Sherdog’s Top 10: Flashes in the Pan

Josh Grispi’s promise went unrealized. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

5. Josh Grispi

Massachusetts native Grispi burst onto the scene in World Extreme Cagefighting’s featherweight division with four consecutive first-round finishes over legitimate opposition -- including Mark Hominick, Jens Pulver and L.C. Davis -- and was set to be the first challenger in dominant champion Jose Aldo’s first defense of his shiny new UFC title.

The fight with Aldo never came to fruition, as the Brazilian suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from UFC 125. Instead, Grispi faced an unknown Louisianan named Dustin Poirier, who was making his first cut to 145 pounds and coming off a loss against Danny Castillo. Poirier beat Grispi from pillar to post, inaugurating an increasingly worrisome four-fight losing streak that culminated in a decision loss to Andy Ogle in February 2013.

Grispi was cut following the loss to Ogle. He would be little more than a sad story of unrealized talent if not for the horrifying events that followed, as Grispi was arrested in August for a series of domestic abuse incidents that included the alleged repeated punching and kicking of his wife and training his dog to attack her.

Whatever it was that happened to Grispi, it is difficult to muster up much sympathy for his current plight.

Number 4 » Nobody expected much from the Brazilian submission specialist and member of BOPE, the special operations unit of Rio de Janeiro’s military police force, when he debuted against welterweight mainstay and perennial top-10 fighter Josh Koscheck at UFC 95. One hellacious, powerful uppercut later, he was suddenly a threat in a stacked division.