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The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC ) was born in 1993, but it wasn't until 2001 – when Dana White became the president – that the fighting league became popular. Boxing used to be the top combat sport, but these days, UFC reigns supreme, and Jon Jones' most recent victory in his first defense of his Heavyweight Championship reconfirmed his greatness.
There have been a plethora of great UFC fighters to come and go from every weight class, too. We have seen this organization grow from a wild experience into one of the most recognized sports leagues in the world. With that said, here are the 25 greatest UFC fighters of all time.
*Note: This ranking was updated after Jon Jones' victory at UFC 309. There have been a lot of stars who have emerged over the last few years in the UFC and since when this article was originally published. Because of that, some legends were forced off this list for this update. If they were, they were made honorable mentions.
HM. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Career Record: 34-10-1, 1 NC
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Awards: 2x Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night, UFC Hall of Fame
UFC Belts Achieved: Interim Heavyweight
UFC Title Defenses: 0
Antonio Nogueira helped put Brazil on the map in the world of MMA. He was a tremendous all-around fighter who could always find a way to win. Nogueira is a true legend of the sport.
HM. Junior dos Santos
Career Record: 21-9-0
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Awards: 3x Knockout of the Night, 3x Fight of the Night
UFC Belts Achieved: Heavyweight
UFC Title Defenses: 1
Junior dos Santos was, at one point, the best heavyweight fighter in the world. His knockout power was one of a kind, and not many could stop him. Dos Santos probably stayed active for one year too long, as he lost each of his last four fights. Before that, he was a very scary man.
HM. Frankie Edgar
Career Record: 23-11-1
Weight Class: Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight
Awards: 8x Fight of the Night, 2x Performance of the Night, Knockout of the Night
UFC Belts Achieved: Lightweight
UFC Title Defenses: 3
Perhaps one of the best boxers in MMA history, Frankie Edgar often went into the octagon with a solid game plan. He should be considered as one of the best lightweights of all time, although he has spent plenty of time at featherweight and bantamweight, too.
HM. Alistair Overeem
Career Record: 47-19-0, 1 NC
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight
Awards: Performance of the Night, Fight of the Night, Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, DREAM Heavyweight Champion
Belts Achieved: 0
Title Defenses: 0
Alistair Overeem achieved legendary status before he even came into the UFC. He's considered to be one of the best fighters in MMA history, as he has fought in nearly every league imaginable. His 19 total losses aren't ideal for an all-time great fighter, but that is the life of a heavyweight, and he makes up for it with a jaw-dropping 47 total wins. Overeem was on the wrong end of some big losses in the UFC, but he also was consistently in the running for title contention.
HM. Dan Henderson
Career Record: 32-15-0
Weight Class: Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, & Heavyweight
Awards: UFC Middleweight Tournament Winner, 4x Fight of the Night, 2x Performance of the Night, Knockout of the Night, 2007 MMA Fighter of the Year, 2011 Fight of the Year, UFC Hall of Fame, PRIDE Welterweight & Middleweight Champion, Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion
Belts Achieved: 0
Title Defenses: 0
One of the most exciting knockout fighters in MMA, Dan Henderson has proven to be a threat no matter where he fights. He dominated leagues outside of the UFC and then continued to be at the top of the rankings throughout his career. Henderson has one of the longest careers in UFC history, so multiple generations of MMA fans got to watch his brilliance. While he won titles in other promotions, Henderson never was able to bring home the gold in the UFC.
25. Michael Bisping
Career Record: 30-9-0
Weight Class: Middleweight, Light Heavyweight
Awards: The Ultimate Fighter 3 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner, 5x Fight of the Night, 2x Performance of the Night, UFC Hall of Fame
UFC Belts Achieved: Middleweight
UFC Title Defenses: 1
One of the most prolific fighters in UFC history, Michael Bisping, put himself on the map after winning the Ultimate Fighter. From there, he was consistently at the top of the rankings and delivered exhilarating performances, including one of the biggest upsets ever when he beat Luke Rockhold on short notice.
