The UFC and MMA in general is an unforgiving sport for many reasons. Whilst the majority of fighters never reach the top or become champions in their entire careers, others end up becoming two-division champions. However, father time waits for no one and everyone’s time at the top eventually comes to an end.
As one of the MMA GOATs and former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion, Georges St-Pierre says, “It is difficult to become a champion, but even more difficult to stay a champion.” Since the inception of the UFC, we have seen numerous champions come and go with only a few managing to cement their legacy. Over the years, we have seen some belts swap hands numerous times in a year, and some stay firmly within a single champion’s grasp.
With that said, some would suggest that losing the title is not the be-all and end-all of a fighter’s career. However, it becomes a major point in their career, giving them a big decision to make, do they make a run for the title all over again, or simply call it a day? As such, let’s take a look at fighters on the current UFC roster, who were undisputed champions, but will likely never reach the same heights ever again.
UFC Champions that will never be undisputed ever again
For the most part, upon further inspection, a list of UFC fighters that will never be undisputed champions again could be a very long one. Considering the tenures of some of the fighters, it has been a long while since they’ve been in title contention, let alone anywhere near a title. Thus, for this one, we will solely be focusing on fighters who lost their undisputed status in the past two years.
1. Rose Namajunas
Starting things off we unfortunately have one of the faces of WMMA. Despite one of the most remarkable tales of dedication and perseverance, Rose Namajunas will unfortunately likely never be an undisputed UFC champion ever again. Previously, ‘Thug Rose’ lost her strawweight title to Carla Esparza, following which she decided to move up to flyweight. However, in her very first fight, Rose got a taste of what the division had to offer.
Thug Rose is back in the win column after #UFCVegas89 🌹@RoseNamajunas plans on staying in the Women’s Flyweight division. Who do you want to see her take on in the Octagon next? pic.twitter.com/jFcwKzgAqg
— UFC (@ufc) March 24, 2024
Coming up against one of the biggest competitors at 125 in Manon Fiorot, Namajunas was made to look exceptionally average. Although she has worked on her weight and transition since then, her recent win against Amanda Ribas failed to inspire. Considering that she has yet to face the likes of Maycee Barber, Erin Blanchfield, Valentina Shevchenko, and Alexa Grasso, it will be next to impossible for Rose to become a champ at 125 lbs.
2. Aljamain Sterling
Hailed as a bantamweight GOAT by some, Aljamain Sterling endured a difficult setback last year when he suffered a loss at the hands of the surging Sean O’Malley. Although Sterling did have a lot to say regarding a potential rematch, he soon realized that he was limiting himself to 135 lbs. As such, he has since made the decision to move up to featherweight, in hopes of finding success at two different weight classes.
UFC 300 ANNOUNCEMENT!
Aljamain Sterling vs Calvin Kattar
April 13th | Las Vegas | 145 LbsAljo moves to FEATHERWEIGHT and takes on Kattar. pic.twitter.com/B0efJ8FzU9
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) December 22, 2023
Facing Calvin Kattar at UFC 300, ‘The Funkmaster’ has a tall task ahead of him. Regardless of whether he manages to deal with Kattar or not, Sterling has a long list of absolute killers ahead of him. Be it Josh Emmett, Arnold Allen, Yair Rodriguez, Ortega, Evloev or anyone else, the road ahead of him is a very difficult one. While he will feel stronger at 145, Sterling will need to majorly reinvent his game at the division, to even stand a chance.
3. Charles Oliveira
Coming in at #3 we have Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliveira who became a symbol of the hopes and dreams of MMA fans worldwide when he clinched the lightweight title in 2021. After beating the likes of Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, many were convinced that Charles would be their champion for the foreseeable future. However, when the title was up for grabs once again, Oliveira failed to get it back, losing to Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.
It’s all coming together for #UFC300 🙌@CharlesDoBronxs vs @ArmanUFC pic.twitter.com/RRIyaV8txf
— UFC (@ufc) January 9, 2024
Since then, Oliveira has made his case for a rematch but fate waylaid his process. Now, he finds himself set to face Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300. A tall task, to say the least, Oliveira’s fanbase fails to realize how dangerous the Armenian-Russian truly is. If he does manage to win against Tsarukyan, he will once again need to face Islam, who by the looks of it, is set to be the champion for a long, long time.
4. Kamaru Usman
Number 4 on our list is ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Kamaru Usman, who has had a difficult time since his loss to Leon Edwards. Once seen as one of the most dominant welterweight champions of all time, the world was shocked to see him lose to Edwards, not once but twice. Thereafter, he made the mistake of accepting a short-notice fight against Khamzat Chimaev as well. Following the fight, Usman finds himself on a three-fight skid.
Khamzat Chimaev takes the majority decision!!
He leaves #UFC294 with the victory over Kamaru Usman at #UFC294 pic.twitter.com/EjxZT6XiBA
— UFC (@ufc) October 21, 2023
Although the short notice fight was a 185 lbs, 3-round contest, Usman put in a good showing and even made a case for having won the fight. However, a loss is a loss and with him now firmly focusing on the middleweight division, he has very likely lost his one and only opportunity of warranting a title shot. In a different world, Usman beats Chimaev and goes on to beat Sean Strickland, before riding off into the sunset as a double champ.
5. Sean Strickland
Last but not least, we have Sean Strickland, who lost his title on the first PPV event of the year. Losing a controversial split decision to Dricus du Plessis, Strickland had a tough reality check. Having bested one of the most gifted mixed martial artists Israel Adesanya at UFC 293, the majority of the MMA fanbase was behind Strickland. However, the loss to Dricus has clearly dealt him a major blow.
After 5 rounds @DricusDuPlessis gets the split decision and is YOUR NEW middleweight champion 🏆#UFC297 pic.twitter.com/xyR1Bsn2Fa
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2024
Since the loss, we’ve seen Strickland be denied an immediate rematch. Not only that, Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev have also been booked for a number-one contender showdown as well. Thus, it leaves little to no options for Strickland. In the meantime, Sean has stated his unwillingness to climb the ladder once again. With questions regarding his mindset and mental health as well, it is difficult to see Sean being a champ again.