Most Famous Ufc Fighters
The sport of MMA has grown tremendously since the UFC burst on the scene in
1993. Over the next two decades, MMA has become a global attraction that has
spawned numerous promotions and dozens of great fighters. Some of these athletic
combatants have gone on to transcend the sport and even help MMA grow to
unimaginable heights.
This list of the most famous MMA fighters is just a starting point; an
entrance into a fight world with personalities and athletes that have become
larger than life. By no means is this a complete or ultimate “All-Time Best”
list. In fact, if you feel that a fighter is missing from below, then reach out
to us.
UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk is arguably the best women’s fighter on the roster. The Polish-born fighter is a perfect 13-0 and outside of Demetrious Johnson, she is the UFC’s longest.
List of the Most Famous MMA Fighters
Anderson Silva
Megan Anderson is an Australian UFC fighter. 6 ft tall Aussie featherweight martial artist is known for her incredible physique and impressive tattoos. Megan is most definitely wins a title as the hottest tattooed female fighter in the UFC. For fighters desperately trying to push themselves into the public eye and become bigger stars, Instagram is arguably the perfect platform – and these 10 UFC fighters have taken advantage of it. Ortiz and Coleman tie for the #10 position on the list of the most successful UFC fighters. A former Light Heavyweight Champion, Ortiz drew in the largest crowds for his fights with other big names like Ken Shamrock, Forrest Griffin, and Chuck Liddell.
Anderson “The Spider” Silva was at one point the best pound for pound fighter
in the world. He dominated the middleweight division for nearly seven years and
was the longest reigning champion in the history of the UFC. Some people believe
that Silva is the greatest MMA fighter of all-time, but that’s a debate for
another day and another list.
Silva unified the UFC and Pride middleweight titles and, at one point, held
the record for most successful title defenses with 16. He won the UFC
middleweight title in his 2nd fight with the promotion and dominated
for another 2,457 days. Anderson would also go on to hold multiple striking
records with the promotion.
Silva will also be remembered for his gruesome broken leg suffered during a
rematch fight against Chris Weidman.
Georges St-Pierre
If there’s another fighter on this list that could rival Silva as the
greatest MMA fighter of all-time, it would be Georges St-Pierre. More commonly
known as GSP, the Canadian MMA superstar was a 2-division champion and widely
considered as the greatest welterweight fighter of all-time.
GSP suffered two losses within the first three years of his UFC career.
However, since then, St-Pierre has won every fight. He’s defeated some of the
sport’s all-time greats like BJ Penn and Matt Hughes. He’s taken out some of the
top fighters of this era too, like Nick Diaz and Michael Bisping.
During the peak of his career, GSP was also the top PPV draw for the UFC.
Although others have passed him in this category, GSP will always be remembered
as one of the greatest ever.
Ronda Rousey
You can’t think of women’s MMA without thinking of the name Ronda Rousey. The
two will be synonymous forever. Rousey did more for women’s MMA than anyone
before her. In fact, it will be hard for any female MMA star to surpass Ronda’s
accomplishments.
Rousey was the first-ever American woman to win an Olympic medal in Judo when
she won the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2010, she turned
professional and had a few successful MMA fights for various promotions. She
would become Strikeforce’s Women’s Bantamweight Champ before moving on to the
UFC in 2012.
In the UFC, Rousey would become the biggest star in the company during her
heyday. She became the company’s first ever female champ and went undefeated for
nearly three years. Rousey had six successful title defenses before finally
losing. During that streak, she was the main event for PPV, patented her arm-bar
submission, and revolutionized the sport for female fighters.
Rousey would become the first ever female fighter to be inducted into the UFC
Hall of Fame. She’s also enjoyed a modest Hollywood career and has gone on to
become a megastar in the WWE.
Randy Couture
I don’t think there’s a fighter at the level of Couture who has retired more
times than Randy has. With that in mind, Couture continued to come out of
retirement and win championships. Randy was one of the first fighters to win
titles in two divisions: the light heavyweight and the heavyweight. Nicknamed
“The Natural,” Couture is a former 3-time UFC heavyweight champ and a former
2-time UFC light heavyweight champ.
Randy is well known for fighting into his late 40’s and doing so at a high
level. In fact, there aren’t many 40-year-olds who have won championships in any
sport, especially MMA. But, Couture did it. His last fight came in 2011. Since
then, Randy has enjoyed retirement.
