Before UFC fighters battle each other, they have to battle the scale first. Here are 10 UFC Fighters who changed their weight class with great success.
10. Jorge Masvidal
For most of his fighting career, Jorge Masvidal was considered a journeyman who, despite the respect of his peers, just couldn’t get over the hump in any meaningful way. That began to change when the former streetfighter decided to abandon the lightweight division.
After mixed results to start his welterweight campaign, “Gamebred” found his stride in 2019. During that year he delivered two of the year’s best knockouts and was awarded the ceremonial BMF title for his TKO of Nate Diaz at UFC 244.
9. Rashad Evans
When Rashad Evans entered the house for the second season of The Ultimate Fighter, he was clearly at a massive size disadvantage against his fellow heavyweight contestants. However, that didn’t stop him from winning the tournament to earn his UFC contract.
Instead of continuing his career with that handicap, he decided to fight at light heavyweight instead. The move paid dividends as “Suga” went unbeaten in his first seven fights post-TUF and defeated Forrest Griffin by knockout to become the champion.
8. Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping’s light heavyweight career was off to a great start. “The Count” won the third season of The Ultimate Fighter and enjoyed a 14-0 record. However, a loss to Rashad Evans made him realize his ceiling at 205 pounds.
Reinventing himself as a middleweight, Bisping ran into some speed bumps but had a consistently tough outing for his peers at 185 pounds for the following eight years. The persistence paid off when a short-notice opportunity to fight Luke Rockhold for the championship resulted in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
7. Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier was already on his way to becoming a legendary heavyweight fighter. After winning the Strikeforce Grand Prix and moving over to the UFC, the only roadblock was the title reign of friend and training partner Cain Velasquez.
Instead of severing his ties, the former Olympic wrestling team captain decided to give light heavyweight a try. He continued his winning ways there and ascended to champion status in the absence of Jon Jones before revisiting his heavyweight ambitions.
6. Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier’s run as a UFC featherweight got off to a great start. But ill-timed losses to the Korean Zombie, Cub Swanson, and Conor McGregor kept him from getting a chance to add gold to his trophy case.
That’s when Poirier decided to go up ten pounds and take his chances at lightweight. What followed was a laundry list of notable wins, including a pair of revenge knockouts against McGregor and multiple title opportunities. and an interim belt.
5. Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson began his UFC run as an extremely big welterweight. But the physical costs of cutting a reported 55 pounds eventually took its toll on “Rumble.” After being handed his walking papers from the UFC, Johnson committed to fighting heavier, going undefeated outside of the promotion and even defeating former champion Andrei Arlovski at heavyweight.
Upon returning to the Octagon as a light heavyweight, Johnson quickly became one of the most feared knockout artists on the roster, nearly capturing the title on two separate occasions.
4. Alistair Overeem
Alistair Overeem was close to greatness in Pride but was stopped short in two of the Japanese promotion’s Middleweight Grands Prix. But when he decided to make heavyweight his permanent home, things started to change for “The Demolition Man.”
Within three years Overeem secured titles in Strikeforce and Dream while simultaneously becoming a kickboxing world champion as well. Upon his arrival at the UFC, he became a mainstay among heavyweight contenders and fought for the belt in 2016.
3. Robert Whittaker
Back-to-back losses to Court McGee and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson made it clear to Robert Whittaker that the cut to welterweight was too draining and compromised his performance.
After getting one more win in the division, Whittaker moved to middleweight where he began to see his true potential. Three years later and seven fights later, “Bobby Knuckles” was the division’s undisputed champion.
2. Charles Oliveira
As a featherweight, Charles Oliveira was plagued with uneven results, odd performances, and constant issues making weight. After five years of being one of the most entertaining yet frustrating fighters on the roster, “Do Bronx” put his full attention towards the lightweight division.
As a lightweight, Oliveira continued the excitement but added consistent wins to the recipe. The result was a stint as champion and one of the best resumes at 155 pounds.
1. Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious Johnson had already established himself as one of the UFC’s best bantamweights, earning a title shot against Dominick Cruz in 2011. Shortly after his decision loss, he became a part of a four-man tournament to determine the promotion’s first flyweight champion.
After defeating Joseph Benavidez to take the belt, “Mighty Mouse” became one of the most dominant champions in history with his record-setting 11 title defenses.
