- stuthehistoryguy
- 1st Degree Coral Belt
- Member Since 2020.12.14
My MMA Rankings
All Time Greatest MMA Fighters
The top five is pretty solid; after that, it gets more fluid.
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1
- Georges St-Pierre
- "Rush"
- 26-2-0
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Trained harder than anyone. Lost two fights and learned IMMENSELY from both of them. The best example for success in MMA history, possibly in sports history.
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2
- Jon Jones
- "Bones"
- 27-1-0, 1 NC
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Could be #1, but tough to rank him there with all the crap he's put the sport through. When Jones was at his peak, it would have been difficult to design a better fighter.
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3
- Anderson Silva
- "The Spider"
- 34-11-0, 1 NC
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We forget how dominant that guy was. During his reign, the only tough fight he had was against Sonnen. A mythic figure in his prime - nearly untouchable.
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4
- Fedor Emelianenko
- "The Last Emperor"
- 40-7-0, 1 NC
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Tough legacy to untangle going back so far before unified rules, but you could argue that no one did as many things well as Fedor, especially before the Pride dissolution.
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5
- Demetrious Johnson
- "Mighty Mouse"
- 25-4-1
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So good for so long. Amazingly consistent fighter.
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6
- Khabib Nurmagomedov
- "The Eagle"
- 29-0-0
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Absolutely dominant without a crack in his game. If he'd done more in his career, he'd be a contender for #1. Still might move up if he comes back.
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7
- José Aldo
- "Junior"
- 31-8-0
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Tough to rank because he never looked that impressive when I saw him fight, but he has to be up here because of his reign.
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8
- Randy Couture
- "The Natural"
- 19-11-0
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One of the most admirable characters in MMA history. A true pioneer. It's a mistake of history that he didn't get to fight Fedor, Crocop, Kerr, or Coleman in their primes.
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9
- Amanda Nunes
- "The Lioness"
- 23-5-0
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Found her stride and never looked back. Can beat people in so many ways. Tough to compare her to the guys, but good is good. Her weird stumble in 2021 knocks her down a bit, but she's gotten back in the groove since then.
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10
- Alexander Volkanovski
- "The Great"
- 26-4-0
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I'm not as big a fan as some people, but he's earned it.
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11
- Henry Cejudo
- "Triple C" | 16-4-0
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Just outside my top 10 because he didn't defend his titles as much as the elite guys. If he comes back and has convincing wins over a few more top guys, he will move into the top 10. Would love to see a trilogy with Johnson.
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12
- Daniel Cormier
- "DC" | 22-3-0, 1 NC
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He's a two-crown titlist who defended both belts, but he lost two series against Jones and Miocic, so I have a hard time slotting him in the top 10. That Strikeforce Grand Prix, though.
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13
- Dan Henderson
- "Hendo" | 32-15-0
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The first two-division champion who just kept going forever. Can't put him in the top ten because he got shredded when he hit the UFC and never made it to the top rung again, but damn, he accomplished a lot.
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14
- Kamaru Usman
- "Nigerian Nightmare" | 20-4-0
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Was looking to be an All-Time Top Ten guy, but his body may be giving out on him early. time will tell.
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15
- Stipe Miocic
- 20-4-0
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Got a lot done as heavyweight champion, but was never the dominant guy you think of when you conceive of a top ten p4p of all time. If he defies all logic and mounts a late-career comeback against Jon Jones and/or Francis N'Gannou, it would be hard to rank him out of the inner circle. I wouldn't bet on it, though.
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16
- Matt Hughes
- 45-9-0
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One of the first SOLID UFC champions.
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17
- Israel Adesanya
- "The Last Stylebender" | 24-3-0
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Still building his legend, but already has all-timer credentials. Half-hearted attempt at LHW doesn't help, though.
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18
- Frank Shamrock
- "The Legend" | 23-10-2
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One of the first to integrate striking and grappling effectively. Short career, but a great one.
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19
- Chuck Liddell
- "The Iceman" | 21-9-0
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20
- BJ Penn
- "The Prodigy" | 16-14-2
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I don't like him, but he accomplished a lot. Could have been better.
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21
- Charles Oliveira
- "do Bronx" | 34-9-0, 1 NC
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The most finishes in UFC history.
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22
- Francis NGannou
- "The Predator" | 17-3-0
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His legacy is not in the same league as others here, but he's arguably the most feared man in the history of the sport.
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23
- Frankie Edgar
- "The Answer" | 24-11-1
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24
- Valentina Shevchenko
- "Bullet" | 23-4-1
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25
- Dominick Cruz
- "The Dominator" | 24-4-0
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26
- Wanderlei Silva
- "The Axe Murderer" | 35-14-1, 1 NC
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27
- Tito Ortiz
- "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" | 21-12-1
My Summary