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UFC title fights are often decisive affairs in favor of either the defending champion or the challenger staring them down from across the octagon. Legendary UFC fighters like Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones are known for having thoroughly dominated their opposition during the height of their respective title reigns.
However, not every title fight is a convincing win for one of the competitors involved. Sometimes, matchups contested for championship gold involve uncanny events. At times, these events manifest as upset wins for a fighter no one expected to best their opponent. On other occasions, they manifest as comebacks.
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Fighters on the verge of losing a bout after being dominated for nearly the entire duration of the fight have shocked the world by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. It is a remarkable feat and this list details the 5 greatest comebacks in UFC title fights.
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#5. Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira, UFC 275
When Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira faced each other at UFC 275, fans expected the bout to go one of two ways. Either Prochazka would weaponize his seismic punching power to knock the Brazilian unconscious or Teixeira himself would take advantage of the Czech phenom's lesser ground game by taking him down and submitting him. Neither prediction was accurate as spectators were treated to a Fight of the Year candidate.
While Prochazka's long reach and wide stance enabled him to dart in and out of range with sniping punches, his tendency to prolong his combinations and stand in his foe's face gradually exposed him to Teixeira's counterpunches. Whenever Prochazka did enough to hurt or wobble his foe, the Brazilian ducked under his punches for a takedown as the future light heavyweight champion overextended on his intended knockout blows.
Once the fight hit the mat, reversals ensued, but over time, Teixeira's superior cardio enabled him to take over the fight before he managed to rock Prochazka badly with a right hand. The Czech Republic's dreams of a UFC world champion seemed all but over. It was the fifth round and Prochazka almost looked out on his feet.
In an inexplicable moment, Teixeira sunk in a guillotine instead of following up with punches and knees. The guillotine failed and Jiri Prochazka recovered as more scrambles ensued, eventually culminating in the Czech phenom securing a rear-naked choke with 37 seconds left in the bout, forcing Teixeira to tap out due to sheer exhaustion.
#4. Miesha Tate vs. Holly Holm, UFC 196
In the leadup to UFC 196, Holly Holm had the promotion in the palm of her hand. She was undefeated and had just dethroned Ronda Rousey for women's bantamweight supremacy in one of the greatest upsets in MMA history. Holm's performance against 'Rowdy' was complete domination, so when her first title defense was scheduled against Miesha Tate, many regarded it as a foregone conclusion.
Tate, while a former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion, was seen as a lesser fighter due to her previous losses to Ronda Rousey. However, styles make fights, and Tate was not as reckless a striker as Rousey was. Still, when she and Holm finally locked horns, 'The Preacher's Daughter' put forth a display of her kickboxing acumen by keeping 'Cupcake' at the end of her kicks and jabs. Holm seemed to be in complete control, defending most of her foe's takedowns.
However, in the fifth round, Miesha Tate's determination was at an all-time high. She would likely never secure another title fight again, so as Holm committed to a punch, Tate ducked under and shot in for a takedown, cutting the corner and dragging her foe to the mat. 'Cupcake' secured a back-take and immediately mounted Holm's back to fish for a rear-naked choke. Seconds later, she found it and it was as deep as a choke could ever be.
Having spent the entire fight being outstruck and outpointed, Tate squeezed with every twitch of strength she had left, choking Holm unconscious to finally capture UFC gold minutes away from tasting defeat.
#3. Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, UFC 116
Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin is one of the most powerful fighters the promotion has ever seen. A hulking beast who stormed through the UFC heavyweight division, he announced himself on the doorstep of Brock Lesnar's championship abode with brutal intentions. Carwin was undefeated. Not only was he unbeaten, but he had defeated every single opponent prior either by submission or knockout, all in the first round across 12 fights.
Brock Lesnar, by contrast, was a powerful wrestler with an equally monstrous physique. He was the reigning UFC heavyweight champion and neither man had ever faced a foe quite as big as the other. The two were booked for a title unification bout and at UFC 116, the two titans clashed. At the onset of the fight, Lesnar found himself unable to take Carwin to the ground. Instead, Lesnar endured a brutal avalanche of punches that bloodied and battered him.
Sandwiched between the fence and his opponent, Lesnar was soon knocked down and Carwin seemed seconds away from extending his record to 13-0 with yet another first round finish. As he rained down punches on Lesnar, the bout could have been stopped. However, the former NCAA Division I champion survived and narrowly escaped the round.
By the second round, Carwin was exhausted. He had never been to the second round in his professional career and had expended tremendous energy attempting to knock Lesnar out. With his foe too tired to do much of anything, Lesnar completed a takedown and secured an arm-triangle choke that Carwin had no choice but to surrender to. He tapped and the lifelong wrestler had resurrected a title reign that seemed all but dead in the first round.
#2. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman, UFC 278
Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman first crossed paths at UFC on Fox 17, almost seven years ago. Both men were different fighters compared to what they've now become. While Edwards mounted a spirited effort in the first round of their initial bout, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' went on to dominate every other round, outwrestling his foe to a comfortable unanimous decision win. Usman went on to capture the UFC welterweight championship while Edwards grew from the loss.
When the two stepped inside the octagon for their long-awaited rematch years later, 'Rocky' shocked the world in more ways than one. In the very first round, Edwards stunned Usman and the surrounding spectators by becoming the first fighter to secure a takedown against the Nigerian-American in MMA, eventually capturing his opponent's back as he fished for chokes but found none. At the onset of the second round, the bout took on a completely different complexion.
Edwards succumbed to the demands of the high altitude environment in Salt Lake City. Too tired to maintain his opening-round pace, 'Rocky' was helpless against Usman's relentless pressure. He was outwrestled from pillar to post. After a certain point, his spirit and self-belief seemed to break as Edwards cut a dejected figure. His corner tried to rally him to victory but by the fifth round, it seemed hopeless.
Only a minute stood in the way of Usman retaining his title. As the commentary team spoke about how Edwards might regard not being finished as a moral victory, the Jamaican-Brit threw a jab-straight left combination. As Usman slipped his head to the outside of his foe's left hand, he unknowingly slipped his head into the path of Edwards' left shin. 'Rocky' smashed a thunderous left high kick into Usman's skull, knocking him out cold to capture a title that seemed all but glued to Usman.
#1. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen, UFC 117
There was a time when Anderson Silva looked invincible. The preeminent counter-striker of his age, the Brazilian was an elusive wizard inside the octagon. He was a human highlight reel with deceptive knockout power. In August 2010, memories were still fresh of his total domination over Forrest Griffin a year prior and the truly bizarre and uneventful bout he had with Demian Maia four months earlier.
With his 12-fight win streak and spectacular wins instilling fear in potential opponents, Silva seemed to have cleaned out his division. In his subsequent bout at UFC 117, he faced longtime wrestler Chael Sonnen. At the time, Sonnen wasn't a fighter anyone believed would trouble Silva. However, in the first round, the former All-American rocked 'The Spider' before diving in for a takedown.
It was a winning formula and Sonnen used his wrestling base to drag Silva to the mat, using his top control and ground and pound to dominate his opponent. Never had the Brazilian looked so helpless. In the fifth round, Sonnen again outwrestled Silva, taking him to the ground off of a slip. Defeat seemed certain for Silva. He was in need of either a flash knockout or a last-minute submission.
With two minutes left in the bout, 'The Spider' glimpsed at an opening and seized his opportunity, slapping on a triangle armbar. While Sonnen resisted as much as he could, it was to no avail, forcing him to tap to the armbar as opposed to the triangle in a matchup where Silva had absolutely nothing else for Sonnen.