Couture will go down as one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time. He will
also hold UFC records that will probably never be passed, like winning a fight
at the age of 46. During his retirement, Couture has become a steady actor with
popular roles in The Expendables movie franchise and on the TV show
Hawaii 5-0. It’s clear, whatever the former U.S. Army Sargent sets his mind
to, he succeeds at.
Royce Gracie
In addition to being a UFC Hall of Famer, Gracie is an MMA legend and a
pioneer. He won three of the first UFC tournaments and starred in the first MMA
mega-feud with Ken Shamrock. Gracie and his family went on to perfect Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, the Gracie name is synonymous with the popular martial art.
Outside of the UFC, Gracie had one of the most memorable bouts in PRIDE
Fighting as he fought Sakuraba for over 90 minutes. Although the latter fights
of his career didn’t turn out as he and his fans had hoped, the sport and the
UFC would have never gotten off the ground if it weren’t for pioneers like
Gracie.
Ken Shamrock
You can’t mention the name of Gracie without his counterpart, Ken Shamrock.
The two were involved in a bitter feud during the early days of the UFC, which
put the company on the mat and took the MMA sport mainstream. Shamrock was the
first ever Superfight Champ, which would eventually go on to become the
heavyweight championship after the implementation of weight divisions.
Shamrock was also a big star outside of the UFC. He became the first
“foreigner” to win a major championship in Japan when he won the King of
Pancrase. During this period of time, Shamrock was considered the top MMA
fighter in the world.
Shamrock also left his mark on professional wrestling as he was a multi-time
champ in the WWE (WWF when he wrestled). Ken became an even bigger mainstream
star after his run in the WWE. With his famous MMA center known as the Lion’s
Den, Shamrock became one of the most influential MMA fighters of all-time.
Brock Lesnar
Although not as accomplished in MMA as other fighters on this list, Brock
Lesnar turned the UFC upside down when he decided to participate in mixed
martial arts. Lesnar came from the WWE world to MMA and fans refused to accept
him at first. In his 3rd fight with the UFC, Lesnar defeated Couture
to win the UFC heavyweight title. Lesnar would go on to have some of the highest
grossing fights in UFC history. He was an instant box office attraction.
Despite having little MMA experience, and a great deal of professional
wrestling experience, Lesnar was actually an accomplished amateur wrestler in
college. For his career, Lesnar went 106-5 in four years at college. He was a
two-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten Champ, and the 2000 NCAA
heavyweight champ.
Oh, and we can’t forget that Lesnar had a brief stint in the NFL after
leaving the WWE for other challenges. Brock continues to be one of the biggest
stars in the WWE and sends shockwaves through the sport of MMA anytime he shows
up in the UFC.
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor has transcended the sport of MMA like no other. He’s set new
records for UFC gates and PPV buys, while becoming a massive international
superstar. McGregor has become one of the best in the sport at selling a fight
with his words and tends to back it up more times than not. McGregor is one of
only a handful of 2-divisions champs and actually held those two divisional
belts at the same time.
McGregor proved his star power in 2017 when he took on Floyd Mayweather Jr.
in a boxing match. Conor went 10 rounds with one of boxing’s best fighters of
all-time. It’s gone down as the 2ndhighest grossing PPV fight of
all-time.
McGregor is widely considered to still be in his prime, but only time will
tell. Even if he retired tomorrow, McGregor would definitely be remembered for
the way he took the sport of MMA to another level.
Jon Jones
Regardless of his troubles outside of the sport, Jon Jones is regarded as one
of the best MMA fighters of all-time. In fact, some say that if Jones wasn’t his
own worst enemy, he would be the greatest MMA fighter of all-time.
Following the first loss of his pro career, in 2009, Jones would go on one of
the most impressive streaks the sport has ever seen. He won 14 straight fights
before his last one was overturned. Along the way, he beat some of the sport’s
best fighters in Cormier, Sonnen, Belfort, Evans, Rua, Bader, Machida, and
Jackson. His 13-fight win streak in the lightweight division is a record that
will probably never be broken.
At the time of winning the light heavyweight belt in 2011, Jones became the
youngest UFC champ ever. Not only does Jones have one of the most impressive
fight resumes in all of MMA, but he’s also going to go down as the greatest
light heavyweight of all-time; a huge accomplishment in itself.
