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In the UFC, earning a title shot is one of the primary goals for the promotion's most ambitious fighters. Earning a crack at their division's reigning champion is the only way for them to dethrone them and crown themselves as champion. Unfortunately, there's no set manner in which a fighter can earn a title shot.
Were the promotion a pure meritocracy, which it has never been, mounting a respectable win streak over top-level competition would reward the streaking fighter with a title shot. Instead, it is far more complex in the UFC. On occasion, a fighter's entertainment value and personality are taken into account.
Thus, fighters have spent years racking up win after win in pursuit of a title shot that either never comes or arrives far past its due date. But in this case, it is the title shots that eluded those hyper-successful fighters who never got their crack at championship gold.
#5. Raphael Assunção, former UFC bantamweight
At 41 years old, Raphael Assunção is no longer an active mixed martial artist, having retired from the sport in 2023 after a 1–5 skid in his last six fights. But, at one point in time the Brazilian was at the helm of a stunning seven-fight win streak, which most notably included future bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw.
Yet, it wasn't enough to earn Assunção a title shot, and he thereafter suffered a unanimous decision loss to Dillashaw in a rematch. Assunção, however, was not deterred, mounting another win streak, this time picking up four consecutive wins, including another future bantamweight champion in Aljamain Sterling.
Nevertheless, Assunção was again looked past by the promotion for a title shot, and he never helmed another win streak again, retiring a few years later, having never fought for the title.
#4. Jim Miller, UFC lightweight
At 40 years old, Jim Miller should no longer be an active fighter. However, he has defied time and is still able to compete with fighters over a decade younger. He is currently scheduled to take on Bobby Green at UFC 300 but was once at the helm of a win streak that set the 155-pound weight class alight.
Back in 2011, Miller had authored a seven-fight win streak, including an impressive submission win over Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist and future lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira. Alas, he was not awarded a title shot, instead being booked to face promotional newcomer and future champion Benson Henderson.
Despite his best efforts, Miller never put together as large a number of wins ever again. Now, in the twilight of his career, he will almost certainly never fight for a title, barring the most exceptional of circumstances. Thankfully, he still has an accolade that no one else does: the most wins in UFC history.
#3. Tai Tuivasa, UFC heavyweight
Often cited as a successor to legendary power-puncher Mark Hunt, Tai Tuivasa is a similarly heavy-handed fighter who once helmed an action-packed win streak in the heavyweight division. From 2020 to early 2022, 'Bam Bam' racked up five consecutive wins via knockout.
Along the way, he shut out the lights of the always-controversial Greg Hardy and former title challenger Derrick Lewis. Unfortunately, it was not enough to earn him an undisputed title shot of his own. After going five knockouts up, Tuivasa was matched up with the light-footed Ciryl Gane.
Despite dropping Gane, he was unable to secure a finish, which would have certainly won him a title fight. Instead, he was subsequently battered by body shots before being rocked, dropped and TKO'd.
#2. Derek Brunson, former UFC middleweight
Derek Brunson is one of the greatest gatekeepers in UFC history. It isn't a very flattering distinction, but he was an incredibly stiff test for anyone aspiring to fight for the title. In fact, almost all of his losses have come against either world champions or title challengers.
Unfortunately, Brunson has never fought for the title, even after amassing two separate five-fight win streaks, the second of which saw him annihilate Darren Till and Edmen Shahbazyan, and dominate Kevin Holland. Despite calling for a title rematch with then-middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, he was brushed off.
Check out Derek Brunson submitting Darren Till:
Thereafter, Brunson suffered two back-to-back TKO losses which completely halted his momentum, preceding his exit from the UFC before his eventual successful PFL debut.
#1. Belal Muhammad, UFC welterweight
The #2 ranked welterweight in the UFC is also on a 10-fight unbeaten streak, consisting of 9 wins and one no-contest against the reigning champion, Leon Edwards. This welterweight is Belal Muhammad, and he has been frequently dismissed as a potential title challenger.
But there is no doubting his résumé. His win streak includes a top-five welterweight and former title challenger in Gilbert Burns, a formerly undefeated fighter whose first loss he personally handed in Sean Brady, the former four-fight win streaker Vicente Luque, and two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson.
Muhammad has been campaigning for a title fight with Edwards for some time, especially given their history and his work-rate. Yet, he has been frequently dismissed by Dana White as a potential challenger, not even being offered a crack at Edwards for UFC 300, despite three others having been given the chance.
