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In the UFC, every fighter hopes and dreams of climbing to the top of their respective division in pursuit of world championship glory. But capturing a UFC title is no easy task. Since the promotion's inception, thousands of fighters have come and gone, most of whom never even glimpsed at undisputed gold.
Some, however, come close, while the rare few manage to enthrone themselves as their division's resident titleholder. Unfortunately, not everyone is destined for a long title reign. Some lose their divisional strap as soon as they capture it, and despite coming close to reclaiming it, they never do.
In other cases, fighters never experience the sweet taste of championship gold, becoming perennial contenders and nothing more. Yet, they're so skilled that they safeguard the title from those who are unworthy of it. They become gatekeepers to the divisional throne.
#5. Alexander Gustafsson, UFC light heavyweight
It's easy to forget just how good Alexander Gustafsson once was. A glance at his record doesn't do his skill set, at least during his prime years, justice. But there was a time when 'The Mauler' was a constant fixture at the very top of the UFC light heavyweight division, acting as the penultimate boss before a title fight.
At UFC 165, he faced Jon Jones in what is arguably the greatest 205-pound fight of all time, one that's been immortalized by its induction into the promotion's Hall of Fame. During that bout, he pushed Jones to his limit, handing him the toughest fight of his career, coming within a half-inch of becoming the champion himself.
Despite his loss, he quickly turned away the potential challenge that Jimi Manuwa sought to mount, as he dealt the Englishman his first-ever MMA loss. Despite a subsequent loss to Anthony Johnson, 'The Mauler' rebounded by dragging then-divisional king Daniel Cormier to the brink of defeat.
He never won the title, but he came dangerously close to doing so, twice. And for a time, he thwarted nearly everyone else's efforts, beating the then-undefeated Jimi Manuwa, along with future champions Glover Teixeira and Jan Błachowicz.
#4. Colby Covington, UFC welterweight
Former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington is one of the most controversial fighters in the promotion, owed largely to his heel persona as well as his inactivity. Despite his impressive record, he hasn't actually defeated anyone currently ranked in the welterweight top 10.
Yet, he somehow remains a gatekeeper to the title as he frequently dominates the top of the division, not through athletic merit, but his position as a draw. He is able to parlay his reputation as a fighter that fans are eager to see (mostly lose) into title fights that he may or may not deserve.
As things currently stand, 'Chaos' has been the recipient of three title shots across his last five fights, with his third one set to take place in his upcoming matchup with Leon Edwards. Other more deserving fighters on long win streaks like Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov have been pushed aside in his favor.
#3. Dustin Poirier, UFC lightweight
If there is any fighter who seems good enough to win an undisputed championship, down to defeating countless elite contenders in his division and even capturing interim gold, without ever successfully becoming the champion, it's Dustin Poirier. The number of titleholders he's beaten is unheard of as a contender.
'The Diamond' has defeated former undisputed lightweight champions Eddie Alvarez, Anthony Pettis, Conor McGregor (2x), along with former undisputed featherweight champion Max Holloway (2x) and former interim titleholder Justin Gaethje and former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler.
It's an extremely impressive run, yet every time he challenged the division's reigning champion, he lost. But he still serves as a barrier for almost anyone who hopes to mount a title challenge. Justin Gaethje is the first non-undisputed champion to beat him since 2016, which says a lot.
#2. Robert Whittaker, UFC middleweight
Robert Whittaker has the misfortune of being one of the few fighters to have held an undisputed title that he is no longer capable of recapturing despite no decline in skill. In fact, he's only gotten better since tasting defeat against Israel Adesanya at UFC 243.
He has beaten several top middleweights, such that he became the de facto litmus test for title contention. Some even held the opinion that were it not for Israel Adesanya's presence in the division, 'The Reaper' would still be its ruling champion. There is good reason to believe that.
From 2014 until 2023, not a single middleweight besides 'The Last Stylebender' himself was able to defeat Whittaker inside the octagon. He was widely regarded as the world's second-best middleweight, and it is only in July this year, nearly a decade after his middleweight debut, that he lost to someone not named Adesanya.
#1. Max Holloway, UFC featherweight
There was a time when it seemed that Max Holloway was well on his way to carving out a legacy as the greatest 145-pounder of all time. He remains the only fighter to defeat Brazilian legend José Aldo twice, with the first win enthroning him as the featherweight champion.
Unfortunately, his title reign came to an end after three title defenses. Ironically, he also suffered three losses to the same man: Alexander Volkanovski. Despite his best attempts, he simply couldn't overcome 'The Great' and was relegated to the role of a title gatekeeper as he remained skilled enough to beat everyone else.
In fact, 'Blessed' was so skilled at dispatching top contenders that Volkanovski himself jokingly pleaded with the Hawaiian to stop beating his contenders. While he is no longer the champion, he continues doing a champion's work by steamrolling nearly everyone he faces, besides the champion.
