The following article is a countdown of the top 25 MMA fighters, regardless of weight, that has persevered and become the best of all time. Trying to decide the ranking for a fighter based on their latest win or any sort of “MMA math” does not always add up and tell the true story on who is the best fighter overall.

Who is the best MMA fighter of all time?

Rnk Fighter Total. 1 Jim Miller 36. Top Position Percentage. Minimum 5 UFC Fights. Minimum 5 UFC Fights and 350 Significant Strike Attempts. A few female MMA fighters have risen to the very top of MMA stardom, and in this article we will take a look at the top 10 female MMA fighters that have ever been signed to the UFC. Amanda Nunes Amanda ‘Lioness’ Nunes (18-4) is arguably the all time GOAT of female MMA. Top 10 Best Female MMA Fighters In The World 2020. All-Time Rankings are for the best fighters in MMA history. Here is the List of the Most Famous MMA Fighters. Is Amanda Nunes the best feminine MMA fighter (G.O.A.T.) of all time? Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the best MMA fighters. Who is the best UFC fighter 2020? As of July 2020, Jon Jones is the best Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter in the competition based on a pound for pound ranking. The light heavyweight champion has a record of 26–1.

Who is the best UFC fighter ever? Read on the find out.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) had become one of the major sports that has won the hearts of many. The MMA came into limelight during the days of “the underground” where there were basically no rules and sanctioned fighters were allowed to do all sorts of moves, including hair pulling and groin strikes.

To determine who the best fighters are, among the numerous fighters to have graced the MMA, we have considered factors such as their dominance in the game, their skills, and their peaks. Yet, it still boils down to endless debate when trying to determine who the greatest fighters of all-time are.

This article gives insight into the top-20 of the best MMA fighters ever. History will never forget their contributions and how they have been able to gain the hearts of fans in the MMA space.

Here are the Best MMA Fighters of All-Time in UFC History

* Pro MMA record are in Win-Loss-Draw and No Contest formats.

20. Quinton Jackson “Rampage”

• Country: United States
• Record: 38-14-0

There are different tactics and fighting styles in the MMA, and each fighter is usually known for a particular skill or tactic. For Jackson, (also known as Rampage) his spectacular tactics were to carry his opponent over his head and give them great slams. He was popularly known for his move and it also helped to save him on several occasions. An instance was when he was stuck in Ricardo Arona’s triangle submission. Surprisingly, he delivered himself – using this spectacular move.

19. Amanda Nunes “The Lioness”

• Country: Brazil
• Record: 20-4-0

This is one of the greatest female fighters ever to grace the MMA and the UFC. After her great defeat at the UFC 178, she was able to turn things around. Shortly after the loss, she bounced back and became an animal, defeating many of her mates including the notorious Cyborg. Amanda Nunes is gradually becoming one of the biggest names in the industry.

18. Wanderlei Silva “The Axe Murderer”

• Country: Brazil
• Record: 35-14-1, 1 NC

Nicknamed ‘The Axe Murderer’, Silva gained his nickname by how he fights. Going back to the days when he was in his prime, only a few other fighters had the courage to face him. How he would stare at his opponent and wring their hands was one of the things the world will never forget about him. What many liked about Silva was how he would chase his opponents, as he moved forward forcing his opponent to move backwards in response to the deadly pressure being mounted.

17. Randy Couture “The Natural”

• Country: United States
• Record: 19-11-0

To become the UFC champion on two different occasions in one’s career as a fighter in the MMA is not easy to achieve. Randy Couture is one of the few fighters who has been able to achieve this, thus, joining the ranks of the best UFC fighters ever. Randy was popularly known for his “dirty boxing’ tactics, which have earned him victory over his opponents on several occasions.

16. Frankie Edgar “The Answer”

• Country: United States
• Record: 23-8-1

Edgar became popular when he had a remarkable victory over B. J. Penn. Prior to the fight, Penn had smashed Diego Sanchez, and fans were expecting Penn to at least keep the momentum going for a short while. Surprisingly, Edgar had a fantastic victory over him. What surprised fans most was how he was able to prove himself as he did in several consecutive challenges after beating Penn.

15. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira “Minotauro”

• Country: Brazil
• Record: 34-10-1, 1 NC

To win the UFC Heavyweight title is no easy feat. However, Antonio Rodrigo is one of the rare fighters to earn this through his fights and victories over many big names in the industry. He was known for not wasting time in going for the submission. Unlike other fighters who will hold their opponent closely and wait for the referee to come to stand them back up, Rodrigo had spectacular moves he used in getting his opponents stuck in his trap.

