The Greatest MMA Fighters of All Time. About All-Time Rankings. All-Time Rankings are for the best fighters in MMA history. Tapology users submit their own lists which are combined into consensus rankings. 10 Best Heavyweight Title Fights of All-Time. Here's a look back at some of the most iconic heavyweight title fights in UFC history. Lesnar controlled Mir from top. As Tapology users create their own lists, the consensus rankings will update in real-time. For All-Time Greatest Fighters, the 200 most-recently updated member lists will be included. MMA Junkie: UFC 259 breakdown: Aljamain Sterling can finish Petr Yan by submission. The UFC has now been around for a long time – 27 years to be exact. Over that time, the promotion has seen some of the greatest fighters in history enter the Octagon to prove themselves.
- Top Ten Best Ufc Fighters Of All Time Now
- Top Ten Best Ufc Fighters Of All Time
- Top 20 Ufc Fighters
- Top Ranked Ufc Fighters Of All Time
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.
1/8Order UFC 251: Usman vs Masvidal on ESPN Plus pay-per-view and save more than 25%3/8
Part of the problem is that since the rise of cage fighting and the launch of the UFC, eras have come and gone. How do you assess fighters who ruled over a specific time that had weaker competition in different promotions? Could one of today's rising stars take out a dominant force like Chuck Liddell, Royce Gracie, Wanderlei Silva or Kazushi Sakuraba in their prime?
For our list of the 25 greatest MMA fighters of all time, we tried to balance the criteria. A fighter's overall career resume mattered. But not as much as their performance at their peak. The eye test was important. But not as important as the competition a fighter faced and how they handled that competition.
Ultimately, we valued fighters who put together multiple wins (often in multiple divisions) over others who were considered among the greatest of all time. You might say that produced recency bias, especially considering pioneer Gracie didn't make our list and that our No. 25 is an all-time fan favorite.
The list has also been updated to reflect high-profile wins by Stipe Miocic and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
25. Chuck Liddell
Might as well start this list with some controversy. For the record, I began watching the UFC in 2005. At the time, Chuck Liddell was the biggest star and the person most responsible for making the sport of MMA popular. He was a phenom and the fact that he barely made this list is going to upset old-school fans. Yet, it's easy to forget Liddell's peak run didn't last all that long and it wasn't against the toughest competition. During his seven-win run atop the UFC, four fights came against Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture. Liddell was a human highlight reel. But was he a better mixed martial artist than Cain Velasquez, Shogun Rua, Vito Belfort, Fabricio Werdum and Rampage Jackson, who were considered for this final spot? In the end, Liddell's peak years and the way he finished guys put him over the edge...just barely.
24. Valentina Shevchenko
Some might find it hard to rank women and men together on a list like this. Not me. Many of the male fighters on this list never faced each other either. Valentina Shevchenko is terrifying and the greatest female striker in MMA history. She's picked apart the likes of Jessica Eye, Holly Holm, Joanna J 1/4 u0119drzejczyk and Julianna Pena. Her only two losses since joining the UFC are to Amanda Nunes, the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time. And there's a solid case to be made that Shevchenko won that second fight.
23. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Had Big Nog stopped fighting after Pride 24, he would still be considered an all-time great. At that point, he was coming off a streak of 13 straight wins against top-notch competition. Nogueira's only knock is that he couldn't get past Fedor Emelianenko in his prime. But no one could. Big Nog did earn big wins over Heath Herring (to win the inaugural Pride Heavyweight Championship), Bob Sapp, Dan Henderson, Ricco Rodriguez, Mirko Cro Crop, Fabricio Werdum and Tim Sylvia (for the UFC Heavyweight Championship). Nogueira was battle-worn by the time he got to the UFC and still managed to win a title in the top promotion in the world.
22. Eddie Alvarez
To truly appreciate Eddie Alvarez, you have to examine his time in both the UFC and Bellator. He was great in both and the competition Alvarez faced remains a who's who in MMA today. Alvarez always put on a show for fans. His UFC stretch of beating Gilbert Melendez, Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos was as good as the lightweight division had seen. And let us not forget that Alvarez was a welterweight champion early in his career, showcasing his ability to excel in multiple divisions.
