Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
You can argue that getting a UFC title shot is nearly as difficult as winning the actual championship, though you can also argue that some fighters seem to get a disproportionate number of chances. Perhaps the division is weak on available contenders or maybe a certain fighter is viewed as a marketable champion, but I’m sure more than a few athletes would step on a baby to get as many title shots as Holly Holm.
Speaking of “The California Kid” — who held the featherweight strap for World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) — he joined multi-weight fan favorite Donald Cerrone atop UFC President Dana White’s list of “best fighter to never win a UFC title” during a recent “Ask Me Anything” chat on Reddit (via Adam Martin).
Fan: Hey Dana! Who do you think is the best fighter to never win a UFC belt?
Dana White: Cowboy, Faber, Wanderlei Silva, Benavidez, Condit… long list
Faber’s last crack at UFC gold happened against longtime rival Dominick Cruz at the UFC 199 pay-per-view (PPV) event back in June 2016. As for “Cowboy,” his time to shine came at UFC on FOX 17 nearly five years back, but then-champion Rafael dos Anjos put him down in the first round.
You’ve heard White’s list … what’s yours?