Bellator MMA

Greatest Male MMA Fighters Of All Time

By Joe Burgett

Dec 23, 2023

Mixed martial arts has been filled with incredible fighters for decades. However, some have risen above others to become all-time greats. While it would fun to do a pound-for-pound best list, it would ignore so many valuable fighters. This is why we”ve split things up and made this article all about the men. Who are the greatest male MMA fighters of all time? You”d be surprised to learn that while many of these men have long since retired, others are still active today.

Of course, many come out of retirement all the time as well. You”ll notice some of these fighters might spend a few years or even a decade away from the MMA world, but return for some unfinished business. Either that or the paycheck was too big to overlook. We cannot fault anyone for that, of course. For this list, you should not see this as some sort of ranking. Everyone on the list is among the greatest male MMA fighters of all time. This means that instead of assuming we ranked them in some way, enjoy that some of your favorites are on the list. That said, let”s get started!

Henry Cejudo

Overall MMA Record: 16-3 (9-2)
8 Wins by TKO/KO
UFC Flyweight Champion
UFC Bantamweight Champion
2008 Summer Olympics Gold Medal In Wrestling (55kg)

Henry Cejudo is still a young guy and has a lot left to accomplish. However, he has already made a big impact on the sport of MMA and UFC overall. Similar to other people on our list, Henry has been a two-division champion. On top of that, he also held the two gold titles at the same time.

Henry had two impressive fights to accomplish this. First, he defeated Demetrius Johnson to win the UFC Flyweight Championship. He then won his fight against then-UFC Bantamweight Champion Marlon Moraes to become the new champ of the division.

Oh, just to ensure you saw him as great, he also beat TJ Dillashaw to defend his UFC Flyweight Title. He then beat Dominick Cruz after that to retain the UFC Bantamweight Title. With three big wins over some of UFC’s best smaller division fighters, it is hard to believe Henry should be kept off the greatest male MMA fighters all-time list.

Yet these three men are just part of his win list. He has also defeated the likes of Sergio Pettis, Jusier Formiga, and many more. Truly, he may go down as one of the greatest to ever fight in the Flyweight and Bantamweight Divisions. He decided to essentially retire after his impressive campaign back in 2020. He would then return in 2023. Even though he lost, Cejudo could go on to pad his resume for years to come.

Mirko Cro Cop

Overall MMA Record: 38-11
Overall Kickboxing Record: 26-8
Overall Amateur Boxing Record: 78-8
30 Wins By Knockout
K-1 World Grand Prix 2012 Final Champion
I.K.B.F. World Heavyweight Full Contact Champion
2006 PRIDE World Openweight Grand Prix Champion
2016 Rizin World Openweight Grand Prix Champion
Only MMA Fighter To Win Three World Grand Prix Championships
Tied For Most Finishes In PRIDE History (16)
Most First-Round Finishes In PRIDE History (15)
Most finishes in Zuffa, LLC [UFC, PRIDE, WEC, Strikeforce] history (21)

Mirko Cro Cop has been a major fixture in combat sports over the years. He began his career as a boxer and kickboxer. The deadly striker is best known for his work in PRIDE.

He became the PRIDE World Openweight Grand Prix Champion in 2006. 10 years later, he became the Rizin World Openweight Grand Prix Champion. In between those, he went to K-1 where he won the 2012 World Grand Prix Championship. This makes him the only MMA fighter to win three different Grand Prix Championships.

Cro Cop did not get paid by the hour during his PRIDE days, which is why he won most fights in the first round, often with knockouts. However, some stopped via doctor stoppage.

He beat a lot of great fighters in PRIDE such as Josh Barnett, Mark Coleman, Heath Herring, & Wanderlei Silva.

Mirko then went to UFC where he had an “okay” career. He worked for them among other MMA promotions until around 2013. Once 2014 rolled around, he fought mostly in Rizin along with a few other places.

Mirko did not lose a single fight from 2014 to 2019 and ended his career on a high note with 10 wins in a row. Plus, he won the IGF & Rizen titles during this point too.

Jose Aldo

Overall MMA Record: 32-7
17 Wins By Knockout
2-time UFC Featherweight Champion (inaugural)
Interim UFC Featherweight Champion
WEC Featherweight Champion (final)
Most Successful Title Defenses In The UFC Featherweight Division (7)
Most Consecutive Title Defenses In The UFC Featherweight Division (7)
The Most Title Fights In UFC Featherweight History (11)
4-time Fight of the Night Winner
UFC Hall of Fame (Class of 2023)

When it comes to longevity at the elite level, Jose Aldo bows to no one. The Brazilian brawler earned his place on the list of the best male MMA fighters by ruling over the UFC featherweight division for nearly 10 years. To be fair, he was also incredible in the WEC. He is one of the few to have more than a few fights and go undefeated in his run there. This led to winning the WEC Featherweight Title, being the final to hold it as well.

Aldo also isn’t a stranger to expeditions to other weight classes, as he”s been working in the Bantamweight division for a little while now.

Jose had three reigns over the UFC 145lbs, two of them were undisputed, and one was interim. Known for his devastating leg kicks and impressive BJJ style, Aldo ruled over the featherweight division for a long time. He defended the UFC Featherweight Title in 7 straight fights, winning each one. It was not until he ran into Conor McGregor that he suffered his first loss in the UFC. Aldo has sort of been hit or miss since then, even having his last UFC fight in 2022. However, Aldo may return to the octagon again one day.

