5 former champions who might be near the end of their UFC careers ft. Kamaru Usman and Cody Garbrandt
In the UFC, staying at the top of the mountain is difficult even for the greatest champions. The constant flux at the top means that plenty of former champions remain active in the promotion.
For some of these former champions, though, the end of their UFC careers might now drawing closer. Whether it's because they've taken too much damage over the years or because they're getting towards the end of their athletic prime, the end for them is definitely nigh.
Here are five former champions who might be near the end of their UFC careers.
#5. Dustin Poirier - former interim UFC lightweight champion
Technically speaking, it might be considered cheating to name former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier on this list. That's because 'The Diamond' has already stated that he's planning to hang up his gloves after his upcoming clash with Max Holloway at UFC 318.
However, there's still a chance Poirier could stick around, particularly if he beats 'Blessed' for the 'BMF' title, so for now at least, he qualifies here.
Assuming he does walk away, though, is he making the right decision? You'd probably have to say he is. Poirier is 36 years old now, and while that isn't ancient from a fighting perspective, he has been on the roster now for well over a decade, dating back to his octagon debut in January 2011.
More to the point, while he hasn't really been taking any beatdowns recently, even in his losses to the likes of Islam Makhachev, he has taken plenty of damage over his lengthy career.
To add to that, his knockout loss to Justin Gaethje in 2023 - his first KO loss since 2016 - was downright scary, and probably made him consider his future.
Poirier is undoubtedly a legend and will probably be a Hall of Famer in the future, but his time is definitely coming to an end. He should be commended for recognising that himself.
#4. Colby Covington - former interim UFC welterweight champion
While he's still ranked inside the top ten in the welterweight division, it's hard not to believe that former interim champ Colby Covington might be nearing the end of the road in the UFC.
'Chaos' is still seen as a viable star by the promotion, even if his Donald Trump-supporting persona has now worn somewhat thin over the past decade. However, it's fair to say that inside the octagon, he's not looked at his best for a long time now.
In his prime, Covington's powerful wrestling, volume striking and ability to push a wild pace made him a nightmare opponent for most fighters at 170 pounds.
He might've been easy to dislike, but even haters had to admire his wins over the likes of Robbie Lawler, Rafael dos Anjos and Demian Maia.
However, 'Chaos' has seemingly fallen off entirely after his second loss to Kamaru Usman in 2021.
He was able to grind out a win against Jorge Masvidal in 2022, but looked terrible in his title challenge against Leon Edwards a year later.
In his most recent fight, against Joaquin Buckley last December, meanwhile, 'Chaos' looked shot, and couldn't get anything going before he suffered a third round doctor's stoppage.
Right now, Covington doesn't have his next fight lined up, although he was called out by Kevin Holland this past weekend at UFC 316.
A fight with 'The Trailblazer' might make sense for both men, but unless things change dramatically for 'Chaos,' his next fight could very well be his last.
#3. Deiveson Figueiredo - former UFC flyweight champion
On the face of it, it seems harsh to state that former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo might be nearing the end of his career with the UFC.
After all, less than a year ago, 'Deus da Guerra' was riding a three-fight win streak after moving to 135 pounds. A number of fans saw him as a potential dark horse title contender, in fact.
Since then, though, things haven't gone to plan for the Brazilian. Figueiredo was outclassed by Petr Yan in a five round bout in December. More recently, he suffered a loss to Cory Sandhagen that saw him blow his knee out in the process.
Given the nature of that injury, Figueiredo may be set for a decent period of time on the shelf. That in itself should be a major red flag.
The Brazilian is set to turn 38 years old in December, and it's a well-known fact that fighters competing in the smaller weight classes don't age as well as those competing at heavier weights.
Add in the wear and tear suffered by 'Deus da Guerra' over 13 years of professional fighting - not to mention the hellish weight cuts he went through to reach the 125 pound flyweight mark - and it'd be a surprise if he lasts more than one or two more years in the UFC.
#2. Cody Garbrandt - former UFC bantamweight champion
When fans discuss the greatest performances they've ever seen in the octagon, Cody Garbrandt's win over Dominick Cruz at UFC 207 regularly comes up.
'No Love' put on a clinic that night, completely picking 'The Dominator' apart with his slick footwork and fast hands, something no other fighter had ever done before.
It looked like Garbrandt would go onto become a legendary champion, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. A bitter feud with TJ Dillashaw saw him getting knocked out twice, and since then, he has largely struggled.
'No Love' has picked up some solid wins in the nine years that have followed that win over Cruz. Unfortunately, he's lost more fights than he's won, has been stopped on multiple occasions, and just doesn't look like the same fighter any more.
Garbrandt is still only 33 years old, but the mileage on his body is huge, particularly when you consider the lengthy stretches he's spent on the shelf with injuries.
With that considered, there's every chance that he might be in the last chance saloon in his bout with Raoni Barcelos this weekend. Lose, and the end of his tenure in the octagon could be nigh.
#1. Kamaru Usman - former UFC welterweight champion
This weekend's UFC event will see the return of former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' will take on Joaquin Buckley in the night's headliner, and to say he needs to win would be an understatement.
Usman has not fought in almost two years now since losing a middleweight bout to Khamzat Chimaev in October 2023. More worryingly, you have to go all the way back to November 2021 to find his last win, which came over Colby Covington in his last successful title defense.
Is Usman done? In all honesty, it's hard to say. Both of his losses to Leon Edwards were close fights. He also took Chimaev the distance, something only one other fighter has ever done.
However, he's also 38 years old, and has been fighting professionally for 13 years now. It's been a decade since he first burst onto the scene in the UFC by winning TUF 21.
Usman is still ranked at No.5 in the welterweight division, and a win over Buckley this weekend might point to a surprising resurgence and a possible push towards a title shot.
That honestly feels unlikely given his age and the layoff he's returning from. Instead, it feels much more likely that he'll fall to defeat at the hands of 'New Mansa' and if that's the case, then 'The Nigerian Nightmare' may have reached the end of the road.