Who is the best MMA fighter of all time?

Who is the best UFC fighter ever? Read on the find out.

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Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) had become one of the major sports that has won the hearts of many. The MMA came into limelight during the days of “the underground” where there were basically no rules and sanctioned fighters were allowed to do all sorts of moves, including hair pulling and groin strikes.

To determine who the best fighters are, among the numerous fighters to have graced the MMA, we have considered factors such as their dominance in the game, their skills, and their peaks. Yet, it still boils down to endless debate when trying to determine who the greatest fighters of all-time are.

This article gives insight into the top-20 of the best MMA fighters ever. History will never forget their contributions and how they have been able to gain the hearts of fans in the MMA space.

Here are the Best MMA Fighters of All-Time in UFC History

* Pro MMA record are in Win-Loss-Draw and No Contest formats.

20. Quinton Jackson “Rampage”

• Country: United States
• Record: 38-14-0

There are different tactics and fighting styles in the MMA, and each fighter is usually known for a particular skill or tactic. For Jackson, (also known as Rampage) his spectacular tactics were to carry his opponent over his head and give them great slams. He was popularly known for his move and it also helped to save him on several occasions. An instance was when he was stuck in Ricardo Arona’s triangle submission. Surprisingly, he delivered himself – using this spectacular move.

19. Amanda Nunes “The Lioness”

• Country: Brazil
• Record: 20-4-0

This is one of the greatest female fighters ever to grace the MMA and the UFC. After her great defeat at the UFC 178, she was able to turn things around. Shortly after the loss, she bounced back and became an animal, defeating many of her mates including the notorious Cyborg. Amanda Nunes is gradually becoming one of the biggest names in the industry.

18. Wanderlei Silva “The Axe Murderer”

• Country: Brazil
• Record: 35-14-1, 1 NC

Nicknamed ‘The Axe Murderer’, Silva gained his nickname by how he fights. Going back to the days when he was in his prime, only a few other fighters had the courage to face him. How he would stare at his opponent and wring their hands was one of the things the world will never forget about him. What many liked about Silva was how he would chase his opponents, as he moved forward forcing his opponent to move backwards in response to the deadly pressure being mounted.

17. Randy Couture “The Natural”

• Country: United States
• Record: 19-11-0

To become the UFC champion on two different occasions in one’s career as a fighter in the MMA is not easy to achieve. Randy Couture is one of the few fighters who has been able to achieve this, thus, joining the ranks of the best UFC fighters ever. Randy was popularly known for his “dirty boxing’ tactics, which have earned him victory over his opponents on several occasions.

16. Frankie Edgar “The Answer”

• Country: United States
• Record: 23-8-1

Edgar became popular when he had a remarkable victory over B. J. Penn. Prior to the fight, Penn had smashed Diego Sanchez, and fans were expecting Penn to at least keep the momentum going for a short while. Surprisingly, Edgar had a fantastic victory over him. What surprised fans most was how he was able to prove himself as he did in several consecutive challenges after beating Penn.

15. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira “Minotauro”

• Country: Brazil
• Record: 34-10-1, 1 NC

To win the UFC Heavyweight title is no easy feat. However, Antonio Rodrigo is one of the rare fighters to earn this through his fights and victories over many big names in the industry. He was known for not wasting time in going for the submission. Unlike other fighters who will hold their opponent closely and wait for the referee to come to stand them back up, Rodrigo had spectacular moves he used in getting his opponents stuck in his trap.

14. Mauricio Rua “Shogun”

• Country: Brazil
• Record: 26-11-1

Nicknamed as Shogun, Rua is popularly known for his superior striking skills. He is also known for not rushing to go for the submission. He would make sure he satisfies his appetite by dishing out some heavy hammer fists on his opponents before going for the submission. Shogun had his training with a few other fighters at the famous Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil. Coming out of such an academy, Rua’s moves came as no surprise to fans.

13. Dan Henderson “Hendo”

• Country: United States
• Record: 32-15-0

Nicknamed Hendo, Dan Henderson was popular for his overhand right tactics. With the power in his right hand, he was able to defeat many of his opponents. Another thing that has helped Henderson survive the heavy impacts of his opponents’ blows was his iron chin. With this chin, he was able to withstand heavy blows that might have finished other fighters.

12. Dominick Cruz “The Dominator”

• Country: United States
• Record: 22-3-0

Cruz is popularly known for his superb movements, which made it hard for his opponents to predict what his next move would be. The number one item on his priority list was to not get hit. Although he is not one of the best when it comes to submission and knockout, he is able to comfortably evade many of his opponents’ hits.

