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Since 1993, the UFC has been a breeding ground for Mixed Martial Arts’ most talented fighters. Combatants from all over the globe have proved their skills in the octagon, with the UFC hosting the biggest spectacles in the sport. We accepted the challenge of ranking the best UFC fighters of all time. Our goal is to find the greatest martial artists to step foot in the octagon, but with years of history, it wasn’t a simple task.
When searching the archives, we considered the fighter’s legacy, record, social impact, and UFC career. Fedor Emelianenko and Gina Carano aren’t on our list, as we can only consider UFC fighters. Despite excluding the wider MMA world, we still had hundreds of fighters to compare. If you think we’ve overlooked a UFC legend or misjudged a fighter’s legacy, reach out to us on social media!
10. Alistair Overeem
We start our list with one of the best UFC fighters not to win a UFC title. Alistair Overeem had an outstanding MMA career, winning the Strikeforce and DREAM Heavyweight Championships, but never secured a UFC belt. Before entering the UFC, Overeem was already a household name because of his fights in PRIDE, DREAM, and Strikeforce. His devastating power earned him the nickname “The Demolition Man”, but he was also an amazing submission specialist.
In 2011, the UFC announced the signing of Alistair Overeem, putting him against Brock Lesnar in his first bout. Lesnar was a former UFC Champion, so this was a huge test for a debut fight. But this didn’t phase Overeem, “The Demolition Man” lived up to his name and knocked out Lesnar in the first round. However, a failed drug test delayed Overeem’s next fight, waiting nine months before facing Antonio Silva. The Hounslow-born fighter lost back-to-back bouts against Silva and Travis Browne but went on an impressive win streak between 2014 and 2016. Overeem beat Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson, Junior dos Santos, and Andrei Arlovski. This streak got him his first UFC title shot.
Stipe Miocic vs Alistair Overeem didn’t last one round, but it’s one of the most entertaining title fights in UFC history. Overeem dropped Miocic in the early stages, but the Heavyweight Champion recovered, securing a takedown moments later. “The Demolition Man” couldn’t avoid the ground and pound strikes, losing his only UFC title shot in the first round. After a devastating knockout loss against Francis Ngannou, Overeem struggled with consistency. He got wins over Sergei Pavlovich and Augusto Sakai but left the UFC after losing to Alexander Volkov in 2021. Despite his world championship shortcomings, there’s no doubt Overeem is one of the best UFC fighters ever.
9. Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey didn’t have the longest MMA career, but there’s no denying she was the most impactful fighter in UFC history. Rousey’s ascent in the ranks revolutionized women’s MMA, opening the traditionally dominated male platform for women. “Rowdy” was a high-level Judo competitor from a young age and won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. However, she didn’t make her professional MMA debut until 2011.
Rousey faced Ediane Gomes in her first professional bout. Her grappling skills were too much for Gomes, with “Rowdy” securing a first-round armbar victory. The armbar was Rousey’s weapon of choice, submitting all of her pre-UFC opponents via armbars. The bronze medalist entered the UFC with a 5-0 record in 2013, facing Liz Carmouche on her debut. Rousey got a first-round submission win over Carmouche, capturing plenty of fans with such a dominant performance. Her debut fight was her first UFC title defense, as Ronda Rousey was the first woman in the UFC.
“I didn’t wanna just be given the title, I wanted to earn it. But that’s what Dana wanted.” – Ronda Rousey
After beating Liz Carmouche, Ronda Rousey went on an amazing winning streak. Her first genuine test was against Miesha Tate. Rousey and Tate were already rivals from Strikeforce, so the fight was a match made in heaven for the UFC. Tate survived the first and second rounds but lost via an armbar submission in the third. “Rowdy” defended her title four more times, with wins over Sara McMann, Alexis Davis, Cat Zingano, and Bethe Correia. However, her legacy took a knock in 2015. Many underestimated Holly Holm, but “The Preacher’s Daughter” shocked the world, knocking out Rousey in the second round. Ronda Rousey retired after Amanda Nunes knocked her out in 2016. But Rousey’s women’s MMA legacy makes her one of the best UFC fighters of all time.
8. Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor was the first fighter to transcend the UFC and MMA. His legendary winning streak upon joining the organization easily makes him one of the best UFC fighters ever. McGregor might never reach his highest level again, but from 2013 to 2018 he was involved in some of the most iconic UFC bouts.
