The Greatest MMA Fighters of All Time. About All-Time Rankings All-Time Rankings are for the best fighters in MMA history. Tapology users submit their own lists which are combined into consensus rankings. Regional Rankings. User-Designed Rankings. Worldwide Rankings. Andrea Lee is an American MMA fighter who is currently signed with the UFC. Andrea became interested in MMA by watching it at her waitressing job. This led her to find a trainer and it was quickly obvious that this would be her new career. She has gone on to become one of. Georges St-Pierre. If there’s another fighter on this list that could rival Silva as the greatest MMA fighter of all-time, it would be Georges St-Pierre. More commonly known as GSP, the Canadian MMA superstar was a 2-division champion and widely considered as the greatest welterweight fighter of all-time.
The sport of MMA has grown tremendously since the UFC burst on the scene in
1993. Over the next two decades, MMA has become a global attraction that has
spawned numerous promotions and dozens of great fighters. Some of these athletic
combatants have gone on to transcend the sport and even help MMA grow to
unimaginable heights.
This list of the most famous MMA fighters is just a starting point; an
entrance into a fight world with personalities and athletes that have become
larger than life. By no means is this a complete or ultimate “All-Time Best”
list. In fact, if you feel that a fighter is missing from below, then reach out
to us.
List of the Most Famous MMA Fighters
Anderson Silva
Anderson “The Spider” Silva was at one point the best pound for pound fighter
in the world. He dominated the middleweight division for nearly seven years and
was the longest reigning champion in the history of the UFC. Some people believe
that Silva is the greatest MMA fighter of all-time, but that’s a debate for
another day and another list.
Silva unified the UFC and Pride middleweight titles and, at one point, held
the record for most successful title defenses with 16. He won the UFC
middleweight title in his 2nd fight with the promotion and dominated
for another 2,457 days. Anderson would also go on to hold multiple striking
records with the promotion.
Silva will also be remembered for his gruesome broken leg suffered during a
rematch fight against Chris Weidman.
Georges St-Pierre
If there’s another fighter on this list that could rival Silva as the
greatest MMA fighter of all-time, it would be Georges St-Pierre. More commonly
known as GSP, the Canadian MMA superstar was a 2-division champion and widely
considered as the greatest welterweight fighter of all-time.
GSP suffered two losses within the first three years of his UFC career.
However, since then, St-Pierre has won every fight. He’s defeated some of the
sport’s all-time greats like BJ Penn and Matt Hughes. He’s taken out some of the
top fighters of this era too, like Nick Diaz and Michael Bisping.
During the peak of his career, GSP was also the top PPV draw for the UFC.
Although others have passed him in this category, GSP will always be remembered
as one of the greatest ever.
Ronda Rousey
You can’t think of women’s MMA without thinking of the name Ronda Rousey. The
two will be synonymous forever. Rousey did more for women’s MMA than anyone
before her. In fact, it will be hard for any female MMA star to surpass Ronda’s
accomplishments.
Rousey was the first-ever American woman to win an Olympic medal in Judo when
she won the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2010, she turned
professional and had a few successful MMA fights for various promotions. She
would become Strikeforce’s Women’s Bantamweight Champ before moving on to the
UFC in 2012.
In the UFC, Rousey would become the biggest star in the company during her
heyday. She became the company’s first ever female champ and went undefeated for
nearly three years. Rousey had six successful title defenses before finally
losing. During that streak, she was the main event for PPV, patented her arm-bar
submission, and revolutionized the sport for female fighters.
Rousey would become the first ever female fighter to be inducted into the UFC
Hall of Fame. She’s also enjoyed a modest Hollywood career and has gone on to
become a megastar in the WWE.
Randy Couture
I don’t think there’s a fighter at the level of Couture who has retired more
times than Randy has. With that in mind, Couture continued to come out of
retirement and win championships. Randy was one of the first fighters to win
titles in two divisions: the light heavyweight and the heavyweight. Nicknamed
“The Natural,” Couture is a former 3-time UFC heavyweight champ and a former
2-time UFC light heavyweight champ.
