'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Winning a UFC championship is the dream of every fighter that signs with the promotion. Every mixed martial artist with serious competitive ambitions aspires to capture their division's resident title.
Even the more monetary-minded fighters understand that their pay will experience an exponential increase once they achieve championship status.
However, the circumstances by which a fighter captures UFC gold can massively impact how the fans perceive them. As a result, becoming a UFC champion can be a double-edged sword when fans express their displeasure or outright rejection over a particular fighter rising to the throne of their respective division.
While fight fans eventually warm up to some fighters after a successful title defense or two, that is not always the case.
Some fighters were only rejected as champions during the inception of their title reigns, while others were shunned by fight fans for their entire tenure as title-holders. This list looks at 5 UFC fighters who embody both of those archetypes.
#5. Germaine de Randamie
An undefeated kickboxer who remains one of the few women to outstrike the reigning women's bantamweight and featherweight queen Amanda Nunes, Germaine de Randamie was once the UFC women's featherweight champion.
However, the manner in which she captured the title did not endear her to any spectators. 'The Iron Lady' faced fan-favorite Holly Holm at UFC 208 for the inaugural women's featherweight title.
In a controversial bout, de Randamie earned the ire of fight fans around the globe for punching Holm well after the end of the second and third rounds. Many claimed that one of the punches — which rocked Holm — affected the remainder of the bout.
Germaine de Randamie drew further fury when she refused to honor her duties as a champion by opting against facing top contender Cris Cyborg due to the latter's past PED usage.
Accusations of ducking ensued and de Randamie was stripped of her title without ever having the chance to defend it or being accepted by the fans as a champion.
#4. Henry Cejudo
Before his days as 'The King of Cringe', Henry Cejudo was a wrestler proud of his Olympic success with his eyes set on capturing the UFC flyweight title from Demetrious Johnson.
Cejudo's first attempt was about as unsuccessful as it could have been. Within two minutes of the first round, Cejudo was TKO'd by a knee to the body in a shutout performance by the then reigning champion.
The Olympic gold medalist lost his subsequent bout to Joseph Benavidez in what could have been the beginning of a downward spiral. Fortunately, Cejudo turned things around, embarking on a two-fight win streak to earn a second shot at the championship held by 'Mighty Mouse'.
The second bout was far more competitive, with Cejudo capturing the title by way of split-decision. Many fans contested the decision, convinced that Johnson had done enough to retain the belt.
Thus, in the immediate aftermath of his title victory, Cejudo was dismissed and disregarded by fight fans around the world. In their first meeting, Johnson had TKO'd him, while Cejudo controversially won the second matchup with a split-decision win that many contested.
It was only after the Olympic gold medalist's successful title defense against TJ Dillashaw that fans began warming up to him as champion.
#3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Right now, Khabib Nurmagomedov is enjoying his retirement as the owner of an undefeated 29-0 record with three impressive title defenses against Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje.
However, prior to those bouts, a large percentage of fans were dismissive of Nurmagomedov's undefeated record. This was due to the long stretch of extraordinarily weak competition he faced prior to signing with the UFC.
Even his initial UFC run was subject to scrutiny. So, when 'The Eagle' captured the UFC lightweight title against Al Iaquinta, who was the second short-notice replacement for an injured Tony Ferguson, fans were quick to dismiss Nurmagomedov's status as a champion.
Many, even MMA journalists, questioned the strength of the Russian's win by describing Iaquinta as a real estate agent.
Simultaneously, observers pointed out that Nurmagomedov had not, at the time, faced Conor McGregor. The latter was, in many people's eyes, the rightful champion due to having never lost the title inside the octagon as he was instead stripped of it over his inactivity.
It was only when Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor at UFC 229 that he earned his long overdue respect.
#2. Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier could have been a UFC heavyweight champion sooner rather than later had he not opted against challenging his good friend Cain Velasquez for the title that the latter held at the time.
Instead, Cormier dropped to the light heavyweight division in pursuit of a hotly anticipated matchup with the then reigning champion and his heated rival Jon Jones.
After a meteoric buildup, Cormier finally crossed paths with 'Bones' at UFC 182. While neither fighter truly dominated the other in the manner that they claimed they would, 'DC' was outworked and outwrestled by Jones in a clear unanimous decision win in his rival's favor.
However, after Jones' hit-and-run incident, 'Bones' was stripped of the light heavyweight title and Cormier was booked into a matchup for the vacant title with Anthony Johnson.
While 'DC' captured the title against 'Rumble', his loss to Jones was a shadow that loomed overhead. Cormier was subsequently described as a paper champion and rejected by fans, experiencing frequent boos before finally rematching Jones after mounting two successful title defenses.
Cormier again lost to Jones, further fueling talks of him being a paper champion until 'Bones' tested positive for PEDs and 'DC' went on to capture the heavyweight championship.
#1. Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling is the first fighter in UFC history to win a world championship via disqualification. Before UFC 259, Sterling had disparaged the strength of Petr Yan's competition to dispute the Russian's status as the best bantamweight in the world.
However, when both fighters finally crossed paths at UFC 259, 'The Funkmaster' found himself facing a stiffer test than he had expected.
Yan defended most of Sterling's takedowns before securing his own, while also dropping his foe once. In the fourth round, with a victory all but secured, 'No Mercy' made the ill-advised decision to throw an illegal knee while Sterling was a downed opponent.
The resulting blow left 'The Funkmaster' unable to continue the bout, awarding him the win via DQ.
In the aftermath of the bout, fans everywhere criticized Sterling for what they perceived to be Sterling exaggerating and faking the effects of the illegal knee to win the title in a fight he was losing.
Sterling became the subject of countless memes, while being mocked further for opting for surgery instead of immediately rematching Yan. Finally, a year later at UFC 273, Sterling silenced his doubters by outgrappling his rival en route to a split-decision win.