B.J. Penn
Penn doesn’t have the fight record of other fighters on this list, but his
name is easily recognizable in any MMA circle. Not to mention he has a cool
website that provides some great insight, MMA news, and analysis. However, if it
wasn’t for his success in MMA, nobody would’ve turned to his site in the first
place.
Penn was first noticed in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship where he became
the first non-Brazilian to win the black-belt division. He also finished high in
other prominent Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, leading to him signing with the UFC. From
there, Penn would take on some of the sport’s all-time greats, like GSP and Matt
Hughes.
B.J. Penn wasn’t afraid to take on other fighters in different weight
classes. He also didn’t have a problem fighting in other promotions. No MMA list
is complete without Penn.
Chuck Liddell
Known as “The Iceman,” Chuck Liddell was the most feared striker on the
planet during his peak. From early 1999 to late 2006, Liddell went 18-2, won the
UFC light heavyweight belt, and defeated fighters like Ortiz, Belfort, Overeem,
and Couture. His feuds with Ortiz and Couture took the UFC to new heights.
Liddell’s personality and look helped him to stand apart from other fighters.
He’s considered one of the promotion’s first true superstars and easily earned
UFC Hall of Fame honors. It’s hard to imagine where the company or the sport
would be without Chuck Liddell. The Iceman certainly did things his way, which
includes going down swinging on his way to retirement.
Quinton Jackson
“Rampage,” became a fan favorite due to his exciting fight style and his
colorful personality. He was a star in Pride Fighting, winning the middleweight
title. Jackson had a highly memorable feud with Wanderlei Silva in the Pride
promotion before eventually heading to the UFC in 2006. Within his first few
fights, Jackson KO’d Liddell to win the UFC light heavyweight title. From there,
Jackson became one of the most dynamic fighters in the UFC.
Quinton’s final years with the UFC were up and down due to controversy,
losses, and a few title wins. In 2013, Jackson left for Bellator and helped
establish that promotion as a reputable brand. Additionally, Rampage decided to
try his luck at pro wrestling when he joined TNA in 2013.
Outside of the octagon, Jackson is best known for his role as B.A. Baracus in
the hit movies The A-Team.
Fedor Emelianenko
Unlike the majority of fighters on this list, Fedor had most of his success
prior to entering the UFC. Emelianenko dominated Pride Fighting and also saw
success in M-1 Global and Affliction. For over eight years (2001 through 2009),
Emelianenko went undefeated as he won 28 straight fights. During that span, he
defeated Nogueira, Mirko Filipovic, and Alrovski to name a few. He didn’t need
the UFC to become a superstar. The UFC chased after Fedor because he was already
an international star.
Once he signed with Strikeforce, Fedor lost a few fights, and the mystique
wore off. Eventually, he retired as a legend of the sport. However, like other
MMA legends, Fedor came out of retirement for a few fights in various promotions
before ending up in Bellator. Regardless of his record and latter fights, “The
Last Emperor” was truly one of the last legit international MMA stars outside of
the UFC.
Tito Ortiz
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was a force to be reckoned with during his
peak run from 2000 to 2006. Over that period of time, Ortiz wen 11-2 and won the
UFC light heavyweight title and defended it five times. His feud with Liddell is
considered one of the greatest MMA feuds of all-time, right up there with Gracie
vs. Shamrock.
Tito fought during an era where the sport was still growing. Ortiz definitely
helped to bring more fans to the sport and became a star. Tito also had a few
retirements along the way but came back to the sport he loved and was very
successful at.
Ortiz tried his hand at acting and pro wrestling, but nothing really took off
for him in either industry. Outside of his legendary fight career, Tito is also
famous for his relationship with the super popular adult film star Jenna
Jameson.
Chael Sonnen
Sonnen has certainly tasted defeat in his career, but it’s his showmanship
that helped Chael stand apart. Furthermore, it’s his trash talking that has
become an art form where other fighters have tried to emulate him. In fact,
Sonnen might be the only MMA star that can out-trash talk Conor McGregor.
Chael might also be the only fighter on this list that’s more famous for his
talking and entertaining than his actual fighting. Chael doesn’t really have any
major titles on his resume, but he always seems to land big fights in every
promotion that he’s a part of.
Sonnen has worked with ESPN for several years as an MMA analyst.
