Top-10 UFC Fighters of All Time
- Zak Drapeau
- 49 minutes ago
- 10 min read
by Zak Drapeau 12/20/2025
Sportz Nation
So this will be my third time making this list since 2018 and truth be told there isn't too much change from my most recent list in 2022 with MMA Complete but there are a few. Since the dawn of one of the greatest sports on Earth, while not the first company to do so, the UFC became one of the biggest MMA promotions in the world when it started on November 12, 1993 and has been the #1 of it's kind for over two decades to date.
While I'd love to make a list ranking the best MMA artists ever, most of you only care about the UFC so that's what this list is... No achievements outside of the UFC count. Not Rua, Jackson and Fedor's runs in Pride, or Cormier, Cejudo and Kayla Harrison's prestigious Olympic resumes.
I want to mention that my list as it stands right now does not give attention to anyone that fought in the UFC before 2004 and even then doesn't give enough attention to most of the greats before the 2010s. I am a huge fan of the Gracies and Liddells and Penns and Mirs of the UFC historic past but quite simply, the new guys more often then not are better. So if you think that I am a new fan of the sport and don't give enough credit to the old guys I don't blame you but you're wrong. As good as Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock were, there are guys in the UFC today that are barely in their division's Top-5 that have better careers then them. While it's important to look at the sport in a historic perspective and understand how great they were at their time, know that this list isn't about "who was best at their own time", it's just about the best. Although maybe that;s a good idea for a list for another time...
Without further ado let's get into the Top-10! (Which is actually a Top-15 with honorable mentions.)
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Wanted To Mention
Conor McGregor
Henry Cejudo
Charles Oliveira
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Honorable Mentions
Valentina Shevchenko
26-4-1
9 Title Defenses
Longest UFC Win Streak: 9
For my money the second best Woman to ever compete in the UFC, Valentina has been dominant in the Flyweight division for 10 years now and has only lost once when competing at 125 pounds. Her most recent fight improved her stock even more by completely dominating Weili Zhang, herself one of the best fighters of all time. In 10 years fighting the best women in the world 2 of her only 3 UFC losses comes to someone we'll be talking about a little later on.
Jose Aldo
32-10
9 Title Defenses
Longest UFC Win Streak: 15
It is devastating to me that I don't include the greatest Featherweight of All Time in my Top-10 but unfortunately for Aldo, the latter years of his career hurt his stock. Until the McGregor fight, Aldo may have been the Pound-for-Pound best in the world for years. With 9 Title Defenses stemming from 2009 to 2014, and 10 total Title Fight wins in his career, Aldo faced the best of the best in the early days of UFC's Featherweight division, truly setting the bar that others such as Volkanovski and Holloway would measure up to but fall short.
Kamaru Usman
21-4
5 Title Defenses
Longest UFC Win Streak: 15
The Pound-for-Pound #1 for 2 and a half years from 2020 to mid-2022, Kamaru Usman was "the Boogeyman" of the Welterweight Division. If not for an immaculate, last-minute knockout by Leon Edwards, I'm not sure he wouldn't still be Champion. nevertheless, from 2018 to 2022, no one wanted to fight this man including the then-Champion Tyron Woodley who Usman would dominate. Currently tied for the 3rd-longest win streak in UFC history, Usman would top his division and take on all challengers, including "Lapping" top contenders like Jorge Masvidal and his massive rivalry with Colby Covington. Even recently bringing the current-Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev to a razor thin-Majority Decision.
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Top-10
Stipe Miocic
20-5
4 Title Defenses
Longest UFC Win Streak: 6
The Greatest Heavyweight in UFC History, (If this was All-Time Heavyweights he would have been topped by Fedor but that's for another day,) Stipe's prime was magnificent. In the division's last great years we've seen, Stipe not only topped the division but set the record for most consecutive Title Defenses. Stipe's only losses during his Prime years was to Francis Ngannou and Daniel Cormier while he holds wins over Cormier twice as well as Ngannou, Werdum, Overeem and JDS. The bottom line is this, while his stats aren't as explosive as some others that didn't make this list, Heavyweights matter more and no big man was ever as good as Miocic... well sort of.
