Greatest Ufc Fighters Of All Time
Who is the best MMA fighter of all time?
Who is the best UFC fighter ever? Read on the find out.
Greatest Mma
10 Best Heavyweight Title Fights of All-Time. Submission game while extending his winning streak to six and putting him in the discussion as one of the greatest heavyweights in MMA history. Ranking the top 10 UFC fighters of all-time. You don't wanna mess with UFC fighters, but especially these 30 guys. CLEVELAND, Ohio — Who is the greatest MMA fighter of all time? It’s a question that many have tried to answer with no definitive outcome. Order UFC 251: Usman vs Masvidal on ESPN Plus pay-per.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) had become one of the major sports that has won the hearts of many. The MMA came into limelight during the days of “the underground” where there were basically no rules and sanctioned fighters were allowed to do all sorts of moves, including hair pulling and groin strikes.
To determine who the best fighters are, among the numerous fighters to have graced the MMA, we have considered factors such as their dominance in the game, their skills, and their peaks. Yet, it still boils down to endless debate when trying to determine who the greatest fighters of all-time are.
This article gives insight into the top-20 of the best MMA fighters ever. History will never forget their contributions and how they have been able to gain the hearts of fans in the MMA space.
Here are the Best MMA Fighters of All-Time in UFC History
* Pro MMA record are in Win-Loss-Draw and No Contest formats.
20. Quinton Jackson “Rampage”
- Country: United States
- Record: 38-14-0
There are different tactics and fighting styles in the MMA, and each fighter is usually known for a particular skill or tactic. For Jackson, (also known as Rampage) his spectacular tactics were to carry his opponent over his head and give them great slams. He was popularly known for his move and it also helped to save him on several occasions. An instance was when he was stuck in Ricardo Arona’s triangle submission. Surprisingly, he delivered himself – using this spectacular move.
19. Amanda Nunes “The Lioness”
- Country: Brazil
- Record: 20-4-0
This is one of the greatest female fighters ever to grace the MMA and the UFC. After her great defeat at the UFC 178, she was able to turn things around. Shortly after the loss, she bounced back and became an animal, defeating many of her mates including the notorious Cyborg. Amanda Nunes is gradually becoming one of the biggest names in the industry.
18. Wanderlei Silva “The Axe Murderer”
- Country: Brazil
- Record: 35-14-1, 1 NC
Nicknamed ‘The Axe Murderer’, Silva gained his nickname by how he fights. Going back to the days when he was in his prime, only a few other fighters had the courage to face him. How he would stare at his opponent and wring their hands was one of the things the world will never forget about him. What many liked about Silva was how he would chase his opponents, as he moved forward forcing his opponent to move backwards in response to the deadly pressure being mounted.
17. Randy Couture “The Natural”
- Country: United States
- Record: 19-11-0
To become the UFC champion on two different occasions in one’s career as a fighter in the MMA is not easy to achieve. Randy Couture is one of the few fighters who has been able to achieve this, thus, joining the ranks of the best UFC fighters ever. Randy was popularly known for his “dirty boxing’ tactics, which have earned him victory over his opponents on several occasions.
16. Frankie Edgar “The Answer”
- Country: United States
- Record: 23-8-1
Edgar became popular when he had a remarkable victory over B. J. Penn. Prior to the fight, Penn had smashed Diego Sanchez, and fans were expecting Penn to at least keep the momentum going for a short while. Surprisingly, Edgar had a fantastic victory over him. What surprised fans most was how he was able to prove himself as he did in several consecutive challenges after beating Penn.
15. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira “Minotauro”
- Country: Brazil
- Record: 34-10-1, 1 NC
To win the UFC Heavyweight title is no easy feat. However, Antonio Rodrigo is one of the rare fighters to earn this through his fights and victories over many big names in the industry. He was known for not wasting time in going for the submission. Unlike other fighters who will hold their opponent closely and wait for the referee to come to stand them back up, Rodrigo had spectacular moves he used in getting his opponents stuck in his trap.
14. Mauricio Rua “Shogun”
- Country: Brazil
- Record: 26-11-1
Nicknamed as Shogun, Rua is popularly known for his superior striking skills. He is also known for not rushing to go for the submission. He would make sure he satisfies his appetite by dishing out some heavy hammer fists on his opponents before going for the submission. Shogun had his training with a few other fighters at the famous Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil. Coming out of such an academy, Rua’s moves came as no surprise to fans.
13. Dan Henderson “Hendo”
- Country: United States
- Record: 32-15-0
Nicknamed Hendo, Dan Henderson was popular for his overhand right tactics. With the power in his right hand, he was able to defeat many of his opponents. Another thing that has helped Henderson survive the heavy impacts of his opponents’ blows was his iron chin. With this chin, he was able to withstand heavy blows that might have finished other fighters.
