5 unbeaten UFC stars who could suffer their first loss soon

Right now, the UFC is home to a number of ultra-talented, unbeaten fighters, but how long they can remain unbeaten is a big question.

Some of the UFC’s best unbeaten fighters are set to be in action soon against their toughest opponents to date, so could they lose that ‘0’ from their record?

Any fight inside the octagon is a risk, so there’s always the chance of defeat. These fighters might be confident of keeping their records intact, but it definitely won’t be easy.

Here are five unbeaten UFC stars who could suffer their first defeat soon.

#5. Ilia Topuria – UFC featherweight (13-0)

Ilia Topuria fights in his first headline bout this weekend

Featherweight contender Ilia Topuria is undoubtedly one of the hottest fighters in the 145-pound division right now. 13-0 in MMA and 5-0 in the UFC, ‘El Matador’ has proven impossible to stop thus far into his career.

Most recently, Topuria came out on top in a battle of two undefeated fighters, as he thrashed Bryce Mitchell en route to an impressive submission win.

STILL UNDEFEATED!

WHAT a performance by @TopuriaIlia! 🙌 #UFC282 https://t.co/PHi5Cn5ywk

However, this weekend, the Georgian-born fighter will be making a huge step up when he faces former interim title challenger Josh Emmett.

Not only is Emmett going to be Topuria’s hardest-hitting opponent to date, but he’s also got far more experience, having headlined multiple events and fought highly regarded foes like Jeremy Stephens, Calvin Kattar and Ricardo Lamas.

Sure, ‘The Fighting Falmer’ is getting older at 38, and Topuria does seem to have a slight stylistic advantage against him, but still, it’s a hugely risky fight for the prospect.

‘El Matador’ may come away with another win this weekend, but it’s equally likely that he suffers his first defeat inside the octagon.

#4. Azamat Murzakanov – UFC light heavyweight (13-0)

Azamat Murzakanov is set to fight Volkan Ozedemir in Paris [Image Credit: @AzamatMurkanov on Twitter]

He might not be quite as well-known as some of the other fighters on this list, but Azamat Murzakanov has slowly been making his mark in the UFC’s light heavyweight division since his 2022 debut.

‘The Professional’ has reeled off three wins inside the octagon to take his overall MMA record to 13-0, and he looked hugely impressive in his KO wins over Tafon Nchukwi and Devin Clark.

AZAMAT MURZAKANOV WITH THE FLYING KNEE COMEBACK 🤯

[ #UFCVegas50 | Prelims are LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] https://t.co/vzdiXXbVNA

The truth, though, is that the Russian fighter is still largely unproven at the very top level, and that means that his next fight is a massive challenge for him.

Murzakanov has been matched with former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir when the UFC visits Paris in September, and it’s no understatement to say that ‘No Time’ is a big step up for him.

The Swiss fighter is arguably past his best now, but he still hits tremendously hard, has a solid chin, and has fought the top fighters in the world, including Magomed Ankalaev and Jiri Prochazka.

When you consider that Murzakanov is already 34 years old in his own right, his window of time to get to the top might not be all that big. If he has physically peaked, then he might find it tricky going against Oezdemir – and could lose his unbeaten status.

#3. Tatiana Suarez – UFC strawweight (9-0)

Many fans believe Tatiana Suarez could be a future strawweight champion

TUF 23 winner Tatiana Suarez has been considered one of the top female prospects in the UFC for some time now, despite the fact that she spent the best part of four years on the shelf with various injury problems.

Suarez returned to action in February and didn’t appear to have lost a beat, as she easily dominated and choked out Montana De La Rosa. The win took her overall record to 9-0, with six of those victories coming in the octagon.

SHE MAKES GOOD ON THE RETURN!!!!

Submission finish for @TatianaUFC 😤 #UFCVegas70 https://t.co/VWRMKcyZvs

Following the win, Suarez announced that she’d be dropping back to 115 pounds. Given that she destroyed former strawweight champ Carla Esparza in 2018, many fans were quick to label her a future titleholder.

That may well be the case, but Suarez first has to get past a remarkably difficult opponent in her next bout. Initially pegged to fight Virna Jandiroba, she will now face former strawweight champ Jessica Andrade in what is a major step up for her.

‘Bate Estaca’ is one of the hardest-hitting female fighters in the world right now, and more than that, she’s also highly dangerous on the ground, too. If Suarez can smash her way past her like she’s done to the rest of her opponents, then calling her the uncrowned champion might be fair.

Equally, though, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Andrade stop her unbeaten run like she’s done to so many other fighters in the past.

#2. Ian Garry – UFC welterweight (12-0)

Ian Garry has a huge amount of hype around him

Right now, few fighters in the UFC have as much hype around them as Ian Garry. ‘The Future’ has reeled off five wins in the octagon since his 2021 arrival, and has stepped up a level against each trickier opponent he’s faced.

Most recently, the Irishman stopped Daniel Rodriguez in a stunning performance, needing less than three minutes to put the tough veteran away with a head kick.

"Shin to chin." Ian Machado Garry stops Daniel Rodriguez in Round 1 at #UFCCharlotte! https://t.co/X8vIQdWkAp

On the face of it, Garry looks like a surefire future title contender – if not champion – and he has now broken into the welterweight rankings, sitting at No.13.

However, his next fight promises to be a very difficult challenge for him.

‘The Future’ has been matched with Geoff Neal, a heavy-handed striker who sits five spots above him in the rankings at No.8. ‘Handz of Steel’ is coming off a loss to another unbeaten fighter, Shavkat Rakhmonov, but he also holds huge wins over the likes of Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad.

Garry will probably be favored in this fight due to his range, striking ability and momentum, but Neal is one of those fighters who simply can’t be counted out. If ‘Handz of Steel’ hits someone cleanly, the fight is usually over.

‘The Future’ may well win this bout and keep his unbeaten record intact, but to see him lose his ‘0’ wouldn’t be a shocker, either.

#1. Umar Nurmagomedov – UFC bantamweight (16-0)

Umar Nurmagomedov holds a record of 16-0 [Image Credit: @UMmgdv on Twitter]

It’s arguable that the unbeaten prospect who has his hands most full in his next trip to the octagon is bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov.

The Dagestani native – a cousin of former lightweight kingpin Khabib – has reeled off four wins inside the UFC to take his overall record to 16-0.

STATEMENT MADE! 😳

@UNmgdv with the first round knockout showcasing the hands! WOW! #UFCVegas67 https://t.co/Y2xnUzvDNV

More importantly, he’s begun to develop a bogeyman-like reputation that means many of the bantamweight division’s top stars have seemingly been avoiding him, despite his current rank of No.11.

However, that appears to have changed now. August 5 will see Nurmagomedov square off with Cory Sandhagen in his first-ever headline bout, and to say that this looks like a tricky test for him is an understatement.

‘The Sandman’ has dangerous skills in all areas and can switch a foe off both on the feet and on the ground. More to the point, he has wins over opponents like Marlon Vera and Song Yadong, and has only lost to the very best 135lbers in the world, current champ Aljamain Sterling being the only man to finish him.

Essentially, if Nurmagomedov can find a way to beat Sandhagen, he’d be very close to a title shot. For the first time, though, he’ll be coming into a fight as an underdog – and so it wouldn’t be a shock at all to see him suffer the first loss of his career.