The 25 Most Iconic Fighters in MMA History

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Many fighters have come and gone.

Some having impacted the sport of mixed martial arts for years to come, leaving behind legacies for their exploits and endeavors.

Whether it's Chael Sonnen's abrasive and memorable trash talk or the early days of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson running roughshod over the Pride circuit, slamming his way to many victories in the ring, these men have established their niches in MMA history. 

Mirko Cro Cop

A former K-1 star, Mirk Cro Cop eventually made his way into the world of mixed martial arts.

Relying solely on his prestigious kickboxing background and sprawl, Cro Cop made waves overseas when he competed under the Pride banner, going undefeated in his first six outings with the promotion, which included an emphatic knockout victory over heavy hitter Igor Vovchanchyn—a top contender in the division.

As his game continued to cultivate, Cro Cop became a well-rounded MMA fighter, later clinching a submission victory over former UFC champion Kevin Randleman, avenging an earlier career defeat.

The culmination of his career was in 2006 when the Croatian entered Pride's Open Weight Grand Prix. Pitting a field of 16 of some of the best fighters in the world, Cro Cop defeated Ikuhisa Minowa, Hidehiko Yoshida and former champion Wanderlei Silva in succession before meeting with Josh Barnett in the finals.

There, Cro Crop deftly defeated the the touted submission wrestler, who submitted to strikes from the bruising striker who earned the prestigious GP title, also claiming his third victory over the American, an honor that no other man has come close to.

Chael Sonnen

"Anderson Silva you absolutely suck." 

That one sentence will resonate with fans for a long time as the beginning of the best post-fight speech to grace the Octagon.

Sonnen has a bevy of insults in his back pocket, but he's perhaps most well recognized as a fighter who can talk the talk and walk the walk, dominating fighters the likes of Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami and Brian Stann in some of his more recent outings.

Brock Lesnar

With just one professional bout under his wing and a successful collegiate career, Brock Lesnar threw himself into the the thick of the heavyweight division when he took on former champion Frank Mir in his Octagon debut. 

Though he was unsuccessful in his first bid into the cage, Lesnar would later challenge for the belt against living legend Randy Couture in just his fourth pro fight.

Clinching the title with a TKO, Lesnar would go on to defend his twice—first knocking out rival Mir in their highly anticipated rematch and then submitting juggernaut Shane Carwin in a come-from-behind performance.

The enigmatic heavyweight is equally versed on the mic, courtesy of his past with the WWE—making him the whole package. 

Bas Rutten

One of the early pioneers of the sport, Bas Rutten continues to remain relevant in the world of MMA, well past his career as a mixed martial artist has expired. 

A powerful Dutch striker, Rutten became a staple of the Japanese scene where he became the King of Pancrase, having defeated the likes of former UFC champions Frank Shamrock and Maurice Smith along the way.

"El Guapo" would eventually make his way into the Octagon, defeating former champ Kevin Randleman for the vacant title, claiming the belt in the process, capping off a stellar career which saw him become a one dimensional striker into a dangerous submission specialists.

Since then, Rutten has parlayed his charisma on the screen, having been a former commentator for the now defunct Pride organization, later moving on to become a budding Actor in the film industry. 

Forrest Griffin

The original Ultimate Fighter, Forrest Griffin will always be remembered for his pivotal battle with Stephan Bonnar in the first ever TUF finale. The back-and-forth, rumble tumble battle netted both men six-figure, multi-fight contracts with the promotion, though Griffin made the most of his opportunity.

Some years later, Griffin has risen to the top of the light heavyweight ladder when he upset former Pride champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua upon the Brazilian's UFC debut. The victory earned Griffin a shot at the title, where he defeated then champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in a "Fight of the Night" worthy performance.

Griffin is still regarded as one faces of the promotion, having originally graced the cover of the first "UFC Undisputed" video game.

Ikuhisa Minowa

A legendary fixture in Japan, Ikuhisa Minowa, better known as "Minowaman", has made a career of beating the bigger man. 

The current DREAM Super Hulk Champion was the smallest of men in a field of Goliaths in an open-weight tournament held in 2009, where stars such as Bob Sapp, Choi-Hong Man and Sokoudjou graced the tourney.

Both Sapp and Choi weighed a combined 700-plus pounds, and the 190-pound Minowa managed to clinch submission victories over both behemoth's, later meeting the heavy hitting "African Assassin" in the finals where he knocked out Team Quest product in the waning moments of the bout.

Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto

In his heyday, "Kid" Yamamoto was one of the most feared lightweights in Japan—and amazing feat considering the wrestler was better suited for the 135-pound class, where he finds himself today.

The heavy hitter made a career of finishing opponents whom were much bigger in size, including the likes of Genki Sudo, Caol Uno, Royler Gracie, Jeff Curran, Rani Yahya, Bibiano Fernandes and Kazuyuki Miyata—a former title contender in DREAM, which in his bout with Yamamoto succumbed to a devastating four second knockout from the wily fighter.

Kid is considered one of the leading pioneers of the lighter weight classes and for good reason. 

Urijah Faber

The former featherweight kingpin, Urijah Faber continues to be a decided force in mixed martial arts.

In his first 22 fights as a mixed martial artist, Faber was only once defeated by Tyson Griffin, a former top contender in the UFC. "The California Kid" held the King of the Cage title, defending the belt three times whilst earning the WEC belt.

Though the organization would later be merged with the UFC, Faber had arguably the most successful reign in the promotion while he was coveted as the featherweight champion, defending his title five times before losing it to the powerful Mike Brown.

Now, Faber has since transitioned to the bantamweight class where he engaged in a "Fight of the Year" performance against current 135-pound king Dominick Cruz. The Team Alpha Male star dropped Cruz several times throughout the bout though ultimately succumbed to a very close decision defeat.

He is now slated for a third bout with Cruz, making it arguably the most anticipated bantamweight fight in the division's history. 

BJ Penn

A two-time world champion who's reign spanned in two different weight classes, BJ Penn has already solidified himself in the history books of MMA at the ripe old age of 32. 

On the heels of his prodigious run through the famous Mundials World Championships where Penn took home gold as a three year trained jiu-jitsu black belt, the Hawaiian made his Octagon debut in 2001.

That same year, Penn went 3-0 in the lightweight class with knockout victories over Joey Gilbert, Caol Uno and Din Thomas, respectively, earning him a title shot in just six months spent as a pro.

Penn eventually earned his first world title when he jumped up to the welterweight class, defeating then pound-for-pound great Matt Hughes, submitting the powerhouse with a rear-naked choke.

Later, Penn would finally earn the 155-pound title when he bested Joe Stevenson for the vacant belt, then deftly defeating former champion Sean Sherk and The Ultimate Fighter alumni in Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez—stopping all men before the final bell.

Matt Hughes

The former welterweight great in Matt Hughes was arguably the best to ever grace the 170-pound division.

Earlier in his career, Hughes relied on the laurels of his collegiate wrestling background, as the NCAA Division I All-American would slam and pound away his opponents.

Hughes made a second run at the UFC in 2001 and with already 32 fights under his belt, he took on then champion Carlos Newton for the welterweight title, slamming the Canadian into unconsciousness, taking home the knockout victory and claiming the championship in the process.

The former Miletich product would defend his belt five times before succumbing to a submission loss to the aforementioned Penn. Hughes later reclaimed the title by submitting Georges St-Pierre in the first round, later meeting the Hawaiian some fights later, finishing off the wily Hawaiian by TKO.

A two-time world champion who defend his title a record 7 times, Hughes deservedly entered the UFC Hall of Fame in May of last year. 

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

The first man to claim both Pride and UFC titles, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira popularized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu whilst making a glorious run in the now defunct Japan based organization.

Under the Pride banner, Nogueira had many memorable battles with the likes of Fedor Emelianenko, Heath Herring, Dan Henderson, Mark Coleman and Mirko Cro Cop—submitting the heavy hitting Croation after taking a beating from the former K-1 star.

Nogueira took his success overseas and brought it to the Octagon, where he submitted former two-time world champion Tim Sylvia with a come-from-behind third-round armbar and later moving on to have memorable battles with the legendary Randy Couture and top contender Brendan Schaub—knocking out the bruiser in the first round. 

Nick Diaz

The Cesar Gracie protege in Nick Diaz has always done things on his own terms, making him one of the most popularizing figures in the sport.

The abrasive fighter initially made waves in the UFC when he knocked out then budding contender Robbie Lawler and moving on to have exciting battles with Karo Parisyan and Diego Sanchez.

After leaving the promotion, Diaz eventually settled into the Strikeforce promotion where he became an instant star, knocking out former UFC champion Frank Shamrock before challenging for the vacant welterweight title opposite of DREAM champ Marius Zaromskis.

The Lithuanian proved game, rocking Diaz early, who in kind came back and knocked out the wily heavy hitter inside of the first round.

