Fighters whose only losses are to UFC champions

[VinceArch]

His bloodbath with Kenny doesn't get mentioned enough anymore

Damn shame too.

 

[humdizzle]

Gaethje if you count poirier as a champ (interim/bmf)

other losses were khabib, max, alvarez, oliveira

 

[UWPguy]

If you open up the title holder requirement to major organizations, Bisping nearly squeaks into this conversation Though his last loss to Kelvin eliminates that. Chael might have never held the WEC MW belt but he should have.

Ahh shoot, looking back at Tim Kennedy's record he lost 2 Strikeforce MW title fights. I thought he had held the title.

 

[NadaRekowski]

 

[NovaJon93]

I feel like Stephan Bonnar counts.

His only loss to a non-UFC champ was a bogus doctor stoppage due to a headbutt that he promptly avenged by TKO.

His only other losses are to Machida, Forrest, Rashad, Jones, Coleman, Silva, and Tito.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Machida? Who did he lose to that wasn’t a champion in the UFC?

Edit: Nevermind, Romero and Brunson.

phil davis also

 

[RockyLockridge]

Ryan bader

edit: rumble

 

[Juchi]

There are only 5 UFC fighters, who have only lost to other UFC champs (not counting interim champs and BMF title):

1. DC
2. Gane
3. GSP
4. Petr Yan (edit: doesn't count since he has a pre-UFC loss I didn't catch while making this list)

Can you guess the 5th one without looking at records (I had to look it up - would've never guessed)

Spoiler: Hint

LW

Spoiler: Hint 2

Pre-2010

Spoiler: 5

Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk

PS: I might be missing contenders, but I can't think of any

EDIT: Also Carwin, Cain, Ronda, Joanna, Chad Mendes (surprised me)

I take it we are only including pro fight losses. If so, Weili Zhang's only non-UFC loss was her debut MMA fight to Meng Bo. However, Meng Bo states that it was only a 2 round amateur fight in an amateur organization: https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/exc...feat-weili-zhang-discusses-ufc-champs-success. Not sure why Sherdog and Tapology report it as a pro loss and the organization is not around anymore to confirm it either way.

 

[ryun253]

How about Uriah Faber? Too lazy to fight finder check. Can't remember him really losing to anyone that wasnt champion caliber and hes had so many championship opportunities

 

[seanb1979]

How about Uriah Faber? Too lazy to fight finder check. Can't remember him really losing to anyone that wasnt champion caliber and hes had so many championship opportunities

lost to rivera

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

In PRIDE Yuji Nagata only lost to 2 Grand Prix winners - Fedor and CroCop.

"This sport isn't for me. Very first two guys I faced kicked my fuckin ass..."

 

[UWPguy]

Not sure how we missed this one but Umar Nurmagomedov only has 1 loss to Merab.

Besides that, there are a bunch of guys who had 1 fight in the early UFC's that lost to Royce and you could say Royce was a UFC champion given he won 3 out of the first 4 UFC tournaments.

 

[fractal]

Not sure how we missed this one but Umar Nurmagomedov only has 1 loss to Merab.

Besides that, there are a bunch of guys who had 1 fight in the early UFC's that lost to Royce and you could say Royce was a UFC champion given he won 3 out of the first 4 UFC tournaments.

Yeah I figured there would be a bunch from the early days which I ignored. Maybe a stip of having at least 5 UFC fights would help.

 

[Mike]

He doesn't want to understand it

Its sort of goofy logic tbf if were counting champs losing to contenders thus making them champs. That's not exactly an intuitive way of doing something like this.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

Its sort of goofy logic tbf if were counting champs losing to contenders thus making them champs. That's not exactly an intuitive way of doing something like this.

Serra is a special case for TUF being the way to a title shot but other than that: if the guy beat you, the champ, for the title, then he was inherently champ level, wasn't he? And they will go down in the annals of history as a champ, so you've lost to a champion.

I don't see how it's any kind of devaluing that it was specifically you they beat to become a champ. Like, if they beat someone else to become the champ and then later they beat you, that is somehow some higher level of being champ?

 

[mjoln]

Jon Hess. TUF-noobs might not know him.

 

[cmw43]

Hendo came real close if you only count ufc losses

8 losses to 7 ufc champs & Gegard

It was BS UFC let Gegard leave on a five fight win streak.

 

[Johnnny]

Oh I know everyone was on gear back then... but he was using so much he was one of the few that was actually disciplined because of it lol

View attachment 1126489

Well said. GSP also had that kind of disciplina.

 

[fractal]

I feel like Stephan Bonnar counts.

His only loss to a non-UFC champ was a bogus doctor stoppage due to a headbutt that he promptly avenged by TKO.

His only other losses are to Machida, Forrest, Rashad, Jones, Coleman, Silva, and Tito.

It really should, and that's a pretty impressive resume. Bonnar had potential to be champion, but coasted on natural talent and still did very well. I remember him just toying with Nickels on the ground. Heartbreaking how he ended up.

If you've watched the Cobra Kai series, he reminds me of Johnny. Just couldn't get his life together though.

 

[fractal]

Well said. GSP also had that kind of disciplina.

I feel like the only top UFC guy who never used is BJ Penn.