{"id":41855,"date":"2026-02-07T01:22:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T06:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/02\/07\/ex-ufc-champions-head-slammed-into-cage-sparks-most-dramatic-downfall-in-history\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T01:22:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T06:22:22","slug":"ex-ufc-champions-head-slammed-into-cage-sparks-most-dramatic-downfall-in-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/02\/07\/ex-ufc-champions-head-slammed-into-cage-sparks-most-dramatic-downfall-in-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-UFC Champion\u2019s Head Slammed into Cage Sparks Most Dramatic Downfall in History"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/02\/07\/ex-ufc-champions-head-slammed-into-cage-sparks-most-dramatic-downfall-in-history\/#Stephen_Thompson_Surpasses_Johny_Hendricks_in_Welterweights_Shift_of_Power\" >Stephen Thompson Surpasses Johny Hendricks in Welterweight\u2019s Shift of Power<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/02\/07\/ex-ufc-champions-head-slammed-into-cage-sparks-most-dramatic-downfall-in-history\/#The_Aftermath_Johny_Hendricks_Decline\" >The Aftermath: Johny Hendricks\u2019 Decline<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>On this day in 2016, a turning point occurred in Las Vegas that marked the beginning of a significant downturn for a UFC legend.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Stephen Thompson, currently the longest-serving fighter on the roster, is already considering retirement plans.<\/p>\n<p>Known as \u201cWonder Boy,\u201d Thompson shifted from a successful kickboxing career to the MMA world, making an impressive Octagon debut in 2012 with a 5-0 record.<\/p>\n<p>Though he\u2019s faced some recent setbacks, Thompson\u2019s final stretch in the UFC has been far more respectable than how some other legends exited the sport.<\/p>\n<p>This is something the skilled striker deeply understands, having delivered a decisive victory over a former champion in what became a pivotal fight in both competitors&#8217; careers.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stephen_Thompson_Surpasses_Johny_Hendricks_in_Welterweights_Shift_of_Power\"><\/span>Stephen Thompson Surpasses Johny Hendricks in Welterweight\u2019s Shift of Power<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Although Johny Hendricks lost a split decision at UFC 167, many still believe he bested Georges St-Pierre to claim the welterweight title.<\/p>\n<p>He then won the 170-pound championship by defeating Robbie Lawler but lost it back in a rematch.<\/p>\n<p>After a comeback victory against Matt Brown at UFC 185, &#8220;Big Rig&#8221; Hendricks was in the spotlight once again, but February 2016 would usher in a new era.<\/p>\n<p>Before facing Hendricks, Thompson held a 5-1 record, and stepping up to the No. 2 contender marked a significant challenge.<\/p>\n<p>When Hendricks failed to secure any takedowns early on, it soon became evident that Thompson would emerge victorious.<\/p>\n<p>After landing powerful shots and ultimately delivering a spinning kick that pinned Hendricks against the cage, Thompson ended the bout with a TKO just 90 seconds into the first round in a stunning upset.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Aftermath_Johny_Hendricks_Decline\"><\/span>The Aftermath: Johny Hendricks\u2019 Decline<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Unable to implement his wrestling strategy against Thompson\u2019s striking, Hendricks appeared outmatched and aimless.<\/p>\n<p>What few foresaw at the time was that Hendricks\u2019 career trajectory would sharply decline following his 2014 title win.<\/p>\n<p>He fought his final UFC bout three years later, compiling a dismal 1-4 record after Thompson stopped him, alongside struggles with missing weight three times.<\/p>\n<p>Hendricks\u2019 last fight saw him dominated by Paulo Costa, highlighting one of the most dramatic falls from grace in recent MMA history.<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, Hendricks has found a new calling outside the cage, serving as a Texas state trooper.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Fan Take:<\/strong><br \/>\nThis bout was more than just a fight\u2014it signified a changing of the guard in the welterweight division, showing how emerging talent can quickly shift the sport\u2019s landscape. For fans, it\u2019s a reminder of MMA\u2019s unpredictability and the relentless evolution that keeps the sport thrilling and dynamic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On this day in 2016, a turning point occurred in Las Vegas that marked the beginning of a significant downturn for a UFC legend. Stephen Thompson, currently the longest-serving fighter on the roster, is already considering retirement plans. Known as \u201cWonder Boy,\u201d Thompson shifted from a successful kickboxing career to the MMA world, making an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2443],"tags":[2444],"class_list":{"0":"post-41855","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fighting","8":"tag-fighting"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}