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UFC fighters sit on the mountaintop of combat sports. As the apex predators of mixed martial arts, they possess the greatest combination of skills and physical attributes in the MMA world. One of the most important attributes that every fighter must have is toughness.
Fighters—whether they're boxers, kickboxers, wrestlers, etc.—are all renowned for their ability to withstand more physical abuse than most ordinary people could. No one, however, goes through more physical punishment than MMA fighters. In the promotion, fighters showcasing their toughness is almost a point of pride.
Al Iaquinta once criticized Conor McGregor for tapping to a neck crank against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. Meanwhile, 'Ragin' Al' managed to survive the Dagestani onslaught without ever surrendering. In the spirit of his statements, this list covers five times fighters refused to tap.
#5. Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush, UFC 262
Grappling expertise and toughness go hand-in-hand with Tony Ferguson. The former interim lightweight champion carved a legacy as one of the deadliest submission specialists in the history of the promotion's 155 lbs. But as age and a new generation of fighters caught up to him, everything changed.
At UFC 262, 'El Cucuy' faced surging Iranian phenom Beneil Dariush, who attempted a takedown in the first round. Ferguson scrambled, and the ensuing grappling sequence led to the 33-year-old trapping 'El Cucuy' with a heel hook. Despite wrenching away until he heard his foe's knee pop, Ferguson never tapped.
Instead, he simply winced in agony, and much like he did against Charles Oliveria's armbar, he just toughed his way through the pain. Even with his ankle and knee at risk of being torn apart, Ferguson refused to yield.
#4. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Dustin Poirier, UFC 242
No one in the history of MMA has come closer to defeating Khabib Nurmagomedov than Dustin Poirier did after trapping 'The Eagle' with a guillotine choke. Their UFC 242 bout was a typical Nurmagomedov affair, with Poirier struggling to keep his foe from out grappling him.
In the third round of their matchup, 'The Diamond' countered the Russian's takedown with a very tight guillotine choke. While a lesser fighter might have surrendered, Nurmagomedov endured and tried to turn away from the choke. Poirier was quick to readjust, but the scrambling continued.
Eventually, the Louisianan burnt his arms out, and instead of tapping, 'The Eagle' secured a rear-naked choke to defeat his foe mere seconds after escaping Poirier's submission.
#3. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega, UFC 266
Alexander Volkanovski endeared himself to MMA fans for the first time at UFC 266. Prior to that PPV, 'The Great' was hounded by disgruntled Max Holloway fans who felt that 'Blessed' was robbed of a win in their previous bout. His matchup against Brian Ortega, however, won over most of his doubters.
The reigning featherweight kingpin found himself in a compromising position twice in the third round. 'T-City,' an exceptional submission specialist, caught one of Volkanovski's low kicks and floored him with a straight left. His grappling instincts kicked in immediately, and he pounced on his foe with a guillotine choke.
Instead of yielding, the P4P king used one hand to push against Ortega's hip while his other hand pushed against his foe's arm. This bought him time until Ortega burnt his arms out. Seconds afterward, 'T-City' locked in a triangle choke, but even that didn't elicit a tap from Volkanovski.
So in one round, 'The Great' withstood two dangerous submission attempts from one of the best grapplers in his division and never conceded.
#2. Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate, UFC 196
After making MMA history by becoming the first fighter to hand Ronda Rousey her first loss as a professional mixed martial artist, Holly Holm captured the divisional throne at 135 lbs. Fans everywhere expected her to embark on a dominant title defense run. Her first obstacle was Miesha Tate.
Hardly anyone gave 'Cupcake' a chance against 'The Preacher's Daughter,' and after several rounds at UFC 196, it was easy to see why. Holm spent most of the fight outstriking her foe and denying most of her takedowns. But a twist of fate took place in the fifth round after Tate dragged her to the mat.
As Holm tried to get back to her feet, 'Cupcake' secured a rear-naked choke and never relinquished her grip. Instead of tapping out, 'The Preacher's Daughter' was choked-out and fell unconscious.
#1. Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 2, UFC Fight Night 172
The rematch between Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo didn't last long. It was over within a round, and the preceding events are partially responsible for the Brazilian knockout artist's reputation as the most terrifying force in the bantamweight division at the time.
After scoring two knockdowns, 'Deus Da Guerra' finalized his dominant performance by locking in a rear-naked choke against a bloodied and battered foe. Instead of surrendering to the exceptionally tight squeeze of Figueiredo's choke, Benavidez slipped into unconsciousness.
The four-time title challenger didn't tap, and while he failed to capture the divisional throne against 'Deus Da Guerra,' he won the hearts of MMA fans due to his resilience and toughness.