24. Francis Ngannou
Career Record: 17-3
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Awards: 6x Performance of the Night
UFC Belts Achieved: Heavyweight
UFC Title Defenses: 1
No one has ever punched as hard as Francis Ngannou. The heavyweight was arguably the scariest fighter to ever put the gloves on. Unfortunately, Ngannou's reign didn't last as long as it should have, as he left the UFC because of contract disputes after only one title defense. Ngannou had heavyweight G.O.A.T potentially, but instead he ended up being one of the biggest what-ifs in UFC history.
23. Alex Pereira
Career Record: 12-2
Weight Class: Middleweight, Light Heavyweight
Awards: Fight of the Night, 5x Performance of the Night
UFC Belts Achieved: Middleweight, Lightweight Heavyweight
UFC Title Defenses: 3
No one besides Conor McGregor has done so much in so little time. Alex Pereira didn't join the UFC until 2021, and he is already 37 years old. During that brief time, though, Pereira created a memorable rivalry with Israel Adesanya, he won titles at both middleweight and light heavyweight, and he had one of the best single-year runs ever during a fantastic 2024 that saw three knockout victories.
Pereira does damage with leg kicks and has knockout power in his fists to boot. A shot at becoming the first triple champion could be next up for Poatan, and even though he is on the older end, he has regularly stepped up for the UFC on short notice. Pereira is the current biggest (active) star in the UFC.
22. Royce Gracie
Career Record: 15-2-3
Weight Class: Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight
Awards: 3x UFC Tournament winner, Most fights in a single night (4), UFC Viewers Choice Award, UFC Hall of Fame
UFC Belts Achieved: N/A
UFC Title Defenses: N/A
You can't have a top UFC fighter list and leave Royce Gracie out. He's essentially the father of the sport and fought before weight classes became mandatory. Gracie was known as a submission artist using his MMA Gi. He was the first-ever inductee for the Hall of Fame alongside Ken Shamrock. Gracie was truly the first great UFC fighter, and he won his first 11 UFC fights.
21. Dominick Cruz
Career Record: 24-4-0
Weight Class: Bantamweight
Awards: 4x Fight of the Night, Performance of the Night, Most wins in UFC/WEC Bantamweight History (14)
UFC Belts Achieved: Bantamweight
UFC Title Defenses: 3
Famously known for his unorthodox approach, Dominick Cruz has been one of the best martial artists throughout his career, which ended in 2022. He transitioned smoothly from the WEC into the UFC during the merger and was at the forefront of the sport for years.
20. Kamaru Usman
Career Record: 20-4-0
Weight Class: Welterweight
Awards: The Ultimate Fighter 21 Welterweight Tournament Winner, 4x Performance of the Night, Fight of the Night, Most consecutive wins in Welterweight history (15)
UFC Belts Achieved: Welterweight
UFC Title Defenses: 5
Kamaru Usman had five title defenses, and despite losing his last three matches, it doesn't seem like he's going to slow down anytime soon as he's chasing Georges St-Pierre for Welterweight greatness. Usman had the third-longest winning streak in UFC history, and fans are hopeful he can get back on track. Regardless, the Nigerian Nightmare has already had a legendary career.
19. BJ Penn
Career Record: 16-14-2
Weight Class: Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight
Awards: 2x Fight of the Night, 2x Submission of the Night, Knockout of the Night, Tapout of the Night, Hall of Fame
UFC Belts Achieved: Lightweight, Welterweight
UFC Title Defenses: 3
His record might not be there, but BJ Penn was a monster in his prime. He's highly regarded as one of the most dangerous submission artists in UFC history. Penn's late career regression makes his record look worse than it could have been.
18. Israel Adesanya
Career Record: 24-4
Weight Class: Middleweight, Light Heavyweight
Awards: 6x Performance of the Night, 2x Fight of the Night
UFC Belts Achieved: 2x Middleweight Champ, Interim Middleweight Champ
UFC Title Defenses: 5
Israel Adesanya is patient in the octagon, but he picks him moments right more often than not. Adesanya won 12 straight fights at middleweight before and during his title run, making him arguably the second-greatest 185-pounder ever. The only fighter above him in that regard is Anderson Silva, and The Last Style Bender beat The Spider at UFC 234.