21. Robbie Lawler
Throughout his career, Robbie Lawler came to finish fights. That didn't get him too far during his first run in the UFC once he ran into elite competition. Yet, Lawler's second run in the promotion, which began in 2013, will put him in the Hall of Fame one day. His stretch as champion was nothing short of brilliant while holding two wins over Carlos Condit, Johny Hendricks and Rory McDonald (their second fight is, in my opinion, the most entertaining battle in MMA history).
20. Israel Adesanya
Too soon for Adesanya? Maybe. But look at what he's done since entering the UFC. In his last six fights, Adesanya has consecutive wins over Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson, Anderson Silva, Kelvin Gastelum, Robert Whitaker and Yoel Romero. Silva is an all-time great, while Whitaker and Romero would have surely made this list had they not run into Adesanya. The 30-year-old has earned his spot and will only move up from here.
19. Dan Henderson
After becoming a standout with his epic bouts in Pride, Dan Henderson's arrival to the UFC was much anticipated. But it didn't go as planned the first time around. Still, his KO of Michael Bisping might be the best finish in UFC history. Henderson moved on to Strikeforce, where he regained his mojo and took out the great Fedor Emelianenko. Upon his return to the UFC, Hendo gave us one of the greatest fights in MMA history against Shogun Rua.
18. B.J. Penn
We have to look past the last several years of B.J. Penn's career, because, quite frankly, they've been hard watch. Yet, during his prime, Penn was one of the most exciting fighters in MMA. He made some odd career choices during his first run with the UFC. But his raw talent was unmatched. After getting bounced from welterweight by Matt Hughes in 2006, Penn moved back down to lightweight and was unstoppable. His five wins in the division (four of which came with the UFC Lightweight Championship on the line) were all finishes. Penn did attempt to go back to welterweight, losing to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 94. Yet, by then he was cemented as icon.
17. Henry Cejudo
Two years ago, it's hard to imagine we'd be putting Henry Cejudo on this list. His UFC career had been a mixed bag, beginning with two losses -- one to Demetrious Johnson and then a split decision to Joseph Benavidez after Cejudo was deducted a point for low blows. Then came one of the greatest runs in UFC history. Cejudo shocked the world and beat Johnson in their closely contested rematch. Cejudo's last six wins are as impressive as almost any on this list, including wins over TJ Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz. In between those fights, Cejudo became a two-division champ after KO'ing Marlon Moraes to win the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
16. Matt Hughes
Coming before Georges St-Pierre is no easy task from a historical standpoint. But Matt Hughes certainly made the UFC Welterweight Division. Hughes won the championship almost by accident, in a double knockout against Carlos Newton that went Hughes' way. From then on, Hughes was a monster. He beat Newton decisively in a rematch and then scored impressive wins against Sean Sherk and Frank Trigg. BJ Penn upset Hughes at UFC 46. But Hughes would eventually go on to avenge that loss. The competition at welterweight would get better after Hughes' run was over. But he has holds wins over two of the biggest names on this list in their prime (including Georges St-Pierre). That, and Hughes' unprecedented dominance gets him here.
15. Randy Couture
Randy Couture had one of the greatest careers in MMA history. But it was a roller coaster ride, making it hard to determine when his prime was. Couture had as many as four great runs with the UFC. The legend of 'The Natural' began with two amazing fights against Pedro Rizzo. He would go on to lose to Josh Barnett (who tested positive for banned substances) and Ricco Rodriguez the following year. Yet, Couture bounced back at light heavyweight, beating Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and splitting a two-fight series with Vitor Belfort. It wasn't a stretch of dominance like some of the others on this list. But it was an impressive showing in two highly competitive divisions. There's something to be said for remaining in your prime for such a long period.
14. Frankie Edgar
Everyone's favorite underdog until he became one of the greatest fighters in history. Frankie Edgar always looked undersized. But that never stopped him from beating the best lightweights on the planet, including Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin and BJ Penn (twice). Edgar was the man who stopped Penn's best career stretch. Two questionable decision losses to Benson Henderson pushed Edgar up to featherweight where he, again, became a title contender with wins over elite fighters. Edgar is one of the best mixed martial artists of all time in two divisions. Few can say that.