After making a name for himself in Cage Warriors, McGregor faced Marcus Brimage in his UFC debut. The Irishman made quick work of Brimage, stopping him in the first round. On his way to the Interim Featherweight Championship, “The Notorious” got impressive wins over Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, and Dennis Siver. McGregor took on Chad Mendes at UFC 189. The Irishmen’s mind games tortured his rival in the build-up to the fight. McGregor backed up his words, stopping the contest in round two. “The Notorious” used similar tactics against Jose Aldo at UFC 194, working once again. The Crumlin-born fighter knocked out Aldo in just 13 seconds, lifting the UFC Featherweight World Championship after seven fights in the organization.
Conor McGregor became the “Champ-Champ” after beating Eddie Alvarez in 2016. McGregor stopped Alvarez in the second round, earning the UFC Lightweight belt. However, the latter stages of the Irishman’s career haven’t been easy to watch. Khabib Nurmagomedov and McGregor had a heated rivalry, with “The Notorious” attacking a bus containing Nurmagomedov and other UFC fighters. But when the two martial artists met, the Khabib dominated from start to finish. Nurmagomedov held on to his lightweight title via fourth-round submission. McGregor bounced back against an aging Donald Cerrone but has since lost back-to-back fights against Dustin Poirier. The Irishman will return to the UFC against Michael Chandler at UFC 303.
7. Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier’s dominance in the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions put him among the best UFC fighters ever. Cormier had an amazing wrestling career, building the foundations for his future MMA endeavors. “DC” won three NCAA silver medals, two NJCAA gold medals, and two freestyle wrestling gold medals. But Cormier’s lack of concern about going to the ground allowed him to secure many knockout victories in his early fights.
Daniel Cormier amassed a 10-0 record via Strikeforce and regional MMA events, before making his UFC debut in 2013. Cormier’s first couple of fights were tough, getting wins over Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, Patrick Cummins, and Dan Henderson. In 2015, “DC” got his first UFC Light Heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones. The lead-up to the fight was unfriendly, with both fighters exchanging verbal blows. However, Jones got his hand raised after five action-packed rounds.
After Jon Jones was involved in a hit-and-run incident with a pregnant woman, the UFC stripped him of the belt. Giving Daniel Cormier another chance to win UFC gold against Anthony Johnson in his next fight. Johnson dropped Cormier in the first round, but “DC” recovered, securing a submission in the third round to win the UFC Light Heavyweight World Championship. After defending the Light Heavyweight belt multiple times, Cormier took on Stipe Miocic for the Heavyweight title. In a career-best performance, “DC” knocked out Miocic in the opening round. Becoming the second fighter in history to hold two simultaneous UFC Championships and securing his legacy as one of the best UFC fighters ever.
6. Amanda Nunes
You can’t make a list of the best UFC fighters ever without including Amanda Nunes. There’s no question that she’s the greatest female martial artist in history, beating the best opponents of her generation and dominating the women’s divisions. However, if it wasn’t for Nunes’ mother wanting her to focus on school, she could’ve been a soccer player. “The Lioness” got a try-out offer from Vitoria Football Club, but she rejected it. That was a brilliant move, given Nunes is now one of the best UFC fighters to have ever lived.
Amanda Nunes is not only a standout female fighter because of her ability, but nobody will ever beat her resume. Nunes has victories over legends like Valentina Shevchenko, Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Raquel Pennington, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, and Julianna Pena. These women are all MMA champions, with many holding titles in the UFC.
Amanda Nunes was not shy after rocking Ronda Rousey in just 48 seconds at #UFC207. pic.twitter.com/0dOLjJ5fz0
— ESPN (@espn) December 31, 2016
“The Lioness” didn’t have a flawless record, getting 23 wins and five losses. Amanda Nunes lost her professional MMA debut against Ana Maria, suffering two more defeats before joining the UFC. Cat Zingano was the first high-level opponent to beat her. Zingano won via ground and pound in the third round at UFC 178. At the tail end of her career, Nunes had a rivalry with Julianna Pena. When the two women met at UFC 269, Pena shocked the world, winning via submission in the second round. However, the Brazilian dominated Pena in the rematch, cruising to a unanimous decision. “The Lioness” retired after beating Irene Aldana by decision in 2023, but she has not made it to the UFC Hall of Fame yet.
