The 5 worst title reigns in UFC history

#5 Vitor Belfort – UFC Light-Heavyweight title – 01/31/2004 to 08/21/2004

Vitor Belfort won the Light-Heavyweight title on a fluke

A genuine UFC legend, the title of ‘former UFC Light-Heavyweight champion’ simply rolls off the tongue when it comes to Vitor Belfort, who retired earlier this year after two decades of action inside the Octagon. Curiously though, few people probably remember quite how bad Vitor’s title reign was.

It began at UFC 46 in January 2004. Belfort had returned to the UFC in 2003 and tore through Marvin Eastman in his return match, leaving him with one of the worst cuts in MMA history. Shortly after Belfort’s return, Randy Couture unseated Tito Ortiz for the Light-Heavyweight title, and so the UFC put together a Couture/Belfort match for the title, remembering that the two had fought in a great tilt back in 1997, with Couture giving Belfort his first loss.

The rematch wasn’t quite as exciting, though. Couture attempted to grab a clinch and as he did, an errant Belfort left hook missed him, but somehow the stitching of the Brazilian’s glove caught his left eye – and almost tore his lower eyelid off, cutting into the eye itself.

The fight was stopped in Belfort’s favour – making him the new champion with the most flukey finish in UFC title history. It never felt like Belfort was the real champion – and that feeling was only compounded when Couture beat him in one-sided fashion a few months later to reclaim the title.

Belfort would go on to a further three UFC title challenges but never again won UFC gold, meaning that due to its fluke-like beginning and its climactic end, his only title reign remains up there with the worst in promotional history.