12. Max Holloway
Recent losses shouldn't taint what Max Holloway has accomplished over the past six years. Since losing back-to-back fights to Dennis Bermudez and Conor McGregor early in his career, Holloway has 14 wins with most of them are against strong competition. That list includes Frankie Edgar, Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo (twice), Anthony Pettis, Ricardo Lamas, Jeremy Stevens, Charles Oliveira and Cub Swanson. You could say he over-reached in trying to become a two-division champ against Dustin Poirier. But Holloway has a chance to avenge his recent loss at featherweight against Alexander Volkanovski. Should he do that, Holloway's legacy as the greatest featherweight of all time could be guaranteed.
12. Dominick Cruz
If it weren't for injuries, Dominick Cruz might have the greatest career of any MMA fighter. And yet, it's still quite impressive the way it is. Upon Cruz's return to the WEC in 2008, he became a well-rounded force, beating future UFC title contenders like Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall before getting his rematch against Urijah Faber and winning the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 132. Cruz dominated that fight. But the crown jewel of his career may be his win over Demetrious Johnson at bantamweight. It's the only clear cut win someone has over Johnson in his prime.
11. Daniel Cormier
Is easy to focus on Cormier's career as him being the greatest light heavyweight in UFC history not named Jon Jones. But consider before Cormier joined the UFC he was dominating heavyweights like Antonio Silva and Josh Barnett in Strikeforce. Cormier's coming-out party was a dominant performance against Frank Mir in Cormier's UFC debut. Cormier never coasted on his wrestling, even though he could have, becoming a formidable striker. If he beats Stipe Miocic at UFC 241, Cormier will go down as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history. It's hard to get past the two losses to Jon Jones (granted, one was overturned due to a positive drug test by Jones). And maybe we're short-changing Cormier because of them. But he still makes the top-10.
10. Amanda Nunes
Some MMA purists won't want to see a woman this high on the list. They'll say Amanda Nunes didn't face the same level of competition as the men. But take the greatest female MMA fighters of all time and Nunes has beaten all that were willing to face her, usually in spectacular fashion. That includes Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, Miesha Tate, Holly Holm and Valentina Shevchenko (twice). After an uneven start to her career, the past half-decade has seen Nunes be as dominant as any fighter – male or female – in UFC history. Oh, and she's a double champion who has successfully defended BOTH of her titles.
9. Jose Aldo
When you think of Jose Aldo, it's easy to picture his 13-second knockout loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 194. Sure, it would have been nice to see Aldo try and avenge that loss. But what he accomplished before that fight was astonishing. Aldo was an assassin during his early days at WEC, with his breakthrough performance coming when he TKO'd Cub Swanson with a flying knee at WEC 41. Aldo then dominated the promotion's mega-stars Mike Brown and Urijah Faber. When he joined the UFC, Aldo all but closed out the featherweight division until he ran into McGregor's fist. There are some people high enough on Aldo to put him atop of this list. I'm not quite as sold on the strength his competition, especially after losses to Conor McGregor and Max Holloway. But that's just me.
8. Stipe Miocic
From a career standpoint, a TKO loss to Stefan Struve hurts Stipe Miocic's resume a bit. But he became a different fighter after that. After losing a close war to Junior dos Santos in 2014, Miocic fine-tuned his skills and went on the greatest run in the history for a UFC Heavyweight Division that is as competitive as its ever been. Miocic is a quiet guy. But his wins from 2015 on speak for themselves: Mark Hunt, Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos (in a decisive rematch). Those are all Hall of Fame level names. Miocic also beat Francis Ngannou at UFC 220, controlling a seemingly unstoppable force that may very well be the future of the heavyweight division. Miocic's trilogy fight win over Cormier now cements him as an all-time great.
