5 UFC fighters who haven't fought in over a year

In the UFC, fighters are only worth as much as their last performance. This incentivizes countless mixed martial artists under the promotion's banner to fight as frequently as they possibly can. Not only does it build rapport with the fans, it also means they get paid more money.

However, not every fighter is willing to make quick turnarounds. Cutting weight too frequently is draining, and UFC fighters often fight through injuries in nearly all of their bouts. Furthermore, some may not feel their fight purse warrants the kind of sacrifice it takes to fight more frequently.

Thus, some fighters fight once, maybe twice a year. But there are others who are more inactive than many might expect. Some of the promotion's fighters have not fought in over a year, for one reason or another, and this list looks at five such cases.

#5. Taila Santos, UFC women's flyweight

Things haven't been easy for Taila Santos. After amassing a four-fight win streak to earn a title fight against Valentina Shevchenko, she did well in the bout but quickly found herself on the losing end after an unintentional headbutt led to her eye swelling shut. The bout with 'Bullet' took place on June 12, 2022.

BY SPLIT DECISION

Valentina Shevchenko retains her flyweight title against Taila Santos! 🏆 #UFC275 pic.twitter.com/Ozw2ILZgLX

The Brazilian has not fought since, despite her attempts to get back inside the octagon. While she was initially scheduled to face rising 125-pound contender Erin Blanchfield earlier this year, her cornermen were denied visas into the United States, prompting the UFC to replace her with fellow Brazilian, Jéssica Andrade.

Blanchfield emerged victorious over Andrade, and is now booked to face Santos once more. Fans will be eager to see how her grappling fares against Blanchfield and vice versa, especially as it's been over a year since the Brazilian last fought, so cage-rust could be a factor.

#4. Rose Namajunas, UFC women's strawweight/flyweight

While Rose Namajunas has been part of some of the most entertaining fights in WMMA history and is responsible for handing Joanna Jędrzejczyk her first-ever professional MMA loss, the last memory fans have of 'Thug Rose' is a poor one. Namajunas last fought at UFC 274.

Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza 2 was one of the most difficult fights to score in MMA history.

#UFC281 pic.twitter.com/2yf1Pt5baI

She faced former foe Carla Esparza in a bout that was widely panned by both fans and fighters alike for its low activity rate. The matchup took place on May 7, 2022 and the wave of heated criticism after she lost her title to Esparza likely factored in Namajunas' decision to take a brief leave of absence.

After her stint at strawweight, 'Thug Rose' is now set to make her flyweight debut in September when she fights Manon Fiorot in the promotion's return to French soil. She'll take part in the co-main event bout right under Ciryl Gane's headliner with Sergey Spivak.

#3. Colby Covington, UFC welterweight

The MMA world was divided when Dana White announced that the next challenger for Leon Edwards' title was Colby Covington. On one hand, some fans were excited when 'Chaos' was revealed as the backup fighter for the UFC 286 main event.

After all the history between them, Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal finally met in the middle of the octagon at #UFC272 👊

Highlights from a five-round dust-up in Las Vegas... pic.twitter.com/S9UTOddnO7

Some were even thrilled to hear that he'll receive the next crack at Edwards' title. Others, however, were not as pleased, including the champion himself, who pointed out Covington's inactivity. The former interim welterweight champion's last fight was against Jorge Masvidal on March 5, 2022.

Covington's inactivity has been a source of frustration for many fans, as he has been averaging one fight per year since 2020. Despite Dana White's insistence that he is next in line for Leon Edwards, there is still no official date for the pair's bout, but the UFC president recently pointed to UFC 295 as a possibility.

#2. Giga Chikadze, UFC featherweight

At one point in time, Giga Chikadze was staking his claim as arguably the best striker in the featherweight division. The Georgian phenom was on an impressive tear, and the strength of his performances inside the octagon had convinced many that he was a potential future title challenger.

ROUND TWO JUST GOT WILD FOLKS. 🔥 #UFCVegas46 pic.twitter.com/5bJv9hSBIJ

He even accused reigning featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski of avoiding a matchup with him. With a seven-fight win streak under the UFC banner, he had little reason to doubt himself. However, one reason to do so came in the form of Calvin Kattar, who handed the Geoergian a crushing loss on January 15, 2022.

While Chikadze wasn't finished by Kattar, he could have been at several points towards the end of the bout. Through sheer toughness, he survived. Later that year, he was booked in a matchup with Sodiq Yussuf but withdrew due to injury. He has not fought since his loss to Kattar and now seems adrift in the division.

#1. Stipe Miocic, UFC heavyweight

Stipe Miocic is an ideal fighter. He is not a prolific trash talker who rubs people the wrong way, nor has he found himself in the midst of legal trouble outside the cage. He is a firefighter, a good ambassador of the sport, and the greatest heavyweight in the promotion's history.

Two years ago today, Francis Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic
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What he has never been, unfortunately, is an active champion. The former 265-pound titleholder's last fight was a one-sided knockout loss to Francis Ngannou two years ago on March 27, 2021. There was no sign of his next plans after the loss, and fans wondered where Miocic would go from there.

Finally, after a two-year hiatus from the sport, he has signed a bout agremeent to face Jon Jones at UFC 295 later this year. Stipe Miocic will be 41 years old by the time of their matchup, so it is likely his last chance to recapture his heavyweight crown.