Randy is well known for fighting into his late 40’s and doing so at a high
level. In fact, there aren’t many 40-year-olds who have won championships in any
sport, especially MMA. But, Couture did it. His last fight came in 2011. Since
then, Randy has enjoyed retirement.
Couture will go down as one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time. He will
also hold UFC records that will probably never be passed, like winning a fight
at the age of 46. During his retirement, Couture has become a steady actor with
popular roles in The Expendables movie franchise and on the TV show
Hawaii 5-0. It’s clear, whatever the former U.S. Army Sargent sets his mind
to, he succeeds at.
Royce Gracie
In addition to being a UFC Hall of Famer, Gracie is an MMA legend and a
pioneer. He won three of the first UFC tournaments and starred in the first MMA
mega-feud with Ken Shamrock. Gracie and his family went on to perfect Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, the Gracie name is synonymous with the popular martial art.
Outside of the UFC, Gracie had one of the most memorable bouts in PRIDE
Fighting as he fought Sakuraba for over 90 minutes. Although the latter fights
of his career didn’t turn out as he and his fans had hoped, the sport and the
UFC would have never gotten off the ground if it weren’t for pioneers like
Gracie.
Ken Shamrock
You can’t mention the name of Gracie without his counterpart, Ken Shamrock.
The two were involved in a bitter feud during the early days of the UFC, which
put the company on the mat and took the MMA sport mainstream. Shamrock was the
first ever Superfight Champ, which would eventually go on to become the
heavyweight championship after the implementation of weight divisions.
Shamrock was also a big star outside of the UFC. He became the first
“foreigner” to win a major championship in Japan when he won the King of
Pancrase. During this period of time, Shamrock was considered the top MMA
fighter in the world.
Shamrock also left his mark on professional wrestling as he was a multi-time
champ in the WWE (WWF when he wrestled). Ken became an even bigger mainstream
star after his run in the WWE. With his famous MMA center known as the Lion’s
Den, Shamrock became one of the most influential MMA fighters of all-time.
Brock Lesnar
Although not as accomplished in MMA as other fighters on this list, Brock
Lesnar turned the UFC upside down when he decided to participate in mixed
martial arts. Lesnar came from the WWE world to MMA and fans refused to accept
him at first. In his 3rd fight with the UFC, Lesnar defeated Couture
to win the UFC heavyweight title. Lesnar would go on to have some of the highest
grossing fights in UFC history. He was an instant box office attraction.
Despite having little MMA experience, and a great deal of professional
wrestling experience, Lesnar was actually an accomplished amateur wrestler in
college. For his career, Lesnar went 106-5 in four years at college. He was a
two-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten Champ, and the 2000 NCAA
heavyweight champ.
Oh, and we can’t forget that Lesnar had a brief stint in the NFL after
leaving the WWE for other challenges. Brock continues to be one of the biggest
stars in the WWE and sends shockwaves through the sport of MMA anytime he shows
up in the UFC.
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor has transcended the sport of MMA like no other. He’s set new
records for UFC gates and PPV buys, while becoming a massive international
superstar. McGregor has become one of the best in the sport at selling a fight
with his words and tends to back it up more times than not. McGregor is one of
only a handful of 2-divisions champs and actually held those two divisional
belts at the same time.
McGregor proved his star power in 2017 when he took on Floyd Mayweather Jr.
in a boxing match. Conor went 10 rounds with one of boxing’s best fighters of
all-time. It’s gone down as the 2ndhighest grossing PPV fight of
all-time.
McGregor is widely considered to still be in his prime, but only time will
tell. Even if he retired tomorrow, McGregor would definitely be remembered for
the way he took the sport of MMA to another level.
Jon Jones
Regardless of his troubles outside of the sport, Jon Jones is regarded as one
of the best MMA fighters of all-time. In fact, some say that if Jones wasn’t his
own worst enemy, he would be the greatest MMA fighter of all-time.