He’s never short on words or insults. If you are questioning why he’s on this
list of famous MMA fighters, go check out some video clips of his greatest
promos.
Honorable Mentions
There are certainly dozens of fighters we could add to the famous MMA
fighters list above, but then we might as well just write a book on this topic.
Other fighters that could be included on this list and any other legit MMA list
are Jose Aldo, Takanori Gomi, Rich Franklin, Matt Hughes, Wanderlei Silva,
Mauricio Rua, Demetrious Johnson, The Diaz brothers, Daniel Cormier, Urijah
Faber, Bas Rutten and many more.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Who is the greatest MMA fighter of all time? It’s a question that many have tried to answer with no definitive outcome.
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Part of the problem is that since the rise of cage fighting and the launch of the UFC, eras have come and gone. How do you assess fighters who ruled over a specific time that had weaker competition in different promotions? Could one of today’s rising stars take out a dominant force like Chuck Liddell, Royce Gracie, Wanderlei Silva or Kazushi Sakuraba in their prime?
For our list of the 25 greatest MMA fighters of all time, we tried to balance the criteria. A fighter’s overall career resume mattered. But not as much as their performance at their peak. The eye test was important. But not as important as the competition a fighter faced and how they handled that competition.
Ultimately, we valued fighters who put together multiple wins (often in multiple divisions) over others who were considered among the greatest of all time. You might say that produced recency bias, especially considering pioneer Gracie didn’t make our list and that our No. 25 is an all-time fan favorite.
The list has also been updated to reflect high-profile wins by Stipe Miocic and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
25. Chuck Liddell
Might as well start this list with some controversy. For the record, I began watching the UFC in 2005. At the time, Chuck Liddell was the biggest star and the person most responsible for making the sport of MMA popular. He was a phenom and the fact that he barely made this list is going to upset old-school fans. Yet, it’s easy to forget Liddell’s peak run didn’t last all that long and it wasn’t against the toughest competition. During his seven-win run atop the UFC, four fights came against Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture. Liddell was a human highlight reel. But was he a better mixed martial artist than Cain Velasquez, Shogun Rua, Vito Belfort, Fabricio Werdum and Rampage Jackson, who were considered for this final spot? In the end, Liddell’s peak years and the way he finished guys put him over the edge...just barely.
24. Valentina Shevchenko
Some might find it hard to rank women and men together on a list like this. Not me. Many of the male fighters on this list never faced each other either. Valentina Shevchenko is terrifying and the greatest female striker in MMA history. She’s picked apart the likes of Jessica Eye, Holly Holm, Joanna J 1/4 u0119drzejczyk and Julianna Pena. Her only two losses since joining the UFC are to Amanda Nunes, the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time. And there’s a solid case to be made that Shevchenko won that second fight.
23. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Had Big Nog stopped fighting after Pride 24, he would still be considered an all-time great. At that point, he was coming off a streak of 13 straight wins against top-notch competition. Nogueira’s only knock is that he couldn’t get past Fedor Emelianenko in his prime. But no one could. Big Nog did earn big wins over Heath Herring (to win the inaugural Pride Heavyweight Championship), Bob Sapp, Dan Henderson, Ricco Rodriguez, Mirko Cro Crop, Fabricio Werdum and Tim Sylvia (for the UFC Heavyweight Championship). Nogueira was battle-worn by the time he got to the UFC and still managed to win a title in the top promotion in the world.
22. Eddie Alvarez
To truly appreciate Eddie Alvarez, you have to examine his time in both the UFC and Bellator. He was great in both and the competition Alvarez faced remains a who’s who in MMA today. Alvarez always put on a show for fans. His UFC stretch of beating Gilbert Melendez, Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos was as good as the lightweight division had seen. And let us not forget that Alvarez was a welterweight champion early in his career, showcasing his ability to excel in multiple divisions.
21. Robbie Lawler
Throughout his career, Robbie Lawler came to finish fights. That didn’t get him too far during his first run in the UFC once he ran into elite competition. Yet, Lawler’s second run in the promotion, which began in 2013, will put him in the Hall of Fame one day. His stretch as champion was nothing short of brilliant while holding two wins over Carlos Condit, Johny Hendricks and Rory McDonald (their second fight is, in my opinion, the most entertaining battle in MMA history).
