We tend to concentrate on wrestling here. But we are well aware that other formats of the fight game can be just as exciting. For example, the Ultimate Fighting Championship – or UFC – has revolutionized the mixed martial arts world since it started in 1993. The top fighters in UFC are now household names and have transcended what was once regarded as just the ‘little brother’ of boxing.
There have been some incredible fights in the octagon over the years – and with at least 12 fights at every UFC event, there are plenty of opportunities for brutal action. But who are the biggest names in MMA – and who has been popular on the best UFC betting sites over the years? We’ve put together a guide to the five best UFC fighters of all time to settle the arguments, once and for all.
Jon Jones: Arguably the greatest fighter ever to grace the UFC octagon, Jon Jones’ career has not been without controversy. His diverse kicking technique has troubled fighters ever since he first fought in 2008 and has seen him claim the light heavyweight title on three separate occasions. However, the reasons for Jones’ relinquishing of that title have been just as dramatic as his fights. He has been stripped of his title and suspended for violating the UFC’s code of conduct policy three times. At one point, it looked as though he would go through his career with a perfect record. But it is arguably still true that he is the greatest ever.
Georges St Pierre: This Canadian former fighter was a real pioneer of the sport and dominated the welterweight division in the early part of his career before retiring at the top after defending the title nine times over six years. But GSP then cemented his name in the history books of UFC by coming out of retirement four years later in 2017 to beat Michael Bisping and claim the middleweight title. He was one of the most well-known athletes in Canada in his fighting prime and will be long remembered by UFC fans.
Khabib Nurmagomedov: The Eagle was one of the best UFC fighters of the 2010s and retired with a perfect record of 29 wins from 29 fights. However, he is probably best known outside of MMA fandom as the Russian fighter that easily beat Conor McGregor in one of the most hyped fights of all time in 2018. Nurmagomedov used a wrestling style to dominate his opponents, forcing submissions as well as numerous takedowns. Despite his incredible popularity, he retired at the start of this year and is sure to go down as one of the best UFC fighters of all time.
Anderson Silva: Silva began his UFC fighting career way back in 2006 and holds the record for the longest title reign at 2,457 days. Not content with dominating the middleweight division in the octagon, he then went on to resume a boxing career, beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz this year. But it was in UFC where Silva made his name, with his extravagant fighting style making him a firm favorite of the fans. Unfortunately, his eventual decline in MMA brought some defeats at the end of his time in UFC. Still, his natural ability has enabled him to carry on being one of the greatest across the disciplines.
Demetrious Johnson: Widely regarded as the best ever in UFC, Johnson started off in the bantamweight division before making history as flyweight champion. He defended his title on no less than 11 occasions and used his immense speed and agility to beat most of the opponents he faced. Johnson is electrifyingly quick in the ring and used his martial arts background in wrestling to become a king of the takedown. After losing his featherweight title to Henry Cejudo, he moved to the ONE Championship. But there is no doubt that Demetrious Johnson remains a UFC legend.
