5 UFC fighters who scored a highlight reel knockout but were unable to follow it up
In the world of the UFC, one big knockout can turn a fighter into an overnight sensation. Following that knockout, though, can be a little harder.
Over the years, we've seen UFC fighters who received hype after scoring a highlight reel knockout but were unable to follow it up with anything substantial.
Often, these fighters remained popular thanks to their big moment, but in hindsight, they're better remembered as MMA's equivalent to a one-hit-wonder.
Here are five UFC fighters who scored a highlight reel knockout but were unable to follow it up.
#5. Chris Gutierrez - UFC bantamweight contender
This weekend's UFC event will see Chris Gutierrez competing in the co-headliner against newcomer Quang Le.
Just over a year ago, a fight involving 'El Guapo' probably would've garnered far more hype than this weekend's bout is.
At that stage, Gutierrez was riding an unbeaten run of eight fights in the octagon, a streak that had turned him into one of the bantamweight division's hottest fighters.
However, it wasn't just his win streak that garnered him hype. Most of the noise around 'El Guapo' came from a ridiculous highlight reel knockout over former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
The fight lasted just over two minutes before Gutierrez broke the feeling-out period with a wicked step-in knee. The strike connected directly to Edgar's jaw, stiffening him up instantly, and 'El Guapo' didn't even need to follow up.
Suddenly, the Texas native was an overnight sensation, particularly as 'The Answer' retired after the knockout.
Unfortunately, since this big win, Gutierrez's hype has stalled entirely. He's lost two of his last three fights, being largely outclassed by Pedro Munhoz and Song Yadong.
There's still time for him to turn it around, of course, and a big win this weekend would help. For now, though, Gutierrez remains somewhat of a one-hit wonder.
#4. Shawn Jordan - former UFC heavyweight contender
After joining the UFC from StrikeForce in 2012, Shawn Jordan garnered some attention for his impressive athleticism.
A hulking heavyweight who'd starred on the gridiron in his college days, 'The Savage' always seemed to be on the cusp of breaking into contention. However, losses to the likes of Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione always just about kept him away from that status.
2015, though, appeared to be a turning point for the big man. Matched with another rising star in the form of Derrick Lewis, Jordan managed to uncork the kind of knockout that smaller fighters, let alone heavyweights, would've dreamed of.
After a close first round, 'The Savage' opened the second with an incredible hook kick that caught Lewis cold, dropping him to the ground. Unable to recover, 'The Black Beast' then ate a salvo of punches that forced the referee to step in.
It looked like Jordan had finally hit his groove and would rise into title contention. However, in his very next fight, he found himself thoroughly stifled by Ruslan Magomedov and lost a clear-cut decision.
Any hype Jordan had gained from the Lewis knockout quickly evaporated, and with the bout being the final one on his contract, he was allowed to depart the promotion entirely.
'The Savage' joined the PFL promotion but lost two of his next three fights and retired from MMA in 2018. He is now a footnote in heavyweight history - even if his big knockout remains one of the best seen in the division.
#3. Duane 'Bang' Ludwig - former UFC welterweight contender
When Jorge Masvidal knocked out Ben Askren with a flying knee in the summer of 2019, he was vaulted to superstardom. It was hardly surprising given that 'Gamebred' broke the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history with the finish.
However, while Masvidal followed up his big knockout by becoming the promotion's inaugural 'BMF' champion, the same could not be said for the fighter whose record he broke.
That record was set back in 2006 by Duane 'Bang' Ludwig. A famed kickboxer who shot to fame in MMA when he knocked out then-UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver on the regional scene in 2003, Ludwig fought in the octagon later that year, but despite winning, departed right after.
Three years passed before he returned, taking a late-notice bout with Jonathan Goulet in January 2006.
This time, 'Bang' made his mark. When Goulet came out with a sloppy jab, the kickboxer countered with a razor-sharp right hand and knocked the Canadian out, dropping him face-first.
The bout took all of six seconds, setting an official UFC record that would stand for over a decade.
However, instead of going on to more fame and accolades, 'Bang' again departed the promotion. Quite why this was is anyone's guess.
It would be another four years before Ludwig returned to the octagon, and while his big knockout was replayed, the magic was long gone by that point. 'Bang' lost five of seven bouts before retiring in 2012.
He went onto further success by coaching TJ Dillashaw to the bantamweight title in 2014, but in terms of his own career, Ludwig will always be remembered as a one-hit wonder of sorts.
#2. Lando Vannata - former UFC lightweight contender
Every now and then, the UFC manages to uncover a potential star on late notice, and in 2016, it appeared they'd done just that with Lando Vannata.
'Groovy' burst onto the scene in a last-minute fight with Tony Ferguson that summer and almost upset 'El Cucuy' with a huge knockdown. He eventually succumbed to a D'Arce choke, but it definitely appeared that he had potential.
Vannata appeared to have reached that potential in his next fight. Faced with fellow kickboxer John Makdessi, 'Groovy' scored one of the best knockouts of 2016, stunning the fans.
He caught 'The Bull' with a picture-perfect spinning wheel kick before the two-minute mark in the bout, knocking him out cold without any need to follow up.
It looked like a star - and a contender for the lightweight title - had been born.
Unfortunately, while Vannata remains on the UFC roster, his knockout of Makdessi appears to have been the high point of his career.
He fell to a winless run of three fights directly after it and saw his bubble burst entirely in the process. Since then, he's won just three times and has lost a further four bouts.
At this stage, 'Groovy' is never likely to become a threat to the 155-pound title, but realistically, he'd probably just like to score another highlight reel knockout to get his name back into the spotlight.
#1. James Irvin - former UFC light-heavyweight contender
Very few fighters pull off a highlight-reel knockout in the UFC and then fail to follow it up. Unfortunately for former light-heavyweight contender James Irvin, he managed to do it twice, with the same results both times.
'The Sandman' first debuted in the octagon in early 2005 as an undersized heavyweight and immediately suffered a nasty knockout loss.
A drop to 205 pounds seemed perfect for him from a physical standpoint, though, and in his first fight at his new weight, he made a huge impact.
After a poor first round against Terry Martin, Irvin unleashed arguably the best flying knee ever seen in the octagon, switching his foe's lights off in an instant. It was an incredible knockout that turned 'The Sandman' into an overnight star.
However, while title contention was discussed, it never came to fruition. Irvin's weak ground game was exposed in a submission loss to Stephan Bonnar, and he quickly slipped off the radar for most fans.
After meandering for the next couple of years, though, 'The Sandman' suddenly exploded back into form in early 2008. He scored an eight-second knockout of Houston Alexander with a superman punch, the first such finish in UFC history.
This time, the big win did propel Irvin into a headline bout. Unfortunately for the former WEC champ, it came against prime Anderson Silva, and it ended in a violent knockout loss.
Irvin never rebounded from there. After the Silva bout, he tested positive for banned substances and was suspended for two years. Upon his return, he lost his next two fights, washing out of the promotion.
These days, 'The Sandman' is a footnote in octagon history, albeit a footnote with two of the best knockouts of all time under his belt. However, the fact that he never followed up one of those finishes with anything special is still disappointing.