5 best fighters from Down Under in UFC history

#4. George Sotiropoulos – former UFC lightweight

George Sotiropoulos was the first fighter from Down Under to really develop into a genuine title contender

George Sotiropoulos might be long forgotten by UFC fans these days, as he last fought in the promotion in late 2013. However, at his best, he was genuinely one of the best 155lbers on the planet. As a true pioneer, he should be recognized as one of the best fighters to come from Down Under.

After putting together a record of 7-2 on the regional circuit, Sotiropoulos gained his invite to the big show via the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter. While he fell in the semi-finals of that series, he impressed enough to be handed a contract afterwards.

Sotiropoulos’ first four wins in the octagon were hardly earth-shattering, although he did impress by finishing all of his opponents. The eyes of the fans were really opened, though, when the promotion headed to Australia for the first time in February 2010.

‘Greek George’ was positioned as the biggest native star to be competing on that card. He lived up to the expectations of the fans by dominating former lightweight title challenger Joe Stevenson en route to a decision win.

Impressive victories over Kurt Pellegrino and Joe Lauzon followed, putting Sotiropoulos on the verge of a title shot heading into 2011.

However, the logjam at the top of the division, as well as the injection of new talent from the WEC, prevented that from happening. When Sotiropoulos fell to Dennis Siver in a disappointing showing, he quickly tumbled from contention.

A year on the shelf due to injuries followed. When the Australian returned, only to suffer a KO at the hands of Rafael dos Anjos, his time at the top appeared to be over.

However, Sotiropoulos was still able to make another kind of impact on Australian MMA, coaching a team that included a certain Robert Whittaker on TUF: The Smashes in late 2012.

Although he lost his final two UFC bouts, he should still be recognized for his achievements as the first fighter from Down Under to really enter title contention in the octagon.

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#3. Robert Whittaker – former UFC middleweight champion

Robert Whittaker was the first fighter from Down Under to claim UFC gold

As the first fighter from Down Under to claim gold in the octagon, it’s safe to say that Robert Whittaker has made a huge impact in the UFC since arriving there in 2012.

Fans who watched ‘The Reaper’ perform on TUF: The Smashes should’ve been able to recognize the massive talent that the then-21-year old possessed.

On a season full of friendly banter, Whittaker was the outlier. He remained hugely intense throughout the process and destroyed everyone he faced, including Australian teammate Xavier Lucas.

After winning the reality show, Whittaker quickly made his mark in the UFC proper by knocking out TUF 16 champion Colton Smith. However, two back-to-back losses made him question his future as a welterweight.

2014 saw ‘The Reaper’ move to 185 pounds. The results were remarkable. Whittaker had lost none of his knockout power, but now held a speed advantage over the majority of his opponents and he quickly reeled off six straight wins in his new division, setting him up for a title shot in mid-2017.

That title shot came against the monstrous Yoel Romero. In an incredible fight, Whittaker was able to outpoint the Cuban to become the interim UFC middleweight champion. 2018 then saw him crowned undisputed champion and he defended his title in another war with Romero.

‘The Reaper’ lost his title to Israel Adesanya in late 2019, but since then, he’s recovered with three straight wins and now has the chance to regain his crown this weekend. There’s no doubt that he belongs near the top of any list of top fighters to emerge from Down Under.