15 Best UFC Fighters Of All Time

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15 Best UFC Fighters Of All Time!!! Although the Ultimate Fighting Championship was founded in 1993, its popularity did not begin until Dana White’s appointment as president in 2001. In the past, boxing was the most popular combat sport, but UFC is now the most popular. It was hard to pick just 15 fighters from this league, which has some of the best fighters in the world.

Since 1993, UFC has been around for some time, and there have been a few best fighters.

The popularity of the sport skyrocketed after 2001 under President Dana White. Now, there are millions of fans worldwide who enjoy this wild sport.

UFC is also one of the most recognized leagues in the world. With players from various weight class, there has been over hundreds of fighters who have become UFC champion.

Rountree in UFC Fight Night 160
Rountree In UFC Fight Night 160 (Source: Wikipedia)

However, only a few of the fighters have reign over the rest. Nevertheless, these players have proved themselves the greatest fighters UFC has seen.

Thus, we have compiled a list of the best UFC fighters that we think deserve their spot at the top. So without further delay, let us take a look.

The list has been compiled with the help of various trusted sources like the DAZN, Oddschecker, etc. But before getting into the details, let us take a quick look at the table below.

Quick View | Best UFC Fighters Of All Time

Fighters Name Career Record
15. Henry Cejudo 16-2
14. BJ Penn 16-14-2
13. Max Holloway 22-6
12. Conor McGregor 22-5
11. Matt Hughes 45-9
10. José Aldo 29-7
9. Dan Henderson 32-15
8. Amanda Nunes 21-4
7. Daniel Cormier 22-3-0
6. Stipe Miocic 20-4
5. Dementious Johnson 30-4-1
4. George St-Pierre 26-2
3. Jon Jones 26-1-0
2. Khabib Nurmagomedov 29-0
1. Anderson Silva 34-11-0

15 Best UFC Fighters Of All Time

15. Henry Cejudo

  • Age: 37 years old
  • Weight Class: Flyweight & Bantamweight

The first fighter on our list is former UFC fighteHenry Cejudo. Henry is also a former mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler.

Cejudo started his early career as a wrestler during his first and second years. Then he also treaded into a mixed martial arts career in 2013.

It was only in 2014 that he signed with the UFC. Cejudo is the only athlete with an Olympic gold medal and a UFC title. He is also a former UFC Flyweight Champion and Bantamweight Champion.

Henry Cejudo (Source: MMA Fighting)
Henry Cejudo (Source: MMA Fighting)

Similarly, Cejudo is the second UFC fighter to defend titles in two weight divisions. Meanwhile, he is the fourth UFC fighter to simultaneously hold two different weight class titles.

Cejudo announced his retirement in 2020 after successfully defending his UFC bantamweight title. Henry is considered one of the greatest combat athletes of all time.

Cejudo got married during the vacation, and he and Karolina had a daughter named America. In preparation for a subsequent training camp, he stated that he has been back in the gym in 2022 working on fundamentals and strengthening his body.

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14. BJ Penn

  • Age: 45 years old
  • Weight Class: Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight

Regarded as one of the best competitors in the UFC’s history, the next fighter on our list is BJ Penn. He is also a professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.

In 1997, Penn began his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practice. Furthermore, he was the first non-Brazilian to win the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship black-belt division in Rio de Janeiro.

His ability and accomplishment caught UFC’s attention. Then on May 21, 2001, Penn made his first UFC debut. Again, his mixed martial skills helped him get victories over his opponents.

BJ Penn (Source: Instagram)
BJ Penn (Source: Instagram)

Similarly, his skills made him the second fighter among seven to win titles in multiple weight classes in UFC history. Likewise, he is also a former UFC Lightweight Champion and UFC Welterweight Champion.

Because of his accomplishments in the UFC, Penn was inaugurated into the Modern-era wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2015.

BJ Penn, a Republican Party champion, ran for Governor of Hawaii. On August 13, 2022, he lost in the Republican primary.

13. Max Holloway

  • Age: 32 years old
  • Weight Class: Featherweight

The next UFC fighter on our list is Max Holloway. He is a mixed martial artist who debuted in the UFC in 2012.

Growing up, Holloway had a tough childhood. His parents were heavy drug users, and his mother constantly abused him. At 15, he started training in kickboxing at the end of his sophomore year.

Holloway proved gifted in the sport. With just three days of training, he won his first amateur bout. By age 19, he had gained a reputation as a skillful fighter that grabbed UFC’s attention.

Max Holloway, Full Package Of Confidence (Source: Instagram)
Max Holloway, Full Package Of Confidence (Source: Instagram)

Consequently, Holloway was number 7 in the featherweight prospect of 2012 in Bloody Elbow’s 2012 World MMA Scouting Report. Furthermore, he was the youngest fighter on the UFC roster when he debuted.