20. Israel Adesanya
Too soon for Adesanya? Maybe. But look at what he’s done since entering the UFC. In his last six fights, Adesanya has consecutive wins over Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson, Anderson Silva, Kelvin Gastelum, Robert Whitaker and Yoel Romero. Silva is an all-time great, while Whitaker and Romero would have surely made this list had they not run into Adesanya. The 30-year-old has earned his spot and will only move up from here.
19. Dan Henderson
After becoming a standout with his epic bouts in Pride, Dan Henderson’s arrival to the UFC was much anticipated. But it didn’t go as planned the first time around. Still, his KO of Michael Bisping might be the best finish in UFC history. Henderson moved on to Strikeforce, where he regained his mojo and took out the great Fedor Emelianenko. Upon his return to the UFC, Hendo gave us one of the greatest fights in MMA history against Shogun Rua.
18. B.J. Penn
We have to look past the last several years of B.J. Penn’s career, because, quite frankly, they’ve been hard watch. Yet, during his prime, Penn was one of the most exciting fighters in MMA. He made some odd career choices during his first run with the UFC. But his raw talent was unmatched. After getting bounced from welterweight by Matt Hughes in 2006, Penn moved back down to lightweight and was unstoppable. His five wins in the division (four of which came with the UFC Lightweight Championship on the line) were all finishes. Penn did attempt to go back to welterweight, losing to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 94. Yet, by then he was cemented as icon.
17. Henry Cejudo
Two years ago, it’s hard to imagine we’d be putting Henry Cejudo on this list. His UFC career had been a mixed bag, beginning with two losses -- one to Demetrious Johnson and then a split decision to Joseph Benavidez after Cejudo was deducted a point for low blows. Then came one of the greatest runs in UFC history. Cejudo shocked the world and beat Johnson in their closely contested rematch. Cejudo’s last six wins are as impressive as almost any on this list, including wins over TJ Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz. In between those fights, Cejudo became a two-division champ after KO’ing Marlon Moraes to win the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
16. Matt Hughes
Coming before Georges St-Pierre is no easy task from a historical standpoint. But Matt Hughes certainly made the UFC Welterweight Division. Hughes won the championship almost by accident, in a double knockout against Carlos Newton that went Hughes’ way. From then on, Hughes was a monster. He beat Newton decisively in a rematch and then scored impressive wins against Sean Sherk and Frank Trigg. BJ Penn upset Hughes at UFC 46. But Hughes would eventually go on to avenge that loss. The competition at welterweight would get better after Hughes’ run was over. But he has holds wins over two of the biggest names on this list in their prime (including Georges St-Pierre). That, and Hughes’ unprecedented dominance gets him here.
15. Randy Couture
Randy Couture had one of the greatest careers in MMA history. But it was a roller coaster ride, making it hard to determine when his prime was. Couture had as many as four great runs with the UFC. The legend of “The Natural” began with two amazing fights against Pedro Rizzo. He would go on to lose to Josh Barnett (who tested positive for banned substances) and Ricco Rodriguez the following year. Yet, Couture bounced back at light heavyweight, beating Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and splitting a two-fight series with Vitor Belfort. It wasn’t a stretch of dominance like some of the others on this list. But it was an impressive showing in two highly competitive divisions. There’s something to be said for remaining in your prime for such a long period.
14. Frankie Edgar
Everyone’s favorite underdog until he became one of the greatest fighters in history. Frankie Edgar always looked undersized. But that never stopped him from beating the best lightweights on the planet, including Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin and BJ Penn (twice). Edgar was the man who stopped Penn’s best career stretch. Two questionable decision losses to Benson Henderson pushed Edgar up to featherweight where he, again, became a title contender with wins over elite fighters. Edgar is one of the best mixed martial artists of all time in two divisions. Few can say that.
12. Max Holloway
Recent losses shouldn’t taint what Max Holloway has accomplished over the past six years. Since losing back-to-back fights to Dennis Bermudez and Conor McGregor early in his career, Holloway has 14 wins with most of them are against strong competition. That list includes Frankie Edgar, Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo (twice), Anthony Pettis, Ricardo Lamas, Jeremy Stevens, Charles Oliveira and Cub Swanson. You could say he over-reached in trying to become a two-division champ against Dustin Poirier. But Holloway has a chance to avenge his recent loss at featherweight against Alexander Volkanovski. Should he do that, Holloway’s legacy as the greatest featherweight of all time could be guaranteed.
