Winning the UFC Championship belt is the most important objective for any fighter on the roster. Winning the ultimate gold resembles climbing mount Everest, only a few people can solidify themselves as champions. But it’s not always about talent and hard work, sometimes luck is also important. Throughout history, many amazing fighters fell short on several occasions and didn’t win the belt. They had everything: talent, skills, determination, etc. but it wasn’t enough. In this article, we’re going to check out the best fighters who failed to win the UFC belt.

Alistair Overeem

Alistair Overeem is a true veteran of the UFC and the Mixed Martial Arts in general. Overeem has won in 4 different decades, which is a pretty mind-blowing fact. This fighter has seen everything in his very long career. Simultaneously, Overeem was having a decent career in kickboxing as well. He succeeded in winning the belts in various kickboxing organizations. Alistair’s debut fight in the UFC occurred in 2011 against Brock Lesnar. Overeem won via 1^st round TKO. After the fight, his blood samples showed the use of illegal substances. From this point forward, Overeem was mixing victories and defeats, until he found confidence and a good game plan. Alistair got his first and the only shot at the title in 2016 against reigning champ Stipe Miocic. “The reem” was successful early on as he dropped champ and tried to finish him with a guillotine. But unfortunately for him, the bout ended in favor of Stipe. Alistair had some ups and downs since then, but he never got another chance at the heavyweight title. For the people who enjoy betting on heavy hitters like Overeem, Woo Casino NZ provides amazing betting possibilities.

Yoel Romero

It’s almost unbelievable that Yoel Romero is 45 years old and still beats the brakes off young, hungry fighters. Yoel transitioned to MMA when he was 32 years old. Prior to that, Romero had a pretty astounding wrestling career as he is a silver medal winner in the Olympics. “The Soldier of God” was signed with UFC in 2013. After 5 years, he got the first shot at the title but was unsuccessful as Robert Whittaker managed to outpoint him in a 5 round fight. He got another title opportunity against the same Robert Whittaker but yet again fell short. Romero’s final attempt at the title was against reigning champ Israel Adesanya, whom he lost in a close battle. Even though Yoel never prevailed in becoming the UFC champ, he is still one of the most entertaining fighters out there.

Joseph Benavidez

When it comes to the fighters who never won the belt, Joseph Benavidez is certainly the best. He had 4 title shots and messed up every one of them. His first attempt was against the flyweight goat Demetrius Johnson which he lost in a competitive manner. The second try was also against the same DJ and once again Benavidez lost Via knockout. Years later, Joseph got his 3^rd and 4^th title shots against Deivison Figureido and again fell short via knockout and submission. Benavidez was one of the best flyweights and for many years, beat all other contenders yet he wasn’t meant to be a champion.