Julianna Peña and 4 of the least accomplished UFC champions
UFC champions are the cream of the crop. They represent the greatest mixed martial artists in the world. So it makes sense that many of the promotion's champions are among the most accomplished fighters on the roster. This manifests in various ways.
Sometimes, undisputed champions came into divisional supremacy as interim titleholders. In other cases, they were at the helm of lengthy win streaks, and even had world championship triumphs in other organizations. They might also be fighters that everyone regarded as future titleholders due to their strong records.
But what of the champions who never accomplished much of anything before capturing UFC gold, no titles in any other major promotions? Or what about the ones who didn't have long win streaks. Who are these fighters?
#5. Sean Sherk, former UFC lightweight champion
Modern-day UFC fans may not remember Sean Sherk. His career ended over a decade ago in 2010. He spent the largest chunk of his career competing in the welterweight division, before plying his trade at lightweight late into his final run as a fighter.
While he had a respectable tenure in the promotion, ending with a career of 36 wins, four losses and one no-contest, he didn't accomplish much else besides winning the lightweight title. After losing to Georges St-Pierre via TKO, he took on Nick Diaz, winning by way of decision to rebound from his loss.
Off of the strength of just one win, he faced Kenny Florian in his lightweight debut for the division's vacant title, capturing the belt in a Fight of the Night winner. He defended the title once, but was stripped of it after failing a post-fight drug test for nandrolone.
Despite his impressive stretch of wins, Sherk never accomplished anything else. The UFC title remains his only championship in MMA. He was never a champion in even minor organizations on the regional scene.
#4. Matt Serra, former UFC welterweight champion
Matt Serra is best-known for being one-half of what is arguably the greatest upset in MMA history, when he defeated Georges St-Pierre for welterweight gold. Prior to doing so, Serra took part in three bouts, but two were exhibitions which don't count on his professional record.
So technically, he won one fight before taking on 'GSP,' with a record of 9 wins and four losses. Serra shocked the world by TKO'ing the Canadian great and claiming the welterweight championship to become one of the most stunning titleholders in history, but it was short-lived.
He lost the belt in his subsequent bout and after a 1-2 run, retired from the sport with an 11-7 record. Besides winning the title, Serra had won no other championship in his entire MMA career, nor did he ever mount more than a two-fight win streak, not counting exhibitions, in MMA under the UFC banner.
#3. Carlos Newton, former UFC welterweight champion
The irony about Carlos Newton is that, as the first Canadian champion in the UFC, he was not impressive at all, while his fellow countryman Georges St-Pierre went on to carve out a legacy as arguably the greatest fighter of all time. One glance at Carlos Newton's legacy can inform a fan about how good he was or wasn't.
He never had a win streak in the UFC and earned his title shot against Pat Miletich despite signing with the promotion off of a loss in a prior bout elsewhere. Despite winning the title, he lost it to legendary 170-pounder Matt Hughes in his first title defense, before going on an abysmal run of form of five wins and 8 losses.
Not only did he have no win streak in the promotion and fought for the title off of a loss, but he also has no championships in any other organizations across his entire MMA career, which ended with 16 wins and 14 losses.
#2. Julianna Peña, former UFC women's bantamweight champion
There's a reason why it's arguable that Matt Serra pulled off the greatest upset in MMA history. That's because wins like Julianna Peña's victory over Amanda Nunes exist to contest that claim. 'The Venezuelan Vixen' claims to have chased the WMMA GOAT for years prior to their fateful clash at UFC 269.
But as Nunes rightly pointed out, Peña hadn't done anything to make herself a contender for the title. She earned her title shot by scoring a single win after her submission loss to Germaine de Randamie. On a one-fight win streak, she faced 'The Lioness' and won in a massive upset.
She lost the title in an immediate rematch in lopsided fashion. Furthermore, her bantamweight title is the only championship honor in her entire MMA career, which she didn't even win as part of a lengthy win streak.
#1. Nicco Montaño, former UFC women's flyweight champion
It's hard to argue against the idea that Nicco Montaño is one of the most forgettable champions in the promotion's history. She has an incredibly short MMA record of four wins and three losses. At one point, she was the KOTC women's flyweight champion, but no one would classify King of the Cage as a major organization.
She also had no memorable win streak, and fought for the inaugural UFC women's flyweight title coming off of a loss due to the scarcity of elite fighters at flyweight. She defeated WMMA pioneer Roxanne Modafferi but was later stripped of her title after a botched weight cut forced her out of her first title defense.
Nicco Montaño subsequently returned to bantamweight, facing Julianna Peña in a losing effort before exiting the UFC. She never had a win streak in the promotion, never captured a title in any other major organization, got a title shot off a loss and has nearly just as many losses as she has wins.