5 best UFC fighters who are not champions

Charles Oliveira was stripped of the UFC lightweight championship last weekend after missing weight for his UFC 274 fight. Despite that, he submitted Justin Gaethje in the first round and may now be one of the most dominant non-champions we have seen in the sport.

Oliveira has finished three of the best lightweights on the planet in the early rounds of his fights. He would be considered one of the more dominant champions in MMA were it not for the unfortunate events on the scale last Friday. For now, however, he will have to settle for being arguably the best non-champion in the sport today.

That's not to say he doesn't have any competition. There are some incredible talents on the roster who don't currently possess championship gold. Some of these fighters have already held straps, while others seemed destined to do so before too long.

Here are the five best fighters in the UFC who are not currently champions:

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#5. Petr Yan - UFC bantamweight

Petr Yan holds a record of 16-3

Petr Yan is already a former interim and undisputed bantamweight champion. While he recently lost his title unification bout against Aljamain Sterling, Yan looked good late in the fight, winning multiple rounds.

Dana White even questioned the judges' verdict on that night, suggesting that he felt the Russian deserved to win.

The Sterling rematch did expose some holes in Yan’s game as he had his back taken multiple times. However, there is no reason why he cannot make the necessary adjustments needed to get back to the top of the division. As for strengths, many feel that 'No Mercy' may be the best pure boxer on the roster.

Yan has been dominant in the UFC with the exception of his disqualification and split decision losses to 'Funk Master'. Should he pick up a few more wins, he could easily work his way back into the title picture before long.

At just 29 years old, he could easily be remembered as an all-time great by the end of his career.

#4. Islam Makhachev - UFC lightweight

Islam Makhachev holds a record of 22-1

Islam Makhachev has been looking more and more like the second coming of Khabib Nurmagomedov in recent times. His grappling is of a ridiculously high-level and, as a result, he has picked up 10 straight wins in one of the deepest divisions in the UFC.

One negative that can be said about Makhachev is that he did suffer one KO loss during his early run in the promotion. He's also yet to face elite opposition. While there might be some substance to those criticisms, by recent form, there may not be a more dangerous man on the roster.

Makhachev has been mauling his recent opponents and now seems to be in with a chance of securing a title shot. At the very most, the Dagestani will only need one more win to rubber stamp his position as the number one contender. Perhaps a lengthy reign atop the division could follow shortly after.

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#3. Max Holloway - UFC featherweight

Max Holloway holds a record of 23-6

Despite not currently holding a belt, Max Holloway is in the conversation as one of the best featherweights of all time. He defeated Jose Aldo in 2017 to become the undisputed featherweight champion and will have an opportunity to regain the belt in July.

At first glance, you might suggest that Holloway's consecutive losses to Alexander Volkanovski indicate that he is not competing at a championship level. However, both those fights were incredibly close, with many feeling the wrong man was given the nod, particularly in the rematch.

Since then, Holloway has once against demonstrated his class with impressive performances against tough competition in Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodríguez. Should he win back the title in July, Holloway could easily wind up being considered the greatest featherweight of all time by the end of his career.

#2. Khamzat Chimaev - UFC welterweight

Khamzat Chimaev holds a record of 11-0

Few have ever climbed the ranks in the UFC as quickly as Khamzat Chimaev. The Swedish fighter's rise to the top of the welterweight division has been truly meteoric and he may not be done just yet. With his record a perfect 11-0 thus far, he has already established himself as a top-five welterweight on the planet.

Chimaev was met by some criticism after his latest performance, which saw him defeat Gilbert Burns. This was the first time that the Chechen-born Swede had been met with any real resistance in his career, which may have cooled some of the hype around him.

However, the result was incredibly impressive and he may still be getting better.

Chimaev is just 28 and is at most just one fight away from a title shot. He is yet to taste defeat and has made some very talented fighters look lackluster. If he continues to improve and is able to win gold one day, he may very well become one of the biggest stars the sport has ever seen.

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#1. Charles Oliveira - UFC lightweight

Charles Oliveira holds a record of 33-8 (1 NC)

Heading into last weekend's event, Charles Oliveira was the UFC lightweight champion. He won his fight on Saturday but missed weight on the Friday, which led to him being stripped of his championship gold. While he may no longer officially be the champion, he is easily the closest to that status of any non-champion on the roster.

Oliveira has looked sensational recently and is currently riding an 11-fight winning streak. While early in his career he struggled with consistency and bounced between divisions, he has now found a home at 155 pounds. His last three performances, in particular, have been truly sensational.

Oliveira has finished three of the best lightweights on the planet in his last three fights. He defeated Michael Chandler to win gold, defended his belt against Dustin Poirier and then scored a first-round submission of Justin Gaethje on Saturday. Even without a title, he is the clear king of the 155-pound division.