Mixed martial arts (MMA) has been around forever. Over the past few decades, its popularity has skyrocketed thanks to the UFC and other MMA promotions. Nowadays, the UFC rivals professional boxing and has arguably surpassed it in some respects. 
With that being said, let’s evaluate the greatest MMA fighters of all time. 
All of the fighter’s records were found on UFC Stats. The first 20 slides of this article are dedicated to the 20 greatest male fighters in MMA history, and the remaining 10 are dedicated to the top 10 all-time women fighters. 
Before we get to the official rankings, here are our honorable mentions: Michael Bisping (30-9), Cain Velasquez (14-3), Urijah Faber (35-11), Frankie Edgar (23-11-1), Israel Adesanya (24-2), Francis Ngannou (17-3), Rashad Evans (24-8-1), Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (35-11), T.J. Dillashaw (18-5), Forest Griffin (19-7), Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1 1 NC), Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (27-14-1), Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (36-17 2 NC), Chael Sonnen (29-15-1), Claudia Gadelha (18-5), and Yuka Tsuji (24-3).
Jones was a dominant fighter. He enjoyed a meteoric rise as the UFC’s light heavyweight champion, winning 11 title defenses. Throughout his career, he’s beaten the likes of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Rashad Evans, Daniel Cormier, and Vitor Belfort. The best light heavyweight of all time, his only loss was by disqualification because of throwing illegal elbows. While his off-field issues have been highly publicized, he’s still one of the greats. 
In recent news, Jones jumped to the heavyweight division and beat Cyril Gane for the vacant championship belt. Becoming a two-division champion caused Jones’ legacy to skyrocket to GOAT status. 
George St-Pierre is the greatest MMA fighter of all time. He learned karate after being bullied by kids at elementary school. From this suffering, he found his calling. The rest is history. St-Pierre’s run as the welterweight champion of the UFC was legendary. In his prime, St-Pierre went on a 13-fight winning streak along with nine consecutive title defenses. St-Pierre has recorded the most takedowns in UFC history. 
After vacating the welterweight title and leaving the octagon for four years, St-Pierre beat Michael Bisping for the middleweight title. He became just the fourth fighter in UFC history to become a two-division champion. After the fact, he vacated the middleweight title because of ulcerative colitis. St-Pierre is the rare fighter who walked away at the top.  
The greatest striker of all time, Silva was unstoppable in his prime. He spent 2,457 days as middleweight champion, the longest title reign in UFC history. This record may never be broken. The Brazilian brawler won 16 fights in a row and defended his middleweight championship 10 times. After breaking his fibula and tibia, Silva was never the same. Despite ending his career with a 1-5 record, it didn’t tarnish Silva’s legacy. His championship bout with Chael Sonnen in UFC 117 exemplifies his resiliency and will to win. 
Don’t let his size fool you (5-foot-3, 125 pounds), Johnson is one of the GOATs. A great wrestler, his lightning-fast takedowns and ground-and-pound style devastated his opponents. Johnson was the UFC’s first flyweight champion. He didn’t look back, defending his title 11 times. Clearly the best flyweight in UFC history, he was dethroned in 2018. Now, he fights in ONE Championship, an MMA promotion based in Singapore. 
An excellent grappler, Khabib’s flawless ground game wore out his opponents and beat them into submission. He beat the best the lightweight division threw at him. He beat Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Rafael Dos Anjos throughout his career. After his father’s death, he retired in his prime as the reigning lightweight champion with an undefeated record to boot.
Aldo started in World Extreme Cagefighting and worked his way up to the UFC, where he became the featherweight champion. Aldo recorded eight title defenses during his reign as champion before being dethroned by Conor McGregor in 2015. He was lethal at Brazilian jiu-jitsu and spent much of his career putting his opponents to sleep. At one point in his career, he didn’t lose for over a decade and won 18 fights in a row. After a long career, Aldo finally retired in 2022.
