Issue 061
April 2010
Not every fighter is destined to become a star. For every Georges St Pierre or Anderson Silva, a dozen Jeff Joslins or Ryo Chonans must fall. You could say that the Octagon truly puts the Darwinian theory of ‘survival of the fittest’ to the test.
Throughout the years, a number of promising competitors have been robbed of bright careers, be it due to injuries, old age, a run-in with a superior fighter, or simply bad luck. Some make a comeback, but the vast majority of them disappear forever, remembered only by a handful of nostalgic fans. In the following article, we pay tribute to these men.
Whatever happened to Phillip Miller?
Who?
An undefeated middleweight and UFC veteran, Miller accumulated an impressive 16-0-0 record in just three short years – a task very few have been able to do since. He holds wins over the likes of Jake Shields and James Zikic.
What happened?
Miller was to make his third UFC appearance against Phil Baroni, but a dispute over payment saw him leave the Octagon forever. He gradually began to lose interest in MMA, and eventually retired. His final MMA bout took place under the HooknShoot banner in 2003.
Where is he now?
Miller is a member of the Los Angeles Police Department. He continues to train casually, but the Utah-born middleweight has no aspirations to restart his MMA career.
Will we ever see him again?
Not a chance – according to Miller himself.
Whatever happened to Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua?
Who?
Most MMA fans know him as the older brother of UFC light heavyweight Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. However, Ninja was considered a top-ten 205lb’er years before Shogun entered the international MMA scene.
Young, hungry, and well rounded, Ninja was not only a dangerous fighter, but also a fan-favorite in Japan, where his wars with Quinton Jackson, Kevin Randleman and Mario Sperry are a thing of legend.
What happened?
Following the collapse of Pride FC, Ninja fought in Cage Rage, Strikeforce, EliteXC and Dream before fading into obscurity. Though the Curitiba native was spectacular in the early days, he failed to improve his skill set with time. Several brutal losses later, promoters had all but forgotten about Ninja.
Where is he now?
Rua’s most recent fight took place under the BCN banner in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Earlier this year he signed with a small American promotion called Shine Fights.
Will we ever see him again?
He will undoubtedly continue fighting on smaller promotions, but a return to top-tier organizations is unlikely.
Whatever happened to Genki Sudo?
Who?
One of MMA’s most beloved characters, Genki Sudo was a top lightweight with wins over Mike Brown, Royler Gracie, Nate Marquardt and many others. His unorthodox fighting style and ring entrances (mandatory viewings for every true MMA fan) were nothing short of spectacular.
What happened?
A series of injuries forced Sudo to slow down, but it was Sudo’s eccentric personality that effectively ended his career. An ‘inspiration message’ in a Japanese urinal made him decide to quit fighting and pursue other avenues.
Where is he now?
‘Where isn’t he now?’ would be a better question. Since retiring in 2006, Sudo has released a hit single, written eight books, acted in a TV series, modeled and even directed a film.
Will we ever see him again?
Sudo’s return to MMA is highly unlikely. He appears ringside at some Japanese events, and trains on a casual basis.
Whatever happened to Sergei Kharitonov?
Who?
Kharitonov was a former top-ten heavyweight and a teammate of Fedor Emelianenko. A burly (but skilled) boxer with some of the best hands in MMA, Kharitonov was once considered a legitimate threat to the heavyweight king.
What happened?
2006 was a very unlucky year for Kharitonov, one that changed his MMA career forever. First came a series of shoulder and back injuries, then two brutal TKO losses, followed by the collapse of Pride FC. By the time the Russian got back into the mix, he was already forgotten.
Where is he now?
Today he is a member of Team Golden Glory, training alongside Alistair Overeem and several K-1 legends. Kharitonov only had one fight in 2009 – a submission loss to Jeff Monson. His Dream contract has supposedly expired, which means he is effectively a free agent.
Will we ever see him again?
Strikeforce is supposedly interested in signing him, but his future career will largely depend on his injuries.
Whatever happened to Carlos Newton?
Who?
Former UFC welterweight champion, Pride FC legend, and jiu-jitsu wizard, Carlos Newton was for a time considered the best 170lb fighter in the business. The Canadian’s awesome brand of ‘Dragon Ball Z jiu-jitsu’ and humble nature won him many fans, particularly in Japan, where Newton’s ability to speak fluent Japanese only added to his ‘Ronin samurai’ persona.
What happened?
Back-to-back losses to Matt Hughes effectively ended Newton’s days as a top-five competitor. Eight months later, a flying knee from Anderson Silva almost single-handedly ended what was left of his career.
Where is he now?
