UFC GOAT Rankings 2026

Men Women Combined
Filters All divisions · All time
1
Jon Jones
Jon Jones LHW · 22-1
1,871
Peak ELO
Peaked Nov 2024
6 KOs
6 Subs
2
Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev WW · 18-1
1,770
Peak ELO
Peaked Aug 2026
3 KOs
8 Subs
3
Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre WW · 20-2
1,728
Peak ELO
Peaked Nov 2017
5 KOs
3 Subs
4
Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva MW · 17-7
1,666
Peak ELO
Peaked Oct 2012
11 KOs
3 Subs
5
Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious Johnson FLW · 15-2-1
1,581
Peak ELO
Peaked Oct 2017
2 KOs
5 Subs
6
Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkanovski FW · 16-3
1,500
Peak ELO
Peaked Jul 2023
6 KOs
7
Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov LW · 13-0
1,487
Peak ELO
Peaked Oct 2020
2 KOs
5 Subs
8
Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier LHW · 11-3
1,469
Peak ELO
Peaked Nov 2018
3 KOs
4 Subs
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9
Kamaru Usman
Kamaru Usman MW · 16-4
1,462
Peak ELO
Peaked Nov 2021
4 KOs
1 Sub
10
Stipe Miocic
Stipe Miocic HW · 14-5
1,452
Peak ELO
Peaked Aug 2020
9 KOs
11
Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya MW · 13-6
1,430
Peak ELO
Peaked Jul 2022
5 KOs
12
Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes WW · 18-7
1,427
Peak ELO
Peaked Sep 2006
8 KOs
5 Subs
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13
Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria LW · 9-1
1,413
Peak ELO
Peaked Jun 2025
6 KOs
1 Sub
14
Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou HW · 12-2
1,401
Peak ELO
Peaked Jan 2022
10 KOs
1 Sub
15
Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira HW · 10-3
1,390
Peak ELO
Peaked Oct 2025
8 KOs

Who is the UFC GOAT?

The debate over who is the greatest MMA fighter of all time (GOAT) has raged for decades. Our UFC GOAT rankings use an objective, data-driven approach: Peak ELO ratings. Unlike subjective media polls, Peak ELO captures each fighter's dominance at their absolute prime.

How Peak ELO Determines GOAT Status

Every fighter starts at 1000 ELO. After each fight, ratings adjust based on result and opponent quality. Title fights are weighted higher — an undisputed championship win is multiplied by 1.25 with a flat bonus of around 16 rating points on top; interim, BMF and tournament belts count for less at 1.1x, and all bonuses together are capped at plus 45 percent. Peak ELO records the highest rating achieved, preserving legacy even after retirement or decline.

GOAT Criteria Beyond Rankings

While our rankings focus on peak performance, the complete GOAT debate includes title defenses, era difficulty, opponent quality, and finishing ability. Use these rankings as one data point in the larger conversation about MMA greatness.

Disagree with the order? Make your own UFC GOAT top 10 - the ranking maker loads this board's top ten to start from, lets you drag the names into your order, and exports it as an image to share.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jon Jones leads our rankings with a peak ELO of 1,871. However, the GOAT debate is subjective and includes factors like title defenses, era, and fighting style.
Peak ELO captures a fighter's highest-ever rating, representing their absolute prime. This allows fair comparison across eras — a retired legend's peak can be compared to today's champions.
Rankings update after every UFC event. When a fighter achieves a new career-high ELO, their peak is updated.

More Rankings

Fan Ratings ELO Rankings Pound for Pound Top Rated Fights Top Rated Events Undefeated Fighters Rising Stars Record Holders How It Works

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From the blog Who Is the UFC GOAT? The 10 Greatest UFC Fighters of All Time Read the story
UFC GOAT Rankings by MMA.SOCIAL: 1. Jon Jones (1,871 peak ELO), 2. Islam Makhachev (1,770), 3. Georges St-Pierre (1,728)
UFC GOAT Rankings by MMA.SOCIAL: 1. Jon Jones (1,871 peak ELO), 2. Islam Makhachev (1,770), 3. Georges St-Pierre (1,728)
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Who is the UFC GOAT?

Jon Jones, with 1,871 peak MMA.SOCIAL ELO.

Second: Islam Makhachev (1,770). Third: Georges St-Pierre (1,728).

Ranked by the highest value our own ELO rating reached at any point in a fighter's UFC career. There is no official UFC greatest-of-all-time list; this is MMA.SOCIAL's own ranking, computed from UFC bouts recorded here. MMA.SOCIAL rating — our own metric, not a UFC ranking.