5 unknown fighters who became UFC superstars overnight
In the world of the UFC, most fighters find stardom by climbing slowly to the top after beating multiple opponents. However, that’s not always the case.
Some fighters have become overnight stars in the UFC after just one victory in the octagon, and often, they’ve gone on to add to their legacy.
Sometimes this was because they defeated a high-level fighter in their debut, while other times, it was because they simply showed too much charisma to ignore.
Either way, here are five unknown fighters who became UFC superstars overnight.
#5. Houston Alexander – former UFC light-heavyweight contender
When Keith Jardine stopped Forrest Griffin at the end of 2006, he propelled himself into the upper echelon of the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Fans were salivating about seeing him match up with the division’s other top fighters like Chuck Liddell and Babalu Sobral.
When Jardine was matched with a total unknown in the form of Houston Alexander for his next fight, it was hard not to be disappointed.
Sure, ‘The Assassin’ was on a seven-fight unbeaten streak, but he was also 35 years old at the time and hadn’t beaten anyone of note. It seemed like Dana White and company had simply handed Jardine a softball.
When the fight began, though, everyone was stunned. Alexander recovered from an early knockdown to absolutely destroy ‘The Dean of Mean’, overwhelming him with a salvo of brutal strikes that left him unconscious after just 48 seconds.
@btbshowtime Keith Jardine/Houston Alexander https://t.co/1aCaIsEsrw
Suddenly, the light heavyweight division had a brand new superstar, and it seemed like everyone was talking about Alexander. When he smashed Alessio Sakara four months later, it was hard not to believe that he was the real deal.
Of course, things didn’t quite pan out. ‘The Assassin’ was badly exposed by Thiago Silva and went on to lose his next three bouts in the octagon. Still, for a few months in 2007, Alexander was the hottest thing in the UFC – all based off one single victory.
#4. Junior dos Santos – former UFC heavyweight champion
In late 2008, it seemed like former PRIDE star Fabricio Werdum was on the fast track to success in the UFC, too. The Brazilian had recovered from a debut loss to Andrei Arlovski to stop both Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera, and looked prepared to make a run at the heavyweight title.
However, that October, rather than being matched with a fellow contender, ‘Vai Cavalo’ saw himself faced with newcomer Junior dos Santos.
Given that ‘JDS’ had a middling record of 6-1 and had never beaten anyone of renown, it felt like an easy match for Werdum to end the year with.
When it came to fighting, though, dos Santos’ striking looked remarkably sharp, and the sluggish Werdum never stood a chance. It took the newcomer just over a minute to smash his fellow Brazilian with a brutal uppercut, switching his lights off in an instant.
UFC 90 happened nine years ago today, as Junior dos Santos created a massive upset by destroying Fabricio Werdum in his Octagon debut. https://t.co/fI7oIBqumK
Just like that, a new heavyweight superstar was born. In the three years that followed, ‘JDS’ reeled off a further six wins, four by knockout, and ended his run by winning the UFC heavyweight title from Cain Velasquez.
While his reign as champion didn’t last too long, dos Santos is still widely recognised as one of the best heavyweights of his generation. The fact that he became an overnight sensation only adds to his legend.
#3. David Terrell – former UFC middleweight title challenger
Back in 2004, the UFC’s middleweight division appeared to be in some trouble. The weight class hadn’t had a titleholder since Murilo Bustamante departed the promotion two years prior, and the consensus top fighter at 185lbs, Matt Lindland, was unpopular with the fans.
The trajectory of the division got changed that summer with the debut of a fighter who has now largely been forgotten. His name? David Terrell.
‘The Soul Assassin’ was signed by the promotion after putting together a solid 4-1 record in MMA, but the main hype on him came from the world of grappling. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Cesar Gracie, Terrell was said to be one of the best submission artists on the planet.
When he was matched with Lindland – an Olympic silver medallist in Greco-Roman wrestling – in his octagon debut, everyone expected a grappling war.
Instead, the inexperienced Terrell threw one big left hook, decked ‘The Law’, and switched his lights off with a follow-up flurry, all in just 24 seconds.
Immediately, ‘The Soul Assassin’ was propelled from being largely unknown into the realm of stardom, with UFC fans across the planet buzzing about his talents. When he was booked to fight Evan Tanner for the vacant middleweight title in his second bout, it seemed inconceivable that he wouldn’t become the next champion.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Terrell lost to Tanner and then found himself blighted by injuries. He would only fight once more in the octagon before prematurely retiring.
However, he remains one of the best examples of a fighter who found overnight stardom, and it’s still arguable that he saved his division in the process.
#2. Khamzat Chimaev – UFC welterweight contender
Unlike the previously-mentioned fighters on this list, Khamzat Chimaev didn’t become an overnight star by knocking off a highly-ranked opponent in his weight class. In fact, he didn’t even become an overnight star by winning his UFC debut.
Instead, ‘Borz’ became a genuine sensation in 2020 by beating two opponents in just ten days, setting a promotional record in the process.
First, after taking his debut fight with John Phillips on late notice, Chimaev wasted no time in dismantling the Welshman, dominating him on the ground before submitting him with a D'Arce choke.
Just ten days later, ‘Borz’ was back, destroying debutant Rhys McKee with strikes in the first round. Chimaev then claimed that he had the ability to smash every fighter in the promotion, he had a point.
Khamzat Chimaev is just a monster 💪
The first thing he did was pick Rhys McKee up and carry him to his corner so he could work his GNP in front of the opposition team 😳 https://t.co/8hs6zLBTyx
It didn’t even matter that none of his opponents were very good fighters, with Phillips holding an octagon record of 1-3 at the time of their fight. It was clear from the skills he’d shown that Chimaev was special.
Sure enough, in the two years that have followed, ‘Borz’ hasn’t looked back. He’s produced a further four wins in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions, despite spending a year on the shelf with COVID-19.
Right now, it seems impossible that Chimaev won’t go on to become a UFC champion at some stage – making him one of the most successful overnight stars in the promotion’s history.
#1. Conor McGregor – former UFC lightweight champion
While plenty of hardcore fans had heard of Conor McGregor prior to his UFC debut in March 2013, it’s fair to say that the Irishman was unknown to most of the people following the promotion.
However, after his debut win, a knockout that saw him claim a $50k performance bonus, it suddenly became hard to ignore him. Remarkably, despite not beating a ranked opponent, ‘The Notorious’ immediately became MMA’s most talked about fighter.
How did he do this? Well, it’s fair to say that his debut was impressive. While Marcus Brimage was not seen as a featherweight title contender, he was very tough and carried a 3-0 record in the octagon.
When he met McGregor, though, he was painfully outgunned. ‘The Notorious’ gauged his distance perfectly, and turned out the lights on Brimage with a series of picture-perfect uppercuts in just over a minute.
10 fights in 10 days - Conor McGregor's UFC journey to #UFC229
Day 1: The Debut - 🗓 6/4/2013
A 67-second destruction of Marcus Brimage gets people talking about an energetic Irishman with impressive striking. #Notor10us https://t.co/aRCjy6AfK8
It was the charisma that McGregor showed in his post-fight interview, though – and the trash he then talked on the rest of his division a little later – that made him into an overnight sensation.
Put simply, no fighter in UFC history, even the likes of Chael Sonnen and Tito Ortiz, had shown quite the star quality that the Irishman seemed to exude with ease.
It was no surprise to see him treated as a huge deal in his next fight, even though it took place on the preliminary card, and from there, McGregor simply never looked back. Just two years after his debut, he was not only the UFC’s biggest star but the biggest star in MMA, period – a position he’s never really slipped from.