MMA has exploded in popularity in the past decade, becoming one of the most popular sports in the entire world. With it’s long roster of charismatic and thrilling fighters, fans can often expect a great spectacle time and time again. In this list, we pay homage to the greatest fighters to ever grace the octagon.
25. Ronda Rousey
The woman who started it all, Rousey is absolutely deserving of recognition despite the way in which she ended her career. Rousey hasn’t fought since 2016, and lost each of her last two fights in brutal fashion. However, in just five years as a professional mixed-martial artist, Rousey did more for the sport than any other woman in history. Fans tuned in to watch Rousey devour opponents, and she most often delivered. She won her first twelve pro matches by either submission or knockout — eight within the first minute of the fight and only one went beyond the first round. She’s an icon within the sport, and will be remembered for a long time to come.
24. Tito Ortiz
Several all-time great light heavyweights could have deserved a spot on this list. Former UFC champions like Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, and Vitor Belfort all have strong cases with varying resumes. Though each of the previously mentioned fighters were all-time greats, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” earns the nod. Ortiz arrived in the UFC a bit earlier than the first few names on the list — and had a far more meaningful run with the light heavyweight title than Belfort ever did.
Ortiz took home the Light Heavyweight Championship in April of 2000 by defeating Wanderlei Silva and successfully defended the belt five times before dropping it to fellow UFC Hall of Famer and two-division champion Randy Couture. He was an excellent wrestler who fought the best the UFC had to offer. Ortiz has even extended his career to today, most recently defeating former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio (now Alberto El Patrón) via submission back in December of last year.
23. Alexander Volkanovski
Despite recent setbacks, especially losing the Featherweight title to Ilia Topuria, Volkanovksi remains one of the greatest of all time. Holding five impressive title defenses against some of the top featherweight fighters of the past ten years, Volkanovski has consistently ranked among the world’s elite mixed martial artists since securing the championship in December 2019.
22. Bas Rutten
Rutten began his illustrious mixed-martial arts career so long ago, it’s easy to forget just how good he actually was. The former UFC Heavyweight champ was a feared competitor who finished his 33-fight career with just four losses — three of which came from the Shamrock family. From 1995-99, Rutten was undefeated in 20 fights with his only non-win coming via majority draw.
Immediately after winning the UFC Heavyweight title in a match against Kevin Randleman, Rutten attempted to move down to the middleweight division (now known as the light heavyweight) but was forced to retire due to several injuries he had suffered during training. His vicious low kicks could chop down a tree.
21. Wanderlei Silva
The UFC and Pride legend was given the nickname “The Axe Murderer” for good reason. Silva was an unstoppable force as a fighter. During his run with Pride, Silva was undefeated in his first 19 bouts including two devastating knockout victories over future UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. He was an intimidating competitor who was repeatedly unafraid of moving up weight classes to clash with bigger fighters — evidenced by his matches against Mark Hunt and Mirko Cro Cop.
Silva’s relentless style and muay Thai background made him near impossible to gameplan for, as he blitzed opponents from the opening bell with a barrage of haymakers and knees. He wasn’t quite as successful once he made the jump to the UFC, holding just a 5-7 record with the company, but his dominance in Japan cannot be overlooked.
20. Randy Couture
Not many who did it better than “The Natural”. Couture was well-known for his All-American wrestling background and mauling ground-and-pound game. Among his 30 professional fights, 26 of them came within UFC’s octagon — ensuring Couture was facing the toughest competition fight-in and fight-out. Couture holds the record for the most individual title reigns in UFC history (5), winning the Heavyweight Championship on three occasions and the Light Heavyweight Championship twice becoming the first ever competitor to have held titles in two different weight classes.
19. B.J. Penn
Among all of MMA’s greats, Penn may boast the worst ending to his career. Penn has not won a fight since 2010, and he has competed eight times since then. He has just one win in his last eleven bouts, and has dropped fights to average to below-average competitors along the way. However, looking at the first half of Penn’s career there is no doubt he is one of the all-time best. Penn’s level of boxing and jiu-jitsu was virtually unparalleled during his time, and he’s also known for having one of the strongest chins ever.