Diaz made three successful defenses of his title against rival KJ Noons, Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos and former UFC contender Paul Daley—finishing off the heavy hitter on first round strikes.

The Stockton fighter made an emphatic return to the UFC this October when he bested former champ BJ Penn in a dominant performance which was aided by his incredible boxing skills, bludgeoning and battering the Hawaiian in the "Fight of the Night" bout. 

Kazushi Sakuraba

If it weren't for the likes of Kazushi Sakuraba, the Pride organization may not have been such great heights without the exciting fan favorite.

Transitioning from a successful career as a professional wrestler into the world of MMA, the underrated submission specialist had many memorable battles in the ring with Wanderlei Silva and several Gracie fighters, defeating the touted Royler, Renzo, Royce and Ryan during his illustrious run in Pride.

Full of double hammer fists, somersault guard passes and cartwheels galore, Sakuraba will always be remembered as a fighter who brought it every time he stepped into the ring, despite never having garnered a significant championship during his 15-year career. 

Royce Gracie

The pioneer of the UFC, Royce Gracie is synonymous with the Octagon.

A skinny Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, the Gracie fighter was pitted against a slew of bigger opponents when he competed in the first four open-weight tournaments held in the UFC.

Royce went on an incredible run, besting the likes of Kimo Leopoldo, Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock along the way, clinching three tournaments titles, going back-to-back at UFC 1 and 2 before claiming his third at UFC 4.

To date, Royce holds the most submission victories in the cage by 11, solidifying his place in the history books and rightfully earning UFC Hall of Fame status some years ago. 

Wanderlei Silva

One of the most dangerous men to ever grace a ring or a cage, Wanderlei Silva has been properly dubbed as "The Axe Murderer".

A product of the famed Chute Boxe crew, Silva fought for the UFC title earlier in his career before transitioning to the Pride circuit where he became arguably the promotion's biggest star when he went on a tirade through the light heavyweight division.

Knockout victories over Guy Mezger, Kazushi Sakuraba and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson anchor the resume of the Brazilian who continues to put on exciting performances now in the UFC, having left behind a long and lively legacy in Japan which saw him capture both the Middleweight championship and the Middleweight Grand Prix title. 

Anderson Silva

I don't think even Anderson Silva knew just how dominant of a force he would become when he first entered the Octagon.

A lanky and powerful striker, the Brazilian had a successful career outside the UFC but only really shined once he entered the juggernaut mixed martial arts promotion, making an immediate impact when he defeated then contender Chris Leben in a matter of seconds.

He followed up the emphatic performance when he took on then champion Rich Franklin for the middleweight title, finishing off the then pound-for-pound great with first round strikes.

Since clinching the title in 2006, Silva has not released his grasp from the belt, defending it a record nine times in dominant victories over Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson and Yushin Okami—finishing all before the final bell.

His ventures have even seen Silva go up to the light heavyweight division, knocking out the heavy hitting James Irvin and former champion Forrest Griffin inside of the first round. 

The pound-for-pound best continues his run of dominance in the UFC, having never been defeated in the Octagon in 14 appearances. 

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

The Brazilian dynamo in Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is one of the few men to transition from the Pride circuit into the UFC reaching success in the Octagon.

A spitfire in the light heavyweight division, Rua rose to the ranks early at just 22 years old when he first entered the ring by knocking out Japan's own Akira Shoji inside of the first round, eventually gaining entry into the Middleweight Grand Prix in 2005.

In the opening round, Rua was pitted against the aforementioned Quinton Jackson, finishing off "Rampage" with first round strikes, courtesy of his knees and soccer kicks to the head and body.

Next, Rua met with fellow countryman in Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, with the two engaging toe-to-toe in one of the greatest fights to ever grace the ring.

Later, Rua would defeat both Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona in a single night, with back-to-back knockout victories, clinching him the GP title and garnering him praise as the worlds best 205-pound fighter.

Some years later, Rua would defeat former UFC champions Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell in succession, earning him a shot against then titleholder Lyoto Machida.

Though he dropped a contentious decision to the karate specialist, Rua had his revenge when he knocked out Machida in their rematch, laying claim as the organization's new champion. 

Georges St-Pierre

The welterweight kingpin has had a long and arduous road so far in his mixed martial arts career.

His talent was obvious in the early goings of his career, as St-Pierre rattled off a seven fight win streak, which included a 2-0 mark inside the Octagon where the Canadian bested then contender Karo Parisyan and Jay Hieron before challenging Matt Hughes for the vacant title.

Though St-Pierre came up short for his first bid at a world title, "Rush" used the loss to reinvigorate himself as he made another run to the top. 