17. Islam Makhachev
Career Record: 26-1
Weight Class: Lightweight
Awards: 3x Fight of the Night, 2x Performance of the Night
UFC Belts Achieved: Lightweight
UFC Title Defenses: 3
Islam Makhachev is soaring up these rankings, and it might not be long until he ranks around the same place as his mentor and friend, Khabib Nurmagomedov. At 26-1, Makhachev already has one of the bet impressive records ever, and he has done it like most Dagestani fighters do: with elite wrestling/takedown ability. Don't get it twisted, though, the current Lightweight Champion can stand and bang with the best of them, though.
16. Matt Hughes
Career Record: 45-9-0
Weight Class: Welterweight
Awards: 2x Fight of the Night, Submission of the Night, 2005 Submission of the Year, UFC Hall of Fame
Belts Achieved: 2x Welterweight
Title Defenses: 7
Matt Hughes is perhaps the greatest pure wrestler of all time. His high motor kept his opponents on the defense most of the time, and he never quit until the bell was rung. Similar to Randy Couture, Hughes played a huge factor in popularizing the UFC.
15. Chuck Liddell
Career Record: 21-8-0
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight
Awards: 2x Fight of the Night, 2x Knockout of the Night, UFC Hall of Fame
Belts Achieved: Light Heavyweight
Title Defenses: 4
In the early 2000s, Chuck Liddell put the UFC on the map with his ferocious knockouts while wearing his famous mohawk. Liddell could be credited as being almost everyone's first favorite fighter when they began watching MMA. He fought with reckless abandon, but it often worked, and it certainly made his fights fun to watch.
14. Max Holloway
Career Record: 26-8-0
Weight Class: Featherweight, Lightweight
Awards: Knockout of the Night, 6x Fight of the Night, 4x Performance of the Night, Most wins in UFC Featherweight History (20)
UFC Belts Achieved: Featherweight, BMF
UFC Title Defenses: 3
Easily one of the most exciting fighters in UFC history, Max Holloway always puts on a spectacular performance. A true warrior, Holloway loves to stand and bang and put on a show each time he enters the octagon. Holloway is second all-time in fight time (8 hours, 2 minutes) and first in both significant strikes landed (3,457) and total strikes landed (3,706).
He is the self-proclaimed best boxer in the UFC, and he probably isn't wrong. Holloway's masterclass performance against Calvin Kattar displayed this, as did his UFC 300 knockout of Justin Gaethje. That knockout is arguably the best in UFC history, as it was for the BMF belt and came right before the buzzer after Holloway directed the fight (that he was winning) to the center of the cage.
Only legends have been able to slow down Holloway (three losses to Alexander Volkanovski, two to Dustin Poirier, and one to Conor McGregor), but it isn't like Holloway hasn't stepped up in the biggest moments, either. He has plenty of impressive victories to his name, and he still reigns as the “baddest motherf*****” in the UFC.
13. Alexander Volkanovski
Career Record: 26-4
Weight Class: Featherweight
Awards: 3x Fight of the Night, Performance of the Night
UFC Belts Achieved: Featherweight
UFC Title Defenses: 5
Alexander Volkanovski is nicknamed “The Great” for a reason. Volkanovski won his first 12 UFC fights, and although he has dropped three of his last four, no one will doubt what he has accomplished so far or his odds of getting back on track.
12. Randy Couture
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Career Record: 19-11-0
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight
Awards: UFC Tournament Winner, 2x Fight of the Night, UFC Viewer Choice Award, UFC Hall of Fame
Belts Achieved: 3x Heavyweight champ, 2x Light Heavyweight champ, Interim Light Heavyweight Champ
Title Defenses: 3
Randy Couture is one of the most influential fighters in UFC history. He's known for his grind-it-out style against the cage and mauling people with dominant wrestling. Couture is a UFC legend. Couture demonstrated the extreme edge that mixed martial artists have on boxers when he dominated James Toney at UFC 118, even though Couture was well past his prime. While he didn't hold the belts simultaneously, Couture did become the first UFC fighter ever to be a champion in two different weight classes.
11. Henry Cejudo
Career Record: 16-4-0
Weight Class: Flyweight, Bantamweight
Awards: 4th All-Time Double-Champ, 3x Performance of the Night, Fight of the Night
UFC Belts Achieved: Flyweight, Bantamweight
UFC Title Defenses: 2
The fourth UFC star to earn the title “Champ-Champ,” Henry Cejudo finally won his first belt and then steamrolled for a second. He has to be considered a top 25 fighter, as he's on a shortlist of people to hold two belts simultaneously. Cejudo is nicknamed Triple C because he has won gold three different times.
