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Sometimes, UFC fighters enjoy quicker paths to title fights. Alex Pereira's recent win against Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 was facilitated by a shorter path to middleweight gold than others might have enjoyed.
The fact of the matter is that 'Poatan's' two wins over the Nigerian in kickboxing played a role. A story that could have been easily promoted led to a surge of fan interest in a fighter that would have otherwise lurked under the radar.
Unfortunately, not every fighter earns such opportunities in the UFC. Regardless of skill or win streak, some mixed martial artists must bend over backward. While some of these fighters were eventually granted title fights, that is not always the case.
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This list details five UFC fighters who have been overlooked for title fights despite being on long win streaks, regardless of whether they eventually fought for the title.
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#5. Stephen Thompson, UFC welterweight
Former undefeated kickboxer Stephen Thompson is the UFC's latest import from the world of karate. While his promotional debut was successful, his hopes for an early win streak were cut short by a unanimous decision loss to Matt Brown. It was the first defeat of 'Wonderboy's' MMA career.
Fortunately, it served as a learning experience for the dazzling striker. He rebounded from the loss as well as anyone could have hoped for and embarked on a lengthy win streak. Yet, despite a five-fight win streak, which included victories over future middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, he was passed over.
For his sixth consecutive win, he TKO'd Johny Hendricks. It is worth noting that when 'Wonderboy' fought 'Big Rig,' his foe had recently lost the welterweight title. At the time, he was not the over-the-hill fighter many fans remember him as. Alas, it wasn't enough.
Only after defeating Rory MacDonald to extend his streak to seven wins did he finally challenge for the undisputed welterweight title.
#4. Beneil Dariush, UFC lightweight
While Beneil Dariush is a well-respected fighter, he is not a draw in the eyes of upper management. The Iranian-American is known for his aversion to trash talk. That, combined with his religious zeal and grappling-based fighting style, has convinced the UFC to pass him over for title opportunities consistently.
He is currently on an eight-fight win streak. His wins include victories over Tony Ferguson—a former interim champion—and Mateusz Gamrot, who many have hailed as a future champion. Even if Dariush needs a win over another top-ranked opponent, it has never stopped the promotion before.
Michael Chandler was awarded a title fight against Charles Oliveira after a single win in the UFC. Conversely, Justin Gaethje was also awarded a title shot against 'do Bronx.' His title fight came after defeating Chandler despite being completely dominated by Khabib Nurmagomedov in his prior bout.
#3. Leon Edwards, UFC welterweight
Leon Edwards has had the fortune of eventually capturing championship gold in one of the greatest upsets in the promotion's history. However, his prior misfortune almost seemed to be neverending. Despite being one of the best fighters in the world, he has few fans.
His reserved nature and lack of flashiness left many regarding him as uninteresting. Colby Covington famously taunted him by referring to him as Leon Scott to highlight how seemingly forgettable he was. Additionally, his second-ever UFC fight left many fans mischaracterizing him.
'Rocky' won his bout with an eight-second knockout. However, Leon Edwards is not a knockout artist. His patient, technical style turned away fans who expected repeats of that performance. Even as he mounted an eight-fight win streak, he eluded the promotion's interest.
Despite wins over a former champion like Rafael dos Anjos and top contenders like Vicente Luque and Donald Cerrone, 'Rocky' was ignored. A no-contest against Belal Muhammad then derailed his run. However, after defeating Nate Diaz, Edwards finally earned his title fight and captured championship gold.
#2. Tony Ferguson, UFC lightweight
Tony Ferguson's run through the lightweight division was marred by misfortune and Dana White's promotional interests. While Ferguson eventually captured the interim lightweight title, he never fought for the undisputed title. It is especially egregious considering the lengthy win streak 'El Cucuy' was on.
At the time, the former interim champion had amassed 12 consecutive wins. His victories came against a range of elite opponents, including Rafael dos Anjos, Kevin Lee, Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone, and Edson Barboza. Despite his wins over two former champions and a one-time title challenger, he was largely ignored.
Conor McGregor took the UFC by storm, and Tony Ferguson was something of an afterthought when it came to title fights. While an attempt was made to schedule 'El Cucuy' into a title fight before his 12th straight win, it came after his 10th win.
An injury forced him to withdraw from the bout. Luckily, he received another title fight on his 13th fight. Unfortunately, another incident left him without an opponent, and he instead faced Justin Gaethje for a second interim title. 'El Cucuy' failed and was dealt a brutal beating before tumbling down the rankings with a losing streak.
#1. Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC lightweight
It may come as a surprise to many, given the prestige that Khabib Nurmagomedov now possesses. However, the retired lightweight champion was once snubbed in favor of Conor McGregor for a title fight. The legendary Russian grappler was in the seventh fight of his record-setting win streak.
The promotion offered him a title fight against the then-reigning champion Eddie Alvarez. Unfortunately, he later learned he was simply being used as a negotiating tool in the promotion's talks with 'The Underground King' and McGregor.
Instead of a title fight, Nurmagomedov fought Michael Johnson. After his eighth consecutive win, 'The Eagle' faced Edson Barboza. Finally, in his 10th fight with the promotion, the Russian legend was awarded a title fight, which he won against Al Iaquinta.
