The Zuffa era of the UFC began in 2001 and since then there have been over 40 champions to hold titles in the promotion’s seven weight classes.
Champions such as Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn have cemented their place in history as perhaps the best fighters in the history of their weight class, but there are a number of former champions who just are just not quite as memorable. In fact, many of them have seen their title runs go all but forgotten by the average MMA fan.
These guys might not be who you think of immediately when you think “UFC champion,” but perhaps a trip down memory lane will help us recall that each of these former champions had their own, important place in UFC history.