Up until his recent landslide, Penn only competed against the best mixed martial artists in the world. He has victories over Matt Hughes (two), Matt Serra, Caol Uno, Takanori Gomi, Jens Pulver, and Sean Sherk. Penn also showed a willingness to move up weight classes, and did so in bouts against Hughes, Georges St. Pierre, Nick Diaz, Rory McDonald, and even former Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida (a 50-pound weight class difference).
18. Dan Henderson
Hendo was a fan favorite, and it’s not all that hard to see why that was the case. The former Division I freestyle wrestler was gifted on the mat, but preferred to use his hands to end fights. Henderson is the owner of some of the most brutal knockouts in MMA history, including memorable KO victories over Michael Bisping, “Shogun” Rua, Fedor Emelianenko, and Rafael Cavalcante. His powerful overhand right is a game-changer, and has the ability to change the tides of a fight in an instant.
17. Max Holloway
The Hawaiian-born Holloway is one of the top featherweights in UFC’s history. Holloway is a stand-up warrior who can take a shot just as well as he dishes it. His cardio is some of the best in the world, as Holloway often turns up the pace as the fight wears on. Eventually, Holloway breaks the will of his opponent and uses his elite kickboxing to push the pace and finish fights in the championship rounds. He broke through at a young age, making his UFC debut just two months following his 20th birthday. Since then, he’s bested Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Ricardo Lamas, Anthony Pettis, Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar, Yair Rodriguez, Calvin Kattar, Arnold Allen, and Chan Sung Jung. He also boasts two convincing wins over José Aldo and recently bested Justin Gaethje to win the “BMF” title.
16. Stipe Miocic
The former UFC Heavyweight Champion has had an impressive few years atop of the division. Miocic lost a close decision to Junior Dos Santos in 2015, and has been on an absolute tear ever since. From then on, Miocic won seven-straight fights — six via knockout — and even avenged his loss against JDS by TKO’ing the Brazilian in just over two minutes in the rematch. Though Miocic competes in the heavyweight division, he’s relatively small compared to his peers. The Cleveland-bred Miocic makes up for his lack of size by having the quickest hand speed in the division. He can unleash a combo of strikes to finish a fight at any given moment.
To this point, he has four losses on his record — two of which he has avenged in a rematch. One of those includes a loss to two-division champion Daniel Cormier back in 2018, and Miocic returned the favor by finishing Cormier in the fourth round of their rematch in August 2019.
15. Amanda Nunes
The greatest women’s mixed-martial artist to ever live. Nunes won both UFC Women’s Bantamweight and Featherweight belts, and it doesn’t seem like anybody will be taking either of “The Lioness” status anytime soon. Nunes was a feared striker who finished 10 fights via strikes within the first round. Her collection of victories includes beating both Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg within a minute of the opening bell.
Her maturation into a more well-rounded fighter since she first won UFC gold has been devastating for the rest of the division. Going up against world-renowned striker Germaine de Randamie, Nunes showed she could also use her strength and wrestling ability to control another dangerous opponent. She’s defended UFC titles a record 10 times.
14. Matt Hughes
With a 45-9 career record (started 22-1, then 35-3), and multiple championship wins, Hughes is one of the most decorated combat athletes ever. A strong wrestling background served Hughes well, as he holds the most finishes in the UFC’s welterweight division history with 11. He’s gone against the best welterweights ever, with wins over Georges St. Pierre, Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn, and Matt Serra. Outsmarting St. Pierre is impressive enough, but the entirety of Hughes’ illustrious career earns him a spot among the sport’s all-time best.
13. Dominick Cruz
It’s difficult to win a fight when you can’t hit your opponent – and nobody in MMA understood this better than Dominick Cruz. Cruz’s unique movement style, quick feet, and use of angles made it nearly impossible for opponents to land clean punches against the former UFC Bantamweight Champion. His ability to understand a fighter’s tendencies and duck and dip outside of the pocket with perfect timing allowed him to dish out plenty of damage while keeping himself free of any danger. In fights against Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez, and Demetrious Johnson, Cruz was hardly touched at all. Cruz’s best win was a bit more difficult of a victory when he scraped his way to a split decision win over T.J. Dillashaw.
12. Chuck Lidell
Many remember Liddell’s feeble end to his career, but let’s not forget how dominant the “Iceman” was during his physical peak. Liddell’s elite skill set made him an unbreakable code. A powerful puncher with a wrestling background who could take the fight wherever he chose. On top of that, Liddell was known for having one of the strongest chins in the sport and was tough as nails.
