Michael Bisping, Stipe Miocic and more: 5 UFC champions who avenged an earlier loss during their title reign
In just a few weeks’ time at UFC 281, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will attempt to avenge a pair of losses from his days in the world of kickboxing, as he takes on top contender Alex Pereira. The Brazilian is only fighter to have ever knocked Adesanya out.
Israel Adesanya is set to defend his middleweight title against Alex Pereira at #UFC281 in MSG 🗽 https://t.co/9bOC6AxT2A
If Israel Adesanya can overcome Alex Pereira, he won’t be the first UFC champion to avenge an earlier loss during his title reign. Numerous other titleholders have achieved this in the past.
At times, it even seems like the promotion enjoys seeing its champions almost use their title reigns as a chance to avenge earlier losses. That's probably because these fights have a ready-made storyline to sell.
With that in mind, here are five UFC champions who avenged an earlier loss during their title reign.
#5. Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson – UFC 204
While his title win over Luke Rockhold will always be one of the most memorable moments in the octagon in recent years, Michael Bisping’s reign as middleweight champion is usually seen by most fans as a disappointment.
‘The Count’ held the title from June 2016 to November 2017. During that time, he never faced one of the division’s big beasts like Yoel Romero or Robert Whittaker, and ended up losing his title to Georges St-Pierre.
However, his reign did allow him to achieve one major milestone – he avenged probably his most infamous career loss by beating Dan Henderson in a title defense in his hometown of Manchester, England.
Bisping’s loss to Henderson took place back in 2009 following a bitter rivalry that began during the tapings of TUF 9. It ended with ‘Hendo’ dropping him with a right hand before switching his lights off with an unnecessary, brutal shot on the ground.
‘The Count’ had always dreamed of avenging the loss, but for the UFC to give Henderson a title shot to allow him that chance was a major stretch. After all, ‘Hendo’ was 46 years old in late 2016 and had won just two of his past five bouts.
Regardless, the infamous nature of their first meeting meant that there was plenty of fan interest in the fight. Incredibly, in the first round it looked like history would repeat itself when Henderson dropped Bisping with the same right hand he’d knocked him out with before.
This time, though, ‘The Count’ was able to recover. Despite eating another big shot in the second round, he took over as the fight went on and clearly outpointed him for a decision win.
Bisping's revenge
Hendo retiresRT @btsportufc: 🇬🇧 Bisping's revenge
👏 Hendo retires
Rewind to this day last year and the best bits from Bisping vs. Henderson 2... https:…
Sure, the victory came over an ageing Henderson who wasn’t a true title contender. However, it was still a great moment for Bisping, and would’ve acted as the perfect swansong for his octagon career overall.
#4. Chuck Liddell vs. Jeremy Horn – UFC 54
When Chuck Liddell knocked out the legendary Randy Couture to claim the UFC light heavyweight title in April 2005, the victory meant that he’d avenged one of just three losses he’d suffered to that point in his career.
‘The Iceman’ was clearly on top form and with no clear-cut top contender ready to fight him, the promotion decided to throw him a bone of sorts. The UFC booked him in a fight that would allow him an attempt at avenging his first career loss.
Liddell had debuted in the octagon back in 1999. Despite a burgeoning reputation, he’d fallen prey to a more experienced foe in Jeremy Horn, who put him to sleep with an arm triangle choke at the end of the first round.
Mar5.1999
Jeremy Horn hands Chuck Liddell the first defeat of his career,
when he submits him off his back with an arm triangle choke https://t.co/DSQzkijiMF
By 2005, though, Horn had been out of the UFC for over four years and had been fighting largely as a 185lber. However, that didn’t stop the promotion from bringing him back and offering him an instant shot at ‘The Iceman’ and his title.
From day one it was pretty clear that the idea behind the fight was Liddell avenging his earlier loss. Sure enough, he thoroughly beat his old rival down, knocking him down on multiple occasions before finishing him via TKO in the fourth round.
It was an impressive showing from Liddell, who erased the memories of his previous defeat, even if Horn was clearly out of his depth with a fighter in the absolute prime of his career.
The win left ‘The Iceman’ with just one loss to avenge. Unfortunately for him, his attempt to beat old foe Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson went in the opposite direction, and led to the end of his title reign.
#3. Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber – UFC 132
When Dominick Cruz fought Urijah Faber for the first time in a WEC featherweight title bout in 2007, the two men were at completely different points in their careers.
While Cruz had a solid 9-0 record, he’d never fought anyone of note. Faber, meanwhile, was widely recognized as one of the top 145lbers on the planet and had held multiple titles in various promotions before being positioned as the WEC’s poster-boy.