Victories over Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Frank Trigg, Sean Sherk and BJ Penn anchored the resume of opponents that the touted prospect brought into his rematch with Hughes, whom GSP dominated form start to finish, eventually settling for a second-round TKO over the pound-for-pound great.

After losing his title to Matt Serra, St-Pierre again reevaluated himself and came back stronger than ever, dominating Hughes in their rubber match, this time cinching up the armbar finish—reminiscent of their first battle many years ago.

The win opened the door for St-Pierre to meet with Serra again, who proved to be no match for the now talented wrestler, who dominated the New York in ever facet of the fight.

With the inevitable TKO finish, St-Pierre became a two-time world champion and has now defended his title six times with victories over Jon Fitch, BJ Penn (again), Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy, Josh Koscheck and Jake Shields anchoring his most recent list of accomplishments, solidifying his place as one of the pound-for-pound best. 

Ken Shamrock

One of the early pioneers of mixed martial arts, Shamrock began his career thanks to the strength of his submission wrestling base.

A strong and imposing figure in the ring, Shamrock first earned success overseas when he won the King of Pancrase title some years ago having defeated fellow legend Bas Rutten on two occasions by submission.

Eventually, Shamrock made his way to the Octagon where he would become one of the faces of the UFC, where he earned the Super Fight title when he submitted Dan Severn, later defending his title against Kimo Leopoldo. 

Though he is in the twilight of his long and prodigious run as a mixed martial artist, Shamrock has solidified his spot in the sport, aptly garnering UFC Hall of Fame status for his exploits. 

Frank Shamrock

Frank Shamrock is without a doubt one of the best of all time. 

"The Legend" first earned acclaim when he entered the UFC in 1997, battling for the vacant middleweight (205-pound) title opposite Kevin Jackson—submitting the Olympic gold medalist in just 16 seconds, making Shamrock the owner of the fastest championship victory in the organization's history.

He would go on to defend his title four times, finishing his Octagon career with a fourth round submission victory over Tito Ortiz, who would later claim the belt after Shamrock retired from the sport in 1999 citing a lack of competition. 

At that time, Frank was widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet and later came out of retirement and claimed two more belts in both the WEC and Strikeforce promotions before eventually calling it quits in 2009.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

With just some basic wrestling and some powerful hands at his disposal, Quinton Jackson made an emphatic entrance into the MMA world some years ago, first gaining popularity in the Pride ring.

Though he was unsuccessful in his debut, succumbing to a submission defeat to the wily Kazushi Sakuraba, Jackson would go on to become an immediate contender in the division and building many notable rivalries along the way, namely with the Chute Boxe camp.

Whilst with Pride, Jackson became a finalist in the 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix, stopping former champion Chuck Liddell in the opening round before succumbing to the strikes of Wanderlei Silva.

He would later rematch the Brazilian after brutally knocking out submission specialist Ricardo Arona with a highlight reel slam which still makes it's rounds in the internet world today.

Jackson was unsuccessful in his second bid against Silva, though he finally earned his revenge in the UFC where he knocked out the heavy hitter with a counter left hook, which sent the former Pride champion reeling to the canvas—out cold.

"Rampage" also earned the UFC title in his second outing with the promotion, finishing off Liddell in their rematch, knocking out the UFC Hall of Famer in the first round and later unifying the Pride and UFC titles when he defeated Dan Henderson in a memorable five round battle.

Fedor Emelianenko

The greatest heavyweight fighter of all time, Fedor Emelianenko's run in MMA is unprecedented and has not been duplicated by any man. 

First gaining praise in the Pride organization, the Russian went undefeated in the Japan based promotion, debuting against former four-time K-1 World Grand Prix champ Semmy Schilt then defeating Heath Herring before challenging Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the title, besting the Brazilian in a one-sided battle, clinching the heavyweight title in the process.

Emelianenko then entered the Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2004, defeating Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Naoya Ogawa and Nogueira, clinching the GP title, adding another accolade to his illustrious career.

The heavyweight kingpin went undefeated for 10 years before suffering his first true career defeat at the hands of the world class jiu-jitsu stud Fabricio Werdum, though he has since gotten back to his winning ways when he deftly defeated former UFC title challenger Jeff Monson just a few weeks ago. 

Mark Coleman

The UFC's original heavyweight champion, Mark Coleman has already solidified his place in mixed martial arts.

