5 UFC champions who lapped their division

Throughout the history of the UFC, there have only been a handful of dominant champions. Such is the nature of this incredibly unpredictable sport we all know and love. More often than not, fighters who are crowned as champions go on to lose their belts a few bouts later.

Once in a while, a generational talent emerges and becomes a long-reigning champion. These titleholders sometimes have to go through the same challenger twice, having already beaten most of the contenders. Fighters who repeatedly defended their belts for a long period of time tend to be remembered as legends of the sport, considering how challenging their accomplishment really is.

Georges St-Pierre, one of the longest reigning champions in MMA history, famously once said:

“It's hard to be champion, it's harder to stay champion because you are the target and everybody looks at you and they want to have what you have.”

That said, we thought we'd look at five UFC champions who lapped their division.

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#5. Israel Adesanya – UFC middleweight champion

Israel Adesanya became the undisputed middleweight champion following his spectacular knockout victory over Robert Whittaker in 2019. Since then, 'The Last Stylebender' has emerged as one of the most dominant champions in MMA.

At just 32 and having recently signed a new deal with the promotion, the Nigerian-New Zealander will expect to rule the 185-pound weight class for a long time to come.

Adesanya is seemingly lapping the division at the moment. He has already beaten top contenders Marvin Vettori and Robert Whittaker twice. Additionally, his dominant win over Paulo Costa, another top contender, was an incredibly one-sided bout and doesn't warrant a rematch as of now.

Adesanya is undoubtedly a tough night out for anyone. His striking is levels above everyone he fights and with every passing contest, his wrestling defense is improving.

Fighters who have tried to blitz him like Kelvin Gastelum and Robert Whittaker (the first time) failed to put the champion away. Those who opted to hang back and let the champ come to him, like Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa, ended up getting picked apart.

Having already defended his belt four times, Adesanya is running out of challenges. He is likely set to take on Jared Cannonier in his next bout and will be hoping another contender emerges in the meantime. Looking down the pecking order at middleweight, it feels like only a handful of fighters have a real chance of beating 'The Last Stylebender'.

Grappling phenom Andre Muniz, rising star Khamzat Chimaev and former kickboxing world champion Alex Pereira undoubtedly present challenging matchups for the champion. However, all three fighters are quite far off a shot at middleweight gold.

It remains to be seen whether his reign will be cut short or if he stays unbeaten atop the division for years to come.

#4. Kamaru Usman – UFC welterweight champion

Kamaru Usman, the reigning UFC welterweight champion, is widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighter actively competing today.

'The Nigerian Nightmare' haunted the division during his rise up the rankings at 170 pounds. He became the champion following a dominant unanimous decision win over Tyron Woodley in 2019. Ever since, Usman has defended his belt five times.

Usman already has wins over three of the top-five fighters in the welterweight rankings. He has beaten top contenders Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal twice already and is set to square off in a rematch against Leon Edwards in his next title defense.

Over the last few years, Usman has emerged as one of the most well-rounded fighters in the world. His wrestling background saw him trailblaze up the rankings and his newfound propensity for knockouts has added to the aura of invincibility that surrounds him. His last professional loss came in 2013 and he's currently riding a 15-fight win streak in the UFC.

At 34, Usman has revealed on numerous occasions that he intends to retire after a few more fights. He has hinted at moving to another weight class in pursuit of double-champ status and the public consensus is that 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is in the final stretch of his career.

One fighter who could potentially beat Usman is Khamzat Chimaev. 'Borz' remains an ominous presence in the weight class and has a similar skillset to that of the reigning champion.

Chimaev is reportedly set to square off against No.2-ranked Gilbert Burns in his next bout. A win over 'Durinho' would likely see the Chechen-born Swede take on Usman next, provided he can get past Leon Edwards.

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#3. Georges St. Pierre – former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion

Georges St-Pierre, at the height of his powers, was one of the most dominant champions in UFC history. After winning the undisputed title in a rematch against Matt Serra at UFC 83, St-Pierre defended his welterweight title nine times.

During his incredible run in the 170-pound weight class, St-Pierre secured wins over Jason Miller, Frank Trigg, Sean Sherk, Matt Hughes (twice), Josh Koscheck (twice), Matt Serra, John Fitch, B.J. Penn (twice), Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy, Jake Shields, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz and Johny Hendricks.

What made Georges St-Pierre special was how incredibly well-rounded he was. He could strike with the best stand-up fighters in the division and, somewhat surprisingly, out-wrestled seasoned wrestlers during his reign. Irrespective of his opponent's strengths, St-Pierre always found a way to win.

Following his narrow win over Johny Hendricks in 2013, 'Rush' vacated the belt and took a hiatus from the sport. He returned to the octagon one final time in 2017 when he took on then-middleweight champion Michael Bisping. The Canadian legend choked out Bisping to become a two-division champion.

Watch UFC fighters reflect on George St-Pierre's legacy in the video below:

#2. Anderson Silva – former UFC middleweight champion

For over half a decade, Anderson Silva wreaked havoc in the UFC middleweight division. Silva remains one of the most dominant and entertaining fighters to have ever graced the octagon. His run between 2006 and 2012 saw 'The Spider' defend his middleweight title 10 times.

Silva, in his prime, was renowned for his ability to finish his opponents. Upon joining the UFC in 2006, he went on a 15-fight winning streak, comprising 14 finishes.

His most memorable performances at 185 pounds included his win over Chris Leben in his UFC debut, his submission victory over Dan Henderson, his last-ditch triangle choke against Chael Sonnen and his front-kick KO win over Vitor Belfort.

Over the course of his middleweight championship run, Anderson Silva defeated Rich Franklin (twice), Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, Patrick Cote, Thales Lietes, Damian Maia, Chael Sonnen (twice), Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami.

Towards the end of his reign atop the middleweight division, it almost felt as if Silva was bored or uninterested. He clearly felt unthreatened inside the cage, to the extent that he would regularly showboat and belittle his opponent's striking prowess.

Silva cleaned out the middleweight division twice over. On three occasions, he took on fights at light heavyweight as there were no new contenders at 185 pounds. During his peak, he truly was a sight to behold.

Watch a compilation of every Anderson Silva finish in the UFC below:

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#1. Jon Jones – former UFC light heavyweight champion

Jon Jones became the UFC light heavyweight champion at the age of just 23 following a dominant TKO victory over Mauricio Rua at UFC 128. He went on to defend his 205-pound strap 11 times and reigned over the division for nearly a decade.

Jones beat not one but two generations of light heavyweight contenders during his time atop the division. Following his title-winning performance against Rua in 2011, 'Bones' defended his title against MMA veterans Quinton Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen.

He then beat Alexander Gustafsson (twice), Glover Teixeira, Daniel Cormier (twice, although one win was later overturned to a no-contest), Ovince Saint Preux, Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes.

Jones is a once-in-a-generation talent. If it wasn't for his troubles outside the octagon, there would be no question as to who the greatest fighter of all time is. His wrestling prowess, innovative striking, fight IQ and physical attributes proved to be too much for most of his opponents.

Watch a compilation of Jon Jones' title defenses in the UFC below:

Jones' MMA journey isn't over just yet. He vacated his 205-pound title following his win over Reyes in 2020 and has subsequently set his sights on the heavyweight division.

He is expected to make his heavyweight debut later this year.