12. Dominick Cruz “The Dominator”
- Country: United States
- Record: 22-3-0
Cruz is popularly known for his superb movements, which made it hard for his opponents to predict what his next move would be. The number one item on his priority list was to not get hit. Although he is not one of the best when it comes to submission and knockout, he is able to comfortably evade many of his opponents’ hits.
11. Daniel Cormier “DC”
- Country: United States
- Record: 22-2-0, 1 NC
This is one of the few fighters to have gained success in both heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. Cormier was able to defeat many of his opponents who would stand on his way of maintaining his position as light heavyweight champion. However, he was stopped by Jon Jones.
10. Conor McGregor “The Notorious”
- Country: Ireland
- Record: 22-4-0
Conor McGregor is one of the biggest names in the industry right now who is popularly known for his frequent trash talks. Ranked #4 in the UFC lightweight rankings and #8 in the UFC Men’s pound for pound rankings as of June 2020, McGregor is also one of the rare fighters who have been able to hold the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles two times. His left punch is one of his most favourite weapons and he uses it to have his way with his opponents. He is still young in the game and more is expected from him.
9. B.J. Penn “The Prodigy”
- Country: United States
- Record: 16-14-2
Penn is one of the few great fighters the MMA can boast of. He is one of the fastest fighters to earn the Jiu-Jitsu and the first American to bag the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship. Penn was able to defeat many of his opponents with his grappling skills. One event that fans will never forget was when he was seen licking the blood on his gloves after his victory over Joe Stevenson. “The Prodigy” deserves to be among the list of the best MMA fighters of all-time.
8. Chuck Liddell “The Iceman”
- Country: United States
- Record: 21-9-0
Chuck may not have the fancy striking skills, but his vicious hands and granite chin were two of his deadliest weapons. He has been able to deceive his opponents with his deadly striking only to surprised them with his kicks. All these have made him stand out among many of his counterparts.
7. Matt Hughes
- Country: United States
- Record: 45-9-0
Matt was known for how he would carry his opponents and smash them down, sending them into a great defeat. He had many skills in his arsenal to defeat his opponents. Matt is one of the scariest and toughest fighters in the industry. He was never satisfied with just taking his opponents down, he would always follow with a great punch, which also contributed to his reputation.
6. Demetrius Johnson “Mighty Mouse”
- Country: United States
- Record: 30-3-1
Demetrius Johnson is not only the first fighter to earn UFC flyweight championship, but he is also the only fighter to hold the record. He is holding the title and on his mission to break Anderson Silva’s record of defending the title consecutively. What makes him stand out among other fighters is his high IQ, speed, and footwork, which has made it difficult for his opponents to defeat him.
5. Fedor Emelianenko “The Last Emperor”
- Country: Russia
- Record: 39-6-0, 1 NC
Before Fedor Emelianenko came to MMA, he was a Combat Sambo champion, and this has helped him blend him succeed in the MMA. At first glance, you may write him off as unfit for a fight. But as the fight goes on, you become convinced that he is one of the best fighters the MMA has been blessed with in UFC history.
4. Khabib Nurmagomedov “The Eagle”
- Country: Russia
- Record: 28-0-0
If we are to mention a few fighters who will never be forgotten in the world of MMA, Khabib is one name that will never be left out. He does not only win his fights, he wins most of them hands-down. Fans even regard him as an animal as a result of his great moves and performances.
What makes Nurmagomedov truly remarkable is the fact that his opponents usually know his next moves, yet they still lack what it takes to stop him. You may want to ask why he is not the first on the list? He is not making it to the first position because he hasn’t had the chance perhaps after he has had the time to defend his titles consistently as a few others have.
3. Jon Jones “Bones”
- Country: United States
- Record: 26-1-0, 1 NC
In his early career, Jones was able to defeat Mauricio Rua to earn the UFC youngest champion when he was just 23. He had a rapid rise in his career and is not showing any sign of slowing down. He is always remembered for his great victory over Reyes, which was his 14th title defence. Jon Jones is simply a legend. He is often revered by pundits as one of the best fighters ever. All eyes are on Jones for what his performances will be in his next fights.
2. Anderson Silva “The Spider”
- Country: Brazil
- Record: 34-10-0, 1 NC
Though he is known for his great performance in the Jiu-Jitsu, what makes Anderson Silva stand out among other fighters in the UFC is his great striking skills. He has been able to deceive his opponents with his smooth and harmless looks, through which he is able to defeat many of his opponents. Silva was able to set his opponents into a trap by mocking them of their actions and moves. When this happens, opponents become frustrated and try to bring him down, and that is when Silva would have his way. Anderson Silva is a major contender of the title of the greatest in the UFC.
