UFC's Zuffa Era: The 10 Least Memorable Champions

The Zuffa era of the UFC began in 2001 and since then there have been over 40 champions to hold titles in the promotion’s seven weight classes.

Champions such as Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn have cemented their place in history as perhaps the best fighters in the history of their weight class, but there are a number of former champions who just are just not quite as memorable. In fact, many of them have seen their title runs go all but forgotten by the average MMA fan.

These guys might not be who you think of immediately when you think “UFC champion,” but perhaps a trip down memory lane will help us recall that each of these former champions had their own, important place in UFC history.

Ricco Rodriguez

Champion of: Heavyweight division

Won title: Defeated Randy Couture on September 27, 2002

Lost title: Defeated by Tim Sylvia on February 28, 2003

After dominating the first four fights of his career, Ricco Rodriguez had an opportunity to compete for the vacant UFC heavyweight championship that previous champion Josh Barnett left behind.

Rodriguez would take that opportunity and run with it as he knocked out then-former champion Randy Couture at UFC 39. His title reign, however, would last just over five months as he was knocked out in the first round of his very first title defense against Tim Sylvia.

He would compete just once more for the promotion, a loss to Pedro Rizzo at UFC 45, before leaving the organization for good.

Forrest Griffin

Champion of: Light Heavyweight division

Won title: Defeated Quinton Jackson on July 5, 2008

Lost title: Defeated by Rashad Evans on December 27, 2008

As the inaugural winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Forrest Griffin shot into stardom very early in his career. His unique personality and “never say die” attitude made him one of the biggest fan favorites despite most agreeing that he wasn’t the most technically sound fighter.

After stringing together a 6-2 record that included a surprising victory over the debuting Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 76, Griffin earned himself the very first title shot of his career, which he would use to defeat Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 86.

Griffin’s title reign was cut short, however, as he was brutally knocked out at UFC 92 by another The Ultimate Fighter winner, Rashad Evans.

Forrest will go down as one of the most important fighters in the history of MMA, but his championship run will not be what he is best remembered for.

Josh Barnett

Champion of: Heavyweight division

Won title: Defeated Randy Couture on March 22, 2002

Lost title: Stripped of title on July 26, 2002

At just 24 years old, Josh Barnett became the youngest champion in UFC history when he defeated the legendary Randy Couture at UFC 36. The impressive knockout victory shot Barnett to the top of the worldwide heavyweight rankings and it looked as if he would remain the champion for quite some time.

It was at this time, though, that we would see the first glimpse into the performance enhancing drug problems that would haunt Barnett throughout his career.

Barnett was stripped of his title after testing positive for three banned substances, forcing him out of the UFC where he has still never made his return.

Evan Tanner

Champion of: Middleweight division

Won title: Defeated David Terrell on February 5, 2005

Lost title: Defeated by Rich Franklin on June 4, 2005

For those with a true appreciation of the history of mixed martial arts, Evan Tanner will forever be remembered as one of the most incredible people to ever be involved in the sport. However, his run as the UFC middleweight champion won’t exactly go down as one of the better championship reigns that we have ever seen.

After defeating David Terrell at UFC 51, Tanner was knocked out by Rich Franklin less than four months later which began a streak that would end with him losing four of his final five fights prior to his untimely death in September 2008.

Shane Carwin

Champion of: Heavyweight division (interim)

Won title: Defeated Frank Mir on March 27, 2010

Lost title: Defeated by Brock Lesnar on July 3, 2010

He still has a chance to rewrite history, but Shane Carwin’s short-lived stint as the UFC interim heavyweight champion isn’t exactly what he would have hoped for.

Sure, the heavy-handed slugger from Colorado made quick work of Frank Mir to win that temporary title, and he even came close to unseating Brock Lesnar as the undisputed champion, but in the end it was his lack of conditioning that truly cost him as he was submitted by Lesnar in the second round of their bout at UFC 116.

Murilo Bustamante

Champion of: Middleweight division

Won title: Defeated Dave Menne on January 11, 2002

Lost title: Stripped of title on October 5, 2002

Unless you’re a long-time fan of mixed martial arts or an avid gamer who enjoys the UFC Undisputed series, you probably haven’t heard much of anything about former UFC middleweight champion Murilo Bustamante...And that’s likely by design.