11. Daniel Cormier “DC”

• Country: United States
• Record: 22-2-0, 1 NC

This is one of the few fighters to have gained success in both heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. Cormier was able to defeat many of his opponents who would stand on his way of maintaining his position as light heavyweight champion. However, he was stopped by Jon Jones.

10. Conor McGregor “The Notorious”

• Country: Ireland
• Record: 22-4-0

Conor McGregor is one of the biggest names in the industry right now who is popularly known for his frequent trash talks. Ranked #4 in the UFC lightweight rankings and #8 in the UFC Men’s pound for pound rankings as of June 2020, McGregor is also one of the rare fighters who have been able to hold the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles two times. His left punch is one of his most favourite weapons and he uses it to have his way with his opponents. He is still young in the game and more is expected from him.

9. B.J. Penn “The Prodigy”

• Country: United States
• Record: 16-14-2

Penn is one of the few great fighters the MMA can boast of. He is one of the fastest fighters to earn the Jiu-Jitsu and the first American to bag the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship. Penn was able to defeat many of his opponents with his grappling skills. One event that fans will never forget was when he was seen licking the blood on his gloves after his victory over Joe Stevenson. “The Prodigy” deserves to be among the list of the best MMA fighters of all-time.

8. Chuck Liddell “The Iceman”

• Country: United States
• Record: 21-9-0

Chuck may not have the fancy striking skills, but his vicious hands and granite chin were two of his deadliest weapons. He has been able to deceive his opponents with his deadly striking only to surprised them with his kicks. All these have made him stand out among many of his counterparts.

7. Matt Hughes

• Country: United States
• Record: 45-9-0

Matt was known for how he would carry his opponents and smash them down, sending them into a great defeat. He had many skills in his arsenal to defeat his opponents. Matt is one of the scariest and toughest fighters in the industry. He was never satisfied with just taking his opponents down, he would always follow with a great punch, which also contributed to his reputation.

6. Demetrius Johnson “Mighty Mouse”

• Country: United States
• Record: 30-3-1

Demetrius Johnson is not only the first fighter to earn UFC flyweight championship, but he is also the only fighter to hold the record. He is holding the title and on his mission to break Anderson Silva’s record of defending the title consecutively. What makes him stand out among other fighters is his high IQ, speed, and footwork, which has made it difficult for his opponents to defeat him.

5. Fedor Emelianenko “The Last Emperor”

• Country: Russia
• Record: 39-6-0, 1 NC

Before Fedor Emelianenko came to MMA, he was a Combat Sambo champion, and this has helped him blend him succeed in the MMA. At first glance, you may write him off as unfit for a fight. But as the fight goes on, you become convinced that he is one of the best fighters the MMA has been blessed with in UFC history.

4. Khabib Nurmagomedov “The Eagle”

• Country: Russia
• Record: 28-0-0

If we are to mention a few fighters who will never be forgotten in the world of MMA, Khabib is one name that will never be left out. He does not only win his fights, he wins most of them hands-down. Fans even regard him as an animal as a result of his great moves and performances.

What makes Nurmagomedov truly remarkable is the fact that his opponents usually know his next moves, yet they still lack what it takes to stop him. You may want to ask why he is not the first on the list? He is not making it to the first position because he hasn’t had the chance perhaps after he has had the time to defend his titles consistently as a few others have.

3. Jon Jones “Bones”

• Country: United States
• Record: 26-1-0, 1 NC

In his early career, Jones was able to defeat Mauricio Rua to earn the UFC youngest champion when he was just 23. He had a rapid rise in his career and is not showing any sign of slowing down. He is always remembered for his great victory over Reyes, which was his 14^th title defence. Jon Jones is simply a legend. He is often revered by pundits as one of the best fighters ever. All eyes are on Jones for what his performances will be in his next fights.

2. Anderson Silva “The Spider”

• Country: Brazil
• Record: 34-10-0, 1 NC

Though he is known for his great performance in the Jiu-Jitsu, what makes Anderson Silva stand out among other fighters in the UFC is his great striking skills. He has been able to deceive his opponents with his smooth and harmless looks, through which he is able to defeat many of his opponents. Silva was able to set his opponents into a trap by mocking them of their actions and moves. When this happens, opponents become frustrated and try to bring him down, and that is when Silva would have his way. Anderson Silva is a major contender of the title of the greatest in the UFC.

1. George St. Pierre “Rush”

• Country: Canada
• Record: 26-2-0

George St. Pierre is the best MMA fighter of all-time. Yes, he was not the best at knockouts, but his strong will was too much for many fighters to break. One thing that surprised all was that he did not have any wrestling background before launching into MMA. Yet, he was always in the best position to put his opponents down. Pierre’s reputation was further heightened when he had a great victory over Michael Bisping at UFC 217.

