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The UFC’s current roster features well over 700 fighters competing in 12 different weight classes. So it’s easy to understand why some of them might fly under the radar.
It’s easy to see why the UFC’s best fighters garner so much adoration. However, the truth is that the promotion also houses many athletes who deserve far more respect from fans than they get.
These fighters may be past their primes now, or may not have lived up to early expectations, but why fans don’t show them the respect they deserve is anyone’s guess.
On that note, here are five current UFC fighters who deserve far more respect from fans:
#5. Aljamain Sterling – current UFC bantamweight champion
It’s fair to say that any fighter who claims UFC gold deserves massive respect from fans. After all, even greats like the Diaz brothers, Alistair Overeem and Chael Sonnen were unable to achieve that during their storied careers.
However, despite currently holding the promotion’s bantamweight title, it seems Aljamain Sterling simply doesn’t get the respect he deserves, compared to his fellow champions.
There’s an obvious reason for that, though. ‘The Funk Master’ was widely seen to be losing his title bout with Petr Yan when ‘No Mercy’ knocked him out with an illegal knee. That made Sterling the first fighter in the promotion’s history to win his title via disqualification.
Nevertheless, regardless of how he won his title, disrespecting Sterling is absolutely ridiculous, considering his plethora of accomplishments inside the octagon.
‘The Funk Master’ has wins over some genuinely great fighters, including former bantamweight champion Renan Barao and current contender Pedro Munhoz. He’s also the only man ever to finish #4 ranked Cory Sandhagen. What’s more, Sterling made it look easy, dispatching ‘The Sandman’ with a rear naked choke after just over a minute.
Therefore, regardless of whether or not he’s actually capable of beating Yan, there can be no doubt that Sterling is one of the best 135lb fighters on the planet right now – if not the best.
There’s no way he should be seen as anything but a legitimate champion, meaning he deserves far more respect than he currently seems to get from fans.
#4. Clay Guida – current UFC lightweight contender
Any fighter who can remain part of the UFC’s roster for over a decade deserves plenty of respect. However, given how easily it is for veterans to appear to be washed up, a fighter who can still win inside the octagon after 15 years ought to be idolized by fans.
That’s exactly what Clay Guida – who debuted in the octagon with a win over Justin James way back in October 2006 – did at the end of 2021. He choked out grappling ace Leonardo Santos in the second round of their bout.
Nevertheless, it appears ‘The Carpenter’ is somewhat underappreciated by fans, even though his body of work is almost incomparable in the lightweight division.
To be fair, there are a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, not only has Guida never held gold during his lengthy tenure with the promotion, but he has also never claimed a title shot. He has fallen at the final hurdle against opponents like Benson Henderson and Diego Sanchez.
Secondly, ‘The Carpenter’ admittedly hasn’t always been the most exciting fighter to watch. That’s a statement that seems crazy when you consider his legendary battles with the likes of Sanchez and Tyson Griffin.
Purely for his crazy longevity, though, Guida should be one of the most respected fighters in the game. Other combatants might have more octagon appearances than him and plenty of others have more finishes and bonus awards than him. However, given how things have changed in the UFC since his debut, for Guida to even still be competing at all is a genuine marvel.
Therefore, when he competes, fans ought to view Guida as a true legend, and not just overlook him as a career mid-card fighter with a funky hairdo.
#3. Leon Edwards – current UFC welterweight contender
Of all the UFC’s current high-level contenders, the fighter who seems to garner the most disrespect from fans is welterweight Leon Edwards.
Sure, it looks like 2022 could finally be the year ‘Rocky’ gets his shot at claiming welterweight gold against current champion Kamaru Usman. However, if some fans had their way, the native of Birmingham, England, would probably be overlooked in favor of a flashier contender.
The likes of Khamzat Chimaev and Shavkat Rakhmonov have definitely impressed in their octagon appearances. However, they simply can’t match up to the lengthy winning streak Edwards has been on.
‘Rocky’ last fell to defeat in a clash with Usman way back in December 2015. Since then, he has reeled off nine victories, with the only outlier being a No Contest against Belal Muhammad in 2021.
Along the way, Edwards has defeated the likes of Donald Cerrone, Rafael Dos Anjos and Nate Diaz. In the process, he has marked himself as perhaps the toughest challenge for Usman in the welterweight division.
Nevertheless, largely due to his lack of flash on the microphone and highlight-reel finishes, Edwards continually gets overlooked by fans. They prefer to talk about fighters like Diaz and Jorge Masvidal – fighters who are, in truth, probably below ‘Rocky’.
Edwards may well fall short in his quest to become a UFC champion. However, the fact is that he’s definitely one of the best 170 lbers of his generation. To suggest otherwise would simply be a mark of disrespect.
#2. Andrei Arlovski – former UFC heavyweight champion
His tenure with the UFC hasn’t been an unbroken one. He was not in the promotion between 2008 and 2014.
However, the fact that Andrei Arlovski is still competing in the promotion after so long is truly remarkable. Nevertheless, it’s safe to say that, over the last few years especially, ‘The Pitbull’ perhaps hasn’t got the respect he deserves from fans.
Sure, Arlovski is no longer one of the most feared men in the division. His last six wins inside the octagon have all come via decision. He has also suffered bad losses against younger prospects like Tom Aspinall and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
However, it’s easy to forget that the Belarusian is 43, and was written off as being finished at the highest level way back in 2010. When you consider that, as well as the fact that he’s in phenomenal physical shape for a man of his age, it’s difficult not to marvel at his accomplishments.
Given that Arlovski is currently on a three-fight winning streak, it’s likely he’s not going to be hanging up his gloves any time soon. That could especially be the case if the UFC doesn’t pit him against the real top fighters in the division.
We’re now well over a decade removed from his tenure as heavyweight champion. So it’s safe to say that ‘The Pitbull’ deserves a huge amount of respect from fans, certainly more than he currently seems to get.
#1. Conor McGregor – former UFC lightweight champion
It might sound crazy to suggest that Conor McGregor, who is still the UFC’s biggest star and drawing card, might deserve more respect from fans. However, the truth is that the Irishman’s fall from grace in recent years means his accomplishments have now somewhat gone under the radar.
When McGregor tweets that he ought to be considered up there with the greatest fighters in UFC history, many fans these days scoff. They bring up his devastating defeats against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier.
Sure, those defeats – particularly the two to ‘The Diamond’ – were bad, if not downright embarrassing. However, the accomplishments of ‘The Notorious’ should still shine brighter than those losses.
McGregor cut a trail of destruction through the featherweight division from his octagon debut in 2013 through to his title win in 2015. He dismantled high-level contenders like Poirier and Chad Mendes, dealt Max Holloway his only loss for six years, and became the first man since 2005 to beat Jose Aldo.
More than that, though, ‘The Notorious’ accomplished all of that while also using his charisma and ability on the microphone to become the biggest drawing star in MMA history.
When you also add in the fact that ‘The Notorious’ was the first man to simultaneously hold two titles in different weight classes – before the likes of Henry Cejudo and Daniel Cormier – it’s difficult not to consider him a true legend.
That’s why he deserves more respect than he currently gets. Sure, it’s easy to dismiss him as yesterday’s fighter right now – and it’s ludicrous to suggest he ought to be given another lightweight title shot. However, his accomplishments should be talked about far more than they currently are, regardless of his current relevance.
