-2.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
Defending a championship in the UFC is one of the most difficult yet rewarding feats in combat sports. Over the years, there have been many champions that have established impressive title runs and earned their place in the history books of mixed martial arts.
Despite the success that manY champions have realized over the years, there have been several champions who were unable to successfully defend their belt. Defending a championship in the UFC gets increasingly difficult as new contenders continuously rise to the top year after year. As a champion, consistently staying motivated and performing at the fullest potential is a challenge in itself.
8 Mauricio Shogun Rua
After losing a closely contested championship bout to light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, Shogun Rua earned an immediate rematch. In the rematch, Shogun knocked out Machida in round one by landing a powerful overhand right and ground and pound.
Unfortunately, the newly crowned champion made his first title defense against the surging Jon Jones, who dominated Rua from start to finish, and eventually knocked him out in the third round. Despite losing the title, Rua is considered one of the most exciting fights in UFC history.
7 Luke Rockhold
Luke Rockhold's victory over Chris Weidman was nothing short of impressive. The California native used his power and offensive grappling to dominate the former champion and eventually finish him with strikes in round four to earn the middleweight title.
For his first title defense, Rockhold faced Michael Bisping who stepped in on short notice to replace Weidman. Bisping shocked the world by knocking out Rockhold in the very first round to win the middleweight title. Rockhold was devastated but returned to the win column the following year by defeating David Branch.
6 Matt Serra
To this day, many in the MMA community consider Matt Serra defeating Georges St- Pierre for the welterweight title the biggest upset in UFC history. Matt Serra earned a title shot after winning The Ultimate Fighter 4. In a stunning upset, Serra rocked the champion early in round one and continuously followed up with powerful shots.
Despite his best efforts, St-Pierre was unable to recover and suffered a first-round knockout loss to Serra. Serra and St-Pierre faced each other for a second time a year later. This time around, it was a completely different fight and St-Pierre dominated the newly crowned champion from start to finish. He eventually finished Serra in the second round to unify the welterweight championship. Despite never defending the belt, Serra's legendary victory over GSP is considered one of the most memorable moments in MMA history.
5 Johny Hendricks
Johny Hendricks was a thunderous knockout machine during his prime years as a UFC welterweight. The Oklahoma native's success earned him a shot at Georges St-Pierre at UFC 167. Despite many believing he had done enough to win the title, Hendricks lost a split decision to the champion.
After GSP retired, Hendricks faced Robbie Lawler for the vacant welterweight title and won via unanimous decision. However, his title reign was short-lived, and he lost the belt months later to Lawler in a rematch.
4 Eddie Alvarez
Eddie Alvarez is one of the most well-known and accomplished lightweights in MMA history. After dominating the Bellator lightweight division, he came to the UFC and compiled a 2-1 record in his first three fights as a lightweight. This earned him a title shot against Rafael dos Anjos.
Despite being a significant underdog, the challenger surprised the world and knocked out RDA in the first round to win the title. Alvarez's first title defense was against Conor McGregor several months later. Unfortunately for Alvarez, McGregor utterly dominated the former champion before securing a second-round TKO victory.
3 Cody Garbrandt
Cody Garbrandt's victory against Dominick Cruz to win the bantamweight title is one of the most impressive performances in UFC history. The challenger used his speed and movement to continuously make Cruz miss while landing precise shots.
Gabrandt's first title defense was against a friend turned rival T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 217. Despite hurting Dillashaw in round one, Garbrandt suffered a second-round knockout loss to the challenger and was unsuccessful in his first title defense.
2 Holly Holm
Holly Holm is most famous for being the first woman to defeat Ronda Rousey in her mixed martial arts career. The pair met at UFC 193 with many expecting Rousey to easily walk through Holm and defend her belt.
Holm used her impeccable kickboxing skills to easily negate Rousey's offense and score an extraordinary second-round KO by way of a head kick. Holm made her first title defense against Miesha Tate at UFC 196. The newly crowned champion suffered a stunning fifth submission loss to Tate and lost the title.
1 Miesha Tate
After winning the title at UFC 196 by defeating Holly Holm, Miesha Tate had finally realized her dream of becoming a champion in the UFC. Her first title defense took place at UFC 200 where she met top-ranked challenger Amanda Nunes in the main event.
Despite Tate's powerful grappling ability, Nunes was able to continuously batter the champion with powerful combinations and eventually secure a knockout in the first round. Tate's title reign was short-lived, but she is widely considered one of the best female fighters in MMA history.