5 UFC champions who were unfairly written off going into title defenses

#2. Jens Pulver vs. B.J. Penn - UFC 35

Jens Pulver proved his worth as lightweight champion by turning back the challenge of the favoured BJ Penn

Few fighters have ever burst onto the scene in the UFC with quite as much fanfare as B.J. Penn. Noted as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace, ‘The Prodigy’ made his MMA debut in the octagon in 2001 and quickly ran through Joey Gilbert, Din Thomas and Caol Uno to establish himself as the world’s most dangerous lightweight.

At the time, the UFC lightweight champion was Jens Pulver. While ‘Lil Evil’ was clearly a highly-skilled fighter, the fact that he’d won both of his title bouts via decision, including a win over Uno, who Penn starched in seconds, didn’t appear to bode well for his chances against ‘The Prodigy’.

However, Pulver never doubted himself for a second, outright stating that while Penn was bad, “he ain’t evil.” So while he came into their title bout in early 2002 as a huge underdog, he was determined to prove his doubters wrong.

Indeed, Pulver did just that, showing tremendous heart and skill en route to edging Penn out via decision after five rounds.

Not only did ‘Lil Evil’ use his takedowns to slow Penn down, but he also largely outboxed ‘The Prodigy’, tagging him with some beautiful combinations and basically showing him a different level of fighting that he’d ever experienced before.

Unfortunately, a contract dispute meant that Pulver would depart the promotion shortly after this fight, largely robbing him of achieving legendary status. However, his showing against Penn remains a phenomenal one and holds up as a classic example of a champion being unfairly written off.

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#1. Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou - UFC 220

Stipe Miocic proved his true worth as a champion when he defeated Francis Ngannou in 2018

When Francis Ngannou debuted in the UFC in late 2015, he always seemed destined for greatness. A remarkably heavy hitter who appeared to possess the ability to destroy anything he connected with, he quickly began to cut a path of destruction through the heavyweight division.

After defeating Alistair Overeem in late 2017, his sixth straight stoppage victory in the octagon, ‘The Predator’ was handed a title shot. In the eyes of many, it was academic that he’d claim the gold.

In reality, this suggestion was crazy. Champion Stipe Miocic had far more experience than Ngannou and he’d also beaten many of the same fighters that ‘The Predator’ had dispatched, often in just as impressive fashion.

However, Ngannou’s brutal striking power and explosive athleticism was expected to give him the edge. So when it came to fight time, the challenger was the overwhelming favorite.

Miocic, though, was undeterred. While he took some thunderous shots from ‘The Predator’, shots that would’ve taken out many fighters, the champion hung tough and eventually began to use his wrestling to wear Ngannou out, dragging him into deep water and drowning him.

The champion eventually held onto his title via a clear-cut unanimous decision, and it actually took Ngannou a lengthy time to regain the terrifying aura he’d developed before the fight. After this, nobody would ever doubt Miocic again.