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The most titled fighters of mixed martial arts. The best mma fighters. highest paid fighter

10 best MMA fighters in the world. Why is Cormier better than Khabib?

What is a p4p rating?

Simplified, the pound for pound rating is perceived as a rating of fighters from different weight classes, which are compared as if they all weighed the same and were considered as potential rivals. When comparing, achievements at the moment, potential, subjective impression and anything else are taken into account - up to the charisma and integrity of the image. We studied the ratings of the top 10 fighters in the world from Sherdog, Tapology, Fightmatrix, ESPN, MMAweekly and UFC (since only UFC fighters got into the five previous ratings) and made up the summary ten.

10. Henry Cejudo (USA)

31 year; over 56.7 kg; 13 wins, 2 losses

What did you do: freestyle wrestling

Short: first Olympian to become UFC champion. Cejudo had two attempts - one of the most dominant UFC champions, Demetrius Johnson, was opposed, and with the second, Cejudo defeated Johnson, who had defended the title 11 times before.

9. Stipe Miocic (USA)

36 years; over 93 kg; 18 wins, 3 losses

What did you do: baseball, wrestling, boxing

Short: about everyone who comes next, by default, you can write "he hits well, fights well." Miocic gave the impression of a big, strong, smiling man working as a fireman, until it turned out that nature gave him such data with which he could beat almost the best kickboxer, grappler and boxer in the UFC in two years. Miocic became the most successful heavyweight in the history of the promotion, defending the title three times and losing only to Daniel Cormier. You will meet him on the first line.

8. Georges St. Pierre (Canada)

37 years; up to 77.1 and up to 83.9 kg; 26 wins, 2 losses

What did you do: karate, wrestling

Short: obviously the most controversial position in the ranking. Georges St-Pierre returned to the UFC last November after a 47-month hiatus and immediately beat middleweight champion Michael Bisping. Given that St-Pierre's previous career was outstanding - a welterweight championship and 9 title defenses - he could very well be in the top 10, but at the moment St-Pierre is not saying anything about pursuing a career in MMA and, not ruled out, gone. It is important that he is not in three of the six rankings studied, but, for example, MMAWeekly puts the Canadian in second place, and if you consider him as an active fighter, this is very easy to accept.

7. Robert Whitaker (Australia)

27 years; up to 83.9 kg; 20 wins, 4 losses

What did you do: karate

Short: Whitaker remains one of the UFC's most enigmatic champions, but also one of the youngest men on the list. best fighters planets. Probably one balances out the other. He has an aggressive striking technique, an excellent ability to endure in a cage and hold long fights, but so far his frequency of appearances is rather alarming: two fights in 2015 and 2016, one in 2017 and (most likely) 2018 .

5-6. Demetrius Johnson (USA)

32 years; up to 56.7 kg; 27 wins, 3 losses

What did you do: wrestling, pankration

Short: Johnson defended the title 11 times UFC champion, and none of the champions have more defenses. Unfortunately, the flyweight brought the fighter to the lightest attention, and even two confrontations with the Olympic champion Cejudo and passion for computer games did not make Johnson more popular. He is now on the cusp of the UFC as part of a fighter swap deal with the One FC promotion.

5-6. TJ Dillashaw (USA)

32 years; up to 61.2 kg; 16 wins, 3 losses

What did you do: struggle

Short: usually, when talking about top fighters, they give some amazing series of victories, but Dillashaw was the one who interrupted such a series. He once defeated Renan Barao, who went out to fight Dillashaw for 32 wins in a row. Bookmakers multiplied the bet on Dillashaw by 10 if he won.

For the past two years, TJ has focused on taking on former tattooed teammate Cody Garbrandt and winning both times. Dillashaw also sparred with boxer Lomachenko, and he communicates well with Sergey Kovalev.