Following the first loss of his pro career, in 2009, Jones would go on one of
the most impressive streaks the sport has ever seen. He won 14 straight fights
before his last one was overturned. Along the way, he beat some of the sport’s
best fighters in Cormier, Sonnen, Belfort, Evans, Rua, Bader, Machida, and
Jackson. His 13-fight win streak in the lightweight division is a record that
will probably never be broken.
At the time of winning the light heavyweight belt in 2011, Jones became the
youngest UFC champ ever. Not only does Jones have one of the most impressive
fight resumes in all of MMA, but he’s also going to go down as the greatest
light heavyweight of all-time; a huge accomplishment in itself.
B.J. Penn
Penn doesn’t have the fight record of other fighters on this list, but his
name is easily recognizable in any MMA circle. Not to mention he has a cool
website that provides some great insight, MMA news, and analysis. However, if it
wasn’t for his success in MMA, nobody would’ve turned to his site in the first
place.
Penn was first noticed in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship where he became
the first non-Brazilian to win the black-belt division. He also finished high in
other prominent Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, leading to him signing with the UFC. From
there, Penn would take on some of the sport’s all-time greats, like GSP and Matt
Hughes.
B.J. Penn wasn’t afraid to take on other fighters in different weight
classes. He also didn’t have a problem fighting in other promotions. No MMA list
is complete without Penn.
Chuck Liddell
Known as “The Iceman,” Chuck Liddell was the most feared striker on the
planet during his peak. From early 1999 to late 2006, Liddell went 18-2, won the
UFC light heavyweight belt, and defeated fighters like Ortiz, Belfort, Overeem,
and Couture. His feuds with Ortiz and Couture took the UFC to new heights.
Liddell’s personality and look helped him to stand apart from other fighters.
He’s considered one of the promotion’s first true superstars and easily earned
UFC Hall of Fame honors. It’s hard to imagine where the company or the sport
would be without Chuck Liddell. The Iceman certainly did things his way, which
includes going down swinging on his way to retirement.
Quinton Jackson
“Rampage,” became a fan favorite due to his exciting fight style and his
colorful personality. He was a star in Pride Fighting, winning the middleweight
title. Jackson had a highly memorable feud with Wanderlei Silva in the Pride
promotion before eventually heading to the UFC in 2006. Within his first few
fights, Jackson KO’d Liddell to win the UFC light heavyweight title. From there,
Jackson became one of the most dynamic fighters in the UFC.
Quinton’s final years with the UFC were up and down due to controversy,
losses, and a few title wins. In 2013, Jackson left for Bellator and helped
establish that promotion as a reputable brand. Additionally, Rampage decided to
try his luck at pro wrestling when he joined TNA in 2013.
Outside of the octagon, Jackson is best known for his role as B.A. Baracus in
the hit movies The A-Team.
Fedor Emelianenko
Unlike the majority of fighters on this list, Fedor had most of his success
prior to entering the UFC. Emelianenko dominated Pride Fighting and also saw
success in M-1 Global and Affliction. For over eight years (2001 through 2009),
Emelianenko went undefeated as he won 28 straight fights. During that span, he
defeated Nogueira, Mirko Filipovic, and Alrovski to name a few. He didn’t need
the UFC to become a superstar. The UFC chased after Fedor because he was already
an international star.
Once he signed with Strikeforce, Fedor lost a few fights, and the mystique
wore off. Eventually, he retired as a legend of the sport. However, like other
MMA legends, Fedor came out of retirement for a few fights in various promotions
before ending up in Bellator. Regardless of his record and latter fights, “The
Last Emperor” was truly one of the last legit international MMA stars outside of
the UFC.
Tito Ortiz
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was a force to be reckoned with during his
peak run from 2000 to 2006. Over that period of time, Ortiz wen 11-2 and won the
UFC light heavyweight title and defended it five times. His feud with Liddell is
considered one of the greatest MMA feuds of all-time, right up there with Gracie
vs. Shamrock.
Tito fought during an era where the sport was still growing. Ortiz definitely
helped to bring more fans to the sport and became a star. Tito also had a few
retirements along the way but came back to the sport he loved and was very
successful at.
