5 fighters who have surprisingly never been in a UFC main event

The biggest fight of any UFC card is undoubtedly the main event. The fighters in the main event are on all the posters for the event and receive additional media attention. They also have the highest stakes and compete for the biggest prizes.

Most of the household names in the UFC have competed in the main event at some point. However, for some fighters, this honor has inexplicably evaded them thus far. While this is unusual, there are a handful of reasons why it can happen.

For some fighters, it seems as though they are simply not viewed as someone who can sell a lot of tickets. For others, they are kept on PPV events for some time, making it much harder to earn a main event spot than it would be for a Fight Night event.

Here are five fighters who have surprisingly never been in a UFC main event:

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#5. Kai Kara-France - UFC flyweight contender

Kara-France is ranked no. 6 with a record of 23-9 (1 NC)

You could argue that it is not too surprising that none of Kai Kara-France's fights thus far have warranted a main event, but the fact that his next fight won't be is shocking. The New Zealander will face undefeated and No. 2 ranked flyweight Askar Askarov in what must be a number one contender's bout. That fight will not even be a fight night co-main event.

The UFC seems to have an aversion to placing flyweights in main event fights, perhaps in the belief that these events would not sell as well. This certainly seems to be a factor for Kara-France, who is one of the most entertaining fighters in the division and has fought some of the very best at flyweight.

While Kara-France's fight with Brandon Moreno came too early in either man's career to be a main event, his bout with Cody Garbrandt was main event worthy. This fight with Askarov might be the biggest flyweight bout you could have without the title on the line, so it is shocking that this will not even be a co-main event.

#4. Khamzat Chimaev - UFC welterweight contender

Chimaev is ranked no. 11 with a record of 10-0

Khamzat Chimaev is one of the most popular names on the UFC roster, so it seems fair to say it's a little surprising that his wait for a main event is ongoing. Some will say this is because he is too early on in his career to have earned that opportunity but he certainly appears to be a draw already.

You could argue that Chimaev's bouts with Gerald Meerschaert and Li Jingliang were not high-profile enough to be a main event bout. However, the hype surrounding him is so great that it seems either could have warranted one. On top of that, his next fight with Gilbert Burns could 100% have been a main event bout.

That fight will not even be the co-main event on April 9 due to the two title fights that are taking place. It seems as though the promotion is keen to keep Chimaev on PPV cards for now, which may explain why 'Borz' is yet to compete in his first main event.

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#3. Marlon Vera - UFC bantamweight contender

Vera is ranked no. 8 with a record of 18-7-1

It was announced recently that Marlon Vera's long wait for a first main event will come to an end on April 30. He will do so in a bout against Rob Font in what will be an important bout for the bantamweight division. In truth, however, Vera has competed in more high-profile bouts in the past.

Vera's popularity sky-rocketed when he defeated the previously undefeated Sean O'Malley in August 2020. His next fight was against Jose Aldo in a bout that was surprisingly the co-main event behind Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal. His last fight against Frankie Edgar could also have easily been a fight night main event.

Thankfully, Vera will now not have to wait too much longer for his chance to headline an event. His fight with Font also gives him the opportunity to move into the division's top five with a win and that would surely lead to more main events in the future.

#2. Beneil Darisuh - UFC lightweight contender

Dariush is ranked no. 4 with a record of 21-4-1

Beneil Dariush missed out on his chance for a first UFC main event when he was forced to pull out of his scheduled bout with Islam Makhachev recently. While Darisuh may not be the biggest character in the sport, it does seem surprising that a main event bout has not come calling sooner.

Dariush is on a seven-fight winning streak and you can't help but feel as though he could've been handed a main event bout during this run. While some of his opponents may not have been high-profile enough, the same can't be said of his most recent fights with Tony Ferguson.

For Dariush, there are not a ton of other bouts that you feel ought to have been a main event, it is more just surprising that a fighter in his position has not had one. He is the no. 4 ranked lightweight on the planet and hasn't lost since early 2018, so surely his next bout will finally earn him a headline spot.

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#1. Vicente Luque - UFC welterweight contender

Luque is ranked no. 4 with a record of 21-7-1

Vicente Luque has been an elite welterweight for some time and has fought some of the biggest names in the division. Despite that, he is somehow yet to compete in a main event for the promotion. Thankfully, this will change on April 16 when he will rematch Belal Muhammad in what will be the main event of the evening.

If we look back at Luque's career, there seems to be a number of bouts that could have been a main event. In particular, his fights with Stephen Thompson, Tyron Woodley and Michael Chiesa were all huge fights in the division. Had they taken place on a fight night card, they likely would have been the headline bout.

Additionally, it seems a little odd that the fight to finally get him there is the rematch with Muhammad. While it may be a big fight in terms of rankings, Luque has gone 10-2 since then and will presumably be the favorite in that fight. If he wins, you can be confident that there will be plenty more big-time fights heading his way.