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In the world of the UFC, one surefire way of securing a title shot is to go on a lengthy winning streak. Unfortunately, sometimes it can take seemingly forever for a streak to lead to a shot at gold in the octagon.
Right now, there are a number of fighters in the UFC who are riding lengthy winning streaks, but have yet to receive a crack at any kind of title.
Some of these fighters may well end up fighting for gold inside the octagon in the near future. For others, it may turn out that their streak ends before they can reach that point.
Here are five UFC fighters who are currently on lengthy win streaks but have not yet received a title shot.
#5. Beneil Dariush – UFC lightweight contender
Last weekend at UFC 280, Beneil Dariush cemented his position as one of the very best lightweights in the world by outpointing rising star Mateusz Gamrot. He largely dominated the Polish fighter and came close to stopping him with a third-round knockdown.
The victory was Dariush’s eighth in a row in the octagon, dating back to November 2018. Remarkably, the Iranian-born American seems to be no closer to a lightweight title shot than he was prior to beating ‘Gamer’.
Why is this? Put simply, despite his winning streak, Dariush simply isn’t a superstar name with casual fans, not like some of his peers at 155lbs, including Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje and new champion Islam Makhachev.
Timing has also played a part. While many believe Dariush's latest victory should have been enough to earn him a shot at gold, it appears that the champ-champ ambitions of Alexander Volkanovski will be favored.
To add to this, it’s probably fair to suggest that of his eight-fight win streak, only two wins have come over elite-level opposition: his victories over Gamrot and Tony Ferguson.
So can Dariush secure a title shot in the future? It’s hard to say. To do it, he’ll essentially need to overcome one of the few fighters ranked above him, or defeat one of those afore-mentioned big names. That won’t be easy given the skills they possess.
Basically, it’s highly likely that Dariush will need to find himself on a nine or 10-fight win streak to claim a shot at the gold, and that would make him one of the most successful 155lbers of all time.
#4. Merab Dvalishvili – UFC bantamweight contender
The UFC’s bantamweight division is undoubtedly one of the promotion’s most stacked right now. After defeating T.J. Dillashaw last weekend, reigning champion Aljamain Sterling is clearly head and shoulders above his competition.
However, ‘Funk Master’ isn’t the only bantamweight on an eight-fight win streak right now. His teammate Merab Dvalishvili has also won his last eight bouts in a row, but despite this, the Georgian hasn’t yet received a title shot.
In reality, it’s understandable why ‘The Machine’ hasn’t been given a crack at the gold yet. Firstly, of his eight consecutive wins, only four of them have come over ranked foes. Only two – over Marlon Moraes and Jose Aldo – came over elite-level opponents.
Secondly, of course, it’s highly unlikely that Dvalishvili would ever be willing to fight his teammate Sterling, meaning that for as long as ‘Funk Master’ holds the title, the Georgian probably won’t make a challenge for it.
That’s not to say a shot at the top won’t lie in his future, of course. Sterling could relinquish his title to move to 145lbs, or lose it to another contender such as Marlon Vera or Sean O’Malley.
If that’s the case, then ‘The Machine’ could definitely step into that void to challenge for the title. At the age of 31, time is certainly on his side to do so. However, it’s highly likely he’ll fight again in the interim, meaning he could end up on an even lengthier win streak before a title shot.
#3. Belal Muhammad – UFC welterweight contender
The UFC’s welterweight division is a stacked one right now, with a number of top-level fighters, from former champ Kamaru Usman to hot prospect Khamzat Chimaev. They're gunning for a shot at new kingpin Leon Edwards, who dethroned Usman earlier this year.
However, outside of Edwards, the fighter who is on the longest win streak at 170lbs is actually Belal Muhammad. Despite this, he is still only ranked at No.4 in the division.
Unlike a couple of the other fighters on this list, ‘Remember the Name’ definitely has the big-time wins on his ledger to make his streak really stand out.
Muhammad’s most recent victory saw him become the first fighter to beat Sean Brady. Before that, he’d claimed wins over Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson and Demian Maia, all of whom were ranked well within the top 10 at the time that he fought them.
Interestingly, Muhammad does have a slight blemish on his current run, as he went to a no contest with Edwards in March 2021 after suffering a fight-ending eye poke in the second round. Interestingly, though, the first round was highly competitive and there’d definitely be interest in a rematch between the two.
Whether ‘Remember the Name’ can earn that rematch with a ninth win in a row – and in fact, whether a potential title bout would come against Edwards or someone else – remains to be seen, however.
#2. Arnold Allen – UFC featherweight contender
This weekend’s UFC Fight Night event sees featherweight prospect Arnold Allen look for the biggest win of his octagon tenure thus far when he faces off with No.5-ranked Calvin Kattar. Remarkably, if ‘Almighty’ wins, he’ll be on a 10-fight win streak.
The Englishman has never lost a fight since arriving in the UFC back in 2015, meaning that not only is his winning streak one of the longest in the promotion, but also that it has lasted for the best part of a decade, too.
Allen’s first win came against the unheralded Alan Omer in a showing that won him a $50k Performance of the Night bonus. Since then, his opponents have gotten progressively trickier, from low-level foes like Yaotzin Meza and Mads Burnell to ranked opponents like Sodiq Yusuff and Dan Hooker.
Remarkably, though, Allen’s performances have gotten progressively better, too. If he can beat Kattar this weekend, particularly with a finish, then there’s definitely a chance that he could find himself looking at a featherweight title shot in 2023.
If that’s the case, then it’s the least that a 10-fight winning streak in the octagon would deserve.
#1. Magomed Ankalaev – UFC light heavyweight contender
It’s arguable that right now, the fighter with the most impressive win streak that hasn’t netted them a title shot just yet is light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev.
Since losing his UFC debut back in 2018 in a major upset to Paul Craig, the native of Dagestan has been perfect, dispatching nine foes in a row to climb up to the top of the 205lbs ladder, where he is currently ranked at No.3.
In all honesty, it’s probably arguable that Ankalaev could be ranked even higher, when you consider the quality of the opponents he’s been beating, particularly in his most recent fights. Ankalaev holds wins over Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith, all three of whom once challenged for gold in the octagon.
When will Ankalaev get his own shot? Remarkably, he’s going to need to take out a 10th opponent – former champion Jan Blachowicz – if he wants a shot at the winner of the upcoming Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira title rematch.
Based on his recent form, though, as well as his monstrous blend of powerful wrestling and violent striking, only a fool would bet against him.
