For the most part, MMA is a sport divided into distinct ranks—amateur fighters compete in local circuits in the hopes of making a professional debut. With enough perseverance and dedication, some even make it onto the illustrious roster of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, simply making it into the UFC ranks does not entitle you to the title of a world-class fighter.
A world-class MMA fighter must hone their skills in more than one discipline and defy the MMA odds. A warrior of this caliber must be skilled in everything from stand-up striking to submission grappling. In the grand scheme of things, mixed martial arts (MMA) has only been around for a short time, but it has already produced some insane fighters. We will concentrate on the greatest fighters of all time, regardless of size or gender.
- Jon Jones – Jon ‘Bones’ Jones has dominated the light heavyweight division for over a decade, defeating the likes of Rashad Evans, Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson, and Daniel Cormier in the Octagon. The long-limbed striker also holds the record for the most UFC title wins (14) and title defenses (14). (11). Jones would likely be at the top of this list if it weren’t for his struggles with PEDs and a string of run-ins with the law, including a hit-and-run incident in 2015.
- Henry Cejudo – One of the great “what if” stories in UFC history is Henry Cejudo. At the height of his powers, he retired as the reigning and defending bantamweight and flyweight champion. Despite having only 12 fights in the promotion, he left an indelible mark as the organization’s first former Olympic gold medalist and one of the industry’s most talented athletes.
- Georges St. Pierre – If you wanted to rank Georges St. Pierre first, I couldn’t fault you because it’s so close. His list of opponents is incredible, and he’s defeated many of them twice. He wasn’t always the most exciting fighter, at least not in the latter stages of his career, but he got the job done and did it decisively. He did leave the sport with two losses, one to Matt Hughes in only his eighth fight when Hughes had 40 fights under his belt, and the other to Matt Serra in what is remembered as the biggest upset in MMA history. But what I admire about GSP is that he avenged both of those defeats, and he did so against Hughes.
- Anderson Silva – Silva has the kind of resume that every man at the top of this list has: a 17-fight winning streak and ten successful title defenses. However, Silva was a force of nature, seemingly playing a striking game light years ahead of the men he faced, regardless of talent. During his peak years, Silva also fought three times in the light heavyweight division, defeating James Irvin, Forrest Griffin, and Stephan Bonnar. Silva didn’t just beat these men; he destroyed them while seemingly doing whatever he wanted from bell to bell. Silva’s peak came quickly and abruptly, but he was the best fighter in the world for years.
- Khabib Nurmagamedov – The only fighter on this list who has never lost a fight is Khabib Nurmagomedov. He announced his retirement at UFC 254, having won every battle he’d fought with little difficulty. His CV may not have as much high-level competition as others on this list, but the way he won was superb and overwhelming. I see no reason why Khabib couldn’t climb even higher in the “all-time” list if he wanted to return to the sport and contribute to his legacy in the future.
Many other top-tier UFC fighters deserve to be mentioned here, so it’s time for honorable mentions.
Kamara Usman – Kamaru Usman is the most dominant welterweight right now, and one more win could vault him ahead of Georges St-Pierre. In addition, Usman significantly improved his striking abilities, allowing him to move up the pound for pound list.
Matt Hughes – Matt Hughes is the former welterweight champion and the first fighter to carry his opponent across the Octagon before the slam. Please watch his title match against Frank Trigg again and savor the moment!
Stipe Miocic – Stipe Miocic has been near the top of the UFC heavyweight rankings for a long time. He is the only man to have successfully defended the 265-pound title three times in a row.