5 UFC fighters who are their own worst enemy

All UFC fighters try to do the same thing the moment they step inside the octagon: defeat their opponents to claim victory. Unfortunately, doing so is easier said than done, especially in closely-fought contests. Sometimes, the gap in skill between fighters isn't pronounced enough for one mixed martial artist to effortlessly defeat another.

In other cases, a fighter's opponent is simply too tough or stubborn to accept being finished via either submission or knockout. In rarer instances, however, a fighter can be their own worst enemy. This is even worse when a fighter is regarded as exceptionally skilled but can't help but get in their own way.

Such fighters not only make the task of defeating their own foes more difficult, but they also render themselves easier to beat. Sometimes, these fighters are UFC champions, but more often than not, they stop themselves from becoming champions through their own fault.

#5. Jorge Masvidal, UFC welterweight

Jorge Masvidal's career resurgence has been something to behold. The 'BMF' champion spent most of his years as a journeyman in MMA, winning as much as he lost. This was due to his tendency to hyperfocus on his defensive striking. It's no secret that 'Gamebred' is a gifted boxer by MMA standards.

For many years, he never progressed from his journeyman status due to certain tendencies he has. He initially used to slip punches and evade his foe's blows but wouldn't land counterpunches to make his opponents pay for their aggression. Instead, he simply admired his defensive work by not doing anything.

The crowd starts booing like crazy after Kamaru Usman brutally KO's Jorge Masvidal
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Worse still, he was often backed up in a straight line until his back touched the fence, making it easy for his opponents to pressure him. His tendency to cede ground was due to his obsession with defense. He was more concerned with looking good while not getting hit.

While Masvidal has since become a more aggressive fighter, these tendencies still remain. His obsession with looking defensively slick instead of counterpunching or being more offensive is what led to his knockout loss against former champion Kamaru Usman.

#4. Marlon Vera, UFC bantamweight

The UFC bantamweight division isn't home to many devastating power punchers. Marlon Vera, however, is one of them. The Ecuadorian bruiser's claim to fame comes as he handed Sean O'Malley his first-ever professional defeat as a mixed martial artist, despite the latter's refusal to accept that specific loss.

🇺🇸 Le combattant américain Cory Sandhagen a battu Marlon Vera lors du main event de l’UFC Fight Night samedi à San Antonio.

⚡ Il espère désormais obtenir un dernier combat contre Merab Dvalishvili avant d’espérer briguer la ceinture d’Aljamain Sterling. https://t.co/doKjhMghrC

Unfortunately, 'Chito' is a fighter who gets in his own way due to his low-volume approach. He patiently stalks his opponents across the octagon, waiting for the perfect opening for a knockout blow. This issue has led to him absorbing an unnecessary amount of strikes in his fights.

The only reason he survives is due to his otherworldly toughness. He allows himself to be outlanded in all of his fights by a significant margin. This tendency came back to bite him when he faced Cory Sandhagen this past Saturday, with even head coach Jason Parillo growing frustrated with his inactivity.

#3. Petr Yan, UFC bantamweight

Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan has found himself on an unexpected career downswing. The hard truth, however, is that 'No Mercy' has no one but himself to blame. The Russian boxing specialist lost his divisional title to Aljamain Sterling via disqualification due to landing an illegal knee.

A glimpse into round 2 of Aljamain Sterling VS Petr Yan 2

https://t.co/rvNGbADbkC

While he rebounded with a win against Cory Sandhagen, he has since lost thrice. Every single loss thereafter was due to his low activity in the first two rounds of his bouts. He is similar to Marlon Vera in that he stalks his opponents around the cage without throwing any strikes for long stretches.

Yan prefers to pressure his foes while making reads before eventually turning up the volume in the third round. Unfortunately, this enables his opponents to steal away rounds, putting him in a difficult position if he doesn't secure a finish after giving up two rounds and having a competitive third round.

#2. Michael Chandler, UFC lightweight

Michael Chandler is arguably the most athletically gifted lightweight in the world. The three-time Bellator lightweight champion has a breadth of knockout power, explosiveness, speed, and strength. Furthermore, he is a high-level wrestler with D1 All-American honors. He has every tool to become a UFC champion.

But something that has plagued the NCAA Division I standout's career is his poor decision-making. Fellow 155'er Arman Tsarukyan recently mocked 'Iron' for having an exceptionally low fight IQ. He hardly uses his high-level wrestling skills during his fights. Instead, he resorts to brawling while completely neglecting his defense.

Arman Tsarukyan called out Michael Chandler, calls him 'lowest fight IQ'

#UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFCLasVegas #UFC2023 https://t.co/4XWfBsHtnX

He steps deep with every punch, doesn't have a dedicated jab, and focuses so much on looping punches that even Dustin Poirier mocked him for it. Against Charles Oliveira, he slammed himself back down to the mat after 'do Bronx' mounted his back, which put him right back in the danger zone.

His poor chin is due to how recklessly he marches forward, walking into his opponent's shots. He is someone who should be consistently challenging for titles, but he gets in his own way due to his recklessness.

#1. Leon Edwards, UFC welterweight

Reigning UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards is a complete fighter with very technical flaws. Instead, his drawbacks are due to poor habits. 'Rocky' is primarily a striker, but despite having knockout power, he doesn't throw punches in combinations. He operates more like a sniper, but without counterpunching.

This is perplexing due to his tendency to cede space and back himself up to the fence. His true drawback, however, is how often he takes his attention off his opponents. Leon Edwards almost always has lapses in concentration against everyone he faces.

Quand Leon Edwards a failli se faire TERMINER par Bryan Barbarena en 2017💥🙀 https://t.co/Qq6mMdIyiD

Nate Diaz almost knocked him out in the fifth round due to 'Rocky' switching off for a moment. Donald Cerrone managed to secure a takedown and win the fifth round against him after being dominated before the Englishman just switched off. He had a lapse for the entire second round against Albert Tumenov.

His worst lapse, however, came in the second round against Bryan Barbarena, of all fighters. 'Rocky' was dropped and nearly finished by a fighter who isn't even currently ranked.