10 Biggest MMA Prospects Pushed Too Soon
9. Nate Quarry
Nate Quarry was one of the first examples of a fast-tracked fighter, and arguably one of the biggest.
Quarry competed on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter back in 2005, where he quickly emerged as a fan favourite before being ruled out of the show due to an ankle injury.
Despite this, Quarry was given a UFC contract, and after first round knockouts of Shonie Carter and Pete Sell was given a title shot against middleweight champion Rich Franklin, making him the first TUF alumnus to ever receive the accolade.
Many considered Quarry too inexperienced for such a high-stakes match, and those fears were realised as Franklin rocked the Californian on multiple occasions before finishing with one of the most brutal knockouts in MMA history.
Quarry was largely anonymous for the rest of his UFC tenure, his biggest highlight being his “running man” taunt against Kalib Starnes in a unanimously derided showing at UFC 83.
Quarry retired from the sport in 2010, and today pens the cult comic book Zombie Cage Fighter.