5 UFC fighters whose careers were derailed by injuries

There was a time when the UFC sustained countless injuries to its fighters. 2012-2013 was an especially volatile period when it came to injuries leading to bout cancelations.

However, a canceled fight is sometimes the least of the UFC's worries. Matchups can always be reshuffled or rescheduled.

Sometimes an injury is serious enough to derail a fighter's career. Whether this happens due to a fighter never being quite the same upon their return or being forced into a long absence from the sport, especially bad injuries have destroyed many fighters' careers.

Jiří Procházka, for example, had to recently vacate his title due to a serious shoulder injury.

Reports say that his shoulder injury is as bad as it gets, and currently there's no telling how much of a toll it'll take on the Czech samurai.

While it's very much in the realm of possibility for him to recapture UFC gold upon his return, like Dominick Cruz did, it remains to be seen. Given recent events, this list examines five UFC fighters whose careers were derailed by injury.

#5. Tatiana Suarez, UFC strawweight

Undefeated fighters always garner special attention from fans. Such was the case with Tatiana Suarez, who still remains on the promotion's roster but has not fought since 2019.

With 2023 right around the corner, it will soon be four years since the unbeaten wrestler stepped inside the octagon.

Tatiana Suarez says she’s staying positive for a "kick ass" comeback story after revealing she suffered a “very bad knee injury” that requires surgery.

(via @tatianaufc) https://t.co/dtWlUywgvG

There was a time when the TUF 23 winner was regarded by many as a champion in the making. This was made clear after she outwrestled and TKO'd former strawweight champion Carla Esparza in her seventh MMA fight.

Unfortunately, Tatiana Suarez's promising career was derailed by knee and neck injuries.

While her return was expected last year, injury woes kept her from fighting. With her 32nd birthday less than a fortnight away, a four-year absence from the octagon might lead to her simply becoming a 'What If?' story in MMA.

#4. Darren Till, UFC middleweight

Darren Till has experienced a spectacular fall from grace. In the past, 'The Gorilla' was an undefeated fighter with an aura of tangible charisma. He had all of England supporting him as he stormed through the welterweight rankings in search of a world title.

His walkout at UFC 228 was the kind that's typically only reserved for a star in the making. The crowd greeted him with enthusiasm and verve, which seemed to signal the birth of a new UFC star.

Unfortunately, 'The Gorilla' was submitted by Tyron Woodley. His next bout was a KO loss to Jorge Masvidal.

Sidelined due to injury, Darren Till wishes luck to Jack Hermansson and his new opponent, Kevin Holland (via @darrentill2) https://t.co/695dB8oBkK

Things are yet to turn around for the Scouser. He has suffered four defeats in his last five fights. Between those fights, he has dealt with several injuries. His last bout was against Derek Brunson who dragged 'The Gorilla' into his world of grappling.

Till was scheduled to face Jack Hermansson earlier this year but was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an undisclosed injury. Before even facing Derek Brunson, he had withdrawn from a matchup with Marvin Vettori due to a broken collarbone.

Before that, the Englishman was booked to face Hermansson in the first of two ultimately canceled matchups. Injuries kept him out of that bout as well. Once heralded as a potential future champion, Till will be searching for his first win in nearly three years.

#3. Cain Velasquez, retired UFC heavyweight

At the height of his career, Cain Velasquez seemed unstoppable.

'Cardio Cain' was the heavyweight champion of the UFC and had a skill set that no one could deal with. However, he was also injury-prone. He suffered the same fate that befell many American Kickboxing Academy members at the time.

After defending his title against Junior dos Santos in dominant fashion, the AKA standout injured his meniscus and MCL. The injuries kept him away from the octagon for two years. Upon his return, he faced interim heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum.

With slew of injuries, @CainMMA has taken a new approach to training for #UFC200 ➡️ bit.ly/1Yd6xE5 https://t.co/C8VJZlgn1T

Velasquez lost the bout in shocking fashion after getting caught in a guillotine choke while shooting for a takedown. The promotion hoped to book a rematch between the two men, but Velasquez's injuries made it impossible. The former heavyweight titleholder opted to recover, returning a year later.

He then defeated Travis Browne, and the UFC made another attempt at scheduling a rematch between him and 'Vai Cavalo'. Alas, the NSAC declared him unfit to compete due to the presence of bone spurs on his back. Velasquez took another sabbatical -- returning three years later.

Unfortunately, his return came against Francis Ngannou, who only needed 26 seconds to KO him. After an illustrious career that was more than hampered by injuries, the former heavyweight champion announced his retirement from the sport.

#2. Shane Carwin, retired UFC heavyweight

Shane Carwin had a relatively short career as a mixed martial artist. The heavyweight power puncher fought a total of 14 times, winning 12 of those contests. All but two of those bouts ended as first-round finishes in his favor.

The sheer power he was capable of generating can only be compared to Francis Ngannou's in the modern era.

At UFC 96, the former NCAA Division II wrestler impressed spectators by flattening former heavyweight champion Frank Mir within three minutes. In doing so, Carwin captured the interim title and set up a unification fight with then-undisputed champion Brock Lesnar.

13 years ago today, Shane Carwin made his 46 second UFC debut.

Such a shame injuries ruined his career.
https://t.co/iUelAMTorC

While Carwin nearly finished Lesnar in the first round, he ultimately lost after gassing out and succumbing to an arm-triangle choke in the second round. It was his first-ever defeat, but it wouldn't be his last as he subsequently lost to Junior dos Santos.

Afterwards, Carwin announced his desire for back surgery to treat his injuries. His recovery took longer than expected, but once his return seemed imminent, he injured his knee.

The heavyweight's accumulated injuries prompted him to retire from the sport.

#1. T.J. Dillashaw, former UFC bantamweight

T.J. Dillashaw made headlines in the aftermath of UFC 280 after confessing to accepting a title fight despite having a severe shoulder injury.

The former two-time bantamweight champion is one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport, but he has only fought four times in the last few years.

The former Team Alpha Male member was first dealt a suspension for testing positive for EPO.

Upon his return, he faced Corey Sandhagen but suffered a serious knee injury in the opening round that drastically limited his performance. Although he emerged victorious, many observers thought Sandhagen had done enough to get a W on the scorecards.

T.J. Dillashaw has reportedly opted to retire from UFC after shoulder surgery 😲

Full story: sportskeeda.com/mma/news-break…

#UFC #MMA https://t.co/ufq33k03d6

Dillashaw took a year to recover from his knee surgery before facing Aljamain Sterling for the title at UFC 280.

Unfortunately, the former champion dislocated his shoulder some 20 times while training for the bout. Nonetheless, he went ahead with the matchup, fearing such an opportunity might never arise in the twilight of his career.

During the fight, Dillashaw was terribly ineffective and re-injured his shoulder against an invigorated 'Aljo'.

He was thoroughly dominated by his foe en route to a TKO loss. In the aftermath of the bout, his decision to withhold his injury from the UFC doctors drew backlash from his peers.

After undergoing surgery on his shoulder and being informed of how long his recovery would take, Dillashaw thought it better to retire from MMA.