5 UFC fighters who won fights in multiple weight classes

Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson at 205 lbs [Image via Getty Images]
Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson at 205 lbs [Image via Getty Images]

#4. Kenny Florian – UFC middleweight to featherweight

Kenny Florian is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters to never win a UFC championship.

‘KenFlo’ did well on TUF despite the disadvantage he had as being an undersized middleweight. All things considered, he still advanced to the finals but lost to Diego Sanchez. Following the bout, he moved back down to welterweight. But it was his move to lightweight in 2006 that brought the best out of him.

Florian’s body was best suited for 155 lbs and his Brazilian jiu-jitsu background made him a difficult fighter to beat. He went 9-3 at lightweight with his only losses coming in title fights against Sean Sherk and BJ Penn. His only non-title fight came against Gray Maynard in what ended up being a title-eliminator.

‘KenFlo’s final two fights took place at featherweight. After an impressive featherweight debut, he challenged Jose Aldo for the featherweight title but lost via unanimous decision and retired.


#3. Conor McGregor – UFC featherweight to welterweight

Since making his UFC debut, Conor McGregor has taken the promotion and sport by storm. He joined the promotion in 2013 and immediately became a force to be reckoned with at featherweight.

‘The Notorious’ went on a 6-fight winning streak that included wins over Max Holloway, Chad Mendes, and Dustin Poirier. He also earned a title shot against then-featherweight champion Jose Aldo. ‘Mystic Mac’ defeated ‘Junior’ in 13-seconds in one of the most memorable knockouts in the promotion’s history.

In 2016, McGregor accepted a welterweight bout with Nate Diaz after a lightweight title fight against Rafael dos Anjos didn’t materialize. It was a big change as he was accustomed to cutting down to 145 lbs. Even though he lost, an immediate rematch was booked.

‘The Notorious’ won the rematch by a majority decision in what ended up being the promotion’s highest pay-per-view buyrate at the time. After serving a suspension following the post-fight brawl with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team, he returned to welterweight in 2020. McGregor was successful again as he defeated Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone by TKO in 40 seconds of the first round. He has proven that he could compete at multiple weight classes in his career and still win.

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