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Becoming a UFC champion is one of the most fulfilling accomplishments in all combat sports. Some fighters have been able to realize this goal relatively early in their careers such as Jon Jones and Conor McGregor. Generally, a fighter's path to a UFC title is extremely difficult, enduring, and lengthy. Over the years, champions from all ages and walks of life have realized their dreams of becoming a champion. Over the years, several older fighters have peaked in the back half of their careers and have been able to claim UFC titles in their respective weight classes. Here are the oldest UFC champions ever, ranked by age.
9 Michael Bisping - 37 Years, 3 Months
For a while, it looked like UK's very own Michael Bisping was going to retire without ever fighting for a UFC middleweight title. Bisping is one of the most well-known UFC fighters on the globe and has competed for the promotion since 2006.
Throughout his career, he competed in two separate title eliminator bouts but lost to both Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen. His opportunity came less than two weeks away from UFC 199 when Chris Weidman withdrew from his scheduled rematch with Luke Rockhold. Bisping eagerly jumped at the opportunity to not only challenge for the title but also enact his revenge against Rockhold who defeated him two years earlier.
Bisping shocked the world by knocking out Rockhold in the first round to claim the middleweight belt. It is considered one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. Bisping defended his belt once before losing the title to Georges St-Pierre the following year in a super-fight.
8 Stipe Miocic - 37 Years, 4 Months
Stipe Miocic is considered the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. After defending his belt three-time and setting the heavyweight title defense record, he lost the title to Daniel Cormier at UFC 226.
Miocic earned a rematch against Cormier the following year at UFC 241. After absorbing many of Cormier's most powerful shots, Miocic started attacking the body of the champion using powerful left hooks. He eventually landed a powerful combination that staggered the champion and sent him into survival mode. Miocic defeated Cormier by fourth-round knockout and defended his belt at UFC 252 in a trilogy match against his rival.
7 Chuck Liddell - 37 Years, 5 Months
It took Chuck Liddell 10 UFC fights before becoming the light heavyweight champion. The Santa Barbara native defeated Randy Couture in 2005 to become the new light heavyweight king and finally realize his life-long goal.
Liddell defended his title four times during his title reign and holds victories over Jeremy Horn, Renato Sobral, and Tito Ortiz. He eventually lost his belt to Rampage Jackson at UFC 71 but remained champion until he was 37.
6 Jan Blachowicz - 37 Years, 7 Months
Before signing with the UFC, Jan Blachowicz was considered one of the top prospects in MMA. He joined the UFC after compiling an 18-3 record and defeated Ilir Latif in his UFC debut. He compiled an underwhelming 1-4 record in his next five fights and was dangerously close to being cut.
Between 2017 and 2020, Blachowicz got a second win and compiled an impressive 7-1 record. He faced Dominick Reyes for the vacant UFC light heavyweight champion in 2020 defeated his opponent by second-round knockout to claim the title.
5 Fabricio Werdum - 37 Years, 11 Months
Fabricio Werdum is another prime example of a fighter getting a second wind in the back half of their career. The Brazilian native had made a name for himself competing in the UFC and Strikeforce.
He eventually returned to the UFC after Strikeforce was absorbed by the UFC's parent company. Werdum rattled off four straight wins before facing Mark Hunt for the interim heavyweight title. He defeated Hunt and was scheduled to face the undisputed champion Cain Velasquez in 2015. Werdum impressively outworked Velasquez and secured a second-round submission to become the new UFC heavyweight champion.
4 Anderson Silva 38 Years, 2 Months
Like Liddell, Anderson Silva became a UFC champion at a younger age but remained champion well into his later 30s. He defended his title a total of 10 times and is regarded as one of the best fighters in MMA history.
He lost his title at the age of 38 courtesy of Chris Weidman. He holds victories over Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, and Rich Franklin.
3 Daniel Cormier 39 Years, 3 Months
There was a time when it seemed like Daniel Cormier would never escape the shadow of Jon Jones. Cormier did what he did best and continued to compete and win at the highest level. He eventually captured the UFC light heavyweight title and defended it three times before moving to challenge for the heavyweight title.
Cormier knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 to become a simultaneous multi-division champion at 39 years old. The victory cemented the Louisana native's place in the history of MMA.
2 Glover Teixeira 42 Years
Glover Teixeira has been competing in the UFC 2012 but many never considered him a legit threat to the light heavyweight title. He fought for the belt in 2014 but was dominantly defeated by Jon Jones.
In 2019, Teixeira embarked on his second title run and compiled a five-fight win streak in under two years. He faced Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267 and defeated the champion by submission using his superior grappling. He became the second-oldest champion in UFC history.
1 Randy Couture 43 Years, 8 Months
Randy Couture is a five-time UFC champion. However, his most impressive feat came to fruition at UFC 68 when he took on Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight title. Despite being considered a significant underdog, The Natural proved his doubters wrong by dominating the champion from start to finish on both the feet and ground.
He defended his belt against Gabriel Gonzaga in his first title defense and lost the belt to Brock Lesnar in his second title defense. He is considered one of the great champions in MMA history.