MMA
6 UFC Fighters Who Came Up Short in All Three of Their Undisputed Title Fights
It is no secret that the UFC stands as the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization. For every fighter who dreams of greatness, the ultimate goal is simple: To have that championship belt strapped around their waist. While legends like Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson, and Islam Makhachev have cemented their legacies as dominant champions, not everyone who’s reached the top of the mountain has managed to claim undisputed gold.
Some fighters have come painfully close, only to fall short when it mattered most, even after multiple attempts. Now, as Ciryl Gane prepares for his third shot at the heavyweight title at UFC 321, he will be determined to avoid joining an unfortunate group of elite athletes who went 0-3 in undisputed UFC title fights. With that in mind, here are six fighters who were tantalizingly close to UFC glory but never quite crossed that final hurdle to call themselves undisputed champions.
1- Dustin Poirier
- Lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 (September 7, 2019)
- Lost to Charles Oliveira (December 11, 2021)
- Lost to Islam Makhachev (June 1, 2024)
Dustin Poirier might be the unluckiest fighter never to hold undisputed UFC gold. Though he captured the interim lightweight title at UFC 236 by defeating Max Holloway, all three of his attempts at the undisputed 155lbs crown came against arguably the greatest lightweights in UFC history.
At UFC 242, Poirier faced Khabib Nurmagomedov, whose relentless grappling proved too much. Despite a valiant guillotine attempt, Poirier was dominated on the ground and submitted via rear-naked choke. Two years later, at UFC 269, he started strong against Charles Oliveira, even dropping the champion in Round 1, but was eventually worn down and submitted in Round 3.
His final bid came at UFC 302 against Islam Makhachev. Poirier fought with heart, defending takedowns and landing clean shots, but Makhachev’s superior wrestling took over. In the fifth round, the champion secured a D’Arce choke to end Poirier’s dream of becoming an undisputed champion once and for all.
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2- Colby Covington
- Lost to Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 (December 15, 2019)
- Lost to Kamaru Usman at UFC 268 (November 7, 2021)
- Lost to Leon Edwards at UFC 296 (December 17, 2023)
Like Dustin Poirier, Colby Covington captured an interim UFC title but fell short each time he fought for the undisputed welterweight crown. Despite three opportunities, the Clovis native has yet to claim the ultimate prize.
His first two title shots came against his longtime rival Kamaru Usman. At UFC 245 in December 2019, Covington engaged in a thrilling, high-paced striking battle before being stopped by TKO in the fifth round, a fight in which he also suffered a broken jaw. Their rematch at UFC 268 in November 2021 was far closer, but Covington once again came up short, losing by unanimous decision.
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Covington’s third chance arrived at UFC 296 in December 2023 against Leon Edwards, but the result was the same. Edwards outclassed him over five rounds, earning a 49-46 unanimous decision victory and handing Covington his third failed attempt at undisputed UFC gold.
3- Chael Sonnen
- Lost to Anderson Silva at UFC 117 (August 8, 2010)
- Lost to Anderson Silva at UFC 148 (July 8, 2012)
- Lost to Jon Jones at UFC 159 (April 28, 2013)
Chael Sonnen had three attempts at capturing a UFC title, all ending in defeat against two of the sport’s greatest fighters: Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. His first attempt at UFC 117 against Silva is his most famous loss. Sonnen completely dominated the 185lbs kingpin champion for over four rounds, utilizing his superior wrestling and ground-and-pound, winning all four rounds on the scorecards.
However, the Brazilian pulled off a stunning, last-minute victory by submitting Sonnen with a triangle armbar in the fifth round. The highly anticipated rematch at UFC 148 saw a different result. While Sonnen secured a takedown in the first round, Silva mounted a counter-offensive in the second, stopping Sonnen via TKO.
His final title challenge came against Jon Jones at UFC 159, a fight that ‘Bones’ dominated from the start. The long-time 205lbs godking defeated Sonnen via TKO in the first round, ending Sonnen’s quest for undisputed gold.
4- Uriah Faber
- Lost to Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 (July 3, 2011)
- Lost to Renan Barao at UFC 169 (February 2, 2014)
- Lost to Dominick Cruz at UFC 199 (June 5, 2016)
Urijah Faber is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters to never win a UFC championship. Despite his legendary career and consistent success, ‘The California Kid’ came up short in multiple title opportunities.
His first two UFC title losses came against longtime rival Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight crown. Though Faber once defeated Cruz in the WEC to claim gold, he couldn’t replicate that success inside the Octagon. He dropped their rematch at UFC 132 and their trilogy bout at UFC 199, both by unanimous decision.
Faber also fell short twice against Renan Barao. He lost a unanimous decision for the interim title at UFC 149, and in their undisputed title rematch at UFC 169, Barao stopped him via first-round TKO, marking Faber’s third unsuccessful bid for UFC gold.
5- Alexander Gustaffson
- Lost to Jon Jones at UFC 165 (September 22, 2013)
- Lost to Daniel Cormier at UFC 192 (October 3, 2015)
- Lost to Jon Jones at UFC 232 (December 30, 2018)
Alexander Gustafsson is often regarded as one of the best fighters to never win a UFC title, having challenged for the light heavyweight belt three times, each against two of the greatest 205-pounders in MMA history.
His first title shot came at UFC 165 in September 2013 against Jon Jones, where the two delivered a legendary, five-round ‘Fight of the Year’ classic. Despite pushing the champion to the limit, Gustafsson lost by unanimous decision in one of the most competitive bouts in divisional history.
Sep 21, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Jon Jones connects on a kick against Alexander Gustafsson (left) during their Light Heavyweight Championship bout at UFC 165 at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Two years later, at UFC 192, he faced Daniel Cormier for the vacant title and once again went the distance in a brutal five-round war, losing by split decision. His third and final chance came at UFC 232 in December 2018, a rematch with Jones for the vacant belt, this time ending in heartbreak as he was stopped by third-round TKO.
6- Kenny Florian
- Lost to Sean Sherk at UFC 64 (October 15, 2006)
- Lost to BJ Penn at UFC 101 (August 9, 2009)
- Lost to Jose Aldo at UFC 136 (October 9, 2011)
Kenny Florian is one of the few fighters in UFC history to challenge for a title in three different weight classes, including a middleweight loss to Diego Sanchez in the TUF 1 finale. Despite his versatility and skill, he never captured gold, solidifying his place among the best fighters to never hold a championship belt.
Bildnummer: 08760207 Datum: 08.10.2011 Copyright: imago/Icon SMI 08 October 2011: Kenny Florian (right) in action against Jose Aldo during UFC 136 on October 8, 2011, at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. Aldo defeated Florian after five rounds. MMA: OCT 08 UFC 136
Florian’s first title shot came at UFC 64 against Sean Sherk for the lightweight championship, where he fell short via unanimous decision. He earned a second chance at lightweight at UFC 101 versus B.J. Penn, but was submitted in the fourth round with a rear-naked choke.
Dropping to featherweight for one final opportunity, Florian faced Jose Aldo at UFC 136. After a hard-fought, five-round battle, he again came up short, losing by unanimous decision. This marked his third failed title attempt and the final fight of his illustrious MMA career.
