5 underrated fighters whose UFC records warrant more recognition

#2 Vicente Luque (UFC Record: 13-3)

UFC 260: Woodley v Luque

Despite being one of the more entertaining fighters on the roster, Vicente Luque doesn't seem to get the appreciation he deserves. Since his loss in the TUF 21 finale to Michael Graves in July 2015, 'The Silent Assassin' has fought 15 times and lost only twice.

Luque's first loss came to Leon Edwards in March 2017, breaking a four-fight win streak. Not to be deterred, he went on another winning run, this time for six fights before falling to Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson. With both Edwards and Thompson firmly in the welterweight title picture right now, the Brazilian can be forgiven for his losses.

Importantly, Luque - who has never been finished in the UFC - has wins over Tyron Woodley, Belal Muhammad, Niko Price (twice) and Mike Perry, among many others. All while promising nonstop entertainment in the octagon. He takes on Michael Chiesa in August as he attempts to earn himself a title shot.

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#1 Derrick Lewis (UFC Record: 21-5)

UFC Fight Night: Lewis v Oleinik

News broke recently that Derrick Lewis will face off against Ciryl Gane in August with the interim heavyweight title on the line. While 'The Black Beast' may feel a bit hard done by as he was staring at a shot at Francis Ngannou's undisputed title, he will welcome the opportunity to win some gold in the UFC.

Derrick Lewis (@Thebeast_ufc) will face Ciryl Gane (@ciryl_gane) in an interim heavyweight title fight in the main event of UFC 265 on Aug. 7 in Houston, per Dana White (@danawhite). pic.twitter.com/wy3frMtyjJ

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 28, 2021

That wouldn't be anything apart from what he deserves, since he's been one of the UFC's most unproblematic stars since making his promotional debut in April 2014. With over 20 wins in the UFC under his belt in the most difficult division and 12 knockout wins (the most in heavyweight history), Lewis has produced several entertaining moments both inside and outside the octagon.

Since October 2015, Lewis' only losses have come to Mark Hunt, Daniel Cormier and Junior dos Santos - two former champions and one former title contender. In the same period, he has amassed 13 wins, including names like Ngannou, Alexey Oleinik, Curtis Blaydes, Alexander Volkov, Marcin Tybura, Travis Browne and Roy Nelson.

Pretty respectable for someone who isn't talked about in the same vein as the other elite heavyweights, eh?

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