Liddell was never out of a fight. At any moment, one of his heavy hands could land on an opponent and finish a fight. Liddell’s list of knockout victims includes Alistair Overeem, Renato Sobral, Kevin Randleman, Randy Couture, and Tito Ortiz.
11. Conor McGregor
Ireland’s finest is one of the most entertaining martial artists to ever step foot in a ring. Watching a McGregor fight is a spectacle. From the explosive pre-fight press conferences to his dazzling entrances, his exciting fighting style, right down to his post-fight interviews — McGregor knows how to get an audience going.
Though he has become a sort of caricature in some people’s eyes, there’s no denying his skills. McGregor’s patience, timing, and accuracy set him apart from an average striker. His left hand holds some of the most power in the division and is capable of finishing a fight with just one clean shot. He recently announced he is retired from the sport, but this is roughly the fourth time he’s claimed that in the last several years. He’ll be back, and fans will be tuning in no matter who he’s facing off against.
10. Henry Cejudo
Former athletes in other realms of combat sports have had varying levels of success in MMA. Cejudo decided to enter MMA after winning a gold medal in Beijing in freestyle wrestling. His career started off promising with 10-straight wins, but took a hit after a decisive loss to Demetrious Johnson and a close defeat to Joseph Benavidez.
And then, something clicked for Cejudo. The former Olympian began putting all of his skills together, winning back-to-back fights before facing off against Johnson again. This time, Cejudo got the better of Johnson becoming the second-ever UFC Flyweight Champion. Since then, Cejudo has gone on one of the greatest runs in recent UFC memory. After beating Johnson, Cejudo proceeded to knock out two former Bantamweight Champions T.J. Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz — becoming a simultaneous double-champion in the process.
9. Israel Adesanya
In a lot of ways, two-time Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is an Anderson Silva clone — but the New Zealand native has employed his own spin on “The Spider’s” style. Adesanya is a dangerously accurate and unique striker with the ability to change between a counter-puncher and a more aggressive finisher. He senses when his opponent is beginning to slow down, and has excellent finishing ability once he gains the upper hand.
8. José Aldo
The former UFC and WEC champion had a run of being considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and is still on the hunt to reclaim that standing. At just 33 years old, it’s easy to forget just how much Aldo has already accomplished in the sport. He defended the UFC Featherweight Championship seven times before a dramatic loss to Conor McGregor in 2015. Aldo has struggled a bit since that loss, but could turn it around in 2020 as he is set to face off against Peter Yan for the Bantamweight Championship.
Aldo’s most memorable victories include wins over Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung, Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson, and Mike Brown. Perhaps his signature win was during his first defense of the WEC Featherweight Championship against Urijah Faber. Faber was at his peak, and Aldo completely dismantled the SoCal legend with a flurry of low kicks, leaving Faber’s legs battered.
7. Daniel Cormier
The Olympian built himself quite the resume. Cormier has held titles in two divisions and has beaten a slew of tremendous opponents. From the start of his career in 2009, Cormier has beaten Josh Barnett, Dan Henderson, Frank Mir, Alexander Gustafson, Anderson Silva, Stipe Miocic, and twice defeated Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Looking back, only a couple of those fights were even particularly close.
The only opponent Cormier has never been able to best is Jon Jones, though that can be said for anybody who has faced Jones. If he could beat Jones, he would have made his way into the top 5.
6. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson
For a good while during his title run in the UFC, many considered Johnson to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. It was hard to argue that point considering how seamlessly Johnson was cutting through his competition at that time. After becoming the inaugural Flyweight Champion in 2012, Johnson went on to successfully defend the belt for a UFC record 11 times holding an undefeated streak over over five years.
The one knock on Johnson will be the level of competition he faced. During his time in the UFC, the flyweight division wasn’t exactly stacked with talent. However, a fighter can only beat the competitors pitted against them, and Johnson found new and creative ways to defeat his opponents in every match. An innovator and entertainer, “Mighty Mouse” always seemed to have more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Nurmagomedov is a fighting machine who was seemingly unstoppable. The former UFC Lightweight Champion is one of the last truly undefeated fighters in the entire company. With a 29-0 record, Nurmagomedov ran roughshod through one of the deeper weight classes in the sport. His list of wins includes Rafael Dos Anjos, Dustin Poirier, and of course, Conor McGregor.
