Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor and more: 5 UFC fighters who we love to see compete - win or lose
While the premise of the UFC is technically to pit the best against the best, the truth is that the success of the promotion has been and always will be built on the back of star fighters.
Over the years, we’ve seen numerous star fighters emerge into the UFC to become must-see attractions. Right now. there are a number of them competing in the promotion.
These fighters aren’t always the best in the world. In fact, many of them have yet to hold a major title in the promotion. However, one thing is clear and that’s that fans will always pay to see them.
Here are five fighters who the fans love to see competing in the octagon, win or lose.
#5. Jorge Masvidal – UFC welterweight
While it’s arguable that he might be a little past his prime at this stage, it’s safe to say that welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal remains one of the UFC’s must-see attractions, and he seems to be one of the few fighters on the roster capable of calling his own shots.
Remarkably, it wasn’t always like this for ‘Gamebred’. Debuting in the octagon back in 2013, Masvidal put together a solid but unspectacular run, with the most notable thing being his penchant for not quite doing enough to cement victories in the eyes of the judges. From 2015 to 2016, he lost three split decisions.
However, after taking over a year off following a defeat to Stephen Thompson in 2017, Masvidal returned with a new look and a new attitude. Now sporting shoulder-length hair and a shaggy beard, he christened himself ‘Street Jesus’, and began to carry himself like a character from the movie Scarface.
From there, all it took was three impressive wins, as well as a random assault of future welterweight champion Leon Edwards, and suddenly, Masvidal was not only the ‘BMF champion’ of the promotion, but also one of its biggest draws, too.
OH MY GOD MASVIDAL STARCHES ASKREN IN 5 SECONDS!!!
#UFC239 https://t.co/8oWeqSIBhW
Incredibly, since defeating Nate Diaz for the 'BMF' title in November 2019, ‘Gamebred’ has not won a fight. Instead, he’s lost two title bouts to then-welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, and most recently fell to his bitter rival Colby Covington.
Does that matter in the eyes of the fans? Absolutely not. Masvidal’s combative attitude and unique fighting style mean that he remains a must-see attraction, win or lose. More importantly, it’s likely that won’t change any time soon.
#4. Khamzat Chimaev – UFC welterweight
Very few fighters in UFC history were able to make themselves must-see attractions from the off, but that’s exactly what Khamzat Chimaev has done since his octagon debut in 2020.
Despite only beating two fighters who arguably didn’t belong in the promotion in John Phillips and Rhys McKee, ‘Borz’ broke out as a star not only because of the manner in which he defeated them – total destruction – but also because of his aura of invincibility. Chimaev claimed he had the skills to “smash anyone” and it immediately felt hard to disagree.
Since then, despite a lengthy stay on the shelf due to COVID-19, the Chechen has only enhanced his reputation, both as a major star and also as a genuine threat to both the welterweight and middleweight titles.
He’s impressed hugely in his wins over Li Jingliang and Kevin Holland, whitewashing both before finishing them with chokes in the first round. He also showed off his toughness, durability and striking skills to defeat former title challenger Gilbert Burns.
Khamzat Chimaev taps out Kevin Holland in the first round.
#UFC279 https://t.co/9kWjh1Bn5k
More to the point, though, like Conor McGregor, Chimaev seems to understand the concept of keeping himself in the media spotlight while he’s not preparing for a fight. He's constantly calling out various high-level fighters, most recently new middleweight kingpin Alex Pereira.
All of this has added up to Chimaev quickly becoming a must-see fighter. Even if he were to lose his gaudy unbeaten record in his next fight, this probably wouldn’t change. He’s swiftly become a fighter that the fans will always want to see compete, regardless of results.
#3. Justin Gaethje – UFC lightweight
While putting on exciting fights isn’t always a guaranteed way of becoming a must-see attraction – Robbie Lawler, for instance, never broke out as a megastar – it can definitely help matters. That’s certainly been the case when it comes to Justin Gaethje.
‘The Highlight’ arrived in the UFC with the reputation as a wildly exciting brawler. While he was actually unbeaten at the time, many fans questioned how well his style would translate to the top level.