14. Mauricio Rua “Shogun”

• Country: Brazil
• Record: 26-11-1

Nicknamed as Shogun, Rua is popularly known for his superior striking skills. He is also known for not rushing to go for the submission. He would make sure he satisfies his appetite by dishing out some heavy hammer fists on his opponents before going for the submission. Shogun had his training with a few other fighters at the famous Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil. Coming out of such an academy, Rua’s moves came as no surprise to fans.

13. Dan Henderson “Hendo”

• Country: United States
• Record: 32-15-0

Nicknamed Hendo, Dan Henderson was popular for his overhand right tactics. With the power in his right hand, he was able to defeat many of his opponents. Another thing that has helped Henderson survive the heavy impacts of his opponents’ blows was his iron chin. With this chin, he was able to withstand heavy blows that might have finished other fighters.

12. Dominick Cruz “The Dominator”

• Country: United States
• Record: 22-3-0

Cruz is popularly known for his superb movements, which made it hard for his opponents to predict what his next move would be. The number one item on his priority list was to not get hit. Although he is not one of the best when it comes to submission and knockout, he is able to comfortably evade many of his opponents’ hits.

11. Daniel Cormier “DC”

• Country: United States
• Record: 22-2-0, 1 NC

This is one of the few fighters to have gained success in both heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. Cormier was able to defeat many of his opponents who would stand on his way of maintaining his position as light heavyweight champion. However, he was stopped by Jon Jones.

10. Conor McGregor “The Notorious”

• Country: Ireland
• Record: 22-4-0

Conor McGregor is one of the biggest names in the industry right now who is popularly known for his frequent trash talks. Ranked #4 in the UFC lightweight rankings and #8 in the UFC Men’s pound for pound rankings as of June 2020, McGregor is also one of the rare fighters who have been able to hold the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles two times. His left punch is one of his most favourite weapons and he uses it to have his way with his opponents. He is still young in the game and more is expected from him.

9. B.J. Penn “The Prodigy”

• Country: United States
• Record: 16-14-2

Penn is one of the few great fighters the MMA can boast of. He is one of the fastest fighters to earn the Jiu-Jitsu and the first American to bag the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship. Penn was able to defeat many of his opponents with his grappling skills. One event that fans will never forget was when he was seen licking the blood on his gloves after his victory over Joe Stevenson. “The Prodigy” deserves to be among the list of the best MMA fighters of all-time.

8. Chuck Liddell “The Iceman”

• Country: United States
• Record: 21-9-0

Chuck may not have the fancy striking skills, but his vicious hands and granite chin were two of his deadliest weapons. He has been able to deceive his opponents with his deadly striking only to surprised them with his kicks. All these have made him stand out among many of his counterparts.

7. Matt Hughes

• Country: United States
• Record: 45-9-0

Matt was known for how he would carry his opponents and smash them down, sending them into a great defeat. He had many skills in his arsenal to defeat his opponents. Matt is one of the scariest and toughest fighters in the industry. He was never satisfied with just taking his opponents down, he would always follow with a great punch, which also contributed to his reputation.

6. Demetrius Johnson “Mighty Mouse”

• Country: United States
• Record: 30-3-1

Demetrius Johnson is not only the first fighter to earn UFC flyweight championship, but he is also the only fighter to hold the record. He is holding the title and on his mission to break Anderson Silva’s record of defending the title consecutively. What makes him stand out among other fighters is his high IQ, speed, and footwork, which has made it difficult for his opponents to defeat him.

5. Fedor Emelianenko “The Last Emperor”

• Country: Russia
• Record: 39-6-0, 1 NC

Before Fedor Emelianenko came to MMA, he was a Combat Sambo champion, and this has helped him blend him succeed in the MMA. At first glance, you may write him off as unfit for a fight. But as the fight goes on, you become convinced that he is one of the best fighters the MMA has been blessed with in UFC history.

4. Khabib Nurmagomedov “The Eagle”

• Country: Russia
• Record: 28-0-0

If we are to mention a few fighters who will never be forgotten in the world of MMA, Khabib is one name that will never be left out. He does not only win his fights, he wins most of them hands-down. Fans even regard him as an animal as a result of his great moves and performances.