Ortiz tried his hand at acting and pro wrestling, but nothing really took off
for him in either industry. Outside of his legendary fight career, Tito is also
famous for his relationship with the super popular adult film star Jenna
Jameson.
Chael Sonnen
Sonnen has certainly tasted defeat in his career, but it’s his showmanship
that helped Chael stand apart. Furthermore, it’s his trash talking that has
become an art form where other fighters have tried to emulate him. In fact,
Sonnen might be the only MMA star that can out-trash talk Conor McGregor.
Chael might also be the only fighter on this list that’s more famous for his
talking and entertaining than his actual fighting. Chael doesn’t really have any
major titles on his resume, but he always seems to land big fights in every
promotion that he’s a part of.
Sonnen has worked with ESPN for several years as an MMA analyst.
He’s never short on words or insults. If you are questioning why he’s on this
list of famous MMA fighters, go check out some video clips of his greatest
promos.
Honorable Mentions
There are certainly dozens of fighters we could add to the famous MMA
fighters list above, but then we might as well just write a book on this topic.
Other fighters that could be included on this list and any other legit MMA list
are Jose Aldo, Takanori Gomi, Rich Franklin, Matt Hughes, Wanderlei Silva,
Mauricio Rua, Demetrious Johnson, The Diaz brothers, Daniel Cormier, Urijah
Faber, Bas Rutten and many more.
There are prospects who flash their potential by conquering opponents in their own age bracket, and there are those who prove they can handle foes of greater experience and are ready to challenge the elite of their division. ESPN's second annual list of the top 25 MMA fighters under the age of 25 features prospects on the rise and those who already have established themselves.
There are UFC contenders and there are champions from various promotions. There are familiar names and newcomers.
The top two fighters from last year's list -- A.J. McKee and Sean O'Malley -- are too old to be eligible this year, but half of the top 10 returns.
ESPN's nine-person panel -- voters' names are listed below -- chose the prospects they view as possessing the most impressive combination of achievement and potential. Let the debates begin.
Marc Raimondi provides the breakdowns of the fighters.
1. Jimmy Crute (12-1)
UFC light heavyweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on March 4, 2021
Ranked No. 7 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
The Aussie earned the top spot after landing performance-of-the-night bonuses for two wins this year. On Feb. 22, Crute faced Michal Oleksiejczuk, who was our No. 11 fighter under 25 last year. Crute slammed him to the mat and slapped a kimura on him for a first-round stoppage. He then landed a vicious right hand to the jaw of Modestas Bukauskas for a first-round KO on Oct. 17. UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski make most of the MMA headlines out of Oceania, but Crute could be right there with them before long. The 6-foot-2 slugger is 4-1 in the UFC with finishes in all of his victories. The division is undergoing a facelift at the moment, and don't be surprised if Crute is a major player before long. He's laser-focused on fighting, to the point that he lives in his van parked in his gym's parking lot during training camps before fights.
2. Edmen Shahbazyan (11-1)
UFC middleweight
Age: 22, turns 25 on Nov. 20, 2022
Ranked No. 3 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
Despite a Fight Night main-event loss to middleweight contender Derek Brunson in August, Shahbazyan has enjoyed more success than any prospect under 25. He started his UFC career in 2018 with four straight wins, three by KO/TKO. One of those was a dazzling finish of veteran Brad Tavares at UFC 244 in November 2019. Shahbazyan, the protégé of Ronda Rousey and her coach Edmond Tarverdyan, has an incredibly bright future as a 185-pound contender.
3. Song Yadong (16-4-1)
UFC men's bantamweight
Age: 22, turns 25 on Dec. 2, 2022
Ranked No. 8 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
While Zhang Weili became the UFC's first Chinese-born champion last year in the strawweight division, Song is carving out his own path at bantamweight. And the path looks very good so far. The Team Alpha Male product is 5-0-1 in the UFC with a unanimous decision win over Marlon Vera in May, his most recent bout. While Song has been the beneficiary of some very close decisions, there's no doubting his place among the top prospects in the UFC.
