Best UFC Fighters Ever in Each Division

[Da Speeit]

I like Merab a lot, but boy is he overrated at this point in time.

Cruz is still that guy at 135. He beat MM in his prime (I know, weight advantage but 10lbs when Cruz wasn't the biggest 135er isn't crazy), Dillasnake on roids, Faber when he was actually dangerous, Benavidez when he was dominating people, on and on.

Aldo is stillt he 145 GOAT

Anderson is still the MW GOAT

Stipe is still the HW GOAT

all in all this list sucks

 

[MetaIIica]

Flaws:

145: Topuria ---> none
185: Khamzat ---> none

 

[Da Speeit]

Merab beats Prime Cruz

I know this is a casual/troll post but newer fans have no idea the type of beating a prime Cruz would put on Merab.
Everyone forgets that Cruz was a wrestler who learned how to box.

 

[fries in the bag]

View attachment 1109196

the difference between vitor belfort and the other 2 is vitor has 14 losses.

khamzat and topuria have 0 losses each.

 

[fries in the bag]

I know this is a casual/troll post but newer fans have no idea the type of beating a prime Cruz would put on Merab.
Everyone forgets that Cruz was a wrestler who learned how to box.

ok maybe cruz can beat merab. this i can see.

but i'm still standing on business:
- topuria knocks out prime aldo and prime mcgregor at 145
- khabib beats both makhachev and topuria at 155
- khamzat ragdolls prime anderson silva at 185

 

[Da Speeit]

ok maybe cruz can beat merab. this i can see.

but i'm still standing on business:
- topuria knocks out prime aldo and prime mcgregor at 145
- khabib beats both makhachev and topuria at 155
- khamzat ragdolls prime anderson silva at 185

Yes, current fighters are generally better than fighters of the past.

When you start talking “GOAT”, you’re talking about longevity and wins within context. No one is breaking Anderson’s run at MW. Izzy got close, came up short.

Khamzat needs like 8 more dominant defenses before we consider him in the GOAT conversation.

Islam would also beat Khabib. I think Islam is the best LW of all time skill-for-skill

 

[don't ask]

This is hard to measure unless we go by championship reigns. I don't think any other LW could have taken the WW belt off Matt Hughes like BJ Penn did, even though his record at LW isn't that impressive.

And Sakuraba would need to be on this list, though I'm not sure what weightclass, because of some of the fights he's won against bigger guys (Vitor, Randleman, Rampage). Sakuraba would have an amazing record if he fought people his size.

 

[don't ask]

View attachment 1109196

 

[fries in the bag]

Yes, current fighters are generally better than fighters of the past.

When you start talking “GOAT”, you’re talking about longevity and wins within context. No one is breaking Anderson’s run at MW. Izzy got close, came up short.

Khamzat needs like 8 more dominant defenses before we consider him in the GOAT conversation.

Islam would also beat Khabib. I think Islam is the best LW of all time skill-for-skill

yeah, i agree that GOAT = longevity. but best = best.

no one is beating silva's reign. i know, everyone knows.

but this post is about "best", re-read the post title again.

best 185 = chimaev
GOAT 185 = silva

chimaev beats silva in a fight, or at the worst, you could argue 60/40 chance.
but i wouldn't say silva has 50/50 odds or better, to ko chimaev.


-----------------------

skill for skill, islam is better than khabib.
khabib had bad stand-up, and there's a funny meme clip with his striking which just hits the air.

but many people agree that even though islam is more well-rounded than khabib,
khabib would beat islam at 155 anyways. because khabib's grappling is just so much better and could win the fight.

 

[fries in the bag]

Yes, current fighters are generally better than fighters of the past.

When you start talking “GOAT”, you’re talking about longevity and wins within context. No one is breaking Anderson’s run at MW. Izzy got close, came up short.

Khamzat needs like 8 more dominant defenses before we consider him in the GOAT conversation.

Islam would also beat Khabib. I think Islam is the best LW of all time skill-for-skill

also, the reason why no one will beat reigns on the past like silva is because,
like you said, current fighters are generally better than fighters of the past.

if "current fighters are generally better than fighters of the past", it means that title defenses are harder to rack up.

at the pre-fight conference, even dricus said that it's harder to win title defenses nowadays because average fighters are at a higher level than before.

silva had the longest reign, but he also fought more cans compared to more killers today.

 

[CrimsonFan]

The problem with these lists @fries in the bag

Is you cant really put current champs in there. You wont have a good idea where they sit until their career is over.