What makes Nurmagomedov truly remarkable is the fact that his opponents usually know his next moves, yet they still lack what it takes to stop him. You may want to ask why he is not the first on the list? He is not making it to the first position because he hasn’t had the chance perhaps after he has had the time to defend his titles consistently as a few others have.

3. Jon Jones “Bones”

• Country: United States
• Record: 26-1-0, 1 NC

In his early career, Jones was able to defeat Mauricio Rua to earn the UFC youngest champion when he was just 23. He had a rapid rise in his career and is not showing any sign of slowing down. He is always remembered for his great victory over Reyes, which was his 14^th title defence. Jon Jones is simply a legend. He is often revered by pundits as one of the best fighters ever. All eyes are on Jones for what his performances will be in his next fights.

2. Anderson Silva “The Spider”

• Country: Brazil
• Record: 34-10-0, 1 NC

Though he is known for his great performance in the Jiu-Jitsu, what makes Anderson Silva stand out among other fighters in the UFC is his great striking skills. He has been able to deceive his opponents with his smooth and harmless looks, through which he is able to defeat many of his opponents. Silva was able to set his opponents into a trap by mocking them of their actions and moves. When this happens, opponents become frustrated and try to bring him down, and that is when Silva would have his way. Anderson Silva is a major contender of the title of the greatest in the UFC.

1. George St. Pierre “Rush”

• Country: Canada
• Record: 26-2-0

George St. Pierre is the best MMA fighter of all-time. Yes, he was not the best at knockouts, but his strong will was too much for many fighters to break. One thing that surprised all was that he did not have any wrestling background before launching into MMA. Yet, he was always in the best position to put his opponents down. Pierre’s reputation was further heightened when he had a great victory over Michael Bisping at UFC 217.

Who Is The Best Mma Fighter In The World

Final Words

Regardless of the sport, the ‘best-ever’ topic is always a controversial matter. Aside from Wayne Gretzky, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and perhaps Serena Williams who are unarguably the best in their sport, there are rarely a few sports where it might be obvious who the title of the greatest of all time should be bestowed.

What are your thoughts on our top-20 best MMA fighters of all-time? Please feel free to share in the comments section below.

The year has already gotten off to a bang. A couple of the biggest stars in the sport -- Conor McGregor and Cris Cyborg -- made headlines with huge TKO stoppages. The next few months don't slow down at all, with Jon Jones, Israel Adesanya and Khabib Nurmagomedov all set to defend their titles.

Before 2020 starts heating up in earnest, a panel of ESPN's MMA experts has come together to rank the top 30 fighters in order of the likelihood that, by the end of December, they'll have locked up Fighter of the Year honors.

Several elements were considered when putting together the list, including the opportunities fighters are already scheduled for early in the year, where they stand in their respective divisions, who is likely to be on the other side of the cage with them and where we believe their body of work will end up on Dec. 31.

Just because someone is ranked No. 11 or No. 26 doesn't mean that fighter can't change his or her fortunes over the course of the year. Someone like Jorge Masvidal wouldn't have likely been ranked in the top 30 heading into 2019, and he had a campaign for the ages.

Ariel Helwani offers the outlooks for the fighters we ranked 1-10. If you missed them take a look at ranks 21-30 and 11-20.

10. Henry Cejudo (15-2)

Next fight: TBD

2020 outlook: The first half of 2019 was exceptional for Cejudo. However, since he won the bantamweight title in June, things have turned a bit. He was forced to have shoulder surgery, which he's still recovering from, and the UFC stripped him of the flyweight title in December due to inactivity. He's currently campaigning for a fight in May against Jose Aldo, who has lost two in a row, yet the UFC seems interested. Hopefully he can get two fights in this year and remind people just how good he is, but it does seem that his flyweight days are over for now.

9. Alexander Volkanovski (21-1)

Next fight: TBD

2020 outlook: The newly crowned featherweight champion is still nursing a broken hand, but with rumors of a UFC pay-per-view in his home country of Australia later this year, that should prove to be a big showcase for 'The Great.' A rematch versus Max Holloway is probably the most high-profile fight out there for him and should do big business back home, too. He's won 18 straight against some amazing competition. I'm curious to see how he settles in as champion.