On top of his two UFC belts, Cejudo was also an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling. He obviously thrived in that department inside of a cage, but his standup was much better than you'd expect from someone with a wrestling background, too.
10. José Aldo
Career Record: 32-9-0
Weight Class: Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight
Awards: 4x Fight of the Night, 2x Performance of the Night, WEC Featherweight Champ
Belts Achieved: 2x Featherweight
Title Defenses: 7
Only five fighters have ever held the Featherweight Championship belt in the UFC. The first ever was Jose Aldo. Aldo once went nine years without losing between WEC and the UFC, and he is still going strong today after un-retiring in 2024. Unfortunately, Aldo might always be remembered most for being on the wrong end of a Conor McGregor punch, but he did so much more in his UFC career.
9. Conor McGregor
Career Record: 22-6-0
Weight Class: Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight
Awards: First UFC Double-Champ, 7x Performance of the Night, 2x Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night, Fastest Title Fight victory in UFC history (13 seconds), 2015 Fighter of the Year, 2021 Highest-Paid Athlete
Belts Achieved: Featherweight & Lightweight
Title Defenses: 0
Conor McGregor just understands entertainment. He used his mouth to gain attention, then used his fists to back it all up. McGregor is the first-ever “Champ-Champ” and ended up being the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2021, a feat nobody expected from a UFC fighter.
The Notorious is currently in the process of returning from a serious injury suffered in 2021, but expect him to be back (maybe) in 2025. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler in 2024, but he ended up pulling out of that fight, and it is hard to know if or when McGregor will ever return. After all, he really doesn't need the money. While he didn't necessarily put together the best resume in UFC history overall, he certainly had one of the best primes ever, and there is no doubting that he is the most influential UFC fighter of all time. The sport wouldn't be close to where is is today if there was no McGregor.
While his grappling and stamina has lacked, McGregor has a case as the most talented striker in UFC history. He was creative and effective with both his hands and his legs, as evidenced by his 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo; the best knockout in UFC history.
8. Amanda Nunes
Career Record: 23-5-0
Weight Class: Women's Bantamweight, Women's Featherweight
Awards: Third UFC Double-Champ, First Fighter in UFC History to defend two belts simultaneously, Most wins in UFC title fights amongst women (10), 5x Performance of the Night
Belts Achieved: Women's Bantamweight (2x) & Featherweight
Title Defenses: 7 Total (5x Bantamweight, 2x Featherweight)
The third “Champ-Champ” in UFC history, Amanda Nunes absolutely demolished two weight classes simultaneously, as she is the only fighter ever to defend belts in multiple divisions at the same time. Nunes is far and away the greatest female fighter ever, and it might be a long time before anyone can even give her a run for her money.
7. Daniel Cormier
Career Record: 22-3-0, 1 NC
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight
Awards: Second UFC Double-Champ, 3x Performance of the Night, 2x Fight of the Night, Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ,
Belts Achieved: Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight
Title Defenses: 4
The second “Champ-Champ” in UFC history. Daniel Cormier is, without a doubt, a true legend of the sport. He's one of the best wrestlers in the world but also has the standup game to go toe-to-toe with the best in the world. Cormier was most dominant in the clinch. No fighter was more comfortable being right in the thick of things during a fight as Cormier was. He only ever lost to two different fighters during his MMA career, both of which we will get to later in this ranking.
6. Stipe Miocic
Career Record: 20-4-0
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Awards: 5x Performance of the Night, 3x Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night
Belts Achieved: 2x Heavyweight
Title Defenses: 4
Stipe Miocic is considered the best Heavyweight fighter of all time, and he's just retired from the UFC after losing to an athlete we have even higher on this list. This weight class bounces around more often than any other class, as Heavyweights have the knockout power to end the bout at any moment. Miocic has proven to be a top athlete throughout his MMA career. Miocic has power like other heavyweights, but what separated him as a puncher was how lethal he was as a boxer in terms of combinations, accuracy, and intelligence.