Wanderlei Silva

Overall MMA Record: 35-14
27 Wins By Knockout
PRIDE Middleweight Champion (inaugural)
2003 PRIDE Middleweight World Grand Prix Champion
IVC Light Heavyweight Champion
Most Wins In PRIDE History (22)
Most Knockouts In PRIDE History (15)
Tied For Most Finishes In PRIDE History (16)
Most Successful Title Defenses In PRIDE History (4)
Longest Winning Streak In PRIDE History (20)
Most Knockouts In Zuffa, LLC [UFC, Pride, WEC, Strikeforce] history (19)

Wanderlei Silva might be known a lot for his later UFC work, but Silva is probably best known for his incredible success in PRIDE FC. By the time he joined the UFC, he was not the same destroyer we saw in PRIDE. Therefore, he was not as impressive as he used to be.

However. His work in PRIDE cannot be overlooked. He is the first man to ever win a championship and a grand prix tournament in PRIDE history. Of course, it was done after Silva but being the first to do so is an incredible achievement.

Silva is also known for being a knockout artist. He routinely knew how to put a beating on his opponents. This could be one reason why several of his PRIDE fights were ended due to doctor or corner stoppage.

Therefore, those who he did not “technically” knockout with his severe kicks, knees, or punches would still be at risk of losing. Because referees, cornermen, and doctors only let a fight go on for so long.

Kamaru Usman

Overall MMA Record: 20-4
9 Wins By Knockout
2010 NCAA Division-II National Champion (174lbs)
NCAA Division-II All-American (2008, 2009, 2010)
UFC Welterweight Champion
5 Successful Welterweight Title Defenses
Most Consecutive Wins in UFC Welterweight History
Second Most Consecutive Wins In UFC All-Time

While some might disagree, Kamaru Usman is deserving of this list. The fact that he won the UFC Welterweight Title in a relatively deep division is impressive. Yet he also successfully defended it five times, which is impressive.

For many years, you needed to simply put a “W” by Usman’s name automatically. From December 2013 to November 2021, Usman went unbeaten. He managed to get 19 wins in this time, with 15 occurring in the UFC. This unbeaten streak put him among the greats in UFC history.

The 15-fight win streak is the best for any Welterweight in UFC history, but it’s also the second-most all-time for any fighter in any division in the UFC.

During that streak, he beat fighters like Gilbert Burns, Tyron Woodley, Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington, Sean Strickland, Lean Edwards, & Rafael dos Anjos. These are some of the best the division has to offer. Some have even floated into other divisions with great success. He has one big rival though.

While he did beat Leon Edwards earlier in his career, Edwards has had his number the last two times they fought. Edwards beat him for the Welterweight Title and then defended it in the rematch.

Usman decided to move up to Middleweight, and while his debut did not go well…he very well could become a huge threat there too. The BJJ black belt might be in his late 30s as of this writing, but he likely still has a lot left in the tank.

Chuck Liddell

Record: 21-9
13 Wins By Knockout
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
4 Successful LHW Title Defenses
Most Knockouts In UFC LHW Division History (10)
UFC Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)

Despite not knowing when to call it quits, “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell remains one of the greatest male MMA fighters of all time. Six of his total nine career losses came at the very end of his career. Before that string of losses, he was 20-3 for his career. His last loss came after returning from an 8-year retirement.

His last loss against Tito Ortiz was in the twilight of his career. Yet Liddell dominated their rivalry, having beaten Ortiz the two previous times they fought. Liddell also beat UFC greats like Jeremy Horn and even Randy Couture. Heck, he beat Couture twice! He also has a few wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem & Renato Sobral.

After defeating Couture for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title, he”d go on to successfully defend it four times. Of course, most of Liddell”s fights were exciting to watch because of the clear risk that he”d land a kick that would knock his opponent out. While “punches” are often credited for Liddell”s knockouts or TKOs, they only came after Chuck hit a knockout blow with an amazing kick.

Dan Henderson

Overall MMA Record: 32-15
17 Wins By Knockout
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion (last)
PRIDE Middleweight Champion (last)
PRIDE Welterweight Champion (first & last)
RINGS King of Kings Tournament Winner (1999)
Gold Medalist at Pan-American Games in Wrestling (2000)

Dan Henderson is a legend in the world of MMA. He has worked in multiple companies and had success in all of them. Of course, Henderson made his name in PRIDE FC. He held titles in two different divisions in this company. Yet he was also a champion in Strikeforce too.

Henderson actually won a Welterweight, Middleweight, & Light Heavyweight title in a major promotion. It’s rare to see someone win a title in two divisions, but three? That puts Dan on a very small list of fighters in all of combat sports, even shorter for MMA alone.

It should be noted that Dan held the PRIDE Middleweight & Welterweight Titles simultaneously, which made him the first man to hold two titles in two different divisions at the same time in a major MMA promotion.

Henderson has beaten several great fighters in PRIDE, Strikeforce, & UFC. The list of names he defeated includes great fighters like Michael Bisbing, Wanderlei Silva, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Rich Franklin, Maurício “Shogun” Rua, & Vitor Belfort.

However, Henderson is perhaps most well-known for beating Fedor Emelianenko, which ended Fedor’s run in Strikeforce. Dan beat “The Last Emperor” in the first round by TKO in July 2011. Of course, he also defeated Father Time for years too.

