5 active UFC fighters who had to wait years for their first main event

#2. Sean Strickland - UFC middleweight

It took Strickland over seven years from promotional debut to first main event

Sean Strickland is within a shot at fighting for the UFC middleweight championship in his next bout. Remarkably, despite making his promotional debut back in 2014, he did not compete in a main event until July of last year.

His big moment came in a fight with Uriah Hall, which he won via a convincing unanimous decision. He followed this up with another main event success in a split decision win over Jack Hermansson. Should Jared Cannonier get snubbed, Strickland's next fight could conceivably be for the title.

While Strickland has enjoyed most of his success at middleweight, most of his octagon fights took place during a lengthy run at welterweight. In total, it took Strickland 26 professional fights and 13 inside the octagon to earn his first main event.

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#1. Bobby Green - UFC lightweight

It took Green over nine years from promotional debut to first main event

Bobby Green is the man of the hour. His brave decision to return to action just two weeks after his previous fight has earned him his first main event against Islam Makhachev. That fight will easily be the biggest bout of his career, and with the years he had dedicated to his craft, he certainly deserves it.

Green was a regular in Strikeforce before making his UFC debut in February 2013. While he began his run with the promotion with four consecutive victories, he has been unable to replicate a streak like that since. This has led to him becoming a respected veteran despite his lack of main event appearances.

If Green can pull off a huge upset on Saturday, he will set himself up for a few more main events in the future. In total, it took him 42 professional fights and 18 inside the octagon to earn himself his first shot in the main event.