MMA Fighters have to run the gauntlet inside the Octagon many times in order to win the most coveted prize in the sport – a UFC championship title, but sometimes the belt they fought so hard to claim can then slip from their grasp again for reasons other than having suffered a knockout, submission or decision loss.
Of course, over the years there have been numerous examples of champions being dethroned after it’s emerged that they’d used performance-enhancing drugs, but that’s far from the only reason.
From career-threatening injuries to behind-the-scenes fallouts and even examples of fighters willingly walking away from the belt, join us as we explore 14 examples of UFC stars whose days as champions suddenly came to a screeching halt.
Randy Couture
Randy Couture made an immediate impact in his MMA debut at UFC 13 back in 1997, winning the one-night tournament that evening, before going on to claim the heavyweight title later that same year with a win over Maurice Smith at UFC: Japan.
Next up the UFC planned to have Couture fight Bas Rutten, but in a surprise move, Couture made a bold decision to leave the UFC to sign for Japanese promotion RINGS instead and was stripped of his title.
Couture did eventually return to the UFC in the year 2000 however and quickly won back the heavyweight title, and in total over the course of his Hall Of Fame career in the Octagon he’d win the heavyweight title on three separate occasions, as well as claiming the light heavyweight belt twice.
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