Bustamante defeated then-champion Dave Menne at UFC 35 and even went on to defend the title against Matt Lindland at UFC 37, but it was his decision to go overseas and sign with Pride Fighting Championships that forced the UFC’s hand in stripping him of his title.

The promotion hasn’t specifically left him out of their history, but there is no doubt that they were unhappy about his decision to leave and have not given him the respect that he probably deserved as an important part of the creation of the middleweight division.

Carlos Newton

Champion of: Welterweight division

Won title: Defeated Pat Miletich on May 4, 2001

Lost title: Defeated by Matt Hughes on November 2, 2001

After having gone just 1-1 in his UFC career and losing in his prior bout outside of the organization, it seemed a bit odd that Carlos Newton was getting a shot at Pat Miletich’s welterweight championship at UFC 31.

Newton came ready to fight, though, and submitted Miletich in the third round of the bout.

Despite holding the title, Newton will probably be best known for the beating he took from Matt Hughes in his first defense. The future Hall of Famer violently slammed him down, knocking him out for the first time in his career. Of course, Hughes knocked himself out in the same maneuver, causing some controversy over the bout. 

In the end, Hughes was given the win and got some revenge for his trainer, Miletich, beginning one of the most impressive title runs in the history of MMA.

Matt Serra

Champion of: Welterweight division

Won title: Defeated Georges St-Pierre on April 7, 2007

Lost title: Defeated by Georges St-Pierre on April 19, 2008

He’s not quite unmemorable yet, but it’s hard to believe that Matt Serra’s momentary run as champion will be something that fans are talking about a decade from now.

Yes, we will probably always remember that St-Pierre was knocked out by a guy who was one of the biggest underdogs ever in an MMA title fight. We might even remember that it was Matt Serra. But that’s about the extent of it.

For one night, Matt Serra was amazing. For one night, he was better than the champion. But when St-Pierre got his rematch, the Canadian put to rest any lingering concerns that Serra was actually the better fighter in a one-sided beatdown the likes of which has rarely been seen in the sport.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Champion of: Heavyweight division (interim champion)

Won title: Defeated Tim Sylvia on February 2, 2008

Lost title: Defeated by Frank Mir on December 27, 2008

It was only a few years ago, but a surprising number of fans seem to have completely forgotten that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira held UFC gold around his waist. Well, interim gold, that is.

After a rather uninspiring performance against Heath Herring in his UFC debut, the lack of depth in the UFC division at the time made Nogueira a surprising favorite in his interim title fight against Tim Sylvia.

Using the jiu-jitsu that made him a legend in the sport before he ever stepped foot in the Octagon, Nogueira submitted the former UFC heavyweight champ in the third round of their UFC 81 bout.

His run with the interim title didn’t last long, however, as he was knocked out by Frank Mir in his first defense. It was later learned that Nogueira was battling a significant illness going into the contest, but the damage to his reputation was done.

Dave Menne

Champion of: Middleweight division

Won title: Defeated Gil Castillo on September 28, 2001

Lost title: Defeated by Murilo Bustamante on January 11, 2002

Don’t worry, if you’re saying, “Who?,” you’re not alone.

As the very first middleweight champion in UFC history, you’d think that Dave Menne’s name would be more recognized in the history of the sport. It hasn’t turned out that way, though, as the UFC has all but completely disregarded the entire history of the division prior to the most recent two champions in Rich Franklin and Anderson Silva.

Menne had already competed in 39 professional fights before he battled Gil Castillo for the brand new UFC middleweight championship at UFC 33. At 5-0 at the time, Castillo had never even competed in the UFC and was a significant underdog to Menne who won the bout on the judges’ scorecards after five rounds.

It was presumed that Menne would dominate the division for quite some time, but Brazilian UFC newcomer Murilo Bustamante upset him at UFC 35, knocking him out less than a minute into the second round of their bout.

Menne would go on to continue a successful career outside the UFC, but he never won again inside the Octagon, dropping four straight bouts for the promotion before he was cut in late 2006.

Despite his lack of success outside of the one championship victory in the UFC, like many others on this list, Menne deserves his spot in the history books as he was one of the few fighters who has ever been good enough to call himself a champion in the biggest MMA promotion there has ever been. 

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