10 Fighters Who Had Successful 2nd Runs in the UFC

Ah, the second time around. Sometimes, it can be better than the first. Age and experience are excellent teachers, and if you can apply what they teach you, it's entirely likely you can cash in on a new chance.

It's no different in MMA. Here are 10 (or 10-ish, anyway) fighters who made the most of a second run in the UFC, after the first one prematurely ended with their release or from some other cause.

10. Todd Duffee

Division: Heavyweight
UFC record on release: 1-1
UFC record after return: 1-0

The jury's still out on Todd Duffee's ultimate track record, but there's no question about his promise. First, and you have to acknowledge this, is the fact that he is living tissue over metal endoskeleton. He is literally a born killer, assuming terminators can be "born" in your eyes.

That may be a question for the philosophy professors, but in either case, his odd release from the UFC—purportedly for reasons that had little to do with fighting—was well redeemed by his return bout. 

It was a difficult act to follow. The record-breaking knockout from his debut was matched, at least in spirit, when he pounded out Phil De Fries last December at UFC 155.

9. Jamie Varner

Division: Lightweight
UFC record on release: 1-1
UFC record after return: 2-1

Jamie Varner became a bona fide feel-good story when, after years in the WEC and then a variety of MMA hinterlands, he made an unlikely return to the UFC. His story became even more feel-good and unlikely when he shocked Edson Barboza in that return match. It seems he hasn't looked back either.

8. Chris Lytle

Division: Welterweight
UFC record on departure: 2-2
UFC record after return: 8-6

Chris Lytle had multiple starts and stops with the UFC over his career. But there's no question "The Bonus Hunter" had the most success in his final run, which culminated with that famous Submission-and-Fight-of-the-Night winning performance against Dan Hardy. If there's a better way to go out that doesn't involve a belt, I'd love to hear about it.

7. Robbie Lawler

Division: Welterweight
UFC record on departure: 4-3  
UFC record after return: 2-0

I'm not sure that many people expected Robbie Lawler to be one of the breakout stars of the Strikeforce stable, after said stable folded and moved to the UFC. Not many expected him to best Josh Koscheck, and yet there he was, knocking him out in the first round. As if to demonstrate it wasn't a fluke, Lawler head-kicked Bobby Voelker out in July to make it 2-for-2. 

Lawler's first run with the UFC was inconsistent. His second run, so far, is anything but.

6. Renato Sobral

Division: Light heavyweight
UFC record on release: 2-2 (happened over multiple stints)
UFC record after return: 4-2

Renato Sobral went on quite a run the second time around, winning three straight over guys including one Mr. Chael Sonnen. But it all came crashing down at UFC 74, when he held on to David Heath's windpipe well after the referee called the stoppage. The bloody chokeout led to" Babalu's" immediate and permanent UFC release. 

T-5. Nick Diaz

Division: Welterweight
UFC record on release: 6-4 (over multiple stints)
UFC record after return: 1-2

The numbers don't bear it out, but then again, the numbers don't tell the whole story, do they? A domination of BJ Penn led to a very close decision loss to Carlos Condit. In turn, that somehow led to a title shot with Georges St-Pierre. To the surprise of no one, Nick Diaz lost that one by decision.

T-5. Chael Sonnen

Division: Middleweight/light heavyweight
UFC record on departure: 1-2
UFC record after return: 5-4

The readers pointed this one out, and it's a good addition. Chael Sonnen has been almost literally a completely different person during his second run in the Octagon, even if his vulnerability to the submission is still at least somewhat in evidence.

4. Vitor Belfort

Division: Middleweight
UFC record on release: 7-4 (over multiple stints)
UFC record after return: 5-2

Vitor Belfort's current UFC run is, by far, his longest and, by far, his most successful. His only two losses have come to fighters named Anderson Silva and Jon Jones; he has dominated everyone else.

3. Fabricio Werdum

Division: Heavyweight
UFC record on departure: 2-2 
UFC record after return: 3-0

Fabricio Werdum is the unsung heavyweight contender in today's UFC. That domination of Roy Nelson to start a perfect UFC run—not to mention that world-shocker of a chokeout on Fedor Emelinanenko in Strikeforce—has him in prime position to challenge for the belt.

T-2. Dan Henderson

Division: Middleweight/light heavyweight
UFC record on departure: 2-0
UFC record after return (multiple returns): 4-4

Dan Henderson's current tenure in the UFC Octagon was interrupted by a contract-related defection to Strikeforce, where he defeated Emelianenko. His earlier record was perfect, but his second record has more wins, and those came over superior opponents like Michael Bisping and Mauricio Rua. 

T-2. BJ Penn

Division: Welterweight/lightweight
UFC record on departure: 6-1-1
UFC record after return: 8-5-1

Though his record is decidedly worse after he returned, as a few alert readers pointed out, BJ Penn did win and defend the lightweight title multiple times in his second run. Not too bad for one of the best lightweights of all time. If only he had, you know, stayed at lightweight the whole time.

1. Randy Couture

Division: Heavyweight/light heavyweight
UFC record on departure: 6-2 (multiple departures, divided at UFC 43)
UFC record after return: 8-6

I realize that Randy Couture's multiple runs in the UFC (and in different weight classes) make this a difficult comparison. But then again, how the hell am I going to leave him out?

After losing the belt to Ricco Rodriguez, he returned a year later to begin all those fight series with one Chuck Liddell, not to mention Tim Sylvia and Tito Ortiz.

His most recent return to MMA saw him go 0-2 after losses to Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2008 and 2009, respectively. But he still had three more wins in him, including that master work against boxer James Toney. He had an outstanding career, even if it did happen in and out of the UFC Octagon.

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