Ranking the 5 best UFC interim champions of all time

#4. Israel Adesanya – interim UFC middleweight champion (2019)

Israel Adesanya's fight with Kelvin Gastelum is arguably the UFC's greatest-ever interim title bout

Like Max Holloway, it’s hard to rank Israel Adesanya all that highly on a list of the UFC’s best interim champions, purely because he was never required to actually defend his title.

Instead, ‘The Last Stylebender’ fought for the undisputed UFC middleweight title in his first clash as interim champion. He knocked out Robert Whittaker to ensure that he was recognized as the world’s best 185lber. Two facts land Adesanya firmly on this countdown, though, and ensure that his brief reign as interim champion won’t be completely forgotten.

Firstly, unlike other interim titleholders such as Carlos Condit (welterweight), Shane Carwin (heavyweight) and Colby Covington (welterweight), Adesanya not only became undisputed champion, but he also made it look easy. More importantly, Adesanya’s interim title fight against Kelvin Gastelum may well be the greatest interim title fight in UFC history.

It was a back-and-forth war that saw Adesanya pushed harder than we’d ever seen up to that point. Gastelum even knocked him down during the contest. However, the Nigerian-New Zealander came roaring back to cement his victory in the final round as Gastelum began to flag.

Essentially, judging by the fight, Adesanya was taking his opportunity to become an interim UFC champion just as seriously as he would’ve taken an undisputed title fight. That makes him one of the best interim champions in UFC history.

---

#3. Georges St-Pierre – interim UFC welterweight champion (2007)

Georges St-Pierre never lost another UFC fight after winning the interim welterweight title

Another fighter who didn't defend his interim title is the legendary Georges St-Pierre. Like the aforementioned Max Holloway and Israel Adesanya, GSP was able to unify the UFC welterweight title when he stopped Matt Serra just four months after claiming interim gold. However, the Canadian belongs firmly on this list for more than one reason.

Firstly, ‘Rush’ never lost another fight after claiming the interim UFC welterweight title at UFC 79. After winning the undisputed belt in his very next fight, he went onto defend it on nine occasions, turning back the challenge of some of the toughest fighters on the planet. By the time he stepped away from the UFC in 2013, GSP was comfortably recognized as the greatest 170lber in MMA history.

More to the point, the fight that saw him win the interim title was also a historic one. It saw him face arguably his greatest-ever rival in the form of legendary former champion Matt Hughes for the third time.

The two fighters had split their previous two bouts. In the third one, St-Pierre left no question as to who the better man was. He dominated Hughes, throwing him around like a ragdoll before submitting him in the second round.

For that historic victory, as well as the massive achievements he went onto following his interim title win, Georges St-Pierre definitely belongs on any list of great interim UFC champions.