Image via Getty/Jeff Bottar
It’s an interesting time for the UFC. Fresh off a $4.2 billion sale to WME, the promotion boasts the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world, has held events in 15 countries, and regularly hands out six-figure purses to its competitors. In short, president Dana White’s organization has come a long way from the days of battling politicians and cable companies in the ‘90s.
For an idea of just how big the sport has become, Michael Bisping’s defeat of Anderson Silva at Fight Night 84 in London, was the top trending sporting event in the UK that day, ahead of the English Premier League and Six Nations Rugby championship. Of note, champion Bisping preceded the fight by telling Silva, “All the needles in your ass, all the steroids will not help you, you pussy.” So, it was basically must-watch TV.
But as the UFC soars to unprecedented popularity, several of the biggest stars who got it there are nowhere to be seen. Conor McGregor has seemingly exhausted the UFC’s supply of suitable opponents for him, opting instead to take up boxing Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (for a reported $75 million payout). Ronda Rousey may never fight again. Jon Jones just completed a lengthy suspension. Anderson Silva is past his prime. Nate Diaz’s return has not been confirmed, and Brock Lesnar has retired for a second time.
All of this, however, is probably welcome news to Dana White. UFC’s dominance over the MMA scene has made it a magnet for fighting talent, including the next generation of its greatest stars, many nurtured through the reality TV series The Ultimate Fighter, whose winner earns a coveted UFC contract. In short, for every McGregor or Diaz who rises to fame, there are dozens more Cody Garbrandts and Tyron Woodleys looking to step up and take their place.
Lets take a look at the best MMA fighters by weight class in the UFC, from flyweight all the way up to the big boys at heavyweight.
Flyweight: Demetrious Johnson
“Mighty Mouse” Demetrious Johnson has a solid claim at being the toughest 125-lb dude on the planet. The current and only flyweight champion in the history of the UFC, he’s successfully defended the title an absurd 10 times and is widely considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the world for his combination of speed, skill, and his ability to adapt on the fly. Also, he really seems to like playing Resident Evil and Final Fantasy on Twitch.tv.
Bantamweight: Cody Garbrandt
Less than two years after his first UFC fight, Garbrandt took the bantamweight title from Dominick Cruz in a taunt-filled brawl at UFC 207. A knockout artist and trash talker, he’s basically Conor McGregor, if McGregor were a dude from Ohio with an even more aggressive chest and throat tattoo. More recently, Garbrandt goaded a bodybuilder/Twitter douche into coming to his gym, ostensibly to fight him. As Garbrandt later retold the events in a tweet, “He ran like a hoe down a one-way road in his hooptie ass whip with his friend filming it!”
Bantamweight: Dominick Cruz
Cruz’s defeat at UFC 207 was his first loss in a decade. After winning the bantamweight crown in 2010 and defending it twice before missing three years to injuries, Cruz completed a dramatic comeback in 2016, when he re-won the title by defeating T.J. Dillashaw at Fight Night 81.
Featherweight: Max Holloway
“This is what kings do. Kings go to other kings’ villages and they take over.” That’s what Max Holloway said four months before dethroning featherweight legend Jose Aldo at UFC 212. The third-round TKO marked the Hawaiian’s 11th straight win and brought excitement back to the 145-lb level.
Lightweight: Conor McGregor
What is there to say about The Notorious that hasn’t already been said? Probably the biggest trash talker in UFC history, McGregor excels inside the octagon, too, winning fights at three different weight classes and having held both the lightweight and featherweight championships. Now he apparently even transcends MMA, stepping into the boxing ring for his much-hyped fight with Floyd Mayweather. Win or lose, he’s going to make a shit ton more money—which he’ll probably blow on more tiny plaid suits.
Welterweight: Tyron Woodley
Woodley took over the welterweight championship with a first-round knockout against Robbie Lawler at UFC 201. His technique mostly amounts to punching people in the head really hard until they can’t get up anymore. If it ain’t broke…
Middleweight: Michael Bisping
The Count became the first Brit to ever hold a UFC title belt with his stunning upset over Luke Rockhold; Bisping took the fight on 17 days’ notice and proceeded to knock out the then-middleweight champ just 3 minutes into the fight.
Light Heavyweight: Daniel Cormier
An accomplished wrestler prior to starting his MMA career, Daniel Cormier’s takedown-focused style is somewhat unique as far as UFC fighters go. After suffering his first pro loss to Jon Jones in his first championship bout, Cormier became UFC light heavyweight champ by forcing a submission from Anthony Johnson at UFC 187. Perhaps more importantly, Cormier made his film debut in the 2014 film Mantervention, which, according to Wikipedia, centers around “a heartbroken college student who can't seem to break an endless cycle of crying and masturbation.”
Jon Jones—who has never truly lost a fight in his career—gets an honorable mention here, but Cormier deserves the honors until Jones returns from his suspension.
Heavyweight: Stipe Miocic
6’4”, 240-lb beast Stipe Miocic tied a record at UFC 211 when he successfully defended the UFC heavyweight crown for a second time, issuing a first-round TKO to Junior dos Santos. Uncommonly quick for a heavyweight, Miocic breaks down opponents’ defenses with a rapid series of boxing-style punches. Miocic once set a record by landing 361 strikes against Mark Hunt at Fight Night 65. Can you even imagine taking 300 punches from a 240-lb Ohioan over a span of 20 minutes?