UFC: Seven under 30 – Update
Some time back, we published an article speculating on who will be the first UFC fighter to reach 30 bouts in the Octagon.
Almost six month later, some of the fighters on this list added to their tally, while others retired or left the promotion. Let’s take a look at who is now the most likely to reach this record first – and the seven has dwindled down to 5 active fighters.
But first, a few notes:
- While for most purposes we ignore No Contests (i.e. treat them as if the fight never happened), for the purpose of this record they are considered as valid fights. Once the Octagon doors close and the referee signals the start of action, it’s a fight – no matter if it’s eventually ruled a No Contest. This gives a one-up to Jim Miller.
- ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ house fights – generally termed “pro-exhibition bouts” are not counted. If they were included, TUF alumni Diego Sanchez and Michael Bisping would have three and two additional fights each, respectively.
- Though Tito Ortiz and Frank Mir both have 27 UFC bouts, they are not included in this list as the probability of either fighting in the UFC again – let alone three more times – is infinitesimally small.
- The ‘Average Fights Per Year’ calculation does not include any fights which took place in 2018. The year of fighter’s UFC debut is included in the calculation only if the fighter fought two or more times in their first calendar year; any fights in other promotions in the same year but prior to the fighter’s UFC debut are not included.
Next, the dropouts since the last article:
[#NR MW] Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping has officially announced his retirement from MMA in May 2018, sharing the current record with 29 UFC fights.
[#237 LW] Gleison Tibau
Gleison Tibau has been released from UFC after losing a decision to Desmond Green at Fight Night 131. He shares the record for second place with 28 UFC fights.
That said, here are our remaining five, listed in the order of likelihood that they will reach the magic number 30 first:
Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)
| Friday, October 16th 2026: PFL Chicago: Carmouche vs. Bishop 2 | |||
 [#6 W125] Liz Carmouche | [#14 W125] Jena Bishop | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 6/27/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#16 W125] Viviane Araujo Last 5: L W W W W | Last Fight Date: 6/27/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#37 W125] Ariane Lipski da Silva Last 5: W W L W W | ||
| Thursday, December 31st 2026: Rizin FF New Years Eve Event | |||
 [#5 FW] Rajabali Shaidullaev |  [#17 FW] Kyoma Akimoto | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/10/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#7 FW] A.J. McKee Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 8/11/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#26 FW] Kleber Koike Erbst Last 5: W W W W W | ||
| Saturday, November 14th 2026: Professional Fighters League PFL Returns to Dubai: Nemkov vs. Bilostenniy | |||
 [#6 HW] Vadim Nemkov | [#16 HW] Sergey Bilostenniy | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 12/13/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#20 HW] Renan Ferreira Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 5/02/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#20 HW] Renan Ferreira Last 5: W W L W W | ||
Featured Fighters
| [NR] |  Roberto Soldic | [#1 WW] | Islam Makhachev | |
| [#11 BW] | Payton Talbott | [#3 W125] |  Natalia Silva | |
| [#26 MW] | Roman Kopylov | [#81 MW] |  Ateba Abega Gautier | |
| [#65 LHW] |  Karlos Vemola | [#10 BW] | Deiveson Figueiredo | |
| [#64 MW] |  Damian Pinas | [#44 LW] |  Esteban Ribovics |
Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night 135: Gaethje vs. Vick (08-25-2018)
Lightweight (155)
[#14] Justin Gaethje (18-2-0, +130) vs. [#16] James Vick (13-1-0, -157)
Justin Gaethje is the All-Time #40 ranked Lightweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Justin Gaethje (1-2-0)
