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‘What if?’ questions are always fun to ask. In the context of the UFC, there are plenty of them to think about.
Throughout the UFC's history, there have been a ton of sliding doors moments that could well have changed the history of the promotion – and of MMA in general – had things been slightly different.
Sometimes these moments involve fighters withdrawing from bouts with injuries. Other times they involve fighters signing with the UFC at a different time. Either way, it’s fascinating to wonder what could’ve been.
With this in mind, here are five fascinating ‘What if?’ questions from UFC history.
#5. What if Fedor Emelianenko had signed with the UFC?
If you rewind back to a decade ago, there was no question as to who the greatest heavyweight in MMA history was. Despite the objections of Dana White, the answer was Fedor Emelianenko.
‘The Last Emperor’ had ruled over PRIDE’s heavyweight division with an iron fist from 2003 to 2007, beating the likes of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop and Mark Coleman. Once PRIDE had closed its doors, he took out former UFC champions like Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski as well.
However, Fedor never did sign with the UFC, largely due to the promotion’s refusal to enter into a co-promoting agreement with the Russian’s management team, M-1 Global.
This has meant that, in more recent years, UFC champions like Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier have built their own arguments for being recognized as MMA’s heavyweight GOAT.
What if Fedor had signed with the UFC? Would the history of the heavyweight division be much different? The answer is yes.
Had Fedor joined the UFC when most of PRIDE’s roster did in late 2007, it’s likely that he would’ve defeated Randy Couture to win the UFC heavyweight title. This is simply due to his hard-hitting style meshing well against the wrestling of ‘The Natural’.
How long he’d have held onto the title is anyone’s guess, but it’s definitely possible that he’d have kept it until the rise of Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos and Brock Lesnar in 2009. Had he done this, then it’s likely there’d be no question around his status as heavyweight GOAT.
Had he entered the octagon in 2009, meanwhile – after the Affliction promotion crashed – there’s every chance he’d have beaten Brock Lesnar for the UFC heavyweight title. It’s unlikely that Lesnar could’ve withstood the Russian’s punching power.
The story for him likely would’ve ended in the same way – with ‘The Last Emperor’ being overpowered by Velasquez or dos Santos – but MMA history would certainly be different.
In the future, it’s likely that due to the UFC’s market power, Fedor will end up being airbrushed from history, just as Frank Shamrock has.
Had he won the UFC heavyweight title, though, he’d probably be seen in a similar light to Nogueira and Couture. He would have mainstream recognition to go along with the adulation of hardcore fans.
#4. What if Jon Jones had stayed clean?
Jon Jones is undoubtedly one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. It’s unlikely that anyone will ever match his incredible record in the light heavyweight division.
However, ‘Bones’ is also a highly controversial figure. The majority of the controversy around him stems from a lengthy list of failed drug tests over the years.
Not only did Jones test positive for the recreational drug cocaine, he’s also been busted for the use of PED’s, including the banned substance clomiphene.
These positive tests have forced him to vacate the UFC light heavyweight title more than once. They’ve also resulted in him suffering lengthy suspensions.
So what if Jones had never taken any kind of banned substance during his career? It’s a fascinating thought.
Firstly, he’d have never been forced to vacate his title in 2015. This means he’d have probably made at least one or two more successful defenses rather than having to win it back from Daniel Cormier.
If this were the case, it’s likely Jones would’ve moved up to the heavyweight division already, due to him exhausting his list of potential opponents at 205lbs.
Had he done that – and won the UFC heavyweight title at some point – then there’d be no denying his status as the UFC’s greatest fighter of all time.
The other fighter who could’ve been affected in this instance would have been Daniel Cormier. ‘DC’ obviously won the UFC light heavyweight title in Jones’ stead. He would’ve been more likely to move to heavyweight sooner had Jones not been forced to vacate.
If this were the case, then we may have seen Cormier – not Stipe Miocic – dethrone Fabricio Werdum in 2016 for the UFC heavyweight title. This could have meant that ‘DC’ could be recognised today as the UFC’s heavyweight GOAT – assuming Jones didn’t move up to take his title too quickly!
#3. What if Ian McCall had beaten Demetrious Johnson in the UFC’s flyweight tournament?
The UFC’s flyweight division was introduced in 2012. For the next six years that followed, it was defined by Demetrious Johnson.
