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In the UFC, champions come in different flavors and styles. Some titleholders are transitional champions that no one ever thought would be destined for a lengthy run at the top. In other cases, a fighter can reveal championship potential early on in their career, with many declaring title-winning success inevitable.
The likes of Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov are classic examples. 'Bones', in particular, embarked on one of the longest title defense runs in the promotion's history. Similarly, featherweight great José Aldo, who looked unbeatable in his prime, still holds the record for the most title defenses at 145 pounds.
However, not every champion with the skills and attributes for dominance embarks on a lengthy run. Sometimes, champions who seem unstoppable end up having surprisingly short title reigns. This list looks at five cases of seemingly unstoppable champions with short stints with their title.
#5. Lyoto Machida, former UFC light heavyweight champion
No one will ever forget Joe Rogan's ill-fated prediction that Lyoto Machida's title-winning knockout over Rashad Evans at UFC 98 signaled the start of the 'Machida era'. Perhaps the UFC color commentator can be forgiven for his statements. After all, 'The Dragon' did look like an unsolvable puzzle at his peak.
He became the first fighter in the promotion to use karate at a high-level. At the time, the consensus was that karate was impractical. Yet, Machida's style of Shotokan karate left a trail of stunned foes in his wake. He was blindingly fast, shockingly powerful, and nearly impossible to take down.
This forced everyone to strike with him, and his cerebral counterpunching carried him to an undefeated 16-0 record. After capturing the light heavyweight title, he defended it against Maurício 'Shogun' Rua, only to lose it to the same man in an immediate rematch. Still, at least he managed to defend it once.
#4. Petr Yan, former UFC bantamweight champion
The contrast between Petr Yan's performances before 2021 and after it is stark. His striking was and remains sublime. It was to the extent that some wondered if 'No Mercy' was the best boxer in the UFC. Furthermore, his underrated wrestling game and exceptional defensive grappling make him a well-rounded fighter.
He also possesses deceptive knockout power and a bottomless gas tank. When paired with his fight IQ, he is a danger to anyone. After TKO'ing featherweight great José Aldo to capture the then-vacant bantamweight championship, Petr Yan had put the entire 135-pound weight class on notice.
He looked as formidable as anyone with 15 wins and only one loss. His first title defense came against Aljamain Sterling, against whom 'No Mercy' looked primed to score his 11th straight win. But in the fourth round, he landed an illegal knee that lost him the title via disqualification. He never successfully defended his crown.
#3. Cain Velasquez, former UFC heavyweight champion
Had injuries not derailed his career, who knows what kind of legacy Cain Velasquez would have carved out for himself. Still, he is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in UFC history. Unfortunately, his first-ever title reign in the promotion was incredibly short.
Fast, powerful and tireless, Velasquez put on a pace like no one else at heavyweight. His high-level wrestling skills, endless cardio, high-volume power-punching, and pressure-based kickboxing game made him a nightmare matchup for anyone at 265 pounds.
Nearly everyone he fought was left lying in a pool of their own blood. In 2010, his undefeated run culminated in a vicious first-round TKO over Brock Lesnar. It crowned Cain Velasquez a heavyweight champion in only his 9th fight. Alas, he lost it all in his very next fight to Junior dos Santos within a minute via knockout.
While he eventually reclaimed his title, his first stint with it was short-lived.
#2. Luke Rockhold, former UFC middleweight champion
At the end of 2015, no one could be faulted for thinking Luke Rockhold had every conceivable attribute to be the middleweight division's next great champion. He had just captured the title by handing Chris Weidman his first-ever MMA loss with a brutal and dominant TKO in the fourth round.
Rockhold was the division's largest 185-pounder, such that many thought he could move up to 205 pounds. His Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills were second to none at middleweight, his ground-and-pound and top control were as elite as they came, and his striking was punishing, punctuated by thunderous kicks.
He was athletic, strong, powerful and fast, and he had 15 wins and just two losses in his career. But, his title reign was over as soon as it began. Months later, he lost the middleweight strap in his very next fight after Michael Bisping knocked him out in one of the greatest upsets in middleweight history.
#1. Cody Garbrandt, former UFC bantamweight champion
Before 2016, Dominick Cruz looked all but impossible to beat at bantamweight. His greatest foe had always been his health. Injuries had plagued him since 2011. But inside the octagon, no one could touch him. Yet, at UFC 207, Cody Garbrandt did just that. He did the impossible, did what Demetrious Johnson couldn't even do.
He dropped, outstruck and made 'The Dominator' look a step behind him to finally give Team Alpha Male its long-awaited win over Dominick Cruz. It extended his record to a spotless 11-0, crowned him the new bantamweight king, and didn't look like anyone could stop him.
He possessed nuclear heat in his hands, lightning-quick boxing, excellent footwork, elite-level wrestling skills, youth and explosiveness. But he wasn't destined for a long title reign. He wasn't even destined for a single title defense, for he lost the strap in his first attempt against his nemesis T.J. Dillashaw.
