Mixed martial arts has gone from an unknown sport into a mainstream business in a relatively short time. You will have a hard time finding someone in the country that has never seen an MMA fight. The sport has seen a lot of excellent athletes over the years, but some are just better than the rest. These are the five best MMA fighters of all time.
Jon Jones
No one can come close to matching the accomplishments of Jon Jones. He owns the UFC record for the longest title reign, most title defenses, and most wins in title fights. He was also the youngest champion in the history of the company. Jones owns an excellent 26-1 record in his career.
George St. Pierre
When it comes to the welterweight division, George St. Pierre will go down as the best ever. St. Pierre owns a sparkling 26-2 record inside the octagon. His nine successful title defenses and 14 wins in title fights are second in UFC history behind Jon Jones. He likely could have held both records if he did not retire at a young age.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
Since the fight can be ended in a split second, MMA fighters rarely finish their career with a perfect record. Khabib Nurmagomedov is currently holding a 29-0 record in his career. He was rarely tested in any of these victories. If Nurmagomedov ends his early retirement, then he can easily become the best of all time.
Amanda Nunes
Amanda Nunes is the only female fighter that can come close to hanging with the sport’s all-time greats. She owns the UFC record for the most wins by a female fighter. Nunes is still in the prime of her career, so she will only extend this record in the future. While she lost a few fights early in her career, it is hard to see Nunes dropping her title any time soon.
Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva’s overall record may not be very impressive, but there was no one that could touch him in his prime. All seven of his UFC losses have come in his last nine fights. Silva started his UFC career with 16 straight wins, which is still the longest winning streak of all time. Silva also holds the record for the longest title reign at 2,457 days.