Not every talented fighter makes it into the spotlight.

The world of mixed martial arts is far from a friendly existence. The training that’s required, the skills that must be learned, the dieting, the weight cutting, and oh yeah, you have to be locked inside a cage with another human being you who wants to take your head off. You can’t be soft if you’re going to work your way up the ladder in the fight game. You have to be made of iron, your body, your skill, and your will. So it’s no surprise when talented individuals don’t end up going far with their fighting careers. Then there are those who make it to the big show, that have all the necessary ingredients to be an all time great, but for whatever reason can’t seem to pull it all together. Diego Nunes was one of those fighters. Diego “The Gun” Nunes was a standout talent who made his climb to prominence in the WEC where he fought against other talented prospects hoping to climb the 145 lbs ranks. He was extremely talented, had the skill, the will, and the resolve to be a brilliant champion. He was so impressive in fact that when the UFC absorbed the WEC into their ranks, it was a no brainer that Nunes would be drafted and making a big impact inside the world famous Octagon. He started off his UFC career nicely with a big win over former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown. The win made him an instant contender in a division hungry for star power. Then he ran into a brick wall in the form of Kenny Florian and his destiny was forever changed. But for whatever reason a shaky performance here, a shaky performance there, and suddenly he found himself jettisoned from paradise. It’s not as if he performed horribly by any means, but the world of MMA is unforgiving, a what have you done for me lately attitude creeping in at every turn. A devastating loss in Bellator was followed by a contentious split decision loss and Nunes went from being talented prospect with a big future, to a has been on his last legs. Nunes’ most recent fight was a victory over Joachim Hansen in November of 2014. Since then, Nunes has disappeared from the MMA scene. As a fan of the Brazilian’s fighting style, it was more than disappointing to see where his career ended up. His dismissal from the UFC was a bit premature to say the least and his decision to leave Nova Uniao couldn’t have come at a worse time. Nunes was a fighter with a very high ceiling with the potential to become a champion. But in the unforgiving world of MMA you have to treat your career with care, make the hard choices and give yourself the best chance at success. Nunes may have indeed tried his best to carve out a legacy that many would look back on with reverence. But the sun doesn’t always shine brightly and even when it does it doesn’t always shine on those you would expect it to. Who knows, Diego Nunes could make a brilliant comeback, prove to everyone that he could change and improve, get a call from the UFC and make a run at a title. But until such evidence of said comeback is bright to light, all that can be done is look back and wonder what would have happened if Diego Nunes fully realized his great potential. Follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.