Alistair Overeem took a big step towards another title-opportunity last weekend, defeating Augusto Sakai via TKO in the fifth round (what is this, Alistair Overeem appreciate week?). Despite fighting in the organisation a staggering 19 times, and being at the top of the sport for the last 15 years, he is yet to win an illustrious UFC title. Let's take a look at five other stars who failed to capture UFC gold.
Urijah Faber
Okay, so let's begin with my personal favourite. The California Kid made a name for himself during his WEC days, and largely paved the way for the so-called "small guys" of MMA. In a time where the lower weight classes we regularly shunned in favour of two behemoths slugging it out, Faber shined. He won the WEC Featherweight title in 2006, and was an ever present fixture in the title picture for the next 10 years.
The UFC veteran first got a crack at a UFC title in 2011 against Dominick Cruz, a man that he defeated previously back in 2007. The two had one of the greatest rivalries in the sport's history, it was a true good guy vs bad guy scenario. Faber was unable to get the win in his first UFC title shot, falling to a unanimous decision, his first in the promotion.
With Cruz being sidelined due to injury, Urijah then went on to fight the unstoppable Renan Barao, whom he fell to twice. I prefer not to comment on these two losses very often, as I believe that Barao was helped very much by his friend testosterone. Juice head.
He would complete his trilogy with Cruz in 2016, once again losing a hard-fought effort via decision. The two would finally bury the hatchet after the bout. Whilst Faber was a fantastic fighter, one of the best to ever compete at 135lbs, it is more of what he did for the sport which is impressive.
He helped put the lower weight classes on the map, and was an overall fantastic representative for MMA. He has also brought future UFC champions through his gym, Team Alpha Male, such as TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt. I can honestly say that without the career of Urijah Faber, MMA would never of been the same.
Alistair Overeem
Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem first signed with the UFC in 2011, dismantling former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar in his debut fight. The hype surrounding Overeem was massive, and many thought he was going to walk his way to the top of the division. Many were wrong. The former Strikeforce and Dream Heavyweight Champion failed a drugs test (yeah, no s***t, right?) and was removed from his UFC title bout against then champion Junior Dos Santos.
On his return to the Octagon, The Reem would lose two straight to Bigfoot Silva and Travis Browne, being finished on both occasions. He would regain his prior momentum and form, winning five out of his next six bouts. This streak would earn him a title-shot against the ever dangerous Stipe Miocic at UFC 203.
Unfortunately, Overeem was unable to secure the UFC title, and despite causing Stipe some big problems early in the fight, he was KO'd inside the first round. The K1 Grand Prix winner has always been in and around the top of the division, and is never too far from securing another title shot.
Currently, Alistair has won four out of his last five, and has looked very impressive as of late. Despite losing to Jairzinho Rosenstruik, where he fell victim to a last second KO, Reem has been great inside the Octagon, finishing all four of his recent wins in dominant fashion. Only time will tell if the 40-year-old heavyweight will be granted another shot at the title, and if he manages to complete that colossal feat, will surely go down as one of the best to ever do it.
Donald Cerrone
Ask any MMA fan to list their favourite fighters, and I'm positive that Donald Cerrone will be on 99% of those lists. Cowboy is widely-known for his anyone, anytime, anywhere approach to mixed martial arts, and has a plethora of UFC records on his mantle. He currently holds the most wins in UFC history, the most fights in a calendar year, most finishes and many more.
So, based off that, he must of been a champion right? Wrong (insert Donald Trump meme here). Despite being one of the most popular figures in the sport, Cerrone has never managed to gain a coveted UFC title. Cowboy first entered the UFC in 2011, going on a five fight unbeaten streak and seemingly being within arms reach of a title shot. Cerrone would fall to the hands of Nate Diaz, losing via unanimous decision in his next fight.
After the loss, Cerrone had a mixed run of things, winning three out of his following five bouts. After a loss to future lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos, the fan favourite went on an eight fight unbeaten run, defeating the likes of Eddie Alvarez and Benson Henderson along the way.
