W. Silva hasn't fought since September 2018. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook bellatormma
The pursuit of the UFC belt is the dream of practically every fighter who steps into the octagon of Dana White's company. However, not everyone manages to achieve this feat, even if they are prominent figures in the divisions in which they compete. Recently, the UFC paid tribute to some of these icons in a video that highlights the best athletes who never won the title, but who, over the years, have marked the history of the sport with their memorable performances.
Among the names on this list are two giants of Brazilian MMA: Wanderlei Silva and Demian Maia, who, due to various circumstances, never achieved the coveted crown.
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Considered a PRIDE legend, Wanderlei Silva transferred to the UFC with the mission of winning the belt, but that's not what happened. 'The Mad Dog', in the UFC octagon, failed to replicate the overwhelming performances that made him famous in Japan.
Another Brazilian who left his mark on the UFC, but never won the title, is Demian Maia . The São Paulo native was one of the most respected fighters in the welterweight division. He had two great opportunities to become champion: in 2010, he faced Anderson Silva for the middleweight belt (up to 83,9kg), but was defeated by the Brazilian icon. Seven years later, the chance was repeated, this time against Tyron Woodley , for the welterweight title, but again he failed to achieve his goal.
Diaz Family
The Diaz family is one of the most iconic in UFC history, with two brothers who made history with their personality and fighting style.
Nate Diaz , after winning TUF 5 in 2007, had a long and respectable career in the organization, but never managed to win the title. In 2012, he fought for the lightweight title against Benson Henderson, but was defeated.
His older brother, Nick Diaz , came very close to reaching the top. With over 20 years in the UFC, Nick fought for the welterweight title twice: in 2012, he lost to Carlos Condit for the interim title, and in 2013, he was defeated by Georges St-Pierre.
Other big names who never won the UFC belt
Among international names, Urijah Faber is another great example of talent who failed to win the title. The 'California Kid' was one of the biggest names in the bantamweight category (up to 61,2kg) and came close to becoming champion three times. He was defeated by Dominick Cruz on two occasions and later lost to Renan Barão.
On the other hand, Chael Sonnen also appears on the list of the greatest 'almost-champions'. He had three great opportunities to win the belt, but was defeated twice by Anderson Silva and once by Jon Jones . Despite this, his power in 'trash talk' makes him memorable — even though he never reached the top.
The UFC video also features other big names in the sport, such as Zabit Magomedsharipov , Anthony Johnson , Stephen Thompson , Alistair Overeem , Yoel Romero , Donald Cerrone , Joseph Benavidez , Alexander Gustafsson , Chad Mendes , and Dan Henderson . All of these athletes, despite never having been champions, left their mark on the UFC with performances that captivated fans.
From 'eternal promise' to 'victim of José Aldo'
Zabit Magomedsharipov , for example, was considered one of the most promising fighters in the featherweight division (up to 65,7 kg), but he retired early and never had the chance to fight for the title.
The late Anthony Johnson was one of the biggest names in the light heavyweight division (up to 93kg), but his career was cut short by two losses to Daniel Cormier in title fights.
Former welterweight (up to 77kg) title challenger Stephen Thompson had a brilliant career, but failed to overcome Tyron Woodley in their two title fights.
Alistair Overeem also fought for the heavyweight title (up to 120,2 kg), but ended up being defeated by Stipe Miocic . Yoel Romero and Donald Cerrone are other examples of athletes who stood out, but who, for different reasons, did not win the title.
Romero was defeated by Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker in his attempts to become middleweight champion (up to 83,9 kg).
One of the most charismatic fighters in UFC history, Cerrone challenged for the lightweight title in 2015, but was defeated by Rafael dos Anjos.
Joseph Benavidez , Alexander Gustafsson , and Chad Mendes are also examples of great fighters who, although they fought among the best, were unable to achieve their dream of winning the belt.
Benavidez lost twice to Demetrious Johnson at flyweight, Gustafsson had two opportunities against Jon Jones at light heavyweight, and Mendes was defeated by José Aldo in two title fights at featherweight.
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