Henderson began his MMA career in 1997 and had his last bout in 2016 against Michael Bisping. Now retired, Dan Henderson leaves behind an impressive, Hall of Fame MMA career. Clearly, he”s one of the best male MMA fighters of all time.

Michael Bisping

Overall MMA Record: 30-9
18 Wins By Knockout
UFC Middleweight Champion
CWFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Champion
Most Wins In UFC Middleweight History (16)
Most Fights In UFC Middleweight History (24)
UFC Hall of Fame (Class of 2019)

People today know Michael Bisping best for being a color commentator & analyst for the UFC. You might see him discuss fights before or after for places like ESPN among others. Yet the man knows what he’s talking about, as he has proven to be one of the best MMA fighters in history. The UFC Hall of Famer actually began his career with 14 straight wins.

If you add in his exhibition fights, he went 16-0 to start off his MMA career. Initially, he started off fighting for Cage Rage Championships & Cage Warriors. He went undefeated in his time with both and even won the Light Heavyweight Title for each.

Michael then got the call from UFC to be on the third season of Ultimate Fighter, where he won the Light Heavyweight track. From his first proper UFC fight in 2006 to 2008, he went 6-1, suffering his only loss in that time to Rashad Evans.

Yet Bisping bounced back and transitioned to the Middleweight division. There he beat guys like Dan Henderson, Dan Miller, Jason Miller, Jorge Rivera, Luke Rockhold, Cung Le, & Anderson Silva. Not a bad list of wins in a relatively decorated career for Bisbing.

The fact that he has the most wins in UFC Middleweight history should be referenced a lot, considering that division has been pretty deep for many years now.

Max Holloway

Overall MMA Record: 25-7
UFC Featherweight Champion
11 Wins By Knockout
Most Knockout Wins In UFC Featherweight History (9)
Most Wins In UFC Featherweight History (20)
Longest Win Streak In UFC Featherweight History (13)
Most Finishes In UFC Featherweight History (11)

Max Holloway is still very active in the world of MMA and could continue to have an impressive career. However, we cannot ignore what he has already accomplished. Based on what he”s already accomplished, Holloway is one of the best male MMA fighters of all time.

While Max began his MMA career in 2010 and went unbeaten through 2011 with 4 total wins in that time, he then got the call to go to the UFC. Competition is much harder there, so he began his career with 3 wins and 3 losses in his first 6 fights from 2012 to 2013. After his 2013 loss to Conor McGregor though, Max Holloway went on a tear through the Featherweight division.

From 2014 to 2018, very few were as hot as Holloway. He went 13-0 during that time. He”d beat Anthony Pettis for the Interim UFC Featherweight Title in 2016 then beat Jose Aldo to become the Undisputed UFC Featherweight Champion in 2017.

After 3 successful title defenses of the Featherweight Title, he”d lose to Alexander Volkanovski and then lost the rematch. After these losses, he went 4-1, with the lone loss being to Volkanovski once again as he unsuccessfully challenged for the Featherweight Title.

During his UFC career, he has won Fight of the Night 6 times and Performance of the Night 4 times. In total, he has won 10 Post-Fight Bonuses in his UFC career, which is a record for the Featherweight Division. Be prepared to see him break more records too.

Israel Adesanya

Overall MMA Record: 24-3
Overall Kickboxing Record: 75-5
16 Wins By Knockout
2-Time UFC Middleweight Champion
AFC Middleweight Champion

One of UFC’s top stars today is Israel Adesanya, and it is not hard to see why. He has helped them get some relatively solid PPV numbers. He has also been incredibly successful in his combat sports career. First as a Boxer/Kickboxer and then as an MMA Fighter.

The Nigerian began his MMA career with a 20-0 record. That includes his first 9 proper UFC fights. During that period, he won the Interim UFC Middleweight Title and then became the Undisputed UFC Middleweight Champion. He had 2 successful title defenses before he ended up getting a big UFC Superfight.

Israel made his Light Heavyweight debut in 2021 to face Jan Błachowicz for his UFC Light Heavyweight Title. He was unsuccessful, yet only lost by decision. Adesanya was not done killing it in the Middleweight division and won his next 3 fights from 2021 to 2022. Alex Pereira defeated him for the title in 2022, but Israel won it back in 2023.

Sean Strickland beat him after that to give him his third loss. However, if history is anything to consider, Strickland might not have that title for much longer. During his run, he has won the Performance of the Night 6 times and Fight of the Night 2 times.

His career is still just getting started and Israel has proven that he can fight an elite level on a pretty consistent basis. The only question is…can he continue to do so?

Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski

Overall MMA Record: 26-3
13 Wins By Knockout
UFC Featherweight Champion
AFC Featherweight Champion
Roshambo MMA Lightweight Champion
Roshambo MMA Welterweight Champion
2-time UFC Pound-For-Pound #1 Ranking (2022 & 2023)

Alexander Volkanovski started off his career with a modest 3-1 record from 2012 to 2013. Yet that one loss seemed to nauseate him so much that he decided he couldn’t lose again. From 2014 to 2022, he seemed to do a great job avoiding any possible loss.

In fact, he started off his UFC career winning his first 12 fights. During that run, he beat great fighters like Jeremy Kennedy, Chad Mendes, Brian Ortega, and Jose Aldo. He’s even become an unstoppable force for Max Holloway, beating him all three times they fought. Unsurprisingly, he also won the UFC Featherweight Championship.

