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This weekend’s UFC Fight Night event will see a promotional record increased, as lightweight veteran Jim Miller is set to compete in the octagon for the 42nd time.
Jim Miller is the fighter with the most bouts in the UFC, but which other active fighters come close to the New Jersey native? Some of the names may surprise fans, and remarkably, one of them is also in action this weekend.
Here are the five active fighters with the most bouts in the UFC.
#5. Charles Oliveira – 31 fights in the UFC
The only fighter on this list to remain in genuine contention for a UFC title right now is former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
‘Do Bronx’ made his octagon debut way back in the summer of 2010. By the time he faces Beneil Dariush in the co-headliner of UFC 289 later this month, he will have spent nearly thirteen years in the promotion.
The fact that he’s still considered one of the best 155lbers in the world, then, is truly remarkable.
Part of Oliveira’s longevity stems from the fact that he was so young when he first entered the octagon. At the time of his debut bout – a submission win over Darren Elkins – the Brazilian was just 21 years old, despite holding 12 professional wins.
‘Do Bronx’ has also never really taken any lengthy period away from action, either. With 31 fights to his name in 13 years, he’s averaged over two fights per year, with 2013 being the lone exception as he only fought once.
During his time with the promotion, he’s competed as both a lightweight and a featherweight, and has fought some true legends, including Frankie Edgar, Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier.
His high point, of course, came in 2021, when he defeated Michael Chandler to claim the vacant lightweight crown, which he held until last October.
Given that he still appears to be in his prime – and still has a chance of recapturing the lightweight crown if he can get past Dariush – there’s a chance he could eventually break the record for the most octagon bouts in the future.
#4. Rafael dos Anjos – 33 fights in the UFC
Another former champion with an incredible list of fights in the octagon is former lightweight kingpin Rafael dos Anjos.
The Brazilian debuted in the UFC way back in November 2008, ending up on the wrong end of a highlight reel knockout from Jeremy Stephens. When ‘RDA’ then lost his second octagon bout to Tyson Griffin, it seemed likely that his stay with the promotion would be a short one.
However, he then turned things around and began to improve dramatically, evolving from a one-dimensional grappler into a dangerous fighter in every single area.
By the end of 2014, with 17 octagon trips to his name, it was clear that dos Anjos had become a lightweight title contender. Despite this, few fans expected him to unseat popular champion Anthony Pettis to claim the gold in early 2015.
‘RDA’ didn’t last long as champion, managing one successful defense before losing his crown to Eddie Alvarez in 2016. Since then, though, he’s been a reliable contender at both 155 and 170 pounds, headlining multiple events and usually winning most of his fights.
Right now, the 38-year-old is on a run of 3-1 in his last four fights, and is scheduled to face Vicente Luque later this year. Based on his history, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him still competing at the age of 40.
#3. Clay Guida – 35 fights in the UFC
Following the retirement of Ed Herman, who hung up his gloves in April, lightweight veteran Clay Guida is now officially the UFC’s second-longest-tenured fighter, behind only Joe Lauzon.
‘The Carpenter’ debuted in the octagon in October 2006, one month after ‘J-Lau’. However, due to an absence dating back to October 2019, Lauzon has 27 UFC fights to his name, meaning he doesn’t crack this list.
Guida, on the other hand, has never really spent any lengthy period on the shelf since his debut almost 17 years ago. Remarkably, he’s now stepped into the octagon 35 times. Over that time, ‘The Carpenter’ has competed as both a lightweight and a featherweight, although most of his success has come at 155 pounds.
Guida has never fought for a title in the octagon, and at the age of 41, it’s unlikely he ever will at this stage.
However, as his win over Scott Holtzman in 2022 showed, he still has plenty to offer against younger foes. More importantly, his legendary fights with Diego Sanchez and Roger Huerta will probably never be forgotten.
Overall, Guida might not be a former champion like some of the other fighters on this list, but due to his longevity and insane strength of schedule, he should still be considered a legend.
#2. Andrei Arlovski – 39 fights in the UFC
While he can’t be considered the UFC’s longest-tenured fighter due to his lengthy spell away from the promotion between 2008 and 2014, Andrei Arlovski is definitely the most experienced fighter on the roster.
‘The Pitbull’ made his first appearance in the octagon all the way back at UFC 28 in November 2000. Remarkably, Arlovski’s debut pre-dates the Zuffa ownership of the promotion, and came on the first show to use the Unified Rules of MMA.
Even his reign as heavyweight champion can probably be considered to be in the distant past now, as he won the title in 2005 and then lost it to Tim Sylvia in their epic 2006 clash.
Given that he spent six years away from the octagon and was widely considered to be finished as a top-level fighter by 2011, the fact that Arlovski has done so well since his 2014 return is truly stunning.
‘The Pitbull’ won his first four fights back in the octagon, including a legendary brawl with Travis Browne, propelling himself back into title contention by 2016.
And while he’s since fallen down the ladder, even losing five fights in a row at one point, he’s still kept himself relevant in the division. Prior to his 2022 loss to Marcos Rogerio de Lima, in fact, he was on a four-fight winning streak, his best run in years.
This weekend will see Arlovski take on Don’Tale Mayes in a fight that many fans expect him to win. Either way, it’ll push his overall number of fights in the octagon to 40, something that never seemed likely. At the age of 44, he’s a genuine marvel.
#1. Jim Miller – 42 fights in the UFC
The active fighter with the most bouts in the UFC is lightweight veteran Jim Miller. With 42 trips to the octagon to his name and the 43rd coming up this weekend, it’s unlikely that anyone will surpass him in the foreseeable future.
The native of New Jersey debuted in the promotion way back in October 2008. At that point, he was considered a high-end prospect, and made a successful start to his career by submitting David Baron.
An impressive run of nine wins and a single loss moved Miller into title contention in 2011, pitting him against tough fighters like Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz and Melvin Guillard.
While he never quite managed to secure a shot at the title, he remained in or around the top 10 at 155 pounds for the best part of a decade. Considering the stacked nature of the lightweight division, this feat itself is still hugely impressive.
In recent years, of course, Miller has slowed down somewhat. It’s unlikely that he’d have had any trouble with the likes of Scott Holtzman and Joe Solecki in his prime, for instance, but both men have defeated him recently.
As he approaches his 40th birthday, though, his skills largely remain intact. He’s still a tremendous grappler, and as his TKO of Nikolas Motta in 2022 showed, he can still crack with the best of them.
Miller will not be remembered as a superstar like Conor McGregor or Israel Adesanya, but few fighters will gain the levels of respect that he enjoys amongst the fans and his peers alike.
More to the point, only a fool would bet against him hitting 50 appearances in the octagon. With an average of nearly three fights per year, he could easily hit that mark in 2026 – an achievable goal for such a durable fighter.
