Fighters who deserved a different ending Hurt is part of being a UFC fan and when you grow attached to how a fighters career plays out it can make you wish they had a different ending From Dustin Poirier never getting undisputed gold or seeing Anderson Silva go down a dark slope of constant losses many fans have been left wishing the MMA gods can show mercy Another big one that stands out was Dominick Reyes who seemed to be on top of the light heavyweight division to going on a dark slope Which hurt the most?
Few things sting a UFC fan like watching a favorite's career fade without the closing chapter it seemed to promise. A fresh round of fan discussion has MMA followers naming the fighters they believe deserved a different ending, with Dustin Poirier, Anderson Silva and Dominick Reyes among the names that keep surfacing.
The talking points are familiar. Poirier never captured undisputed gold, Silva's late career turned into a run of repeated losses, and Reyes appeared poised to take over the light heavyweight division before his path took a hard downturn. The question posed to fans is simple: which one hurt the most?
The fighters in the conversation
Poirier, known as The Diamond, is a 37-year-old southpaw from the United States who trains out of American Top Team. He holds a 30-10-0 record and carries a high-output striking profile, landing 5.24 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy. He also averages 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes, a reminder of how complete his game was.
Silva, The Spider, is a 51-year-old Brazilian southpaw with a 34-11-0 record who works with Team Nogueira. At six-foot-two with a 77-inch reach, he was long and precise, landing 3.05 significant strikes per minute at a 61 percent clip. That accuracy figure speaks to the timing and distance control that made him a legend, and it frames why his later losing stretch is hard for fans to watch.
Reyes, The Devastator, is a 36-year-old light heavyweight from the United States who fights out of Teixeira MMA & Fitness. He is 16-5-0 and currently ranked eighth in the division. The six-foot-four southpaw lands 5.39 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy, numbers that underline why many viewed him as a rising force at 205 pounds.
Why it matters
- The debate highlights how fan attachment shapes the way a career is remembered, often more than the record itself.
- Poirier's case centers on a title that never came, while Silva's centers on how a dominant era gave way to defeats.
- Reyes remains an active, ranked contender, which makes his entry in the conversation about perceived potential rather than a finished story.
