5 UFC champions famous for being humble
Humility is a rare virtue among UFC fighters, especially in the modern era. A promotion initially created with the purpose of comparing different martial arts, the UFC has been greatly influenced by money, like almost all sports in the world.
Still, a few UFC champions have managed to remain grounded. They have managed to reach the pinnacle of the sport while staying true to their value system, always making it a point to treat their opponents with respect and humility.
Here are five UFC champions who are known for being humble. Note: This is not an exhaustive list.
#5 Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos
Junior dos Santos parted ways with the UFC recently, with a poor run of form coinciding with the promotion's desire to move towards a younger roster.
'Cigano' won the UFC heavyweight championship in November 2011 and defended it once before blowing hot and cold over the next few years. Dos Santos experienced a brief career resurgence in 2018 and 2019 as he won three fights on the trot, but ended his UFC career on a four-fight losing skid.
Throughout the highs and lows of his UFC career, the Brazilian always remained grounded irrespective of the result. Even during his most competitive rivalries, such as the one with Cain Velasquez, he praised his opponents and treated them with respect.
“I welcome fighting Cain again because Cain is the most talented fighter out of all my competition. To be the best, you have to fight the best, so I don’t ever want to take an easy fight. Fighting a guy like Cain requires me to train as hard as I can, and to give my all, and that’s what I want,” Dos Santos once said.