5. Anderson Silva
There’s no denying the latter stages of Anderson Silva’s career were rough, with a win rarely in sight under professional MMA rules. Silva won once in his last nine UFC fights, beating Derek Brunson in 2017. “The Spider” lost to Chris Weidman twice, Michael Bisping, Daniel Cormier, Israel Adesanya, Jared Cannonier, and Uriah Hall before retiring in 2020. However, Silva had a dominant seven-year winning streak during his prime and is one of the best UFC fighters ever.
Chris Leben welcomed Anderson Silva to the UFC in 2006, and many MMA experts predicted a close fight. However, the experts were wrong, with Silva stopping Leben in under a minute. This debut performance impressed the UFC, handing the Brazilian a title shot in his second fight. Rich Franklin was a respected champion who spent years climbing the ranks, but “The Spider” schooled him and won the UFC Middleweight Championship in the same year as his debut.
6 years ago this weekend, Anderson Silva became the UFC middleweight champion. The event name? UFC 64: #Unstoppable
— UFC (@ufc) October 10, 2012
As mentioned, Anderson Silva’s legendary middleweight reign lasted seven years, winning 16 consecutive UFC fights. During his winning streak, the Brazilian had two fights against the iconic trash-talker Chael Sonnen. Silva lost the battle of words against Sonnen and nearly lost their first bout. Heading into the last round, most fans had the American winning every round. However, Silva caught Sonnen in submission with moments left in the fight, snatching the upset away from “Uncle Chael”. Silva won their rematch two years later, knocking out Sonnen in round two at UFC 148. Chris Weidman ended the Brazilian’s dominance in 2013. But a prime Anderson Silva was unbeatable, and he deserves his place among the best UFC fighters ever.
4. Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious Johnson never got the love he deserved from the UFC, with the company eventually trading him to ONE Championship for Ben Askren. However, this was unrelated to Johnson’s fighting prowess, as “Mighty Mouse” is the greatest flyweight in MMA history and one of the best UFC fighters ever. The trade of Johnson was because of payment disputes and “Mighty Mouse” dominating the flyweight division.
Once Demetrious Johnson got his hands on the UFC Flyweight Championship, he didn’t let it go until his last fight. Johnson was the first-ever Flyweight champion, beating Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort. “Mighty Mouse” defended his title in eleven consecutive fights. The flyweight division was in the early stages of its development, but still had some huge names. Johnson recorded wins against John Dodson, Henry Cejudo, and Ray Borg during his UFC career.
“Look at the UFC’s standpoint, when I was there, obviously I wasn’t the highest-selling pay-per-view guy there, and I was also very dominant, so there was not an opportunity for somebody else to be able to make a name for themselves.” – Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious Johnson isn’t in the UFC Hall of Fame, which seems almost impossible given his dominance in the inaugural flyweight division. However, Johnson’s career is still going strong, and he remains a force in ONE Championship. In 2019, he became the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion and won the ONE Bantamweight Championship against Adriano Moraes in 2022. “Mighty Mouse” might not get official recognition, but there’s no doubt he’s the best flyweight in UFC history.
3. Georges St-Pierre
The road to greatness wasn’t easy for Georges St-Pierre, with bullying at school and a lack of money making life hard. “GSP” learned karate to handle school bullies, which later paved the way for his MMA success. St-Pierre had troubles even during the latter stages of his education. The Canadian worked two jobs to cover his schooling fees, working as a nightclub bouncer and garbageman. He made his professional MMA debut in 2002, facing Ivan Menjivar at UCC 7: Bad Boyz. “Rush” won his debut via a first-round knockout and made a name for himself under the UCC banner before joining the UFC in 2004.
When Georges St-Pierre joined the UFC, it was clear he was ahead of his time. Complete mixed martial artists are common in today’s landscape, but the Canadian was one of the first fighters to use high-level grappling and striking in the UFC. “GSP” climbed the ranks fast, getting wins over Karo Parisyan and Jay Hieron before taking on Matt Hughes for the Welterweight title. However, “GSP” wasn’t ready for a title shot and Hughes submitted him in the first round.
The Matt Hughes loss was a humbling experience for Georges St-Pierre, but he turned the defeat into a positive. “Rush” returned to the UCC for one fight before returning to the UFC’s welterweight division. His climb to the title was much slower, but St-Pierre showed dominance. The Canadian went on a long winning streak, beating Jason Miller, Frank Trigg, Sean Sherk, and BJ Penn before facing Hughes for a second time. At just 25 years old, “GSP” secured the UFC Welterweight Championship in the second round, landing a perfect head kick and finishing the fight on the ground.
