Islam makhachev overcame Alexander Volkanovsky No. UFC 284. (Photo: Reproduction/Instagram)
Those who are defeated in title fights don't always have to leave the octagon in shame. Alexander Volkanovsky was the most recent example of this. Beaten by Islam makhachev in the main fight of UFC 284, which took place last Saturday (11), the featherweight champion (up to 65,7kg) was highly praised and praised by fans of the sport and the specialized press. Remember other athletes who 'came out bigger' after a setback in a title fight.
5 – Alexander Volkanovski
Against the lightweight champion (up to 70,3kg) Islam makhachev, Volkanovski proved why he was, and continues to be, number one in the organization's pound-for-pound rankings. Considered a zebra at a ratio of 4 to 1 in bookmakers, the Australian demanded Islam makhachev a performance that no other athlete had yet demanded from the Russian. After 25 minutes of a historic war, the pupil of Khabib Nurmagomedov emerged victorious in a tight unanimous decision by the judges.
4 – Johnny Hendricks
Hendricks (right) was defeated by St. Pierre (left) in 2013. (Photo: Reproduction/Facebook UFC)
In November 2013, at UFC 167, the North American John hendricks faced a mission that seemed impossible: beating the welterweight king (up to 77,1kg) Georges St Pierre, who had already defended his belt eight consecutive times. In a packed MGM Grand Garden Arena, the 'Big Ring' imposed a punishment rarely seen or felt by the Canadian, who left the Octagon with a badly bruised face. At the end of the clash, the champion emerged victorious in a controversial split decision that still generates discussions to this day. Hendricks left the arena unhappy and the Canadian announced his retirement citing 'personal reasons'. An event that went down in history.
3 – Chael Sonnen
A. Silva and C. Sonnen face off for their first meeting. (Photo: Reproduction/YouTube)
Until then considered a 'mid-table' athlete in the middleweight division (up to 83,9kg), Chael Sonnen managed to get a title shot against the Brazilian legend Anderson Silva through a lot of provocation, which at times even went beyond the point. Even though he was upset and found the North American's attitude disrespectful, the champion agreed to face him in August 2010.
In the octagon, for around four and a half rounds, Sonnen achieved a feat that until then no other challenger had even come close to achieving: dominating and beating Anderson Silva. With a festival of takedowns and dominance in the ground fight, Chael at times 'played' with his rival, such was his advantage and control of the fight. With a fractured rib, the 'Spider' seemed to just wait for time to pass.
In the final stretch of the fifth round, even on the bottom and suffering from ground and pound, Anderson managed to lock in a triangle and make his rival give up. A historic victory for the Brazilian and a defeat that left Sonnen with great morale towards the organization. After the clash, the North American managed to get a rematch just two fights later and even though he was defeated again, he immediately managed to star in an edition of 'TUF (The Ultimate Fighter)' against Jon Jones and also compete for the light heavyweight belt (up to 93kg).
2 – Alexander Gustafsson
J. Jones surpassed A. Gustafsson in 2013. (Photo: Reproduction/Facebook UFC)
The prospectus Alexander Gustafson reached the light heavyweight title fight (up to 93kg) riding on six consecutive victories. However, on the other side of the octagon, there was Jon Jones, the youngest champion in the history of the division and who had already beaten names like Mauritius Shogun, Rampage jackson, Lyoto Machida e Rashad evans. The Swedish athlete, apparently, would be just another challenger who would be easily defeated.
At UFC 165, in September 2013, the Swedish prospect showed that he didn't want to be just another fighter and took Jones into deep waters, previously unknown to the division champion. With practically the same size, good takedown defense and high-level striking, Alex terrified Jon and inflicted a punishment on the belt owner, which he had not suffered yet. At the end of the fight, Jones emerged victorious in the judges' unanimous decision, but the result generated a lot of complaints from the Swedish fighter and many mixed martial arts fans.
1- Thiago Marreta
T. Muppet hits J. Jones in the UFC 239. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook @UFC
Even with Jones already showing signs of 'disinterest' in the light heavyweight division (up to 93kg), Jones' four consecutive victories Thiago Marreta accredited him to compete for the category belt. In the main fight of UFC 239, in July 2019, the Tupiniquim athlete achieved, probably, the greatest performance of his career, he injured both knees during the fight and ended up defeated in a split decision by the judges. A defeat that made Marreta leave bigger than he entered the octagon at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas (USA).
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