4. Tyrone Woodley (USA)

36 years; up to 77.1 kg; 19 wins, 3 losses

What did you do: struggle

Short: Woodley won the title by confidently knocking out the defending champion, but after that he began to frustrate. Three of it next fight ended with judges' decisions. When it looked like the UFC could fix the problem with a new champion, undefeated big Liverpool Darren Till, Woodley confidently dealt with him as well, choking Till in the second round. Mom Woodley personally reassured the young applicant after the defeat.

3. Khabib Nurmagomedov (Russia)

30 years; up to 70.3 kg; 27 wins, 0 losses

What did you do: wrestling, combat sambo

Mentioned but not included

The UFC rating includes Conor McGregor, and this can be interpreted as a political decision: if you have a fighter who brings the maximum amount of money in fights, it is strange not to advertise him with your own resource.

MMAweekly.com is the only site that offered to consider two girls: Chris Justino and Rose Namajunas.

Tony Ferguson was also mentioned - his fight with Khabib has already failed four times, but we would be ready to wait for the fifth attempt.

About Khabib

It is difficult to assess Khabib's third place, in two last fights he was initially considered an obvious favorite, and this, on the one hand, is an indicator of class, on the other, it will give rise to distrust of achievements. His competitors in this ranking more often won fights when the bookmakers doubted the choice.

But if you imagine Khabib weighing 100 kg, you can break your head about their duel with Daniel Cormier: in an equal fight, Khabib's endurance would be exchanged for Daniel's ability to knock out, and then you can start arguing. At the same time, Cormier's candidacy does not raise questions from any of the publications: he is the first in six out of six cases.

The fight Cormier - Derrick Lewis will be the central event of UFC 230. It will take place on November 3 in New York (on the morning of November 4 in Moscow). You can watch the live broadcast of UFC 230 on the Match TV channel. The broadcast starts at 5:00 am (Moscow time) on November 4.

A photo: Sam Wasson / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru, Joe Scarnici / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru, Getty Images / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru, Rey Del Rio / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru , RIA Novosti/Said Tsarnaev, globallookpress.com, Harry How / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

There are many famous fighters in the world of sports. Among the numerous applicants, one can single out the very best: strong, big, titled and highly paid athletes.

Fights without rules

In total, there are more than a dozen ratings in the world that determine the success rate of a fighter. All of them are true to some extent, and it depends only on your prejudices - someone agrees with them, and someone is satisfied with a completely different rating indicator.

Fedor Emelianenko, whose career began back in 2000, remains among the holders of the title of "The Best Fighters of Russia" and a recognized star of world sports. Just a year later, Fedor received his first Rings world title. Two years later, after a long selection and crushing victories, he was awarded this title again, but according to Pride.

Over the years of his professional career, Fedor Emelianenko has been repeatedly categorized as " best fighters world fights without rules. Crowds of fans gave him the appropriate nickname - "The Last Emperor". For ten years, Fedor won victories without a single defeat in his track record, which is a unique fact in the history of MMA and MMA in general. The athlete ended his career in 2012.

His brother Alexander is also famous fighter no rules. Alexander began his career in 2003 and won twenty-one fights out of twenty-five, also receiving the well-deserved title of “the best fighters in the world in MMA in the floor.” heavyweight».

In 2009, Alexander Emelianenko tries himself in professional boxing, but after a stalemate in the ring in the first and last match, he decided to start a boxing career.

mixed martial arts

Rightfully included in the major league "the best fighters in the world", hitting the Guinness Book of Records. His absolute record is forty-eight knockouts out of sixty rating fights. The name Mike Zambidis became known throughout Europe in 1998. According to sports magazines and independent analysts, Mike had one hundred and sixty fights, of which he lost only seventeen. However, eighty-four fights have been won by knockouts by Zambidis. The career of the famous athlete ended by 2011.

Another strongest fighter among professionals in mixed martial arts is Batu Khasikov. His career spans over 200 fights. Also, the list of "best fighters" can be replenished with such titans as Dan Henderson and Antonio Silva.

