UFC 128 Fight Card: Power Ranking Every Light Heavyweight Champ in UFC History

After losing a close decision to Lyoto Machida at UFC 104, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua made sure that the outcome of a rematch at UFC 113 wasn't left in the hands of the judges. With his first-round knockout of Machida, Rua became the 10th different 205-pound champion in UFC history.

At the top of what is arguably the most competitive division in the sport, Rua will have to overcome history in order to remain champion for an extended period. The last four UFC Light Heavyweight Champions have been unable to defend their title successfully on more than one occasion.

Only three light heavyweight fighters—Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and Frank Shamrock—have been able to win consecutive title fights as champion in the UFC. Rua will attempt to take his first step toward becoming the fourth to do so with a win over Jon Jones at UFC 128. For now, here is where Rua stands among the other 205-pound champions in the UFC's history.

10. Vitor Belfort

Vitor Belfort became UFC Light Heavyweight Champion with a win over Randy Couture at UFC 46. It was his method of victory, though, that earns him the last spot on this list.

Only 45 seconds into the fight, the ringside doctor determined that Couture should not be allowed to continue fighting because of a cut he suffered from a grazing Belfort punch. Because of the unfortunate end to the fight, Couture was given an immediate rematch and a chance to prove that he was the real champion.

In their rematch, Couture had been winning the fight before ironically returning the favor with a doctor's stoppage victory. 

9. Forrest Griffin

In a close and debatable decision, Forrest Griffin dethroned Quinton Jackson at UFC 86. Deserving of the win or not, Griffin executed his game plan to perfection by utilizing leg kicks to slow the movement and reduce the punching power of Jackson. 

In his first title defense, Griffin was finished by fellow winner of The Ultimate Fighter Rashad Evans. Griffin's time as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion was short-lived, and many questioned whether he had ever truly earned the title. 

8. Rashad Evans

With his win over Forrest Griffin at UFC 92, Rashad Evans become the first undefeated fighter to become UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans did not remain the lone fighter to hold that distinction for long, though, as he lost to the undefeated Lyoto Machida in his first title defense.

After back-to-back wins over Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson, Evans had been scheduled to get another shot against the title against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 128. However, Evans was forced out of the fight because of a knee injury suffered during training. Still, Evans could be a threat to become a two-time champion in the near future.

7. Lyoto Machida

Lyoto Machida snatched the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship from Rashad Evans with a brutal knockout. That win at UFC 98 stretched Machida's undefeated record to 15-0.

Machida successfully defended his title in his first fight as champion against Mauricio Rua, but the decision did not come without controversy. In an immediate rematch, Machida was knocked out by Rua in the first round, which brought the two-fight "Machida Era" to an end.

6. Mauricio Rua

After coming up short by a close decision in his first fight with Lyoto Machida, Mauricio Rua made sure that the rematch wasn't left in the hands of the judges by knocking out the champion in the first round. Due to injury, Rua has not fought to defend his belt yet.

Rua will get his first chance to do so against Jon Jones at UFC 128. Rua had originally been scheduled to fight Rashad Evans at UFC 128, but Evans was forced out of the bout because of a knee injury. 

5. Quinton Jackson

At UFC 71, Quinton Jackson ended Chuck Liddell's streak of four consecutive title defenses with a first-round technical knockout.

Then, Jackson defeated Dan Henderson in one of the more meaningful title fights in UFC history. By defeating Henderson, Jackson merged the UFC Light Heavyweight and Pride Middleweight Championships.

Even in defeat, Jackson fought to a narrow decision loss against Forrest Griffin.   

4. Randy Couture

In back-to-back fights, Randy Couture beat two of the greatest light heavyweight champions in UFC history. First, Couture defeated Chuck Liddell at UFC 43 to become the Interim UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Then, Couture defeated long-reigning champion Tito Ortiz at UFC 44 to become the undisputed champion.

By reclaiming that title from Vitor Belfort in the aforementioned rematch, Couture became the first and only two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. However, Couture was never able to successfully defend that title, as he lost to Chuck Liddell in his next fight.

At UFC 57, Couture and Liddell fought for the belt for a third time, but Couture fell short in the rubber match with a knockout loss in the second round.

3. Tito Ortiz

Although the title had been called the UFC Middleweight Championship at the beginning of his reign as champion, Tito Ortiz has more successful title defenses than any other 200/205-pound champion in the history of the UFC.

That being said, Ortiz's championship run was cheapened slightly because the title was vacant at the time he captured it. Ortiz's predecessor Frank Shamrock, who Ortiz had lost to just one fight before becoming champion, vacated the belt and left the UFC because he felt that there was no legitimate competition remaining for him to fight.

2. Frank Shamrock

When Frank Shamrock was champion, the division's weight limit was 200 pounds, and the title had been called the UFC Middleweight Championship, but Shamrock deserves mention in this group. After defeating Tito Ortiz in his fourth successful title defense, Frank Shamrock vacated his title because he felt that there was no serious competition remaining for him in the UFC.

Shamrock's most notable victories as champion came against Ortiz and Jeremy Horn. Though Shamrock was undeniably a great champion, the level of competition that he faced as champion didn't measure up with the greatest UFC Light Heavyweight Champion of all time.

1. Chuck Liddell

Unlike Tito Ortiz and Frank Shamrock, Chuck Liddell had to earn the belt by defeating a defending champion, who happened to be Randy Couture. 

Then, Liddell proceeded to defend his title against four tough challengers, including former UFC Light Heavyweight Champions Ortiz and Couture. Liddell also beat Jeremy Horn and Renato "Babalu" Sobral before surrendering the belt to Quinton Jackson.

UFC 128: Results, News and More

Sean Smith is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @BR_Sean_Smith.