‘Mighty Mouse’ won the inaugural UFC flyweight title by defeating Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152. He then defended it successfully on eleven occasions before being dethroned by Henry Cejudo in 2018.
However, things could’ve looked very different had referee Leon Roberts not been so kind to ‘Mighty Mouse’ in his fight with Ian McCall in March 2012.
The fight – which acted as a semi-final to set up the inaugural UFC flyweight title bout – went to a draw. The third round saw McCall almost finish Johnson from the mount. Roberts would certainly have been justified in calling a stoppage – but what if he had?
Obviously, McCall and not ‘Mighty Mouse’ would’ve advanced to the title bout with Benavidez. Given that Benavidez outpointed ‘Uncle Creepy’ less than a year after his fight with Johnson, it’s probably fair to suggest that he’d have become the champion instead.
Would Benavidez’s reign have lasted that long? It’s a fair question, especially as when he made a second attempt to take Johnson’s title in 2013, ‘Mighty Mouse’ had improved dramatically and knocked him out.
In essence then, it’s likely Benavidez would’ve held onto the title until a fight with Johnson. From there, ‘Mighty Mouse’ would probably have claimed the gold.
However, a far more marketable fighter being the UFC’s inaugural flyweight champion could have given the division a much better start. This means all of those threats from the UFC to cut the flyweight class over the years would never have happened.
#2. What if Brock Lesnar had entered the UFC at an earlier point in time?
Brock Lesnar is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in UFC history. With two successful title defenses to his name, he should also be considered one of the better UFC heavyweight champions.
However, Lesnar’s run in the UFC lasted for only a short period of time – from 2008 to 2011 – and he spent long stretches of that period out of action with diverticulitis.
The big question, then, is what if ‘The Beast Incarnate’ had entered the world of MMA a little earlier than he chose to do? Namely, what if he’d followed a fighting path rather than heading to WWE in 2000 at the age of 23?
The UFC was a very different place at that time. Zuffa hadn’t arrived on the scene, and the promotion was going through the period that would eventually become known as the ‘Dark Ages’.
A fellow wrestler – Kevin Randleman – held the UFC heavyweight title. Given his size, athleticism and brute strength, it’s easy to envision a scenario that would’ve seen Lesnar claim the title quickly had he joined the promotion.
More to the point, it’s very likely that Lesnar would’ve hooked up with Pat Miletich’s team – who he trained with when he initially began his MMA career years later. Given the Miletich team’s dominance during that period, it’s easy to imagine ‘The Beast Incarnate’ becoming a practically unstoppable force.
How long Lesnar could’ve ruled over the UFC is anyone’s guess really. With the Zuffa buyout taking place in late 2000, it’s easily possible that he could’ve developed into the promotion’s biggest poster-boy.
Had that happened, Lesnar would never have gained fame from his WWE run, meaning he might’ve ended up making less money along the way. However, he would probably have become renowned as one of the UFC’s all-time great heavyweight champions, leaving more of a legacy than he eventually did.
#1. What if Rafael dos Anjos hadn’t withdrawn from UFC 196 with injury?
Two of the biggest-selling shows in UFC history were headlined by fights between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. Had things gone slightly differently, there’s a chance that neither fight would’ve taken place.
UFC 196 – which saw Diaz defeat McGregor via second-round submission – was initially supposed to have seen McGregor challenge Rafael dos Anjos for his UFC lightweight title.
However, dos Anjos broke his foot leading into the event, forcing him out – and opening the window for Diaz to fight McGregor instead.
So what if dos Anjos had avoided the injury? The first question is exactly how he would’ve fared against McGregor. Given that he was on a serious roll at that point, there’s a chance he could’ve beaten the Irishman, particularly on the ground.
Had he done that, McGregor probably would’ve moved back to 145lbs to defend his UFC featherweight title – making the history of that weight class very different.
If McGregor had won, meanwhile, the timeline would hardly have changed. He’d still have been likely to pursue the boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, removing him from the UFC for a time.
The biggest loser here would’ve been Diaz. Had he never fought and beaten McGregor, he likely would’ve continued on his path as a popular but inconsistent journeyman. He probably would’ve been forced to take on more fights than he has done through the years for far less money.
Essentially, Diaz probably wouldn’t say it himself – but the success he’s found in the later years of his UFC career could easily be credited to dos Anjos and his injury.