For all the time of its existence, one of the youngest fighters was recognized as having achieved dizzying success in light heavyweight and occupying a leading position in the championship of the same name.

It can also be considered one of the strongest athletes in mixed martial arts. Among the Russian fighters, one can note who began his career in 2002 and is still performing. According to the Pride rating, he became a bronze medalist in 2004.

Anderson Silva, a fighter who lost only four out of thirty-five fights, can also be attributed here. This athlete is currently reigning champion MMA rating. A distinctive feature of Anderson's behavior in the ring is the "beautiful" victories, for which he is so dearly loved by fans and fans around the world.

The biggest fighters in fights without rules

Among the many MMA athletes, there are simply giants. One of the brightest representatives from the series "the best fighters with non-standard dimensions" is Emmanuel Yabrauch. With his enormous height of two meters and ten centimeters, he has a mass of three hundred kilograms. For his size, Emmanuel was nicknamed "The Man of Horus".

This also includes the aforementioned Fedor Emelianenko with his weight of one hundred and six kilograms. Next comes the athlete Antonio Nogueira with a weight of one hundred and five kilograms and the heavyweight fighter Randy Couture concludes the rating.

The most titled fighter in fights without rules

The best fighter and at the same time the most titled athlete according to the UFC is five-time world champion Randy Couture. He won his many victories in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions.

Fans have given Couture nicknames such as "Captain America" ​​and "Natural". The career that the athlete has made is truly brilliant. He is the only fighter who was lucky enough to take the championship title in several weight categories at once.

Highest Paid MMA Fighter

Some eminent and best fighters according to the versions of numerous associations are not limited to earnings from prize funds. They are additionally engaged in investments, act in commercials and films. One of the highest paid heavyweight athletes is considered to be recognized in 2010 by MMA as the most expensive fighter. According to Forbes magazine, his fortune today fluctuates around $ 12.5 million. But this is not the limit.

He managed to earn $ 13 million, and Randy Couture approached the mark of $ 14 million. The leaders of the rating are Tit Ortizu and B. Jane Penn, who managed to earn about $ 20 million. Moreover, Penn made his capital by publishing books on martial arts and starring in famous blockbusters.

The strongest fighter in fights without rules

The list of ratings - "the strongest and best fighters" - once again headed by our compatriot Fedor Emelianenko. Opponents call him "Terminator" and "Russian Experiment", and loyal fans call him "The Last Emperor". In fights without rules and in mixed martial arts, he has no equal. His merits are noted by all known ratings and championships. During his ten-year career, he broke all records for victories.

Fedor's defeats began with age. Those ten years, when he was in his prime, made him famous and made his career. Defeating multiple undisputed champions UFC ranking and Pride, he has identified himself as the only fighter who has managed to defeat top athletes in MMA and mixed martial arts. Most sports analysts and experts consider him the recognized king of MMA.

mixed martial arts(MMA) is perhaps the fastest growing sport in the world. Every day the number of his fans is growing inexorably. Even though the sport is only about 25 years old, there have been many great champions in that short time. It is possible that this list of the best MMA fighters in another 25 years will look very different, but today it looks like this.

St. Pierre, known by the nickname "The Head" is one of the most promising fighters in the MMA world. Canadian Member, former champion UFC Welterweight. He is still in his prime (born in 1981) and if you look at his excellent athleticism and wrestling skills, this is far from the limit. During participation in UFC fights in the welterweight category, Georges St-Pierre had 27 fights, of which he won 25 and only 2 losses, for both he avenged. In 2008 and 2009, he was recognized as the best athlete of the year in Canada, as well as according to the Wrestling Observer magazine as the best fighter of 2009.


Anderson Silva, also known by the nickname "Spider" (born 1975) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He recently lost the title to the younger and stronger Chris Weidman. But still, Silva remains one of the best fighters who took part in mixed martial arts. The Brazilian master held the title for the longest time in UFC history, defending it 10 fights in a row. UFC President Dane White called Silva the strongest fighter in the history of mixed martial arts.


