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UFC 298 wrapped and Ilia Topuria emerged as a potential breakout star. After a closely-contested first round, the Spaniard flatlined the then defending featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, with one of the most terrifying knockouts in 145-pound history.
Ahead of the fight, Topuria called his shot, predicting a stoppage and exhibiting such confidence that Volkanovski, along with the rest of the featherweight division, labeled 'El Matador' delusional. Ironically, it was everyone else who had vastly underestimated the Spaniard's chances against Volkanovski.
Before this bout, 'The Great' was unbeaten at featherweight in the promotion. However, he isn't the only dominant champion who had previously never tasted defeat in his weight class before being knocked out by a rising challenger.
#5. T.J. Dillashaw vs. Renan Barão, UFC 173
Before sharing the octagon with T.J. Dillashaw, Renan Barão was regarded as the possible pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport. He was riding the wave of a 35-fight unbeaten streak consisting of 34 wins and one no-contest. Of those 34 wins, seven were in the UFC.
He was the reigning interim bantamweight champion, then the undisputed bantamweight champion. A loss was unthinkable. He was the 135-pound division's version of José Aldo, looking every bit the crushing striker that the legendary featherweight was.
So when he fought Dillashaw, the conclusion was foregone. A dominant Barão victory was predicted. Instead, Dillashaw beat the Brazilian from pillar to post, dropping him in round one and battering him for the remainder of the fight before Barão could take no more.
Check out T.J. Dillashaw TKO'ing Renan Barão:
In round five, Dillashaw stumbled his foe with a head kick before unloading a combination that sent him reeling, then crashing into the mat. Several follow-up shots later, Dillashaw scored the TKO win and was crowned the bantamweight champion in an all-time great upset.
#4. Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk, UFC 217
Before UFC 217, Joanna Jędrzejczyk was the most dominant women's champion in the promotion, having scored five consecutive title defenses at strawweight. She was undefeated and as good a striker as women's MMA had ever seen, or so everyone thought.
By Nov. 4 that same year, everything had changed, courtesy of Rose Namajunas. The Polish legend was thought of as unbeatable, and a win was regarded as a certainty. After all, 'Thug Rose' lacked the wrestling threat to breach Jędrzejczyk's impregnable takedown defense.
So surely, she'd lose a striking bout to the multi-time Muay Thai champion. Instead, Namajunas' distance management proved an immediate problem for Jędrzejczyk, who was knocked down in round one before Namajunas' ground-and-pound forced her to tap the mat in submission.
Check out Rose Namajunas TKO'ing Joanna Jędrzejczyk:
The win remains the greatest upset in UFC strawweight history, as it handed the Polish star her first-ever loss and led to Namajunas' first title win.
#3. Conor McGregor vs. José Aldo, UFC 194
There was a time when the UFC featherweight division had only ever had one champion throughout its entire history. And in the eyes of many, that champion was the very best that the 145-pound weight class had to offer. Between 2011 and late 2015, José Aldo reigned as the promotion's undisputed featherweight king.
However, none of that mattered to Conor McGregor, who declared war on the entire division on his promotional debut. Before long, he had racked up a thrilling win streak to earn a title fight with Aldo at UFC 189, then UFC 194 after the Brazilian's withdrawal from their original matchup.
Back then, Aldo was on an 18-fight win streak, with 15 of those wins happening at featherweight. His record also sat at 25–1, with his only loss being at lightweight. McGregor talked a big game, but many expected a deflating beating to be dealt by Aldo. But, the outcome couldn't have gone any more differently.
Check out Conor McGregor knocking out José Aldo:
Within 13 seconds of round one, McGregor sniped a lunging Aldo with his trademark straight left, knocking the all-time great out cold to score the fastest-ever knockout in UFC championship history.
#2. Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva, UFC 162
Few fighters have truly felt unbeatable. In Anderson Silva's case, he felt invincible. At one point, he was universally regarded as the greatest fighter of all time. Furthermore, he owned the then all-time record for consecutive title defenses in the UFC, along with helming a 17-fight win streak.
He built himself a reputation as a human highlight reel, making a fool of former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin with a near-supernatural performance and landing the first front kick knockout in the promotion's history against the legendary Vítor Belfort.
But on July 6, 2013, 'The Spider' met his end. Chris Weidman, an unbeaten All-American blessed with heavy hands, disciplined striking and elite-level wrestling shocked the world. He doubled and tripled his jabs and straights, making Silva pay for always leaning away at the waist.
Check out Chris Weidman knocking out Anderson Silva:
In round two, Weidman forced Silva to lean too far back with no ability to lean any further. From there, he landed a left hook, knocking 'The Spider' unconscious to author arguably the most shocking upset in MMA history.
#1. Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski, UFC 298
Ahead of UFC 298, no one believed in Ilia Topuria as much as the Spaniard himself. He changed his Instagram bio to reflect his future as a UFC champion and even asserted that he would defeat Alexander Volkanovski via knockout. For his confidence, he was called delusional, and it is easy to see why.
Volkanovski hadn't ever lost at featherweight, having penned the second longest win streak in the division, with 11 consecutive wins to his name. But his accomplishments and reputation were meaningless to Topuria, who was as confident a challenger as there's ever been.
Both men stepped inside the octagon and had a closely-contested first round, trading low kicks, while Topuria stalked a Volkanovski content to stick and move. Unfortunately, the Australian's tendency to concede space and strike off the backfoot became his undoing.
Check out Ilia Topuria knocking out Alexander Volkanovski:
In round two, Topuria backed him up to the fence and flattened him with a hard right as Volkanovski's chin sat high and exposed. 'The Great' was out cold before he ever even hit the mat, and Topuria proved his doubters wrong in a major way.
