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The UFC is home to some of the greatest fighters in the world. While other promotions like Bellator and even ONE Championship sometimes dispute the claim, it's been largely regarded as a fact that the world's best mixed martial artists fight under Dana White's legendary banner.
Thus, some of the most dominant champions in MMA history are legends on the UFC roster. The elite titleholders among this class of divisional kingpins are known to have looked invincible during their respective peaks. Unfortunately, all the great champions besides Khabib Nurmagomedov suffered eventual losses.
Sometimes, champions who were once regarded as invincible taste crushing defeats due to some reason or the other. Whether it's old age or a stylistic mismatch, everyone loses at some point. This list details five UFC champions who looked invincible but eventually lost.
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#5. José Aldo, former UFC featherweight champion
The first-ever UFC champion in the featherweight division was José Aldo. Years ago, 'Scarface' captured the divisional crown in WEC. After the UFC purchased the promotion, the Brazilian legend was promoted to the undisputed titleholder in the then-new UFC featherweight division.
His next seven fights were thrilling affairs that saw 'Scarface' turn away every potential challenger who dared to eye his throne. He was nearly impossible to be taken down. While his boxing was a defensive and offensive masterpiece, his low kicks were akin to weapons of mass destruction.
After seven consecutive title defenses where he crushed every opponent who came his way, the Brazilian great faced his most defining adversary: Conor McGregor. The buildup to their bout was electric, including a world tour and trash talk that pitted the entire nation of Ireland against a man accustomed to reverence.
By the time the two men stepped inside the octagon, Aldo was buzzing with a desire to flatten his foe. Yet as he stepped forward, he ran face-first into a sniping straight left. The fight was over in 13 seconds, and 'The Notorious' secured the record for the fastest-ever knockout in UFC title fights.
#4. Kamaru Usman, former UFC welterweight champion
The welterweight division has seen numerous all-time great fighters. The most well-known legend from the UFC's 170 lbs weight class is Georges St-Pierre. Despite the Canadian's historic accomplishments, his position as the greatest 170'er of all time was challenged by Kamaru Usman.
Like him, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is also a former champion in the welterweight division. A hulking presence with a perfect blend of monstrous strength, knockout power, and a bottomless gas tank, Usman was an irresistible force. His highly physical style of wrestling and his boxing fundamentals made him fearsome.
Initially, he was mainly a wrestler who smothered his foes en route to lopsided decision wins. Eventually, he sharpened his striking and began flatlining his opponents with KOs. By the time he nuked Jorge Masvidal, he looked unstoppable.
After defeating Colby Covington a second time, it seemed certain that he simply couldn't lose at welterweight. He was the victor in 15 consecutive fights, the most in the division's history. Once he was scheduled to face Leon Edwards in a rematch, the bout was declared a foregone conclusion.
Edwards had lost to Usman before, and the Nigerian had only improved since then. When the two finally clashed, it seemed certain. Usman dominated him for over three rounds. But as he was only a minute away from retaining his title, he zigged when he should have zagged and got caught with a head kick that KO'd him stiff.
#3. Ronda Rousey, former UFC women's bantamweight champion
Ronda Rousey's peak remains an unmatched sensation in women's MMA. The Olympic bronze medalist in judo captured the imagination of fans around the world. Mothers took their daughters to watch Rousey's fights and found themselves inspired by an athlete competing in a sport they never knew prior.
She made MMA fans out of people who would have never even considered it a sport were it not for her. She put women's mixed martial arts on the map.
At the height of her career, she was an undefeated phenom who finished every single foe who dared stand across from her inside the octagon. Her presence was reminiscent of Mike Tyson's during his peak.
Opponents were scared of her, and she finished them early in her bouts. Her success led to hyperbolic statements like Joe Rogan claiming that she could defeat half of the male bantamweight roster. With six title defenses of the women's bantamweight throne, she looked unstoppable.
But at UFC 193, she encountered a foe who made her pay for her tendency to charge into the fray. She had no head movement, nor did she cut off her opponent's angles by stepping across them as they circled. Instead, as Holly Holm met her inside the octagon, 'Rowdy' ran face-first into punch after punch.
For the first time ever, she looked mortal. In the second round of her bout, she was out of her element and suffered a highlight reel knockout.
#2. Amanda Nunes, UFC women's bantamweight/featherweight champion
Amanda Nunes has been a force of nature inside the octagon. The strength of her success is such that she is now unanimously hailed as the greatest female fighter of all time. 'The Lioness' holds wins over every champion in the women's bantamweight division.
She also boasts two wins over reigning women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. The Brazilian power-puncher captured the 135 lbs title against Miesha Tate in a crushing performance at UFC 200. After doing so, she lengthened her win streak, leading to her becoming a two-division champion.
The opponent she dethroned to claim the 145 lbs title was MMA legend Cris Cyborg, who also seemed unstoppable. Her other victims included Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, and many others. By the time 'The Lioness' faced Julianna Peña, she was on an unprecedented 12-fight win streak.
She was irresistible inside the octagon, and no one gave 'The Venezuelan Vixen' much of a chance. Come fight night, however, Peña shook up the world. She interrupted every jab of Nunes with one of her own, stopping her foe from determining the right distance needed for her right cross.
By the second round, Nunes was gasping for air. Peña took advantage and dragged her to the mat before securing a rear-naked choke to dethrone 'The Lioness.' In doing so, she became the first fighter to defeat Nunes in seven years. While Nunes later defeated Peña in a rematch, her invincibility vanished.
#1. Anderson Silva, former UFC middleweight champion
The conversation regarding who the greatest fighter of all time is has four well-known candidates: Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Anderson Silva. In his heyday, Anderson Silva was generally accepted as MMA's GOAT due to his lengthy win streak and impressive highlight reel.
'The Spider' was a dynamic counterpuncher with a breadth of striking skills that led to him getting the first knockout win via a front-kick in UFC history. He redefined MMA striking and captured the 185 lbs crown by kneeing Rich Franklin into the shadow realm of the unconscious.
The Brazilian legend was at the helm of a historic 16-fight win streak that remains unchallenged in the UFC to this day. During his run, he thoroughly outclassed fellow legends like Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, and Chael Sonnen, to name a few, all while earning a fearsome reputation among the roster. Fans began regarding him as unbeatable.
He was a massive favorite in every fight, and most fighters showed fear and reverence for him. Even Silva himself began to believe in his own invincibility, openly calling out the entire division to try to take the title. At UFC 162, a worthy challenger emerged in the form of Chris Weidman.
'The Spider's confidence was supreme as he openly taunted his foe. Weidman, however, remained patient. In the second round, he made Silva pay for his tendency to lean away from punches by doubling and tripling his punches before catching Silva on the end of a lean with a left hook.
The Brazilian legend crumbled to the mat, and referee Herb Dean mercifully waved the fight off after a few follow-up punches from the former All-American.