Five-time UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion (record three times). Randy (known by his nickname "Natural", "Captain America") became the first fighter to win two UFC championship belts in two different weight classes. Randy Couture (born 1963) is known not only as an American Greco-Roman wrestler and MMA fighter, but also as an actor and showman.


Chuck Liddell for MMA, someone like Michael Jordan for basketball, David Beckham for football, in one word "SUPERSTAR". It's no exaggeration to say that he is, to this day, considered the most popular UFC fighter of all time, and probably one of the very best. Charles David Liddell, nicknamed "Icy" was born in 1969 - professional kickboxer, world champion in the light heavyweight category according to the UFC from 2005 to 2007.


The sixth place in the ranking of the best MMA fighters goes to Bas Rutten. This is a Dutch kickboxer who took part in the fights in mixed martial arts. UFC heavyweight champion. Bas Rutten (born in 1965), also known by the nickname "Handsome", finished his career without losing, he had 22 fights, of which 21 wins and 1 draw. Rutten's favorite tactic is considered to be attacking the liver, both with his hand and with his foot. His charisma, in and out of the octagon, helped make the Dutch athlete a celebrity. To date, the former champion is a television commentator and has also appeared in several films and video games.


Royce Gracie (born December 12, 1966) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter. His name is number one in the UFC Hall of Fame list. Considered one of the most influential figures in MMA history. He gained his fame thanks to victories over larger opponents with the help of wrestling techniques, thereby drawing the attention of athletes participating in MMA to study more wrestling on the ground. During his career, which ended in 2007, Gracie had 16 fights, winning 14 of them.


Matt Hughes (born October 13, 1973) is an American mixed martial artist and former two-time UFC welterweight champion. He defended his title a total of seven times, a record for the welterweight division. In his prime, Matt Hughes was literally unbeatable. During his career, he spent 54 fights, of which he won 45.

Dan Henderson


Words are not enough to describe the greatness of Dan Henderson. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most enduring MMA fighters of all time. Even more impressive is that he still fights younger athletes to this day. Dan Henderson (born August 24, 1970), nicknamed "Hendo", became the first fighter to win a Pride championship in multiple weight divisions (welterweight and middleweight). Former Olympic wrestler. He has won more titles than any other fighter in MMA history.


Igor Vovchanchyn (born June 8, 1973) is a former Ukrainian kickboxer and mixed martial arts fighter, winner and medalist of many mixed style tournaments. Igor (born in 1973) known by the nickname "Cold-blooded" was one of the most dominant fighters of all time, from 1995 to 2000 he had 32 fights in a row, never losing. In total, the kickboxer spent 87 fights, of which he won in 76. Igor Vovchanchin was also one of the shortest (174 cm) fighters in the heavy weight category in the history of mixed martial arts.

Fedor Emelianenko


“The Last Emperor”, “Terminator”, these are the nicknames of Fedor Emelyanenko (born September 28, 1976) the greatest MMA fighter ever to enter the “octagon”. Four-time world champion in MMA in the heavy weight category, seven-time champion of Russia and four-time world champion in combat sambo. Master of Sports of International Class in Judo and Honored Master of Sports in Sambo.
For almost 10 years, Fedor remained invincible, having spent a total of 32 fights in a given period of time, which made him the best fighter in the history of MMA.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is arguably the fastest growing sport in the world and continues to attract new fans every day. Despite the fact that this sport is only 25 years old, during this time it has had many great champions who have become known to the whole world. It is possible that such a list in another 25 years will look very different, but it is still interesting enough to consider and pay tribute to the 10 greatest fighters at the moment.

