Champ Champs
When Great Fighters Run Out of Competition
J. A. McCreery
Winning an MMA fight is one thing, winning a belt is another, but winning two? – that’s a whole different beast entirely.
MMA is fast becoming one of the most heavily promoted and proliferated combat sports on the planet, its combination of martial arts leaves little off the table. As such win streaks are hard to come by, one lapse, one slip and a career can end.
To even get into the UFC is a feat in and of itself. One must collate an impressive amateur record, a considerable social following and place a sizable investment into their career – with nothing certain – and only the meager winnings of the regional circuits to support them. Once you’re in, for the male divisions, there are 465 determined, talented and dangerous men trying to stop you.
Yet throughout the UFC’s history 7 people have accomplished the behemoth task of clearing out a division, dominating it so utterly they branch out in search of competition, eventually winning a belt in multiple divisions; 4 of those achieving the pinnacle of dominance becoming simultaneous champions.
Who are they, and what are their stories?
The Natural – Randy Couture:
A pioneer of the sport and one of the first greats, UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, secured the belt in both the light heavyweight (LHW) and heavyweight (HW) divisions. Couture first became champion in Japan, after a decision victory in the HW division over Maurice Smith in December of 1997. His second belt met him on September 26, 2003 where a legacy was formed through a light heavyweight victory over Tito Ortiz at UFC 44.
Winning a belt in the LHW and HW divisions is of particular note, as to be a LHW one must weigh below 93 kg but at hw one can weigh up to 120kg. This is the largest top end disparity between weight classes and, as it is customary for fighters to compete at as close to the limit as possible, the divisions are extremely different and Couture would have had to alter his game drastically whilst performing a considerable weight cut.
The Prodigy – BJ Penn:
A relatively quiet character, Penn claimed the welterweight title in 2004 after an upset submission victory (RNC) of Matt Hughes. A move down to lightweight then saw Penn beat Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 and a claim to his second belt.
The Notorious – Conor McGregor:
Perhaps the most infamous on the list, McGregor marked his place in the UFC through more than just his perpetual trash talk. His Reign over the featherweight division followed a shocking, but in character, 13 second knockout over Jose Aldo on December 12, 2015. Aldo was no plumber, undefeated and running on a 18 match win streak in perhaps the most competitive weight class of them all.
Within the year, Connor defeated Eddie Alvarez to become the lightweight champ and reign supreme as the first ever UFC fighter to hold titles in multiple divisions, dubbing himself the first ‘Champ, Champ’.
RUSH – George St-Pierre:
GSP is widely regarded as one of the most well rounded fighters to ever walk the earth, claiming the welterweight crown in November 2006 via knockout. He defended his title nine consecutive times over half a decade, before vacating the title and leaving the sport in a semi-retirement.
In lieu of his absence many expected GSP to not be competitive upon his return, however great, yet through a win over Michael Bisping in 2017 he took the middleweight championship, again vacating upon retirement in 2019.
DC – Daniel Cormier:
The second ‘Champ, Champ’ on this list, the incredible wrestling of Cormier allowed him to submit Anthony Johnson and claim the vacant LHW championship. Soon thereafter, Cormier defeated Stipe Miocic (perhaps the HW GOAT) to gain his second simultaneous title, becoming the first African American to do so in the process.
The Lioness – Amanda Nunes:
The first and only women’s double champ, and a ‘Champ, Champ’ at that, Nunes’ submitted Miesha Tate at UFC 200 to become the bantamweight champion. An essentially undisputed title that she defended five times since. Continuing in dominant fashion, Nunes won out over Cris Cyborg via first-round knockout at UFC 232 to gain the featherweight belt.
The Messenger – Henry Cejudo
A mountain of awards lie at this man’s feet: flyweight champion, bantamweight champion and olympic gold medalist. Undisputed, unchallenged and experiencing a career many cannot even dream of achieving.