The wrestling powerhouse first made waves in July 1996 when he entered the Octagon thanks to his highly successful amateur wrestling career, which brought him an NCAA Division I title and a spot on the United States Team, having placed seventh in 1992 at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Coleman went undefeated in his first six outings as a professional, earning the UFC 10 and 11 tournament titles before clinching the inaugural heavyweight championship by submitting Dan Severn in under three minutes.

Coveted as "the godfather of ground-and-pound," Coleman parlayed his accolades in the Octagon overseas when he entered Pride. There, "Hammer" won the first Open Weight Grand Prix, taking home the prestigious title in 2000, besting a field of 16 men.

Tito Ortiz

Once considered one the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet, love him or hate him, Tito Ortiz has left his mark in the sport.

"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" first made waves in the UFC when he initiated in a rivalry with the Lion's Den crew, first defeating Jerry Bohlander and avenging an earlier career defeat to Guy Mezger just before flipping off the corner, where the legendary Ken Shamrock presided.

Ortiz would later claim the vacant light heavyweight title when he defeated Wanderlei Silva in a five round rout, defending his title a record five times, culminating in a highly anticipated bout with Shamrock. Ortiz dominated the submission wrestler from start to finish, bludgeoning and battering the wilted fighter before "The World's Most Dangerous Man's" corner finally halted the bout at the end of the third round.

The duo would later engage in another two bouts, to which Ortiz was also successful, finishing of Shamrock twice by first round knockout. Victories over former champions Vitor Belfort and Forrest Griffin also anchor the resume of the enigmatic fighter who continues to plug away as a viable fighter in the UFC.

Dan Henderson

A career spanning three different weight classes, the Olympian turned three-time MMA champion, Dan Henderson is one of the true commodities of the sport.

First earning praise as a fighter in his first foray in the UFC in 1998 when he won the Middleweight Tournament, defeating Allan Goes and Carlos Newton in succession.

Next, Henderson entered the Rings promotion engaging in another tourney which saw the gritty veteran best Gilbert Yvel, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria and Renato Sobral all in one night.

A staple of the Pride ring, Henderson further solidified his legend when he became two-time world champion, simultaneously owning both the 183 and 205-pound titles, defeating then champion Wanderlei Silva with an emphatic knockout finish, clinching light heavyweight infamy in the process.

Henderson re-entered the Octagon sometime later, dropping his first two bouts with the promotion in title bouts before rattling off a three fight win streak which culminated in a vicious knockout victory over perennial contender Michael Bisping.

Since then, "Hendo" made his way to Strikeforce where he earned the 205-pound title by defeating Rafael Cavalcante before taking on Fedor Emelianenko in a heavyweight affair, finishing him off on first round strikes.

Now back in the UFC, Henderson, 41, has re-emerged as a top contender thanks to his rousing five round war with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua just a few weeks ago in a fight that many consider the best in MMA history. 

Chuck Lidell

The most dominant light heavyweight champion in UFC history, Chuck Liddell was one of the earlier faces of the organization, and rightfully so.

En route to the title, Liddell defeated a slew of notable opponents, including Kevin Randleman, Jeff Monson, Renato Sobral. Vitor Belfort and Alistair Overeem before meeting with then champion Randy Couture for the title.

In their first outing, Couture bested Liddell with a third-round TKO. "The Iceman" made the necessary adjustments to stave off takedown attempts from the Olympian and knocked him out in a little over two minutes in the opening round.

Consecutive title defenses against the likes of Jeremy Horn, Renato Sobral (again), Couture (again) and finally Tito Ortiz highlighted Liddell's reign as king.

Liddell suffered losses to Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine in his next outings before picking up a "Fight of the Night" performance in a victory over the lauded Wanderlei Silva.

The UFC Hall of Famer now enjoys life as a top executive with the juggernaut MMA promotion he helped build. 

Randy Couture

One of the larger-than-life legends in the sport, Randy Couture is possibly the most deserving of UFC Hall of Fame honors.

A former five-time UFC champion, Couture captured two titles as a light heavyweight and three as a heavyweight, most recently at UFC 68, when he came out of retirement to take on then champ Tim Sylvia. 

Couture was a decided underdog, but the Olympic wrestler proved his meddle when he dropped the 6'8" behemoth and controlled every round thereafter, taking home a decision victory and reclaiming the title.

He made a successful defense of his title soon after by deftly defeating then top dog Gabriel Gonzaga with a third-round TKO.

Couture would later drop his belt to former kingpin Brock Lesnar before eventually moving back down to the 205-pound class where he defeated Bandon Vera and Mark Coleman before meeting with James Toney in a highly anticipated heavyweight affair which ended with a dominant first round submission victory.