Sherdog’s Top 10: One and Dones

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8. Johnnie Morton
K-1 Dynamite: USA
June 2, 2007 | Los Angeles
A number of former football players have competed in MMA over the years, including Michael Westbrook, UFC heavyweight Matt Mitrione and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, whose time in Strikeforce did a great deal to draw eyeballs to the organization. No NFL veteran, however, had a shorter and more ignominious career in MMA than Morton.

Morton, an All-American wide receiver at the University of Southern California and 12-year veteran with the Lions, Chiefs and 49ers, compiled nearly 9,000 receiving yards during his NFL career. With his time in the big leagues over, Morton eventually turned to MMA, and the K-1 organization was happy to oblige him with a purse reportedly worth $100,000.

The fight did not go as planned for Morton. His opponent, Bernard Ackah, easily stuffed his takedowns and dealt with his blitzing punches with no apparent difficulty. Morton turned to swinging wildly in the middle of the ring, and Ackah was happy to oblige, separating the former football player from consciousness with one enormous right hook.

To add insult to literal injury, Morton’s drug test came back with an almost unbelievable 83.9:1 ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone. For reference, the normal man has a 1:1 ratio, and most state commissions allow up to 6:1. Morton was fined and suspended indefinitely, and perhaps unsurprisingly, his MMA career came to a quick and decisive end.

Number 7 » He is one of the very best Greco-Roman wrestlers of this generation. He took gold at the 2004 Olympics at 96 kilograms with shocking ease, winning his semifinal match 11-0 and prevailing 12-1 in the finals, reportedly the largest margin of all-time in a gold-medal match. He also won the silver at the 2012 Olympics at 84 kilograms and took two silvers at the world championships.