4. Aaron Pico (7-3)
Bellator featherweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on Sept. 26, 2021
Ranked No. 13 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
It feels as though Pico has been a 'prospect' in MMA for years -- and he has. Yet, the Californian just turned 24. Pico made a major change in 2019, moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to train at JacksonWink MMA, the home of former UFC champs such as Jon Jones and Holly Holm. After dropping his first bout with that team, Pico has won three straight in Bellator -- including a second-round KO Thursday night -- and is using the wrestling that nearly got him to the Olympics much more. The sky remains the limit for someone with Pico's prodigious talent and pedigree.
5. Brendan Allen (15-4)
UFC middleweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on Dec. 28
Was not on this list last year
Perhaps Allen not being on this list last year was an oversight, but there's no denying the Roufusport product now. A blue-chip middleweight prospect, Allen has gone 3-1 in the UFC since October 2019 with finishes of very solid fighters in Kevin Holland and Tom Breese. Allen lost via second-round TKO to Sean Strickland on Saturday. Allen, a South Carolinian, is also the former LFA middleweight champion -- a belt he won when he was just 22 years old. Allen is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with eight submissions in 15 career wins. But he also has power and creativity on the feet. 'All In' will be a problem at 185 pounds for a long time.
6. Maycee Barber (8-1)
UFC strawweight/women's flyweight
Age: 22, turns 25 on May 18, 2023
Ranked No. 6 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
Once one of the hottest prospects in all of MMA, Barber is currently sidelined following knee surgery, an injury she sustained in her first career loss, to Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 246 in January. Don't sleep on the Coloradan, though. Barber had just started working more with vaunted striking coach Duke Roufus, and Ben Askren, one of the best pure wrestlers ever in MMA, has taken her under his wing. The torn ACL is a temporary setback. Expect Barber to be back on a roll beginning in 2021.
7. James Gallagher (11-1)
Bellator bantamweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on Oct. 24, 2021
Ranked No. 9 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
The protégé of Conor McGregor has won four in a row, three via submission finish. His 2018 loss to Ricky Bandejas seems like a lifetime ago. Now the challenge for Gallagher will be to defeat other contenders en route to a bantamweight title shot. The next year will be crucial for 'The Strabanimal' as he attempts to go from intriguing prospect with star potential to contender. Gallagher has a chance to be a real draw for Bellator in Europe, and the promotion is behind him. The time is now for a leap.
8. Arman Tsarukyan (15-2)
UFC lightweight
Age: 24, turns 25 onOct. 11, 2021
Ranked No. 25 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
Tsarukyan had the unenviable task of fighting Islam Makhachev, one of Khabib Nurmagomedov's main training partners, in his UFC debut last year. The ethnic Armenian who trains out of Russia took Makhachev to the limit in a fight of the night loss. Since then? Tsarukyan has won two straight, over Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Davi Ramos, the latter a Brazilian jiu-jitsu dynamo. The former hockey player is poised to be a force in the UFC's extremely deep lightweight division.
9. Sabina Mazo (9-1)
UFC women's flyweight
Age: 23, turns 25 on March 25, 2022
Ranked No. 23 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
Few have done more to improve their stock as a prospect over the past year than Mazo. Since August 2019, Mazo has won three straight and is coming off a third-round submission win over Justine Kish in September. Why was that so impressive? Mazo, from Colombia, is known more for her striking. The Kings MMA product is evolving her game and will be very problematic for her UFC women's flyweight peers in the stand-up department. Mazo also has power in both hands and a wicked head kick.
10. Umar Nurmagomedov (12-0)
UFC men's bantamweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on Jan. 3
Ranked No. 19 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
The cousin of Khabib should have made his UFC debut at UFC 254 last month, but he withdrew because of an illness. Last year, Nurmagomedov picked up an impressive win in PFL and won the Gorilla Fighting bantamweight title in Uzbekistan. Look for the Dagestani prospect -- who is a striker, unlike his wrestling-focused older cousin -- to make plenty of waves in 2021.