7. Conor McGregor
Is Conor McGregor really retired? If he is, he's is an icon. No question. Don't let the hype and showmanship fool you. McGregor was a dominant force possessing a left-hand for the ages. Following the momentum of an early win against Max Holloway in 2013, McGregor beat Diego Brandao (a former 'The Ultimate Fighter' winner), tough veteran Dennis Siver, longtime contender Chad Mendes and put Jose Aldo's lights out. McGregor then lost to Nate Diaz in a fight the former was winning until he ran out of gas. McGregor would avenge that loss in a classic rematch before beating Eddie Alvarez to become a two-division champion. If McGregor wants to move into the top five on this list, he'll need to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov again and win. But there's no denying his greatness even without that rematch.
6. Anderson Silva
From April 2006 through October 2012, Silva recorded 17 consecutive wins, 16 in the UFC. But it wasn't just that streak (bested only by Jones in terms of UFC wins), it was the way Silva destroyed people. In his UFC debut, Silva brutalized Chris Leben, one of the toughest guys in the promotion's history. Four months later, he would KO Rich Franklin to win the UFC Middleweight Championship. Franklin, a future Hall of Famer, was unstoppable for two years before Silva made him look like a scrub. Most of Silva's fights weren't close to competitive. He made fighters like Dan Henderson, Patrick Cote and Franklin (again) look average. Silva answered a close call to Chael Sonnen with dominating wins against Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami and Sonnen in a quick rematch. And when Silva got bored during that time, he beat up and embarrassed light heavyweights like Stephan Bonnar, Forrest Griffin and James Irvin. Yes, Silva was dominant in an era where the competition wasn't as strong as it is now. But was that just because Silva made those guys look so bad?
5. Demetrious Johnson
Johnson's peak period may still be ongoing. His one loss since 2013 was a split decision to Henry Cejudo (a fighter he TKO'd during their first fight) that could have gone either way. Johnson left no question about who was the best in the world during his fights, dominating each opponent in every aspect of MMA. The only knock against Johnson is that he never went up a division after clearing out flyweight. Could he have captured two UFC belts while still in his prime? We can assume yes. But we may never know.
4. Fedor Emelianenko
There's this idea that Fedor Emelianenko's all-time rating takes a hit because he never fought in the UFC. In terms of looking at an entire career resume, perhaps that is true. But if we're just looking at fighters' prime periods, Emelianenko lays claim to the most impressive streak in MMA history with 27 consecutive wins. And he did it against some of the all-time greats, including Mark Coleman (twice), Kevin Randleman, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Mirko Cro Cop and Mark Hunt. Emelianenko's dominance ran from 2000-2009. During that time, there isn't a UFC champion that would have been favored in a fight against him. Yes, it would have been nice to see him take out all of the UFC's elite during that time (Though, he beat several of them in other promotions). But it shouldn't take away from his Mt. Rushmore of MMA status.
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
If he is done, Nurmagomedov will go out undefeated with the answer to the question of whether anyone can beat him being no. His first true test, at least on paper, came against Rafael dos Anjos at a UFC event in 2014. That fight was not competitive. In fact, none of Nurmagomedov's fights in the UFC have been, despite top-notch opponents like Michael Johnson, Edson Barboza, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. It's hard to argue with Nurmagomedov's dominance up until this point. His stretch against McGregor, Poirier and most recently Justin Gaethje ranks as, perhaps, the best three-fight run in UFC history. We may be a bit emotional with Khabib declaring he's retiring, but he's earned this spot.
2. Jon Jones
Jon 'Bones' Jones didn't waste any time making a name for himself in the UFC. His spinning back elbow against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94 is a star-is-born moment. But Jones' first truly great performance was technically a loss. He demolished Matt Hamill only to be disqualified for using illegal downward elbows. Hamill could barely stand to awarded the victory. From that point on, Jones was unstoppable. He didn't just beat people. He demolished them, including seven (yes, seven!) surefire, future UFC Hall of Famers. Most of those victories coming via finishes. You could maybe make the case Jones wasn't the same after his classic fight with Alexander Gustafsson. Yet, he went on to beat Glover Teixeira and Ovince Saint Preux (without surrendering around to either) and scored two wins over Daniel Cormier (Though, one was overturned due to a positive drug test). Jones' recent fights haven't been all that entertaining, especially his razor-close decision win against Dominick Reyes. Jones is moving up to heavyweight. If he wins a title there, it would be hard to argue with his GOAT status.
