Throughout the 32-year history of the UFC, fight fans have witnessed countless unforgettable moments and seen many fighters ascend through the ranks to achieve greatness beyond their wildest dreams. The goal of wearing a UFC championship belt around their waist is what drives every young athlete who embarks on a career in the fight game and realizing that ambition in front of millions watching around the world is a moment of magic that those champions will take to their graves.
In the unforgiving world of mixed martial arts, however, there are many truly great fighters who sacrificed everything in order to chase that same dream but ultimately came up short. Legends who possessed the skills, heart, dedication and ambition to be the best in the world but for one reason or another, missed out on that crowning moment.
In this series we will take a look at some of the greatest fighters to ever set foot inside the Octagon, who never won a UFC world title.
Undisputed Legend #1: Urijah Faber
Before making his UFC debut in 2011, Urijah Faber (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC) had already established himself as one of the most exciting and charismatic figures in the sport. "The California Kid" became the WEC featherweight champion in 2006 and successfully defended his title multiple times before being dethroned by current American Top Team coach Mike Brown.
One of those successful defenses came against Dominick Cruz, with whom Faber would develop an intense rivalry for the rest of his career. Their first rematch took place inside the Octagon after the UFC absorbed the WEC in 2011, by which time Cruz had become the UFC bantamweight champion.
Cruz outpointed Faber over five rounds to even the score between the two rivals. Undeterred, Faber won five of his next six fights, earning another title shot—this time against Renan Barao in 2014. However, he fell short again, getting stopped in the opening round by the Brazilian. Faber would suffer UFC title fight heartbreak for a third time in 2016 when Cruz defeated him by decision once more.
Faber’s UFC career ended in December of 2019 with a defeat to Petr Yan and while he never managed to win that elusive UFC title, he is grateful for the memories his career has given him. "At 32 (years old), they introduced my weight class for the first time in the UFC," Faber said during an appearance on The MMA Hour after announcing his retirement. "It was the same owners (as the WEC). It was Dana (White) and Lorenzo (Fertitta) and Burt (Watson) and everybody involved.
"At that time it was (Jose) Aldo and (Anthony) Pettis and on and on, and Demetrious (Johnson) and all these guys, Benson Henderson, these guys were all part of that (WEC) group. Cowboy (Cerrone) and the list goes on. I'm not fooled about it. I've had 14 years in this sport and my entire career has been at the top. I've had title shots. I've held the (WEC) title for years and years. I don't worry about what somebody calls something. I know what it was. And I think, for me, I just am a very thankful guy. I really am."