He’s arguably the strongest pound-for-pound athlete in the entire sport. After all, Nurmagomedov grew up wrestling bear cubs in his younger years. His wrestling is elite, his stand-up improves every time he fights, and he hasn’t even been in trouble in his last several fights.
4. Fedor Emelianenko
The only fighter on this list who has never fought for the UFC, MMA circles across the world would agree “The Last Emporer” belongs in the elite group of all-time greats. Considered the greatest heavyweight fighter ever, Emelianenko won 31 of his first 32 career fights with the one loss coming by a controversial doctor stoppage 17 seconds into the bout. Among those 31 victories were 24 wins via knockout or submission including some of the best names the heavyweight division had to offer (Mirko Cro Cop, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Kevin Randleman, Tim Sylvia, and Andrei Arlovski).
Following a shocking upset loss to Fabricio Werdum in his second fight with Strikeforce, Emelianenko regressed a bit as he began to wear down physically. He’s still competing today, though not at the level we have seen before. It’s a shame he was never able to make it to the UFC which would have allowed a bigger crowd of American MMA fans to be able to watch. Allegedly, there were talks in 2009 to bring Emelianenko to the UFC to face off with then Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. Oh, what a treat that would have been.
3. Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva operated on a different plane of existence than his opponents. It was like something out of the movie The Matrix. The Brazilian is considered one of the deadliest strikers in MMA history, and is certainly one of the most accurate. Though he wasn’t overly big or particularly strong in the traditional sense, Silva’s ability to land clean strikes in just the right spots made him a knockout artist.
When he was rolling, Silva made it seem like his opponent didn’t even deserve to be in the same ring as him. He would make professionals look downright silly with his head movement and punching accuracy. Silva is the owner of some of the most memorable finishes in UFC history, including his buzzer-beater submission victory over Chael Sonnen and his highlight-reel frontkick knockout of Vitor Belfort.
2. Georges St. Pierre
The great mixed-martial artist hails from Canada. St. Pierre was signed to the UFC when he was 23 years old and was instantly shot up to the top of the card. His third fight in the company was against an experienced and renowned Matt Hughes. St. Pierre lost that fight, but from that point forward he never faced below-average competition for the remainder of his career. He proceeded to defeat Matt Hughes just two years later, and only suffered one more loss for the remainder of his fighting career — a TKO loss to Matt Serra, which he avenged 12 months later in dominant fashion.
St. Pierre has virtually no weakness in his game. He’s a supreme athlete with elite cardio, is regarded as the greatest MMA wrestler of all time, holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and is also a deadly striker who can attack from any angle. After his victory over Matt Serra, which unified the Welterweight Championship, GSP went on to successfully defend the title nine times — and there exists evidence that points to him having not lost a single round during that run until his final defense against Johnny Hendricks.
In his return fight in 2017 — following a four-year absence — St. Pierre defeated Michael Bisping for the Middleweight Championship, becoming the fourth fighter to have held titles in two weight divisions. He demolished everyone put in front of him, avenged both of his early career losses in dominant fashion, was never forced to relinquish the title for extraneous reasons, and is one of the most well-rounded MMA practitioners ever.
1. Jon Jones
Jones is one of the rare stories of a young phenom who ended up exceeding lofty expectations. Jones made his professional debut in 2008 and was signed to the UFC less than a year later when he was just 21 years old. It quickly became apparent that he was a special talent, as he breezed through early bouts on his way to a clash with Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Jones rocked Rua early in the fight and dispatched of the legend in the third round to secure the title.
The following years featured Jones picking apart arguably the deepest weight class in the entire company. He easily put away former champs Lyoto Machida, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Rashad Evans. After taking care of the older stars, Jones was then challenged by a fleet of the next generation including Alexander Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira, and eventual bitter rival Daniel Cormier.
Jones’ last loss came via disqualification — in 2009. He’s virtually undefeated since — though his second matchup with Cormier was turned into a no-contest after Jones failed a drug test. Now that he’s moved to heavyweight and is the current champion, he’s all but secured GOAT status.