5 most unpopular UFC champions
It's indeed an undisputed fact that stepping into the cage and fighting another trained combatant takes tremendous mental fortitude as well as physical toughness. That, in turn, is one of the biggest reasons behind the large majority of Mixed Martial Arts competitors being so widely revered in the sports community as a whole.
On that note, if you are to broach the topic of UFC champions, then the aforementioned reverence and respect accorded to said fighters gets somewhat of an added layer to it - especially due to the fact that competing in the UFC, let alone winning a UFC title, is a indeed a momentous task.
Nevertheless, at times, certain sections of fans and experts come to dislike a given UFC champion. This strange phenomenon has become increasingly common in this day and age, with most champions outright refusing to fight top contenders, and instead, choosing to hold up the entire division just to pick a relatively easier fight with a more popular opponent.
Today, we take a look at the 5 most unpopular UFC Champions...
#5 Germaine de Randamie
At UFC 208 back in 2017, highly reputable Dutch kickboxing phenom Germaine de Randamie faced former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm for the inaugural UFC Women's Featherweight Title. De Randamie ended up winning a controversial decision over the course of 5 rounds, with the fight featuring multiple fouls from the Dutch KO artist.
De Randamie punched Holm after the buzzer had signaled the end of the round, on not one but two separate occasions. Most MMA experts, including veteran UFC commentator Joe Rogan, believed that Holm should've been awarded the win, especially since she out-classed her foe with excellent kicks and punches.
Regardless, the fight still ended up being close, and De Randamie became the first UFC Women's Featherweight Champion. Moreover, after the fight, she downright refused to defend her title against number-1 contender Cris Cyborg, and asserted that she won't fight Cyborg due to the latter's previous failed steroid tests.
Certain sections of the MMA world levied a considerable amount of criticism on De Randamie for her aforesaid stance. She then went on to return to the UFC Bantamweight division, with the title being vacated and Cyborg winning the vacant belt against Holly Holm...