Final Words

Regardless of the sport, the ‘best-ever’ topic is always a controversial matter. Aside from Wayne Gretzky, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and perhaps Serena Williams who are unarguably the best in their sport, there are rarely a few sports where it might be obvious who the title of the greatest of all time should be bestowed.

What are your thoughts on our top-20 best MMA fighters of all-time? Please feel free to share in the comments section below.

The UFC celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with the first ever UFC bout taking place in November 12, 1993 at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado.

The UFC held UFC Fight Night 139 last weekend to commemorate its silver year. Now let’s look back at the UFC’s first 25 years by listing down the 10 all-time best fighters we’ve seen inside the octagon.

10.Chuck Liddell

Photo: mmatakeover.com

A former NCAA Division I wrestler at Cal Poly, Chuck Liddell was one of the best pure strikers in the game. He would show up at a fight, look his opponent straight in the eye and most often than not, end up clubbing his foe to submission. No Liddell fight wasn’t exciting. It was either he got the knockout or he got knocked out.

The Iceman won the UFC light heavyweight title by stopping Randy Couture at UFC 52 in the 2005 Knockout of the Year. Liddell would go on to defend the title four times, all by knockout before losing the belt to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 71. In what stands as his last career win, Liddell slugged it out with Wanderlei Silva in the 2007 Fight of the Year, winning the bloody bout via unanimous decision.

9.Royce Gracie

Photo: bloodyelbow.com

One of the pioneers of the UFC, Royce Gracie was sent by his family to represent their own brand of mixed martial arts to the mainstream. At a time when Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was unknown, Gracie defeated three opponents in a combined 299 seconds to win the UFC 1 Tournament.

That victory shook the martial arts world and would forever redefine combat spots. Soon after, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gyms sprouted all over the country and today, most MMA fighters have BJJ background. Gracie would go on to compete at UFC 2 and win the tournament again by defeating four men in one night of gruelling competition.

Gracie won his first 11 UFC bouts, a record at that time. His rivalry with fellow pioneer Ken Shamrock is one of the most important rivalries in the sport. Gracie defeated Shamrock in the finals of UFC 1 but with Shamrock keen on getting revenge, the UFC set them up for the first super fight in UFC history at UFC 5. The bout was one of the promotion’s first PPV hits, earning a record 260K PPV buys.

Top 10 Most Boring Ufc Fighters

8. Randy Couture

Photo: gazettereview.com

Randy Couture started his MMA career at an age when most would already be past their prime. For the next decade, he would build a career that would make him the fighter with the most title reigns. Couture was a three time UFC heavyweight champion, a two-time UFC light heavyweight champion and once an interim light heavyweight title holder.

Couture would figure in a record 16 title fights. He holds the UFC record for most wins in the heavyweight division at 6. He is the oldest champion in MMA history and the only fighter to win a championship after being inducted to the hall of fame. Couture is also the only fighter to have won a title fight at the age of 40 or older and he did so four times.

In his first bout with Chuck Liddell, Couture became the first fighter in UFC history to win world titles in two different weight classes. Couture’s title win over Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 gave Couture the record for the oldest champion in UFC history at age of 43 years and 255 days old, a record that still stands right now.

7. Jose Aldo

Photo: bloodyelbow.com

Most young fans know Jose Aldo as the man whom Conor McGregor annihilated in 13 seconds. But those who have followed the UFC since its inception know that Aldo is more than just a knockout in the brash Irishman’s record.

Jose Aldo began his career in the UFC’s sister company, the WEC. He was the fourth and final WEC featherweight title and the inaugural UFC champion after the UFC/WEC merger. In a decade that began on November 2005 and ended in December 2015, Jose Aldo was undefeated.

His resume is also impressive. He was featherweight champion for 1,848 days, the fourth longest title reign in UFC history. During that period, he also defended his title seven consecutive times, fifth most in UFC history. He was Sherdog’s 2009 Fighter of the Year and is considered the best featherweight in the history of the UFC.

6. B.J. Penn

Photo: lowkickmma.com

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B.J. Penn was one of the first complete fighters the UFC had ever seen. Having no prior experience, he arrived in 2001 and showcased a game that both had knockout power and excellent submissions skills. Penn earned the nickname “The Prodigy” after he earned his BJJ black belt in a blazing three years only.

Penn was the first American gold medalist in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships before coming over to the UFC. In the UFC, he is one of only five fighters to win world titles in two different weight classes. Penn also competed in four MMA weight classes over the course of his legendary career: featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight.

B.J. Penn was an icon of the sport. He took one one challenge after another without the fear of losing a fight. He won the lightweight title, broke the most successful title defenses record and then moved up in weight to stun longtime champion Matt Hughes to become a two weight division champion.