As of this writing, he still holds the UFC Featherweight Title. He has 5 successful title defenses so far and is tied for the most total UFC Featherweight Title fight wins with 6. Considering one was for the Interim Featherweight Title and the next unified the titles.

Alexander suffered his first loss in early 2023 when challenging for the UFC Lightweight Championship, attempting to take the title from Islam Makhachev. He lost by decision, and there was some controversy around it. The two fought again in October 2023 where Islam knocked out Volkanovski.

Despite not being able to capture the Lightweight Championship, Alexander is still ruling over the Featherweight division with an iron fist. It’s hard to ignore all of his success so far. Therefore, to us, he belongs on the list of the greatest male MMA fighters of all time.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Overall MMA Record: 34-10
21 Wins By Submission
PRIDE Heavyweight Champion (first)
Interim PRIDE Heavyweight Champion
Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion
2000 RINGS King of Kings Tournament Winner (Heavyweight)
2 Gold Medals At Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Championship (+100kg & Open)
Tied For Most Submission Wins in PRIDE History (11)
UFC Hall of Fame (Class of 2016)

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is a notable BJJ expert and is currently a 5th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as a Black Belt in Judo. He used his BJJ expertise to help him throughout his career, especially as he tore through the PRIDE Heavyweight Division.

During his prime in PRIDE, he defeated great heavyweight fighters like Heath Herring, Mark Coleman, Dan Henderson, Mirko Cro Cop, Bob Sapp, Josh Barnett, & Fabrício Werdum. He then ended up in the UFC where he started off pretty well.

Nogueira beat Heath Herring there as well along with Tim Sylvia, Randy Couture, & Brendan Schaub. During this run, he became the Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion. However, he lost it to Frank Mir. Overall, his UFC career was mixed. Yet his overall MMA career proved to be pretty successful. The fact that he has the most submission wins in PRIDE history should never be overlooked.

His overall career makes Antonio Rodrigo one of the best male MMA fighters in history.

Cain Velasquez

Overall MMA Record: 14-3
12 Wins By Knockout
2-time UFC Heavyweight Champion
Tied For Second Most Knockouts In UFC Heavyweight Division History (10)
Tied For Second Longest Winning Streak In UFC Heavyweight Division History (7)

Considered one of the most impressive Heavyweights ever, Cain Velasquez can be named as one of the best in the most devastating division within the UFC. However, his injuries stopped him from going further in his MMA career. Despite his short-lived run, he still ranks as one of the greatest male MMA fighters in history.

The Mexican-American has only three losses in his entire MMA career, the last one coming after a three-year hiatus. A product of the American Kickboxing Academy, Cain avenged his first loss twice over by defeating Junior dos Santos in regaining his belt and then defending it. Of course, Santos is the man who cut his first reign short.

Cain has the third most total strikes landed in heavyweight history (1464), second most takedowns in UFC heavyweight history (34), and joint most knockouts (KOs and TKOs) in the heavyweight division with 10.

Cain beat some significant names in his career, including Santos along with Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Antônio Silva, and Brock Lesnar. In fact, he actually defeated Lesnar to win his first title in the UFC. While his time on top was relatively short, his impact was huge.

Matt Hughes

Record: 45-9
21 Wins By Knockout
14 Wins By Submission
2-time UFC Welterweight Champion
Second Most Title Fights In UFC Welterweight History (12)
Second Most Title Defenses In UFC Welterweight History (7)

If there is an award for longevity in the world of MMA, it likely should go to Matt Hughes. The man fought against elite-level competition for most of his career. Yet somehow he still walked away with 45 freakin wins! He also beat some of the greatest fighters in UFC history.

He defeated Royce Gracie in a catchweight contest, and later on he”d defeat Renzo Gracie too. Hughes also defeated notable UFC Hall of Famers like B.J. Penn and Georges St-Pierre!

Embodying his impressive amateur wrestling background in his career, Hughes had five title defenses in his first reign, and two in his second. What”s so weird is that Hughes was a great fighter most of his career but was in and out of the UFC throughout most of his early career. He”d first fight at UFC 22, then UFC 29, and finally UFC 29. His next run in the organization would be permanent as he returned to the company to win the UFC Welterweight Championship at UFC 34.

With 45 MMA wins in his career, a massive 18 were in the UFC during that 12-year timeframe.

While he was active, Hughes was almost unanimously considered the #1 pound-for-pound UFC fighter during his reign as welterweight champion. In fact, he might have been considered the greatest Welterweight ever if a certain French-Canadian didn’t come along. Despite that, he”s still one of the greatest male MMA fighters to ever live.

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson

Overall MMA Record: 25-4
5 Wins By Knockout
8 Wins By Submission
UFC Flyweight Champion (inaugural)
ONE Flyweight Champion
Tied For Most Successful Title Defenses In UFC History (11)
Most Consecutive Title Defenses In UFC Flyweight History (11)
Most UFC Flyweight Division Wins (12)

Demetrius Johnson is a man who deserves to be considered one of the greatest male MMA fighters ever. He probably earned this honor several years ago, but he”s still showing us why he”s so great even today. His 12 wins in UFC title fights certainly deserve praise, but we cannot ignore the obvious. He ruled over a division that was very new and did not commonly see the best MMA fighters.

