Top 10 Most Dominant Champions In UFC History
Over more than two decades, the UFC has produced many champions, but some of them are remarkable and demonstrate dominance that marks them as being in a league of their own. This paper is a reflection on the ten most storied champions in UFC history and their reigns and styles of fighting. Reign: Middleweight Champion (2006-2013) Anderson “The Spider” Silva is, as far as most people believe, the best of the best mixed martial artists. The middleweight division had no challenge to Silva, retaining the title for almost seven years and defending the title ten times. His skills, creativity, and power in landing his strikes made him a dangerous opponent that few fighters could handle. Some of the great knockouts include Silva’s front kick knockout of Vitor Belfort and his destruction of Forrest Griffin. Reign: Welterweight Champion (2006–2007, January 2008–2013) Georges ‘Rush’ St-Pierre is a two-time welterweight champion and is very technical. He is also known for his versatility. It was hard to deal with GSP, who out-wrestled wrestlers and out-striked strikers, making him a match to deal with. He defended his title nine times and also defeated all his career rivals twice with ease. St-Pierre decided to come back to the UFC after four years away from the cage to win the middleweight title in 2017 and become the one with the most title defense in the promotion’s history. Reign: Literature Period: Light Heavyweight Champion (2011–2015 and 2018–2020) Jon “Bones” Jones is one of the most talented fighters in mixed martial arts ever. Jones won the belt in the UFC at the age of 23 and has managed to defend his light heavyweight title record 11 times if his two reigns are taken into consideration. His striking, wrestling, and fighting IQ have been outstanding for over a decade, placing him at the top of his division. Regardless of his extracurricular issues, Jones’s reign as arguably the most decorated fighter inside the cage cannot be argued. Reign: Flyweight Champion (2012-2018) Johnson has ruled the flyweight division since its creation and has successfully defended his title 11 times, which is another record in the UFC. Johnson was fast and skilled, and he was one of the most diverse fighters in the flyweight division. The manner in which he transitioned from striking to grappling and vice versa, and the creativity of the submissions that he applied, such as the “Mighty Wiz-Bar” on Ray Borg. Reign: Lightweight Champion (2018-2020) Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov retired with an undefeated record of 29-0, something that no other modern MMA fighter can match. The constant grappling that Khabib applied to all his fights was the reason why every fighter he encountered was overwhelmed. Many of his wins over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje showed that he can eliminate top-level competition. Khabib’s reign was short, but he was unbeatable, and that is why he is remembered. Reign: Bantamweight Champion (2013-2015) Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey is a former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion who played a crucial role in getting attention towards women’s MMA. She reigned as the bantamweight champion, and most of her fights were ended by an armbar in the first round. Rousey successfully defended her title six times, and besides her achievements inside the cage, she turned into a pop-culture phenomenon. Although her professional career was cut short, her influence and hegemony during her reign can still be regarded as substantial. Reign: Bantamweight Champion (2016-Present) and Featherweight Champion (2018-Present) The current and proud UFC champion Amanda “The Lioness” Nunes is the first woman in history to hold and defend her belts in two weight divisions at the same time. The reign of the current bantamweight and featherweight champion has seen her deliver knockouts and dominating displays. Nunes has tamed some of the biggest names in women’s MMA, including Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, and Valentina Shevchenko. She is the greatest female fighter of all time due to her versatility, power, and resistance. Reign: Featherweight Champion (2010-2015) Jose ‘Scarface’ Aldo was the featherweight champion for almost six years, and during that time, he managed to successfully defend his title seven times. Some of the things that enabled Aldo to dominate his opponent were his striking, especially the leg kicks, and defensive wrestling. His win against the best competitors, such as Chad Mendes and Frankie Edgar, proved this fact. During Aldo’s reign, he was able to achieve great things and really define the featherweight division. Reign: Challenger: The Heavyweight Championship Series (2016–2018, 2019–2021) While Stipe Miocic has the record for the most defenses of the title in the UFC heavyweight division with four, Thus, Miocic was a dangerous champion, combining boxing skills, a wrestling background, and aggressive defense. Winning over Daniel Cormier, Francis Ngannou, and Junior dos Santos, he proved himself to be the best heavyweight in UFC history. One of the testaments to Miocic’s prowess in fights has been his ability to persevere and even turn the tides in his favor. Reign: Flyweight Champion: August 2018–SSeptember 2019, Bantamweight Champion: September 2019–SSeptember 2020 Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo is one of the rare fighters with belts in two weight divisions at the same time. Cejudo is an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, and upon entering MMA, he progressed rapidly and became dominant. He dethroned Demetrious Johnson and his flyweight reign and then won the bantamweight championship by defeating Marlon Moraes. Cejudo integrated wrestling and striking skills with good tactics, which saw him dominate both divisions. The Effect of High-Impact Champions The supremacy of these champions has influenced a great deal of the UFC and MMA as a whole. This has placed them in a position where they give their best every time they are in the field, thus defining what it takes to be a champion. These have challenged the norms of the sport and made the rivals change their patterns and strategies. Their reigns have attracted millions of fans to watch MMA and have taken the sport to levels that it has never been before. Impacts of Training