'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The UFC possesses a global reach. The promotion's roster consists of countless fighters from every continent except Antarctica. However, the majority of UFC champions throughout the promotion's history tend to be either American or Brazilian. With the exception of a few outliers, it has been difficult to break the mold.
In recent years, however, more elite fighters have arisen from different territories as MMA continues its expansion across the globe, reaching countries and cultures that were once closed off to the prospect of combat sports under a ruleset that permitted elbows, knees, kicks, chokes, etc., in addition to punches and kicks. Champions from the international community have since emerged to represent their countries.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk and Jan Błachowicz have both honored the nation of Poland as the country's first UFC champions. Similarly, MMA legends Carlos Newton and Georges St-Pierre were the first Canadians to capture UFC gold for the Great White North. This list, however, looks at five fighters who were the first to win UFC world championships for their nation and remain the only champions their country has ever had.
#5. UFC lightweight champion Jiří Procházka, Czech Republic
The latest fighter to become his country's first-time UFC champion, Jiří Procházka is the reigning light heavyweight titleholder. A native of the Czech Republic, Procházka is no stranger to milestones in mixed martial arts, having been the inaugural Rizin and Gladiator light heavyweight champion.
The peak of MMA success, however, entails capturing UFC gold. After embarking on a 12-fight win streak that included 11 knockouts and only 1 decision win, the Czech phenom earned a title fight against the former light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. In a Fight of the Year candidate, Jiří Procházka defeated the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist by forcing his foe to submit to a rear-naked choke in the final minute of the fight, something that many expected Teixeira to do to Procházka himself.
After five grueling rounds of fierce combat, he was declared the winner by way of submission and became the Czech Republic's first-ever (and still only) UFC champion.
#4. Brandon Moreno, Mexico
While the promotion has had champions of Mexican descent, such as Cain Velasquez and Tony Ferguson, who captured the heavyweight championship and interim lightweight championship respectively, it has never had a Mexican-born champion with citizenship from the country—until the rise of Brandon Moreno. Unlike most champions, Moreno's initial run through the promotion was underwhelming.
After a 3-2 run, 'The Assassin Baby' was released and went on to capture the LFA flyweight championship. Following his victory, Moreno returned to the UFC in a draw against Askar Askarov. 'The Assassin Baby' later amassed a 3-fight win streak, including a win over future interim title-challenger Kai Kara-France. This earned Moreno a title fight against reigning flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.
The initial bout ended in a draw, a shocking result given how unstoppable Figueiredo had seemed prior. An immediate rematch was booked, and this time, Moreno shocked the world by forcing Figueiredo, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, to submit to a rear-naked choke in the third round to become Mexico's first and thus far only UFC champion.
#3. Francis Ngannou, Cameroon
MMA is a relatively new sport in Africa. Yet even in the early stages of its introduction to the continent, elite African fighters emerged in the form of Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya, with both men reigning over their respective divisions as dominant champions. While both Usman and Adesanya are Nigerian-born, current heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is from Cameroon.
Arguably the most powerful fighter in MMA history, 'The Predator' is relatively new to mixed martial arts. With no prior combat sports experience, Ngannou was first introduced to boxing at the age of 22 before committing to MMA under the direction of former coach Fernand Lopez. Ngannou embarked on an impressive win streak, eventually earning a title fight against Stipe Miocic off the back of 10 wins, all of which were finishes.
Unfortunately, Ngannou's inexperience showed in his initial bout with Miocic as he loaded up on his punches before being thoroughly outwrestled and exhausted by his foe. It was a lopsided loss that led to a 2-fight losing streak. After recapturing his confidence and changing gyms, however, Ngannou worked his way back to a title fight by knocking out every foe before him en route to doing the same to Miocic in their rematch to become the first Cameroonian champion.
#2. Michael Bisping, England
Michael 'The Count' Bisping is the unlikeliest champion on this list. The first and only English UFC champion, Bisping's career was defined by falling short after working hard to be on the cusp of championship success. Twice, the Brit strung together enough wins to earn himself a title-eliminator before inevitably losing the matchup, first to Dan Henderson in spectacular fashion, then to Chael Sonnen in an uninspiring decision loss.
Following the loss to Sonnen, 'The Count' struggled, failing to build a win streak as he went on a win-loss run for the next 2 years, defeating one foe before losing the subsequent bout. However, upon losing to future middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, Bisping recaptured his confidence and sharpened his skills. He won back-to-back fights for the first time in years, eventually earning a bout with former champion Anderson Silva.
In a stunning Fight of the Night performance, Bisping bested Silva by refusing to bite on the Brazilian's feints while doubling and tripling his jabs to make his foe pay for pulling back at the waist, causing Silva to pull so far back that his own balance failed him, exposing him to follow-up crosses. The win earned Bisping a title fight against Luke Rockhold when Chris Weidman withdrew from the rematch due to injury.
In a shocking upset, Bisping stunned Rockhold with a left hook as his foe dropped his hands upon exiting the pocket. 'The Count' did not relent, knocking his foe unconscious within seconds to become the first and only English UFC champion.
#1. Conor McGregor, Ireland
Conor McGregor is a man of many milestones in MMA. He snapped José Aldo's legendary 18-fight win streak, doing so by breaking the record for the fastest knockout in UFC championship history. He is also responsible for the top 5 most successful UFC pay-per-views, as well as being the promotion's first-ever simultaneous two-division champion. He also remains the first and only Irish champion in UFC history.
Upon signing with the promotion, 'The Notorious' immediately declared war on the featherweight division with his inflammatory trash talk and denigration of the skills possessed by his divisional rivals. He often described his foes as being flat-footed before settling on mocking the size disparity between him and the featherweights of yesteryear. While his trash talk was brutal, the Irishman backed it up with his performances inside the octagon.
Undefeated at featherweight, McGregor was at the helm of a 14-fight win streak by the time he clashed with José Aldo. Bouncing back and forth with his wide-bladed stance, McGregor expertly glided out of range as Aldo lunged forward with a combination, sniping the Brazilian legend with a counter-straight left that his foe never saw coming, knocking him out cold in just 13 seconds to become the first and only Irishman to capture UFC gold.