The quality of opponents is where DJ falls short, if anywhere. Joseph Benavidez and Henry Cejudo are his most notable wins, the latter even avenged his loss. However, when Johnson went to ONE Championship, he defeated relatively good flyweights like Danny Kingad & Adriano Moraes. His UFC PPV numbers weren”t big due to his lack of major opponents. This led him to try to prove himself in a different weight class.

Moving up to Bantamweight, he was pretty much destroyed by Dominick Cruz in a title fight. However, this was very early in his UFC career and one could claim that a second fight between the two would be warranted.

He did put on great fights as well. This allowed him to become a three-time Fight of the Night and four-time Performance of the Night winner. Johnson is tied for the most consecutive title defenses in UFC history with 11. However, it must be noted that at flyweight, his margin of error was greater than in any other division. This is due to the improbability of knockouts.

Dominick Cruz

Overall MMA Record: 24-4
7 Wins By Knockout
2-time UFC Bantamweight Champion (inaugural)
WEC Bantamweight Champion (last)
4-time Fight Of The Night Winner

Dominick Cruz first made waves in WEC, which eventually became a proving ground for future UFC stars. WEC sort of became UFC’s farm system. Therefore, his last WEC fight led to him also winning the UFC Bantamweight Title.

The winner of the fight he took part in with Scott Jorgenson would have the honor of being the first champ of the division. Cruz won but he was just getting started with his impressive run.

Cruz made his official jump to UFC in 2011 and became a top addition to the team as UFC’s first Bantamweight Champ. He quickly became a favorite, defeating Urijah Faber in his first UFC contest where he defended the new title. In his next fight, he beat an impressive Demetrius Johnson.

Dominick was given the then-Japanese sensation Takeya Mizugaki. Not to be outdone, the next fight was with T.J. Dillashaw. He won both fights, giving him one of the best runs in UFC history. He’d defeat Faber once more before finally losing to Cody Garbrandt.

Sadly, Cruz has been plagued with numerous injuries. This caused him to pretty much retire in 2016, but he came back in 2020 and fought a few more times up to 2022.

In total, he won Fight of the Night three times and Performance of the Night once. The unorthodox fighter was one of the best male MMA fighters in history. Cruz brought excitement to every card he was on. These are just a few things that make Cruz one of the greatest male MMA fighters in history.

Ken Shamrock

Overall MMA Record: 28-17
22 Wins By Submission
1994 King of Pancrase Winner (first champion of Pancrase)
UFC Superfight Champion
UFC 3 Tournament Finalist
PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 – Finals: Superfight Winner
UFC Hall of Fame (Class of 2003)

Ken Shamrock is one of the pioneers of the early UFC period. He fought in the UFC at a time when rules were pretty scarce. Shamrock often fought in what we know as the “Superfight” or “Openweight” categories, putting him against people of all different shapes and sizes.

Shamrock was known well for his work in Pancrase, where he became the first King of Pancrase winner. From July 1994 to December 1994, he fought each month for Pancrase until they crowned a winner. Oh yeah, that did not include the two UFC fights he had in the middle of that too.

Today, UFC fighters are lucky to get 3 fights per year. You’d never see them fight once a month.

Ken fought many great fighters and beat most of them during his career. That includes wins over Dan Severn, Bas Rutten, & Kimo Leopoldo. Yet he never could beat his top rival, Royce Gracie.

Shamrock took a break to go work for the WWE, and he had some during a relatively short stint for the company. He won the WWE Intercontinental Championship, the WWE Tag Team Titles, & even won the 1998 King of the Ring tournament. Shamrock would go back to MMA by 2000 while still wrestling. During this point, Ken won the NWA World Championship as part of TNA at the time.

Shamrock also had a few runs in PRIDE & UFC, but he”s mostly made sporadic appearances in the cage. However, his last fight was in 2016 and he seems done.

Royce Gracie

Record: 15-2-3
11 Wins By Submission
UFC 1 Tournament Champion (first tournament champion)
UFC 2 Tournament Champion
UFC 3 Tournament Semi-Finalist
UFC 4 Tournament Champion
Most Fights Won In Tournaments (11)
Longest Fight In PRIDE History (90 Minutes)
Longest Fight In UFC History (36 Minutes)
7th Degree BJJ Coral Belt

Royce Gracie is one of the fighters most responsible for UFC’s early success. You can make a case that the sport of MMA was built on his submission prowess. At the time, people hated Gracie for his style. Today, every MMA fighter practices some form of jiu-jitsu, especially Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Gracie was the winner of the first and second UFC tournament, withdrew undefeated from the third, and then won the fourth. Back when the tournament didn’t have weight classes, Royce often combated much bigger men. This essentially made him an “Openweight,” which remained a weight class in MMA until the late 2000s in several MMA promotions.

Gracie submitted his first 11 opponents in the UFC making Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the global phenomenon it is now. It also influenced all of MMA and it’s clear he helped build the early UFC. Anything can truly happen at UFC matches, and Gracie proved you needed to check out how he could defeat other incredible fighters.

Royce’s last match in the UFC was also the longest one in the promotion’s history. It lasted 36 minutes before he and Ken Shamrock saw their fight end in a draw due to a lack of judges. Gracie”s last fight ever was also against Shamrock, this time under the Bellator MMA banner. He”d win that fight as well. It”s clear that Gracie was one of the greatest male MMA fighters to ever live, and might be known as the best submission artist ever.