1. George St. Pierre “Rush”
- Country: Canada
- Record: 26-2-0
George St. Pierre is the best MMA fighter of all-time. Yes, he was not the best at knockouts, but his strong will was too much for many fighters to break. One thing that surprised all was that he did not have any wrestling background before launching into MMA. Yet, he was always in the best position to put his opponents down. Pierre’s reputation was further heightened when he had a great victory over Michael Bisping at UFC 217.
Final Words
Regardless of the sport, the ‘best-ever’ topic is always a controversial matter. Aside from Wayne Gretzky, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and perhaps Serena Williams who are unarguably the best in their sport, there are rarely a few sports where it might be obvious who the title of the greatest of all time should be bestowed.
Greatest Ufc Fighter Of All Time Ranker
What are your thoughts on our top-20 best MMA fighters of all-time? Please feel free to share in the comments section below.
UFC fights stand for Ultimate Fighting Championship owned by WME–IMG and based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Today I am going to list the best UFC fights of all time that are recognized as the most memorable fights in UFC history.
UFC has interned for over 20 years which is a form of American mixed martial arts and when these superior fights happened, the TRPs got way high, so get ready to know about these ten best UFC fights ever.
UFC is famous for the brutal fights since it was opened first and some of those fights accreted the moments that can never forget by anyone because of the incidents happened there that make those fights best UFC fights of all time.
Top 10 Best UFC Fights of All Time
So let’s continue reading these ten greatest fights here if you haven’t seen them and if you have, then you can feel them again through my list of best fights in UFC history.
1). Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture
As per the records, Couture stated his retirement in February 2006 when he lost the match with Liddell happened at UFC 52. But, in 2007, he returned to fight against Tim Sylvia who is 13 years younger than Randy.
In the ring, Sylvia took full advantage of height which was more than Randy by six-inches and his weight was 40.5 pounds more than Randy at that time. So you can understand how Randy faced disadvantages of being sorter, order and lighter than Tim.
But who knew that all these advantages and disadvantages were only the paper things because, in the first ten seconds, Couture attacked Sylvia and defeated him.
He knocked him down hard with his right hand and waited for his action back and in this one great move, that round finished.
In the second round, Sylvia was unable for any action against his opponent and Couture took the entire control in this round as well.
In the final round, Couture used all his disadvantages and defeated Kim on his feet, so Sylvia’s all advantages were of no use and same happened in the fourth and fifth rounds and at last, Couture got that big title of the victory.
2). Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida
These both great fighters are known for the most intense fights whenever they faced each other in that Octagon with the MMA skills. In this memorable fight, they both jumped the center of the Octagon and started punching each other without wasting any time
They both started unloading their power at each other even before the commentator’s action whistle and he was just saying ‘Oh my God’ in the entire game.
They both were full of aggression for each other and it was well-viewed by all the attendants there in just the first minute of the great UFC.
At the moment when they got a chance to stand, Sanchez didn’t show any patience and he used a head kick and it made Guida grounded. But Guida didn’t lose anything and he stood back against Sanchez, but again he only got some really hard punches and moves by Sanchez.
This fight went the same for the second round and the third and final round; these two fighters were raining the aggression on each other. At last, the bad intentions ended and Sanchez became the winner of that “Fight of the Night.”
3). Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II
It was the most exciting fight among these best UFC fights of all time between Matt and Frank. This fight took these both against each other on the met for the second time after their first fight.
In the first round of this fight, Frank took the aggression and he pushed Matt all over his face and head. He made Matt dropped on the mat and still emptying his aggression on all over Matt’s body.
In the entire round, Matt was defending himself from the hard shots of Frank. As this was the second fight, both were full of aggression and in the beginning Trigg seemed to take the command over Matt.
But then Hughes came up with all his power and separated himself from the choking of Trigg and then he tied up Trigg with all his power unloading all the aggression on Trigg’s face.
Matt didn’t allow slipping his choking and he continued with the punches and a few kicks which make these both spreading across the mat. Lastly, Matt used his elbows and grounded Trigg in the rear-naked choke which made Trigg to stop the fight.
4). Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva 1
With no further discussion, this is recognized as one of the best UFC fights of all time. It was a fight between two Hulks with a lot of knocks and kicks on the entire body. If you wish to see a really hard fight, you should see this one between these two large and strong fighters.
In the first round, no one got to the ground, but they unloaded lots of punches and kicks on each other and in the second round, there was enough action to see where the rage started getting high with each round and with the fight going on, they got on the mat.
In the second round, Silva seemed to suffer a lot because of the quick punches unloaded by Hunt where Silva also made some brutal leg kicks to Hunt’s calf.