In 2017, Holloway won the title of the UFC Featherweight Champion. He defeated José Aldo to win the championship. As of 2021 raking, he is number 1 in UFC featherweight and 6th in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

He competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the moment in the featherweight division in 2022.

12. Conor McGregor

  • Age: 35 years old
  • Weight Class: Featherweight, Lightweight, & Welterweight

Conor McGregor is an Irish mixed martial artist who currently fights in the Lightweight division of UFC. He is number 9 in the UFC lightweight rankings as of July 19, 2021.

McGregor began boxing at age 12 at Crumlin Boxing Club. Initially, he picked boxing to defend himself against the bullies and raise his confidence. Later, he made his mixed martial arts debut in 2007.

The following year in 2008, McGregor made his professional debut in MMA in the lightweight division. Likewise, he has also played in the welterweight division. Additionally, he had a professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Conor McGregor Inside The Ring (Source: Twitter)
Conor McGregor Inside The Ring (Source: Twitter)

McGregor has since then become one of the biggest names in UFC. He is the biggest pay-per-view draw in MMA history. Moreover, he has headlined five of the six highest-selling UFC pay-per-view events.

As a result, McGregor is also one of the world’s highest-paid athletes. Forbes listed him among the highest-paid athlete in 2021, with reported earnings of $180 million.

Due to a leg injury sustained in a fight with Dustin Poirier, McGregor has been sidelined since July 2021. He still wants to get back into the Octagon before the end of 2022, but it’s unclear when he’ll be back.

11. Matt Hughes

  • Age: 50 years old
  • Weight Class: Welterweight

On our number 11 is a former mixed martial artist, wrestler, and UFC fighter, Matt Hughes. Matt is regarded as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history.

Hughes played wrestling in school and college early on and was a Class A state wrestling champion. In 1998, he made his debut in mixed martial arts. The following year in 1999, he made his UFC debut.

Hughes made his promotional debut at the UFC 22: There Can Be Only One Champion event. He defeated his Bulgarian opponent Valeri Ignatov.

Matt Hughes (Source: Instagram)
Matt Hughes (Source: Instagram)

During the height of his career, Hughes was the number 1 pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the world. Moreover, the American UFC fighter is regarded as one of the greatest welterweight fighters of all time and one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in UFC’s history.

Hughes retired from the sport in 2013. Matt was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2010 as the eighth inductee.

10. José Aldo

  • Age: 37 years old
  • Weight Class: Bantamweight, Featherweight, & Lightweight

Next, we have a Brazilian professional martial artist and UFC fighter, José Aldo. He is regarded as the greatest featherweight ever; he made his MMA debut at age 17.

Although he started training in capoeira (Brazilian martial art) to defend himself, he grabbed the Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainer’s attention. Determined to train in mixed martial arts, Aldo moved to Rio de Janeiro at age 17.

It was then he began his training and also made his MMA debut. Following the UFC/WEC merger, Aldo was the first UFC Featherweight Champion.

Jose_Aldo_2015
Jose Aldo 2015 (Source: Wikimwdia.org)

He has been undefeated for over a decade, from 2005 to 2015. In addition, the Sherdog ranked Aldo as the greatest featherweight in mixed martial arts history in its 2017 pound-for-pound ranking.

Currently, he competes in the Bantamweight division. Aldo has been ranked number 3 in the UFC bantamweight rankings since December 6, 2021.

Merab Dvalishvili was Jose Aldo’s final opponent on August 20, 2022, now he is retired.

9. Dan Henderson

  • Age: 53 years old
  • Weight Class: Welterweight, Middleweight, Lightheavyweight, & Heavyweight

Dan Henderson is an American former mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler, and former UFC fighter. He made his debut in MMA in 1997, following in the footsteps of other wrestlers.

Henderson used to compete in freestyle wrestling. However, his most notable achievements were in Greco-Roman wrestling. Similarly, he was a national junior and University national champion several times.

Henderson began his mixed martial arts training in 1997. In his first debut match in the MMA the same year, he emerged victoriously. For nearly two decades, he had a relationship with UFC.

Dan Henderson (Source Instagram)
Dan Henderson (Source Instagram)

Henderson was the last Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. Likewise, he was also the previous Welterweight and Middleweight Champion of the Pride Fighting Championships.

Henderson was in the UFC Middleweight Championship two times during his career, UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, and the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. The 53 year UFC fighter was the oldest fighter on the UFC roster before retiring in 2016.

8. Amanda Nunes

  • Age: 35 years old
  • Weight Class: Women’s Bantamweight & Women’s Featherweight

We have a woman UFC fighter next on our list. Amanda Nunes is a mixed martial artist and UFC fighter from Brazil. She is the current holder of the UFC’s Women’s Featherweight Champion.

