‘The Ultimate Fighter’ contestants who became UFC champs, from Matt Serra to Kamaru Usman

“The Ultimate Fighter” has produced some of the best talent in mixed martial arts, and many have gone on to become UFC champions.

In 28 seasons of the reality series, 11 fighters have reached the pinnacle, with numerous underdogs coming up big. The list includes Hall of Famers, two current champions, and top contenders who have delivered some of the most memorable finishes in UFC history.

“TUF” returns next week with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski coaching against former title challenger Brian Ortega. With the first episode of “TUF 29” set to stream June 1 on ESPN+, check out all the show alumni who won UFC gold.

Matt Serra

Nobody gave [autotag]Matt Serra[/autotag] a chance against one of the all-time greats in Georges St-Pierre. Serra, who was on the comeback season of the show, earned a title shot after he won Season 4 of "The Ultimate Fighter." A massive underdog against GSP, Serra scored what is widely considered the biggest upset in UFC history when he knocked out St-Pierre in the first round at UFC 69 to win the welterweight title.

Forrest Griffin

Forrest Griffin, right, lands a punch against "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 86. (Laura Rauch, Associated Press)

Winner of the original "Ultimate Fighter," [autotag]Forrest Griffin[/autotag] was a catalyst for the UFC's early success. Griffin won Season 1 of "TUF" by defeating Stephan Bonnar in a classic battle. He eventually returned to his old stomping grounds and coached Season 7 alongside UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Griffin won the show and the fight, defeating the heavily favored Jackson at UFC 86. But it wasn't easy for Griffin, who had to battle through early adversity when he was knocked down with an early uppercut. He managed to turn things around in Round 2 and had Jackson badly hurt with leg kicks, and won the fight via unanimous decision.

Rashad Evans

[autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag] was heavily undersized when he won Season 2 of "The Ultimate Fighter" at heavyweight. He got off to a hot start to his UFC tenure when he immediately dropped to 205 pounds, including an incredible knockout of Chuck Liddell, which earned him a title shot at newly crowned champion Forrest Griffin at UFC 92. Evans showed off his finishing instincts once again when he caught a Griffin kick and unleashed a barrage of punches for the third-round ground-and-pound TKO.

T.J. Dillashaw

[autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] fell short in Season 14 of "The Ultimate Fighter" when he was knocked out by John Dodson in the finale. But that didn't deter the then-Team Alpha Male prospect, who went on to win five of his next six, en route to a title shot against bantamweight champion Renan Barao at UFC 173. Considering Barao's dominance up to that point, Dillashaw was a massive underdog. But not only did Dillashaw beat the odds, he made it look easy by battering Barao for the entire fight before getting the finish in the final round.

Carla Esparza

[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] was the No. 1 pick on Season 20 of "The Ultimate Fighter," which crowned the UFC's inaugural strawweight champion. And the former Invicta FC title holder absolutely lived up to the expectations, using her wrestling to dominate the show. In the finale, she met current champ Rose Namajunas and her grappling proved to be too much once again when she submitted Namajunas in Round 3.

Michael Bisping

Ever since winning Season 3 of "The Ultimate Fighter," [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] had a turbulent road in the UFC. He finally got a title shot when he stepped in on short notice to face Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, an opponent who already finished him two years prior. Rockhold was a big favorite, but Bisping was dead set on realizing his dream. He caught Rockhold with a left hook in Round 1 and eventually got the finish to finally claim gold.

Robert Whittaker

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]'s run after moving up to middleweight is something to behold. After mixed success at welterweight, "The Ultimate Fighter" Smashes winner moved up to 185 pounds where he tore through the ranks. He faced Yoel Romero for the interim middleweight title at UFC 213, outlasting him in a hard-fought battle. After Georges St-Pierre retired, Whittaker was promoted to undisputed champion.

Tony Ferguson

Tony Ferguson at UFC 216.

Since winning Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter," [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] put together one of the most impressive winning streaks in UFC history. His run eventually led to an interim lightweight title fight against Kevin Lee at UFC 216, where he was able to turn things around after getting mounted in Round 1. Ferguson was taken down again, but midway through the fight, he had something in store for Lee, whipping up a triangle choke to submit him in Round 3.

Rose Namajunas

No one had an answer for Joanna Jedrzejczyk's dominant title reign until [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] came along. The Season 20 "Ultimate Fighter" finalist got another crack at the title when she faced Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217, and everyone thought Namajunas' only chance was to catch the champion on the ground. But what transpired surprised everyone, including Jedrzejczyk. Namajunas was able to use her speed and footwork to pepper Jedrzejczyk, dropping her twice before getting the massive upset finish in Round 1.

Nicco Montano

[autotag]Nicco Montano[/autotag] came into Season 26 of "The Ultimate Fighter" as a relatively unknown flyweight. She quietly snuck up the ranks, upsetting current flyweight contender Lauren Murphy, bloodying up Montana De La Rosa and defeating former Invicta FC champion Barb Honchak. Montano faced veteran Roxanne Modafferi in the finale, winning the show and the inaugural title by unanimous decision. She was later stripped of the title when she was hospitalized due to her weight cut at UFC 228.

Kamaru Usman

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] had the weight of the world on his shoulders when he represented his former gym "The Blackzilians" on Season 21 of "The Ultimate Fighter." In what was a heated rivalry between both Florida-based gyms, Usman came up big for his team when he picked up wins over American Top Team's Michael Graves and Steve Carl. He was then selected to represent his team in the finale, dominating knockout artist Hayder Hassan to win the show. The standout wrestler continued to evolve as a fighter, making easy work of everyone put in his way. He eventually earned a title shot against welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 and used his grappling to dominate the fight and win the title.

UFC video: TUF alumni who became UFC champions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcDQ8EULiWM

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