Top 10 UFC fighters of all time

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has gone from being a virtually unknown sport a decade ago to become a sport that has captured the world’s attention and the mainstream media. During the lifespan of the sport many fighters have shown their unbelievable fighting skills and demonstrated their versatility for the world to see. The following is a list of the top fighters of all time who have proven their unique fighting skill sets and dominance inside the octagon.

1. Jon Jones
Jon “Bones” Jones is 29 years old and is one of the most recognized fighters in the UFC. He became the youngest fighter ever to win a UFC world championship at the age of 23. In 2011, Jones beat Mauricio Rua to become the youngest champion ever in the UFC lightweight division 205 pounds. He has defended his title a total of eight times. Jones is known for his unpredictable and unorthodox fighting style. His elusive movements are what make him the greatest to ever step foot in the octagon. The American-born Jones holds the longest win streak in the UFC light heavyweight history with 13 and has a record of 22-1.

2. Conor McGregor
Conor “The Notorious” McGregor is 28 years old and from Ireland. He is currently the featherweight 145 pounds world champion in the UFC. The Irishman holds the record for the most knockouts in the featherweight division with six and has the most (5) “Performance of the Night” awards in history of the UFC. This was done in three years. McGregor is known for his left hand punching power and his precision with his fists. His unusual in and out movement in the octagon makes him very unpredictable for his opponents.  At UFC 202, McGregor and Nate Diaz was the main event. Their anticipated rematch set a UFC record PPV (pay-per view) with 1.65 million buys. This made the card the most watched UFC event of all time. McGregor has a record of 20-3 in his professional MMA career.

3. George St-Pierre (GSP)
George St-Pierre retired three years ago at the age of 32. He was the biggest name in the UFC during his reign (2007-2013) in the welterweight 170 pounds division. After winning the welterweight belt in 2008, GSP defended the belt nine consecutive times and kept his championship title until he retired in 2013. He was known for his outstanding defense and as the greatest all around MMA fighter ever. He was good at everything: wrestling, grappling, stand up boxing. His versatility made him incredibly difficult to defeat. GSP has the most successful title defenses in the UFC welterweight division with nine and holds a record of 25-2.

4. Anderson Silva
A 41-year-old Brazilian named Anderson “Spider” Silva is one of the old legends of the sport and has been in the UFC for 10 years. He was the middleweight 185 pounds champion and was the most dominant champion in the UFC. Silva was known for his laidback fighting style mixed with deadly precision in his kicks and hands. He defended his title 10 times, which is a record in the UFC. The Brazilian also holds the record for longest win streak in the UFC with 16. As if that were not enough, Silva has nine finishes in UFC title fights, another record. He holds an overall record of 33-8.

5. Ronda Rousey
The first woman to be a UFC women’s bantamweight 135 pounds champion was Ronda Rousey, a 29-year-old American. The bantamweight class was introduced in 2013. She is known for her world-class jiu jitsu and dominated her opponents on the ground. After the introduction of the weight class, Rousey defended her title six times, which is the most in UFC women’s bantamweight history. All of Rousey’s six title defenses were finishes and is the most in UFC bantamweight history. The American has a record of 12-1.

6. Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is a 30-year-old American. He is the only champion the flyweight 125 pounds division has had since the weight class was introduced in 2007. Mighty Mouse is known for his technical fighting style. Wherever the fight goes, Johnson is always able to adapt and use his superior fighting IQ to his advantage. Mighty Mouse holds the record of longest win streak in the flyweight division with 10 and the most consecutive title defenses in UFC flyweight history. His record is 24-2-1.

7. Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo is a 29 years old from Brazil. He was known to be the best “pound for pound fighter” in the world according to official UFC rankings. He is known for his vicious leg kicks and his superior muay thai fighting style. The Brazilian was the only featherweight 145 pounds champion in UFC history since the class was introduced in 2011. He lost his featherweight championship title to Conor McGregor on December 12, 2015. Prior to that, he was undefeated for nine years and has the record for most consecutive title defenses in UFC featherweight history. Aldo holds a record of 26-2.

8. Chuck Liddell
A 46 year old who has retired from the fighting game is Chuck Liddell. He was known as the “Knockout King” and had the most knockouts in the UFC light heavyweight division 205 pounds with 10. The American knockout artist has the record for most wins in the light heavyweight division with 16. Liddell was the light heavyweight champion for two years and has an overall record of 21-8.

9. Lyoto Machida
Lyoto Machida, a 38-year-old Brazilian. He is a veteran of the UFC having been there since 2007. Machida’s unorthodox karate fighting style made him the UFC light heavyweight 205 pounds champion in 2009 against Rashad Evans. In 21 fights for the UFC the Brazilian has been awarded “Fight of the Night” award four times and “Knockout of the Night” award three times. His unorthodox kicking fighting style has resulted in his record of 22-7.

10. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Quinton Jackson is 38 years old. Rampage is one of the all-time legends in the UFC after only being there for six years. He became the lightweight 205 pounds champion in 2007 against Chuck Liddell. Rampage was a pure brawler inside the octagon and has been awarded “Fight of the Night” three times. He holds a 37-11 record.