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The UFC has rather rapidly become one of the most entertaining sports competitions in the world. As the leading MMA brand across the globe, it boasts some of the top fighters across a host of different divisions.
Having started out with humble beginnings at UFC 1 in 1993, it has quickly grown into a multi-billion-dollar company. This is in large part due to some of the incredible fighters we’ve seen over the years.
With such a storied history, everyone has their own list of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. Using criteria such as overall record, fighting versatility, titles won and defended, and overall legacy, I’ve created an ultimate list of my top 5 UFC fighters. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
#5. Jose Aldo
Whilst his brutal 13-second loss to Conor McGregor is definitely a black mark, there’s no denying that Jose Aldo has had a phenomenal UFC career. After dominating the WEC for a few years, he decided to join the UFC in 2011 and has been easily the best featherweight of all time.
Aldo won 25 of his first 26 professional MMA fights and was hailed as a worldwide legend by the MMA community. He retained the featherweight title for almost 6 years, with his 1848-day title reign putting him 4th of all time. Equally impressive was his 7 consecutive title defences against tough opponents like Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes, Frankie Edgar, and Ricardo Lamas.
Most of all, Aldo was one of the most complete UFC fighters we’ve ever seen. His bread and butter was Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where he held a black belt and could dominate opponents on the ground.
He was also an excellent striker, with 17 of his 28 career wins coming by knockout. With all that Aldo did for this sport, he definitely deserves a place on this list.
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#4. Anderson Silva
Still going at age 43, Anderson "The Spider" Silva is comfortably one of the greatest UFC fighters we’ve ever seen. Having dominated in previous promotions, he became one of the UFC pioneers as early as 2006.
After defeating Rich Franklin for the title, Silva became the undisputed king of the Middleweight division for almost 7 years. He defended his middleweight title an incredible 10 times, throwing in a few light heavyweight wins for good measure.
Whilst he has been on a bit of a downward spiral of late, 33 wins in his first 37 fights is an incredible mark that highlights Anderson’s quality. Another elite MMA practitioner, he was elite as a striker and also had qualifications in Tae-Kwon-Do, Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai. For his outstanding results and entertaining style, Silva is definitely deserving of a top 4 spot on this list.
#3. Demetrious Johnson
One of the most dominant UFC fighters of all time, Demetrious Johnson is easily one of my personal favourites. Since joining the UFC in 2011, he has been incredibly consistent and absolutely made the Flyweight division his own.
He fought against Joseph Benavidez for the inaugural Flyweight division title in 2012, setting the stage for arguably the most dominant run in the competition’s history. Whilst I just lauded Anderson Silva’s incredible consistency, Johnson broke his record by defending his UFC title 11 times.
This included some very impressive wins over Joseph Benavidez, Henry Cejudo, John Dodson, and Wilson Reis. In addition to this consistency, Johnson was one of the most versatile fighters the UFC has seen.
His elite speed and athleticism made him very strong as a stand-up fighter, whilst his submission ability was second to none at the flyweight level. After recently signing to the One Championship, there’s no reason why Johnson can’t continue to excel going forward.
#2. Georges St Pierre
Another pioneer of this incredible sport, GSP really helped put the UFC on the map. After reclaiming the Welterweight title against Matt Hughes in 2007, he went on the most dominant run that division has ever seen.
He defended his title an incredible 9 times over a 6-year period and could’ve definitely increased this run if he hadn’t retired. This included wins over some tough opponents like BJ Penn, Nick Diaz, and Johnny Hendricks.
After an incredible first chapter to his career, he cemented his legacy by coming out of retirement to win the Middleweight title. Whilst Michael Bisping admittedly wasn’t the best champion, GSP was dominant in that fight and managed a very strong technical submission.
Having boasted an incredible 26-2 career record, there’s no doubt GSP belongs on this list. That said, his accomplishments just fall short of the #1 guy.
#1. Jon Jones
Jon Jones is comfortably the greatest Mixed Martial Artist of all time. Another UFC pioneer who is actually still in his prime, Jones made his debut in the promotion in 2008.
He worked his way through the ranks before brutally knocking out Mauricio Rua to take the title in 2011. In doing so, he became the youngest champion in UFC history and took the first step in cementing his incredible legacy.
Jones defended his title an incredible 8 times before being suspended for violating the UFC’s code of conduct policy. He came back and won the title again, defeating Alexander Gustafsson for a second time near the end of 2018.
If it weren’t for a disqualification and no-contest ruling, Jones would be a perfect 26-0 in his MMA career. He cemented his dominance over rival Daniel Cormier with a brutal knockout in mid-2017. Currently only 31 years old, expect the GOAT to keep increasing the gap.