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9. Daniel Cormier
22-3 (1 NC)
4 Title Defenses
2-Division Champion
Longest UFC Win Streak: 4
So this is where it gets tricky because technically Cormier is a Heavyweight but I just said Miocic was the best Heavyweight...? No one is arguing that Cormier wasn't great but how can I put him above Miocic?
Simple, not only did he stop Miocic' record-setting streak but he was also the UFC's 3rd ever Champ-Champ at both 205 and 265. In Cormier's 26 professional fights in his career, he's only lost to Stipe and Jon Jones and that my friends, is the greatest losing resume in MMA history.
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8. Dominick Cruz
24-4
6 Title Defenses
Longest UFC Win Streak: 12
Alright youngens, let me teach you a little something about older UFC. While the likes of Gracie, Shamrock, Couture and Liddell aren't on this list, Dominick Cruz and two other fighter we'll get to represent the UFC before the McGregor-boom. The man you all probably know as a commentator these days is the greatest Bantamweight ever and I'll tell you why. From 2008 to 2016 no one could even touch Cruz at 135 and he would make one of the best runs we've ever seen. The thing is Cruz would barely even fight at his peak. Between 2012 and 2020 when he would be 27 to 25 years old, Cruz would only fight 4 times (and win them all) in between tearing his ACL 3 times. If Cuz had never gotten injured it would be extremely possible he'd be Top-5 of this list.
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7. Islam Makhachev
28-1
4 Title Defenses
2-Division Champion
Longest UFC Win Streak: 16
The highest fighter on this list who has never retired and the most likely member of this list to climb it's ranks in the near future, Islam Makhachev was already one of the UFC's greats before his last fight gave him "Champ-Champ" status, (I know the UFC makes people vacate their belts now to move up but Makhachev is as "Champ-Champ" as anyone has ever been.) Makhachev has done everything in the sport from defending his title versus the very best, to being Pound-for-Pound #1 to moving up a division. If Makhachev hadn't suffered his early-career knockout loss to Adriano Martins, he might be #2 on this list already... but you all aren't ready for that conversation.
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6. Amanda Nunes
23-5
9 Title Defenses
2-Division Champion
Longest UFC Win Streak: 12
The Greatest Woman to ever compete in Mixed Martial Arts and it's not even close, Amanda Nunes was the unrecognized UFC's Pound-for-Pound #1 no matter of gender for over 4 years. Holding wins against all of the other best Woman in UFC history such as Shevchenko twice, Rousey, Tate, de Randamie, Holm and Cyborg, Nunes would avenge her only championship loss in her career with a dominant victory over Julianna Pena shortly before "retiring" in 2023. With her return scheduled for January 2026 to challenge the new Queen Kayla Harrison, a win for the Lioness would have her enter the Top-5 on my list.
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5. Demetrious Johnson
25-4-1
11 Title Defenses
Longest UFC Win Streak: 13
* This entry excludes Johnson's latter years in OneFC
Here's a fun fact for you, the UFC only added the Pound-for-Pound rankings because they wanted to give more recognition to Mighty Mouse. Truth be told the ONLY knock to Demetrious Johnson in his career was the lack of competition he faced as the Flyweight division struggled until about 2018, (right when D.J. was traded out of the UFC.) After his first challenge of a UFC title was a loss in the Bantamweight division to Cruz, Johnson would go on a run of dominance we've really only seen once before. 13 straight wins including 7 stoppages and only one fight going to a split decision, Johnson didn't even come close to being rivaled at 125 for over 5 years. Having wins over Cejudo, Benavidez twice, Borg and Horiguchi, Mighty Mouse may be the most under-appreciated MMA fighters of All Time and should be recognized by all as Top-5 of All Time.
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4. Khabib Nurmagomedov
29-0
3 Title Defenses
Longest UFC Win Streak: 13
I know this isn't the most popular take in the world but I'm a lot more critical of Khabib's All Time stature among this list than most people... I think he's a bit overrated. That being said he's of course one of the best of all time with an undefeated record and a dominance in wrestling that has legitimately changed the UFC and it's fighters forever. While some say his undefeated record and wrestling-ability makes him the G.O.A.T., I just can't put him above the final 3 guys on my lsit because of one thing... Strength of Schedule.
