Who doesn’t love a good fight? Mixed martial arts is one of the most enjoyed sports globally for the thrill and entertainment it packs. We love the heavy punches, the unrelenting bravery fighters display, and the career-ending knockouts.
Of course, punters take their love for MMA further, earning enviable income from crypto mma betting.
Indeed, MMA has consistently dished us some fiery fighters across the decades. But which fighters stand out?
1. Jon Jones
Also known as Bones, Jon Jones is one of the finest American MMA fighters with a long record of wins.
He holds an amazing record in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight division and many other MMA awards. Also, he is a bearer of a Black belt in Gaidojutsu and a Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Jones is known for his defensive wrestling style and fantastic range. He uses a lot of kicking in his fighting technique and mostly targets his opponents’ knees.
Also, he holds a reputation for his efficiency at striking at the elbow pits whilst displaying good positional control.
For the past 28 MMA matches Jon Jones had featured in, he made a total of 26 wins, 1 loss, and 1 no-contest. He won 10 times by knockout, 6 times by submission, and 10 times by decision. And he lost once by disqualification.
2. Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre, also known as Rush, is a former popular Canadian MMA fighter that has won many titles in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight and Middleweight divisions.
During his MMA fighting career, Georges St-Pierre held many rank titles, including the 3rd Dan Black belt in Kyokushin Karate, 1st-degree Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Black belt in Gaidojutsu, and Black belt in Shidōkan.
Georges St-Pierre was known for his karate and wrestling fighting style. He sometimes brings in a little Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, and Muay Thai into the mix.
He has great stamina and does not hesitate to strike. His grappling technique is also fast and on-point.
In all 28 MMA matches Georges St-Pierre has been featured in, he came out with 26 wins and 2 losses. He made 8 wins by knockout, 6 wins by submission, and 12 wins by decision. On the other hand, he had only 1 loss by knockout and 1 loss by submission.
Georges St-Pierre is retired from fighting and is now pursuing a career in acting.
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov, also called “The Eagle”, is a former Russian mix fighter with many awards and titles to his name.
The Eagle is considered one of the best MMA fighters in history, with many ranks to show for it, including a White belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a Black belt in Judo, an International Master of Sport in Judo, an International Master of Sport in Sambo, an
International Master of Sport in Army Hand-to-Hand Combat, and an International Master of Sport in Pankration.
With that many ranks, Khabib Nurmagomedov showed true mastery in the rings. He is known for his excellent grappling abilities and reach. He had Sambo, ARB, and Pankration as his fighting styles.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has been featured in 29 MMA matches and has a total of 29 wins with no losses. He has 8 wins by knockout, 11 wins by submission, and 10 wins by decision.
Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement in 2020, and he is now a martial arts coach and cornerman.
4. Demetrious Johnson
Mighty Mouse, as others might call him, Demetrious Johnson, is one of the best American MMA fighters with several awards and unique records to his name.
He is a Brown belt older in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighting in the UFC Bantamweight and Flyweight divisions.
Demetrious Johnson has an impressive fighting style which mostly consists of conservative strikes and excellent footwork.
He employs wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and freestyle wrestling in the ring.
Demetrious Johnson has been featured in 36 matches and has won 32 and lost 4. He has 6 winnings by knockout, 12 winnings by submission, and 13 winnings by decision.
On the flip side, he has one loss by knockout and three losses by decision. He made 1 draw.
5. Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier, sometimes called DC, is one of America’s former top MMA fighters in history.
Delving into wrestling and MMA fighting, Daniel Cormier garnered experience and awards in the UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. He also holds a Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
While in the rings, Daniel Cormier shows great techniques and uses a lot of freestyle wrestling techniques and a little Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Throughout his MMA fighting career, Daniel Cormier fought in 26 matches and made a total of 22 wins and 3 losses.
He made 10 winnings by knockout, 5 winnings by submission, and 7 winnings by decision. For his losses, he had 1 loss by knockout and 2 by decision.
Also, he had 1 no-contest. Daniel Cormier announced his retirement in 2020 and is now a commentator and an analyst for the UFC.
6. Anderson Silva
Popularly known as The Spider, the former Brazilian-American MMA fighter Anderson Silva is highly regarded as one of the best MMA fighters in history.
He holds tons of awards in the middleweight and light-heavyweight UFC divisions. Also, he is known for having the longest title reign in UFC history.
Anderson Silva also holds ranks like the Black prajied in Muay Thai, a 3rd-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the 5th dan black belt in Taekwondo, and a Yellow rope in Capoeira.
He is mostly praised for his stand-up fighting tactics and his accurate striking abilities.
Anderson Silva has fought in 46 matches and had 34 wins and 11 losses. He had 23 winnings by knockout and 3 winnings by submission.
On the other hand, he has suffered 4 losses by knockout, 2 losses by submission, 4 losses by decision, and 1 loss by disqualification. He also has 1 no-contest.
Anderson Silva retired from MMA in 2020 and is focused on boxing.
7. José Aldo
José Aldo, also known as Junior, is a former Brazilian MMA fighter popularly considered one of the best in history.
He owns tons of awards and titles to his name whilst fighting in the UFC Bantamweight, Featherweight, and Lightweight divisions. José Aldois is also the holder of the Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the Black belt in Luta Livre.
Throughout his MMA fighting career, which lasted from 2004 – 2022, José Aldo had a total of 39 fights which he won 31 and lost 8.
He made 17 winnings by knockout, 1 win by submission, and 13 winnings by decision. As for his losses, he had 4 losses by knockout, 1 loss by submission, and 3 losses by decision.
José Aldo quit the MMA fights in 2022 for boxing.
8. Kamaru Usman
The Nigerian Nightmare, as he likes to be called, Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian and American MMA fighter who has gained accolades fighting in the Welterweight division.
He holds a Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is known to infuse wrestling, freestyle wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu while in the ring.
Kamaru Usman has been featured in 22 matches and has made a total of 20 winnings and 2 losses. He won 9 times via knockout, 1 time by submission, and 10 times by decision.
Also, he lost once by knockout and once by submission. Kamaru Usman is still competing in the UFC MMA Welterweight division.
When it comes to the MMA, there are tons of fighters that will forever go down in history for the great skills and winnings they possess. This list doesn’t discredit the successes of other spectacular MMA fighters like Conor Mcgregor and Israel Adesanya.
