There are a lot of potential answers to this question, but one of the most interesting comes from UFC president Dana White himself.
Since taking over at the top of the UFC more than two decades ago, White has seen plenty of fighters climb all the way to the top. And there are others who have been multiple-time title challengers, and still missed out on glory.
But even in a sport as ruthless as mixed martial arts, there are times when great fighters miss their window for various reasons. Many have had several cracks at it without getting across the line.
White’s answer was a Hall of Famer who only got one shot at gold during his time in the Octagon – and it’s not someone you’ll find on most fans’ lists.
Donald Cerrone named by Dana White as UFC’s best fighter to never win a belt
Dana White has named Donald Cerrone as his pick for the best fighter to never win a title, despite several others with more high-profile near-misses.
Cerrone fought for the belt only once in his UFC career, facing Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight title in December 2015. He lost that bout by first-round knockout but still went on to have an impressive run in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions.
While Cerrone was a fan favourite known for his willingness to fight anyone at any time, there are other fighters with stronger cases. Both Sonnen and Gustafsson had multiple title shots and came much closer to winning than Cerrone ever did.
Sonnen took on Anderson Silva twice for the middleweight belt. In their first meeting, he dominated most of the fight before getting caught in a late submission, and he later challenged Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title as well.
Gustafsson’s 2013 bout against Jon Jones is widely seen as one of the closest title fights ever, with many fans feeling he had done enough to take home the belt. He also faced Daniel Cormier and Jones again but never managed to get over the line.
Dana White back in the spotlight for UFC 322 title doubleheader
UFC 322 is set to showcase two title fights, with the card headlined by Islam Makhachev’s move up to welterweight.
Makhachev, stepping up from lightweight, will be looking to make an immediate impact at 170 pounds when he faces Jack Della Maddalena in what should be a tightly contested main event.
In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko defends her flyweight belt against former strawweight champion Zhang Weili, who is making her debut in the division. It’s a matchup that adds plenty of intrigue to an already strong lineup.
READ MORE: Tito Ortiz mocked by fans after bold prime-vs-prime claim about Alex Pereira
