5 times undefeated fighters faced off in the UFC - and what happened
Next month at UFC 310, Shavkat Rakhmonov will face Ian Machado Garry. The fight is a rare example of two undefeated fighters facing off in the octagon.
Over the years, high-level fights between unbeaten talents have been rare in the UFC, but they have happened, often with plenty of fanfare around them. Whenever someone's '0' has to go, it's a huge deal, meaning that most of these fights were dramatic to say the least.
Here are five times that undefeated fighters faced off in the UFC - and what happened.
#5. Cody Garbrandt vs. Thomas Almeida - UFC Fight Night 88
Shavkat Rakhmonov's upcoming fight with Ian Machado Garry will pit two of the UFC's best undefeated prospects against one another in a non-title affair.
These kinds of fights tend to be rare, purely because the promotion tends to attempt to keep viable title contenders away from one another, especially when they're undefeated.
Such bouts aren't unheard of, though, with a prime example being Cody Garbrandt's 2016 clash with Thomas Almeida.
At the time, Garbrandt was 8-0 with three of those wins coming in the octagon, while Almeida was far more experienced, being 21-0 with four octagon wins.
Understandably, then, 'Thominhas' was the favorite to win coming into the clash. However, that idea did not last long at all.
The Brazilian's wild striking bursts were no match for Garbrandt's cleaner boxing skills, and a counter-combo put him down in the first round.
Almeida attempted to recover, but it was to no avail as 'No Love' did not let him off the hook, and finished him off moments later.
Garbrandt went onto claim the bantamweight title later that year, but for Almeida, it was all downhill after his first loss. 'Thominhas' won just one of his next five bouts before departing the promotion in 2021.
#4. Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz - UFC 205
Joanna Jedrzejczyk's strawweight title clash with Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 205 wasn't just a bout of two undefeated fighters. It was also the first time that two Polish fighters had ever faced off with a UFC title on the line, making it a real watershed moment for Polish MMA.
Despite Kowalkiewicz bringing in an impressive record of 10-0 - including three octagon wins - she was understandably a huge underdog.
Jedrzejczyk had claimed the strawweight title from Carla Esparza just under two years prior and had already made three successful defenses. At the time, she ruled the division with an iron fist.
Sure enough, while the fight was competitive and even saw Kowalkiewicz drop Jedrzejczyk in the fourth round, the champion was clearly one step ahead for the majority of the bout.
In the end, Jedrzejczyk was awarded a clear-cut unanimous decision, and it would be another year before she'd lose her unbeaten status and her title.
Kowalkiewicz, meanwhile, settled into a role as a gatekeeper of sorts and remains competitive in the division today, almost a decade after her first career defeat.
#3. Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa - UFC 253
One of the most highly anticipated clashes of unbeaten fighters in the UFC came in late 2020, as Israel Adesanya defended his middleweight title against Paulo Costa.
In reality, the fight probably should've happened slightly earlier than it did. Both men came into the promotion at a similar time - Costa debuted in the summer of 2017, while Adesanya first entered the octagon in February 2018.
By 2019, both men had put together strong winning streaks in the octagon, but it was 'The Last Stylebender' who got to a title fight first, downing Robert Whittaker to claim the gold that November.
Just a few months prior, Costa had beaten Yoel Romero to cement himself as the division's top contender, but for reasons still largely unknown, it was 'The Soldier of God' who was offered a title shot first.
Adesanya duly won that fight, and by September 2020, the only bout that made sense for him was one against 'The Eraser'.
Many fans thought that Costa's bullying striking style would give him a good chance against the more precision-based Adesanya, but that idea was proven very wrong in quick fashion.
Instead, in the headliner of UFC 253, 'The Last Stylebender' thoroughly outclassed the Brazilian, slicing him up with ease before dropping him and putting him away in the second round.
It was arguably the best showing of Adesanya's career to that point, and remains one of his most impressive performances in the octagon.
#2. Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm - UFC 193
Under normal circumstances, a clash of two undefeated fighters in the UFC would be a close bout to call, particuarly if the bout is for a title. That wasn't the case in November 2015, though, when Ronda Rousey defended her bantamweight crown against top contender Holly Holm.
In this case, nobody really expected 'The Preacher's Daughter' to have any success against Rousey. 'Rowdy' had ran roughshod over the whole division, had already defended her title successfully six times to take her record to 12-0, and had finished her last three opponents in a combined 64 seconds.
Holm, meanwhile, had plenty of striking credentials, but had only edged out Raquel Pennington and Marion Reneau since arriving in the promotion. On the night, though, it quickly became apparent that 'The Preacher's Daughter' had the fighting style to be kryptonite for Rousey.
In one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, she played the matador to perfection, easily countering Rousey's cruder striking before knocking her senseless with a head kick in the second round. It remains one of the most thrilling knockouts of all time.
Her unbeaten aura shattered, Rousey never recovered. After failing to regain her title a year later, she retired from MMA for good. Holm, meanwhile, lost her crown in her first defense, but remains a major star to this day, largely on the back of this epic knockout.
#1. Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida - UFC 98
The first meeting of two undefeated fighters with a UFC title on the line came back in 2009, as light-heavyweight champion Rashad Evans defended his crown against Lyoto Machida.
In many ways, it was an unlikely title fight, given the way that both men had started their octagon careers. Despite constantly being able to win, both Evans and Machida gained reputations for being less-than-exciting to watch in their early days.
That all changed in 2008, though.
Evans knocked out Chuck Liddell in thunderous fashion to move into title contention that September. He then followed that win by stopping Forrest Griffin to claim the gold, all while boasting an unbeaten 13-0-1 record.
Machida, meanwhile, dispatched the legendary Tito Ortiz in a thriller before starting 2009 with a knockout of the also-unbeaten Thiago Silva.
The clash between 'Suga' and 'The Dragon' was a hard one to call. Some fans favored Evans with his speed and explosiveness, while others saw Machida's pinpoint, sniper-esque striking as giving him the edge.
The latter camp turned out to be correct. Evans couldn't get to grips with the karate stylings of 'The Dragon', and after being knocked down on multiple occasions, the champion was finally put away in the second round.
Joe Rogan quickly proclaimed the fight as the beginning of the 'Machida Era', but that wasn't quite right. He lost his gaudy undefeated record just two fights later when Shogun Rua knocked him out, and despite a fruitful career, never did regain gold in the octagon.
Evans never did either, but he was entered into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019. It's likely that Machida will join him in the future, as while neither man remained undefeated, they both became legends of the octagon.