Top 10 greatest MMA fighters of all time
The world of MMA is full of extraordinary fighters. Let's take a look at 10 of the best fighters of all time.
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The debate to decide the top 10 greatest MMA fighters of all time is never-ending, and rightfully so the list of fighters who have been most dominating during their era is never-ending, and what should be the criterion of evaluation, for example, a boxer can’t beat an MMA fighter in the octagon, and in the same way it is very difficult for an MMA fighter to win in a boxing match against a boxer.
Today we have put up a list of those fighters who dominated their opponents inside the octagon, and brought some major changes outside the octagon as well.
Honorable Mentions
Before we move onto our list we do have to mention fighters like Henry Cejudo, who defeated the mighty Demetrious Johnson and also became a 2 division champion. BJ Penn is another fighter who made his mark in the MMA world. He was also a champion in 2 weight divisions but had an unfortunate end to his career with 7 consecutive losses.
Stipe Miocic is a two-time heavyweight champion in the UFC. He has wins over Daniel Cormier, Junior Dos Anjos, and the fearsome Francis Ngannou. His fight with Jon Jones is much awaited. Chuck Liddell is another fighter who put MMA and the UFC on the map. As such, he was also inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
List of Greatest MMA Fighters of all time
10. Randy “The Natural” Couture
Randy “The Natural” Couture had 16 title bouts. He also has 6 wins in heavyweight championship bouts. Couture had his last fight in the UFC against Lyoto Machida in 2011.
Randy Couture is considered a pioneer in MMA and is responsible for inspiring many fighters who are currently competing. His fame also allowed him to make his way into Hollywood.
9. Jose Aldo “Junior”
If you have only been following Jose Aldo’s career for the last five years, you might not be familiar with his dominance inside the octagon when he was the champion.
Aldo is a 2-time UFC Featherweight Champion who remained undefeated for almost a decade. Up until his fight with Conor McGregor he was considered to be unbeatable.
8. Daniel “DC” Cormier
The former light heavyweight and heavyweight UFC champion, Daniel Cormier, had an amazing UFC career with only 3 losses in his 11-year-long career.
DC is an Olympic wrestler, but he could hang with the best strikers and this made him a huge fan favorite. His rivalry with Jon Jones is considered one of the fiercest in the history of the UFC.
7. “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko
Probably the best MMA fighter who never competed inside the UFC, Fedor is considered to be the best heavyweight of all time, he went on a 28-fight win streak that includes wins over four UFC champions.
If there was one fighter who could defeat every fighter of his era, then it was Fedor Emelianenko. He has fought on and off after originally retiring in 2012.
6. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson
Demetrious Johnson still holds the record for the most number of wins in the UFC flyweight division, his quick movements and counter-striking are as good as it gets.
He is the winner of the inaugural UFC flyweight title and he defended his crown 11 times, his suplex arm bar is a thing of beauty and it’s unlike anything you will ever see.
5. Anderson “The Spider” Silva
The former middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, was a Capoeira, Taekwondo, and Muay Thai specialist and he revolutionized the sport of MMA with his crazy knockouts and insane fan base.
He will go down in history as the greatest Middleweight in the UFC. Since partying from the UFC, the Spider has tried his hand at boxing.
4. Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov
“The Eagle” is one of the most dominant fighters to have ever competed inside the octagon, he holds a perfect professional record. The Dagestani dominated the likes of Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje, Edson Barboza, and Dustin Poirier.
Khabib has transitioned to coaching since he retired from the UFC. His offensive grappling is unmatched and that puts him in the number 4 spot on our list of greatest MMA fighters.
3. “The Notorious” Conor McGregor (22-5)
The Irish superstar is the biggest star the world of MMA has ever produced. During his peak, he was considered to be one of the best fighters on this planet. His performances against Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez produced some of the most exciting moments in the UFC.
He also fought the boxing legend, Floyd Mayweather making him a fortune. In 2021, McGregor was announced as the highest-paid athlete by Forbes. But in our list of greatest MMA fighters, he will have to settle at number 3.
2. Jon “Bones” Jones
The former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has defeated every legend of the division during his reign. The list includes the likes of Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Shogun Rua, Daniel Cormier, and many others.
Jon Jones’ antics outside the octagon have cost him dearly in the past. However, he has bounced back strongly and has been more dominant than ever. As such, he is number 2 in our list of the top 10 greatest MMA fighters.
1. Georges “Rush” St-Pierre
It’s hard to find a fighter as technically sound as GSP, the former two-division champion only had 2 defeats to his name, and he rightfully avenged both of them. GSP was also inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
GSP came back from retirement in 2017 to take on Michael Bisping for the UFC Middleweight Title. As such, he defeated Bisping via submission in the 5th minute of round 3. As such, he is number 1 in our list of top 10 greatest MMA fighters of all time.
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Suryansh Thakur
(1600 Articles Published)