5 UFC fighters who are the second best in their division

#4. Zhang Weili - UFC strawweight

Zhang Weili's ascent to the UFC strawweight title was nothing short of outstanding. A 20-fight winning streak saw Zhang capture the title off Jessica Andrade and then defend it in an all-time great bout against Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

UFC 248 Adesanya v Romero

However, Weili then lost her title via KO to Rose Namajunas. A subsequent rematch was booked, but once again Zhang came up short.

The second fight was very close and perfectly displayed why 'Magnum' and 'Thug Rose' are at the very top of the strawweight roster. However, it cannot be denied that Namajunas has been the victor twice now, leaving the Chinese star as the de facto number two in the 115-pound division.

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#3. Robert Whittaker - UFC middleweight

Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is the clear number two in the 185-pound division. 'The Reaper' has defeated numerous top-10 opponents, including likely next title challenger Jared Cannonier. Darren Till, Kelvin Gastelum, Yoel Romero and Derek Brunson have all also fallen to Whittaker's elite-level skillset.

However, Whittaker has twice come up short against current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. The second fight was competitive, but it was still a clear loss for 'The Reaper'.

This places the former champ in a strange position. He will likely have to defeat several new rising contenders just to get a shot at the man who has already defeated him twice.

UFC 271: Adesanya v Whittaker 2