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Nearly every UFC fighter is driven by the goal of becoming their division's champion. To do so, fighters must earn title shots, through which they will either face their weight class' reigning champion or compete for a vacant title against another top contender.
Earning such opportunities is difficult, and most fighters only fight for the title once. They may even participate in a second title fight if they're fortunate or good enough. However, there are those who have fought for the title more times than fans may care to see. In some cases, it is undeserved.
In rarer cases, fighters earn so many title shots, undisputed or interim, that they become synonymous with them. Whether deserved or otherwise, they're often regarded as being the subject of corporate favoritism, as they're afforded opportunities that even exceptionally hard-working fighters are not.
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#5. Colby Covington, UFC welterweight
The latest example of a fighter who seems to receive endless, even undeserved, title shots is Colby Covington. He recently faced Leon Edwards for the undisputed UFC welterweight title, losing yet again. It was his third crack at undisputed gold, as he had previously failed to twice dethrone Kamaru Usman.
However, Covington has actually had more than three title shots. Fans might remember that 'Chaos' is actually a former interim welterweight champion, which he won in a title fight against former lightweight titleholder Rafael dos Anjos. Having fought for a title four times is a rarity.
More than that, however, is how little Covington had to do for three of his four title shots. He challenged Usman for the belt and lost before earning another crack by beating a declining Tyron Woodley. He lost his second undisputed title fight before earning his third undisputed title fight by beating a declining Jorge Masvidal.
#4. Jon Jones, current UFC heavyweight champion
When considering his interim title fight at light heavyweight, Jon Jones has had five title shots in the promotion. His first crack at championship gold came against Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, who 'Bones' TKO'd to become the youngest champion in UFC history, capturing the 205-pound strap.
After defending his title numerous times, he was stripped of the belt for violating the promotion's code of conduct. He then faced Ovince Saint Preux for interim light heavyweight gold, winning, before being stripped yet again for a PED violation. Upon his return, he faced Daniel Cormier for the undisputed 205-pound belt.
While he won, 'Bones' was again stripped after yet another PED violation. A year later, he returned to face Alexander Gustafsson in a rematch for the division's vacant title, which he won. After defending the belt thrice, he moved up to heavyweight, where he captured the title by submitting Ciryl Gane.
#3. Max Holloway, UFC featherweight
It is often forgotten how many title shots Max Holloway has been given. His first one was an interim featherweight title fight against Anthony Pettis. After winning, he faced Jose Aldo for the undisputed belt, capturing it in impressive fashion. He subsequently racked up a few title defenses before something else arose.
He took part in an interim lightweight title fight with Dustin Poirier, marking the Hawaiian's third title fight in the UFC. He lost and returned to featherweight, where he defended his belt before losing it to Alexander Volkanovski. The two had an immediate rematch, Holloway's fourth title fight, which he lost.
Afterward, 'Blessed' authored a two-fight win streak to earn his fifth, and thus far, final crack at a championship when he faced Volkanovski in a trilogy, which he lost in dominant fashion. While he is currently set to face Justin Gaethje for the 'BMF' belt, it is little more than a symbolic title.
#2. Joseph Benavidez, former UFC flyweight
There was a time when Joseph Benavidez was regarded as the second-best flyweight in the world, and there's a good reason for it. He has fought for the division's UFC title several times. First, he and Demetrious Johnson clashed over the inaugural belt, which Benavidez failed to capture in a split-decision loss.
A year later, he was knocked out in his second title fight, again against Johnson. Afterward, it took him seven years to work his way back into title contention as he faced Deiveson Figueiredo for the vacant flyweight title. Unfortunately, he was TKO'd for his troubles, marking it as his third flyweight title loss.
Check out Deiveson Figueiredo TKO'ing Joseph Benavidez:
However, due to Figueiredo missing weight, he was ineligible to win the belt, so they had a rematch, but the result was just as definitive. Benavidez was choked out in his fourth undisputed title fight, and after a farewell fight in the promotion, he retired from MMA.
#1. Holly Holm, UFC women's bantamweight
It is a running joke that Holly Holm earns unwarranted title shots. Her first crack at championship gold came against Ronda Rousey, which saw 'The Preacher's Daughter' score one of the biggest upsets in MMA history to capture the women's bantamweight title. Unfortunately, she lost it in her first title defense.
Two fights later, she faced Germaine de Randamie for the inaugural women's featherweight title, losing again. A return to bantamweight returned her to winning ways before she took on Cris Cyborg in her second shot at the featherweight strap. But again, Holm lost in what was her third title loss.
Afterward, she worked herself into a bantamweight title fight with Amanda Nunes but was knocked out within four minutes, marking her fourth and final title shot.
