Who is the UFC GOAT? This is a popular topic of discussion in any sport, and it’s no different for the top MMA promotion in the world. The organization has taken the sport to new heights in recent years, mainly because of the stars who have competed in the Octagon.
So, which of these UFC legends are truly the best fighters in the history of the Las Vegas-based company? Fighters like Conor McGregor and Brock Lesnar may have been big names at the box office, but their actual performances in the cage were inconsistent at times.
The factors used to decide the rankings include titles won, dominance of a division, UFC records held, and the level of opponents faced—each of these factors being equally important.
Despite an impressive start to his UFC career, two-division world champion Alex Pereira does not make the list, as he has not yet dominated a division for a long period. The list is in no particular order.
Kamaru Usman
MMA record: 20-4
Kamaru Usman is included on the list because of his strong time in the welterweight division, where he dominated as champion, defeating some of the toughest fighters in the weight class.
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has earned multiple wins against fighters like Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington, as well as victories over former UFC champions Leon Edwards, Sean Strickland, and Tyron Woodley.
His first UFC loss came in August 2022 with a stunning knockout loss to Edwards, but this led to a difficult period for him as he is now on a three-fight losing streak.
Dana White is a fan of the 37-year-old, and it is likely he will be given the chance to finish his UFC career on his own terms. Despite his recent struggles, Usman remains one of the best to ever fight at 170 lbs.
Kamaru Usman (UFC)Stipe Miocic
MMA record: 20-5
Stipe Miocic is considered one of the best natural heavyweights to have ever competed in the division. He became champion twice, with his success coming from his ability to maintain his position for a long time and his consistent performances.
The American has defeated some of the biggest names in the sport from various times, including Daniel Cormier, Francis Ngannou, Alistair Overeem, and Andrei Arlovski.
His powerful punching style and aggressive approach make him a constant knockout threat, which has helped him entertain fans and secure his place as one of the greatest to ever fight.
Daniel Cormier
MMA record: 22-3
Daniel Cormier, a former two-weight UFC champion in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, is the second fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes at the same time, after Conor McGregor.
He is also the first to successfully defend those titles. Cormier has had an intense rivalry with Jon Jones, which is often compared to the rivalry between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in boxing. Cormier fought Jones twice, with the second match being turned into a no contest after Jones failed a drug test.
Cormier retired in 2020 after back-to-back losses to Miocic in the heavyweight division, but his legacy remains strong because of his previous accomplishments. These achievements have earned him a regular spot as a pundit on UFC events. His likable personality and his skills in the cage have made him a legend in the sport.
Daniel Cormier (UFC)Alexander Volkanovski
MMA record: 26-4
One of the most dominant featherweights ever, Alexander Volkanovski has become one of the biggest names in the promotion due to his excellent skills and his willingness to fight anyone. He has beaten several top challengers at 145 lbs, including Max Holloway, Jose Aldo, and Chad Mendes.
The Australian fighter moved up a weight class to challenge lightweight champion Islam Makhachev twice. Volkanovski’s willingness to fight anyone was shown when he took on Makhachev for their second fight on just a week’s notice, after an impressive weight cut.
Unfortunately, in his most recent fight, Volkanovski was knocked out by Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, losing his featherweight title. Despite losing three of his last four fights, Volkanovski’s past accomplishments make him a dangerous opponent for anyone in his weight class. It wouldn’t be surprising if he becomes a champion again.
Jose Aldo
MMA record: 32-9
Jose Aldo returned to the ring earlier this year after taking a break to pursue professional boxing. He made a strong return by defeating Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301, but then lost to Mario Bautista via split decision at UFC 307 a few months later.
However, it was earlier in his career that Aldo truly made his case for GOAT status. From May 2006 to December 2015, Aldo never lost a fight, winning 18 in a row, including seven successful defenses of the UFC featherweight championship.
The Brazilian legend was always exciting to watch, with stoppage wins over fighters like Chad Mendes and ‘The Korean Zombie’ Jung Chan Sung. Sadly, Aldo is often remembered for being knocked out in just 13 seconds by Conor McGregor, but that defeat shouldn’t define his career.
He is widely regarded as the greatest featherweight fighter in history and is considered by many, including ChatGPT, as one of the best mixed martial artists ever.
Jose Aldo (UFC)Amanda Nunes
Known as The Lioness, Brazilian Amanda Nunes made her UFC debut in August 2013 against Sheila Gaff at UFC 163, winning by TKO. This victory set the tone for the rest of her career, where the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Judo brown belt only lost two fights in her entire UFC career.
Throughout her career, Nunes achieved several records, including the longest combined UFC title reign of all time, lasting 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, defending it twice.
By holding these titles, she set the record for the most title defenses by a woman in UFC history. Nunes was the third fighter to hold two titles at the same time and the first woman to win and hold two titles simultaneously.
