In the over 20-year history of the UFC, we’ve seen plenty of legendary fighters and champions come and go. Although earning a championship is the ultimate goal for all fighters, only a few ever reach the pinnacle. There have been hundreds of fighters in the UFC who never reached the top, but some are more notable than others. Today, we’ll take a look at the greatest fighters who never won a UFC title.

Joseph Benavidez

Benavidez was a perennial title contender, fighting for gold on five separate occasions between the UFC and WEC. He consistently faced the best the division had to offer, going toe-to-toe for gold with champions such as Dominick Cruz, Demetrious Johnson, and Deiveson Figueiredo. He would first fight for UFC gold when he took on Demetrious Johnson for the inaugural Flyweight title, ultimately losing a competitive split decision. Following this loss, he’d win nine of his next ten fights, earning his way back to a title fight with Deiveson Figueiredo. Benavidez suffered another loss, this time via second-round knockout, but Figueiredo missed weight, necessitating a rematch for the still-vacant belt. He’d unfortunately be defeated by Figueiredo again, via first-round submission.

*Joseph Benavidez blasts Henry Cejudo with a right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

In his extensive UFC tenure, he competed in the most fights in UFC Flyweight history (19) while also scoring the most knockouts in Flyweight history (5). He is also tied with fellow Flyweight great Tim Elliot for the most decision wins in the 125-pound division (7). Although he never earned a title, he scored multiple impressive victories against notable fighters, including Henry Cejudo, Ian McCall, and Eddie Wineland. Often considered a pioneering figure in the Flyweight division, he is tied with Demetrious Johnson for the second-most wins in the division all-time (13). Benavidez retired from MMA in 2021 and is currently expecting a child with his wife, UFC commentator Meghan Olivi.

Urijah Faber

In his 46-fight professional career, Faber contended for a UFC title four times. He would receive his first title shot in just his second bout in the promotion, taking on career-long rival Dominick Cruz for Bantamweight gold. Following this loss, he would shortly receive another shot, now for the interim Bantamweight title, against the then-undefeated Renan Barao, losing a unanimous decision. Following this, he would break off four consecutive wins and earn a shot at Barao again, this time for the undisputed title, but would again lose, this time via 1st-round TKO. He would receive his final shot at UFC gold two years later, once again against Dominick Cruz for the Bantamweight strap, and lose a unanimous decision.

*Urijah Faber blasts Brian Bowles with a right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Unlike some men on this list, Faber did find championship success outside of the UFC, with a long stint as the WEC Bantamweight Champion as well as the King of the Cage Bantamweight Champion. He has a solid record of wins, including victories over Raphael Assuncao, Scott Jorgensen, Brad Pickett, and Takeya Mizugaki. Between the WEC and UFC, he was awarded 12 post-fight bonuses and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2017. “The California Kid” founded Team Alpha Male in 2004 and has established it as one of the most successful and respected MMA teams in the United States.

Demian Maia

Arguably one of the most successful specialists in modern MMA, Demian Maia fought twice for UFC titles, once for the Middleweight belt and once for the Welterweight belt. His first shot at UFC gold would be in the 185-pound division against Middleweight GOAT, Anderson Silva. He would be defeated via unanimous decision, ultimately moving down to Welterweight five fights later. From 2014 to 2017, Maia rattled off seven consecutive wins and earned a title shot against Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, once again losing via unanimous decision.

*Demian Maia attempts a rear naked choke from the back of Lyman Good. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

In his 14-year tenure in the UFC, he assembled an impressive list of wins, with victories coming over Carlos Condit, Jorge Masvidal, Gunnar Nelson, Jon Fitch, Neil Magny, and more. He’s found throughout the UFC’s all-time records list, holding the most rear-naked choke wins (9), the second most top position time (2:01:15), and the third most control time (2:35:20). Maia is an accomplished competitive grappler as well, holding a fifth-degree Black belt in BJJ. He has competed in and won various grappling championships, including the ADCC, the IBJJF Pan American and World Championships, and the CBJJ Brazilian Championships. Maia retired from MMA in 2021 but remains an active grappler and has recently joined the commentary team for UFC Fight Pass Brazil.

Alexander Gustafsson

Gustafsson fought for gold three times in his thirteen-year UFC tenure, challenging two of the greatest Light Heavyweights of all time, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. He received his first title shot against Jones in 2013 in what would become a legendary bout. It was voted the 2013 Fight of the Year by numerous publications, including ESPN, Sherdog, and the UFC, and was recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing. Although it was a unanimous decision loss for Gustafsson, many fans argue to this day that Gustafsson was the rightful victor. He would get another shot at gold in 2015, this time against Daniel Cormier. In yet another closely contested scrap, he would lose a split decision, with one judge scoring the fight for Gustafsson.

*Alexander Gustafsson rocks Glover Teixeira with a powerful right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

He would receive his final title shot and a rematch with Jones in 2018, ultimately being knocked out in the third round. Despite losses to Jones and Cormier, he earned victories over significant Light Heavyweights such as Shogun Hua, Glover Teixeira, and Jan Błachowicz. Gustafsson briefly retired in 2019 but returned to action in 2020 and is currently a free agent. He is a co-owner of Allstars Training Center, his gym, as well as the Swedish MMA promotion AK Fighting Championship.

Kenny Florian

Despite having the shortest career on this list, Florian contended for gold three times in the UFC, in two different weight classes. In his six years in the UFC, he fought 17 times and is one of two fighters to compete in four different UFC weight classes. He would receive his first UFC title shot in just his eighth professional fight, losing a unanimous decision to Sean Sherk for the vacant Lightweight title. He would then embark on a six-fight win streak from 2007 to 2008, remaining highly active and earning another title fight, this time against BJ Penn. He would suffer another defeat, with Penn securing a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. Florian proceeded to win three of his next four before his final title fight, facing off with José Aldo for the Featherweight title. He would once again lose via unanimous decision, and ultimately chose to retire following this bout.

*Kenny Florian fires a head kick at Gray Maynard. Credit: The Boston Globe.*

Regardless of championship success, he went toe-to-toe with plenty of high-level competition and earned victories over fighters such as Joe Lauzon, Clay Guida, and Takanori Gomi. Florian is also an accomplished grappler, possessing a fifth-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is in the Grapplers Quest Hall of Fame and is a former Grapplers Quest Superfight champion, as well as a Naga Advanced Gi Open and Middleweight champion. Florian continues to teach BJJ and is a member of the PFL commentary team.

Honorable Mention: Donald Cerrone

*Donald Cerrone fires a clean head kick at Alexander Hernandez. Credit: ESPN.*

One of the longest tenured and beloved fighters in UFC history, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Cerrone on this list. Although he only fought for UFC gold once, he challenged for a title three times in the WEC and consistently faced high-level talent throughout his extensive career. Riding an eight-fight win streak, Cerrone received his lone UFC title shot in 2015, facing Rafael Dos Anjos for the Lightweight strap. Unfortunately, he was quickly dispatched via a first-round knockout.

*Donald Cerrone submits Edson Barboza with a rear naked choke. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Despite never winning a belt, Cerrone remains one of the most accomplished fighters of all time and is deeply ingrained in the promotion’s history. He holds the UFC record for the most wins (23), most knockdowns (20), most head kick knockouts (6), the third most UFC bouts (38), and the third most finishes (16). He’s also received the most combined UFC/WEC post-fight bonuses, earning a combined 23 bonuses under the Zuffa umbrella. He’s faced a who’s who of the UFC Lightweight division, owning victories over Eddie Alvarez, Edson Barboza, Charles Oliveira, and Benson Henderson.

The Best UFC Fighters to Never Win a Title