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#4. Former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo
When it comes to championship success, there has never been a better featherweight in the UFC.
José Aldo is the owner of 7 consecutive UFC title defenses. The list of challengers he turned away includes three-time title challenger Chad Mendes and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. After Aldo finally lost the championship that he held for nearly 4 years, he was at a crossroads in his career.
Having lost to Conor McGregor, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, 'Scarface' made the cut down to the 135 lbs weight class in pursuit of another championship. His transition to the bantamweight division was fairly successful. Aldo faced Marlon Moraes in a 3-round split-decision loss that many believed he won. His subsequent fight was a TKO loss to Petr Yan for the vacant bantamweight title. Soon afterwards, Aldo rebounded with a win streak.
He defeated 3 top contenders, including current top 5 bantamweight Marlon 'Chito' Vera, who is now on a 4-fight win streak. Unfortunately, an uninspiring decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili left Aldo directionless. While his takedown defense was as impregnable as ever, Aldo couldn't pull the trigger. At 36 years old, his window for another championship grew smaller with each passing day.
Aging and faced with having to amass another win streak to climb his way back into title contention, Aldo was advised by his head coach André Pederneiras to now out. Not too long afterwards, the Brazilian announced his retirement from MMA.
#3. Conor McGregor
At one point, Conor McGregor was on top of the world.
He remains the UFC's biggest draw and the greatest star in MMA history. In the past, however, the Irishman was more than a mere box office sensation. He was once a two-division champion in the UFC. In fact, McGregor was the first-ever double champion in the promotion's history. Furthermore, he remains the owner of a thrilling unbeaten run in the featherweight division.
In the lightweight division, he has not been nearly as successful or as active. With aspirations of reclaiming the lightweight championship that he never lost inside the octagon, 'The Notorious' returned to active MMA competition with an emphatic win over Donald Cerrone in a bout that was strangely contested at welterweight. His subsequent matchup was with old rival Dustin Poirier.
Against 'The Diamond', McGregor suffered a stunning upset, losing by TKO for the first time in his MMA career. Calls for an immediate trilogy bout were made. When McGregor and Poirier clashed for the third time, the Irishman was the recipient of a brutal leg break that forever changed his career.
McGregor sustained the injury in July last year. As 2023 looms closer, 'The Notorious' is yet to return and will undoubtedly never be the same again like every MMA fighter who has suffered from similar leg breaks.
