With UFC on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, MMA Junkie takes a look at the 10 winningest fighters in the history of the organization. Of note, all fighters included in this column fight at light heavyweight or below and have promotional debuts ranging from September 1999 to February 2011.
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10. Stuck on 17
Six fighters are tied at the 17-win mark inside the octagon: Former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski, former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar, former featherweight champ Max Holloway, former interim lightweight champ Dustin Poirier, former middleweight champ Anderson Silva and lightweight contender Charles Oliveira.
9. Rafael dos Anjos
Age: 35
Debut: UFC 91 on Nov. 15, 2008
Number of fights: 29
Number of wins: 18
Dos Anjos was in the UFC nearly seven years before he finally captured the lightweight title. Since losing the belt, he’s spent his years in the welterweight division, adding more to his win total. He’s had some tough results of late but is still exclusively fighting top-tier competition.
8. Matt Hughes
Age: 46
Debut: UFC 22 on Sept. 24, 1999
Number of fights: 25
Number of wins: 18
Once considered the greatest welterweight in MMA history, Hughes debuted in the UFC nearly six years before anyone else on the list. The former welterweight champ still holds a top-10 spot, though, due to his dominant run in the 170-pound division though the mid-2000s.
7. Diego Sanchez
Age: 38
Debut: The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale on April 9, 2005
Number of fights: 31
Number of wins: 18
The original winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Sanchez is currently the longest-tenured athlete on the UFC roster. His highs include winning “TUF,” fighting for a UFC title, and being just one of two UFC fighters to compete in four different weight classes.
6. Georges St-Pierre
Age: 38
Debut: UFC 46 on Jan. 31, 2004
Number of fights: 22
Number of wins: 20
St-Pierre stood atop the ladder for most UFC wins for several years while he was in a hiatus from competition. The former longtime welterweight champion was eventually surpassed on the list, but joined the 20-win UFC club when he beat Michael Bisping for middleweight gold at UFC 217 in November 2017.
5. Michael Bisping
Age: 41
Debut: The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale on June 24, 2006
Number of fights: 29
Number of wins: 20
Bisping, who retired in May 2018 following a nearly 12-year run under the UFC banner, was the first to reach the 20-win UFC club. The former UFC middleweight champion hit the mark when he defeated Dan Henderson at UFC 204 in October 2016.
4. Jim Miller
Age: 36
Debut: UFC 89 on Oct. 18, 2008
Number of fights: 34
Number of wins: 20
The owner of the most fights and wins in UFC lightweight history, Miller has been a workhorse in the octagon for more than a decade. He’s had plenty of notable moments along the way, and has only gone winless in one of his 12 years on the roster.
3. Jon Jones
Age: 32
Debut: UFC 87 on Aug. 9, 2008
Number of fights: 22
Number of wins: 20
Arguably the greatest fighter ever, Jones has put together a resume unlikely anyone else in UFC history. He’s by far the youngest member of the 20-win UFC club, but it will forever remain a mystery how much further ahead “Bones” would be if personal issues didn’t sideline him from competition for significant portions of time.
2. Demian Maia
Age: 42
Debut: UFC 77 on Oct. 20, 2007
Number of fights: 32
Number of wins: 22
Submission artist Maia has been a title contender in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions during his UFC career. He’s only lost to the very best inside the octagon, and after fighting more than any Brazilian in company history, is likely to retire on home soil later this year.
1. Donald Cerrone
Age: 36
Debut: UFC 126 on Feb. 5, 2011
Number of fights: 34
Number of wins: 23
Cerrone had a rapid rise up the UFC’s all-time wins list due largely to his sheer rate of activity. “Cowboy” has competed more than anyone in the organization over the past half-decade, and while the winning results have somewhat slowed in recent years, there’s no end in sight and he’s likely to earn more.
