10 great fighters who never got a UFC title shot

#7 Jussier Formiga

Jussier Formiga was once considered the world's best Flyweight

When the Flyweight division was introduced to the UFC in 2012, the four-man tournament for the inaugural UFC title felt like it was missing someone – Brazil’s Jussier Formiga, who was widely recognised as the top fighter in the world at the weight for years prior to a 2011 loss to Ian McCall. McCall entered into the tournament – and lost to the eventual champion Demetrious Johnson – while Formiga signed with the UFC a few months later.

His debut didn’t go so well – he was knocked out by John Dodson – but despite losing a further three UFC fights it’s still a bit of a surprise that he hasn’t been given a title shot yet. He’s beaten tough contenders like Wilson Reis and Dustin Ortiz, and to be quite frank, Johnson has been such a dominant champion that he’s essentially cleaned out the division – outside of the Brazilian veteran.

Unfortunately for Formiga, despite winning his last two fights handily – and showing more striking skills than he’s ever done previously – it looks like the UFC are dead-set on matching Johnson in a champion vs. champion fight with TJ Dillashaw next. And with Formiga now 13 years into his MMA career, time could be running out for him.

If he never does get a title shot in the UFC, it will be a sad state of affairs – he’s been one of the most consistent fighters at 125lbs since the division was introduced, and more to the point he feels like the final fighter of his era that Johnson hasn’t faced yet. Perhaps in a year or so – when Dillashaw/Johnson is done and dusted – he can be removed from this list.