5 surprising UFC records that will blow your mind
Like any major sports organisation, the UFC has a lengthy list of records, and the fans tend to be aware of the big ones. Everyone knows, for instance, that Jon Jones is the youngest champion in the promotion’s history, while Derrick Lewis holds the record for the most knockouts.
The UFC also has a number of records, however, that fans might not be aware of – and some of them are genuinely mind-blowing.
With interesting facts about some of the biggest stars in the history of the promotion, some of these records are truly fascinating – and it’s likely that some might not ever be broken, too.
Here are five interesting UFC records that could blow your mind.
#5. There have only been four UFC champions under the age of 25
It’s a well-known fact that Jon Jones is the youngest champion in the UFC’s history, as he defeated Shogun Rua for the light-heavyweight title on March 19th, 2011, when he was just 23 years and eight months old.
However, it might surprise you to learn that ‘Bones’ is one of just four fighters to claim gold inside the octagon before turning 25 years old.
The other three fighters to achieve this feat? Jose Aldo, Josh Barnett and Carlos Newton, who held the featherweight, heavyweight and welterweight titles respectively.
Interestingly enough, both Barnett and Newton failed to make a single successful defense of their titles inside the octagon. ‘The War Master’ was stripped of his title and expelled from the promotion after testing positive for steroids, and Newton lost his to Matt Hughes in his first bout as champion.
Aldo is perhaps the most interesting of the four to look at, though. Technically speaking, the Brazilian was crowned UFC featherweight champion by default, as he held the WEC title in the weight class when the promotion was merged with its larger counterpart in 2011.
23-year-old José Aldo. A deadly combo of speed and skills far ahead of his time. The featherweight GOAT and one of the greatest fighters MMA has ever seen. NINE title defenses, not seven. Mark that down in his HOF induction. @josealdojunior https://t.co/Jsv9U9w5oj
He was just 24 years and 2 months old when he was officially named UFC champion, but remarkably, his title win in WEC came in November 2009, when he was just 23 years and three months old. Had that victory come in the octagon, Aldo, and not Jones, would be the UFC’s youngest-ever champ.
#4. Neil Magny is the only fighter to compete ten times in two calendar years
For the most part, UFC fighters tend to average two or three bouts per calendar year, with some unfortunate members of the roster only managing one. However, over the years, we have seen fighters readily willing – and able – to take more fights than this.
A total of ten fighters have managed to compete in five bouts in a single calendar year, with three of them – Roger Huerta, Kevin Holland and Neil Magny – somehow being able to win all five, too.
However, there’s absolutely no disputing that Magny is the promotion’s all-time iron man. Not only did ‘The Haitian Sensation’ compete on five occasions in 2014, but he also repeated the feat in 2015 as well, meaning he somehow managed ten fights in two calendar years – averaging a trip to the octagon every two-and-a-half months.
instagram.com/p/CY9pXOAlHK0/…With over 50 fights in the 16 years, I have not hand picked an opponent yet.....today is no different! Challenge accepted 😈 instagram.com/p/CY9pXOAlHK0/…
To make things even more mind-blowing, it isn’t like Magny was finishing his fights in rapid fashion during that sequence, either. Of the ten fights he competed in over those two years, half went the distance, and none actually ended in the first round, with the shortest bout lasting six minutes and 24 seconds.
The only man to defeat the TUF 16 veteran during this period? Grappling ace Demian Maia, who managed to submit ‘The Haitian Sensation’ in the summer of 2015.
#3. Frankie Edgar has spent nearly eight hours inside the octagon
The fighter who has spent the most overall time in the octagon is former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Given that ‘The Answer’ has been with the promotion since 2007 and has competed in 29 bouts, it’s a record that makes sense.
However, it’s more surprising to note that Edgar has somehow spent nearly eight hours inside the octagon over those 29 bouts. When you consider that a standard fight is scheduled for a maximum of 15 minutes, with title bouts and headliners scheduled for 25 minutes, that’s a pretty impressive feat.
Of course, to some fans, the fact that Edgar has spent so much time in the octagon probably isn’t a good thing.
Over the years, ‘The Answer’ has often been accused of being a “point-fighter” who doesn’t really push to finish his foes. While that’s debatable, of course, it's fair to say that he’s gone the distance more than most, with 18 of his 29 fights ending in decisions.
Frankie Edgar KO's Chad Mendes with a savage left hook! #TUFFinale snpy.tv/1TGSsw8
Is anyone likely to beat Edgar’s record in the future, given he’s probably competing on borrowed time at this point? It’s possible. Another former lightweight champion, Rafael Dos Anjos, has also spent nearly eight hours inside the octagon.
Given that ‘RDA’ is still only 37 years old and could yet compete for a few years yet, it seems highly likely that he could overtake Edgar in the future.
#2. Only five fighters have won every UFC title bout they’ve been involved in
Fighting for a UFC title is a massive achievement for any athlete who steps into the octagon, and winning gold there is obviously an even bigger one still. It should come as no surprise, then, that it’s nearly impossible for a fighter to win every title fight they’re involved in.
In fact – ignoring fighters like Leon Edwards and Jiri Prochazka, who have only competed in a single title bout to date – just five fighters have managed to achieve this feat.
Those fighters consist of one current champion – featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski – and four former ones: Jon Jones, Frank Shamrock, Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In truth, all five men belong in the conversation when it comes to the UFC’s all-time GOAT. Only two of them – Oliveira and Jones – have lost fights in the octagon, and Jones’ loss was notoriously controversial, as a piece of incompetent refereeing saw him disqualified against Matt Hamill.
Of the other three, Volkanovski remains unbeaten in the octagon at 12-0, while Shamrock and Nurmagomedov retired with UFC records of 5-0 and 13-0 respectively.
Khabib Nurmagomedov put Justin Gaethje to sleep with a triangle choke 🤯 #UFC254 https://t.co/E2f3jCmt6M
If you add their victories in title bouts together, in fact, they have a total of 29 wins – an absolutely insane figure that stands as a testament to their greatness.
#1. Only one current UFC fighter has finished every one of his octagon wins
When the subject of the UFC’s most dangerous finisher is discussed, names such as Charles Oliveira, Vicente Luque and Marlon Vera tend to come up immediately. Right now, it’s hard to look past Khamzat Chimaev in terms of dangerous finishers, too, as ‘Borz’ has taken out a number of his foes without absorbing a single shot.
However, it’s interesting to note that the promotion’s best finisher may actually be one of Chimaev’s earlier victims – middleweight veteran Gerald Meerschaert.
Meerschaert has an octagon record of 10-7, which is average by anyone’s standards. In fact, fighters have been cut for less. However, the reason that the veteran has been kept around is undoubtedly his killer instinct.
Incredibly, ‘GM3’ is the only fighter currently competing in the UFC who holds a finishing rate of 100%, something that even Oliveira, Vera and Chimaev can’t boast. He’s finished all ten of his wins, with nine of them coming via submission.
Gerald Meerschaert drops and then submits Bruno Silva.
#UFCSanDiego
https://t.co/Nm0HpyrHNi
While Meerschaert is unlikely to be considered a title contender any time soon, then, it’s probably fair to say that he belongs on any list of the promotion’s most exciting fighters – particularly when you consider that just three of his losses have gone the distance too!