For my money, Khabib's 29-0 record boils down to the final 8 fights of his career which are the only 8 fights he actually competed with a "Good-to-Great fighter" and we all know what that means. With only 4 title fights in his career I have no doubt that if he didn't retire after the tragic death of his father and competed for 2+ mor years that he would top this list but as it stands now, these other 3 guys are just better.
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3. Anderson Silva
34-11 (1 NC)
10 Title Defenses
Longest UFC Win Streak: 16
Now the biggest problem with having Anderson this high is the final years of his career and I respect that. From 2013 to 2020, he had a record of 1-7 (1 NC) and then the whole Jake Paul boxing thing which was HEAVILY impacted by the gruesome leg injury he suffered in 2013. He would also be popped for PEDs in his return fight in 2015 which I understand really hurts his stock to some people but not mine when it can be assumed they were used to return from his injury.
So here's my argument, the greatest "Prime Years" we've ever seen in the UFC from a single fighter belong to Silva from 2006 to 2012. And listen, if you weren't there to watch him I get it if you don't agree with me. However, for those who did see him live, Anderson was just different. He was special. Probably the greatest striker there's ever been and the "longest" Win Streak we've seen until Makhachev tied it this year at 16. I'll even put him on the shortlist for greatest knockout in UFC history in his fight with Vitor.
There's no question his final years hurt his stock but If Anderson retired after the second-Sonnen fight, he'd be the GOAT.
-Note from the Author:
So everyone's list will be different somehow when going from #3 to #10 but if you have anyone else at 1 and 2, you're flat out wrong.
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2. Georges St. Pierre
26-2
10 Title Defenses
2 Division Champion
Longest UFC Win Streak: 13
While the #1 entry on my list has more asterisks to his name than Barry Bonds, Georges St. Pierre is not only one of the very greatest ever but he deserves extra praise to his name for always doing it the right way. One of the most complete mixed-martial artists in history, St. Pierre is the earliest fighter on this list in terms of when they fought. With 2 losses in the early stages of his UFC careers via first round stoppages, St Pierre would go on to avenge both and start one of the greatest streaks in UFC history.
From 2007 to 2017, St. Pierre would win 13 in a row, win championships in 2 divisions, defend his Welterweight crown 10 times, have two marquee-UFC rivalries with Matt Hughes and BJ Penn, defeat 5 Hall of Famers and then retire on top. It can't be overstated just how good Georges was at this time. Not only was he beating everyone but he was always improving. He was one of the best strikers early in his career and by the time he retired became the best wrestler we'd ever seen too.
St. Pierre is going to be a lot of people's #1 and I can't blame them. In my eyes, his reputation of never failing a drug test is what pushes him above my #1 and I'm all for it as I have nothing negative to say about GSP and I mean no disrespect at all by this; I just like the other guy better.
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1. Jon Jones
28-1 (1 NC)
12 Title Defenses
2-Division Champ
Longest UFC Win Streak: 13 (20*)
Look, as I said earlier Jones has so many asterisks to his UFC career and GOAT status that sometimes they're hard to keep track. 2 or was it 3 failed drug tests? Multiple personal demons including arrests and possible domestic violence rumors... it gets pretty bad.
Here's the simple truth. No one has ever been as good of a fighter as Jon Jones. If you had to pick one person to be on your side in a fight in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD, it's probably Jon Jones.
His record of 28-1 (1NC) at the top of this entry is deceiving because he is undefeated. No, no, no, he IS undefeated. In 30 fights including 24 in the UFC, Jon Jones has been the better man every single time. Whether or not you believe Jones' claims against his failed drug test in 2017 that resulted in his win over Cormier being overturned to a loss, Jones got his hand raised in the Octagon 20 times in a row from 2010 to 2024 including 16-straight title fights. Adding to that bananas-stat is that he may also have had the toughest resume in history, defeating Shogun, Machida, Rashad Evans, Rampage, Cormier, Gustafsson twice, Glover, Vitor, and then oh yeah... Ciryl Gane and Stipe Miocic.
His most notable accolades and achievements include:
- Youngest UFC champion ever (23)
- Most Title Wins in UFC History (16)
- Most Title Defenses in UFC History (13)
- Most UFC PPV Main Events (17)
I will hold my own judgements about opinions on him outside of the UFC but I will make no reservations about my opinion that he is the best to ever step into the Octagon and most likely the greatest fighter on Earth... ever?
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