5 UFC fighters who won the title in massive upsets but never defended their title

The UFC has a rich history. It is the world's premier mixed martial arts organization and has been home to some of the globe's finest fighters for some time now. With greatness comes expectations. When Anderson Silva was at the peak of his powers, no one expected him to lose, regardless of who he faced.

But the former middleweight king eventually tasted defeat. After a long run of 17 consecutive wins, 'The Spider' finally lost in one of the sport's greatest upsets. At UFC 162, he suffered a shocking second-round knockout loss to Chris Weidman. The All-American subsequently defended his title three times before finally losing.

This, however, isn't always the case. At times, fighters defeat favorites in historical upsets, claiming their titles only to lose in their very first title defenses. Whether those losses were due to their initial wins being flukes or something else doesn't matter because they'll all be listed here.

---

#5. Conor McGregor, former UFC double champion

It seems like forever ago that Conor McGregor was a featherweight. But the Irishman helmed one of the greatest runs in the UFC's 145 lbs weight class. He introduced the world to his sharp brand of trash talk while slicing through every 145'er that stood between him and the divisional throne.

In late 2015, he faced the division's most renowned king, José Aldo. At the time, the legendary Brazilian was unbeaten in the UFC and the owner of a 18-fight win streak dating back to his days on the Brazilian regional scene. He defended his title seven times and many expected the Irishman to be his eighth conquest.

Once the two men stepped inside the octagon, expectations were high. Unfortunately, it was all over in 13 seconds as 'The Notorious' left everyone jaw-dropped with a massive upset KO. Despite his success, he never defended his title. He embarked on a journey at lightweight and was eventually stripped of his featherweight crown.

---

#4. Cody Garbrandt, former UFC men's bantamweight champion

Before crossing swords with Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207, Dominick Cruz hadn't lost a fight in eight years. Everyone from the great Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson to former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw failed to knock him off the mountaintop at 135 lbs.

Little did anyone know that the man to hand him his first-ever UFC loss was a young knockout artist who went from being an unranked fighter to a title contender in a single year. In 2016, 'No Love' scored three first-round knockouts in quick succession to earn a title shot against 'The Dominator'.

In his fourth fight that year, he rose to the occasion by dropping his foe twice and even securing a takedown en route to a unanimous decision win. It was a massive upset that was unfortunately followed by an immediate title loss for Cody Garbrandt as he fell to former teammate T.J. Dillashaw.

---

#3. Julianna Peña, former UFC women's bantamweight champion

Amanda Nunes is the greatest women's fighter in history. She has defeated a total of seven different undisputed UFC champions throughout her career, which only Jon Jones can match. Among the names on her record are legends like former featherweight juggernaut Cris Cyborg and UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey.

Back in 2021, 'The Lioness' seemed to be all out of viable challengers who could challenge her inside the octagon. Julianna Peña emerged as her latest foe, but off the back of a single win, hardly anyone gave her a chance. This was especially true after her submission loss to a kickboxer in Germiane de Randamie was noted.

Thus, when she faced the streaking Nunes, no one gave Peña a chance. What ensued, however, was one of the greatest upsets in MMA history. 'The Venezuelan Vixen' interrupted her foe's jab en route to exhausting her and securing a rear-naked choke win in the second round.

Unfortunately, her historic success was not a sign of things to come as she lost the title in an immediate rematch with 'The Lioness'.

---

#2. Holly Holm, former UFC women's bantamweight champion

Back in 2015, Ronda Rousey had an aura of invincibility that was virtually unmatched. Not only was she an undefeated titleholder who finished all of her opponents with supreme ease, she was also a global sensation unlike any other. Many even spoke about hypothetical fights between her and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Every opponent who faced her was regarded as a sacrificial lamb. Thus, Holly Holm wasn't regarded any differently when her bout with 'Rowdy' was announced. The pair clashed in front of a then record-breaking crowd in Australia. What ensued, however, was not the domination that fans expected.

Instead, it was 'The Preacher's Daughter' who dominated the bout en route to a stunning KO win in the second round. While great things were expected of Holly Holm, she lost her title in her subsequent bout against Miesha Tate via submission late into the fight.

---

#1. Matt Serra, former UFC welterweight champion

Matt Serra's greatest accomplishment isn't capturing UFC gold. Instead, his greatest accomplishment was defeating MMA great Georges St-Pierre in arguably the biggest upset in mixed martial arts history. The pair faced off back in 2007, and Serra shocked the world by scoring a first-round TKO.

At the time, 'GSP' had only ever lost to the legendary Matt Hughes. Thus, the result of their bout warranted an immediate rematch. To Serra's misfortune, however, the second fight didn't go his way. The Canadian great showcased the strength of his wrestling en route to a dominant win.

The fight lasted merely two rounds before 'GSP' secured a TKO to bring an end to his foe's dreams of a long title reign. The New Yorker never came close to another title fight, and lost two of his last three fights before hanging it up.