5. Demetrious Johnson
Career Record: 27-3-1
Weight Class: Bantamweight, Flyweight
Awards: UFC Flyweight Championship Winner, 3x Fight of the Night, 4x Performance of the Night, Submission of the Night, Knockout of the Night, 2019 ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion
Belts Achieved: Flyweight
Title Defenses: 11
Demetrious Johnson silently defended the Flyweight title 11 consecutive times, which puts him second all-time in total title defenses. Johnson can be credited for putting the Flyweight division on the map, as it is now one of the most thrilling weight classes in the UFC.
While he only fought at 125 pounds (and eventually became a double champ after moving up to 135), Mighty Mouse is the kind of fighter who could likely give much bigger opponents a run for their money. Johnson even had success post-UFC after being involved in a trade that sent him to ONE Championship. During his UFC run, you can look at his submission win over Ray Borg. The flying armbar is considered by most to be the greatest submission in UFC history, and it is a perfect example of what Johnson was capable of in the octagon.
4. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Career Record: 29-0
Weight Class: Lightweight, Welterweight
Awards: 3x Performance of the Night, 2020 UFC Honors Submission of the Year
Belts Achieved: Lightweight
Title Defenses: 3
Going 29-0, Khabib Nurmagomedov set the pace in every single fight he participated in. His wrestling is so strong it makes elite wrestlers look like novices. Once he got fighters to the canvas, his ground-and-pound was even more deadly. Khabib is arguably the greatest of all time. His rivalry with Conor McGregor led to the biggest event in UFC history, and The Eagle probably could have held onto an undefeated record for much longer if he didn't retire during his prime.
3. Anderson Silva
Career Record: 34-11-0, 1 NC
Weight Class: Middleweight, Light Heavyweight
Awards: 7x Knockout of the Night, 5x Fight of the Night, 2x Submission of the Night, Longest Title reign in UFC history (2,457 days),
Belts Achieved: Middleweight
Title Defenses: 10
Perhaps one of the most dominant title reigns in UFC history, Anderson Silva proved to be the best during his prime. Once he put his hands down and used movement as his main defense, every viewer knew what was coming next … a knockout, leaving little doubt that he is one of the greatest UFC fighter of all time.
Silva's striking was unmatched and his prime was long and dominant. The only thing holding him back from the top spot was a late-career fall off. Seven of his 11 losses come at the end of his career, but before that he had separate win streaks of nine and 17.
2. Georges St-Pierre
Career Record: 26-2-0
Weight Class: Welterweight, Middleweight
Awards: 4x Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night, Submission of the Night, Performance of the Night, UFC Hall of Fame
Belts Achieved: 2x Welterweight, Middleweight
Title Defenses: 9
Georges St-Pierre was known to stick to his game plan and dominate the fight. What was more impressive is St-Pierre would often play to his opponent's strengths and outclass them at their own game. He is arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time. St-Pierre's only two losses came against Matt Hughes and Matt Serra, both of whom he got redemption victories over later.
1. Jon Jones
Career Record: 28-1-0, 1 NC
Weight Class: Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight
Awards: 4x Fight of the Night, 2x Submission of the Night, Knockout of the Night, 3x Performance of the Night, Youngest UFC Champion (23 Years Old), UFC Hall of Fame, Longest Light Heavyweight champion reign (1,501 days), Longest unbeaten streak in UFC history (20), Most wins in UFC title fights (16)
Belts Achieved: 2x Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight
Title Defenses: 13
The Tom Brady/Michael Jordan of the UFC, Jon Jones is the greatest MMA fighter of all time, and you can go ask Dana White to confirm that. After winning the Light Heavyweight title at just 23 years old, Jon Jones defended the belt 12 times. After beating everyone in the division, Jones moved up to Heavyweight and beat Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. Most recently, he took down heavyweight G.O.A.T Stipe Miocic, and more legacy fights are on the horizon for Bones.
He has had his fair share of problems outside of the octagon, but as a fighter, it is hard to match anyone up to Jones. His athletic abilities, combined with his technical style, make him a horrifying opponent to face. He is a complete and perfect fighter, and that is why he hasn't ever really lost in the octagon. The only blemish on his record came against Matt Hamill in a fight he was dominating but one he was disqualified from because of (now recently legalized) 12-6 elbows.
