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In the UFC, and indeed, MMA as a whole, greatness is commonly measured by factors like a fighter's win streak and whether they've won world championships. Thus, it is only natural to assume that great UFC fighters must also have great records that reflect their excellence inside the octagon.
But this isn't always the case. Sometimes, a fighter can be greater than their record might imply. Some fighters, for example, stick around far past their prime and begin racking up losses that they wouldn't have otherwise suffered when they were at the peak of their powers.
In other cases, a fighter's career is derailed by a catastrophic injury, and they're never the same again. Though sometimes, they simply started losing, but it doesn't take away from their greatness or impact. Nevertheless, some great fighters have poor records, and these are five of them.
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#5. Mark Coleman, former UFC heavyweight champion
Mark 'The Hammer' Coleman is a highly credentialed mixed martial artist and a pioneer of the sport. He is often credited as 'The Godfather of Ground & Pound' due to being among the first American fighters to effectively use strikes on a grounded opponent.
But he was also wildly successful when it came to capturing titles. He is a two-time UFC tournament champion, the first heavyweight titleholder in the promotion's history, and a member of the Hall of Fame. Furthermore, he is a former PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix champion.
He holds wins over fellow Hall of Famers Don Frye and Dan Severn, as well as former light heavyweight champion Maurício 'Shogun' Rua. Unfortunately, Coleman's success does not reflect well on his record, as he retired with 16 wins and 10 losses, marking a poor statistical run.
#4. Frank Mir, former UFC heavyweight champion
The heavyweight division has three fighters that are typically in contention for the title of the best grappler in 265-pound history. Those fighters are Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Fabrício Werdum and Frank Mir. All three men have held the UFC heavyweight title, whether undisputed or interim.
Frank Mir won both interim and undisputed titles. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace has beaten three fellow champions in Tim Sylvia, Brock Lesnar, and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (2x), finishing all three men. Furthermore, he is the first fighter to ever defeat 'Minotauro' Nogueira via submission.
Despite the success and run of form he was once on, Mir changed as a fighter after a career-threatening motorcycle accident. While he remained a successful fighter thereafter, he eventually succumbed to age as he continued fighting past his prime, and still hasn't retired, holding a poor record of 19 wins and 13 losses.
#3. Rose Namajunas, former UFC women's strawweight champion
Rose Namajunas' worst enemy is herself. Nevertheless, she has achieved incredible amounts of success. Not only is she a former UFC women's strawweight champion, but she is one of the few women to hold wins over multiple champions, having beaten Zhang Weili (2x), Joanna Jędrzejczyk (2x) and Jéssica Andrade.
In fact, 'Thug Rose' is responsible for handing Joanna Jędrzejczyk her first-ever loss, forever blemishing her foe's undefeated record. Additionally, she also ended Zhang Weili's 21-fight win streak, becoming the first and, thus far, the only fighter to beat 'Magnum' in the promotion.
However, despite the highs she has reached in her career, her record is surprisingly poor in terms of her win-loss run, with 11 wins and five losses, nearly half as many defeats as she has victories.
#2. Randy Couture, former UFC heavyweight/light heavyweight champion
While Conor McGregor is the first simultaneous two-division champion in the promotion, Randy Couture is the first fighter to ever capture two titles in two separate divisions in the UFC. He is an extremely accomplished fighter and regarded as a legend of the sport.
He is a three-time UFC heavyweight champion, two-time light heavyweight champion, one-time interim light heavyweight champion, and tournament winner in the promotion. Not only does he hold the record for the most heavyweight title wins in the promotion, he is also its oldest-ever champion.
The Hall of Famer has also beaten 8 champions in Mark Coleman, Tim Sylvia, Vitor Belfort (2x), Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Kevin Randleman, and Maurice Smith. Still, 'The Natural's' record is a curious one. For all his success, he retired from the sport with 19 wins and 11 losses.
#1. B.J. Penn, former UFC welterweight/lightweight champion
Middleweight legend Anderson Silva hailed B.J. Penn as the greatest fighter he's ever seen. Even Dana White once heralded 'The Prodigy' as arguably the greatest fighter of all time. Penn is a multi-division champion, the second fighter in the promotion to hold two titles across different divisions, albeit not simultaneously.
He is a former lightweight and welterweight champion, and currently holds the record for the most title defenses in lightweight history as of 2023. The Hall of Famer is the co-champion of the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament and has the most finishes in lightweight title bouts.
B.J. Penn has also defeated several champions during his run, including Matt Serra, Jens Pulver, Sean Sherk, and all-time welterweight great Matt Hughes (2x). Unfortunately, he fought far past his prime, and owns the longest-ever losing streak in the promotion, bringing his record to 16 wins, 14 losses, and two draws.
