Browne was completely outmatched, struggling with Werdum's striking en route to a unanimous decision loss. The Glendale Fight Club product never found his footing after that setback, going 2-5 in his next seven fights. While Browne hasn't officially retired, he hasn't fought since a July 2017 submission loss to Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 213.

Erick Silva - UFC welterweight (2011-2017)

Silva only needed 40 seconds to impress in his promotional debut, finishing Luis Ramos by knockout at UFC 134. "The Tiger" would follow that up quick wins over Jason High, Mike Rhodes, and former UFC title challenger Josh Koscheck. The flashy Brazilian appeared to have potential as a welterweight contender.

Despite Silva's impressive victories, the former Jungle Fight champion always appeared to struggle against tougher competition. Key losses to Jon Fitch, Dong Hyun Kim, and Matt Brown prevented Silva from entering the contender's spot.

Silva endured the worst stretch of his career following his victory over Koscheck, losing four of his next five. The UFC let him walk after his contract ran out. He now competes for Bellator but lost his first two fights, including most recently in June 2019 in a unanimous decision to Paul Daley at Bellator 223.