The Greatest UFC Fighter of All Time: Who are the Kings and Queens of the Octagon?
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has gripped martial arts fans for decades with bitter rivalries, brutal faceoffs, athletic brilliance, and some of the best technical fighting on the planet. With decades of history of many MMA fighters competing for the best-ever title, fans love to debate who ranks as the greatest UFC fighter of all time.
But what exactly makes the greatest UFC fighter of all time? The most straightforward way to rank these fighters is by the athletes who have won the most fights and the highest percentage of their bouts
That’s why many people rank fighters like Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Georges St-Pierre so highly. But similar to everything else in the UFC arena, things aren’t as simple and there are many different alliances and opinions.
Winning titles, like the recent UFC 308 featherweight championship bout, is another way to earn the respect of UFC fans, as Anderson Silva and Amanda Nunes have done with championship wins.
Finally, hitting records for the most consecutive wins, longest unbeaten streaks, or being the first person to achieve something is another consideration for the greatest fighters of all time.
We’ll let you be the judge and form your own opinion on who’s the greatest UFC fighter of all time. But to help you reach a verdict, we’ve compiled a list of the fighters often regarded as the greatest UFC fighters of all time and outlined some of the reasons they have a claim.
Top Contenders for the Title
Jon Jones
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With the most title fight wins in UFC history, the second-highest takedown defense percentage, the third-lowest bottom position percentage, and the joint fourth-longest win streak in UFC history (13), there are plenty of records that give Jon Jones a claim to be the greatest UFC fighter of all time.
That 13 consecutive win streak would run even longer, but his win at UFC 214 was overturned after Jones tested positive on a drug test. Including that overturned victory, Jones’ consecutive winning record would stand well over the current UFC record of 16 and is the longest unbeaten streak in UFC history.
Jones is 6’4 and fought for most of his career as a UFC Lightweight, winning the Championship twice. He has the most successful title defenses of any UFC Lightweight (11), tied for the most in UFC history. Jones recently moved up to the UFC Heavyweight division, winning the Heavyweight Championship in his first bout.
He is considered one of the most technically adept fighters in UFC history, employing a range of kicks, strong clinch skills, and positional skills on the ground.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
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After winning 17 fights without losing in his MMA career, Khabib Nurmagomedov made his first UFC appearance in January 2012, winning by submission over Kamal Shalorus in UFC on FX. He finished his UFC career eight years later with a technical submission over Justin Gaethje in UFC 254, still never losing a fight.
During that unbeaten career, the orthodox fighter nicknamed The Eagle won the UFC Lightweight Championship and had the longest Lightweight reign in UFC history. The mauling fighter used to force opposition fighters against the cage and use a range of strikes and submissions from this position to win. That’s how he has the most submission wins in UFC Lightweight title fights and tied for third-most submission wins in title fights in UFC history.
Several of Nurmagomedov’s fights rank among the best in UFC history, including his matchup against Conor McGregor at UFC 229, the highest selling pay per view event in UFC history, which ended with McGregor being the first man to take a round of Khabib before the Russian fighter claimed a submission win and jump the cage into McGregor’s corner, causing a brawl and subsequent suspensions.
Georges St-Pierre
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Holding the UFC Middleweight Championship and Welterweight Championship throughout his career, Georges St-Pierre was the fourth multi-divisional champion in UFC history. St-Pierre is celebrated as one of the most well-rounded UFC fighters of all time, combining an elite mentality with fantastic wrestling skills, black belt skills in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and great striking. Fans also celebrate St-Pierre for his methodical game plans in every fight.
While St-Pierre did not finish his UFC career unbeaten, going 20-2, he avenged both of his losses to Matt Hughes and Matt Serra with later wins, both times claiming the UFC Welterweight Championship.
“Rush,” as he is sometimes known, has been applauded for overcoming fighters on significant winning streaks like Jon Fitch (16), Jake Shields (15), Thiago Alves (7), and Dan Hardy (7).
Anderson Silva
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While the last nine fights of Anderson Silva’s UFC career have seen him lose six, win one, and win another but later have it overturned after a positive drug test, it’s impossible to forget how good “Spider” Silva was during his peak. Silva won his first 16 fights in the UFC, earning the UFC Middleweight Championship during that time and the record for the longest UFC winning streak.
He held the Middleweight Championship for ten consecutive defenses, the longest consecutive streak and most defenses in Middleweight history. Silva also scored the most knockouts (7), finishes (9), and knockdowns (10) in UFC title fights.
The Brazilian has also established himself as one of the most exciting fighters to watch thanks to his striking accuracy and flair for knockouts, scoring the most Knockout of the Night awards in UFC history.
Amanda Nunes
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Otherwise known as The Lioness, Brazilian Amanda Nunes made her UFC debut in August 2013, competing against Sheila Gaff at UFC 163, winning by TKO. That set a precedent for the rest of her career, where the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Judo brown belt only lost two fights across her whole UFC career.
That career brought her several records, including the longest combined UFC title reign of all time, at 4126 days. Between 2013 and 2023, she won the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship twice, defending it six times, and the UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship with two title defenses.
Holding her titles saw her win the most title defenses by a woman in UFC history. She was the third fighter to hold two titles simultaneously and the first woman to win and hold two titles simultaneously.
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So, how did Nunes pick up the most UFC Women’s Bantamweight division wins (13) and consecutive wins? Eight of her 18 wins in UFC came from KO or TKO, primarily through blows from punches and elbows, indicating Nunes’ striking power and speed. She’s a pressure fighter, preferring to fight on the leader and use counters to control the fight.
