5 UFC fighters who won fights in multiple weight classes

#2. Diego Sanchez – UFC middleweight to lightweight

Diego Sanchez has had an incredible UFC career. His first taste of success came in the middleweight division, where he was the inaugural winner of The Ultimate Fighter. He defeated Kenny Florian but moved back down to welterweight after earning the contract.

‘Nightmare’ was successful at 170 lbs and picked up notable wins over Karo Parisyan and former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. After going 8-2 in the promotion, the TUF winner moved down to 155 lbs in an attempt to become the lightweight champion.

Sanchez hit his stride and came into his own at lightweight, which was evident in his performances. In fact, his split-decision win over Clay Guida was inducted into the Fight Wing of the Hall of Fame. Despite never winning a championship, he was still successful in multiple weight divisions. At middleweight, Sanchez won TUF, and at lightweight he earned a title shot against BJ Penn in 2009.

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#1. Anthony Johnson – UFC welterweight to light heavyweight

Anthony Johnson is an example of why weight-cutting doesn’t always lead to the best results. Based on how he looks at light heavyweight, it’s unbelievable to think that he fought at welterweight in the past.

‘Rumble’ might not have been at his best when competing at 170 lbs, but he was still in the title picture. However, it wasn’t until his release from the promotion that fans got a sense of what he was capable of.

After two-years away from the promotion, Johnson returned in 2014 and competed in the light heavyweight division. From that moment on, he would become one of the most feared knockout artists in the sport.

He had little difficulty defeating the top light heavyweights, which included a 13-second knockout win over current champion Glover Teixeira. ‘Rumble’s only losses at light heavyweight came in title fights against Daniel Cormier, which is significant considering who he fought.