5. Demetrious Johnson

Photo: sbnation.com

They say big things come in small packages and that’s what describes Demetrious Johnson inside the cage. Known as Mighty Mouse, Johnson is known for his cat-like reflexes, quick striking and elusive movement.

Johnson was the inaugural UFC flyweight champion, having won the UFC flyweight tournament in 2012. He would then go on to establish the most dominant reign of any champion in UFC history, defending the belt for a record 11 straight times. Widely regarded as one of the greatest ever and the best flyweight ever, Mighty Mouse was one of the top pound for pound fighters during his reign.

Johnson also holds the UFC record for the latest submission scored at the 4:59 mark of round 5 during his bout against Kyoji Horiguchi. Johnson also holds the record for most takedowns landed in flyweight history and he is also the only fighter to record ten takedowns in three different fights.

4. Jon Jones

Photo: mmamania.com

Take away all the controversies, the legal woes, the failed drug tests and all, this man is probably the greatest of all time. We can only imagine what would have been had he not spent all those time away from the octagon because on one reason or another.

Jon Jones is the youngest fighter to ever win a UFC world title. He did so at the age of 23 years. He is the older brother of current NFL player Chandler Jones and is a two-time light heavyweight champion. Jones has one loss in his fight record but that was a disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009 when Jones threw illegal elbows. Other than that, Jones has been spotless and save for his bout with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, no one has come close to challenging Jones.

Jones defeated current UFC double champion Daniel Cormier twice, beating DC by a wide decision in their first bout and knocking him out soundly in their second encounter. But Jones’ legacy has been tainted by drug issues and legal woes. Still, no one can deny that he is one of the best fighter the UFC has ever seen.

3. Daniel Cormier

Photo: mmafighting.com

The UFC’s double champ may have lost twice to Jon Jones but hands down, he ranks one spot ahead of Jones in the All-time great list. The 39 year old Cormier is on his way to retirement and with one more fight left in his career, he has proven to be better than most had expected.

Cormier won a pair of light heavyweight titles but the first was for the vacant belt after Jon Jones was first stripped and the other was reinstated after Jones failed a drug test. Because of this, DC never got the respect he had as 205 pound champion, because he never beat the man who beat the man. But after knocking out Stipe Miocic to win the UFC heavyweight title, Cormier suddenly finds himself among the all-time greats.

Cormier is one of five fighters to win world titles in two different weight classes. But he is the only fighter in UFC history to have successfully defended both. Cormier will be stripped of the 205 pound belt once the Jones-Gus rematch starts. Regardless, DC has put a stamp on a remarkable run.

2. Anderson Silva

Photo: sportskeeda.com

Many call Anderson Silva the Greatest of All-Time and we don’t blame them. The Spider reigned as UFC middleweight champion from 2006 to 2013, a period that totalled 2,457 days and is the longest title reign ever in the UFC. During that period, Silva won a record 16 consecutive UFC bouts.

Silva has provided us with some of the greatest moments in UFC history. His front kick knockout of Vitor Belfort was spectacular. His fifth round submission of Chael Sonnen is still one of the greatest comeback in UFC history. His stoppage of Forrest Griffin was electric and it was like he entered the Matrix realm.

Like many Brazilians, Silva has been linked with drug use and he has been suspended for it. Still, nobody would argue that at a time when Conor McGregor wasn’t even fighting yet, Silva was the showman that McGregor would become. No doubt, one of the greatest ever, the UFC wouldn’t be what it is today without Anderson Silva.

Who Are The Top 10 Ufc Fighters

1. Georges St. Pierre

Top 10 Most Popular Ufc Fighters 2019

Photo: ufc.com

Some call his style boring but that’s just how dominant Georges St. Pierre has always been all throughout his mixed martial arts career. GSP wouldn’t need any spectacular knockouts nor fancy submissions. He would just put his opponents down on the ground and grind them to victory. Boring or not, GSP is no doubt the greatest.

His Canadian fan base made him the UFC’s biggest PPV star ever, before McGregor came along. As a welterweight champion, GSP held the title for a combined 2,204 days, second longest combined streak in UFC history. He also defended the UFC welterweight title 9 times. After a retirement, he returned at UFC 217 to defeat Michael Bisping and become the fourth double champion in UFC history. He is currently on hiatus.

Top 20 Ufc Fighters

St. Pierre has one of the highest winning percentages in UFC history, winning 20 of 22 bouts and having beaten every opponent he’s ever faced. He has two losses in his record but he avenged both in spectacular fashion. It’s unclear whether GSP will ever fight again but no doubt whatever he accomplishes further will only be more icing on the cake.