5 UFC fighters stuck as permanent top-contenders in their respective divisions

#2. Colby Covington

Often touted as the second-best welterweight in the world, Colby 'Chaos' Covington is an nigh-indomitable force in his division. No one can match the relentless pace he sets whenever he steps into the octagon, which enables him to overwhelm his foes with a breadth of strikes designed to force them into a purely defensive state.

If all his opponents do is react, then eventually they will react incorrectly. With the added danger of Covington's wrestling threat, few can hope to stop 'Chaos' as he storms through the division.

He either outlasts, outworks, or outwrestles nearly everyone he faces. His patented fighting style earned him a UFC interim welterweight championship, but the NCAA Division I standout failed in both attempts at becoming the undisputed champion.

In his way stood Kamaru Usman, a man regarded by many as the pound-for-pound best fighter in MMA. Their first bout was competitive, ending in a TKO win for Usman. Their second bout, while similarly competitive, was another victory for 'The Nigerian Nightmare'.

Trilogy fights are rarely booked when one fighter has won every preceding fight, thus Covington seems fated for the role of top contender until Usman relinquishes his title.

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#1. Dustin Poirier

One of the finest boxers in the UFC today, Dustin Poirier is a former interim lightweight champion who has plied his trade in two weight classes: featherweight and, of course, lightweight. Sadly, the Louisiana native is an elite fighter who seems to underperform when the lights are brightest.

While Poirier promised to shock the world when he and former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov crossed paths at UFC 242, 'The Diamond' fell short, becoming another number on the undefeated Russian's 29-0 record.

When Nurmagomedov retired from MMA, many believed Poirier—who was on a three-fight win streak—was the uncrowned champion. However, his second attempt at capturing the undisputed championship ended in another failure as he was defeated by Charles Oliveira with a rear-naked choke: the same submission Nurmagomedov used to defeat him.

Having lost to two undisputed champions, Poirier seems to be at a crossroads in his career.