1. Georges St. Pierre
St. Pierre won the UFC Welterweight Championship from Matt Hughes in impressive fashion (TKO) in 2006. He took his first challenger for that belt – a game Matt Serra – lightly, leading to one of the greatest upsets in UFC history. However, Pierre's next run with the title was flawless, showcasing the most well-rounded skill set of any fighter in MMA history. From his second win over Hughes and retribution against Serra on, Pierre barely lost a round, dominating Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn, Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy, Josh Koscheck, Jake Fields, Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz in their prime. And dominate isn't a strong enough word. Most of those fights were barely competitive against fighters who were among the division's elite. By the time Pierre got to Johny Hendricks, a fight he won controversially, Pierre had one foot out the door. Yet, during his peak, he was easily the greatest athlete the UFC. His return bout against Michael Bisping to win the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2017 was just the icing on the cake. You can't go wrong with any of the fighters in this top-three. But for us, GSP was the total package.
———
©2020 The Plain Dealer, Cleveland
Top Ten Best Ufc Fighters Of All Time Now
Visit The Plain Dealer, Cleveland at www.cleveland.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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.
Top Ten Best Ufc Fighters Of All Time
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.
Top 20 Ufc Fighters
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.
Top Ranked Ufc Fighters Of All Time
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.
23. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Had Big Nog stopped fighting after Pride 24, he would still be considered an all-time great. At that point, he was coming off a streak of 13 straight wins against top-notch competition. Nogueira's only knock is that he couldn't get past Fedor Emelianenko in his prime. But no one could. Big Nog did earn big wins over Heath Herring (to win the inaugural Pride Heavyweight Championship), Bob Sapp, Dan Henderson, Ricco Rodriguez, Mirko Cro Crop, Fabricio Werdum and Tim Sylvia (for the UFC Heavyweight Championship). Nogueira was battle-worn by the time he got to the UFC and still managed to win a title in the top promotion in the world.
22. Eddie Alvarez
To truly appreciate Eddie Alvarez, you have to examine his time in both the UFC and Bellator. He was great in both and the competition Alvarez faced remains a who's who in MMA today. Alvarez always put on a show for fans. His UFC stretch of beating Gilbert Melendez, Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos was as good as the lightweight division had seen. And let us not forget that Alvarez was a welterweight champion early in his career, showcasing his ability to excel in multiple divisions.
21. Robbie Lawler
Throughout his career, Robbie Lawler came to finish fights. That didn't get him too far during his first run in the UFC once he ran into elite competition. Yet, Lawler's second run in the promotion, which began in 2013, will put him in the Hall of Fame one day. His stretch as champion was nothing short of brilliant while holding two wins over Carlos Condit, Johny Hendricks and Rory McDonald (their second fight is, in my opinion, the most entertaining battle in MMA history).
20. Israel Adesanya
Too soon for Adesanya? Maybe. But look at what he's done since entering the UFC. In his last six fights, Adesanya has consecutive wins over Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson, Anderson Silva, Kelvin Gastelum, Robert Whitaker and Yoel Romero. Silva is an all-time great, while Whitaker and Romero would have surely made this list had they not run into Adesanya. The 30-year-old has earned his spot and will only move up from here.
19. Dan Henderson
After becoming a standout with his epic bouts in Pride, Dan Henderson's arrival to the UFC was much anticipated. But it didn't go as planned the first time around. Still, his KO of Michael Bisping might be the best finish in UFC history. Henderson moved on to Strikeforce, where he regained his mojo and took out the great Fedor Emelianenko. Upon his return to the UFC, Hendo gave us one of the greatest fights in MMA history against Shogun Rua.
