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UFC fighters' ultimate goal is to become the champions of their respective divisions. Conquering UFC gold transforms the lives of athletes, putting them in line to face the highest pressure and the deadliest contenders. Conquering such challenges means athletes can become global superstars who bathe in riches and glory.
However, some fighters cannot hold on to the stardom and challenges that come with championship status. They taste the glory but only for a brief moment, folding at the challenges they face. Many MMA fighters who once tasted UFC gold are now struggling with repeated losses.
Here are 5 former UFC champions who have been on painful losing streaks:
#5 - Former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade
After going 9-2 in various MMA promotions in Brazil and Russia, Jessica Andrade made her UFC debut in 2013. Picking up seven wins in four years since her debut, she earned a strawweight title shot against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 211. Unfortunately, Andrade lost the bout via decision but went on a three-fight winning streak right after.
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The UFC could not overlook 'Bate Estaca' anymore and gave her another shot at the title in 2019. At UFC 237, Jessica Andrade defeated Rose Namanujas via KO to become the new women's strawweight champion. Commenting on her glorious moment in the UFC, the Brazilian said:
"I knew it was my time."
However, Jessica Andrade could remain a UFC champion for no more than three months. She lost to Zhang Weili in her first title defense in August 2019 and went 2-1.
Andrade soon moved to the women's flyweight division and defeated Katlyn Chookagian in 2020 via TKO. After that, she earned a shot at the UFC women's flyweight championship against Valentina Shevchenko. However, Jessica Andrade lost to 'Bullet' at UFC 261 via TKO in round two.
The Brazilian fighter's championship days have turned into painful losing streaks. It remains to be seen how long the 29-year-old will fare in attempts to regain her title.
Also read: 3 reasons why Valentina Shevchenko is the UFC's most dominant champion
#4 - Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is one of the best female fighters in the UFC. The former women's strawweight champion is a celebrated UFC athlete with several records to her name. After acquiring a 6-0 record in her MMA career, she made her UFC debut in 2014. She earned a title shot instantly after impressing in her debut win against Juliana Lima.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk won the UFC women's strawweight championship in 2015 after defeating Carla Esparza, becoming the first Polish champion in the UFC. She defended her title five times over a period of three years. In 2017, Jedrzejczyk lost her belt to Rose Namanujas via TKO in round one. It was the Polish fighter's first MMA loss.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk has lost three more title fights ever since, giving away her title to 'Thug' Rose. She lost a rematch against Rose Namanujas in 2018 and picked up defeats against Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili. Following her first loss, the once-undefeated champ is facing a downfall and has gone 2-3 since 2018.
#3 - Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson started his MMA career with local promotions in California. After fighting for two years and securing a 10-2 record, he signed up as a participant in The Ultimate Fighter 13. 'El Cucuy' defeated Ramsey Nijem in the final via KO, marking his UFC debut with a spectacular win.
In the next eight years in the UFC, Tony Ferguson went 13-1, which included a 12-fight winning streak. Picking up the 13th win of his UFC career in 2017, Ferguson won the interim lightweight championship against Kevin Lee. He was just one win away from becoming the undisputed UFC champion. However, Ferguson could not return to the octagon until a year later due to injury and had to vacate his title.
Tony Ferguson bounced back with two straight wins, both via TKO, against Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone, earning another title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, 'The Eagle' was grounded in Russia owing to COVID-19 restrictions, and the UFC offered Ferguson another interim title shot against Justin Gaethje.
Unfortunately, Tony Ferguson's eager attitude proved to be his downfall. He was heavily outstruck by Gaethje at UFC 249 and lost via TKO in round five. As a result, not only did 'El Cucuy' lose another opportunity to become a UFC champion, but he also went on the biggest losing streak of his career.
Tony Ferguson has now suffered three straight losses. The former UFC interim champion had lost three fights over 11 years of his MMA career up until then. In just two years, he doubled the number to six after losing against Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Beneil Dariush.
Also Read: 3 reasons why Tony Ferguson should consider hanging up his gloves after recent loss at UFC 262.
#2 - Anthony Pettis
Before joining the UFC, Anthony Pettis fought for MMA promotions like GFS and WEC. He made his UFC debut in 2010 as a former GFS lightweight champion with a 13-1 record. It only took him five fights and a little over two years to become the UFC lightweight champion after submitting Benson Henderson at UFC 164.
Anthony Pettis defended his title successfully at UFC 181 against Gilbert Melendez but couldn't hold it for long. In 2015, 'Showtime' lost his belt to Rafael dos Anjos. Following two more losses, the former UFC lightweight champion moved down to the featherweight division in search of glory. However, he lost the interim title shot against Max Holloway in 2016 after failing to make weight.
Pettis again moved up to lightweight and went 2-2 in a little more than a year, picking up a submission and a TKO loss. In the following years, Anthony Pettis moved between divisions but could not find his prime and lost two more fights.
Giving up championship hopes in the UFC, 'Showtime' moved on to the PFL in 2021 and has lost twice in three months. The former UFC champion's peak seems to have been lost, and all that remains are regrettable losses.
#1 - Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor's fall from championship status is perhaps the most iconic. 'Notorious' became one of the biggest stars in MMA and combat sports in a very short time. His fame and glory are such that even after losing his accolades and titles, his shine has not been dimmed one bit.
Before entering the UFC, Conor McGregor was a multi-division champ in an MMA promotion based in Dublin called Cage Warriors. The Irishman made it clear that he wanted to replicate the feat in the UFC as well. Following a six-fight winning streak, he defeated Jose Aldo in 2015 in 13 seconds to become the UFC featherweight champion.
Although he faced the third loss of his MMA career after losing to Nate Diaz at UFC 196, he went on to win the UFC lightweight title eight months later. By doing so, Conor McGregor became the first fighter in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously. The "champ-champ" had the world at his feet.
In 2017, Conor McGregor made his boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather and lost. Although he earned nearly $100m in the bout, the world witnessed that 'Mystic Mac' was not as invincible as he tried to claim. He returned to the UFC in 2018 and, in the biggest UFC fight ever, lost to his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. The loss sent McGregor into inaction and also forced him to announce his retirement in 2020.
Also Read: How many times has Conor McGregor retired?
However, after much back and forth between him and Dana White, Conor McGregor returned to the octagon against Donald Cerrone. Entering as a favorite, McGregor TKO'd 'Cowboy' inside 40 seconds of round one. A year later, 'Notorious' faced Dustin Poirier in a rematch after seven years. Coming in with a renewed persona that earned him the nickname 'Mr. Nice Guy', Conor lost to 'The Diamond' via TKO.
Also Read: 5 reasons Conor McGregor will retire if he loses to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
It was Conor McGregor's first knockout loss in his entire MMA career. Once a seemingly invincible champion now has four losses in five years across MMA and boxing, with many experts writing him off.