11. Angela Lee (10-2)
One women's atomweight champion
Age: 24, turns 25 on July 8, 2021
RankedNo. 14 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
In October, Lee announced that she was pregnant and would be out for a good portion of 2021. One Championship will allow Lee to keep her women's atomweight title and then defend it against the winner of an upcoming atomweight grand prix. There's no doubting that Lee is One's biggest female star and one of its biggest names overall. She had two losses in 2019 -- one up a weight class at strawweight -- but remains a force for the present and future once she returns.
12. Charles Jourdain (10-3-1)
UFC men's featherweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on Nov. 27
Was not on this list last year
While 2020 has been unkind to Jourdain in terms of decisions -- he has a split-decision loss and a rare split draw on his record -- the Canadian has impressed, especially in that close loss to Andre Fili and a TKO win over Dooho Choi last December. Before signing with the UFC, Jourdain was the featherweight champion and interim champion for Canada's TKO promotion. He's in a tough 145-pound division in the UFC and has already faced stiff competition. Let's see how he does with more experience moving into 2021.
13. Miranda Maverick (8-2)
UFC women's flyweight
Age: 23, turns 25 onJuly 21, 2022
Was not on this list last year
Other UFC women's flyweight fighters probably won't be too excited to see Maverick in the opposite corner. The former Invicta one-night tournament winner is athletic, strong and powerful. Maverick, from Virginia, won her UFC debut against Liana Jojua last month via TKO (doctor's stoppage) after opening up a nasty cut on Jojua's nose in the first round. Maverick has won four straight overall.
14. Kay Hansen (7-4)
UFC strawweight
Age: 21, turns 25 on Aug. 14, 2024
Was not on this list last year
Hansen is one of the first female fighters of the generation to become interested in MMA because of Ronda Rousey. Hansen was inspired by Rousey's knockout of Bethe Correia at UFC 190 in 2015 and started training from there. The Californian has a ton of potential, too, although her moment was halted -- at least temporarily -- by a unanimous-decision loss to Cory McKenna, who's also on this list. Hansen made her UFC debut in June, finishing former Invicta atomweight champion Jinh Yu Frey with an armbar submission. Sounds kind of like Rousey.
15. Christian Lee (14-3)
One lightweight champion
Age: 22, turns 25 on June 21, 2023
Ranked No. 22 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
One Championship has featured Lee as an attraction for the past five years -- and he's still 22. Like his sister Angela, Lee is an MMA prodigy who grew up training in the sport in Hawai'i. 'The Warrior' has really come into his own lately. Since May 2019, Lee has won and defended the One lightweight title -- and won the One lightweight grand prix. He has five consecutive victories, four via finish, and his most recent loss was a disqualification due to an odd One rule banning suplexes.
16. Ismail Naurdiev (20-4)
Elite MMA Championship welterweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on Aug. 18, 2021
Ranked No. 15 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
Famous Mma Fighters From Brazil
'The Austrian Wonderboy' had a 2-2 run in the UFC and departed the promotion earlier this year. Naurdiev rebounded from some uneven performances by winning a tournament semifinal bout in the Elite MMA Championship promotion in Germany, defeating Tymoteusz Lopaczyk. At just 24, the Chechen-born welterweight is likely to make his way back to the UFC before long. He's too talented not to. Naurdiev already has 20 career wins in eight years as a pro.
17. Ilia Topuria (9-0)
UFC men's featherweight
Age: 23, turns 25 on Jan. 21, 2022
Was not on this list last year
The German-born featherweight seems like the real deal after an impressive win over Youssef Zalal, who is also on this list, at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen on Oct. 10. Topuria, who fights out of Spain, is a perfect 9-0 and has six finishes in his pro career. Before coming to the UFC, he was the Cage Warriors bantamweight champion. Winning a title in that United Kingdom promotion is usually a solid marker for future success on the biggest stage.
18. Usman Nurmagomedov (11-0)
Bellator lightweight
Was not on this list last year
Another cousin of current pound-for-pound king Khabib Nurmagomedov, Usman was signed by Bellator in October. Usman is 11-0 and trains with Khabib and his team at American Kickboxing Academy under coach Javier Mendez. Unlike his famous cousin, Usman is actually a striking specialist -- with excellent wrestling to boot. Ali Abdelaziz, who manages the Nurmagomedov clan in MMA, has said Usman is a 'better version' of Khabib. Scary.