2018-04-14: L vs. [#1LW/#7DD/#10P4P] Dustin Poirier (24-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:33 of round 4
2017-12-02: L vs. [#4LW] Eddie Alvarez (29-6-0) via KO (Knee) in 3:59 of round 3
2017-07-07: W vs. [#35FW] Michael Johnson (17-13-0) via TKO (Punches and Knees) in 4:48 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: James Vick (3-0-0)
2018-02-18: W vs. [#19LW] Francisco Trinaldo (22-6-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2017-11-04: W vs. [#74LW] Joseph Duffy (16-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:59 of round 2
2017-05-13: W vs. [#138LW] Marco Polo Reyes (8-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:39 of round 1
Odds Favorite (Implied): James Vick – Win%: 58.42
Elo Favorite (Standard): James Vick (2007.95) [+87.68] – Win%: 59.88
Elo Favorite (Modified): James Vick (1967.94) [+85.42] – Win%: 59.24
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Justin Gaethje 133, James Vick 188
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Featherweight (145)
[#27] Andre Fili (18-5-0, +121) vs. [#35] Michael Johnson (17-13-0, -147)
Last 3 Fights: Andre Fili (2-1-0)
2018-01-27: W vs. [#40FW] Dennis Bermudez (16-9-0) via SD (29-28, 29-28, 27-30)
2017-10-21: W vs. [#97FW] Artem Lobov (13-14-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2017-07-29: L vs. [#38FW] Calvin Kattar (18-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Michael Johnson (0-3-0)
2018-01-14: L vs. [#12FW] Darren Elkins (24-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:22 of round 2
2017-07-07: L vs. [#14LW] Justin Gaethje (18-2-0) via TKO (Punches and Knees) in 4:48 of round 2
2016-11-12: L vs. [#3LW] Khabib Nurmagomedov (26-0-0) via Submission (Kimura) in 2:31 of round 3
Odds Favorite (Implied): Michael Johnson – Win%: 56.80
Elo Favorite (Standard): Andre Fili (1756.34) [+1.39] – Win%: 50.16
Elo Favorite (Modified): Michael Johnson (1748.14) [+44.04] – Win%: 54.81
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Andre Fili 210, Michael Johnson 223
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Women Strawweight (115)
[#12] Angela Hill (8-4-0, -144) vs. [#21] Cortney Casey-Sanchez (7-6-0, +119)
Last 3 Fights: Angela Hill (2-1-0)
2018-02-24: W vs. [#29SW] Maryna Moroz (8-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2017-11-11: L vs. [#10SW] Nina Ansaroff (9-5-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2017-07-07: W vs. [#59SW] Ashley Yoder (5-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Cortney Casey-Sanchez (1-2-0)
2018-04-14: L vs. [#19SW] Michelle Waterson (15-6-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2017-12-02: L vs. [#13SW] Felice Herrig (14-7-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2017-05-13: W vs. [#24SW] Jessica Aguilar (20-6-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Odds Favorite (Implied): Angela Hill – Win%: 56.38
Elo Favorite (Standard): Angela Hill (1450.81) [+126.44] – Win%: 64.05
Elo Favorite (Modified): Cortney Casey-Sanchez (1452.81) [+13.17] – Win%: 51.44
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Angela Hill 182, Cortney Casey-Sanchez 133
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Fight Matrix Program – Bellator 204 (08-17-2018)
Featherweight (146)
[#5BW] Darrion Caldwell (12-1-0, 145.2lb, -574) vs. [#97] Noad Lahat (12-3-0, 146.0lb, +391)
Last 3 Fights: Darrion Caldwell (3-0-0)
2018-03-02: W vs. [#18BW] Leandro Higo (18-4-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 2:36 of round 1
2017-10-06: W vs. [#16BW] Eduardo Dantas (20-6-0) via UD (50-45, 48-47, 48-47)
2016-12-03: W vs. [#17BW] Joe Taimanglo (24-8-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Noad Lahat (2-1-0)
2017-11-16: W vs. [#263FW] Jeremiah Labiano (11-6-0) via UD ()
2017-08-25: L vs. [#29FW] Henry Corrales (15-3-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
2017-03-31: W vs. [*] Lloyd Carter (11-9-0) via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:50 of round 2