10. Georges St. Pierre

After the recent defeat of Anderson Silva (Anderson Silva), St. Pierre became the most invincible MMA champion. Georges is still in his prime and it seems no one can stop him any time soon. He is without a doubt the best welterweight fighter and he fights like no other - he overwhelms his opponents with great physical preparation and fighting skills. He has been participating in the most difficult tournaments of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for many years and has 24 wins and only 2 losses on his account, and for those he subsequently took revenge. He won the welterweight tournament UFC weights twice and currently holds the record for most wins by decision with 11. He is also tied with Matt Hughes for the most wins in UFC history with 18.

Both of these records are likely to be broken by Georges himself soon, and most fans are looking forward to this moment. Considering how strong Georges looks and his young age, it's hard to even imagine what other records he will set.

Important victories: Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn (x2), Matt Hughes (x2), Josh Koscheck (x2), Matt Serra, Jon Fitch, Dan Hardy (Dan Hardy), Jake Shields (Jake Shields), Carlos Condit (Carlos Condit), Nick Diaz (Nick Diaz).

9. Anderson Silva


The Spider recently lost his title to the younger and stronger Chris Weidman, but he remains one of the best fighters in the octagonal ring. The Brazilian fighter holds the record for the most fights in which he defended his championship - 10 fights in a row. For every fan that Silva has won, there is also a person who will remind that the fighter lost in five fights to lesser-known opponents and accuse Anderson of actually starving himself in order to remain in one of the weakest UFC divisions - middleweight. Despite all his opponents, the facts speak for themselves - this is a really good fighter.

Important victories: Rich Franklin (x2), Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Chael Sonnen (x2), Vitor Belfort.

8 Randy Couture


Randy Couture is called "Captain America" ​​and "Natural" for a reason. If anyone can compete with Chuck Liddell for the most popular fighter in UFC history, it's Randy. During his illustrious career, he became a three-time UFC heavyweight champion. Randy also became the first fighter to hold two different UFC division titles when he won the light heavyweight division. He is also the most decorated fighter in UFC history - a five-time champion. For all his astounding accomplishments, he will forever be remembered for defeating boxer James Toney, who said he would show everyone that couture and MMA in general is a sport for soft-bodied, untalented boys. If anyone looked mediocre and bland after their fight, it's James Toney.

Important victories: Vitor Belfort (x2), Maurice Smith, Kevin Randleman, Pedro Rizzo (x2), Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Tim Sylvia, Gabriel Gonzaga ( Gabriel Gonzaga), Mark Coleman, James Toney.

7. Chuck Liddell


Chuck was to MMA what Babe Ruth was to baseball, Michael Jordan to basketball, Tom Brady to American football, and David Beckham to football - MEGA STAR. Without exaggeration, we can say that at the moment he is the most popular UFC fighter of all time and, perhaps, one of the best fighters in general. He became the light heavyweight champion by defeating Tito Ortiz and defended his title four times in 2 years. Unfortunately, his prime was short-lived, and towards the end of his career, he suffered several disappointing defeats. However, Liddell's heyday was one of the most impressive periods for MMA. According to some, he was the most famous fighter in the history of the UFC and helped bring MMA to the attention of the American public.

Important victories: Jeff Monson, Kevin Randleman, Guy Mezger, Vitor Belfort, Renato Sobral (x2), Alistair Overeem, Tito Ortiz (x2), Randy Couture (x2), Vernon White (Vernon White), Wanderlei Silva (Wanderlei Silva).

6. Bas Rutten (Bas Rutten)


"Handsome" is another fighter who made an invaluable contribution to the development of the sport at the time of its inception. The Dutchman Bass was a black belt in karate and was a professional kickboxer who made his way into the MMA world with great success. He was the right size, looks and style, all of which helped him become one of the most formidable champions of all time. He became UFC heavyweight champion and ended his career with an impressive 22 fights undefeated. During his time in the UFC, he became widely known for his favorite tactic, the liver attack, which usually paralyzed his opponents. Rutten's charisma both in and out of the ring helped him become one of the sport's early stars. Although he still takes part in the sport (albeit now as a commentator), he also starred in several films and became a character in the game.

