Sherdog’s Top 10: Flashes in the Pan

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou made serious waves in Pride Fighting Championships. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

1. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

No fighter better illustrates the idea of a flash in the pan than Sokoudjou. The 22-year-old judo competitor was a complete unknown with a 2-1 record when he was tapped to fight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at Pride Fighting Championships’ second event in the United States; the oddsmakers tabbed Sokoudjou as a 16-to-1 underdog.

Nogueira was unconscious on the canvas 23 seconds into the match, and Sokoudjou had accomplished the unthinkable. Still, anything can happen once, and Ricardo Arona was a comfortable 3-to-1 favorite over the Cameroonian upstart at Pride 34, the legendary Japanese promotion’s final event. The unthinkable happened again, as Sokoudjou flattened the Brazilian veteran with an uppercut and follow-up shots on the ground.

The hype for Sokoudjou’s UFC debut against an undefeated karate fighter named Lyoto Machida went through the roof. “You almost just want to sit back and watch,” said UFC commentator Mike Goldberg, shortly before Machida choked Sokoudjou into submission with an arm-triangle. That was the end of Sokoudjou’s aura of invincibility, such as it was, and despite an active schedule and fights all over the world against the likes of Bob Sapp, Gegard Mousasi, Ryan Jimmo and Jan Blachowicz, he has never come close to restoring his former reputation.

Still, Sokoudjou is currently riding two straight victories under the Bellator banner. Perhaps there is still time left for him to turn things around.

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Kevin Jackson, Goran Reljic, Kevin Ferguson.