18. B.J. Penn
We have to look past the last several years of B.J. Penn's career, because, quite frankly, they've been hard watch. Yet, during his prime, Penn was one of the most exciting fighters in MMA. He made some odd career choices during his first run with the UFC. But his raw talent was unmatched. After getting bounced from welterweight by Matt Hughes in 2006, Penn moved back down to lightweight and was unstoppable. His five wins in the division (four of which came with the UFC Lightweight Championship on the line) were all finishes. Penn did attempt to go back to welterweight, losing to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 94. Yet, by then he was cemented as icon.
17. Henry Cejudo
Two years ago, it's hard to imagine we'd be putting Henry Cejudo on this list. His UFC career had been a mixed bag, beginning with two losses -- one to Demetrious Johnson and then a split decision to Joseph Benavidez after Cejudo was deducted a point for low blows. Then came one of the greatest runs in UFC history. Cejudo shocked the world and beat Johnson in their closely contested rematch. Cejudo's last six wins are as impressive as almost any on this list, including wins over TJ Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz. In between those fights, Cejudo became a two-division champ after KO'ing Marlon Moraes to win the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
16. Matt Hughes
Coming before Georges St-Pierre is no easy task from a historical standpoint. But Matt Hughes certainly made the UFC Welterweight Division. Hughes won the championship almost by accident, in a double knockout against Carlos Newton that went Hughes' way. From then on, Hughes was a monster. He beat Newton decisively in a rematch and then scored impressive wins against Sean Sherk and Frank Trigg. BJ Penn upset Hughes at UFC 46. But Hughes would eventually go on to avenge that loss. The competition at welterweight would get better after Hughes' run was over. But he has holds wins over two of the biggest names on this list in their prime (including Georges St-Pierre). That, and Hughes' unprecedented dominance gets him here.
15. Randy Couture
Randy Couture had one of the greatest careers in MMA history. But it was a roller coaster ride, making it hard to determine when his prime was. Couture had as many as four great runs with the UFC. The legend of 'The Natural' began with two amazing fights against Pedro Rizzo. He would go on to lose to Josh Barnett (who tested positive for banned substances) and Ricco Rodriguez the following year. Yet, Couture bounced back at light heavyweight, beating Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and splitting a two-fight series with Vitor Belfort. It wasn't a stretch of dominance like some of the others on this list. But it was an impressive showing in two highly competitive divisions. There's something to be said for remaining in your prime for such a long period.
14. Frankie Edgar
Everyone's favorite underdog until he became one of the greatest fighters in history. Frankie Edgar always looked undersized. But that never stopped him from beating the best lightweights on the planet, including Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin and BJ Penn (twice). Edgar was the man who stopped Penn's best career stretch. Two questionable decision losses to Benson Henderson pushed Edgar up to featherweight where he, again, became a title contender with wins over elite fighters. Edgar is one of the best mixed martial artists of all time in two divisions. Few can say that.
12. Max Holloway
Recent losses shouldn't taint what Max Holloway has accomplished over the past six years. Since losing back-to-back fights to Dennis Bermudez and Conor McGregor early in his career, Holloway has 14 wins with most of them are against strong competition. That list includes Frankie Edgar, Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo (twice), Anthony Pettis, Ricardo Lamas, Jeremy Stevens, Charles Oliveira and Cub Swanson. You could say he over-reached in trying to become a two-division champ against Dustin Poirier. But Holloway has a chance to avenge his recent loss at featherweight against Alexander Volkanovski. Should he do that, Holloway's legacy as the greatest featherweight of all time could be guaranteed.
12. Dominick Cruz
If it weren't for injuries, Dominick Cruz might have the greatest career of any MMA fighter. And yet, it's still quite impressive the way it is. Upon Cruz's return to the WEC in 2008, he became a well-rounded force, beating future UFC title contenders like Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall before getting his rematch against Urijah Faber and winning the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 132. Cruz dominated that fight. But the crown jewel of his career may be his win over Demetrious Johnson at bantamweight. It's the only clear cut win someone has over Johnson in his prime.
