5 top contenders who are one win away from UFC title shots
Earning a title shot in the UFC is no small feat. Fighters must overcome immense odds to climb towards the top of a division. Even then other factors like timing, health and public attention often need to be just right to secure a shot at the gold.
Very few fighters ever earn this privilege and even making it to the UFC at all these days is a remarkable achievement. The same goes for becoming a ranked fighter as being in the top-15 in the world is incredibly impressive.
To put into perspective just how rare this is, there are over 750 fighters on the roster and there will be just 21 title fights in 2021. With that being said, the vast majority of fighters in the UFC have their sights set on one day fighting for a title.
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Here are five fighters who might be on the verge of realizing this feat and may only need one more win to secure them the title shot all fighters seek:
#5. Khamzat Chimaev
While it's pretty unheard of for a fighter to get a title shot this soon in their UFC career, there may not be another fighter quite like Khamzat Chimaev. The undefeated Dagestani sensation may be one bout away from fighting for gold.
Chimaev burst onto the scene in 2020 when he finished two opponents just ten days apart. He's followed that up with three straight first-round finishes, including a big win over Ling Jingliang at UFC 267 that saw him enter the rankings.
Chimaev is now in a position to fight a top contender at welterweight. Should this fight line up with champion Kamaru Usman's next title defense, he will be in a great position to secure his status as the next number one contender.
Khamzat Chimaev ‘probably going to ‘leapfrog’ Leon Edwards for UFC welterweight title shot with ‘another quick win’ thesun.co.uk/sport/16853017…