Longest time/most fights in UFC before winning a title?

HockeyBjj

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Charles Oliviera has been in the UFC for 11 years and 27 fights. Since August 10th, 2010 when he debuted against Darren Elkins and won with a 1st round armbar.

Has any champion ever been in the UFC longer, or had more fights in the Octogan, before becoming champion?

Super impressive. Normally guys with long tenures like that are those good fighters who just can't get over the hump to become world champs. Oliviera got over that hump with 8 losses on his record, all to sharks in their primes more or less

Jim Miller 2010
Cerrone 2011
Cub Swanson 2012
Frankie Edgar 2013
Max Holloway 2015
Anthony Pettis 2016
Ricardo Lamas 2016
Paul Felder 2017

All that Iron sharpens Iron and forged in fire type of experience to better him and then he goes on a 9 fight win streak to capture UFC gold. Anyone have a longer UFC road where they still mananged to win in the end?
 
Bisping was close in amount of time in ufc

Aw shit. I forgot about Bisping

Won belt 2016, first UFC fight 2006 ultimate fighter finale. 26 fights

So Oliviera still beats him out by a hair
 
Lawler made his UFC debut in 2002 and became champ in 2014

He was out of the UFC from 2005 until 2013 though? So honorable mention? 13 UFC fights until he won a belt

Good catch though. It's not like that era of Strikeforce was just some local promotion he was crushing cans in.
 
Lawler made his UFC debut in 2002 and became champ in 2014
*UFC 2002 - 2004
7 different Organizations 2005 - 2012
UFC 2013 - current.

Technically Robbie was only "in the UFC" for 4 of those years before getting the belt. It's a great accomplishment, but it's not the same as 12 years of constant UFC opponents.
 
He was fighting UFC level opposition the whole time though. So I think it is a bit of a silly asterisk.
I don't disagree. I didn't say it wasn't good competition. The thread title clearly says longest time/most fights in UFC before winning the title. I'm just going by thread title with the asterisk, not trying to deny Robbie's overall legacy.

I would think you'd understand, considering your name is endless critic. lol
 
I read an article on another website that said that Oliveira had the most amount of UFC fights before winning a title. Bisping is second and RDA is third. It's definitely an impressive accomplishment for Do Bronx, especially since he started in the UFC so young and thrown to the wolves so quickly. A lot of prospects that the UFC try to fast-track end of crashing and burning early in their careers.
 
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