12. Dominick Cruz
If it weren’t for injuries, Dominick Cruz might have the greatest career of any MMA fighter. And yet, it’s still quite impressive the way it is. Upon Cruz’s return to the WEC in 2008, he became a well-rounded force, beating future UFC title contenders like Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall before getting his rematch against Urijah Faber and winning the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 132. Cruz dominated that fight. But the crown jewel of his career may be his win over Demetrious Johnson at bantamweight. It’s the only clear cut win someone has over Johnson in his prime.
11. Daniel Cormier
Is easy to focus on Cormier’s career as him being the greatest light heavyweight in UFC history not named Jon Jones. But consider before Cormier joined the UFC he was dominating heavyweights like Antonio Silva and Josh Barnett in Strikeforce. Cormier’s coming-out party was a dominant performance against Frank Mir in Cormier’s UFC debut. Cormier never coasted on his wrestling, even though he could have, becoming a formidable striker. If he beats Stipe Miocic at UFC 241, Cormier will go down as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history. It’s hard to get past the two losses to Jon Jones (granted, one was overturned due to a positive drug test by Jones). And maybe we’re short-changing Cormier because of them. But he still makes the top-10.
10. Amanda Nunes
Some MMA purists won’t want to see a woman this high on the list. They’ll say Amanda Nunes didn’t face the same level of competition as the men. But take the greatest female MMA fighters of all time and Nunes has beaten all that were willing to face her, usually in spectacular fashion. That includes Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, Miesha Tate, Holly Holm and Valentina Shevchenko (twice). After an uneven start to her career, the past half-decade has seen Nunes be as dominant as any fighter – male or female – in UFC history. Oh, and she’s a double champion who has successfully defended BOTH of her titles.
9. Jose Aldo
When you think of Jose Aldo, it’s easy to picture his 13-second knockout loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 194. Sure, it would have been nice to see Aldo try and avenge that loss. But what he accomplished before that fight was astonishing. Aldo was an assassin during his early days at WEC, with his breakthrough performance coming when he TKO’d Cub Swanson with a flying knee at WEC 41. Aldo then dominated the promotion’s mega-stars Mike Brown and Urijah Faber. When he joined the UFC, Aldo all but closed out the featherweight division until he ran into McGregor’s fist. There are some people high enough on Aldo to put him atop of this list. I’m not quite as sold on the strength his competition, especially after losses to Conor McGregor and Max Holloway. But that’s just me.
8. Stipe Miocic
From a career standpoint, a TKO loss to Stefan Struve hurts Stipe Miocic’s resume a bit. But he became a different fighter after that. After losing a close war to Junior dos Santos in 2014, Miocic fine-tuned his skills and went on the greatest run in the history for a UFC Heavyweight Division that is as competitive as its ever been. Miocic is a quiet guy. But his wins from 2015 on speak for themselves: Mark Hunt, Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos (in a decisive rematch). Those are all Hall of Fame level names. Miocic also beat Francis Ngannou at UFC 220, controlling a seemingly unstoppable force that may very well be the future of the heavyweight division. Miocic’s trilogy fight win over Cormier now cements him as an all-time great.
7. Conor McGregor
Is Conor McGregor really retired? If he is, he’s is an icon. No question. Don’t let the hype and showmanship fool you. McGregor was a dominant force possessing a left-hand for the ages. Following the momentum of an early win against Max Holloway in 2013, McGregor beat Diego Brandao (a former “The Ultimate Fighter” winner), tough veteran Dennis Siver, longtime contender Chad Mendes and put Jose Aldo’s lights out. McGregor then lost to Nate Diaz in a fight the former was winning until he ran out of gas. McGregor would avenge that loss in a classic rematch before beating Eddie Alvarez to become a two-division champion. If McGregor wants to move into the top five on this list, he’ll need to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov again and win. But there’s no denying his greatness even without that rematch.
