5 interim UFC champions who failed to unify the titles

#2 Dustin Poirier – interim UFC lightweight champion

Khabib Nurmagomedov rendered Dustin Poirier's reign as interim UFC lightweight champ pointless at UFC 242

Over the years, the UFC has tended to crown interim champions for two reasons. Firstly, when a champion is injured, and secondly – and more sinisterly – when the promotion falls out with a champion who then chooses to sit on the shelf.

Curiously, neither was the case when Dustin Poirier defeated Max Holloway for the interim UFC lightweight title in April 2019.

Quite why the UFC felt the need to crown an interim champ when undisputed champ Khabib Nurmagomedov had only fought six months earlier and was scheduled to return in September was anyone’s guess.

Regardless, Poirier fought Max Holloway in a full-blooded clash at UFC 236 to claim the title, which essentially made him a souped-up #1 contender. There would be no defenses of the interim title for the Diamond – just a date with Khabib set in stone.

Despite his best efforts, Poirier ended up joining the list of interim UFC champions who failed to unify the titles. At UFC 242 he was basically whitewashed by Khabib, who never allowed him to impose his hard-hitting striking game for a second.

By the time Poirier submitted in the third round, there was no question who the real champion was – meaning the Diamond’s brief run as interim champ was largely pointless.

One year ago, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier battled for the undisputed #UFC lightweight title at #UFC242. What do you remember most from that historic night in Abu Dhabi? #OTD pic.twitter.com/oyxh7Zj7mU

— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) September 7, 2020

#1 Justin Gaethje – interim UFC lightweight champion

Khabib Nurmagomedov also prevented Justin Gaethje from unifying the UFC lightweight titles at UFC 254

Despite the debacle that was Dustin Poirier’s reign as interim UFC lightweight champion, it didn’t take the promotion long to crown another one.

This time it was a little more justified. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020 – putting question marks over UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov’s ability to leave Russia and defend his title – it made sense to crown an interim titleholder.

Many fans were hoping that Tony Ferguson would get his hands on the title to finally set up a date with Khabib. Instead, it was Justin Gaethje who claimed the gold, battering Ferguson at UFC 249 in the UFC’s first show during the pandemic.

Thankfully, 'The Highlight' didn’t have to wait too long for his shot at the undisputed title.

With the pandemic beginning to slow down towards the end of 2020 and the UFC able to use Abu Dhabi’s ‘Fight Island’ rather than flying overseas fighters into the US, a clash between Khabib and Gaethje was set up for UFC 254 in October.

However, Gaethje’s fate would be the same one that Poirier suffered. He was choked unconscious in the second round of a one-sided fight, and never came close to unifying the titles – instead simply becoming another notch on Khabib’s belt.

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— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2020