5 most underappreciated champions in UFC history
Becoming a UFC champion isn't easy, and the accomplishment usually comes with a heap of money, fame and adulation.
Current champions like Charles Oliveira, Brandon Moreno and Francis Ngannou have had inspirational runs to the title and are now household names in the sport of MMA. However, other title holders like Jan Blachowicz and Alexander Volkanovski are arguably not as renowned for their feats in the UFC as they should be.
THE ELEVENTH UNDISPUTED LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMP 🏆 @CharlesDoBronxs 🇧🇷 #UFC262 https://t.co/a1CIOVMzDf
UFC champions flying under the radar isn't a new phenomenon in a sport dominated by marketing and promotion. Here are the five most underappreciated champions in UFC history.
#5 Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman
Chris Weidman has won only two of his last eight fights in the UFC, most recently breaking his leg in brutal fashion against Uriah Hall. The fact that all of his losses have come via KO or TKO hasn't helped his case.
Can't keep a champion down.
Wishing @ChrisWeidman a speedy recovery 🙏 https://t.co/QuUdDQFVh2
However, Weidman remains one of the most underappreciated champions in UFC history. 'The All-American' made his UFC debut in March 2011 as a 4-0 fighter and quickly amassed a five-fight win streak to challenge Anderson Silva for the middleweight title. Silva was in his prime at the time and hadn't lost in over six years, amassing title defense after title defense in authoritative fashion.
But Weidman made the most of his opportunity as he capitalized on Silva's cockiness to become the first man to knock out 'The Spider' in professional MMA competition. He also defended his title against Silva in his next fight, with the Brazilian breaking his leg.
Weidman went on to defend his title two more times, against Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort, before falling to Luke Rockhold in December 2015. The 37-year-old may not be as credentialed as the other champions on this list, but he ended Silva's dominance and ushered in a new era in the middleweight division. He will go down as one of the most underrated champions in UFC history.