Who was the best fighter in MMA every year since 1993.

[Takes Two To Tango]

This is a rough estimate only.

Btw subject to change.

Feel free to do yours.

Updated changes below.

1993 - Royce Gracie
1994 - Ken Shamrock
1995 - Bas Rutten
1996 - Bas Rutten
1997 - Masakatsu Funaki
1998 - Frank Shamrock
1999 - Frank Shamrock
2000 - Tito Ortiz - Antonio Nogueira
2001 - Antonio Nogueira
2002 - Fedor Emelianenko - Matt Hughes
2003 - Fedor Emelianenko - Matt Hughes
2004 - Fedor Emelianenko
2005 - Fedor Emelianenko
2006 - Fedor Emelianenko - Chuck Liddell
2007 - Fedor Emelianenko - Anderson Silva
2008 - Fedor Emelianenko - Anderson Silva
2009 - Fedor Emelianenko - GSP
2010 - GSP - Anderson Silva
2011 - Anderson Silva - GSP
2012 - Anderson Silva - GSP
2013 - Anderson Silva - GSP
2014 - Jon Jones - Jose Aldo
2015 - Jon Jones
2016 - Jon Jones
2017 - Jon Jones - Demetrious Johnson
2018 - Demetrious Johnson - Daniel Cormier
2019 - Khabib Nurmagomedov
2020 - Khabib Nurmagomedov
2021 - Alexander Volkanovski
2022 - Alexander Volkanovski
2023 - Islam Makhachev
2024 - Islam Makhachev
2025 - Ilia Topuria (So far)

 

[Gabe]

2026-2031 - Chase Hooper

 

[Kenny Powerth]

Idk how you would but you're the poll master bro so let's make this into a series of polls!

 

[Kenny Powerth]

2029 - Erik Silva if he continues to progress like he is. He will be 18 by then and ready to show the world

 

[r-harper-1]

Great list overall….. i probably wouldn’t give Fedor those last few years , but woukd have to think of what the other options were

 

[Flower2dPeople]

I'd put Rickson in 94 and 95.

 

[loisestrad]

Love that AI generated shit.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

Great list overall….. i probably wouldn’t give Fedor those last few years , but woukd have to think of what the other options were

Who would you give 2008 & 2009 to?

 

[Harlekin]

What's the exact criteria?
Best fighter in skills?
Performance in his fights that year?
Something else?

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

What's the exact criteria?
Best fighter in skills?
Performance in his fights that year?
Something else?

Overall best fighter that year. Basically the fighter that you'd think would be named the best fighter of the year.

 

[HHJ]

Fedor.

 

[DesiredUserName]

1993 - Chael Sonnen
1994 - Chael Sonnen
1995 - Chael Sonnen
1996 - Chael Sonnen
1997 - Chael Sonnen
1998 - Chael Sonnen
1999 - Chael Sonnen
2000 - Chael Sonnen
2001 - Chael Sonnen
2002 - Chael Sonnen
2003 - Chael Sonnen
2004 - Chael Sonnen
2005 - Chael Sonnen
2006 - Chael Sonnen
2007 - Chael Sonnen
2008 - Chael Sonnen
2009 - Chael Sonnen
2010 - Chael Sonnen
2011 - Chael Sonnen
2012 - Chael Sonnen
2013 - Chael Sonnen
2014 - Chael Sonnen
2015 - Chael Sonnen
2016 - Chael Sonnen
2017 - Chael Sonnen
2018 - Chael Sonnen
2019 - Chael Sonnen
2020 - Chael Sonnen
2021 - Chael Sonnen
2022 - Chael Sonnen
2023 - Chael Sonnen
2024 - Chael Sonnen
2025 - Chael Sonnen

 

[r-harper-1]

Who would you give 2008 & 2009 to?

I was thinking GSP …. Both big wins as the time….better than Brett Rogers and Arlovski…..but admittedly I’m likely leaning on hindsight perhaps …. But GSP better in 2009 for me

 

[Paolo Delutis]

This is a rough estimate only.

Feel free to do yours.

1993 - Royce Gracie
1994 - Bas Rutten
1995 - Bas Rutten
1996 - Bas Rutten
1997 - Masakatsu Funaki
1998 - Semmy Schilt
1999 - Bas Rutten
2000 - Tito Ortiz
2001 - Antonio Nogueira
2002 - Fedor Emelianenko
2003 - Fedor Emelianenko
2004 - Fedor Emelianenko
2005 - Fedor Emelianenko
2006 - Fedor Emelianenko
2007 - Fedor Emelianenko
2008 - Fedor Emelianenko
2009 - Fedor Emelianenko
2010 - GSP
2011 - Anderson Silva
2012 - Anderson Silva
2013 - Anderson Silva
2014 - Jon Jones
2015 - Jon Jones
2016 - Jon Jones
2017 - Jon Jones
2018 - Demetrious Johnson
2019 - Khabib Nurmagomedov
2020 - Khabib Nurmagomedov
2021 - Alexander Volkanovski
2022 - Alexander Volkanovski
2023 - Islam Makhachev
2024 - Islam Makhachev
2025 - Ilia Topuria

Lmao.

Your Japanese MMA fandom is showing..

Funaki??? How many of those matches were rigged..

Semmy Schilt? Did he even have a title in MMA...

No Matt hughes?

Randy Couture?

CHuck Lidell?


This list is heavily biased

 

[mmathurbator]

Lmao.

Your Japanese MMA fandom is showing..

Funaki??? How many of those matches were rigged..

Semmy Schilt? Did he even have a title in MMA...

No Matt hughes?

Randy Couture?

CHuck Lidell?


This list is heavily biased

agree with you here but you don't have to be insecure and bitchy about it

 

[CerebralKnievel]

View attachment 1106701
I was thinking GSP …. Both big wins as the time….better than Brett Rogers and Arlovski…..but admittedly I’m likely leaning on hindsight perhaps …. But GSP better in 2009 for me

GSP for 2009 was my only real difference of opinion with the list. His dominance in those two fights was arguably his peak. Thiago Alves was a monster when they fought, and he dismantled him.

 

[BigOlJeet]

Take Ilia off the list, he’s gonna get derailed quite soon.

 

[VolkHan]

1998 - Tariel Bitsadze
2025 - Zhang Weili

 

[Hymen Crusher]

Gsp is better then fedor in 08 09 easy. Islam should not be on any list

 

[Diet Butcher]

Bas was never the best fighter, or Semmy.