Issue 179
June 2019
How hard is it to win a belt in the UFC? Consider the fact that none of these fighters, as of June 2019, has ever worn the strap and you get some idea of the challenge.
1: NICK DIAZ:
Nick and his brother Nate have built an army of MMA fans who love their no-nonsense attitude and no-fear fighting. Yet despite having beaten some of the biggest legends in the sport, UFC gold has proved elusive.
2: DONALD CERRONE:
Cowboy has always fallen just short of getting his shot at wearing the strap. With three UFC records including Most Wins, Most Finishes and Most Post Fight Bonuses, only the title would complete his list of achievements.
3: MIRKO CRO COP:
The Croatian legend could be the most revered fighter never to have never have won a belt in any of the organisations he fought in, despite being a tournament winner in Pride. Despite three stints in the UFC, the belt was never his.
4: GEGARD MOUSASI:
A highly accomplished fighter who won gold on many other occasions, the Dutch middleweight would surely have had every chance of winning the title had he opted to stay fighting within the UFC, but he chose Bellator instead.
5: URIJAH FABER:
He may not have won the belt, but he is in the UFC Hall of Fame as a pioneer of the lighter weight divisions within MMA. Despite three title fights, and one interim title fight, he was never able to get his hands on the UFC belt.
6: WANDERLEI SILVA:
One of the sport’s icons, Silva joined the UFC in 2007 and fought the best of the best. He did not get a title shot but won five Fight of the Night and two KO of the Night bonuses. He remains one of the most beloved fighers of all time.
7: CHAEL SONNEN
Despite three title shots Sonnen never took the ultimate prize. It was his bad luck to be matched against two of the all-time greats in Jon Jones and Anderson Silva with his first fight against the latter an agonisingly close affair.
8: DAN HENDERSON:
Henderson won every belt of every other notable fighting organisation. His final pro fight was for the UFC middleweight championship, but he lost by unanimous decision. The dream ending for one of the true greats was not to be.
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