B.J. Penn

Overall MMA Record: 16-14-2
6 Wins By Submission
UFC Lightweight Champion
UFC Welterweight Champion
Tied For Most UFC Lightweight Title Defenses
UFC Hall of Fame (inaugural inductee in modern-wing)

While B.J. Penn’s return to the UFC has not been very fruitful, in the prime of his career, there weren’t many considered better than him. He first fought for the UFC back in 2001 and went on a huge run, winning five out of his first six fights. UFC was not making fighters exclusive at the time, so Penn could travel to other companies and fight for them too.

He then decided to compete outside UFC only but returned later on. While he defeated the likes of Matt Hughes during his big UFC run, he tried his hand at Welterweight and lost to Georges St-Pierre like so many before him. Penn did have success in the UFC’s Lightweight division and ended up becoming the champion of the division.

However, he felt most comfortable at Welterweight and did win the UFC Welterweight Title at UFC 46 but lost it soon after. He could never capture it again due to some French-Canadian guy.

While he did have that obstacle, Penn still had some major wins in his career. He has two UFC Title wins, holding the record for the most UFC Lightweight Title defenses with three. However, this record will likely be broken soon.

Penn has slowly started to hurt himself legacy-wise due to all the recent losses. He began to lose a step back in 2012 & 2014, leading to a large break for the Hawaiin Prodigy. However, since his return, he has only lost more fights. Despite those losses, he remains one of the greatest male MMA fighters of all time.

Stipe Miocic

Overall MMA Record: 20-4
15 Wins By Knockout
2-time UFC Heavyweight Champion
Most Consecutive Title Defenses In UFC Heavyweight Division History (3)
5-time Performance of the Night Winner
3-time Fight of the Night Winner

You really have to take weight classes into account when considering the greatest male MMA fighters of all time. When weighing up to 265 lbs, there is no room for error. One random punch can end the fight in a moment. Stipe Miocic ruled and broke records in this environment, and that needs to be highlighted. He is one of the greatest male MMA fighters ever and never gets the recognition he deserves.

He has the most consecutive title defenses in UFC heavyweight history at three. This might be a low number, but that just illustrates how nearly impossible his feat was.

Stipe also achieved his success with style points as he also has the UFC record for most strikes landed in a fight (330) vs. Mark Hunt. However, his greatness is also seen in the way he stopped the biggest hype train the UFC had in the heavyweight division since Brock Lesnar in Francis Ngannou. He beat Francis at a time when no one thought he could. That came after he also defeated Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Fabrício Werdum, Mark Hunt, and Andrei Arlovski.

All of these wins happened consecutively too! Eventually, he was put into a huge fight with Daniel Cormier, which he lost. That gave DC his double-title victory. However, Stipe beat DC in the rematch, then a second time in the rubber match just to show the first fight was a fluke. He has not fought since 2021 but you never know if Stipe will find his way back inside a UFC octagon again one day.

Anderson Silva

Overall MMA Record: 34-11 (*1 NC*)
23 Wins By Knockout
UFC Middleweight Champion
Longest Title Reign In UFC History (2,457 days)
Most Successful & Consecutive Title Defenses In UFC Middleweight History (10)
Longest Winning Streak In UFC History (16 Wins)

Anderson Silva is clearly on everyone”s list of the greatest male MMA fighters. He has the longest title reign in UFC History, as he held the UFC Middleweight Title for 2,457 days. That makes him the undisputedly greatest UFC Middleweight Champion ever.

Silva often made his opponents look stupid while searching for the man’s head. This all came before punishing them with precise strikes, often leading to knockout victories for “The Spider.”

While Silva defended the Middleweight title a record 10 times, he was eventually stopped by Chris Weidman twice in a row before his career went south. He went on to lose to Weidman, Michael Bisping, and Daniel Cormier. However, it was not the losses that hurt his legacy. Rather, it was when he tested positive for two banned substances after defeating Nick Diaz. Silva yet again tested positive for PEDs in 2017, resulting in his fight being canceled.

With his decision win against Derek Brunson in 2017 hotly contested, it would be fair to say that “the Spider” hasn’t truly won a fight since 2012. While we may have to put an asterisk next to his name, Anderson Silva still proved himself enough to be called one of the best male MMA fighters of all time, in our view.

Bas Rutten

Overall MMA Record: 28-4
Overall Kingboxing Record: 14-2
14 Wins By Submission
11 Wins By Knockout
3-time King of Pancrase Openweight Champion
UFC Heavyweight Championship
Unified King of Pancrase Openweight Champion
UFC Hall of Fame (Class of 2015)

Bas Rutten is well-known today for his MMA commentary for PRIDE and several other MMA promotions. He was also a co-host for Inside MMA from 2007 to 2016. This has made his voice potentially more popular than anything he has done inside the cage. Yet Rutten is still considered one of the greatest male MMA fighters in history.

He finished his career on a 22-fight unbeaten streak, which included 21 wins with just one draw. Rutten came into MMA out of the world of kickboxing, but Bas is a complete striker. He holds a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo and a 5th Dan Black Belt in Kyokishin Karate.

Yet he has 14 submission wins in his career with 11 knockout wins. He used a series of choke finishes along with an armbar, body crunch, heel hook, kneebar, and ankle lock submission to achieve these wins.

Of course, Rutten is most famous for his “liver kick.” This was a kick to the body, literally aiming for the liver. He”d hit all around it too, giving opponents extreme abdominal pain. Bas knew he could hurt fighters this way, so he committed to hitting the kick as often and as precisely as he could.

