5 Best UFC Light-Heavyweight Champions in History

#3 Tito Ortiz

Tito Ortiz - Revolutionised the Light-Heavyweight division

One Reign

Five Defences

Tito Ortiz was the second man to hold the Light-Heavyweight Championship when he he defeated future legend Wanderlei Silva to win the strap that Frank Shamrock had vacated months earlier.

Ortiz contested one of his finest performances ever, winning a Unanimous Decision over the Brazilian. He subsequently embarked on one of the finest Championship reigns in UFC history.

The Champion was one of the first men to utilise take-down and ground and pound technique to such a devastating degree, and he successfully dispatched challenger after challenger with relative ease between April 2000 and June 2003.

His most famous victory came in the main event of UFC 40 opposite UFC original and MMA legend, Ken Shamrock.

Shamrock had mainstream fame from his run in WWE between 1997-1999 and a bout versus the outspoken Ortiz captured the attention of a wider audience as the company drew their largest buyrate in over five years.

Ortiz demonstrated why he was now the best UFC had to offer, dominating the veteran Shamrock for 15 minutes before the legend's corner threw in the towel.

However, Ortiz's joy at putting down a UFC pioneer was short-lived as he came up short in his next defence to another member of the UFC old guard, former Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture, who became the first man to win titles in different weight classes in UFC history.

Ortiz broke down in tears post-fight but rebounded after a subsequent loss to Chuck Liddell to win five consecutive fights and earn another title match versus Liddell at UFC 66.

However, Ortiz would be on the receiving end of a Knockout which began the slow decline of his UFC career.

However, for several years, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" was the very best the division had to offer.