The greatest UFC fighters of all-time
After making his UFC debut in 2008, Jon Jones has become one of the most prolific fighters on the roster, holding two different belts and defeating several hall of fame fighters while breaking multiple records (Photo by Josh Hedges/Getty Images).
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has been around for over 30 years and has seen no shortage of great fighters. With experts in a variety of martial arts, the UFC is often regarded as the highest level of competition within the world of fighting—despite other well-respected promotions in the sport. As an avid fan, I have constructed a list of the top five greatest fighters ever to sport the UFC gloves.
5. Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov
Many casual fans will have Khabib as the best fighter of all time after his victories over high-profile fighters such as Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, and Dustin Poirier. In a surprising twist, Nurmagomedov retired in the prime of his career while holding the lightweight title and an undefeated record. The only real reason not to have him higher on the list is that his 13 UFC wins did not contain enough quality fighters for him to truly flex his muscles and show how dominant he could be.
4. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson
Despite his small frame, the 5’3” flyweight is the best to come out of the division and the fourth-greatest UFC fighter ever. His quick movements and nearly unmatched ground-and-pound led him to the flyweight championship. Johnson defended that title a whopping 11 times and was eventually dethroned in 2018. Henry Cejudo took a split-decision win to claim the title over the 31-year-old Johnson.
3. Anderson “The Spider” Silva
Silva is undoubtedly a legend of the sport, with an impressive 34 wins, 11 losses, and one no-contest. He boasts the longest title reign in UFC history, holding the middleweight championship for 2,457 days. He claimed the belt in 2006 after knocking out Rich Franklin at UFC 64. Silva then won his next 14 fights, several of which were against notable fighters such as Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, and the late Stephan Bonnar. Silva’s career ended with a 1-5 stretch, but that skid did not harm his legacy in any way.
2. Georges “Rush” St-Pierre
Unfortunately, some people recognize him more for his role in a Captain America film, but St-Pierre solidified himself as the greatest welterweight ever. He began learning karate as a child and found his calling there. He made his debut in 2004, a year where he would have three fights and with two wins out of those. In 2006, St-Pierre won the UFC Welterweight title after a total knockout (TKO) win against Matt Hughes at UFC 65. Rush lost to Matt Serra in his first defense at UFC 69 in 2007. He would, though, go on to claim the interim title later that year and unified in April 2008 against Serra. St-Pierre won his next ten fights in the promotion and even won the middleweight title in 2018, only making his legacy even more incredible.
1. Jon “Bones” Jones
Jones is the most dominant fighter who steps foot in the octagon. The only reason to possibly argue his placement at the top of the list is his conduct issues over the years. Substance abuse has muddled his career, but his 23 UFC fights have resulted in 21 wins, one loss, and one no-contest. Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history with a TKO win over Shogun Rua at UFC 128 in 2011. Jones defended the light heavyweight title eight times before being stripped of it after violating the UFC Athlete Conduct Policy. Jones then won the interim title in 2016 and a fight to unify. His unification was overturned after testing positive for turinabol metabolite, a common oral steroid. He claimed the vacant title with a knockout win over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 in 2018. Jones has not lost a fight since and even made his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane in 2023 and took the title. Jones has proven time and time again that he is the greatest UFC fighter ever to grace the sport.