What might make Bas even more of a badass is that, while he retired from fighting in 1999, he actually returned to the cage in 2006. He’d win his return fight in the first round as he achieved a technical knockout due to leg kicks on his opponent. Nearly 60, Bas is still feared!

Randy Couture

Overall MMA Record: 19-11
7 Wins By Knockout
4 Wins By Submission
3-time UFC Heavyweight Champion
2-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Most Championship Reigns In UFC History (6)
18 UFC PPV Main Events (Tied For Most All-Time)
UFC Hall of Fame

Randy Couture is one of the original beasts of the UFC. A man who was always difficult to defeat. He was also one of the few that moved up around divisions and won titles in both. Couture was the first man to hold a title in two different divisions with the UFC and currently holds the record for the most UFC Heavyweight Title reigns with three. He is also a two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Each fight Randy was in seemed to always be a treat for the fans. He also fought and beat some top names in MMA history. This includes wins against Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Tim Sylvia, and Vitor Belfort. He then went on to beat people like Brandon Vera and even Mark Coleman.

His last fight for the UFC was sadly a loss against the impressive Lyoto Machida. However, Randy was a natural at MMA. He took to it better than most and with five total official title reigns (six with his interim title), he is the most decorated UFC Fighter in history. This record might never be broken due to how UFC is structured today.

He main-evented a UFC PPV 18 times, tied for the most in history with Anderson Silva. Couture also has the most title defenses in history with 15! Truly, Randy Couture has to go down as one of the greatest male MMA fighters to ever live.

Conor McGregor

Overall MMA Record: 22-6
19 Wins By Knockout
UFC Featherweight Champion
UFC Lightweight Champion
7-time Performance of the Night Winner (tied for third-most all-time)
Fastest Finish & Win In UFC Championship Fight (13 Seconds)
8 PPVs Main Evented That Drew Over 1 Million Buys

If there is one thing we can say about Conor McGregor, it”s that he became MMA’s biggest star by backing up what he says. Well, outside of claiming he”d beat a certain Russian.

Those seven “performance of the night” bonuses did come his way due to his promos. Conor”s rise through the featherweight division was almost cinematic, as he predicted how he”d defeat opponents. When he went in to take on Jose Aldo for the Undisputed UFC Featherweight Championship, everyone wrote him off. Especially due to how Aldo ruled over the division since it started for roughly 10 years.

McGregor then beat Also in 13 seconds.

McGregor also wanted to show that he could get it done in other divisions, so he went up to face Nate Diaz as a Welterweight. While he lost the first fight, he defeated Diaz in the second fight. He stayed up to take on Eddie Alverez for the UFC Lightweight Championship, which he won. This made him the first man in UFC history to win a title in two different divisions and hold both simultaneously.

However, McGregor then took a few years off and was stripped of his newly won title. He returned to face Khabib Nurmagomedov and was destroyed. McGregor fought a few more times since but has not competed since July 2021. Some of this has to do with legal issues for the Irishman. Still, it”s clear that McGregor is one of the greatest male MMA fighters of all time!

Jon Jones

Overall MMA Record: 27-1 (*1 NC*)
10 Wins By Knockout
7 Wins By Submission
2-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
UFC Heavyweight Champion
Most Wins In UFC Title Fights (15)
Most Successful Title Defenses In UFC Light Heavyweight History (11)
Longest Reign As UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (1,501 days)
Most Wins In UFC Light Heavyweight Division History (20)
Main Evented 16 UFC PPVs

Jon Jones is essentially undefeated in his career and might be at the top of the greatest male MMA Fighters list…if his career didn’t have big asterisks. His only official loss came by disqualification against Matt Hamill for breaking the “no 12-to-6 elbows allowed” rule.

However, what hurts Jones is that he”s tested positive for banned substances three times!

One came right before UFC 200, his huge rematch with Daniel Cormier. UFC was forced to change the fight, and Jones was banned from competition for one year. Upon returning, he fought and defeated DC via knockout. Yet it was ruled a “No Contest” after the UFC discovered Jones tested positive for steroids.

He was supposed to get a 4-year ban but avoided the major penalty. However, UFC was forced to switch the location for Jon’s second bout with Alexander Gustafsson on one week’s notice.

This was due to the NSAC refusing to allow Jones to fight after finding traces of PEDs in his tests.

Jones’ decision wins against Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes are heavily disputed, especially the latter. Several prominent figures within MMA vocally claim he lost to Reyes. Combined with his hit-and-run incident involving a pregnant woman, it’s hard to “love” Jones.

In the cage, Jones is one of the best MMA fighters ever. He just needs to work on what he does outside of it.

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Overall MMA Record: 29-0
11 Wins By Submission
8 Wins by Knockout
UFC Lightweight Champion
Longest Lightweight Championship Reign (1,077 Days)
Tied For Third Longest Winning Streak (13)
UFC Hall of Famer (Class of 2022)

It is rare in the MMA world that a man goes undefeated in his career. If one only has a few fights, maybe it can happen. But 10? 20? Yet that is exactly what Khabib Nurmagomedov was able to do. He fought 29 times, 13 of those fights took place in the UFC. He convincingly won them all. In fact, 19 of his fights ended by either a submission or knockout. Khabib did not face scrubs either, he fought some of the best UFC had to offer at the time.

That includes the likes of Thiago Tavares, and Rafael dos Anjos. Michael Johnson, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, & Conor McGregor.

