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In the UFC, defense is as important as offense, as rounds are generally scored in favor of the fighter who landed the more damaging blows. Furthermore, a fighter with subpar defense is likely to suffer a knockdown or, worse, find themselves on the receiving end of a knockout.
For this reason, being defensively sound is fundamental to a fighter's success. Some fighters, however, rely largely on their toughness. Nate Diaz and his older brother, Nick Diaz, are both legendary for their sheer durability. Neither man, however, is still in the UFC.
So what of the fighters still on the roster? There are those who are so tough, whose chins are made of iron, that they've never been truly knocked out. At most, they've been the victims of doctor stoppages, but they were still of sound mind and willing to continue fighting. They're rare, but they exist.
#5. Kevin Holland, UFC welterweight/middleweight
Kevin Holland became a fan favorite due to his action-packed fighting style, blistering speed, and snappy knockout power. He prefers to strike and will rarely ever shoot for a takedown. While he is adept at shutting his opponent's lights out, all while talking trash inside the octagon, he is also supernaturally durable.
In 37 fights, 'Trailblazer' has never been truly knocked out in a legitimate fashion. The closest instance was when an accidental clash of heads against Kyle Daukaus left him unconscious, though that was a no-contest. Even his TKO loss to Stephen Thompson was merely a doctor stoppage.
Holland was especially hampered against the former after breaking his hand, but he was never knocked out. Not even a vicious knockout artist like Joaquin Buckley has been able to flatline him. Even Michael 'Venom' Page, in the pair's UFC 299 bout, struggled to knock him out despite his history of stoppages.
#4. Brian Ortega, UFC featherweight
Like Kevin Holland, Brian Ortega has never been truly knocked out. His only two TKO losses were a doctor stoppage against Max Holloway due to absorbing absurd amounts of damage and a shoulder injury sustained from an armbar attempt by Yair Rodríguez in the pair's initial matchup.
Despite the brutal wars he's been a part of, Ortega has remained extremely difficult to flatline. Chan Sung Jung, a powerful puncher, wasn't able to even dent the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace's chin. Neither could then reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who handed him a five-round beating.
The closest glimpse of Ortega's mortality came against Rodríguez in their rematch, but it was brief. He was knocked down by 'El Pantera' but survived and subsequently won the fight with an arm-triangle choke.
#3. Max Holloway, UFC featherweight
Max Holloway, a former UFC featherweight champion, is one of the most skilled mixed martial artists in the world. However, for as much of an offensive dynamo as he is, his defensive striking has always been his weakest technical area, as 'Blessed' absorbs a tremendous amount of damage.
Nevertheless, he has never been knocked out. In fact, he has never even been dropped in 32 fights, despite the fact that he has faced countless powerful strikers, including Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier (2x), Jeremy Stephens, Calvin Kattar, Arnold Allen, Yair Rodríguez, José Aldo (2x), and Chan Sung Jung.
Check out a highlight of Max Holloway's toughness:
None of them have been able to shut his lights out despite the amount of damage Holloway typically absorbs. The most hurt he's ever looked was when he took on Poirier at lightweight in their rematch. Nevertheless, he was never on his back from a strike and continues to amaze with his legendary toughness.
#2. Marvin Vettori, UFC middleweight
It wouldn't be a far-fetched statement to say that without his toughness, Marvin Vettori would probably not be a top-five middleweight. However, 'The Italian Dream' is freakishly durable. Israel Adesanya, who is capable of knocking out anyone else, failed to do so twice against Vettori.
Another powerful striker, Kevin Holland, also found the same difficulty, as 'The Italian Dream' simply ate whatever came his way and marched onward. Paulo Costa, who, while not especially powerful but is still a respectable hitter, couldn't deal much damage to him either, despite benefitting from not cutting any weight.
Check out Marvin Vettori's toughness:
Even Jared Cannonier, a former heavyweight known for having weapons of mass destruction in his hands, couldn't knock him out. Even while breaking the middleweight record for significant strikes, Cannonier couldn't even drop Vettori, who has never been knocked down, much less knocked out.
#1. Marlon Vera, UFC bantamweight
The amount of damage Marlon Vera absorbed against Sean O'Malley, one of the most powerful bantamweights in the world, at UFC 299 may very well be career-altering. Yet, despite everything, including a jaw-crushing knee from 'Sugar,' 'Chito' never hit the mat.
The most shocking detail about their fight was that Vera finally showed damage on his face, which was never the case in his previous bouts, no matter who he fought or what was done to him. Powerful strikers José Aldo, Song Yadong, and brutal knockout artist John Lineker weren't even able to drop him.
Check out Marlon Vera eating a knee from Sean O'Malley:
It is all a testament to how impregnable Vera's chin is. However, given the beating he was dealt by O'Malley at UFC 299, it is now an open question whether he will remain the same fighter moving forward.
