5 UFC fighters who fought for a title early in their octagon careers

#4. Holly Holm – former UFC bantamweight champion

Holly Holm became bantamweight queen in just her third visit to the octagon

The case of Holly Holm’s first shot at the UFC bantamweight title is a curious one, as it’s arguable that ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ not only failed to impress in her first two octagon bouts, but never beat a top contender either.

So why did she receive a title shot in just her third appearance in the promotion? Largely, she simply capitalized on the right circumstances. Holm brought a big reputation with her to the UFC from her time in the world of boxing, but more to the point, there was a void in the division when it came to top contenders.

That was because bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey had been running through them at a ridiculous clip, dispatching the likes of Cat Zingano, Sara McMann and Bethe Correia in a matter of seconds, allowing her to put together six successful defenses in just over two years.

When Holm’s relative inexperience in the octagon, as well as her struggles against Raquel Pennington and Marion Reneau, were considered, then, few fans gave her a chance of dethroning ‘Rowdy’ when they met in November 2015.

However, in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, Holm not only defeated Rousey, but she made it look easy, destroying her with counterstrikes before dispatching her with a head kick in the second round.

Holm’s title reign did not last long, but she remains one of the promotion’s more recognizable female stars thanks to her win over ‘Rowdy’ nearly seven years after her big win.

---

#3. Michael Chandler – current UFC lightweight contender

Michael Chandler was granted a lightweight title shot after just one fight

To say Michael Chandler’s debut with the UFC had been a long time coming would probably be an understatement. ‘Iron Mike’ had been coveted by the promotion since he defeated Eddie Alvarez for the Bellator lightweight title back in 2011, but he’d always remained where he was, rather than make the jump to the big time.

That changed in 2020, when he finally inked a deal with the world’s biggest MMA promotion. When his debut was announced in early 2021, he was matched with highly-ranked contender Dan Hooker.

It took Chandler just over half a round to make an impact, as he landed a crushing right hand on ‘The Hangman’ and immediately put him away afterwards. ‘Iron Mike’ then cut such a charismatic promo that he immediately became a bankable star for the UFC.

Understandably, the promotion decided to strike while the iron was hot. So, overlooking Justin Gaethje, they put together a bout for the vacant lightweight title between Chandler and Charles Oliveira in just the former’s second appearance in the octagon.

The fight caused some controversy, most notably from those fighters who felt overlooked. For the most part, the fans bought into Chandler as a top contender. That feeling only increased when he decked Oliveira in the opening moments of the fight. This time he was unable to put his opponent away, later succumbing to a second-round TKO loss.

Since then, though, Chandler has put on a war with Gaethje in a losing effort, and most recently scored one of the best knockouts in recent memory over Tony Ferguson. With that said, a second title shot before he’s even reached double figures in terms of octagon bouts could well be possible.