Odds Favorite (Implied): Darrion Caldwell – Win%: 80.69
Elo Favorite (Standard): Darrion Caldwell (1913.75) [+374.73] – Win%: 84.71
Elo Favorite (Modified): Darrion Caldwell (1903.66) [+333.29] – Win%: 81.14
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Darrion Caldwell 168, Noad Lahat 274
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#121] A.J. Matthews (9-7-0, 169.0lb, +594) vs. [#159] Logan Storley (8-0-0, 170.2lb, -996)
Last 3 Fights: A.J. Matthews (1-2-0)
2018-01-26: W vs. [#53MW] Kendall Grove (23-18-0) via SD (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)
2017-07-14: L vs. [#270WW] Andre Fialho (9-1-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2016-10-21: L vs. [#94MW] Hisaki Kato (8-3-0) via TKO in of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Logan Storley (3-0-0)
2018-04-13: W vs. [#296WW] Joaquin Buckley (8-2-0) via UD (30-26, 30-27, 30-26)
2017-11-03: W vs. [#217MW] Matt Secor (10-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
2017-07-14: W vs. [#1279WW] Kemmyelle Haley (7-7-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 1:44 of round 1
Odds Favorite (Implied): Logan Storley – Win%: 86.31
Elo Favorite (Standard): Logan Storley (1525.66) [+140.38] – Win%: 65.51
Elo Favorite (Modified): Logan Storley (1545.35) [+122.26] – Win%: 63.07
Days Since Last Pro Fight: A.J. Matthews 203, Logan Storley 126
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Bantamweight (135)
[#108] Ricky Bandejas (10-1-0, 135.4lb, +151) vs. [#424FW] James Gallagher (7-0-0, 135.4lb, -184)
Last 3 Fights: Ricky Bandejas (3-0-0)
2017-12-16: W vs. [#360BW] Nick Mamalis (29-13-0) via KO (Punch) in 4:07 of round 4
2017-08-05: W vs. [#839BW] Giorgi Kudukhashvili (3-1-0) via TKO (Shoulder Injury) in 5:00 of round 1
2016-10-29: W vs. [#878BW] Miguel Restrepo (5-5-1) via UD ()
Last 3 Fights: James Gallagher (3-0-0)
2017-06-24: W vs. [#1039FW] Chinzo Machida (5-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:22 of round 1
2017-02-24: W vs. [#987BW] Kirill Medvedovsky (11-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:53 of round 1
2016-12-16: W vs. [#1525FW] Anthony Taylor (4-5-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:52 of round 3
Odds Favorite (Implied): James Gallagher – Win%: 61.92
Elo Favorite (Standard): Ricky Bandejas (1563.78) [+144.79] – Win%: 65.96
Elo Favorite (Modified): Ricky Bandejas (1623.04) [+166.03] – Win%: 67.41
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ricky Bandejas 244, James Gallagher 419
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Disqus Comment System and Forum
2018 is a year of changes for us here at FightMatrix, and one change that most readers probably haven’t noticed (since there were only a handful of active forum users) is the disappearance of our forum.
We had to disable new user registration many months ago for technical reasons, and we now feel that the forum has outlived it’s usefulness. We also recently installed the Disqus comment and community system, so please leave us comments on our blog posts and pages! And if it’s a private matter, you can always contact us here.
ELO Is Here
As we’ve been promising for a while, the ELO and Modified ELO versions of our rankings are now publicly available!
You can read more about it here: ELO Sneak Peeks and here: Elo Rating Updates
The alternative versions of our rankings are presently only available in the current MMA ranking lists (excluding Pound-for-Pound and Division Dominance). They are not available in historical generated rankings or all-time rankings.
Also, the last/next fight, region & country, and other ranking filters are only available in standard mode. Perhaps we may support these filters in the future for the alternate ranking systems.
To view the alternate rankings, navigate to any current ranking page and select ‘ELO K-170’ or ‘Modified ELO’ in the Rating formula drop-down under the Issue Date on the top of the ranking pages.
