10 Biggest MMA Prospects Pushed Too Soon

In many ways Brandon Thatch was a prototype Darren Till, and his downfall may prove a cautionary tale for the Scouser.

“Rukus” was once considered the most exciting prospect in MMA, winning ten successive fights by first round knockout and often using his size and pressure to overpower his opponents.

After wins over Justin Edwards and Paulo Thiago, Thatch was given a hometown main event against former champion Benson Henderson, who was making his Welterweight debut and coming off a loss to Donald Cerrone a month earlier.

Thatch’s aggressive style was exposed against the crafty Henderson, who used clever movement and body shots to wear Thatch down over the middle rounds, eventually claiming a rear naked choke in the fourth.

His confidence shot, Thatch was never the same; he suffered straight losses to Gunnar Nelson, Siyar Bahadurzada and Niko Price before being axed by the UFC in 2017.

Little has been heard of Thatch since, with many speculating the Colorado native has since retired from the sport.