Khabib might have technically been a Sambo fighter (he”s a two-time World Champion in Combat Sambo). However, he mixed this with insane judo and wrestling skills. This led to making champions or former champions look like they never fought anyone before. He tore men apart in the octagon and it was incredible to witness. Pure strikers would find themselves locked up like some sort of boa constrictor had taken hold of them.

Even if you could wrestle with him, Khabib found other ways to take out opponents. Such as with submissions or even precise strikes that could lead to a knockout.

It is very clear that Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the greatest male MMA fighters to ever live.

Fedor Emelianenko

Total MMA Record: 40-7
16 Wins By Knockout
15 Wins By Submission
3-time Sambo Gold Medalist at World Championships (2002-2007)
PRIDE Heavyweight Champion (final)
WAMMA Heavyweight Champion
RINGS Openweight Champion (final)

If you ask any MMA historian who the greatest male MMA fighters of all time are, they’ll likely put Fedor Emelianenko at the top. He competed in some of the biggest companies on the planet from Strikeforce to PRIDE, even Bellator MMA. Yet one glaring omission is that Fedor has never competed in the UFC.

It was not as if UFC never tried to get him. The two sides were always close to some deal but it always fell through. Still, he faced off with several who ended up going to the UFC and he defeated pretty much everyone when in his prime.

In fact, he once went on an unbeaten streak from 2001 to 2009, where he had 27 wins with no losses and just one no-contest. During this streak, he beat guys like Heath Herring, Kazuyuki Fujita, Mirko Cro Cop, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, Mark Coleman, Mark Hunt, & Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. A few he beat multiple times.

Fedor’s style was always impressive as he could knock someone out or submit them, depending on what openings his opponent left him. He holds a black belt in both Sambo & Judo. He’s a Merited Master of Sport in Russia in Sambo & Master of Sport, International Class in Judo.

The nickname he held, “The Last Emperor,” was quite fitting for the multi-time champion. It was clear that he could beat pretty much anyone in his path. Therefore, he acted as a “Final Boss” for the best heavyweights to beat, but very few ever could.

Georges St-Pierre

Overall MMA Record: 26-2
8 Wins By Knockout
6 Wins By Submission
2-time UFC Welterweight Champion
UFC Middleweight Champion
Most Successful & Consecutive Title Defenses In UFC Welterweight Championship History (9)
Most Wins In UFC Welterweight Title Fights (12)
Most Takedowns Landed In UFC History (90)
UFC Hall of Famer (Class of 2020)

Georges St-Pierre, often known simply as GSP, is an incredible mixed martial artist. He seemed to always be capable of anything in the octagon, which is likely due to his training. He”s a 3rd dan Black Belt in Kyokushin Karate, 1st degree Black Belt in BJJ, Black Belt in Gaidojutsu, & Black Belt in Shidōkan. This made him capable of striking, wrestling, and submitting anyone at any time.

GSP only suffered two losses in his career, both he avenged. He ruled over the UFC Welterweight Division for most of his career.

He beat notable fighters like Nick Diaz, Matt Hughes, Michael Bisping, Carlos Condit, Thiago Alves, Johny Hendricks, & Dan Hardy. GSP also defeated another successful fighter during his era, B.J. Penn…twice. While he did lose the UFC Welterweight Title to Matt Serra, he won it back from him soon after.

GSP was done fighting by mid-2013 and had his last fight against Johny Hendricks where he defended the UFC Welterweight Title. To no one”s surprise, he won. He stayed retired until 2017, when he returned for UFC 217 to face Michael Bisping for the vacant UFC Middleweight Title. This was his Middleweight debut, and he still won the fight and the title. This was officially his last MMA fight, however.

You do not need us to say it, but clearly, GSP is one of the greatest male MMA fighters of all time.

Daniel Cormier

Record: 22-3 (*1 NC*)
10 Wins by Knockout
5 Wins By Submission
UFC Heavyweight Champion
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
First Fighter To Successfully Defend Two Titles Simultaneously Held In Two Different Weight Classes
6-time U.S. National Championships Gold Medalist In Freestyle Wrestling – 96kg
UFC Hall of Famer

Daniel Cormier might be the second fighter to win and hold a title in two different divisions. Yet he”s the first in UFC history who has ever defended titles in two different divisions.

He started his MMA career as a heavyweight despite being 5 feet 11 inches. However, he dropped weight and made his name as a Light Heavyweight.

In Strikeforce, his heavyweight days were pretty successful. He defeated notable heavyweights like Roy Nelson, Frank Mir, Antônio Silva, & Josh Barnett. He became a Light Heavyweight in 2014 and would defeat Dan Henderson shortly into his run. Sadly, his first UFC took place shortly after against Jon Jones. Then DC went on a major run.

He”d defeat Alexander Gustafsson, Anderson Silva, and then Anthony Johnson not once but twice. This allowed him to capture the UFC Light Heavyweight Title. Cormier ran into the Jones buzzsaw again and lost, but Jones was popped for PEDs and the fight became a “No Contest.” Thus giving the title back to DC. Cormier then wanted to try his hand against heavyweights, so he decided to take on Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Title.

Cormier of course won this fight and then successfully defended the title against Derrick Lewis before dropping it back to Stipe. While Cormier”s last few fights were not amazing for his legacy, he still had an amazing career. Making him one of the greatest male MMA fighters of all time.