UFC
Five completely forgotten UFC champions!
Forgotten UFC champions. Photo via UFC
Winning the UFC championship is among the most prestigious in the world of combat sports. However, as the world of MMA grows bigger and the years pass by, many of the former heroes are sadly forgotten.
Let’s take a closer look at five completely forgotten UFC champions!
5. Pat Miletich
Patrick Jay ”The Croatian Sensation” Miletich became the first UFC welterweight champion but is still sadly forgotten by many fight fans. He defended his strap four times until he fell short against Carlos Newton three years after he won the belt.
On July 6, 2014, Miletich was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
4. Evan Tanner
Evan Tanner. Photo via UFC
Evan Tanner won the vacant middleweight title against David Terrell back in 2005 but lost it just a few months later as he was stopped by Rich Franklin in his first title defense. Tanner began his pro career primarily learning the sport via instructional videotape.
He tragically died of heat exposure during a camping trip at age 37.
3. Bas Rutten
Despite his popularity and achievements in combat sports, many fans keep forgetting that Bas Rutten was a UFC heavyweight champion in 1999.
He won the vacant title with a split decision win against Kevin Randleman but later vacated the strap due to injury. In fact, Rutten only fought twice in the UFC, winning both fights.
2. Dave Menne
Dave Menne won the inaugural UFC middleweight title back in 2001 but lost it in his first title defense.
Menne had quite an extensive career, fighting professionally between 1997 and 2012 in promotions like Cage Rage, Bellator, Shooto, ADCC and RINGS.
1. Nicco Montano
Forgotten UFC champions. Photo via Instagram (@nrmontano)
Nicco Montano won the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight title at The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale in 2017 but is forgotten for a reason.
She was scheduled to face Valentina Shevchenko on September 8, 2018 to defend her belt for the first time, but was instead transported to a hospital due to the effects of weight cutting. The bout was cancelled and Montano was subsequently stripped of the title.
In 2019 she returned to the octagon for one last fight but fell short against Julianna Pena in a bantamweight bout.
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