5 fighters who won UFC titles on their second attempt
For most MMA fighters, a UFC title shot marks the apex of their career. Few fighters actually win UFC gold, with just over 100 champions in its near-three decade existence.
Some fighters are lucky enough to have multiple shots at UFC titles, and while there have been plenty who have failed, a handful have won gold on their second attempt.
With this in mind, here are five fighters who captured UFC titles on their second attempt.
#1 Brandon Moreno – UFC flyweight title
The latest entry on this list is the current UFC flyweight champion, Brandon Moreno.
To say that the Mexican fighter is an unlikely UFC champion would probably be an understatement. Moreno entered the UFC following an unsuccessful run in the 24th season of The Ultimate Fighter, and then surprised fans by reeling off a three-fight win streak.
However, he then lost his next two fights and was cut from the UFC. 'The Assassin Baby' then returned in 2019, and after another three-fight win streak, gained a title shot against champ Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 256.
His fight with the Brazilian was fantastic and ended in a draw. However, it was clear to most observers that Moreno had largely lost the fight and had only secured a draw due to Figueiredo having a point deducted.
Due to the quality of the fight though, the UFC felt obliged to give Moreno a second crack at the gold.
And to everyone's surprise, 'The Assassin Baby' completely dominated Figueiredo en route to capturing the title, becoming the UFC's first Mexican champion in the process.
#2 Mauricio Shogun Rua – UFC light heavyweight title
When Mauricio Rua entered the UFC as one of PRIDE’s biggest stars, only to fall to Forrest Griffin, it looked like he was past his best.
When the UFC gave him a shot at the light heavyweight title following wins over Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell, it felt like the plan was simply to provide new champ Lyoto Machida a big-name win for his record.
But Shogun surprised everyone by utilizing leg kicks to break Machida down, and when he came out on the wrong end of a controversial judges’ decision, the MMA world was furious.
It only felt right that the promotion handed him a rematch, and in his second attempt at the UFC light heavyweight title, Shogun struck gold.
He landed a huge right hand to Machida’s temple late in the first round and became the first man to beat 'The Dragon,' becoming the new champion in the process.
The win not only made Shogun a UFC champion, but it also made him one of a handful of fighters to hold titles in the UFC and PRIDE – and elevated him to the status of an all-time great, too.
#3 Robbie Lawler – UFC welterweight title
When Robbie Lawler was handed a shot at the UFC welterweight title vacated by Georges St. Pierre in early 2014, it felt like the culmination of a lengthy, up-and-down career.
And when 'Ruthless' Robbie lost that title shot to Johny Hendricks in a tremendous fight, it felt like he had finally reached his ceiling.
But while Hendricks took some time away from the UFC to heal a torn bicep, Lawler continued to focus on the belt and refused to let his momentum die.
Wins over Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown put him directly back in line for another shot at Hendricks, just nine months after their first meeting.
In the second clash, Lawler showed he'd learned from the first fight. He defended Hendricks' takedown attempts, didn't absorb many shots, and landed far better strikes to earn a clear-cut decision win.
It might've taken longer than some UFC fans expected when they saw his explosive octagon debut back in 2002, but 'Ruthless' had finally ascended the UFC mountain.
#4 Miesha Tate – UFC bantamweight title
Thus far, the three fighters we've looked at all took their UFC titles on their second attempt, but they also beat a champion they'd already lost against.
The same cannot be said for Miesha Tate.
The popular bantamweight was initially given a title shot against seemingly unstoppable champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 168. Despite putting up a decent fight, she came up short and was submitted in the third round.
But the loss didn't knock her confidence, and 'Cupcake' kept plugging away, beating four high-ranked fighters to climb back up the ladder.
When Holly Holm knocked Rousey out to claim the UFC bantamweight title, it only felt fair to give Tate another crack at the belt.
This time 'Cupcake' came out on top, choking Holm out in the fifth round of a fight she was losing – becoming the UFC bantamweight champion in the process.
Although Tate would lose the title in her first defense, few fans expected her to win it in the first place.
#5 Henry Cejudo – UFC flyweight title
When 2008 Olympic gold medallist Henry Cejudo was given a shot at UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson in April 2016, the consensus was that it was a little too early for him.
Sure, Cejudo was unbeaten in the UFC at 4-0, but the best fighter he'd beaten was Jussier Formiga, and that win came via split decision.
Simply put, 'Triple C' didn't look ready for Johnson– and that idea was proven correct when 'Mighty Mouse' shellacked the Olympian, stopping him with strikes in the first round.
But Cejudo didn't give up on his dream of becoming a UFC champion. After a controversial loss to Joseph Benavidez, he defeated Wilson Reis and Sergio Pettis to put himself back in line for a second shot at 'Mighty Mouse.'
This time Cejudo showed he'd improved dramatically, particularly in his striking. While the result was somewhat controversial, he won the title via split decision, becoming the first man to beat Johnson in the UFC.
Cejudo would go on to win the UFC bantamweight title too, but in that instance, he did it in his first attempt – rather than his second as he had with the UFC flyweight title.
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