UFC President Dana White likes to tell his fighters never to leave things in the hands of the judges, but it’s fair to say that some of his roster don’t always follow that advice.
There are a number of fighters competing in the UFC right now who, while relatively successful, seem to be struggling to finish off their opponents.
This often does not make them less popular. Some of them can count themselves among the bigger stars in the action. Despite this, it’s rare to see them win before the final buzzer.
Here are five UFC stars who regularly struggle to finish off their opponents.
#5. Belal Muhammad – UFC welterweight
There are a number of observers, including Daniel Cormier, who believe that Belal Muhammad and not Colby Covington should be considered for the next shot at the welterweight title.
Maybe they have a point. ‘Remember the Name’ has been unbeaten in a nine-fight streak dating back to 2019, racking up wins over some of the best fighters in its division.
One reason the UFC may have overlooked Mohammed is his overall lack of finishing ability in the octagon.
To be fair, ‘Remember the Name’ sent Sean Brady ruthlessly into his final fight. Brady had never been defeated before, but Muhammad put him away with a violent flurry of punches in the second round.
However, before that, six of his previous seven wins had gone the distance, including his wins over Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque and Demian Maia.
Also before his current run, he had gone the distance in four of his other five octagon victories. In total, Muhammad has 13 UFC wins to his credit, and only three of those ended before the final buzzer.
‘Remember the Name’ is undoubtedly a great fighter, but maybe this missing piece of the puzzle will keep him from climbing to the top of the welterweight mountain.
#4. Katlyn Chookagian – UFC Flyweight
Katlyn Chookagian has long been known as one of the top female flyweights in the UFC, dating back to her move to the division in 2018.
‘Blonde Fighter’ has nine wins for 125 pounds and has suffered just four losses, including a highly controversial split-decision loss to Jessica Eye.
However, none of those nine wins saw her finish her foe, and instead they all went the distance. In fact, Chookagian’s two victories as a bantamweight prior to her move to 125 pounds also went the distance.
In this case, it seems Chookagian’s fighting style – where she often tries to break up her opponents – is largely to blame.
Usually fighters find themselves picking up a lot of finishes over lower level enemies before they get to the UFC. ‘Blonde Fighter’, on the other hand, only stopped three of her seven opponents prior to her promotional debut.
At this stage in her career, it doesn’t feel like Chookagian will change her fighting style any time soon. Unfortunately, then, even if she continues to win most of her competitions, she is unlikely to become a bigger star.
#3. Leon Edwards – UFC welterweight champion
There are a few things about UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards that, at least at the moment, seem anchored in truth.
Firstly, after his second victory over Kamaru Usman a few weeks ago, ‘Rocky’ is the best 170lber in the world. Second, his 2022 head kick knockout of ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is up there with the best finishes in octagon history.
However, it would be a huge mistake to look at that head kick and take it as the norm for Edwards. In fact, it’s easier to argue that “Rocky” should probably be thought of as a fighter who often struggles to finish off his enemies.
Prior to that legendary knockout of Usman, Edwards had won 10 of his previous 11 fights in the octagon, the other being a no-contest with Belal Muhammad.
Interestingly, however, only two of those 10 fights ended before the final buzzer – a victory over Albert Tumenov in 2016 and a TKO stoppage of Peter Sobotta in 2018.
Remarkably, Edwards’ stoppage of Sobotta also came in the last second of the third and final round of the fight – meaning that if the referee had been a little slower, he would have been credited with a ninth win.
Prior to this run, Edwards had also finished only one opponent in the octagon, stopping Seth Baczynski in 2015.
So should ‘Rocky’ be considered a point fighter? It’s debatable, as the Birmingham, England native is, for the most part, an aggressive fighter.
Aside from Usman’s head kick, there’s certainly an argument to suggest he’s struggling to get to the finish line, even if that doesn’t make him any less of a fighter or champion.
#2. Merab Dvalishvili – UFC bantamweight
After his dominant victory over former bantamweight champion Petr Yan a few weeks ago, there is a very real argument that Merab Dvalishvili might be the best 135lber in the UFC right now.
‘The Machine’ doesn’t have the title – his teammate and friend Aljamain Sterling does – but he has the best winning streak in the division and the pace he sets in his fights seems to be something no one can handle.
However, one thing that cannot be said about the Georgia native is that he is a lethal finisher in the octagon.
Of his nine wins in the octagon, only one came within range – his incredible come-from-behind stoppage of Marlon Moraes in 2021.
That win, with Dvalishvili recovering from a horrific knockdown in the first round and beating Moraes in the second, was a blast to watch. Interestingly, it was also one of the few times he had to rely on anything other than his incredible pressure to win.
Beyond that, none of the Georgian’s opponents have really been able to stop his clinch work, takedown, and forward movement, defeating most of them. Not even Ricky Simon and Frankie Saenz, who defeated Dvalishvili in his first two Octagonal appearances, really knew defeat him, say.
Saenz won a split decision that arguably should have gone the other way, and Simon got a TKO win after a controversial third-round referee stoppage of a fight Dvalishvili was clearly winning.
Overall, then, if an opponent can force Dvalishvili out of his comfort zone, as Moraes did, he may be more than capable of unleashing a nasty finish.
But until someone can, it would be crazy if they changed their style to something more reckless. He may not be the best finisher, but he really is a phenomenal fighter.
#1. Holly Holm – former UFC bantamweight champion
Holly Holm will always be revered by longtime fans of the UFC for her famous knockout of Ronda Rousey in 2015.
At the time, ‘Rowdy’ was seen as unbeatable, but in two rounds, Holm took her apart and then finished her off with a perfect kick to the dome, also largely ending her career as a top-level MMA fighter.
While ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ is often promoted as a huge star by the promotion, headlining countless shows and fighting in numerous title fights, she’s only replicated that head kick finish once.
That came in 2017 against an overmatched Bethe Correia, giving Holm her second highlight in the octagon.
However, other than those two wins, all of Holm’s other wins have come via decision. While she was very dominant in some of those fights, most notably against Megan Anderson and Yana Santos, she never really came close to ending them.
What is even more remarkable is the fact that ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’, despite being part of the UFC’s roster for eight years now, has only managed eight wins in that time.
In that sense, not only is Holm a fighter who often struggles to take down her enemies, but she’s also a rare example of a superstar whose track record isn’t quite as good as her reputation would suggest – even though she remains one of the most feared female fighters in the world.