6 Greatest UFC Champions

The word “champion” evokes images of almost superhuman, practically unbeatable fighters with a shiny belt around their waist a whole division at their feet.

And while some of the UFC’s champions have fallen short of that resemblance with time, managing no title defences once they've reached the summit of their division, there are few fighters who ruled their weight category with an iron fist for prolonged periods of time.

Here, we take a look at the pantheon of UFC champions and see who have been the best in the promotion's history.

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#6 Ronda Rousey

Rousey ready to enter the cage

Although many will remember Ronda Rousey for the crash and burn nature of her MMA career, we mustn’t forget how dominant “Rowdy” was during her time as the UFC Women’s bantamweight champion.

After convincing UFC boss and good friend, Dana White - the man who once remarked that women would never fight under the organisation’s banner - to change his mind over the matter, Rousey defeated Liz Carmouche to become the first female champion in the promotion’s history.

Once she’d captured the belt, the Olympic medalist used her excellent Judo and patented arm-bar to mow through all comers in the division for two and a half years, notching an impressive six title defences, which remains a UFC record for female fighters.

Her tenure as the 135lbs champion came to a grizzly end following a vicious head-kick from Holly Holm, however, Rousey will forever be remembered as the trailblazer who brought women’s’ MMA to the top table of the sport.

#5 Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo with his belt at UFC press conference

When the UFC bought out WEC, Jose Aldo had already been the featherweight Champion for almost two years and had defended the belt twice. When the defunct promotions’ fighters and weight categories were absorbed by Zuffa, the UFC made Aldo its 145lbs champion – a title he wouldn’t lose for the best part of five years.

Throughout his reign as the featherweight champion, Aldo became known for his vicious leg-kicks and he used his Muay Thai-based style and remarkable takedown defence to keep the belt firmly strapped around his waist for while he strung together an 18-fight, 10-year unbeaten run. Arguably his greatest performances came against Chad Mendes and Frankie Edgar, both of whom he defeated twice.

The Brazilian’s reign came crashing down in 2015 when he lost the belt to Conor McGregor in just 13 seconds. However, even before that contest ‘Scarface’ had already etched his name into the history books as one of the most dominant champions ever to grace the UFC’s Octagon.

#4 Georges St. Pierre

St-Pierre after capturing the middleweight title.

Georges St. Pierre was the undisputed king of the UFC's welterweight division for six long years and is an absolute shoo-in for the Hall of Fame when the French-Canadian officially calls time on his illustrious career.

If he hadn’t lost the belt to Matt Serra in one of MMA’s biggest ever upsets in 2007, GSP would've ruled the 170lbs ranks for an incredible 11 years, and he’d probably still hold the record for the most title defences in UFC history.

After regaining his strap from Serra in 2006, St. Pierre only relinquished it when he decided to take a sabbatical in 2013 following his split-decision win over Johnny Hendricks.

Then, after a four-year break way from the sport, in 2017 GSP did the remarkable, returning to the sport to defeat Michael Bisping for the middleweight title, before handing that one back, as well.

His next move is still undecided but, regardless of whether he fights again or not, his heyday heroics in the welterweight division mean that ‘Rush’ will forever be known as one of the sport’s best fighters and one of the UFC’s greatest ever champions.

#3 Anderson Silva

Silva enters the Octagon

After bursting onto the global stage and capturing the UFC’s middleweight title with a one-sided beatdown of Rich Franklin, Anderson Silva set himself on the path to becoming the most dominant 185lbs champion in the promotion’s history.

His eye-catching style earned him the reputation as the most lethal striker in the business at the time, and with knockout wins over the likes of Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami, ‘the Spider’ created one the most impressive highlight-reels in the whole of MMA.

For seven years, Silva held the middleweight strap with a vice-like grip, and not only did he finish all but two of his opponents within that span, but he often did so with reckless abandon, toying with his confused adversaries and at times making them look silly.

Although that bravado would eventually prove to be his downfall - the playful antics resulting in Silva eating a punch from challenger Chris Weidman, with Brazilian being knockout-out cold and losing his belt - the risk-taking that was on display throughout his career was part of his appeal and it was also how he lulled fighters into his game of cat-and-mouse.

Although Silva’s post-title career has been somewhat disappointing – he’s failed drug tests and been defeated a number of times – there’s still no doubt the man from Curitiba will go down as one of the UFC’s greatest champions due to the body of work he put together during his prime.

#2 Demetrious Johnson

'DJ' with his flyweight title

After submitting Ray Borg at UFC 216, Demetrious Johnson made it a record-breaking 11 title defences, surpassing Anderson Silva’s long-standing record to establish himself as the most dominant fighter in UFC history.

Time and time again, ‘Mighty-Mouse’ has redefined the word greatness, going bigger and better than his last performance to show that the sport is an ever-improving landscape where so much more is possible. From his last-second arm-bar victory over Kyoji Horiguchi to the mind-blowingly technical suplex to arm-bar finish he somehow managed against Borg, Johnson is just full of jaw-dropping surprises.

The only knock on DJ’s legacy Is the level of competition he has faced so far at 125lbs, with flyweight not exactly bursting at the seams with talent.

However, if bantamweight champion, TJ Dillashaw - the champion of the bantamweight division, who the UFC is very interested in pitting against Johnson in what would be a mouth-watering super fight - overcomes Cody Garbrandt once more, we may very well get to see how great Johnson looks against the best of the best. Don’t be surprised if he passes the test with flying colours!

#1 Jon Jones

Jones after defeating Daniel Cormier for the second time.

Jon Jones is arguably the best fighter ever to step foot in the UFC’s Octagon. After capturing the belt and becoming the organisation’s youngest ever champion at the tender age of 23, Jones went on an absolute tear at 205lbs, defeating a murderers’ row of contenders including current light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier, amongst many others.

From Shogun and Rampage Jackson to Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort, Jones ran through anybody and everybody the match-makers put in front of him, and he made it look oh so easy.

Only Alexander Gustaffson managed to trouble him, and their iconic fight, which Jones nabbed via split-decision, went down as an instant classic and highlighted the heart and determination Greg Jackson’s star pupil possesses, to go with his incredible athletic abilities.

But for Jones’ troubles outside the cage, the New Yorker would probably still be the king of the light heavyweight division, but unfortunately a string of drug offences – two for steroids and one for cocaine – have left his career in tatters, and we may never know how impressive his legacy truly could’ve been if only he’d managed to stay on the right side of USADA.

Although others may have more title defences, ‘Bones’ is arguably the best champion in UFC history simply because of the quality of the opponents he faced and the way in which he mercilessly disposed of them.