The third round was almost same with some more aggression of the Hunt to Silva and Silva got the ground. After a few more seconds, Silva seemed like he is not capable of fighting anymore and out of energy.
In the next round, he managed some hard leg kicks that got Hunt on the ground and Silva struck with heavy hands. But in the end, Saliva lose the fight as he failed the post-fight drug test, so it is a worth watching among these best UFC fights of all time.
5). Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson
If you have seen this Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson match, you know why it is known as one of the best UFC fights of all time. This fight was between two tall fighters who fought most of the time standing on the mat using kicks and punches against each other.
In the initial rounds, Alexander seemed like running away from getting grounded and he took Jon to the ground 2-3 times easily using his long legs and strong punches.
So Alexander played well in taking Jon down because it was hard for many of Jon’s opponents even after several attempts which Alexander made possible in just a few seconds.
Alexander used his right hand and took Jon down and by the rounds, Jon’s face was all bloody and full of mess, but Jon remained aggressive and tough that made him a winner of this fight at last.
This fight cleared those minds who were confused Jones’ and Gustafsson toughness, so this was the one in all these best UFC fights of all time.
6). Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III
They both already have fought against each other twice, but the mind-blowing fight was the third one that was considered among the best UFC fights of all time. The first fight was in 2008 when fighting against all odd, Maynard took the belt through the winning decision in favor of him.
After 10 months of that fight, these two met again on the mat when it was UFC 136. The fight started and in the first round, Edgar held strong and tried to stand on the mat, then Maynard came up with an uppercut move and landed Edgar.
In the next round, things felt worse and more aggressive, Edgar got landed on the met by Maynard’s harsh moves. Maynard went all in rage with all the power and he was like unloading punches that made Edgar like really bloody.
Next, Edgar was trying to recover himself by staying away from Maynard’s moves, so Edgar didn’t get any closer to Maynard due to the serious beating he received in previous round.
In the next coming rounds, Edgar took the position and he started unloading punches and kicks on his opponent.
7). Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua
It was also one of the best UFC fights where both of these opponents struck each other till they got their pants full of blood. It was the most aggressive five-round war between Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua.
Dan was good in initial rounds that got Rua all messed up with blood and left him grounded. In next rounds, Rua took his power and he came up with his aggression that you can easily see after third round.
It was a total knockout for Dan because Rua continued defending himself and keeping his pace which later took Dan to ground with a lot of damage.
Henderson used all his energy and by the third round he got all empty and Rua took advantage of it in the fifth and final round, but Henderson was strong enough and he survived that ticking clock that got him victory.
8). Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2
It was indeed one of the best fights in UFC history; this was the second fight between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald, just like a rematch.
These two fought first in 2013 in which Lawyer was announced as the winner of that match. In 2015, these two again came in front of each other and that first round began.
Lawler played the match wisely from beginning to end, he used his rage efficiently and it got Rory all bloody. Lawler focused on Rory’s nose and covered him with the brutal punches. In next rounds, MacDonald also turned him quite good and hurt Lawler badly using a head kick and punches.
But Lawler stayed strong in the entire game and no one got on the mat, but at last, MacDonald seemed like giving up and he caught the mat after Lawler’s hard punches, kicks, and elbows. MacDonald was in all pain and Rory won that “Fight of the Night.”
9). Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
It seems a wise fight where Sonnen used his strength and Silva used his brain power and won the fight with minimum blood on his face. Sonnen was harsh from the beginning and he started unloading punches on Silva without stopping for a moment.
Silva seems like losing the match initially, but this guy was in complete control that made Sonnen meeting with blood all over. In the last minutes, Sonnen was unlucky because of that slipping that allowed Silva to choke him up making it a triangle choke.
Sonnen was caught hard that it was impossible for him to be released from that choke and by the time Sonnen lost the fight and made Silva a winner. So the title went around the waist of Silva, this was surely one of the best UFC fights of all time.
10). Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
This fight was matched up between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar and this historical fight made it the best UFC fight ever. It was the most exciting one where these two heavyweights knocked each other till the last moment without getting on the mat.
They both fought with all their energies so in the third round their energies got stuck and they both were in slow paces. Both fought using all the strategies that made it hard to decide that who should win.
Lastly, the result came and it made Forrest Griffin to win the match and meanwhile, Bonnar fell on the mat, so ultimately this one comes with all these best UFC fights of all time.
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Conclusion
Greatest Ufc Fighter Ever
Here I listed all the best UFC fight ever that many figures made against each other. These fights are worth watching as these were an epic time in UFC fighting history. So you can watch the best UFC fights of all time by reading out this article here and let’s make any of these your favorite one.