Some of the best fighters in MMA history have fallen short in achieving the sport's ultimate goal - a UFC title. The most coveted prize in all of MMA has eluded the grasp of legendary combatants as we name and rank the 10 best fighters who have never won a UFC championship.
10. Nate Diaz
UFC Title Fights - 1
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Nate Diaz had been living in the shadow of his older brother, Nick, until he beat Conor McGregor and that win saw him become a household name, but he's yet to win UFC gold.
His one attempt came in 2012 against Benson Henderson. Diaz lost a lopsided decision for the UFC lightweight title and has never received another chance at UFC glory.
Though his legacy is already set in stone having stepped up on short notice to hand McGregor his first UFC loss and fought for the inaugural BMF title.
9. Nick Diaz
UFC Title Fights - 2
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Just like his brother, Nick Diaz is one of the most popular fighters in the UFC but similar to Nate, Nick has never won a UFC title.
Nick realised some of his potential when he won titles in WEC and Strikeforce, but defeats to Carlos Carlos and Georges St-Pierre stopped him from winning a UFC belt.
8. Alistair Overeem
UFC Title Fights - 1
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Alistair Overeem bagged titles in Strikeforce and Dream before signing for the UFC in 2011. And after destroying Brock Lesnar in his Octagon debut, he was on course to fight for UFC gold until he failed a drug test.
He lost three of his next four fights once returning to action. But he then put together a win streak to earn a crack at Stipe Miocic, who went onto stop Overeem at UFC 203.
7. Yoel Romero
UFC Title Fights - 3
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One of the scariest fighters in MMA has somehow failed to raise aloft a UFC title with Yoel Romero having not one but three cracks at a title in the Octagon.
'The Solider of God', though, doesn't help himself. His inability to consistently make weight prevented him from becoming a UFC champion after he finished Luke Rockhold. Weighing heavy made him ineligible to win the belt at UFC 221.
Romero is still the division's most feared fighter, even at the age of 43. His last fight was a title defeat to current UFC middleweight king Israel Adesanya.
6. Urijah Faber
UFC Title Fights - 4
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Urijah Faber is one of the best lighter-weight fighters of his generation. He carried the WEC banner, plying his trade in the famous blue cage as the promotion's poster boy and when they merged with the UFC, 'The California Kid' continued to flex his star power as the main draw sub 155lbs.
But the former WEC featherweight champion failed to win UFC gold, losing four title bouts.
5. Jorge Masvidal
UFC Title Fights - 1
Jorge Masvidal wouldn't have been on this list if it wasn't for his remarkable resurrection last year. Miami's finest put together a three-fight win streak which proved he was a legit contender.
From silencing the O2 Arena and destroying Ben Askren to becoming the 'baddest motherf**ker of the Octagon', Masvidal is one of the best fighters on the UFC's books as he guns for another shot at welterweight champ Kamaru Usman.
4. Demian Maia
UFC Title Fights - 2
Demian Maia has won twenty-two fights across two weight divisions in the UFC. Yes, 22.
His list of scalps in the UFC is definitely impressive. We're talking Chael Sonnen, Jon Fitch, Jorge Masvidal and Ben Askren, to name but a few.
Though when the 42-year-old eventually walks away from the sport, he'll have no UFC title to look back on after failed attempts at Anderson Silva (middleweight) and Tyron Woodley (welterweight).
3. Alexander Gustafsson
UFC Title Fight - 3
A GOAT got in the way of Alexander Gustafsson becoming a UFC champion. 'The Mauler' nearly shocked the MMA world when he took Jon Jones to the distance at UFC 165 in September 2013.
The Swede, though, lost a razor-close decision. He then received a second UFC title shot but this time against Daniel Cormier and, again, he took him all the way before losing on the judges' scorecard.
Gustafsson and Jones ran it back at UFC 232 but, for a second time, 'Bones' got the better of him, earning a TKO victory. One of the best fighters to come out of Europe and the man behind the MMA boom in Scandinavia.
2. Dan Henderson
UFC Title Fights - 3
Dan Henderson is an all-time great who held the Pride welterweight and middleweight titles, simultaneously, during his heyday and even boasts a victory over heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko.
But 'Hendo' never got to wear the UFC belt. He re-signed with the promotion following a prolific spell in Japan and fought for the UFC light-heavyweight and UFC middleweight titles in back-to-back fights.
However, he failed to beat 'Rampage' Jackson and Silva with Henderson bowing out of MMA with a championship defeat to Michael Bisping.
1. Joseph Benavidez
UFC Title Fights - 4
Joseph Benavidez is 0-4 in UFC title fights and we believe he's the greatest UFC fighter to have never won a belt.
He's lost to flyweight GOAT Demetrious Johnson twice and lost to current reigning UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo twice.
Benavidez is one of the best to do it. A perennial contender whose put away a wave of challengers, but ultimately failed at the final championship hurdle.
Featured Image Credit: UFC/PA/PA/PATopics: Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal, UFC News, Nick Diaz, Yoel Romero, Fight News, UFC