Here’s an example of alternate heavyweight rankings:
New Comment System
Dear Readers,
As you may or may have not noticed, we’ve switched to Disqus as our new comment system. This is just one of many incremental updates we have planned this year, to improve the user’s (Your’s!) experience. Coming up next, ELO and Modified ELO ranking systems preview, and a forum redesign.
In the meanwhile, since the forum registration is closed, if you’re having any trouble with using the new comment system, please let us know via the Contact Us form.
As always – thank you for the continued support!
Fight Matrix Program – Rizin 12 (08-12-2018)
Lightweight (154)
[#55] Yusuke Yachi (20-6-0) vs. [#293FW] Luiz Gustavo Felix dos Santos (8-0-0)
Last 3 Fights: Yusuke Yachi (3-0-0)
2018-05-06: W vs. [#152LW] Diego Nunes (22-8-0) via SD ()
2017-12-31: W vs. [#128LW] Takanori Gomi (36-15-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in 2:36 of round 1
2017-07-30: W vs. [#167LW] Satoru Kitaoka (41-17-9) via TKO (Punches) in 4:48 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Luiz Gustavo Felix dos Santos (3-0-0)
2017-11-25: W vs. [#1207FW] Diogo DAvila (6-3-0) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 1:40 of round 1
2017-08-05: W vs. [#732LW] Renato Amorim (7-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:55 of round 2
2016-11-26: W vs. [#666FW] Marcelo Bustos (10-6-1) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 0:47 of round 1
Elo Favorite (Standard): Yusuke Yachi (1803.82) [+336.44] – Win%: 82.30
Elo Favorite (Modified): Yusuke Yachi (1759.29) [+257.31] – Win%: 75.52
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Yusuke Yachi 98, Luiz Gustavo Felix dos Santos 260
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Bantamweight (134)
[#66] Yuki Motoya (20-6-0) vs. [#194] Kazuma Sone (23-15-1)
Last 3 Fights: Yuki Motoya (2-1-0)
2018-06-30: W vs. [#140BW] Jae Hoon Moon (11-11-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:23 of round 2
2018-02-24: W vs. [#336BW] Jae Eun Byeon (2-1-0) via UD ()
2017-04-16: L vs. [#9BW] Kyoji Horiguchi (25-2-0) via UD ()
Last 3 Fights: Kazuma Sone (3-0-0)
2018-01-28: W vs. [#307BW] Mamoru Uoi (18-6-4) via MD ()
2017-10-15: W vs. [#384BW] Tomohiro Hagino (10-6-0) via UD ()
2017-05-28: W vs. [#1026FW] Keiichiro Keiichiro (6-5-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:21 of round 1
Elo Favorite (Standard): Yuki Motoya (1701.45) [+250.96] – Win%: 75.89
Elo Favorite (Modified): Yuki Motoya (1666.78) [+232.77] – Win%: 73.48
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Yuki Motoya 43, Kazuma Sone 196
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Yuki Motoya leads 1-0
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Welterweight (170)
[#110] Ryuichiro Sumimura (14-5-0) vs. [#133] Kiichi Kunimoto (19-7-2)
Last 3 Fights: Ryuichiro Sumimura (3-0-0)
2018-04-28: W vs. [#258WW] Yoichiro Sato (19-9-2) via UD ()
2017-12-24: W vs. [#1664LW] Jaybo Fredrick (1-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:40 of round 1
2017-07-15: W vs. [#166LHW] Ken Hasegawa (16-3-1) via TKO (Punch) in 3:48 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Kiichi Kunimoto (1-2-0)
2017-12-29: W vs. [#167LW] Satoru Kitaoka (41-17-9) via UD ()
2017-06-10: L vs. [#122WW] Zak Ottow (16-6-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2015-02-14: L vs. [#10WW] Neil Magny (21-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:22 of round 3
Elo Favorite (Standard): Ryuichiro Sumimura (1676.47) [+33.66] – Win%: 53.84
Elo Favorite (Modified): Ryuichiro Sumimura (1682.86) [+52.10] – Win%: 55.68
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ryuichiro Sumimura 106, Kiichi Kunimoto 226
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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