5 of the best vacant title fights in UFC history

This weekend at UFC 314, Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will battle for the vacant featherweight title. The two men will not just want to win, but they'll also want to put on a classic fight.

Over the years, we've seen a number of iconic fights for vacant UFC titles, with fighters often putting everything on the line to win. While it's frustrating to see any title vacated, breaking its lineage, sometimes, a great vacant title bout can also freshen a division up.

Prior to this weekend's one, then, here are five of the best vacant title fights in UFC history.

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#5. Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Moraes for the bantamweight title - UFC 238

When bantamweight kingpin T.J. Dillashaw decided to attempt to become a two-division champion in 2019, he made a curious decision. Rather than move up in weight, he decided to cut to 125 pounds to chase the flyweight crown.

Dillashaw's folly turned out to be the catalyst for a classic vacant title fight. After losing his shot at the flyweight title, he tested positive for the banned substance EPO, and was suspended for a lengthy period.

The UFC put together a logical and exciting-sounding fight for his vacant 135-pound title, matching top contender Marlon Moraes with the man who'd beaten Dillashaw, flyweight king Henry Cejudo.

Early on, it looked like Moraes would be simply too big and powerful for 'Triple C' to handle. He beat Cejudo down with a series of vicious low kicks in the first round, but somehow, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist survived.

In the second round, 'Triple C' began to throw caution to the wind, and walked Moraes down while still eating low kicks.

By the end of that stanza, a series of strikes from the clinch pointed at the tide turning, and in the third round, a takedown from Cejudo led to some ruthless ground-and-pound that an exhausted Moraes simply couldn't handle.

Where Dillashaw had failed to become a two-division champ, Cejudo had succeeded, and he did it in the most dramatic way possible, pulling off a classic comeback in a truly epic fight.

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#4. Evan Tanner vs. David Terrell for the middleweight title - UFC 51

When Murilo Bustamante abandoned his middleweight title to head to Japan's PRIDE promotion in 2003, the UFC waited for over two years to crown a new champion.

When they did, they matched a pair of surging contenders against each other, pitting Evan Tanner against David Terrell.

Tanner - a longtime veteran - was unbeaten since dropping to 185 pounds, while Terrell had knocked out top contender Matt Lindland in a huge upset just six months prior.

Based on how he'd dealt with Lindland, a lot of fans were favoring 'The Soul Assassin' to win. He started off fast, stunning Tanner with a pair of head kicks before hunting for a guillotine choke.

Given Terrell's incredible grappling credentials, it looked like the fight would be over. Remarkably, though, Tanner gutted it out, escaped the choke, and then turned the tables.

He battered the less experienced Terrell with a series of elbows and forearms, and before the first round could end, 'The Soul Assassin' wilted and stopped defending, resulting in a TKO stoppage.

Tanner's reign as champion lasted just one more fight - and he tragically passed away three years later. However, his initial title win remains a stirring moment to this day, and his fight with Terrell is still an all-time classic.

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#3. Ricco Rodriguez vs. Randy Couture for the heavyweight title - UFC 39

The UFC's 'Dark Ages' are usually considered to encompass the period between the promotion's US cable ban from 1997 through to the beginning of the TUF era in early 2005.

While this period is largely forgotten by all but longtime, hardcore fans, it saw some tremendous fights take place. One such fight was the bout for the vacant heavyweight title between Randy Couture and Ricco Rodriguez in 2002.

Couture was the former titleholder, having been dethroned by Josh Barnett earlier that year. Barnett, of course, was then stripped of his title following a positive drug test.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, had won ten fights in a row and was 4-0 in the UFC.

Their fight turned out to be an outright classic. Early on, Couture dominated. 'The Natural' used his experience and wrestling skill to take Rodriguez down and beat him up. When one particularly nasty takedown in the second round appeared to hurt the knee of 'Ricco Suave', causing him to cry out, the fight looked nearly done.

However, Rodriguez survived, and late in the third, he began to turn the tide. 'Ricco Suave' landed takedowns of his own, nailed Couture with some heavy ground-and-pound, and eventually cracked the eye socket of 'The Natural', resulting in a fifth-round stoppage.

Rodriguez did not reign long as champion and his career came off the rails entirely shortly after. However, this fight remains one of the best vacant title fights in UFC history, as well as an all-time great heavyweight title clash.

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#2. Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler for the welterweight title - UFC 141

When Georges St-Pierre vacated the welterweight title in late 2013 after holding it for seven years, it felt like the division could have a fresh start.

After all, 'GSP' had ruled over 170 pounds with an iron fist, turning back all contenders. When the UFC announced a fight for the vacant title between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler, then, it was hard not to get excited.

Incredibly, the fight not only lived up to the hype, it surpassed it. 'Bigg Rigg' and 'Ruthless' exchanged huge combinations at a ridiculous pace for all five rounds, never slowing down for a second.

Early on it looked like Hendricks had the advantage, as he landed the crisper combinations and forced Lawler back. 'Ruthless' fought back, though, and found his rhythm in the middle rounds, landing the better shots.

In the end, a takedown and some ground control from 'Bigg Rigg' won him the fight and the vacant title, but the fight was so close - and so good - that the promotion booked an immediate rematch.

Lawler won that fight, which was probably slightly more exciting, but in terms of fights for vacant titles, it's hard to top this one in UFC history.

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#1. Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler for the lightweight title - UFC 262

It's arguable that the best fight for a vacant title in UFC history came in 2021, as Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler clashed for the lightweight crown.

The title had been vacated by the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov a few months prior, and with Oliveira on a lengthy win streak and Chandler making an explosive octagon debut at the start of the year, this bout made sense.

Despite Oliveira being favored to win, it looked like 'Do Bronx' was in serious trouble early on. He ate a crushing left hook that hurt him, narrowly avoided a guillotine choke, and despite attempting some submissions, ended up eating some violent ground-and-pound from 'Iron Mike'.

The way Chandler dominated the opening round meant that what happened in the second was even more incredible.

An early exchange saw Oliveira stun Chandler with a left hand, sending 'Iron Mike' sprawling across the octagon. The former Bellator champ simply couldn't recover, and 'Do Bronx' chased him down and continued to land heavy shots, finally finishing him moments later.

Considering the wild action throughout, as well as the amazing comeback from Oliveira, it's probably one of the best lightweight title fights in UFC history. Without a doubt, it started the 155 pound division's post-Khabib era with a bang.