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For most fighters, reaching the top of the UFC mountain is nigh-on impossible, and maintaining that glory is trickier still. However, perhaps even trickiest of all is knowing when to walk away.
Most UFC greats end up sticking around far too long and then fall prey to the next generation. Over the years, albiet rarely, we’ve seen a handful of octagon names who've somehow managed to walk away while on top.
This decision ensured these fighters never descended into self-parody as some other legends end up doing. Fans seem to maintain a certain reverence for those athletes that left on high with dignity intact.
With that in mind, here are five UFC fighters who walked away while still at the top.
#5: Frank Shamrock – former UFC light-heavyweight champion
In a different world – one in which he never started a bitter feud with Dana White – Frank Shamrock would undoubtedly be part of the UFC’s Hall of Fame.
To hardcore fans, Shamrock certainly is worthy of that status. While he fought in a bygone era, his octagon achievements stand up against any other fighter in UFC history.
Shamrock actually claimed octagon gold upon his debut with the promotion, submitting Kevin Jackson to win the inaugural UFC middleweight (now light-heavyweight) title.
Over his subsequent championship defenses, Shamrock set a remarkably high standard. 'The Legend' defeated Igor Zinoviev, Jeremy Horn, John Lober and Tito Ortiz. Unlike many of his peers at the time, Shamrock was a fighter who possessed skills in all areas.
Before anyone could really catch up with those skills, though, Shamrock chose to walk away from the UFC while he was still on top.
Just 26 years old when he left, the idea of Shamrock retiring in his athletic prime seemed unthinkable. His decision ended up sticking – at least when it came to the UFC.
The former middleweight champ did return to MMA for a period between 2006 and 2009, but never returned to the world’s biggest promotion. That noted, Shamrock remains one of the few fighters to walk away from the UFC while still at the top.
#4: Jon Jones – former UFC light-heavyweight champion
Okay, so it might be safe to surmise that Jon Jones’ UFC career is not yet over. The former light-heavyweight kingpin may well make an octagon return – probably as a heavyweight – in the near future.
However, for now, ‘Bones’ should be counted amongst those rare fighters who walked away while still at the top rather than after a loss or series of defeats.
Ignoring a disqualification that stemmed more from a refereeing error than any mistake on his part, Jones remains unbeaten in the UFC with a total of 20 octagon victories.
His list of victims includes fellow greats like Daniel Cormier, ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Alexander Gustafsson and current champ Glover Teixeira. Jones finished most of those future Hall of Famers before the final buzzer, too.
Sure, he might’ve been involved in a number of controversial incidents – including more than one positive drug test – during his UFC career, but there’s still no disputing Jones' greatness.
That feeling will only grow should ‘Bones’ opt to not return to the UFC in the near future. While his reasons for walking away may be more centered on his pay issues than a wish to stop fighting, there’s probably an argument that staying away might be the best idea for him.
Frankly, Jones’ last three title defenses – against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes – were among the least impressive showings of his UFC career. At 34, the striking maven's best days may be behind him.
While a career at heavyweight might beckon in the future, for now ‘Bones’ can keep content with the knowledge that he stepped away at the peak of his powers.
#3: Henry Cejudo – former UFC flyweight & bantamweight champion
Like Jon Jones, it’s probably fair to suggest Henry Cejudo’s UFC career may not have come to a complete end just yet.
After all, ‘Triple C’ has continually sniped at his fellow fighters – including current UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski – on social media since the moment he chose to step away from the promotion at UFC 249.
Assuming he sticks to his word and doesn’t return, it’s safe to say that not only did Cejudo depart the UFC at the top, he did so as a genuine living legend.
A 2008 Olympic gold medallist in freestyle wrestling, Cejudo’s early UFC career was impressive, if a little low-key.
That all changed when he unseated longtime UFC flyweight king Demetrious Johnson in 2018. Johnson put together a UFC record of eleven successful title defenses. While Cejudo’s win over 'Mighty Mouse' was slightly controversial, it made ‘Triple C’ into a big star.
It was his 2019 that really tipped Cejudo over the edge, though. 'The Messenger' not only turned back the challenge of then-UFC bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw in a rare champion vs. champion bout, he also claimed Dillashaw’s title after he was stripped of it by defeating Marlon Moraes.
That win made Cejudo just the fourth UFC fighter to hold two titles simultaneously in different weight classes. This feat transformed the decorated amateur wrestler into one of the greatest fighters in MMA history.
After halting Moraes, Cejudo would fight just once more – beating former UFC champ Dominick Cruz – before announcing his retirement. While it was frustrating to see him step away at the peak of his powers, if he never returns, it’s safe to say he still made a hell of an impact.
#2: Georges St-Pierre – former UFC welterweight & middleweight champion
Few fighters are able to walk away from the UFC while they are still at the top, but only one – Georges St-Pierre – was able to do it twice. 'Rush' vacated UFC titles on both occasions and avoided heading into retirement off the back of a loss.
When he first departed the promotion in 2013 – essentially citing burnout and stress, rather than any physical ailment, as his reasons – St-Pierre was in the midst of arguably the greatest title run in UFC history.
The Canadian claimed the UFC welterweight strap from Matt Serra in 2008 after avenging his earlier title loss to 'The Terror'. 'GSP' then defended his gold against nine fighters, including Jon Fitch, Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz.
UFC President Dana White remained frustrated by St-Pierre’s refusal to give Johny Hendricks a rematch, but few fans could begrudge the longtime champion for initially stepping off the mountain top.
However, four years later, GSP was back – this time as a bulked-up 185lber – to challenge then-UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping.
St-Pierre produced another virtuoso performance to become a two-division world champion. While some fans criticized the way in which 'GSP' walked away after – vacating the title – it was hard to blame his choice.
After all, he’d proven all there is to prove inside the octagon – his two departures while at the very top of the mountain only add to his legend.
#1: Khabib Nurmagomedov – former UFC lightweight champion
The most recent fighter to depart the UFC and hang up his gloves while still at the peak of his powers is former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
‘The Eagle’ decided to step away from the octagon following his win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 last October. To be fair, 'The Eagle' had good reason. Reportedly, Nurmagomedov's father and coach died of COVID-19 earlier in 2020, and the unbeaten champ promised his mother that his next fight would be his last.
Understandably, Khabib’s decision drew a largely mixed reaction both from fans and the UFC.
Despite putting together a UFC record of 13-0 and an overall MMA record of 29-0, there was definitely the feeling that ‘The Eagle' was still in prime fighting form when he stepped aside.
Sure, he’d defeated Gaethje, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, but he still had plenty of viable challengers left.
Could Nurmagomedov have broken the UFC’s record for the most successful title defenses – a record that currently stands at 11? Quite possibly. If nothing else, he could easily have gone down as the greatest 155lber of all time.
However, on the other hand, it’s probably fair to say that if his heart was not in the game following the death of his father, the native of Dagestan probably made the correct decision.
The fact he did walk away whilst undefeated only added to the powerhouse wrestler's legend as a fighter who simply posed a question no octagon opponent could answer.