11. Daniel Cormier
Is easy to focus on Cormier's career as him being the greatest light heavyweight in UFC history not named Jon Jones. But consider before Cormier joined the UFC he was dominating heavyweights like Antonio Silva and Josh Barnett in Strikeforce. Cormier's coming-out party was a dominant performance against Frank Mir in Cormier's UFC debut. Cormier never coasted on his wrestling, even though he could have, becoming a formidable striker. If he beats Stipe Miocic at UFC 241, Cormier will go down as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history. It's hard to get past the two losses to Jon Jones (granted, one was overturned due to a positive drug test by Jones). And maybe we're short-changing Cormier because of them. But he still makes the top-10.
10. Amanda Nunes
Some MMA purists won't want to see a woman this high on the list. They'll say Amanda Nunes didn't face the same level of competition as the men. But take the greatest female MMA fighters of all time and Nunes has beaten all that were willing to face her, usually in spectacular fashion. That includes Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, Miesha Tate, Holly Holm and Valentina Shevchenko (twice). After an uneven start to her career, the past half-decade has seen Nunes be as dominant as any fighter – male or female – in UFC history. Oh, and she's a double champion who has successfully defended BOTH of her titles.
9. Jose Aldo
When you think of Jose Aldo, it's easy to picture his 13-second knockout loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 194. Sure, it would have been nice to see Aldo try and avenge that loss. But what he accomplished before that fight was astonishing. Aldo was an assassin during his early days at WEC, with his breakthrough performance coming when he TKO'd Cub Swanson with a flying knee at WEC 41. Aldo then dominated the promotion's mega-stars Mike Brown and Urijah Faber. When he joined the UFC, Aldo all but closed out the featherweight division until he ran into McGregor's fist. There are some people high enough on Aldo to put him atop of this list. I'm not quite as sold on the strength his competition, especially after losses to Conor McGregor and Max Holloway. But that's just me.
8. Stipe Miocic
From a career standpoint, a TKO loss to Stefan Struve hurts Stipe Miocic's resume a bit. But he became a different fighter after that. After losing a close war to Junior dos Santos in 2014, Miocic fine-tuned his skills and went on the greatest run in the history for a UFC Heavyweight Division that is as competitive as its ever been. Miocic is a quiet guy. But his wins from 2015 on speak for themselves: Mark Hunt, Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos (in a decisive rematch). Those are all Hall of Fame level names. Miocic also beat Francis Ngannou at UFC 220, controlling a seemingly unstoppable force that may very well be the future of the heavyweight division. Miocic's trilogy fight win over Cormier now cements him as an all-time great.
7. Conor McGregor
Is Conor McGregor really retired? If he is, he's is an icon. No question. Don't let the hype and showmanship fool you. McGregor was a dominant force possessing a left-hand for the ages. Following the momentum of an early win against Max Holloway in 2013, McGregor beat Diego Brandao (a former 'The Ultimate Fighter' winner), tough veteran Dennis Siver, longtime contender Chad Mendes and put Jose Aldo's lights out. McGregor then lost to Nate Diaz in a fight the former was winning until he ran out of gas. McGregor would avenge that loss in a classic rematch before beating Eddie Alvarez to become a two-division champion. If McGregor wants to move into the top five on this list, he'll need to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov again and win. But there's no denying his greatness even without that rematch.
6. Anderson Silva
From April 2006 through October 2012, Silva recorded 17 consecutive wins, 16 in the UFC. But it wasn't just that streak (bested only by Jones in terms of UFC wins), it was the way Silva destroyed people. In his UFC debut, Silva brutalized Chris Leben, one of the toughest guys in the promotion's history. Four months later, he would KO Rich Franklin to win the UFC Middleweight Championship. Franklin, a future Hall of Famer, was unstoppable for two years before Silva made him look like a scrub. Most of Silva's fights weren't close to competitive. He made fighters like Dan Henderson, Patrick Cote and Franklin (again) look average. Silva answered a close call to Chael Sonnen with dominating wins against Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami and Sonnen in a quick rematch. And when Silva got bored during that time, he beat up and embarrassed light heavyweights like Stephan Bonnar, Forrest Griffin and James Irvin. Yes, Silva was dominant in an era where the competition wasn't as strong as it is now. But was that just because Silva made those guys look so bad?