One of the finest grapplers to step into the octagon, Cormier got his start with Strikeforce before wreaking havoc in the UFC. By his fifth fight in the UFC, Cormier was fighting Jon Jones for the light heavyweight championship. He became the second fighter in UFC history to be champion in two weight classes simultaneously after being crowned lightweight and heavyweight champion. Cormier retired after back-to-back losses to Stipe Miocic. Now, he’s thriving as a commentator for the UFC. 
Miocic is the definition of an athlete. He’s a former Golden Gloves boxing champion and Division I wrestler at Cleveland State University. He also played college baseball. A two-time heavyweight champion in the UFC, he recorded four title defenses and beat the likes of Daniel Cormier, Francis Ngannou, and Junior dos Santos during his career. Miocic is also a firefighter paramedic in Oakwood and Valley View, Ohio. 
While he never fought in the UFC, Fedor is still one of the greatest heavyweights ever. He fought in Pride, Strikeforce, and Bellator, among other MMA promotions. Like most heavyweights, he was a power puncher. He could also take over fights with his reckless ground-and-pound style. He was a versatile fighter who was a superb striker. It’s a shame we never got to see him in the UFC.  
The Notorious himself. The biggest pay-per-view (PPV) draw in UFC history, McGregor won over fans with his legendary trash-talking and aggressive fighting style. McGregor popularized the sport and helped turn it into what it is today. The Irish brawler became the first simultaneous two-division champion, holding the featherweight and lightweight belts. A southpaw, McGregor’s accuracy with his punches made him a knockout threat and a fun fighter to watch. He even boxed Floyd Mayweather in 2017. He was the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2021. 
Imitated by many but never surpassed, his impact on the sport is undeniable. 
Usman comes from a wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu background. When he beat Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title in UFC 235, he became the first Nigerian to become a UFC champion. The pride and joy of Nigeria, he defended his title five times before being dethroned by Leon Edwards. Usman’s great run at the top won’t be forgotten anytime soon. 
The best Australian fighter ever, Alexander has only suffered one defeat in his entire career. One of the best pound-for-pound fighters right now, he’s gone on an impressive title reign as featherweight champion. He’s recorded four title defenses so far and is a two-time fight-of-the-night winner. He’s beaten the likes of Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, and Max Holloway. At 34 years old and reigning featherweight champion, there’s time to climb this list.
A 2000s legend in MMA and a UFC Hall of Famer, Hughes recorded seven title defenses as welterweight champion. An excellent wrestler at Southwestern Illinois College, he logged a whopping 45 victories in his professional MMA career. In his prime, he was one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. 
Henderson fought in Pride, Strikeforce, and the UFC. He wrestled at Arizona State. He fought in several weight classes, including welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. Henderson is the definition of an ageless wonder. He’s the oldest fighter to compete for a UFC championship at 46 years old.
One of the best strikers in UFC history, Holloway is a former featherweight champ and defended his title three times. He’s the first American to win the featherweight championship in the UFC. Holloway also went on a 13-fight win streak at one point in his career. He landed the most strikes in a career in UFC history with 3,217. 
The first superstar in UFC history, Liddell received a wave of endorsements thanks to his world-class fighting skills. A professional kickboxer and Division I wrestler at Cal Poly, Liddell was a force to be reckoned with in the octagon. A former light heavyweight champion, he defended his title four times. His rivalry with Tito Ortiz was legendary. Liddell was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
Cruz didn’t lose a lot, but he still faced adversity. He battled knee injuries for much of his career and lost years because of them. In 2011, he had to vacate his bantamweight title because of these injuries. From 2011-15, he only fought once, a win in 2014. Then, at UFC Fight Night 81 in January 2016, Cruz put on the performance of his life. He beat T.J. Dillashaw to reclaim his bantamweight championship in one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history. All in all, he defended his belt three times and was a longtime contender for the bantamweight.
Penn is the classic example of a fighter whose record doesn’t tell the whole story. He was nicknamed the prodigy because he earned a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in three years. Penn constantly fought in title fights. He became only the second fighter in UFC history to be a champion in two different weight classes (welterweight, lightweight). Penn ended his career by losing seven fights in a row. It wasn’t that Penn was bad. He just hung around for too long. In his prime, however, he was one of the greats. Penn is a UFC Hall of Famer.
