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The best UFC fighters are often expected to capture divisional gold at some point in their careers. However, across different eras in the UFC's history, fighters who appear to be at the peak of their powers came up short in UFC title fights. Oftentimes, such fighters are regarded as future champions.
Rory MacDonald is one such example. Looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Canadian welterweight Georges St-Pierre, 'The Red King' embarked on a fairly impressive run in the UFC's 170 lbs weight class. Unfortunately, despite defeating future title-holder Tyron Woodley in 2014, Rory MacDonald came up short during his title challenge at UFC 189.
While his matchup with Robbie Lawler is celebrated as one of the greatest fights in UFC history, all Rory MacDonald remembers from it is a world championship slipping from his grasp. Similarly, Yoel Romero is another fighter who seemed to possess every skill needed to capture UFC gold but failed in every title fight he's earned.
The difference between them and the fighters that this list covers is that this lists fighters who are still active in the promotion. Romero is currently a Bellator light heavyweight, while MacDonald has retired from MMA. Furthermore, as this list covers fighters who failed to capture undisputed titles in the UFC, interim championships do not count.
Hence, let's take a look at five of the best UFC fighters who have never captured undisputed gold.
#5. Stephen Thompson, UFC welterweight
Georges St-Pierre, one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, once praised Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson as the best striker he's ever seen. Furthermore, the former welterweight kingpin expressed his belief that Thompson possessed all the tools necessary to become the champion of the welterweight division.
While 'GSP' may have been biased due to his friendship and as a training partner for Thompson, his assessment wasn't ludicrous. The former undefeated kickboxer entered the UFC with a tremendous amount of hype behind him. At the time, 'Wonderboy' was unlike any striker the promotion had ever seen.
After a unanimous decision loss to Matt Brown, Stephen Thompson embarked on a 7-fight win streak. His unbeaten run consisted of wins over future middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, former interim welterweight champion Johny Hendricks and former title challenger Rory MacDonald.
At UFC 205, he challenged Tyron Woodley for welterweight supremacy. Despite the stiff challenge he posed, the undefeated kickboxer failed to defeat 'The Chosen One.' Instead, the bout was declared a draw and Tyron Woodley retained the title.
While the fight solidified 'Wonderboy' as the clear second-best welterweight at the time, he would never ascend to the divisional throne. His subsequent bout was a rematch with Woodley. Thompson came up short again, this time losing a majority decision. Despite coming close twice, championship glory has eluded him and continues to as he ages.
#4. Cory Sandhagen, UFC bantamweight
Cory Sandhagen is arguably the most skilled 135-pounder in the world. Even former bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo praised 'The Sandman' as such, which is notable given the Olympic gold medalist's penchant for deriding the skills of other bantamweights.
Tall and lanky, Sandhagen is exceptional from the outside. His length enables him to force his foes to fight from a distance that better suits his frame. Furthermore, his volume often overwhelms opponents who expect him to pot-shot from a distance.
Against opponents who try to close the distance between them, 'The Sandman' intercepts with hard step-in elbows. Despite his presence in the top 5 of the division, Cory Sandhagen has lost to three undisputed champions. Aljamain Sterling choked him out in the first round and T.J. Dillashaw earned a title fight by defeating him via split-decision.
Against Petr Yan, 'The Sandman' lost a unanimous decision for the interim title despite giving a good account of himself. While he's come close, the 30-year-old is yet to taste promotional gold despite being one of the very best in the bantamweight division.
#3. Tony Ferguson, UFC lightweight
The fact that Tony Ferguson has never been an undisputed champion has more to do with misfortune than anything else. 'El Cucuy's legendary 12-fight win streak coincided with a slew of failed title eliminators and the peak of Conor McGregor holding the division hostage after his title win over Eddie Alvarez.
While 'The Notorious' reigned as the undisputed lightweight champion for a while, Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov were booked into countless matchups. Unfortunately, none of the matchups came to fruition due to some reason or another. Meanwhile, Conor McGregor's sabbatical from MMA eventually led to him being stripped of the title.
Throughout the chaos engulfing the division, 'El Cucuy' managed to capture the interim lightweight championship. Alas, his misfortune was such that he fought for the interim title twice. Despite clearly being the second-best lightweight in the world, he never earned an undisputed title fight.
At UFC 249, the former interim champion's 12-fight win streak came to an end. Justin Gaethje dealt him a brutal beating in his second-ever interim title fight. The 38-year-old has not tasted victory since that fateful loss, tumbling down the divisional rankings en route to a 5-fight losing streak.
#2. Colby Covington, UFC welterweight
As a former interim welterweight champion, Colby Covington ranks among the best 170-pounders in the sport. A relentless wrestler with bottomless cardio, 'Chaos' has overwhelmed nearly every foe he's faced, including BMF title-holder and former best friend Jorge Masvidal.
Unfortunately, Covington's inactivity has hurt his chances at capturing undisputed divisional gold. A glimpse at the NCAA Division I standout's record reveals his lack of wins against current top 5 welterweights. Worse still, Colby Covington has not defeated anyone currently ranked in the top 10 of his division other than Jorge Masvidal.
However, the strength of Colby Covington's performances against Kamaru Usman despite the losses he suffered in both bouts have led to 'Chaos' being regarded as the second-best welterweight in the world. Both matchups remain the former interim champion's only fights for the undisputed title.
Besides Leon Edwards, who is the first fighter to defeat Kamaru Usman in the UFC (albeit after struggling against 'The Nigerian Nightmare' for most of the bout), Colby Covington consistently performed the best against the former welterweight kingpin. Still, undisputed championship success continues to elude him.
#1. Dustin Poirier, UFC lightweight
Dustin Poirier is scheduled to face three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler at UFC 281. The matchup will likely be a title eliminator that will determine the next No.1-contender for lightweight gold. If 'The Diamond' emerges victorious, it will not be the first undisputed title fight he has earned.
The Louisianan is a former interim champion, having claimed the title against Max Holloway. The win was the fourth in a 4-fight win streak that saw Dustin Poirier defeat former undisputed champions Anthony Pettis, Eddie Alvarez, and former interim champion Justin Gaethje.
As impressive as 'The Diamond's win streak was, Dustin Poirier fell short in his first crack at undisputed gold against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Despite the loss, the Louisianan bounced back with a 3-fight win streak to earn a second title fight. This time, he faced Charles Oliveira.
While Poirier initially did well and even knocked Oliveira down, he ultimately lost the bout via a rear-naked choke. Prior to the bout, many hailed Poirier as the uncrowned king of the 155 lbs weight class. Alas, their hopes were dashed as the former interim champion lost in his second attempt at claiming undisputed supremacy.