This run would earn him a title shot against Dos Anjos, a man who had bested him only two years previous, at UFC on Fox 17. However the bright lights were seemingly too much for Cerrone, who lost the bout via TKO in the very first round.
Since the title shot, the Colorado native has put on inconsistent performances, and it currently on a four fight skid in the promotion. Regardless of the way that the 37-year-old decides to go out, he will undoubtedly have a place reserved in the UFC Hall of Fame.
Alexander Gustafsson
Alexander Gustafsson first signed with the UFC in 2009, after going undefeated in his first eight fights on the European circuit. The Mauler made short work of his first opponent, Jared Hamman, finishing him within 60 seconds. This immediately put the light heavyweight division on notice, and showed that the Swedish knock-out artist was the real deal.
Gus did suffer a minor set back in his second fight with the promotion, losing to Phil Davis via submission at UFC 112. However, Alexander rebounded very well and went on to win six in a row, besting the likes of Matt Hamill and Shogun Rua. This run of form would land him a title shot against P4P number one Jon Jones, who despite being only 26 at the time, had already defended his title five times.
Many fans thought that Gustafsson had the physical advantages to deal with Jon Jones, with the reach advantage not being as prominent as it was in other Jones' fights. In one of the best fights in UFC history, an all out war ensued. The bout was very back and forth, with both fighters landing big shots and imposing their will. Fans and media outlets around the world thought the Swedish fighter had done enough to earn himself the strap, although the judges gave Bones the unanimous decision victory.
Gustafsson would get another shot at the title when he faced Daniel Cormier at UFC 192. Yet again, the Alliance MMA product would put on a fantastic display and only just come up short, losing via split decision. Once more, fans believed that Alexander could of had his hand raised at the end.
After the loss, The Mauler would pick up another two wins and be granted a third title shot, and his second again Jon Jones. This is where it started to fall apart. Gus was dominated from start to finish, and ultimately was TKO'd in the third round with some brutal ground and pound from Jones.
The Swede has currently lost three fights in a row and recently moved up to heavyweight, losing to Fabricio Werdum via submission. Gustafsson is unequivocally one of the best to ever compete at light heavyweight, and it's a shame he came so close to the title.
Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson is one of MMA's most beloved stars and figures. His fan friendly style and unholy knock-out power are some of the many reasons he is held in such high regard by fans. Hendo is no stranger to having a title strapped around his waist, far from it actually. The American has won both the middleweight and welterweight PRIDE titles, along with a Strikeforce title at light heavyweight. There is no doubt that Henderson was an elite fighter.
Commencing his MMA career in 1997, Henderson would initially have runs in Rings and the early days of the UFC before making his PRIDE debut in 2000. During his run in PRIDE and Strikeforce, he would win numerous titles and bested some of the biggest names in the sport such as Fedor Emelianenko and Renzo Gracie. Not bad.
In 2007, Hendo would attempt to unify the PRIDE and UFC titles, however he was unsuccessful and ultimately lost via unanimous decision to the UFC champion Rampage Jackson. The then 38-year-old would be handed another title shot straight after, this being against Anderson Silva for the middleweight title at UFC 82. Unfortunately, Dan would come up short again losing via submission in the second round.
Henderson would then leave to go to Strikeforce in 2010, going on a three fight run to win the Strikeforce light heavyweight title. The knock-out machine then returned to the UFC in 2011 and immediately faced Shogun Rua in what was an absolute war. This fight is my favourite fight of all time, and you need only watch it to understand why.
Dan failed to regain any consistent momentum through the rest of his UFC career, but was ultimately handed a title shot against former opponent Michael Bisping for his final bout. This title shot was definitely a homage to Hendo's career, and he undoubtedly earned a final crack at the end of his time in the sport. Despite dropping Bisping twice and nearly finishing the fight, the American lost via unanimous decision. Even though he had never won the a UFC belt, he retired as a champion in fan's eyes.
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