How did Nunes secure the most UFC Women’s Bantamweight division wins (13) and consecutive wins? Eight of her 18 UFC wins came by KO or TKO, mostly from punches and elbows, showing her striking power and speed. She is a pressure fighter who likes to take the lead and uses counters to control the fight.
This fighting style helped her defeat some of the best women UFC fighters, including former champions like Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, and Holly Holm.
Her best performance might have been her KO against Cris Cyborg at UFC 232 in just 51 seconds. Despite being considered undersized for the Featherweight Championship and fighting against an undefeated fighter with 21 wins, Nunes won because of her exceptional hand speed.
Ronda Rousey
A former Olympian, Rousey won a bronze medal in Women’s judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She started her career with an impressive 12-0 record and was the former UFC bantamweight champion, with six title defenses.
She was defeated by Holly Holm at UFC 193 and retired after losing her next fight to Amanda Nunes. One of the first female trash talkers in UFC history, she helped bring attention and recognition to women’s UFC. Rousey was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and is currently signed with WWE.
Ronda Rousey (UFC)Demetrious Johnson
MMA record: 25-4-1
Demetrious Johnson was the first UFC flyweight champion and had one of the most dominant reigns in the promotion’s history. Known for his quick strikes and evasive movements, Johnson holds the record for the most takedowns in UFC flyweight history.
He is the only UFC fighter to achieve more than 10 takedowns in three different fights. His impressive accomplishments will ensure that he is remembered as one of the greatest to ever compete in the Octagon, and without a doubt, the best flyweight fighter.
After leaving the UFC in 2018, Johnson moved to ONE FC, where he earned a 5-1 record and won the promotion’s flyweight title. He announced his retirement from the sport in an emotional speech on September 6, 2024, inside the ONE cage.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
MMA record: 29-0
Khabib Nurmagomedov is the most dominant lightweight ever, holding the record for the longest title reign in the division. He was champion from April 2018 to March 2021. With 29 wins and no losses in the UFC, Khabib retired with an undefeated record.
His ability to control fights with his top-level wrestling and deadly submissions makes his record unlikely to be matched anytime soon. ‘The Eagle’ fought some of the best fighters towards the end of his career, and his rivalry with Conor McGregor became one of the most famous in UFC history.
Their fight at UFC 229 remains the biggest-selling pay-per-view event in the promotion’s history. Khabib fought two more times after that victory and decided to retire after beating Justin Gaethje.
He could have been ranked higher if he continued his career, but he retired to honor the wishes of his mother and late father. Since retiring, he has mentored current champion Islam Makhachev, who is following Khabib’s path as lightweight champion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov (UFC)Georges St-Pierre
MMA record: 26-2
Georges St-Pierre was a two-division champion in the UFC, winning titles in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions. He won the UFC welterweight title three times, raising the full title twice along with the interim belt.
The Canadian legend lost twice in his career—once to Matt Hughes and then to Matt Serra—but he would later defeat both of them in rematches inside the Octagon.
He retired as the reigning welterweight champion in December 2013, holding the record for the most wins in title fights and the second-longest combined title streak in UFC history, which lasted 2,204 days. He also defended his title nine times in a row.
St-Pierre made his return to the Octagon in November 2017 at UFC 217, where he defeated Michael Bisping by submission to win the middleweight title, becoming the fourth UFC fighter to win titles in two divisions. He won an impressive 13 consecutive fights before retiring from the sport.
Anderson Silva
MMA record: 34-11 (1 NC)
Former middleweight champion Anderson Silva holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days, lasting from 2006 to 2013. This is a remarkable achievement considering the top fighters who tried to take his title during that time.
Silva’s reign included 16 straight victories, with wins over fighters like Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen. A two-time UFC Hall of Famer, ‘The Spider’ fought in 13 UFC title bouts, finishing nine of them.
While his record shows some losses, many of these came near the end of his career when he was still fighting because he loved the competition. The fact that he lost five of his last six fights but is still considered one of the greatest fighters ever shows how incredible he was in his prime.
Anderson Silva (UFC)Jon Jones
MMA record: 28-1 (1 NC)
Jon Jones is widely regarded, including by UFC CEO Dana White, as the greatest fighter to ever compete in the Octagon. Before winning the UFC heavyweight championship last year, ‘Bones’ was a two-time light heavyweight champion.
He held the light heavyweight title from March 2011 to April 2015 and then again from December 2018 to August 2020. His first title win made him the youngest champion in UFC history when he defeated Maurício Rua at the age of 23, a feat that many young fighters can only dream of.
Jones holds several UFC records in the light heavyweight division, including most title defenses, most wins, and longest win streak. He has made a big impact after gaining muscle to move up to the heavyweight division, which was even more impressive after a two-year break from the sport.
His only official loss came from a controversial disqualification in December 2010, which many believe should be overturned. Jones further solidified his status as the greatest of all time by easily defeating Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, successfully defending his heavyweight title for the first time.