Nunes is regarded as the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time. A very energetic child, she initially aspired to become a soccer player. However, her mother’s influence led her to martial arts training.

In 2008, Nunes made her professional debut at Prime MMA Championship 2. Unfortunately, Ana Maria defeated her by armbar submission in the first round.

Invicta FC weigh-ins
Invicta FC Weigh-Ins (Source: Pinterest)

After making his debut in the UFC, she has become the first woman to become a two-division UFC champion.

Moreover, Nunes is the third fighter after Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier to simultaneously hold two UFC titles in two weight classes. Furthermore, she is the first and only fighter to defend two UFC titles while holding both.

As of 2021, Nunes is ranked number 1 in the UFC women’s bantamweight rankings; as of 2022, she is ranked number 2 in women’s pound-for-pound rankings.

7. Daniel Cormier

  • Age: 45 years old
  • Weight Class: Lightheavyweight & Heavyweight

On our number 7 of the best UFC fighters of all time is a former UFC fighter, mixed martial artist, and amateur wrestler, Daniel Cormier.

Cormier was a Greco-Roman Wrestler and won a bronze medal in the world championships in the cadet division. He also was a six-time US World or Olympic Team member and a World Cup runner-up.

Similarly, his most significant achievement was the Pan American Games gold medal and two times Pan American champion. After success as a wrestler, Cormier began his mixed martial arts journey and made his MMA debut in 2009.

Daniel Cormier (Source Pinterest)
Daniel Cormier (Source Pinterest)

He traveled to Australia to make his debut fight for Xtreme MMA. In 2010, Cormier won the XMMA Heavyweight Championship. Furthermore, he won his second MMA title two weeks later by winning the KOTC Heavyweight Championship.

A former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion, Cormier was the second fighter to hold titles in two weight classes in UFC history simultaneously. Likewise, he was the first fighter to defend two titles in two divisions.

Cormier announced his retirement on August 15, 2020. Currently, he is an analyst and commentator for the UFC.

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6. Stipe Miocic

  • Age: 41 years old
  • Weight Class: Heavyweight

Stipe Miocic is a professional mixed martial artist who made his UFC debut in 2010. Miocic is considered the greatest UFC heavyweight fighter of all time by critics, commentators, and the media.

Initially trained in martial arts, Miocic was also trained in boxing. He reached the quarter-finals in the Golden Gloves boxing champion and was an NCCA Division I wrestler.

Before signing with MMA, he first fought in the Ohio-based MMA promotion (NAAFS). Miocic’s career in MMA began with huge success. He won his first six fights by knockout and became the NAAFS Heavyweight Championship.

Stipe Miocic (Source Pinterest)
Stipe Miocic (Source Pinterest)

Then, UFC signed him in a multi-fight deal on June 14, 2011. Since his debut, Miocic has made a record for the most wins in heavyweight title fights.

Similarly, he also has the longest title defense streak in the heavyweight division. Likewise, he has nine fight-night bonus awards, the most in the history of the UFC Heavyweight division.

Miocic was ranked number 2 in UFC heavyweight rankings as of 2021 and 11 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings as of 2022.

5. Demetrious Johnson

  • Age: 37 years old
  • Weight Class: Bantamweight, Flyweight

On our number 5 is a mixed martial artist and a current number one Flyweight ONE Champion, Demetrious Johnson. He is considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.

Born in Kentucky, Johnson was a star athlete during high school. He played track, wrestling, and cross country. In 2007, Demetrious started his MMA career and won his professional debut fight with a first-round knockout.

Johnson was part of the World Extreme Cagefighting. After UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting, he transferred to UFC. His debut fight after the merge was in 2011 at the UFC 126.

Demetrious Johnson (Source Instagram)
Demetrious Johnson (Source Instagram)

Famous for his quick strikes and evasive movement, Johnson is the only fighter in UFC to record over 10 takedowns in three different fights. Similarly, he also has the record for most finishes in UFC flyweight history.

The ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion, Johnson is number 9, a pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts, and the number 2 flyweight by Sherdog.

4. Georges St-Pierre | Best UFC Fighters Of All Time

  • Age: 42 years old
  • Weight Class: Welterweight & Middleweight

The next UFC fighter is a former Canadian mixed martial artist. Widely considered one of the most impressive fighters in MMA history, Georges St-Pierre debuted in UFC at UFC 46.

As a young boy, St-Pierre was inspired by Jean-Claude Van Damme. As a result, his father initially started training in Kyokushin Karate. Similarly, he has taught wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and boxing.

Although he was defeated in his UFC debut match, he won his next game via technical knockout in only 1:42 of the first round.

Georges St-Pierre (Source: Instagram)
Georges St-Pierre (Source: Instagram)

St-Pierre has trained in various gyms with several groups throughout his fighting career. He was also a two-division UFC champion and won titles in the welterweight and middleweight divisions.

