5 greatest underdog championship wins in UFC history

The UFC is typically known for its stellar matchmaking, especially when it comes to title fights. However, in the past there have been cases where champions have begun to assert such dominance over their divisions, that they make every challenger who comes up against them a heavy underdog.

That is exactly the case in the co-main event of UFC 266 this weekend, when the UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko takes on Lauren Murphy. Shevchenko has never lost in a UFC flyweight bout and is a huge favorite going into this fight with Murphy.

However, there have been times in the past where big underdogs picked up an upset win despite all the odds being stacked against them. In this list, we breakdown five of the greatest underdog championship wins in the UFC.

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#5. Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva - UFC 162

In his prime, Anderson Silva was one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the world. He tore through the UFC middleweight division, making light work of fighters such as Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson, who had been considered to be at the very pinnacle of the sport.

UFC Fight Night: Silva v Bisping

Silva won and defended the UFC middleweight title, also venturing up to light heavyweight for a few fights. A slightly dicey victory against Chael Sonnen was the closest he had come to losing at that point in his career. He soon rectified it by dominating their subsequent rematch.

So when Silva was matched up against a young prospect by the name of Chris Weidman, most fans and media alike presumed it would be business as usual for 'The Spider'.

What happened next was a knockout that shocked the world. Anderson Silva was doing his typical mid-fight showboating when Weidman caught him with a punch that sent the Brazilian falling to the mat.

#4. Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk - UFC 217

Considering how highly rated Rose Namajunas is now, it seems bizarre that she was once considered a huge underdog in her UFC title fight against Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

Before UFC 217, Jedrzejczyk had an undefeated record of 14-0. She already held wins over top opposition such as Jessica Andrade, Carla Esparza and Claudia Gadelha. Namajunas, meanwhile, was 6-3 and had struggled somewhat with consistency.

When the two fighters faced off, Jedrzejczyk was very much the aggressor, getting in Namajunas' face and repeatedly belittling her. Namajunas' only response was to repeat the Lord's prayer to herself.

This very much gave the impression that Jedrzejczyk was the more dominant of the two and she went into the fight as a heavy favorite. However, Namajunas would almost instantly silence any doubters as she knocked her opponent out in the first round. She also later defeated Jedrzejczyk again in their subsequent rematch.

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#3. Michael Bisping vs. Luke Rockhold 2 - UFC 199

There has already been a film made detailing the career of Michael Bisping and his title-winning fight against Luke Rockhold is exactly what films are made of. In 2014, Michael Bisping was thoroughly defeated by Luke Rockhold, with many believing that the Englishman's title chances were dead and buried.

UFC Fight Night: Rockhold v Bisping Press Event

However, in 2016, Bisping took a short notice fight that changed everything for him. Luke Rockhold was the middleweight champion and the UFC were hoping to book him in a rematch against Chris Weidman.

Weidman dropped out of the fight after sustaining a neck injury, leaving the UFC with only one half of the main event for UFC 199. They initially attempted to have Jacare Souza step in, but the Brazilian cited the short notice nature of the fight as his reason for turning it down.

Instead, they turned to Michael Bisping, who had been busy branching out into a career in film. Bisping accepted the fight against his old foe on barely two weeks notice, unsurprisingly coming in as a huge betting underdog.

But when the fight came about, Bisping landed that now fabled left hook that sent Rockhold falling to the ground. A second left hook quickly finished the fight and the UK had its first ever UFC champion.

#2. Matt Serra vs. Georges St-Pierre - UFC 69

Matt Serra's iconic title-winning victory over Georges St-Pierre was arguably one of the most shocking moments in UFC history. Depending on your personal opinion, it could easily be switched out for the number one pick on this list.

At the time, Georges St-Pierre was one of the most dominant fighters in any MMA organization. He held a 13-1 record that included wins over Matt Hughes, B.J. Penn and Sean Sherk.

Georges St-Pierre won UFC belts in two different divisions

Matt Serra's record was 9-4 and he had gone 3-3 in his last six pro fights. However, he had also won the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, which allowed him a shot at the 170-pound title.

Georges St-Pierre was dominating the welterweight division with superior striking and wrestling. Serra was a grappler first and foremost and few thought there was a single area where he would have success against GSP.

Serra then, of course, went and knocked St-Pierre out. He landed an overhand right that instantly had 'Rush' on wobbling legs. Unrelenting pressure and a constant flurry of punches forced John McCarthy to step in and put an end to the fight.

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#1. Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey - UFC 193

In her heyday, 'Rowdy' Ronda Rousey had a sense of unbeatability that is now attributed to the likes of Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko.

The Olympic judoka entered the UFC in 2013 as the inaugural Women’s Bantamweight champion. She rapidly amassed six straight UFC title defenses and was quickly considered one of the biggest draws on the entire roster.

Holly Holm knocked Ronda Rousey out at UFC 193

When the UFC booked her against former professional boxer Holly Holm to headline their first show in Melbourne, Australia, few gave 'The Preacher's Daughter' more than a fleeting chance to win. At the time Holm had only competed twice inside the UFC, scraping decisions against Raquel Pennington and Marion Reneau.

So when Holm knocked Rousey out cold in the second round, UFC fans around the world were left in stunned silence. Holm looked worlds apart from Rousey when it came to the striking exchanges and the final head kick KO was a thing of violent beauty.