The Most Famous UFC Fighters

UFC is the pinnacle of MMA, where every fighter is a master of his craft—a standard of endurance, strength, and precision. Therefore, choosing the top, the crowd’s favorites from this multifaceted military platoon is a task for true connoisseurs of the genre. Some fighters destroyed their opponents with a shock wave, others broke them on the ground, and still others stole the hearts of viewers with a unique arsenal of moves from a variety of styles. Some know how to create a show in the octagon and beyond, others captivate with inhuman strength and iron discipline. That is why there are fighters who cannot be called great in terms of athletic achievements, but their names are engraved in the memory of fans from different eras. However, no one will dispute one thing: the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion is the Mecca of mixed martial arts, which gave the world legends.

Who are the most famous UFC fighters? You might be surprised, but it’s not that easy to answer this question. Sure, there are stories of Conor McGregor or Khabib Nurmagomedov, which everyone has heard of. However, there are still dozens of modern gladiators whose popularity in their field is not inferior to the stars of the first magnitude.

Sean O’Malley

Sean “Sugar” O’Malley is a charismatic, skinny striker who has scored some of the most beautiful knockouts and has one of the best winning streaks. A former underground fighter, he is currently ranked #1 in the UFC’s official flyweight rankings. He stands out for his unpredictable style and memorable fights, regularly earning the “Fight of the Night” bonus. He actively uses unorthodox combinations, often using spinning kicks and flying knees, which makes his technique spectacular and difficult for opponents to predict.

Sean’s debut in The Ultimate Fighter 26 immediately branded him as the favorite of the night. That brawl in 2017 made not only the stands, but also the judges’ staff applaud. O’Malley, who everyone expected to lose quickly, unexpectedly battered the sides of the tough Terrion Vore.

Terrion began the fight with an emphasis on low kicks, literally trying to “cut down a tree” from below. It seemed that Sean was getting slapped in batches, but this was a trick of a cunning recruit. Soon he went into exchanges, raining down a hail of blows on the opponent’s body, filigree delivering them one after another. Vore was not one to be scared, he closed like a tank, and there was even a feeling that the fight would end in a draw. But in the third, final round, O’Malley switched on the “grinder” mode and began to press his opponent from all sides, thereby winning the sympathy of both the referee and the audience.

The fight immediately attracted the attention of the UFC, and Sean himself admitted that he did not feel any “moral weight,” contrary to popular belief. No nerves, no jitters – just one question:

“How the hell did Terrion stay on his feet after such a barrage of fire?”

You can have different opinions about “Sugar”, given his lifestyle on the edge and his eccentric character. But he is definitely one of those who you would expect to see on the list of the most famous fighters in the UFC.

John Jones

Jonathan Dwight Jones has long secured his status as an octagon legend. The American martial artist, former light heavyweight king from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020, now reigns in the heavyweight division since 2023. His dominance in the UFC is still absolute and undeniable. He is considered a unique individual, as well as the best fighter in the history of MMA.
Jones burst onto the professional arena in April 2008.

In just four months, he knocked out six opponents ahead of schedule, took the USKBA belt, and then, without further ado and lengthy negotiations, signed a contract with the UFC. His debut in the main league, in August 2008, took place against Brazilian Andre Gusmao at UFC 87. After winning a couple more fights, Johnny faced Matt Hamill in December 2009. Jones dominated the cage, but the fight took an unpredictable turn.

At the end of the first round, carried away by the hammers from above, Jones was disqualified for an illegal elbow strike. That was how that very “stroke” appeared in his record – the only defeat that became a lesson, but not a hindrance.

Randy Couture

Randy Couture could easily be called the UFC’s first true top dog. When the Octagon was just beginning to take shape, he was one of the men who carried the sport on his shoulders, becoming a familiar face in the late ’90s and early ’00s.
What sets Couture apart from the rest of the pack is his steely grit and ability to get up off the canvas when everyone else thought his time was up. Randy has shown the world time and time again that he’s not done hanging up his gloves. The proof? His victory over Tim Sylvia and his return to the heavyweight throne is a move worthy of a true veteran who’s decided to move back up to the heavyweight division.

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor is a UFC icon, no doubt about it. Even those who can barely tell a side kick from a spin kick know him. But McGregor is more than just a face, it’s the teeth he left in the octagon, earning his place among the best.

A couple of losses are just bruises on his reputation, considering how he almost always dictated the terms in the cage, as if it were his personal territory. Conor was and remains the one who usually steals the show. His verbal skirmishes are worthy of a separate stand-up comedy, and his ability to get into his opponent’s head before the fight starts is amazing. Now he is healing injuries and building a career as an actor, but he is unlikely to sit in retirement for long. The Dutch style of fighting fearlessness and the desire to fight are in his blood.

Ronda Rousey

Her success, charisma and aggressive style made the women’s division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship the coolest in MMA. “Brawler” Ronda Rousey twisted opponents into armbars faster than they could blink, arranging a real shootout in the cage.
She became the first American to snatch a medal in judo, taking bronze at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Rousey broke into the mixed martial arts industry in 2011 under the banner of King of the Cage. But she did not stay in the rookie league for long, quickly rising to Strikeforce. There, she managed to secure the bantamweight champion belt before the promotion merged with the UFC. Her fight at Event 157 became history – the first women’s fight under the auspices of the UFC, and immediately the title of champion in the flyweight class. Rousey retired from MMA in 2016, settling in WWE. However, her name was again in the spotlight when she was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov is a Russian former MMA fighter who retired as the longest-reigning UFC lightweight champion. 29 wins, zero losses — a record on which he closed the door of the octagon.
The holder of two world titles in combat sambo, Khabib developed his skills in wrestling, judo and army hand-to-hand combat, transferring them to the cage. At the time of the end of professional performances, he was number one in the overall UFC rankings. And Fight Matrix brought him to the top position among lightweights in history, regardless of division.

In 2019, Forbes declared Nurmagomedov the top Russian athlete, and he achieved the “grandmaster” level in the list of the most influential people under 40. After leaving the fighting scene, Khabib switched to coaching and became a promoter, heading such projects as:

• Eagles MMA;
• EFC;
• Gorilla Fighting Championship.

In 2023, he got busy with business and focused on working in the coaching corner, although his shadow still hangs over MMA.
The famous grappler’s career has not been without hot headlines. Close ties to Ramzan Kadyrov, contacts with oligarchs and controversial statements – all this made Khabib a character who is difficult to ignore both in and out of the cage. It is not surprising that no rating of the most famous UFC fighters is complete without mentioning him.

Anderson Silva

Anderson “The Spider” Silva is a name that comes up without hesitation when discussing the UFC’s most famous fighters. His astonishing striking prowess and almost supernatural sense of distance made him a terrifying opponent. Silva reigned as the middleweight champion for 2,457 days, a record at the time. His 10-fight belt defenses left no doubt that “The Spider” was a once-in-a-generation MMA phenomenon. Even as injuries began to erode his fitness and losses began to dent his stats, his place in the pantheon of the greats was already secured.