There are currently nine UFC champions, and a 10th will soon be determined in the women’s strawweight division. While all the UFC titleholders are now at the top of their weight classes, they each took very different paths to get to where they are today.
For light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, greatness seemed to come easy. The 205-pounder quickly climbed to the top of his division and only recently faced serious adversity in a close decision win over Alexander Gustafsson.
Meanwhile, Demetrious Johnson’s road to the top was much rougher. Mighty Mouse hit some speed bumps in the bantamweight division, where he was noticeably undersized. However, the addition of a 125-pound division allowed Johnson to thrive, and he is now considered one of the most talented fighters on the UFC roster.
Other titleholders have different stories still.
Here are the current UFC champions and their greatest performances inside the Octagon.