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As the top MMA promotion in the world, the UFC is widely regarded as the peak of mixed martial arts. Once upon a time, when MMA was more of a niche sport, UFC president Dana White prided himself on its legitimacy, compared to pro-wrestling juggernauts like WWE, which prioritize showmanship and entertainment value.
The UFC and its fighters were only interested in showcasing the world's greatest mixed martial artists. However, as the promotion became more profitable, generating record-breaking money at the dawn of the Conor McGregor era, the promotion underwent a shift, narrowing its focus on the entertainment aspect of combat sports.
Trash talk and rivalries have become more important than ever before, as evidenced by the promotion's decision to fast-track Alex Pereira to a title fight due to his longtime rivalry with UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Now, fighters are using both in an effort to generate fan interest in them and their upcoming bouts in the hope that Dana White will shorten their path to a title shot. This list looks at 5 fighters who were fast-tracked to title fights, for one reason or another.
#5. Jessica Andrade
At first glance, it might not seem like it, but Jessica Andrade is one of the most well-treated fighters on the roster.
At the time of this writing, she was given three opportunities to capture a title, one less than Holly Holm, who is often joked about by MMA fans for supposedly always being a win or two away from fighting for championship gold.
Of Andrade's three title shots, two came at strawweight. The first was a losing effort against Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Her second title fight was successful as she bested Rose Namajunas via brutal KO, driving her head into the ground with a high-crotch single-leg slam.
Andrade lost the championship in her first title defense against Zhang Weili. After losing to Namajunas in a curious rematch wherein she was more consistently successful yet lost where their first fight saw her have no consistent success until her sudden knockout slam, the Brazilian made the move to the flyweight division.
There, she defeated Kaitlyn Chookagian in her flyweight debut, ending her two-fight losing streak to go 1-2 in her last three fights. However, with only one win since suffering two back-to-back losses, Andrade challenged Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title, losing the fight via 2nd round TKO.
#4. Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen is a curious case in UFC history. His in-cage performances were not memorable with the exception of his dominant last-minute loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 117.
As an NCAA Division I standout, Sonnen predominantly relied on wrestling in his MMA career. His low finishing rate didn't excite fans nor did it endear him to the UFC brass. His silver tongue, however, did. Using his sharp wit and instinct for trash talking, Chael Sonnen became a star capable of earning title fights with little competitive effort.
After losing his rematch against Anderson Silva, the American found himself at a crossroads in his career. He'd been a longtime middleweight, but with two losses to the then-reigning champion, his title aspirations were all but dashed.
Immediately after his second title fight loss, 'The American Gangster' moved to the light heavyweight division, challenging Jon Jones for the light heavyweight championship while, again, having zero wins since his last title fight.
#3. UFC light heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka
The reigning light heavyweight kingpin Jiří Procházka is the first champion from the Czech Republic in the promotion.
The speedy, power-punching martial artist is a unique fighter who possesses a dynamic skill-set. A former Muay Thai national champion, Procházka's striking has been his key to success in the octagon. Yet, the Czech sensation does not fight like a traditional Thai kickboxer.
Instead, the current light heavyweight kingpin employs quick stance-switching and unusual movement while throwing his punches at chest-level, rendering them more difficult to anticipate while also exposing him to counter-punches.
It worked to great success as Procházka challenged Glover Teixeira for the light heavyweight title in only his third UFC bout, capturing the belt to become the reigning champion after forcing Teixeira to submit to a rear-naked choke in a Fight of the Year contender.
#2. Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira might evoke memories of Jiří Procházka's extremely short journey from UFC debutant to reigning champion.
However, the difference between the two fighters is that Procházka was a veteran of 30 MMA fights before signing with the UFC. Pereira, meanwhile, has only seven MMA fights to his name and will likely challenge Israel Adesanya for the middleweight championship in only the Brazilian's fourth UFC fight.
What 'Poatan' lacks in MMA experience, however, he makes up for with kickboxing experience.
A highly successful kickboxer with one of the most powerful left hooks in combat sports history, Pereira is the first two-division champion in Glory history with 33 wins across 40 kickboxing bouts.
'Poatan' now works on his grappling with former light heavyweight champion and highly skilled Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Glover Teixeira. Pereira will be eager to prove anyone who doubts his MMA skill-set wrong.
#1. Brock Lesnar
Current WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar is a former UFC heavyweight champion. He was once recognized as the sport's biggest pay-per-view draw during the peak of his MMA career.
When Lesnar left the world of professional wrestling to pursue a career in American Football, he seemed destined for a life in relative athletic obscurity. His attempts at an NFL career were largely unsuccessful despite his athletic gifts. He then made a brief return to professional wrestling by signing with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
After turning his back on professional wrestling for a second time, the former NCAA Division I champion pursued a career in mixed martial arts. With only one fight on his record, he signed with the UFC, losing to Frank Mir in his debut bout with the promotion.
However, after defeating Heath Herring in a rebound matchup, Lesnar faced Randy Couture for the heavyweight championship in only his third fight with the promotion, winning the title in his fourth MMA fight in an unprecedented series of events.