Indeed, it felt like a match that favored ‘The California Kid’ hugely. With that, it came as no surprise when he submitted Cruz with a mounted guillotine choke in the first round.
Mar24.2007
Urijah Faber hands Dominick Cruz the first loss of his professional career,
when he finishes him with a guillotine choke https://t.co/IlUdKbGVEz
Four years later, though, everything had changed. After dropping to 135lbs in 2008, Cruz had transformed into ‘The Dominator’ and had reeled off seven wins in a row, collecting the WEC – and then the UFC – bantamweight title in the process.
With Faber also dropping to 135lbs in 2010, it came as no surprise to see the UFC match the old rivals against one another in the summer of 2011. While ‘The California Kid’ was desperate to claim gold in the octagon, Cruz was after a slice of revenge instead.
In an epic encounter, ‘The Dominator’ was able to achieve just that. Despite suffering a pair of knockdowns over the five rounds, Cruz clearly outstruck, outgrappled and out-thought his old rival, and claimed a unanimous decision, picking up the biggest win of his career in the process.
The victory cemented Cruz’s spot as not only the top bantamweight in the world, but as a possible great of the octagon, too. That was something he went on to prove with further victories, including another over Faber, later down the line.
#2. Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn – UFC 63
When Matt Hughes suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of B.J. Penn in early 2004, losing his UFC welterweight title in the process, the entire MMA world was stunned.
Nobody expected it, especially as Penn was moving up to 170lbs for the first time to face off with the promotion’s most dominant champion, a champion who’d already made five successful title defenses.
However, Penn completely destroyed Hughes, taking him down, hurting him with a right hand, and then choking him out. Unfortunately for ‘The Prodigy’, his title reign didn’t last long. He was stripped of the crown when he chose to sign a contract with rival promotion K-1. Just nine months later, Hughes reclaimed it by defeating Georges St-Pierre.
When Penn returned to the UFC in early 2006, Hughes made no secret of the fact that he wanted to avenge his loss. When the Hawaiian lost to GSP in a title eliminator, it seemed like the champion wouldn’t get the opportunity he was after.
Remarkably, though, that changed when St-Pierre suffered an injury before the fight. Penn immediately stepped in as a late replacement, and suddenly, Hughes had his chance.
Incredibly, it looked like he’d fail in his attempt. The first round saw him stunned by a combination, while the second saw him fending off another choke attempt by ‘The Prodigy’. However, Penn blew his gas tank in his attempts to finish, and a rib injury didn’t help matters either.
The third round saw the Hawaiian exhausted. Hughes immediately took him down, secured a mounted crucifix, and destroyed him with punches to avenge what was, at the time, his worst defeat.
Sep23.2006
Matt Hughes earns the most gratifying victory of his professional career,
when he finishes BJ Penn in their rematch at UFC 63 https://t.co/BwObtQDktP
Sadly for Hughes, his luck ran out after just one more fight, as he was dethroned by GSP. He went on to suffer a second defeat to Penn in their trilogy bout some years later.
#1. Stipe Miocic vs. Junior dos Santos – UFC 211
Stipe Miocic was always tipped for greatness from the moment he arrived in the UFC in 2011. Strangely, it was a loss that convinced fans that he had what it took to make it all the way to the top.
After beating the likes of Roy Nelson and Gabriel Gonzaga, late 2014 saw Miocic handed his toughest test to date when he faced off against former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos. While he suffered a bad knockdown during the bout, for the most part he took the fight to the Brazilian and seemed to have earned a decision win.
Unfortunately, the judges didn’t see it like that and somehow awarded the fight to ‘JDS’. Nobody really bought the decision, and it angered Miocic so much that he went on a tear, taking out Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski before dethroning Fabricio Werdum in a mild upset to become heavyweight champ in his own right.
After defeating Alistair Overeem in his first defense, Miocic was then granted a chance to avenge his controversial loss to dos Santos when the Brazilian was awarded a title shot, despite not really having earned it per say.
Most fans figured that dos Santos – who had won just once in the nearly three years following his win over Miocic – was simply there to allow the new champion some revenge, and it came as no surprise when that was exactly what happened.
Stipe Miocic has finished his last 5 opponents:
TKO vs. Hunt 👊
TKO vs. Arlovski 👊
KO vs. Werdum 👊
KO vs. Overeem 👊
TKO vs. JDS 👊 https://t.co/pzf7uksQTb
Miocic was ruthless, destroying the Brazilian in just over two minutes and leaving no doubt at all as to who the better fighter was. Realistically, it was almost harsh to ‘JDS’ to put him into the bout in the first place.