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In the world of the UFC, like anywhere else, hindsight is 20/20. That means that the accomplishments of a fighter in the octagon could be seen as better – or worse – years down the line.
We’ve seen a number of accomplishments in the UFC that were given huge praise at the time. However, as the years have gone by, they don’t actually look that great.
Sometimes, even major title wins and reigns simply don’t look as good as they once did in hindsight. While these accomplishments can’t be taken away from the fighters who achieved them, they may not be as earth-shattering as they once seemed.
Here are five huge accomplishments in the UFC that don’t look that great in hindsight.
#5. B.J. Penn’s UFC lightweight title reign
Despite the emergence of great lightweight champions such as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira in recent years, many fans would still suggest that B.J. Penn remains the best 155lber in UFC history.
‘The Prodigy’ was undoubtedly a great fighter in his prime. The Hawaiian was a wicked boxer with fast hands and a stiff jab, he had a world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu game, and at times he looked impossible to take down.
However, while prime Penn would probably have been capable of giving any other lightweight a good fight, from Khabib to Islam Makhachev, does his reign as champion really stack up as being great?
In hindsight, it arguably doesn’t.
Penn claimed the vacant lightweight title in January 2008 by defeating Joe Stevenson and did make three impressive defenses. He destroyed former champion Sean Sherk before brushing aside Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez.
However, he then lost his title to Frankie Edgar and failed to regain it in a rematch months later. Remarkably, Penn did not compete at 155 pounds after this loss for another eight years.
So how does Penn’s title reign look in hindsight? Well, he defeated three good fighters, but none of Sherk, Florian or Sanchez would be classed amongst the greatest 155lbers of all time.
Compared to Khabib’s reign, which saw him defeat Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje before retiring unbeaten, Penn’s pales in comparison.
‘The Prodigy’ deserves a tremendous amount of respect for being an incredibly gifted fighter, but his overall accomplishments at lightweight don’t look all that great in hindsight.
#4. Ken Shamrock’s UFC superfight title reign
Alongside fellow pioneers like Royce Gracie and Mark Coleman, Ken Shamrock is usually well-remembered as one of the most dominant fighters of the UFC’s early days.
However, was ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ as successful in the octagon as his reputation suggests? In hindsight, it’s highly debatable.
Unlike Gracie and Coleman, Shamrock never won one of the UFC’s early tournaments. However, he did claim gold in the form of the promotion’s inaugural ‘superfight’ title.
‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ submitted Dan Severn to claim the title in what was arguably his most impressive showing in the octagon. However, following this, he didn’t exactly go onto a dominant reign as champion.
Shamrock drew with Oleg Taktarov in a dull fight in his first defense. While he did submit Kimo Leopoldo in his second, he subsequently lost his title to Severn in a notoriously dull rematch.
Ignoring his ill-fated comeback in the 2000’s, Shamrock’s initial octagon career ended with a record of 7-2-2, and his reign as superfight champion wasn’t that great either.
In hindsight, then, he deserves plenty of accolades as a pioneer, but his accomplishments don’t stack up as well as they once did when compared to his peers.
#3. Tito Ortiz’s UFC light heavyweight title reign
Back in the early 2000’s, Tito Ortiz was positioned as the UFC’s poster-boy and sat firmly at the top of the light heavyweight division as champion.
However, while he was able to put together an impressive five successful title defenses – a record only broken by Jon Jones in 2013 – whether his accomplishments hold up today is debatable.
It’s impossible, of course, to take Ortiz’s title defenses away from him. After beating a young Wanderlei Silva for the light heavyweight title vacated by Frank Shamrock, he defeated Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko and Ken Shamrock befor finally losing to Randy Couture.
A closer look at Ortiz’s victims, though, is worth considering.
‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ had a huge size advantage over Kondo, Tanner and Sinosic, all of whom went on to fight in lower weight classes.
Matyushenko, meanwhile, took the fight with Ortiz on late notice following an injury to Vitor Belfort, while Shamrock hadn’t fought in the octagon since 1996. More to the point, ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ not only lost to Couture, but also to Chuck Liddell when they fought after his title reign had ended.
Add in the fact that at the time, many of the world’s top 205lbers were competing in PRIDE, and Ortiz’s title reign just doesn’t stack up as a great one in hindsight, even if he only beat who was in front of him.
#2. Brock Lesnar’s UFC heavyweight title reign
Prior to the title reign of Stipe Miocic, the record for the most UFC heavyweight title defenses belonged to two fighters: Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar, who both made two successful defenses.
However, while Couture’s accomplishments are well-documented – he won the heavyweight title on three occasions – and stack up well, can the same be said for Lesnar’s? It’s a little debatable.
‘The Beast Incarnate’ debuted in the octagon in 2008. After losing his debut to Frank Mir and then beating Heath Herring, he was given a surprising title shot against Couture.
Despite not really earning his shot, Lesnar won the title via KO, shocking most observers. From there, he defeated Mir in a rematch, and a year later, overcame the challenge of Shane Carwin.
Cain Velasquez proved to be a step too far for him, though, and his title reign ended at the end of 2010. Lesnar would fight just once more during his initial run, losing to Alistair Overeem before hanging up his gloves in 2011.
Ignoring his controversial 2016 comeback, then, Lesnar’s octagon record stood at 4-3, hardly the most impressive ledger.
What about his record-equalling title reign? Well, his win over Mir was impressive, especially after he’d lost to the former titleholder a year prior. Carwin, on the other hand, probably wasn’t as good as many fans at the time thought and, more to the point, with a different referee, he’d have stopped Lesnar early on.
Overall, then, Lesnar deserves huge credit for succeeding in the octagon after switching over from WWE, but in hindsight, he certainly doesn’t belong up there with the UFC’s greatest-ever heavyweights.
#1. Conor McGregor’s UFC lightweight title win
When Conor McGregor knocked out Eddie Alvarez to claim the UFC lightweight title in November 2016, he made history in the promotion in the process. With the win, ‘The Notorious’ became the first fighter to hold two titles simultaneously in two different weight classes.
It’s a feat that can never be taken away from the Irishman, and it stands out as one of the greatest achievements in UFC history. However, does it really stand the test of time in hindsight?
Surprisingly enough, it’s a bit debatable.
Firstly, it’s arguable that McGregor, who already held the 145-pound title, should never have been allowed a lightweight title shot in the first place.
After all, he’d never defended his featherweight crown despite no shortage of viable contenders, and leading into his bout with Alvarez, he’d split two welterweight fights with Nate Diaz.
Realistically, only his star power allowed him to jump the queue at 155 pounds. While he was awesome against Alvarez, the fact that he never attempted to defend his newly won title is another black mark against him.
Essentially, McGregor’s accomplishment remains an impressive one, but in hindsight, it pales in comparison to what the UFC’s other double champions – who all defended their titles – achieved.