That style has helped her beat some of the best women UFC fighters ever, with Nunes coming out victorious in matches against former champions like Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, and Holly Holm.
Perhaps her best performance ever saw her hit the only KO of her UFC career against Cris Cyborg in UFC 232 after just 51 seconds. In that fight, she was considered undersized going for the Featherweight Championship and competing against a fighter undefeated in 21 bouts, but she still won thanks to her elite hand speed.
Analyzing Fighter Achievements and Records
All of the fighters on our list have won UFC Championships, hold records, and have pushed the boundaries of the UFC. Below, we’ve listed the significant achievements and records that help establish our picks as the best fighters in UFC history.
Jon Jones:
- UFC Heavyweight Championship
- UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Longest unbeaten streak in UFC history (19)
- Most UFC title fights (16)
- Most UFC title wins (15)
- Tied most successful title defenses in UFC history (11)
Khabib Nurmagomedov:
- UFC Hall of Fame
- UFC Lightweight Championship
- Longest Lightweight title reign (1077 days)
- Most takedowns in a single UFC fight (21 – UFC 160)
Georges St-Pierre:
- UFC Hall of Fame
- UFC Middleweight Championship
- 2x UFC Welterweight Championship
- Most UFC Welterweight title fight wins (12)
Anderson Silva:
- UFC Hall of Fame
- UFC Middleweight Championship
- Longest title reign in UFC history (2457 days)
- Most finishes, knockouts, and knockdowns in UFC title fights (9, 7, 10)
- Most Knockout of the Night awards
- Longest win streak in UFC history (16)
Amanda Nunes:
- 2x UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship
- Most wins in UFC women’s title defenses (11)
- Longest combined UFC title reign of all time (4126 days)
- Most finishes in UFC women’s history
Memorable Fights in UFC History
The criteria for a great UFC fight varies depending on what you want. The most entertaining UFC fights tend to feature an even contest with lots of technical skill on display or a dazzling moment.
Meanwhile, the most memorable fights for contenders for the title of greatest UFC fighter of all time tend to be one-sided affairs that show off that fighter’s skill or high-stakes fights that win a title or a record. Therefore, many of the top fights for the greatest UFC fighter of all time may not even feature on a list of the greatest UFC fights of all time.
If those fights feature a dazzling moment or impressive achievement, they are also more likely to be remembered more fondly. Jon Jones ticked that box when he landed 138 strikes on Glover Teixeira to defend the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, the most he has ever hit in his career, compared to just 53 strikes from his opponent.
Another flashy moment that helped define a top fighter’s legacy came when Anderson Silva defended his UFC Middleweight Championship with a Knockout of the Night at UFC 126. Silva landed a front-facing kick to Vitor Belfort’s face, a strike similar to the crane kick that helped Daniel LaRusso beat Johnny Lawrence at the end of the Karate Kid movie.
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One of Amanda Nunes’ greatest moments came as she quickly overcame former Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey in her comeback fight when all the media focus in the build-up was on “Rowdy Ronda.” The TKO ended the fight in just 48 seconds.
St-Pierre returned from suffering the first loss in UFC at the hands of Matt Hughes to win the rematch at UFC 65 and claim the UFC Welterweight Championship. He also scored the Knockout of the Night, although he dominated the whole fight with a range of strikes and a head kick in Round 2. Overcoming a previous failure helped cement St-Pierre’s legacy as one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time.
Meanwhile, Khabib overcame personal tragedy to land one of his most memorable wins, beating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 after his father’s death. The fight has taken on greater significance as the triangle choke submission was the last UFC action we ever saw from The Eagle. Following the bout, Khabib announced his retirement and sealed up his unbeaten MMA career.
Factors Influencing Popular Opinion
While most UFC fans would want to make the most objective decision possible when deciding the greatest UFC fighter of all time, personal biases influence these picks. Those personal biases are created through how media and social media portray these fighters and the promotions and marketing around fighting.
For example, Islam Makhachev has a 15-1 record in UFC and holds the UFC Lightweight Championship, but he is rarely mentioned in the greatest UFC fighter conversations. Meanwhile, Conor “Notorious” McGregor often finds a way onto these lists despite holding a 10-4 record in UFC, although he did win two championships.
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Notorious is possibly one of the UFC’s most famous fighters thanks to his trash talk and exciting fighting style. He delivered the Greatest Knockout in the UFC’s First 25 Years when he downed Jose Aldo with a quick left jab.
Fights against famous fighters like Aldo and Eddie Alvarez helped him gain popularity, showing how vital fight marketing is in building popular opinion around their legacy.
The power of marketing means that fighters’ cultural impact on the world plays a role in judging their success. For example, Amanda Nunes helped women’s fighting reach new heights as the only UFC fighter to defend two titles in two different weight classes simultaneously.
Engaging in the Debate: Who is the Greatest?
Of course, while we’ve thrown some suggestions out there for the greatest UFC fighter of all time, you might not agree. We’ve chosen the fighters that have managed to break records in high-profile divisions and claimed some of the most significant wins in UFC history.
From Khabib’s unbeaten run to Nunes breaking the mold as the first multi-title UFC women’s fighter, our selections have pushed UFC to new heights.
Still, there are other fighters out there worth consideration. Does Demetrious Johnson deserve a spot for winning the most consecutive UFC title fights in history with 11 successes? Or big man Stipe Miocic for the most consecutive title defenses in the UFC Heavyweight division?
You can let us know in the comments below. If you want to learn more about some of UFC’s best fights and fighters, keep reading our comprehensive guides.
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