His first title defense went terribly, with Matt Serra beating Georges St-Pierre in the first five minutes. However, the Canadian learned from his defeat, remaining unbeaten for the rest of his career. St-Pierre regained the welterweight belt against Serra at UFC 83. In his last UFC appearance, “GSP” took on Michael Bisping. The Englishman won the verbal battle but got submitted in the third round. “Rush” retired after this victory, and the UFC inducted St-Pierre into the Hall of Fame in 2020, cementing his legacy as one of the best UFC fighters of all time.
2. Jon Jones
Jon Jones was born to fight. There’s no denying he’s had his fair share of troubles outside of the octagon, but “Bones” is arguably one of the best UFC fighters ever. In 2008, the American began his professional MMA career as a novice and joined the UFC after just nine months of training. Jones was 5-0 entering the UFC, facing Andre Gusmao in his organizational debut. The New Yorker outclassed Gusmao over three rounds, earning a unanimous decision victory.
In his second UFC contest, Jon Jones faced Stephan Bonnar, a big step up in competition for such an inexperienced fighter. However, “Bones” cruised to a decision victory over the veteran martial artist. In his tenth professional fight, Jones got his first taste of controversy, losing via disqualification against Matt Hamill because of illegal elbows. To this day, the Hamill defeat is the only blemish on Jones’ professional MMA record.
“It was just one year ago that I didn’t know how to throw a proper kick and no clue how to throw a punch, and now I’m fighting one of the bigger names in the sport.” – Jon Jones before facing Stephan Bonnar
However, the Matt Hamill fight didn’t delay Jon Jones’ UFC rise, earning a title shot three fights later. Maurício Rua held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and was a highly respected fighter. Jones took on Rua at UFC 128. “Bones” put on one of his best performances, getting a third-round stoppage and earning the light heavyweight belt. Throughout Jones’ career, he’s had plenty of rivalries. His most heated was against Daniel Cormier, but his bout against Chael Sonnen also caught the media’s attention. “Bones” made his UFC heavyweight debut in 2023, beating Ciryl Gane for the UFC Vacant Heavyweight Championship.
Jon Jones has established himself as one of the all-time best UFC fighters, but multiple legal issues have spoiled his career. Jones got a DWI in 2012 and three years later he pleaded guilty to a hit-and-run incident involving a pregnant woman. A day after the UFC inducted “Bones” into the Hall of Fame, the Vegas police arrested him for domestic violence. In 2024, Jones allegedly threatened to kill a drug-testing agent from Drug-Free Sport during a home test. The American is still actively fighting in the UFC, competing in the heavyweight division, and will probably face Stipe Miocic in his next contest.
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov
The best UFC fighter, Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov, is from the humble mountains in Dagestan, Russia. In Nurmagomedov’s 12-year career, nobody stopped his grappling, and the Russian changed the game in the UFC forever. Previously, the high-level MMA stars were strikers, but Khabib’s wrestling-first approach made him a nightmare for every opponent. Even some of the best grapplers in the UFC couldn’t stop Nurmagomedov’s takedowns.
“The Eagle” had most of his first 15 professional fights in Russia. Khabib Nurmagomedov was an undeniable force in the regional scene, destroying everyone in M1-Global, ProFC, and Atrium Pankration. People only realized Nurmagomedov’s exceptional skills after he joined the UFC. His upbringing captured the attention of the media, with childhood bear wrestling making headlines. These revelations were normal life for “The Eagle”, but the stories increased his appeal to casual MMA fans.
Unlike many of the fighters on our list, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s career was perfect. He stuck to his cultural roots outside the octagon and lost only two rounds in his professional MMA career. Meaning Nurmagomedov lost the same number of rounds that one of the best UFC fighters ever, Georges St-Pierre, lost fights. “The Eagle” retired with a perfect 29-0 record. However, most fans remember Khabib Nurmagomedov for his legendary rivalry with Conor McGregor.
The build-up to Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor at UFC 229 is iconic, with controversy every step of the way. This led to substantial earnings for both fighters, as UFC 229 became the highest-selling PPV in UFC history, with 2.4 million buys. The Russian dominated the contest, submitting “The Notorious” in the fourth round. In 2022, the UFC inducted Nurmagomedov into the Hall of Fame, alongside his best friend Daniel Cormier.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed traveling through the UFC’s long history with us, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts about the best UFC fighters of all time. At Novibet, we’re constantly updating and creating MMA predictions, content, and guides. Visit our site regularly to see what’s new and check out our latest updates.