Important victories: Vernon White, Maurice Smith (x2), Frank Shamrock (x2), Guy Mezger, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, Kevin Randleman.

5. Royce Gracie


Could the "King of submissions" compete with modern UFC fighters? Probably not, but that doesn't change the fact that Royce was a real beast in his day when MMA was just taking its first timid steps towards fans, and Gracie will forever be one of the pioneers of the sport. Fans will never forget the endless hypothetical questions and dialogues in which Royce was always one of the options: "Royce Gracie vs. Mike Tyson" or "Royce Gracie vs. Alexander Karelin."

In fact, since Royce was at the peak of his career, and now he would hardly have succeeded, but this does not mean that his role in the history of the sport should be downplayed. Royce is the first in the UFC Hall of Fame and the winner of the first, second and fourth UFC tournaments and it was he who popularized Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the US and Europe. He will forever remain in the annals of sports history.

Important victories: Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Kazushi Sakuraba.

4. Matt Hughes


Hughes was one of the sport's first superstars and the strongest welterweight champion until the advent of Georges St-Pierre. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and won the UFC welterweight title twice. He successfully defended his title seven times, which was a record at the time, and he still holds the record for the most wins in the UFC, on par with GSP.

At the peak of his career, Matt was considered the best fighter regardless of weight class, and he was literally unbeatable. Along with GSP and Anderson Silva, he is one of the best champions in UFC history.

Important victories: Carlos Newton (x2), Sean Sherk, Royce Gracie, BJ Penn, Georges St-Pierre

3. Dan Henderson


Words cannot describe the greatness of Dan Henderson. He is without a doubt one of the best and most resilient fighters of all time and what is even more impressive is that he is still fighting today's younger fighters.

Henderson is one of the few men who have become superstars in both the UFC and the Pride Fighting Championships. The former Olympic wrestler competed in the welterweight and middleweight divisions for most of his career, but won titles in three different divisions. He won 17 UFC middleweight tournaments, and became the first fighter to win the Pride Championship in two weight divisions (welterweight and middleweight). He also has a Strikeforce light heavyweight title and a victory in the 1999 RINGS King of Kings tournament. He has won more titles from various organizations than any other fighter in the world.

Important victories: Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Renato Sobral, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Maurício Rua and Fedor Emelianenko.

2. Igor Vovchanchin


Igor is the best example of the word "underestimated". He is the man with the longest winning streak of all time (37) and at the peak of his career he was one of the best fighters ever. Igor was also one of the shortest heavyweight champions (174 cm), which makes his records and achievements even more impressive.

Important victories: Kazushi Sakuraba, Mark Kerr, Valentijn Overeem, Adilson Lima (x2).

1. Fedor Emelianenko


"The Last Emperor", "Terminator", "Russian Experiment": simply put, Emelianenko is the best mixed martial arts fighter ever. The peak of Fedor Emelianenko's career cannot be compared with anyone else, and if anyone who participated in combat sports can compare with him, then this is only another Russian - Alexander Karelin.

Fedor remained undefeated for ten years and 32 fights, and was defeated only when he became relatively old and was not in his prime, and the opponents to whom he lost would certainly have suffered crushing defeats if the fight had taken place a couple of years earlier. He was the heavyweight champion for 10 amazing years and nearly killed several Pride and UFC champions along the way. He has arguably defeated more champions than anyone else in the world and is considered by most experts to be the king of MMA.

Important victories: Renato Sobral, Semmy Schilt, Heath Herring, António Rodrigo Nogueira (x2), Gary Goodridge, Mark Coleman (x2), Kevin Randleman, Mirko Filipovic, Mark Hunt ( Mark Hunt), Matt Lindland, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Orlovsky, Choi Hong-man, Jeff Monson, Pedro Rizzu.