UFC president Dana White loves to inform his fighters by no means to go away issues within the palms of the judges, but it surely’s truthful to say that a few of his roster don’t at all times observe that recommendation.
Proper now, there are a variety of fighters competing within the UFC who, whereas comparatively profitable, appear to battle on the subject of ending their opponents.
Usually, this doesn’t make them any much less standard. A few of them can rely themselves among the many larger stars within the promotion. Regardless of this, it’s uncommon to see them win earlier than the ultimate buzzer.
Listed below are 5 UFC stars who often battle to complete their opponents.
#5. Belal Muhammad – UFC welterweight
There are a variety of observers, Daniel Cormier included, who consider that Belal Muhammad and never Colby Covington ought to be in line for the following shot on the welterweight title.
They could have some extent. ‘Bear in mind the Identify’ has not been crushed in a nine-fight run that dates again to 2019, and takes in victories over a few of the finest fighters in his division.
Nonetheless, one cause why the UFC could have neglected Muhammad is his total lack of ending skill contained in the octagon.
To be truthful, ‘Bear in mind the Identify’ did dispatch Sean Brady in ruthless style in his final bout. Brady had by no means been crushed earlier than, however Muhammad put him away with a violent flurry of punches within the second spherical.
Nonetheless, previous to that, six of his earlier seven wins had gone the gap, together with his victories over Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque and Demian Maia.
Earlier than his present run, too, he’d gone the gap in 4 of his 5 different octagon wins. General, Muhammad has 13 UFC victories below his belt, and solely three of them have ended earlier than the ultimate buzzer.
‘Bear in mind the Identify’ is undoubtedly a fantastic fighter, however maybe this lacking piece of the puzzle is what is going to forestall him from climbing to the highest of the welterweight mountain.
#4. Katlyn Chookagian – UFC flyweight
Katlyn Chookagian has been famend as among the best feminine flyweights within the UFC for a very long time now, relationship again to her transfer to the division again in 2018.
‘Blonde Fighter’ has picked up 9 wins at 125 kilos, and has solely suffered 4 losses, considered one of which was a extremely controversial cut up resolution defeat to Jessica Eye.
Nonetheless, none of these 9 wins noticed her end her foe, with all of them as an alternative going the gap. In reality, Chookagian’s two wins as a bantamweight previous to her transfer to 125 kilos additionally went the gap, too.
On this occasion, it looks like Chookagian’s combating fashion – which tends to contain her trying to choose her opponents aside on the toes – is essentially responsible.
Often, fighters discover that they choose up lots of finishes over lower-level foes previous to arriving within the UFC. ‘Blonde Fighter’, however, solely stopped three of her seven opponents previous to her promotional debut.
At this stage in her profession, it doesn’t really feel like Chookagian will change up her combating fashion any time quickly. Sadly, then, it’s additionally unlikely that she’ll grow to be any larger of a star, even when she continues to win most of her bouts.
#3. Leon Edwards – UFC welterweight champion
There are some things about UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards that, proper now at the very least, appear enshrined in fact.
Firstly, after his second win over Kamaru Usman a few weeks in the past, ‘Rocky’ is the very best 170lber on the planet. Secondly, his head kick knockout of ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ in 2022 is up there with the best finishes in octagon historical past.
Nonetheless, that head kick and taking it because the norm for Edwards would truly be an enormous mistake. In reality, it’s simpler to argue as an alternative that ‘Rocky’ ought to most likely be thought of a fighter who usually struggles to complete his foes.
Previous to that legendary knockout of Usman, Edwards had received 10 of his earlier 11 fights within the octagon, with the opposite being a no contest with Belal Muhammad.
Curiously, although, simply two of these 10 fights ended earlier than the ultimate buzzer – a submission win over Albert Tumenov again in 2016 and a TKO stoppage of Peter Sobotta in 2018.
Remarkably, Edwards’ stoppage of Sobotta got here within the last second of the third and last spherical of the battle, too – that means had the referee been very barely slower, he’d have had a ninth resolution win to his identify.
Previous to this run, as nicely, Edwards had completed only one opponent within the octagon, stopping Seth Baczynski in 2015.
So ought to ‘Rocky’ be thought of a point-fighter? It’s debatable, because the native of Birmingham, England, is an aggressive fighter for probably the most half.
Nonetheless, head kick of Usman apart, there’s undoubtedly an argument to recommend he struggles for finishes, even when that doesn’t make him any much less of a fighter or champion.
#2. Merab Dvalishvili – UFC bantamweight
Following his dominant win over former bantamweight champion Petr Yan a few weeks in the past, there’s a really actual argument that Merab Dvalishvili may be the very best 135lber within the UFC proper now.
‘The Machine’ doesn’t maintain the title – his teammate and buddy Aljamain Sterling does – however he’s on the very best win streak within the division and the tempo that he units in his fights appears to be one thing no person can deal with.
Nonetheless, one factor that can not be mentioned in regards to the native of Georgia is that he’s a lethal finisher contained in the octagon.
Of his 9 wins contained in the octagon, only one has come inside the gap – his unbelievable come-from-behind stoppage of Marlon Moraes in 2021.
That win, which noticed Dvalishvili recuperate from a horrendous knockdown within the first spherical to destroy Moraes within the second, was superb to look at. Curiously, it was additionally one of many few instances he’d needed to depend on one thing aside from his unbelievable strain to win.
Outdoors of that, not one of the Georgian’s opponents have actually been in a position to cease his clinch work, takedown and ahead motion, main most of them to defeats. Even Ricky Simon and Frankie Saenz, who beat Dvalishvili in his first two octagon appearances, didn’t actually beat him, per say.
Saenz received a cut up resolution that arguably ought to’ve gone the opposite means, and Simon was awarded a TKO win after a controversial referee stoppage within the third spherical of a battle that Dvalishvili was clearly successful.
General, then, it could be the case that if an opponent can pressure Dvalishvili out of his consolation zone, as Moraes did, he’s greater than able to unleashing a nasty end.
Till somebody can try this, although, it’d be loopy for him to alter his fashion to one thing extra reckless. He may not be the very best finisher, however he’s a genuinely phenomenal fighter.
#1. Holly Holm – former UFC bantamweight champion
Holly Holm will at all times be revered by longtime followers of the UFC for her well-known head kick knockout of Ronda Rousey again in 2015.
On the time, ‘Rowdy’ was seen as unbeatable, however throughout two rounds, Holm picked her aside after which completed her with a picture-perfect kick to the dome, largely ending her profession as a top-level MMA fighter too.
Nonetheless, whereas ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ is usually pushed as a significant star by the promotion, headlining quite a few reveals and combating in loads of title bouts, she’s solely ever replicated that head kick end as soon as.
That got here in opposition to an overmatched Bethe Correia in 2017, giving Holm her second highlight-reel second within the octagon.
Outdoors of these two wins, although, each single considered one of Holm’s different victories has come through resolution. Whereas she was extremely dominant in a few of these fights, most notably in opposition to Megan Anderson and Yana Santos, she by no means actually got here near ending them.
What’s much more exceptional is the truth that regardless of being a part of the UFC’s roster for eight years now, ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ has solely truly picked up eight wins over that point.
In that sense, not solely is Holm a fighter who usually struggles to complete her foes, however she’s additionally a uncommon instance of a celebrity whose report isn’t fairly nearly as good as her status would possibly recommend – even when she stays one of the vital feared feminine fighters on the planet.
