Best UFC Fighters

Nine consecutive welterweight title defenses between 2008 and 2013 stand as the divisional record, capping a second reign he opened by avenging his upset loss to Matt Serra at UFC 83. He returned from four years away to submit Michael Bisping for the middleweight belt at UFC 217, retiring at 26-2.

Won the middleweight title from Rich Franklin at UFC 64 in October 2006 and held it for nearly seven years, the longest reign in UFC history, with 10 straight defenses. His 16-fight UFC win streak remains a promotion record, and the front-kick knockout of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 is his signature finish.

Beat Mauricio Rua at UFC 128 in 2011 at age 23 to become the youngest champion in UFC history, then held the light heavyweight title across two reigns without ever losing it in the cage. He moved up in 2023, submitting Ciryl Gane in the first round at UFC 285, and later stopped Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.

Retired unbeaten at 29-0 after submitting Justin Gaethje with a triangle choke at UFC 254 in October 2020, his third defense of a lightweight title won from Al Iaquinta. His chain wrestling gave opponents no route off the fence, and UFC 229 against Conor McGregor became the promotion's best-selling pay-per-view.

Stopped Jose Aldo in 13 seconds at UFC 194 in December 2015, the fastest finish in UFC title-fight history, then took the lightweight belt from Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to become the first simultaneous two-division champion. He never defended either title, yet his pay-per-view draw reset the sport's economics.

Set the UFC record with 11 consecutive title defenses after beating Joseph Benavidez for the inaugural flyweight belt at UFC 152 in September 2012. The suplex-into-armbar finish of Ray Borg at UFC 216 defined that run, and he left for ONE Championship in 2018, later winning its flyweight world title.

Held featherweight gold from the WEC through the merger into the UFC and went a full decade without a loss, from 2005 until Conor McGregor's 13-second knockout at UFC 194. Seven UFC title defenses, built on the leg kicks that crippled Urijah Faber at WEC 48, earned a Hall of Fame induction in 2023.

Forty-eight seconds was all she needed against Ronda Rousey at UFC 207, and 51 against Cris Cyborg at UFC 232, the win that made her the first woman holding two UFC titles at once. She retired in June 2023 still carrying both the bantamweight and featherweight belts.

His first-round knockout of Randy Couture at UFC 52 in April 2005 brought the light heavyweight title, which he defended four times, including the UFC 66 win over Tito Ortiz that pushed the promotion past a million pay-per-view buys. Coaching its first reality-show season had already put him on national television.

A slam knockout of Carlos Newton at UFC 34 in November 2001 delivered the welterweight title, which he held across two reigns spanning 2001 to 2006, armbarring a young Georges St-Pierre at UFC 50. Beating Royce Gracie at UFC 60 closed out the sport's pioneer era, and he entered the Hall of Fame in 2010.

The first fighter to win UFC titles in two weight classes, with three heavyweight reigns and two at light heavyweight between 1997 and 2007. He retired after a second loss to Chuck Liddell in early 2006, then returned at 43 to outwrestle Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight belt at UFC 68.

Unified the middleweight title by knocking out Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in October 2019, in front of more than 57,000 fans at Marvel Stadium, then defended it five times. His UFC 287 knockout of Alex Pereira in 2023 avenged three earlier losses across kickboxing and MMA.

Became the UFC's first bantamweight champion when the WEC folded into the promotion, then lost nearly three years of his prime to knee injuries. Back fighting by late 2014, he took the belt off TJ Dillashaw by split decision in January 2016, on footwork and feinting few bantamweights have matched.

Knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 in July 2018 while already holding the light heavyweight belt, making him the second fighter to own two UFC titles at once. An Olympic wrestler who did not debut in MMA until age 30, he lost only to Jon Jones and Miocic.