Though Newton continues to compete in smaller promotions, since 2004 he has lost the majority of his bouts. Outside of the cage, Newton is a true renaissance man who has studied and worked in the fields of linguistics, geriatric medicine and architecture. The former UFC champion continues to train and teach MMA in his spare time.
Will we ever see him again?
Newton has announced his desire to return to the big leagues. Unsurprisingly, he is particularly interested in fighting in Japan.
Whatever happened to Ryo Chonan?
Who?
An eccentric and dangerous fighter, Chonan is famous for his mind-boggling flying scissor-lock heelhook win over UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Chonan was once considered a top middleweight.
What happened?
Despite being successful in Pride FC, like many crossover fighters he struggled in the UFC. His record in the Octagon stood at 1-3-0, with all four fights going to a decision. He was released from his UFC contract in early 2009.
Where is he now?
Chonan has returned to his long-time home promotion, DEEP. His last fight took place on August 23, 2009.
Will we ever see him again?
If all goes well in DEEP, he may very well return to Dream, but a return to the UFC is unlikely.
Whatever happened to Kit Cope?
Who?
A charismatic lightweight with some very impressive Muay Thai skills, Kit Cope first entered the UFC spotlight during his bout with Kenny Florian at The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale. Cope was also a popular TV personality who made several appearances on MTV and co-hosted a TV show on Spike. He once dated Gina Carano.
What happened?
Back-to-back losses and a positive steroid test ended his career with Zuffa.
Where is he now?
Fighting on smaller cards and going back to his Muay Thai roots. He will compete in the next season of The Contender Asia, a TUF-style reality TV show.
Will we ever see him again?
In a major MMA promotion – unlikely.
Whatever happened to Alex Stiebling?
Who?
A Pride FC veteran, Stiebling was once regarded as a skilled Muay Thai striker with a bright future. He held back-to-back wins over six Brazilian fighters (including a bare-knuckle tournament win) earning him the nickname “The Brazilian Killa”.
What happened?
In June 2002, Stiebling had an unfortunate run-in with a Brazilian who was determined to end his winning streak: Anderson Silva. Stiebling never seemed to recover from the loss – he dropped his next three fights and never made it back to a top-tier promotion. Since his bout with Silva, he has never beaten another Brazilian fighter.
Where is he now?
Since 2004, he has lost six out of seven tilts. His most recent fight took place under the BCN banner in Brazil, where he lost to Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua.
Will we ever see him again?
Definitely not.
Whatever happened to Antonio ‘Nino’ Schembri?
Who?
Schembri was considered one of the most innovative Brazilian jiu-itsu competitors in the world. A former member of the Chute Boxe Academy, he pulled off one of the biggest MMA upsets of all time when he KOd Kazushi Sakuraba in 2003.
What happened?
Four back-to-back losses ended his Pride FC career. Since then, he has only fought on smaller shows (with mixed results).
Where is he now?
Today, Schembri trains with the Black House team, alongside Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and others. He also runs his own gym in California, where he teaches his unique brand of jiu-jitsu.
Will we ever see him again?
Unlikely – he seems to be more interested in teaching.
Whatever happened to Jeff Joslin?
Who?
A Canadian karateka and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Joslin brought his exciting style of karate to the cage years before Lyoto Machida. His first (and only) UFC appearance took place in 2006, a close decision loss to Josh Koscheck.
What happened?
He was scheduled to face Chris Lytle in a bout that would have most certainly been a stand-up war, but, after seven concussions, Joslin decided to call it quits. He has not fought since 2006, having retired in his prime.
Where is he now?
Joslin runs his own MMA school in Hamilton, Canada. He is a skilled teacher and well known throughout the Canadian MMA community. He continues to train on a casual basis.
Will we ever see him again?
Unlikely. After going through a period of depression, Joslin has adjusted to his new life and sees no advantage in returning to the Octagon.
Whatever happened to Rickson Gracie?
Who?
An MMA pioneer and 8th degree red and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His first professional bout took place in 1980, more than a decade before the first UFC (started by his elder brother Rorion in 1993). Gracie claims (controversially) to be undefeated in over 400 bouts.
What happened?
He retired after his last fight in 2000. Since then, he has become nothing short of a legend, with a cult-like following. There’s nothing scarier than a Rickson Gracie fan.
Where is he now?
Rickson teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu worldwide, and makes occasional appearances in film and television. He has a habit of criticizing the abilities of today’s top fighters: Gracie has stated that he could easily beat Fedor Emelianenko, as well as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Will we ever see him again?
Every now and then an unverified claim surfaces of Gracie’s return, but, at 51 years of age, the probability of him competing again is virtually nil.
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