5 UFC Champions Who Lost Their Titles By Knockout

Nothing is more exciting than a UFC championship match and there is no sweeter result than seeing a new champion crowned by knockout. Some of the biggest names in UFC history have lost their titles by knockout so it’s always worth checking the UFC betting odds to see the likelihood of it happening again.

Here are 5 UFC champions that lost their titles by knockout.

1. Rich Franklin

Rich Franklin vs. Anderson Silva
UFC 64: Unstoppable
October 14, 2006
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

UFC Middleweight champion Rich Franklin had two successful title defenses under his belt when he took on UFC newcomer Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva. Silva had only debuted in UFC in June of that year and received his title shot after a UFC fan poll selected Franklin as his next opponent. 

Silva dropped Franklin with a series of strikes and won by TKO in 2:59 in the first round. He caught Franklin in a Muay-Thai clinch and a brutal knee to the face broke Franklin’s nose. Franklin dropped to the canvas and was unable to fight back, leading to Silva winning the fight and the Middleweight Championship. The victory began Silva’s record-breaking title reign that lasted for 2.457 days and included 16 consecutive victories.

2. Cris Cyborg

Cris Cyborg vs. Amanda Nunes
UFC 232: Jones vs. Gustafsson 2
December 2019, 2018
The Forum, Inglewood, California, USA

Cyborg walked into UFC 232 as not only the UFC Women’s Featherweight champion but also as a fighter that had never suffered a knockout loss in her MMA career. She was known as one of the fiercest fighters on the planet and had won titles in both Strikeforce and Invicta before joining the UFC.

At the time of the fight, Nunes was the reigning UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, but the only title on the line was Cyborg’s Featherweight Championship. To the shock of the world, Nunes not only handed Cyborg her first knockout loss but managed it within 59 seconds of the first round. Cyborg’s defeat is considered one of the biggest upsets of all time and was voted one of the best knockouts of the year.

3. Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez
UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez
October 23, 2010
Honda Center, Anaheim, California, USA

Brock Lesnar’s run in the UFC was a short one as he only had nine fights, but he made a major impact on the sport. Lesnar made his name in both amateur and professional wrestling and entered the world of MMA after a relatively short training period. His UFC run was affected by bouts of diverticulitis but he still managed to become the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion. 

In October 2010, Lesnar defended his heavyweight title against the undefeated Cain Velasquez. In the early stages of the first round, Lesnar’s superior grappling skills saw him takedown Velasquez and land some knee strikes, but Velasquez fought back. Velasquez’s heavy strikes took Lesnar down and Velasquez won the match late in the first round by technical knockout. His win was made even more impressive by the news that he suffered a torn rotator cuff during the fight.

4. Rafael dos Anjos

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Eddie Alvarez
UFC Fight Night 90: Dos Anjos vs. Alvarez
July 7, 2016
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Rafael dos Anjos won the UFC Lightweight Championship in March 2015 despite having a torn MCL and due to other injuries, he only managed one defense before the fight with Alvarez and had to pull out of a blockbuster fight with Conor McGregor. That single fight, however, gave dos Anjos the honor of scoring the fastest victory in UFC Lightweight title history at just 66 seconds.

Going into the fight against Eddie Alvarez, dos Anjos was the heavy favorite at three-to-one odds. The odds didn’t matter in the octagon though as a series of haymakers and combination strikes saw Alvarez get the win. Reports after the fight suggested that dos Anjos was in a weakened state due to a grueling weight cut, but Alvarez’s strikes were not to be reckoned with. Alvarez’s win put him into the history books as the first fighter to hold titles in both UFC and Bellator.

5. Stipe Miocic

Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier
UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier
July 7, 2018
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

The first of three blockbuster fights between the pair saw Miocic defend his UFC Heavyweight Championship against the then UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier. Miocic had the size and weight advantage and was the favorite with the fans and betting odds. However, a huge right hand from Cormier dropped Miocic and the follow-up strikes saw a new Heavyweight Champion crowned within the first round. 

The win meant that Cormier became only the second fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold two titles. The pair fought a further two times, with both wins going to Miocic.

Final Thoughts

UFC is all about explosive knockouts and even the best champions and most legendary fighters have fallen victim to them.

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