10 Most Successful TUF Winners Ever, Ranked By Success

Highlights

• The Ultimate Fighter launched MMA stars like Nate Diaz, making him a UFC’s top fighter
• Diaz’s rivalry with Conor McGregor and wins over former champions solidified his legacy
• Robert Whittaker, Ryan Bader, and Julianna Pena also found success after The Ultimate Fighter.

The Ultimate Fighter has helped launch an entire generation of mixed martial artists who became top stars and Hall of Famers.

The reality TV show became popular through giving fans insight into the obstacles involved in making it to the top of the UFC.

10 Nate Diaz Became One Of The UFC’s Most Popular Fighters

Diaz Will Be Remembered As A Warrior

Brash and outspoken, Nate Diaz won the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter. A top lightweight and welterweight contender, Diaz may be most known for his bitter rivalry with Conor McGregor. Diaz pulled off a shocking upset win over McGregor at UFC 196, before McGregor would win the rematch a few months later.

Diaz has also beaten former lightweight champions Anthony Pettis and Tony Ferguson, as well as Hall of Famer Donald Cerrone.

9 Julianna Pena Is The First Woman To Win TUF

Pena Used That Momentum To Become Great

Julianna Pena was a competitor on the historic season of The Ultimate Fighter where Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate served as coaches and female competitors fought for the first time. Pena won the competition and would eventually become UFC women’s bantamweight champion.

Pena pulled off one of the biggest upsets in women’s MMA history when she defeated dominant champion Amanda Nunes by submission. Pena has also faced former champions Valentina Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie.

8 Robert Whittaker Has Been A Top Middleweight For Nearly A Decade

Whittaker Was One Of The Last Competitors Chosen During His Season Of TUF

Robert Whittaker won The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, which paired Australian fighters against fighters from the United Kingdom. Whittaker won the UFC Middleweight championship at UFC 213 by defeating Yoel Romero. Whittaker has also faced Israel Adesanya, Derek Brunson, Kelvin Gastelum, and Ronaldo Souza, among others.

7 Ryan Bader Has Achieved More Outside The UFC

Bader Did Have A Few Big Wins In The UFC Though

Ryan Bader won season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter. Fighting at light heavyweight, Bader had a few big wins over historical fighters like Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans. However, most of Bader’s success occurred following a move to Bellator.

Bader defeated Phil Evans for the light heavyweight title in his first fight for the promotion. While still light heavyweight champion, Bader knocked out the legend Fedor Emelianenko to win the heavyweight title and become double champion.

6 Carla Esparza Is A Strawweight Legend

Esparza Was The First Women’s Strawweight Champion In Two Promotions

The first Invicta FC strawweight champion, Carla Esparza, was the top seed in season 20 of the Ultimate Fighter. Esparza lived up to the hype, defeating Rose Namajunas in the finals to win the competition and become the first ever UFC women’s strawweight champion.

Esparza has carved a path to becoming one of the best strawweights of all time. Esparza lost the title to Joanna Jedrzejczyk but regained it a few years later by defeating Namajunas again.

5 Diego Sanchez Fought In Four Weight Classes

Sanchez Has Been Involved In Multiple Fight Of The Year Contenders

Diego Sanchez won the middleweight tournament during season one of The Ultimate Fighter. Sanchez fought at featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight during his career. He was involved in, by all accounts, one of the best fights in UFC history when he faced Clay Guida in the United States vs United Kingdom Ultimate Finale.

The men traded brutal shots throughout the fight, with Sanchez winning a split decision. Sanchez also had memorable wars with Gilbert Melendez and Jake Ellenberger.

4 Kamaru Usman Rose Through The Ranks Quickly

Usman Has Been A Force In The UFC

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Kamaru Usman defeated Hayder Hassan by submission to win season 21 of the Ultimate Fighter. Usman made a quick run to the top of the rankings to challenge Tyron Woodley for the welterweight championship at UFC 235, winning a unanimous decision. Strong defenses against Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington, and Gilbert Burns solidified Usman as one of the best fighters in the world.

3 Michael Bisping Became The First British Fighter To Win A UFC Championship

Bisping Was Inducted Into The UFC Hall Of Fame

Michael Bisping won the light heavyweight tournament on season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter. Bisping had most of his success at middleweight, eventually defeating Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 to become middleweight champion. Bisping has faced some of the best fighters ever, including Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, and Wanderlei Silva.

2 Rashad Evans Became A Hall Of Famer

Evans Won The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship

Undersized, yet confident, Rashad Evans battled his way to the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 2, winning the competition after defeating Brad Imes by split decision. At 5’10, Evans knew his chances of long term success at heavyweight were slim, so he dropped to light heavyweight.

Evans had solid wins over Michael Bisping and Stephen Bonnar, along with a controversial draw with Tito Ortiz before finding his way to eventually challenge Forrest Griffin for the light heavyweight championship. Evans won by knockout. Evans lost the title in his next fight to Lyoto Machida, but continued facing the best throughout his career.

1 Forrest Griffin Is A UFC Icon

The Hall Of Famer Is Credited For Helping Save The Company

​​​​​​​Forrest Griffin won the first TUF contract at middleweight. UFC President Dana White credits Griffin and Stephen Bonnar for creating the most significant fight in company history. The action fight helped the UFC begin to receive mainstream popularity. Griffin experienced some setbacks early in his career, notably losing a controversial split decision to Tito Ortiz.

However, Griffin worked his way up the ladder to eventually challenge Quinton Jackson and win the UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 86. Griffin would also avenge the loss to Ortiz by defeating him twice at UFC 106 and UFC 148. Griffin serves as Vice President of Athlete Development at the UFC Performance Institute, hoping to guide the next generation of fighters.