19. Cory McKenna (6-1)
UFC strawweight
Age: 21, turns 25 on Nov. 7, 2024
Was not on this list last year
McKenna was a relative unknown as recently as three months ago, especially in the United States. But there's no downplaying what she has done. In August, the Wales native earned a contract into the UFC by beating Vanessa Demopoulos on Dana White's Contender Series. And on Saturday, she knocked off fellow under-25 standout Kay Hansen by unanimous decision. 'The Hobbit' is clearly making the most of her potential, training with UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California.
20. Chase Hooper (9-1-1)
UFC men's featherweight
Age: 21, turns 25 on Sept. 23, 2024
Was not on this list last year
Hooper debuted in the UFC with a finish of David Teymur last December. He has since lost to Alex Caceres, his first pro defeat. But the Washington native is definitely one to watch, even on social media, where he has developed a following with self-effacing posts.
21. Youssef Zalal (10-3)
UFC men's featherweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on Sept. 4, 2021
Was not on this list last year
Zalal went 3-0 to start this year in the UFC before falling to Topuria last month. Zalal remains one of the top young names to watch in the lighter weight classes in the UFC. Training out of Factory X in Colorado under coach Marc Montoya, Zalal was a revelation earlier this year, winning twice during the pandemic -- and in exciting bouts. With his size -- 5-foot-10 -- and length, Zalal will be a tough out for other 145-pound fighters moving forward and will surely put on a show in the process.
22. Loma Lookboonmee (5-2)
UFC strawweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on Jan. 18
Was not on this list last year
The muay Thai veteran and first Thai-born fighter to compete in the UFC, Lookboonmee is 2-1 so far in the promotion, with a loss to strawweight contender Angela Hill on her record. Lookboonmee rebounded with perhaps the best performance of her career, a comprehensive unanimous decision win over former Invicta champ Jinh Yu Frey last month. With her striking skills, the Tiger Muay Thai product will be hard to handle at 115 pounds.
23. Luigi Vendramini (9-1)
UFC lightweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on Jan. 16
Was not on this list last year
'The Italian Stallion' returned to the UFC in September after two years away, knocking out Jessin Ayari in the first round. It was an incredible performance in his comeback fight after injuries. Vendramini, who hails from Brazil, has just one career loss, to dangerous UFC welterweight Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. Back down at lightweight, Vendramini appears to be a tough out moving forward.
24. Joshua Pacio (19-3)
One flyweight champion
Age: 24, turns 25 on Jan. 10
Was not on this list last year
Famous Mma Fighters
Flying under the radar a bit in One Championship, Pacio has put together a sterling résumé. Pacio, from the Philippines, is a two-time (and current) One flyweight champion, with two straight title defenses to his name. He has lost just once in the past three years, to former champion Yosuke Saruta, and he avenged that in 2019 to regain the belt. Pacio fights out of Team Lakay, which has been a stalwart for Asia's One promotion since its inception in 2011.
Famous Mma Fighters Who Died
25. Sage Northcutt (11-3)
Famous Mma Fighters Retired
One welterweight
Age: 24, turns 25 on March 1, 2021
Ranked No. 24 on ESPN's 25-under-25 list in 2019
It's hard to believe Northcutt is still under 25, since he has been a fixture in the MMA world since being 'discovered' on Dana White's 'Lookin' for a Fight' show in 2015. Northcutt was considered an uber prospect at the time, and he started his UFC career with two straight finishes. The Texan went 6-2 in the UFC, but the promotion didn't re-sign him when he was a free agent in 2018. Northcutt signed with One Championship, and he broke several bones in his face in his 2019 debut, a knockout loss to Cosmo Alexandre. Northcutt has not fought since.
Panelists: Kel Dansby, Andrew Davis, Alisa Harrison, Ariel Helwani, Eric Jackman, Phil Murphy, Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim