UFC has produced some of the greatest MMA fighters in the world. Over the years, there have been great champions who have mesmerized UFC fans around the world with their performances and hard work. However, there have been some elite fighters who worked hard as champions but couldn’t win the title. Some of them fought in the octagon for their entire lives and are definitely true sportsmen. In this article, we will tell you about some of the greatest fighters who never won a title in the UFC.
Nate Diaz
Both the Diaz brothers are extremely talented MMA fighters, but both were never able to win UFC titles. Nate has fought against some great fighters and even challenged former champion Benson Henderson for the title after winning three consecutive matches. But when Nate faced Henderson for the title, the result was extremely one sided as Benson successfully defended his title via unanimous decision. After all these years, Nate is more interested in cash-rich fights than those that could lead him to a title shot.
Nick Diaz
Nick was probably one of the most exciting fighters when entered the octagon. He is the elder Diaz brother and has battled some big fighters in his time. No one can forget him mocking Anderson Silva, who is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters around the globe. Nick was close to winning the UFC title on two occasions, once against St Pierre and another against Silva, both times he lost by unanimous decision. Anderson’s fight was later ruled a no contest after testing positive for several performance-enhancing drugs. In addition, Nick has lost a lot of time in his career due to the ban for marijuana use.
Mirko Filipovic
Mirko was a great UFC fighter and also a former PRIDE FC Open-weight Grand Prix Champion. He simply used to dominate the sport. Filipovic was famous for his head kicks, which would leave his opponents unconscious, but he failed to take advantage of all this in the UFC. Filipovic was very close to winning the UFC belt after defeating Eddie Sanchez in a heavyweight title eliminator. But the next fight against Gonzaga was perhaps one of the most incredible moments in the UFC, as he was knocked out by a monster head kick. “Cro Cop” lost three consecutive matches after this and retired from the sport in 2015.
Alexander Gustafsson
Gustafsson is one of the most dangerous light heavyweights in the UFC. He has defeated some great fighters in his division to become a top contender. “The Mauler” has lost eight matches in his career and three of them have been to some of the most extraordinary fighters in the world: Anthony Johnson, Jon Jones, and Daniel Cormier. The Swedish fighter came close to winning the title twice against Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier but lost on both occasions. In 2018, Gustafsson faced Jones once again for the light heavyweight championship but lost this time too.
Chael Sonnen
Sonnen was possibly the biggest trash talker in the UFC and has fought some of the best fighters in the promotion during his tenure. “The American Gangster” was just two minutes away from dethroning the legend Anderson Silva at UFC 117. After dominating Sliva for four rounds, he made a foolish mistake, and it cost him. Anderson wrapped his legs around him and forced him to tap via arm triangle. Sonnen got another opportunity for the title against Jones, but he lost the match by TKO in the first round.
Wanderlei Silva
When Wanderlei Silva used to compete in the Pride FC, he was a beast. “The Axe Murderer” was brutal and his knees to the opponent’s body were really devastating. Despite having an amazing career at Pride FC, the Brazilian couldn’t bring this madness to the UFC. After consecutive defeats and then the USADA ban, which banned him for several years, Wanderlei’s dream of winning the UFC title ended.
Anthony Johnson
Johnson was one of the hardest hitting light heavyweights in the UFC. In some of his bouts, “Rumble” destroyed his opponents with a single punch. But Anthony failed to capture the UFC title twice. On both occasions, he lost to former light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. Anthony retired from the UFC after his title loss to Cormier at UFC 210.
Joseph Benavidez
Benavidez was an elite flyweight in the UFC. Before the UFC, he used to compete in WEC, where he suffered only two defeats. “The Beefcake” dominated his division, but when he finally got a shot for the UFC flyweight title against the “Mighty Mouse” Demetrious Johnson, he lost via knockout. A fighter of his caliber didn’t get the recognition he deserved just because he lost to Johnson. Benavidez announced his retirement from MMA in September 2021.
Urijah Faber
Faber was a great UFC fighter with some amazing wins. He is also a former WEC champion, but unfortunately, he never won a UFC title. “The California Kid” made his UFC debut in 2011 and had four title shots here, two of which were against Dominick Cruz and the other two against Renan Barao. He lost three of them via unanimous decision and one by TKO. He was very close to winning the title in all these matches but couldn’t capture it.
Kenny Florian
Kenny had a great run in UFC as he defeated some of the greatest fighters during his career, but he was never able to win UFC titles. “Kenflo” fought three title bouts against Sean Sherk, BJ Penn and Jose Aldo, but couldn’t capture the title in any of the fights. He fought bravely in all three matches, but he couldn’t finish on the winning side. Florian retired in 2011 after his title fight against Aldo at UFC 136.
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