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The next big show on the horizon, UFC 275, will see a main event of Glover Teixeira defending his light heavyweight title against challenger Jiri Prochazka, who will be entering the octagon for just the third time.
Prochazka isn’t the first fighter to compete for a UFC title early on into his career with the promotion. Over the years, we’ve seen a number of fighters handed quick title shots.
Often these fighters came into the promotion with a huge reputation and sometimes a title belt from another organization, while others were simply able to capitalize on the correct fight. Either way, it’s always fascinating to see.
With that in mind, here are five UFC fighters who fought for a title early in their octagon careers.
#5. Anderson Silva – former UFC middleweight champion
When Anderson Silva signed with the UFC in mid-2006, he brought with him the reputation of a fighter who was supremely talented, but also slightly flaky. ‘The Spider’ had torn through the likes of Carlos Newton and Lee Murray during his stints with PRIDE and Cage Rage, but he’d also suffered embarrassing losses to opponents like Ryo Chonan.
When he stepped into the octagon for the first time against the iron-chinned Chris Leben, then, many fans didn’t really know what to expect.
It didn’t take long for Silva to make an impression. He became the first fighter to stop Leben via TKO just 49 seconds into the opening round, destroying ‘The Crippler’ with a blitz that saw every strike he threw land cleanly.
Given that Leben was on a 5-0 run in the octagon prior to the fight, it didn’t take long for most fans to jump onto the Silva bandwagon. So, after just one fight in the promotion, he was offered a shot at reigning middleweight kingpin Rich Franklin.
Most figured that ‘Ace’ would be a much tougher nut for Silva to crack, but remarkably, that turned out to be untrue. ‘The Spider’ abused Franklin from the plum clinch in the opening moments of the fight and ended up finishing him via TKO to claim the title.
The rest, as they say, is history, as Silva went on to become one of the most accomplished champions in octagon history, making 10 successful title defenses before losing his crown after a near-seven year reign.
#4. Holly Holm – former UFC bantamweight champion
The case of Holly Holm’s first shot at the UFC bantamweight title is a curious one, as it’s arguable that ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ not only failed to impress in her first two octagon bouts, but never beat a top contender either.
So why did she receive a title shot in just her third appearance in the promotion? Largely, she simply capitalized on the right circumstances. Holm brought a big reputation with her to the UFC from her time in the world of boxing, but more to the point, there was a void in the division when it came to top contenders.
That was because bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey had been running through them at a ridiculous clip, dispatching the likes of Cat Zingano, Sara McMann and Bethe Correia in a matter of seconds, allowing her to put together six successful defenses in just over two years.
When Holm’s relative inexperience in the octagon, as well as her struggles against Raquel Pennington and Marion Reneau, were considered, then, few fans gave her a chance of dethroning ‘Rowdy’ when they met in November 2015.
However, in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, Holm not only defeated Rousey, but she made it look easy, destroying her with counterstrikes before dispatching her with a head kick in the second round.
Holm’s title reign did not last long, but she remains one of the promotion’s more recognizable female stars thanks to her win over ‘Rowdy’ nearly seven years after her big win.
#3. Michael Chandler – current UFC lightweight contender
To say Michael Chandler’s debut with the UFC had been a long time coming would probably be an understatement. ‘Iron Mike’ had been coveted by the promotion since he defeated Eddie Alvarez for the Bellator lightweight title back in 2011, but he’d always remained where he was, rather than make the jump to the big time.
That changed in 2020, when he finally inked a deal with the world’s biggest MMA promotion. When his debut was announced in early 2021, he was matched with highly-ranked contender Dan Hooker.
It took Chandler just over half a round to make an impact, as he landed a crushing right hand on ‘The Hangman’ and immediately put him away afterwards. ‘Iron Mike’ then cut such a charismatic promo that he immediately became a bankable star for the UFC.
Understandably, the promotion decided to strike while the iron was hot. So, overlooking Justin Gaethje, they put together a bout for the vacant lightweight title between Chandler and Charles Oliveira in just the former’s second appearance in the octagon.
The fight caused some controversy, most notably from those fighters who felt overlooked. For the most part, the fans bought into Chandler as a top contender. That feeling only increased when he decked Oliveira in the opening moments of the fight. This time he was unable to put his opponent away, later succumbing to a second-round TKO loss.
Since then, though, Chandler has put on a war with Gaethje in a losing effort, and most recently scored one of the best knockouts in recent memory over Tony Ferguson. With that said, a second title shot before he’s even reached double figures in terms of octagon bouts could well be possible.
#2. Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson – former UFC light heavyweight champion
When Chuck Liddell unseated Randy Couture for the UFC light heavyweight title in early 2005, the win also meant that he’d avenged one of his three career losses. He quickly went about avenging another when he stopped Jeremy Horn later that year, leaving just one fighter left on his list of vengeance: Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson.
'Rampage' had beaten Liddell via TKO in a 2003 PRIDE bout, and while he remained with the Japanese promotion when ‘The Iceman’ first claimed gold in the octagon, things quickly changed in early 2007 when he was signed by the UFC.
Many fans expected 'Rampage' to be given a crack at Liddell in his octagon debut. Instead, the promotion decided to let him establish himself there by giving him a chance to avenge one of his own earlier losses, matching him with journeyman Marvin Eastman.
'Rampage' duly dispatched Eastman, and that one win in the octagon was enough for the UFC to grant him a shot at Liddell in the long-awaited rematch.
However, if Liddell thought he’d be able to clear his ledger for good, he was sadly mistaken. After over-reaching with a hook to the body, he was caught by a beautiful counter-right hook from Jackson and a quick shot on the ground finished him off.
The loss signaled the end of Liddell’s time as a top-level fighter, as he would win just one more bout before his 2010 retirement. 'Rampage', meanwhile, went onto become one of the UFC’s biggest superstars.
#1. Gilbert Melendez – former UFC lightweight contender
The only fighter in recent years whose UFC debut came in a title shot was Gilbert Melendez, who fought Benson Henderson for the lightweight crown in the Spring of 2013.
The reason for ‘El Nino’ being granted an instant title shot was a simple one: he’d held the Strikeforce lightweight title on two occasions and had been that promotion’s champion since December 2009, making four successful defenses in the process.
Curiously, though, Melendez was the only Strikeforce champion to be given an instant title shot, as other titleholders like Luke Rockhold and Tarec Saffiedine were forced to fight other dangerous contenders instead. If anything, it showed how highly the UFC valued ‘El Nino’.
Unfortunately, though, despite many fans believing he’d done enough to deserve the nod, Melendez fell to a split decision defeat at the hands of ‘Smooth’. Remarkably, despite another title shot in 2014, it was the closest he came to glory in the octagon.
‘El Nino’ won just one more fight in his UFC career – a decision over Diego Sanchez in late 2013 – as his stint with the promotion came slumping to a halt in the summer of 2019 after five straight defeats, as well as a positive drug test.