After dethroning Demetrious Johnson as flyweight champion, Cejudo went on a legendary run. He became the fourth fighter in UFC history to be champion in two different weight classes simultaneously: flyweight and bantamweight champion. He has one title defense in each division. Cejudo retired as a reigning champion in 2020. (Cejudo also won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Summer Olympics for wrestling.)
Couture fought in the early stages of the UFC and was the first great heavyweight. Couture was all about the glory. He fought in 15 championship bouts and was a six-time champion. He became the first fighter in UFC history to be a two-division champion by winning the light heavyweight and heavyweight championships. He fought for championships in his 40s and became the oldest champion in UFC history at 43. Couture is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame. 
The greatest female MMA fighter of all time, Nunes learned karate at seven and never looked back. In her career, she beat some of the best fighters of her era, including Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, and Miesha Tate. She holds the record for most wins in UFC history by a woman and is also the first openly lesbian UFC champion. She’s also the first female UFC fighter to win a title in two different weight classes after being crowned Bantamweight and Featherweight champion. Nunes’ untouchable legacy will stand the test of time. 
A former Olympian, Rousey won bronze in Women’s judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She enjoyed a 12-0 start to her career and was the former UFC bantamweight champion. She has six title defenses to her name. She was upset by Holly Holm in UFC 193 and retired after her next fight, losing to Amanda Nunes. One of the first female trash talkers in UFC history, she brought fame and acclaim to women’s UFC. Rousey was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. She is currently signed with the WWE. 
A legendary featherweight, Cyborg has been crowned champion in Bellator MMA, Strikeforce and the UFC. As of January, 2023, she is Bellator’s featherweight champion. From 2005-2018, Cyborg didn’t lose a single fight. Since losing the UFC’s featherweight title belt to Amanda Nunes in 2018, Cyborg moved to Bellator and has continued her dominant ways in the octagon. 
An excellent kickboxer and a southpaw, Valentina is one of the greatest flyweights in MMA history. As flyweight champion, she recorded a whopping seven title defenses. She is currently the reigning UFC flyweight champion as of January 2023. 
Coenen never fought in the UFC. Instead, she built her legacy in Strikeforce and Bellator MMA. At one time, she was Strikeforce’s bantamweight champion. She retired in 2017. 
Joanna was the greatest strawweight of all time and logged five title defenses during her reign as champion. When she won the strawweight title belt in 2015, she became the first Polish champion in UFC history. She was dethroned in 2017. She holds strawweight records for the most title bout wins and the most wins in a row. Her championship bout with Weili Zhang was named the fight of the year in 2020. 
When Tate was a student at Central Washington University, one of her friends invited her to join the MMA club. The rest is history. From these humble beginnings, Tate rose to champion of the bantamweight division. She wasn’t afraid of a challenge. She fought some of the best fighters of her era: Amanda Nunes, Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Cat Zingano, and Marloes Coenen. 
Namajunas, who dethroned Joanna Jedrzejczyk as strawweight champion, is a black belt in taekwondo, karate, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She’s a two-time strawweight champion and has two title defenses to her name. She’s the first female fighter in UFC history to win her title back after losing it. At 30 years old, there’s still time for her to climb this list. 
Fighting out of Japan, Fujii became a pioneer in women’s MMA. A great takedown specialist, she fought in various MMA promotions throughout her career. She started her career by going 22-0. 
Holm is known for her shocking upset victory over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193. But she’s accomplished so much more in her career. An outstanding kickboxer, she has won 14 fights, and eight of them have ended in a knockout. A one-time bantamweight champ, Holm is still fighting in the UFC. 
David J. Hunt is a freelance writer based out of Philadelphia. He ran cross country at Penn State, became a volunteer firefighter during COVID-19, and is a self taught journalist. He's a diehard Philly sports fan. When he isn't watching sports, he enjoys working out, fishing, and traveling. You can find more of his writing at The Chestnut Hill Local and The Temple News. You can follow him on Twitter at @dave_hunt44.
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