At his retirement in 2013, St-Pierre had the record for most wins in title bouts and the second-longest combined title streak in UFC history. He retired as the reigning Welterweight Champion but made his return in 2017 at UFC 217.

GSP still travels to other countries to train with the best coaches and training partners in all sports, despite living in Montreal in 2022.

3. Jon Jones

  • Age: 36 years old
  • Weight Class: Lightheavyweight & Heavyweight

We are down to our top 3 picks for the best UFC fighters. Our number 3 is a professional mixed martial artist and the youngest champion in UFC history Jon Jones.

Jones was a wrestler and state champion during his school years. He picked up Criminal Justice at Morrisville State College but dropped out to start his MMA career.

Then in 2008, he made his MMA professional debut. Over three months, Jones had a record of 6-0, remaining undefeated. His UFC debut was the same year at UFC 87.

Twenty-three olds Jones after crowned as UFC light heavyweight champion against Shogun Rua
Twenty-Three Olds Jones After Crowned As UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Against Shogun Rua (Source: Ufcespanol.com)

With unorthodox striking and takedowns, he won his debut UFC fight, and since then, Jones has made various records in the UFC. For example, Jones has the record for the most title defenses, longest win streak, most submission victories, and most wins.

Unfortunately, his professional career between 2015 and 2017 was marred by several controversies. Furthermore, he was stripped of his titles three times due to disciplinary action.

But Jones was able to get back on track after the 2017 suspension lift. As of 2022, he is number 7 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

2. Khabib Nurmagomedov | Best UFC Fighters Of All Time

  • Age: 35 years old
  • Weight Class: Lightweight & Welterweight

The second place is the former Russian professional martial artist and UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov. He is widely regarded as the most excellent lightweight in the history of MMA.

Nurmagomedov was trained in sambo, judo, and wrestling. He made his professional debut in MMA in 2008 and had four wins in under a month.

Then in 2011, UFC signed Nurmagomedov on a six-fight deal in the UFC’s lightweight division. He made his UFC debut fight on January 20, 2012, at UFC on FX 1. He stood victorious against Kamal Shalorus.

Khabib Nurmagomedov (Source Pinterest)
Khabib Nurmagomedov (Source Pinterest)

Nurmagomedov is the first Muslim fighter to win a UFC title. In addition, he was the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion. Moreover, by the time he retired, Nurmagomedov had a record of 29 wins and no losses.

Similarly, by retirement, he was number 1 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Nurmagomedov has been working as a mixed martial arts coach and cornerman since his retirement.

The Russian, one of the greatest lightweight fighters ever, said he doesn’t want to return to mixed martial arts in 2022, and doesn’t need to fight. Sincerely, no.

1. Anderson Silva

  • Age: 48 years old
  • Weight Class: Middleweight, Lightheavyweight

And here we are, on our number 1 of the best UFC fighters of all time, a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist, boxer, and UFC fighter Anderson Silva.

Silva has been dubbed one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time by UFC president Dana White, UFC commentator Joe Rogan, and MMA pundits.

He began martial arts as a child; he trained in jiu-jitsu and later in taekwondo, capoeira, and muay Thai. Initially, Silva fought in the Brazilian welterweight category and debuted in MMA in 1997.

Anderson Silva (Source Instagram)
Anderson Silva (Source Instagram)

Similarly, from 2002 to 2006, he was part of the Pride Fighting Championships and Cage Rage. Then in late April 2006, UFC signed him to a multi-fight contract. Silva made his debut fight on June 28, 2008, at Ultimate Fight Night 5.

In his debut fight, Silva knocked out Chris Leben, who had gone undefeated in the UFC with five consecutive victories. Then onwards, he went ahead to become a UFC Middleweight Champion.

Additionally, his record of the longest title reign in UFC history remains to be surpassed. Likewise, he had the UFC record of 16 consecutive victories between 2006 to 2013. Sliva retired from UFC in 2020 and returned to boxing.

Jake Paul and Anderson Silva fought in a professional boxing match. Paul prevailed in the fight, which took place on October 29, 2022, at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Conclusion

UFC is a challenging and wild sport where the fighters pour their blood and sweat. The soldiers on the list are some of the best that UFC has ever seen in its history.

Their skills and talent stand out among hundreds of fighters in the league. Therefore, without an argument, these fighters are the best UFC fighters of all time.

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Boby Rai
Boby Raihttps://playersbio.com/

Boby Rai

Boby Rai is a dedicated writer who specializes in capturing the essence of sporting excellence through his unique lens. As the creative mind behind numerous sports-centric projects, he brings a fresh perspective to the world of athletics, blending insightful commentary with captivating narratives.

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