8. Amanda Nunes (19-4)

Greatest Mma Fighter Ever

Next fight: TBD

2020 outlook: Nunes is a champion in two weight classes, yet amazingly doesn't seem to have anyone to fight. Now, she just fought a little over a month ago, but that does seem weird. It's really a byproduct of how dominant she's been. Her next fight will likely be against someone who isn't really ready to fight her, and that should bode well for the queen of the bantamweights and featherweights. As long as she remains hungry, she should continue to carry double gold all year long.

7. Conor McGregor (22-4)

Next fight: TBD

2020 outlook: McGregor couldn't have scripted a better start to the year than the way it all went down for him over a couple of weeks in Las Vegas. If he's able to fight at least three times this year, as he has repeatedly said is his desire, and if he's able to win all three of those fights, it would represent one of the most impressive career comebacks in UFC history. This time last year it appeared as though his career was spiraling out of control. Now, he looks refocused and motivated to prove he's the best in the game. As far as who's next, he can pick anyone he wants. Masvidal? Justin Gaethje? Nate Diaz? Dustin Poirier? The call is his. Few have ever possessed that kind of power in this game.

6. Francis Ngannou (14-3)

Next fight: March 28 vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (UFC Fight Night)

2020 outlook: Not that long ago the talk surrounding Ngannou was that he was a bust. Sure, he could hit hard, but after two straight uninspiring losses versus Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis in 2018, it seemed like everyone was off his bandwagon. Since then, all he has done is win, and win supremely impressively. The combined duration of his past three wins is 142 seconds. That's wild. And a victory over the surging Rozenstruik should put him in line for the next title shot after Miocic and Cormier tangle for a third time. There will be nothing left for him to do after that.

5. Valentina Shevchenko (18-3)

Next fight: Feb. 8 vs. Katlyn Chookagian (UFC 247)

2020 outlook: I'd argue that the gap between Shevchenko and the rest of the contenders at women's flyweight is larger than the gap between any champion and contenders in the history of the UFC. She is that darn good. Of course anyone can lose on any given night, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Shevchenko go on a dominant run much like Demetrious Johnson did when he was the king of the flyweights. One good thing about Shevchenko is that she likes to be active. I wouldn't be surprised to see her fight three times this year.

4. Kamaru Usman (16-1)

Who Is The Best Mma Fighter In The World

Next fight: TBD

2020 outlook: Usman might not be the biggest draw right now, but he has two things going for him at the moment: he's a great fighter on a 15-fight winning streak and he happens to be the champion of the division both Jorge Masvidal and Conor McGregor are currently factors in. That's a great place to be as champ. If Usman gets his way, Masvidal will be next. That's a huge fight for him right now, and a win will most certainly elevate his stock.

3. Israel Adesanya (18-0)

Next fight: March 7 vs. Yoel Romero (UFC 248)

2020 outlook: Adesanya isn't resting after a tremendous 2019 campaign. And while it's a shame his next bout isn't against fellow undefeated fighter Paulo Costa, a dominant win over Yoel Romero would still be impressive. Then, if he gets by Romero, Costa awaits, and that will be just the second time in UFC history two undefeated male fighters would compete for a belt. Adesanya looks more impressive every time he fights. I can't wait to see how he follows up last year's success.

2. Jon Jones (25-1, 1 NC)

Who Is The Best Mma Fighter Today

Next fight: Feb. 8 vs. Dominick Reyes (UFC 247)

2020 outlook: Jones has big plans this year. If he gets by Reyes at UFC 247, there's a chance he may finally test the waters at heavyweight, something fans have been clamoring for him to do for a while. And then who knows, maybe he's fighting for that title by the end of the year. Even if he doesn't move up, the gap between him and the rest of the division, which has evolved nicely as of late, still appears significant. As long as he continues to be focused and motivated, the sky is still the limit for Jones.

Early Ufc Fighters

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0)

Next fight: April 18 vs. Tony Ferguson (UFC 249)

Who Is The Best Mma Fighter Of All Time

2020 outlook: As of right now, Nurmagomedov versus Ferguson is the most-anticipated fight of 2020. It has been well documented that this is the fifth time the UFC has tried to put this one together, so there is a great sense of anticipation for it. But above that, it represents the very best MMA has to offer right now: two streaking fighters (both 12-0 in their past 12 UFC fights) going toe-to-toe to determine the best lightweight on the planet. What's better than that? And then, if he gets by Ferguson, a potential rematch against McGregor looms, and that would most likely be the highest-grossing fight in UFC history.