It didn’t take him long to establish himself, as he put on a trio of classic bouts in his first three trips to the octagon, turning himself into an overnight star. However, his losses to Dustin Poirier and Eddie Alvarez appeared to prove those doubters correct.
A slight shift in his methods, though – basically a move towards less of a reckless style – put him on a lengthy winning streak from 2018 to 2020. When he became the first man in almost a decade to beat Tony Ferguson, claiming an interim lightweight title in the process, Gaethje found himself at the top of his division.
IT'S OVER! 😱
There is no one like @Justin_Gaethje! #UFCVancouver https://t.co/MiPxc9jHUV
Since then, while he’s suffered losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira, ‘The Highlight’ has remained a fighter whose name can instantly attract even casual fans into watching a UFC show.
His wild brawl with Michael Chandler in 2021 showed that his reckless ways hadn’t quite gone away. While he doesn’t have an outspoken personality, his fighting style more than makes up for it. Basically, win or lose, the fans will always tune in to watch ‘The Highlight’ compete.
#2. Michael Chandler – UFC lightweight
Plenty of champions from other promotions have crossed over into the UFC over the years, but few have made the same kind of impact that current lightweight contender Michael Chandler, who jumped over from Bellator in 2021.
Remarkably, ‘Iron’ has still had just five bouts in the octagon. It’s a testament to his rise to stardom that he’s already fought for the lightweight title and seems to have been around in the promotion forever.
Chandler essentially became a star after his octagon debut, a brutal knockout of Dan Hooker that took him just over two minutes. When he then cut a spirited promo afterwards during his interview with Joe Rogan, it was hard for fans not to be enthralled by him.
Since then, while he’s actually lost more fights than he’s won – falling to Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier while only beating Tony Ferguson – he remains a must-see attraction.
CHANDLER KNOCKS FERGUSON OUT COLD! 🤯
IRON MIKE JUST DID THAT! #UFC274 https://t.co/gxvpFeBxsk
Why is this? Simply put, like Gaethje, whenever ‘Iron’ steps into the octagon he leaves everything he has in there. Even when he’s lost, he’s pushed those opponents to the brink, using his brutal striking and powerful wrestling game to hurt them badly.
At this stage, Chandler has reached the point where the fans would probably watch him fight anyone from a debutant to a ranked opponent. They don’t really seem to care whether he wins or loses, either.
#1. Conor McGregor – former UFC lightweight & featherweight champion
The fighter who remains the UFC’s ultimate must-see attraction is still Conor McGregor. Even if ‘The Notorious’ fails to win another bout inside the octagon, it’s likely that the fans will still be willing to part with their money to watch him fight until he hangs up his gloves.
Debuting with a knockout of Marcus Brimage back in 2013, McGregor turned himself into a major star practically overnight, talking trash on seemingly half of the UFC’s roster and immediately getting the entire country of Ireland behind him.
Even a year on the shelf following a serious knee injury couldn’t really slow him down, as his return bout saw him headline the promotion’s first show in Dublin in years, lighting up the crowd with a win over Diego Brandao.
From there, things basically snowballed for ‘The Notorious’. He quickly climbed the ladder to claim both the featherweight and lightweight titles, and then saw his star rise even further with a boxing match against the legendary Floyd Mayweather.
"He didn't just do it, he did it flawlessly."
Calm. Composed. Clinical.
Conor McGregor with one of the great title fight performances vs Eddie Alvarez 🙏
#UFC246 | January18 | BT Sport Box Office https://t.co/UKliXiTJF8
That bout, as well as his mega feud with bitter rival Khabib Nurmagomedov, moved McGregor into a territory never really reached by any other UFC fighter. Essentially, he’d transcended the sport of MMA, to the point that every one of his fights became a major sporting event in its own right, attracting fans who normally wouldn’t care about fights in the octagon.
This feeling remains to this day, as his 2021 bouts with Dustin Poirier were comfortably the biggest of that year despite not being for a title.
At this stage, largely due to his polarizing personality, as many fans love to see McGregor lose as they do win. Either way, though, the millions he draws on pay-per-view prove that doesn’t really matter – he remains MMA’s biggest must-see attraction regardless.