Halfway into 2025, it seems the UFC’s most prestigious set of fighters is under threat. But what set of fighters in specific are we talking about, and what is it about them? These special fighters are chosen by the UFC from all across the world, tearing through their opponents—the common feature among these fighters being their undefeated win streak. At one point in MMA’s history, having an undefeated record was a rare phenomenon, considering the complexity of the sport. Maintaining one and retiring undefeated is a crowning achievement only a few like Khabib Nurmagomedov will ever get to experience.
Over the last 5 years, several undefeated prospects were heavily pushed by the promotion. But a dark cloud is looming over these fighters this year. Entering 2025, several prominent undefeated fighters said goodbye to their ‘zero’ on the record as they were forced to face the only outcome they had evaded so far, a loss on their record. Tatiana Suarez, Jean Matsumoto, Payton Talbott, Bo Nickal, and Shara Magomedov are just a few names who lost their undefeated streaks in 2025. Yet the most surprising entry on this list came when Umar Nurmagomedov lost his at fight UFC 311.
This trend is quite terrifying to look at when you follow the pattern. Surely the competition has elevated to a much higher level, and it’s unfair to assume that fighters will remain undefeated all their lives, but where does it stop? Many believed ‘Young Eagle’ would follow his mentor, ‘The Eagle’ Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s path, but fate had other plans for him. The most hyped bantamweight with all that momentum came up short against the champion Merab Dvalishvili.
While many thought this would be the biggest disappointment of the year, the UFC Fight Night in Des Moines brought along another plot twist. The most hyped American wrestler at the moment, the three-time NCAA Division I National Champion, and boasting an impressive 7-0 record in MMA, Bo Nickal, too, fell victim to the curse of 2025 for the undefeated fighters. Facing the former two-division champion at ONE, Reinier De Ridder, Nickal was subject to some massive knees and punches after which he lost to the Dutchman in RD2 by TKO.
A huge defeat for the fighter, to say the least, it came as terrifying news for the MMA community. Bo Nickal is one of the top prospects of the organization, a fighter who many believed would be a future champion. His loss, even if it came to a veteran, has put fear in the hearts of the fans of the few remaining fighters with an undefeated streak. Following this result, fans of Ilia and Khamzat united in a Reddit post asking their favorite fighters to take this ‘cursed’ year off and fight next year.
MMA: UFC Fight Night – Des Moines – de Ridder v Nickal May 3, 2025 Des Moines, Iowa, UNITED STATES Bo Nickal blue gloves reacts after losing to Reinier de Ridder not pictured during UFC Fight Night at Wells Fargo Arena. Des Moines Wells Fargo Arena Iowa UNITED STATES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xReesexStricklandx 20250503_jhp_ax4_0427
Khamzat Chimaev at 14-0 and Ilia Topuria at 16-0, both are rumored to be fighting for titles soon, specifically at the International Fight Week. Both fighters, though undeniably amazing, will face in fact the toughest competition of their lives. And as most understand this better than the fighters themselves, fans of ‘Borz’ and ‘La Leyenda’ DO NOT want them to compete in 2025.
So what did the concerned fans have to say about this trend? Certainly, they can’t all be feeling well after watching this pattern. Let’s read further to find out.
“A lot of Cherry Picks gone wrong.” – UFC fans speculate the futures of Topuria and Chimaev after Bo Nickal loss
Except for Khabib, every undefeated streak has met its inevitable end. As fans debate whether Chimaev and Topuria should fight in 2025 or not, one fan commented: “I don’t think anyone at MW or LHW beats Khamzat, but Ilia, I think the LW killers might be too much for him.” Another one said: “Idk if Khamzat will be able to out muscle Ank/Jiri like he does so many people at MW.” Showing concern over their favorite fighters opting to move up a weight class.
Some fans recalled Payton Talbott’s loss and compared it with Bo Nickal’s, commenting, “Talbots only 25 though he has more time to improve then Bo.”
while another fan compared their hypes and said: “I mean with Bo I get the hype from his incredible wrestling credentials. Talbott went from a complete DWCS nobody to knocking out a few cans impressively to -1000 because? Cool zesty dude with an Afro? Idk lmao” One fan remembered that Tatiana Suarez lost to Zhang Weili this year as he said in disbelief, “I forgot Suarez lost to Zhang.”
“Literally quit in there” is the dumbest comment I’ve ever seen. The de Ridder disrespect from casuals like you is wild. Two weight world champion in ONE and has finished 18 of his 20 wins. That guy is a f—king killer. Bo got his a** whooped because he went against an elite fighter when he only had a few years of training under his belt. Bo was in highschool when Reinier had his first pro fight. Point being he didn’t “quit in there” he got his ribs smashed in with knees and punches until he couldn’t stand anymore.” One fan took the liberty to remind people about Reinier De Ridder’s prowess and how he beat their “overhyped” star.
With all that being said, is 2025 really a bad year for an undefeated fighter? A majority of fight events have said so. Reciprocated in either way, both Chimaev and Topuria can take their time off, or use this trend to prove the superstitions wrong. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
The post Calls Mount Against Ilia Topuria and Khamzat Chimaev Fights as Scary Stat Gets Exposed by UFC Community appeared first on EssentiallySports.