5. Demetrious Johnson
Johnson's peak period may still be ongoing. His one loss since 2013 was a split decision to Henry Cejudo (a fighter he TKO'd during their first fight) that could have gone either way. Johnson left no question about who was the best in the world during his fights, dominating each opponent in every aspect of MMA. The only knock against Johnson is that he never went up a division after clearing out flyweight. Could he have captured two UFC belts while still in his prime? We can assume yes. But we may never know.
4. Fedor Emelianenko
There's this idea that Fedor Emelianenko's all-time rating takes a hit because he never fought in the UFC. In terms of looking at an entire career resume, perhaps that is true. But if we're just looking at fighters' prime periods, Emelianenko lays claim to the most impressive streak in MMA history with 27 consecutive wins. And he did it against some of the all-time greats, including Mark Coleman (twice), Kevin Randleman, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Mirko Cro Cop and Mark Hunt. Emelianenko's dominance ran from 2000-2009. During that time, there isn't a UFC champion that would have been favored in a fight against him. Yes, it would have been nice to see him take out all of the UFC's elite during that time (Though, he beat several of them in other promotions). But it shouldn't take away from his Mt. Rushmore of MMA status.
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
If he is done, Nurmagomedov will go out undefeated with the answer to the question of whether anyone can beat him being no. His first true test, at least on paper, came against Rafael dos Anjos at a UFC event in 2014. That fight was not competitive. In fact, none of Nurmagomedov's fights in the UFC have been, despite top-notch opponents like Michael Johnson, Edson Barboza, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. It's hard to argue with Nurmagomedov's dominance up until this point. His stretch against McGregor, Poirier and most recently Justin Gaethje ranks as, perhaps, the best three-fight run in UFC history. We may be a bit emotional with Khabib declaring he's retiring, but he's earned this spot.
2. Jon Jones
Jon 'Bones' Jones didn't waste any time making a name for himself in the UFC. His spinning back elbow against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94 is a star-is-born moment. But Jones' first truly great performance was technically a loss. He demolished Matt Hamill only to be disqualified for using illegal downward elbows. Hamill could barely stand to awarded the victory. From that point on, Jones was unstoppable. He didn't just beat people. He demolished them, including seven (yes, seven!) surefire, future UFC Hall of Famers. Most of those victories coming via finishes. You could maybe make the case Jones wasn't the same after his classic fight with Alexander Gustafsson. Yet, he went on to beat Glover Teixeira and Ovince Saint Preux (without surrendering around to either) and scored two wins over Daniel Cormier (Though, one was overturned due to a positive drug test). Jones' recent fights haven't been all that entertaining, especially his razor-close decision win against Dominick Reyes. Jones is moving up to heavyweight. If he wins a title there, it would be hard to argue with his GOAT status.
1. Georges St. Pierre
St. Pierre won the UFC Welterweight Championship from Matt Hughes in impressive fashion (TKO) in 2006. He took his first challenger for that belt – a game Matt Serra – lightly, leading to one of the greatest upsets in UFC history. However, Pierre's next run with the title was flawless, showcasing the most well-rounded skill set of any fighter in MMA history. From his second win over Hughes and retribution against Serra on, Pierre barely lost a round, dominating Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn, Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy, Josh Koscheck, Jake Fields, Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz in their prime. And dominate isn't a strong enough word. Most of those fights were barely competitive against fighters who were among the division's elite. By the time Pierre got to Johny Hendricks, a fight he won controversially, Pierre had one foot out the door. Yet, during his peak, he was easily the greatest athlete the UFC. His return bout against Michael Bisping to win the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2017 was just the icing on the cake. You can't go wrong with any of the fighters in this top-three. But for us, GSP was the total package.
———
©2020 The Plain Dealer, Cleveland
Top Ten Best Ufc Fighters Of All Time Now
Visit The Plain Dealer, Cleveland at www.cleveland.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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.
Top Ten Best Ufc Fighters Of All Time
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.
Top 20 Ufc Fighters
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.
Top Ranked Ufc Fighters Of All Time
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.
Hand Picked Stuff For You:
Conclusion
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.