6. Anderson Silva
From April 2006 through October 2012, Silva recorded 17 consecutive wins, 16 in the UFC. But it wasn’t just that streak (bested only by Jones in terms of UFC wins), it was the way Silva destroyed people. In his UFC debut, Silva brutalized Chris Leben, one of the toughest guys in the promotion’s history. Four months later, he would KO Rich Franklin to win the UFC Middleweight Championship. Franklin, a future Hall of Famer, was unstoppable for two years before Silva made him look like a scrub. Most of Silva’s fights weren’t close to competitive. He made fighters like Dan Henderson, Patrick Cote and Franklin (again) look average. Silva answered a close call to Chael Sonnen with dominating wins against Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami and Sonnen in a quick rematch. And when Silva got bored during that time, he beat up and embarrassed light heavyweights like Stephan Bonnar, Forrest Griffin and James Irvin. Yes, Silva was dominant in an era where the competition wasn’t as strong as it is now. But was that just because Silva made those guys look so bad?
5. Demetrious Johnson
Johnson’s peak period may still be ongoing. His one loss since 2013 was a split decision to Henry Cejudo (a fighter he TKO’d during their first fight) that could have gone either way. Johnson left no question about who was the best in the world during his fights, dominating each opponent in every aspect of MMA. The only knock against Johnson is that he never went up a division after clearing out flyweight. Could he have captured two UFC belts while still in his prime? We can assume yes. But we may never know.
4. Fedor Emelianenko
There’s this idea that Fedor Emelianenko’s all-time rating takes a hit because he never fought in the UFC. In terms of looking at an entire career resume, perhaps that is true. But if we’re just looking at fighters’ prime periods, Emelianenko lays claim to the most impressive streak in MMA history with 27 consecutive wins. And he did it against some of the all-time greats, including Mark Coleman (twice), Kevin Randleman, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Mirko Cro Cop and Mark Hunt. Emelianenko’s dominance ran from 2000-2009. During that time, there isn’t a UFC champion that would have been favored in a fight against him. Yes, it would have been nice to see him take out all of the UFC’s elite during that time (Though, he beat several of them in other promotions). But it shouldn’t take away from his Mt. Rushmore of MMA status.
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
If he is done, Nurmagomedov will go out undefeated with the answer to the question of whether anyone can beat him being no. His first true test, at least on paper, came against Rafael dos Anjos at a UFC event in 2014. That fight was not competitive. In fact, none of Nurmagomedov’s fights in the UFC have been, despite top-notch opponents like Michael Johnson, Edson Barboza, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. It’s hard to argue with Nurmagomedov’s dominance up until this point. His stretch against McGregor, Poirier and most recently Justin Gaethje ranks as, perhaps, the best three-fight run in UFC history. We may be a bit emotional with Khabib declaring he’s retiring, but he’s earned this spot.
2. Jon Jones
Jon “Bones” Jones didn’t waste any time making a name for himself in the UFC. His spinning back elbow against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94 is a star-is-born moment. But Jones’ first truly great performance was technically a loss. He demolished Matt Hamill only to be disqualified for using illegal downward elbows. Hamill could barely stand to awarded the victory. From that point on, Jones was unstoppable. He didn’t just beat people. He demolished them, including seven (yes, seven!) surefire, future UFC Hall of Famers. Most of those victories coming via finishes. You could maybe make the case Jones wasn’t the same after his classic fight with Alexander Gustafsson. Yet, he went on to beat Glover Teixeira and Ovince Saint Preux (without surrendering around to either) and scored two wins over Daniel Cormier (Though, one was overturned due to a positive drug test). Jones’ recent fights haven’t been all that entertaining, especially his razor-close decision win against Dominick Reyes. Jones is moving up to heavyweight. If he wins a title there, it would be hard to argue with his GOAT status.
1. Georges St. Pierre
St. Pierre won the UFC Welterweight Championship from Matt Hughes in impressive fashion (TKO) in 2006. He took his first challenger for that belt – a game Matt Serra – lightly, leading to one of the greatest upsets in UFC history. However, Pierre’s next run with the title was flawless, showcasing the most well-rounded skill set of any fighter in MMA history. From his second win over Hughes and retribution against Serra on, Pierre barely lost a round, dominating Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn, Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy, Josh Koscheck, Jake Fields, Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz in their prime. And dominate isn’t a strong enough word. Most of those fights were barely competitive against fighters who were among the division’s elite. By the time Pierre got to Johny Hendricks, a fight he won controversially, Pierre had one foot out the door. Yet, during his peak, he was easily the greatest athlete the UFC. His return bout against Michael Bisping to win the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2017 was just the icing on the cake. You can’t go wrong with any of the fighters in this top-three. But for us, GSP was the total package.
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