5 ranked UFC stars who are on a surprisingly bad run of form

While they're definitely flawed, the UFC's rankings are a useful tool. They allow fans to know exactly which fighters sit near the top of the mountain.

Right now, though, there are a number of ranked UFC fighters who are on such bad runs of form that they're literally clinging to their spots. One more loss for these fighters, and it's highly likely that they'll slip out of the top 15 altogether.

For now, though, here are five ranked UFC stars who are on a surprisingly bad run of form.

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#5. Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson - No. 11-ranked UFC welterweight

A two-time welterweight title challenger, Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson is one of the longest-tenured fighters on the UFC roster.

Debuting all the way back in early 2012, Thompson's unique striking style, stemming from his days in traditional martial arts, made him a very difficult opponent for most fighters at 170 pounds.

At his peak, 'Wonderboy' scored knockouts over the likes of Johny Hendricks, Jake Ellenberger and Robert Whittaker. In their two fights in 2016 and 2017, he came inches away from dethroning Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title.

However, it's probably fair to argue that at the age of 42, Thompson's best days are behind him.

'Wonderboy' is currently on a run of 1-4 in his last five bouts, with the only win coming over Kevin Holland, a fighter who's had his own fair share of struggles.

Sure, Thompson's losses came to four fighters who are also ranked in the top 15, including current champ Belal Muhammad. Despite this, it's hard to deny that he appears to be on his way down.

One more loss, in fact, and not only will he likely lose his spot in the rankings, it's likely that calls for his retirement will begin too.

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#4. Josh Emmett - No. 10-ranked UFC featherweight

Earlier this month, unbeaten prospect Lerone Murphy picked up the biggest win of his UFC career when he outpointed heavy hitter Josh Emmett.

The win propelled Murphy into the top ten of the featherweight division, and pushed Emmett down into the No. 10 spot.

However, for as impressive as Murphy's win was, it might be worth pointing out that Emmett is on a slide of sorts right now.

The former interim title challenger has won just once in his last four bouts, knocking out Bryce Mitchell in December 2023. Given 'Thug Nasty' has since slipped from the rankings in his own right, that win no longer seems so impressive.

It is worth noting that Emmett has only been finished in one of the three losses during his current run, tapping out to Yair Rodriguez in February 2023. He even survived the distance with Ilia Topuria, an impressive feat in its own right.

However, there's no denying that Emmett no longer looks like the fearsome force he once was. Therefore, if he falls to another defeat - taking his current run to 1-4 - it'd be hard for him to retain his ranking.

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#3. Paulo Costa - No. 12-ranked UFC middleweight

Right now, the UFC's middleweight rankings are full of fighters who appear to be on their way up the ladder. Prospects like Caio Borralho, Nassourdine Imavov and Anthony Hernandez have all freshened up the top ten recently.

That's why it's almost surprising to see a fighter on a slide as apparently bad as Paulo Costa's continue to sit in the top fifteen. At the time of writing, 'The Eraser' is ranked at No. 12.

Despite his ranking, the Brazilian is currently on a run of 1-4 in his last five trips to the octagon. Most recently, he fell to former titleholder Sean Strickland last summer in a largely disappointing bout.

More concerningly, Costa's last win came all the way back in August 2022, and saw him outpoint Luke Rockhold, a past-his-prime opponent who retired directly after.

It's fair to say that Costa's less-than-hectic schedule has contributed to his poor run of form, as the first loss in this run of five bouts came to Israel Adesanya way back in September 2020.

However, for quite how much longer he can cling to his spot in the rankings is anyone's guess. Put frankly, he needs to win his next fight impressively.

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#2. Colby Covington - No. 9-ranked UFC welterweight

The UFC's welterweight division is arguably the most loaded in the entire promotion, with high-end prospects like Shavkat Rakhmonov, Sean Brady, Carlos Prates, and Jack Della Maddalena all making an impact.

However, one fighter who it's fair to say is on a poor run of form right now is former interim champ Colby Covington.

Once one of the most feared fighters in the world at 170 pounds, 'Chaos' is now ranked in the No. 9 spot, and it's safe to say that he's clinging to his ranking by his fingernails.

Not only has Covington's schedule been sporadic to say the least, but his recent record does not read too well. He's 1-3 in his last four bouts now, dating back to his second defeat at the hands of Kamaru Usman in 2021.

More to the point, his only win came over Jorge Masvidal - who has since retired from MMA - in 2022, and he's only fought twice since, losing to Leon Edwards and Joaquin Buckley.

The latter fight was extremely disturbing, as Covington found himself outclassed by 'New Mansa' and fell to a third round TKO stoppage.

Given that another four months have passed since that bout with no fight announcement for 'Chaos', it's safe to suspect that he'll take another lengthy period away from the octagon.

Therefore, he basically needs to win his next fight to arrest this slump, otherwise his time near the top of the UFC is likely over.

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#1. Michael Chandler - No. 12-ranked UFC lightweight

This past weekend at UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett defeated Michael Chandler in apparent breakout showing in the night's co-headliner.

Most fans expected 'The Baddy' to lose handily. Instead, the Liverpool-based fighter dominated 'Iron Mike', eventually stopping him via third round TKO.

However, while most observers have focused on the rise of Pimblett in the aftermath of the bout, it might also be fair to question Chandler's position right now.

The former Bellator lightweight champion is still ranked at No. 12 in the 155 pound division, slipping a few spots down following his loss this weekend.

Remarkably, though, Chandler's loss to Pimblett was his third in a row, leaving him on an alarming run of 1-5 in his last six bouts.

Nobody can question the strength of Chandler's opponents, as he'd lost to top-ranked fighters in Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier before facing Pimblett this weekend.

When you consider that 'Iron Mike' scored the lone win in this run over Tony Ferguson, who was miles past his prime, it's definitely fair to question how much longer he can remain a viable top-level star.

Essentially, Chandler needs to win his next fight, big time.