10 Fighters Who Beat UFC Champions (Before They Got Famous)

May 2024 · 6 minute read

It’s easy to look at some of the greatest UFC champions of all time and forget that at one point, they were rookies who had to grind their way to the top. Being a rookie comes with its own set of problems, ranging from inexperience in the cage to imperfect fundamentals.Related: Things You Didn't Know About Chris "Cyborg" SantosFor many historic fighters, their rookie years were where some of their biggest mistakes were made. It’s those overlooked years before fighters became household names that they often took at least one significant loss. While everyone wants to remember their favorites for all of their accomplishments, it’s important to look back on their failures to see how they grew into incredible champions.

10 Artemij Sitenkov Def. Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor is one of the most notorious fighters in modern MMA, and one look at his various antics explains exactly why that is. While he managed to back up all of his antics for years, there was a time before McGregor was the Notorious One.

During the early phase of McGregors career he suffered not one, but two rather definitive losses from two fighters that MMA fans may have never even heard of. Artemij Sitenkov handed McGregor his first loss with a first-round kneebar in just over one minute.

9 Jake Shields Def. Tyron Woodley

Long before Tyron Woodley was duking it out with Jake Paul in the middle of a boxing ring, he was making a name for himself in the world of MMA. While he had plenty of fights under his belt by the time he made it to the UFC, he had a bit of a stumble during his first few matches with the company.

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Jake Shields managed to take the fight to Woodley back in 2013 in a three-round fight that went the distance. The judges didn’t exactly score in favor of Woodley with a split-decision victory being awarded to Shields for his performance.

8 Luiz Azeredo Def. Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva had already been competing around the world for years before he ended up in the UFC. With years of competition under his belt, even one of the greatest fighters of all time is bound to have his missteps.

During the earlier portion of his career, Silva took a loss to Luiz Azeredo during a two-round Vale Tudo match. Something that may come as a surprise to many Silva fans, is that he lost by unanimous decision. While Silva seems less invincible these days, Azeredo can boast a win over a prime Silva.

7 Dustin Poirier Def. Max Holloway

Max Holloway looked to be one of the most promising prospects upon his arrival to the UFC, but one of the best fighters going today had something to say to him. Many UFC fans know how skilled Max Holloway is today, but having his first fight with the company be up against someone as skilled as Poirier is a tall order.

Rather than the slugfest that many fans might think a fight between the two could be, the fight was over incredibly quickly. Poirier managed to lock in a triangle armbar three minutes into the first round, and Holloway had no way out.

6 Demetrious Johnson Def. Henry Cejudo

Cejudo’s first loss in MMA came at the hands of one of the most dominant champions in the history of the sport. While that’s the kind of thing that derails plenty of fighters’ momentum, Cejudo would ultimately manage to win the rematch to become champion for the first time.

Demetrious Johnson was untouchable in his prime. He managed to not only stop Cejudo’s momentum, but he crushed it in the first round. Johnson rushed into the fight with everything he had, which concluded with a series of knees to the bodies leaving Johnson with the victory via TKO.

5 Ana Maria Def. Amanda Nunes

It’s entirely possible that few MMA fans see Amanda Nunes as anything but an absolute monster in the octagon. She’s shown just how dominant she is in competition every time she stares an opponent down. Her current dominance doesn’t reflect her early career as she actually lost her first professional fight.

In Nunes’ first match, Ana Maria managed to trap Nunes in an armbar in just over 30 seconds of the first round. A match like that is a classic reminder that any fight can be over at any moment.

4 Jim Miller Def. Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira is arguably one of the most exciting fighters to step into the octagon. A fighter with a solid start to his career, Oliveria managed to gather 14 wins before he suffered his first loss.

Jim Miller stopped the fiery momentum of Oliveria in the first round of their meeting back in 2010. He locked in a deep kneebar in just under two minutes to pick up another win to continue a hot streak of his own. While Oliveira would avenge his loss, Jim Miller showed he could hang with the best fighters.

3 Joseph Duffy Def. Conor McGregor

The second of McGregor's two early losses, Joseph Duffy managed to defeat a legend in the making in a time that would make any fight fan blush. While most UFC fans are used to either McGregor’s fights ending after a heavy left from Conor or the fights ending after a drawn-out brawl, fans may be shocked to know he barely lasted 30 seconds against Duffy.

Back in 2010, Joseph Duffy managed to trap Conor in an arm-triangle choke during Cage Warriors 39. He managed to force McGregor to tap in only 38 seconds into the first round of the fight.

2 Corey Nelson Def. Alexander Volkanovski

Alexander Volkanovski has been a monster in just about every bout he’s been in, but across his 24 fights, he has one loss. The thing that makes his one loss even more surprising is that Corey Nelson has never competed for the UFC.

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During the early years of Volkanovski’s career, Nelson managed to pick up a big win over the future modern legend with a third-round TKO victory. Putting a stop to Volkanovski’s early streak with head kicks and punches is no small feat when compared with how badly Alexander brutalizes all of his opponents.

1 Carla Esparza Def. Rose Namajunas

Rose Namajunas has become a fan favorite amongst UFC supporters. Seeing her ooze heart in all of her matches definitely helps with that, but many fans might forget that she lost her first bout in the UFC.

Thug Rose stepped into the octagon against Carla Esparza, but heart wasn’t enough for her to pull out a win on that night. Esparza caught Rose in a rear-naked choke during the third round to pick up the submission victory. With an impressive record in her own right, it may not be long before we see Esparza taking Rose on again.

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