For example, a few years ago during their reigns everyone would be putting Stipe as the best HW all time, or half the liste would have Izzzy or Usman in there. Fast forward a few years and theyre in nobodys list. Like what if Khamzat and Ilia both lose their next 4 fights? Well then your list looks stupid. Actually it already looks stupid like you started watching mma yesterday

 

[RockyLockridge]

125: Demetrious
135: Merab
145: Topuria
155: Islam or Topuria
170: GSP
185: Anderson
205: Jones
265: Jones or Cain

not a single thing to argue with Although i think cain would turn jones into a crime scene.

 

[RockyLockridge]

The problem with these lists @fries in the bag

Is you cant really put current champs in there. You wont have a good idea where they sit until their career is over.

For example, a few years ago during their reigns everyone would be putting Stipe as the best HW all time, or half the liste would have Izzzy or Usman in there. Fast forward a few years and theyre in nobodys list.

I feel this doesnt apply to illa or merab. Merab has already beaten multiple champs like yan, Omalley and Cejudo and topuria has already KO'd the only 2 people mentioned alongside aldo. Usmans best win is colby, Izzy; whittaker or poatan. Izzy is top 5 in his weight class all time, Usman is not.

 

[GOATtalks]

125: Johnson
135: Cruz
145: Aldo
155: Penn
170: GSP
185: Silva
205: Jones
265: Cain
W145/135: Nunes
W125: Val
W115: Joanna J

Lol

 

[GOATtalks]

MM
Cruz
Aldo
Khabib
GSP
Silva
Jones
Fedor

Any other list is dog shit.

When did you stop watching MMA? 5 years ago? Lol

 

[CrimsonFan]

I feel this doesnt apply to illa or merab. Merab has already beaten multiple champs like yan, Omalley and Cejudo and topuria has already KO'd the only 2 people mentioned alongside aldo. Usmans best win is colby, Izzy; whittaker or poatan. Izzy is top 5 in his weight class all time, Usman is not.

It certainly does. If Ilia or Merab go on a losing streak starting now neither will be highly ranked all time in their division.

Merab maybe, because BW is a young division and nobody has really defended the belt multiple times. Honestly Dillashaw should be #1 but you cant even rank him because of his cheating. So its just a cluster fuck.

 

[GOATtalks]

Pantoja
Merab
Topuria
Khabib or Topuria
Too many to tell
Khamzat
Jones
Aspinall or Ngannou

 

[fries in the bag]

The problem with these lists @fries in the bag

Is you cant really put current champs in there. You wont have a good idea where they sit until their career is over.

For example, a few years ago during their reigns everyone would be putting Stipe as the best HW all time, or half the liste would have Izzzy or Usman in there. Fast forward a few years and theyre in nobodys list. Like what if Khamzat and Ilia both lose their next 4 fights? Well then your list looks stupid. Actually it already looks stupid like you started watching mma yesterday

you are right that a few years ago, most people had stipe and izzy and usman as they best at hw, 185, and 170.

but that was 2021/2022 era. it's 2025 now.

in 2025, we know now that stipe and usman and izzy are not the best.

we know in 2025 that chimaev ragdolls prime silva.
if chimaev loses his next fight, maybe in 2026, then we will know next year if silva is still the best.

for now, in august 2025, the list remains:

125: demetrious
135: merab
145: topuria
155: khabib
170: gsp
185: chimaev
205: jones
265: aspinall

 

[RockyLockridge]

MM
Cruz
Aldo
Khabib
GSP
Silva
Jones
Fedor

Any other list is dog shit.

thats a goat list, not a boat list

 

[Michael Wetzel]

Merab beats Prime Cruz
Topuria beats Prime Aldo. Aldo got one-shot by Conor McBum in 13 seconds lol
Khabib beats Prime BJ Penn. Also BJ Penn has 14 losses lol
Khamzat beats Prime Silva

Cain Lost to Francis, Francis lost to Dana White. QED

Prime Cruz was better than Merab.
Ilia vs prime Aldo is 50-50. Conor had already mentally beat declining Aldo before the fight started.
Prime Penn would have jabbed Khabib's face off, stuffed his takedowns, and eventually taken his back for a RNC. Penn's losing streak began after the questionable decision in the first Edgar fight.
Francis and Stipe lost to each other. Francis beat Dana White; Dana has been crying about it ever since.