MMA has existed for decades now. The sport is known for its diversity in hosting fighters from various countries and stylistic backgrounds. For example, some might be knockout artists, others may specialize in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

With the UFC first founded in the 1990s, the next decade of fighters was critical for growing the promotion and MMA to what the sport is today. They’ve displayed a level of dominance and records in the history book that we look back on today, whether that’s for title wins or submission totals. While most of the MMA legends who fought during 2000-2010 have retired, some amazingly still fight today.

17

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

The Power Slam Was His Trademark

Rampage Jackson was one of the most exciting and powerful fighters of the 2000s, with a fighting style that blended knockout power and aggressive wrestling. His signature power slam became a viral highlight, especially during his time in Pride FC. In 2007, he captured the UFC light heavyweight title by knocking out Chuck Liddell and later unified the belt against Dan Henderson. Jackson’s charisma and devastating right hand made him a fan favorite around the world.

16

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Toughness Defined His Career

Nogueira was the face of heavyweight submission grappling in the 2000s. The Pride legend and former interim UFC heavyweight champion was known for his incredible durability and ability to come back from punishment to secure a win. He had legendary wars with the likes of Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Cro Cop and was one of the few fighters to hold titles in both Pride and the UFC. Minotauro’s heart and skill made him one of the most respected heavyweights in MMA history.

15

Frank Mir

The Arm-Breaker Of The Octagon

Frank Mir was a submission wizard in the heavyweight division, best known for his quick finishes and technical jiu-jitsu. He captured the UFC heavyweight title in 2004 and later won the interim belt in 2008 after a stunning win over Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. Mir is one of the few heavyweights to win multiple UFC titles and holds the record for most submissions in UFC heavyweight history. His brutal armbars and leg locks were the stuff of nightmares for his opponents.

14

Rich Franklin

The Chuck Liddell Knockout Is In His Highlight Reel

If you’re a fan of stand-up fighters in MMA, not many UFC fighters are more entertaining to watch than Rich Franklin. In the 2000s, the Hall of Famer was known for his highlight reel knockouts, including a big one against Chuck Liddell in 2010. Franklin earned his first UFC title in 2005 after knocking out Evan Tanner. He defended his belt twice after that and never regained gold after that.

13

Dan “Hendo” Henderson

Smothering Wrestling & One Punch KO Power Led To Two PRIDE Championships

Although he was never a champion in the UFC during the 2000s, Dan Henderson was nevertheless one of the most terrifying and dominant fighters of the decade. Henderson’s base may have been in Greco-Roman wrestling (which certainly helped him control the pace of his fights), but he and his opponents discovered that he had show-stopping power in his right hand. It was this KO power that led to the most iconic knockout of the 2000s, that being his knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100.

Henderson did arguably his best work however in PRIDE FC, where he won both their Middleweight (205 lbs) and Welterweight (183 lbs) championships before the promotion closed in 2007. He did that by beating two other legends of the decade, Murilo Bustamante and Wanderlei Silva.

12

Lyoto Machida

Machida’s Style Confounded Opponents In The 2000s

Prior to the arrival of Lyoto Machida in the UFC, Shotokan and points-based karate was seen as a style that just wasn’t viable in MMA compared to the striking arts of boxing and Muay Thai. Machida showed however that his blitzing style of punches and kicks could make minced meat out of even the toughest opponents and make otherwise skilled fighters look like striking amateurs.

Racking up wins over Thiago Silva, Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans and more in the 2000s, the decade was the beginning of Machida’s MMA odyssey. Unfortunately for Machida, he never managed a long UFC championship reign as he would only make one title defense before losing to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in 2010 at UFC 113.

11

Dominick Cruz

Wins Against Legends Including Faber, Dillashaw, and Demetrious Johnson

It feels like Dominick Cruz has been fighting forever. While he has lost three out of his last five fights, we can’t forget how dominant he was in his prime. After losing his WEC debut against champion Urijah Faber in 2007, The Dominator did not lose a fight until nearly a decade later. In UFC Bantamweight history, Cruz ranks second all-time in title fight wins with four. In addition, Cruz has beaten UFC legends including Faber, TJ Dillashaw, and Demetrious Johnson.

During the height of Cruz’s dominance, his bizarre kickboxing style confounded his opponents and if they ever rushed in on him, he would take them down with his incredible wrestling pedigree. Cruz’s varied arsenal and unique striking style made him difficult for opponents to prepare for.

10

BJ Penn

After Losing in 2009, He Won The Lightweight Belt Following A Win Against Florian

Sure, BJ Penn didn’t have a great end to his UFC career, losing nine out of his last 11 fights – but his versatility as a mixed martial artist allowed him to have multiple reigns as a UFC world champion. The first one began in 2008 after submitting Joe Stevenson and defended his belt once. After losing his belt to Georges St-Pierre in 2009, he regained glory later that year with a win after moving down in weight to Kenny Florian and defended it once against Diego Sanchez.

9

Jon Jones

Even Early In His Career, Jon Jones Was Special

Today, many consider Jon Jones to be the greatest UFC fighter of all time. From when he made his debut in 2008 until now, nobody even belonged in the same octagon as him. It was a matter of when, not if Jones would take his opponents to the ground and start pummeling them. If they were lucky enough, the Rochester, New York native would submit them early in the fight. His only loss to date was controversy over his Matt Hamill 12–6 elbows, which were deemed illegal.

8

Wanderlei Silva

Silva Made A Name For Himself In The PRIDE Fighting Championships

Wanderlei Silva is known mostly for his success in the PRIDE Fighting Championships. Nicknamed the “The Axe Murderer,” the Brazilian had devastating knockout power. The fight that stands out the most with Silva was his repeated knees to the head on Quinton “Rampage” Jackson that knocked him out cold in 2002 in a PRIDE match. The two would start a rivalry and would face each other a couple more times in MMA, where Silva went 2-1 against Jackson. In PRIDE, Silva won seven championships. Additionally, Silva went unbeaten for 17 straight fights, which included a draw and a no-contest, from 2000-2004.

7

Tito Ortiz

Ortiz Won His First Title At Just 25 Years Old

UFC President Dana White may not like this next pick (given his feud with Tito Ortiz that almost led to a fight between the two) – but the California-born fighter’s accomplishments deserve some respect. At just 25 years old, Ortiz won his first title and would then defend his belt for a record five times at the time from 2000 to 2002. He would not get a shot at a championship again until he faced off against Chuck Liddell at UFC 66. There, he was dominated in the fight, and lost by TKO in the third round.

6

Matt Hughes

Hughes Loved Attacking The Arms And Going For Submissions

In the early 2000s, the UFC was Matt Hughes’ show. While Hughes wasn’t a flashy striker, his domination in the grappling department and explosive takedowns made him fun to watch regardless. The Welterweight was also a major threat for submissions. When opponents were on their back, they needed to make sure they weren’t putting themselves in vulnerable positions, because Hughes loved attacking the arm for submissions. To Hughes’ credit, he has five straight title defenses, with his first championship win occurring in 2001. In total, he is a nine-time Welterweight champion. Hughes even gave Georges St-Pierre one of his only two losses in the UFC.

5

Randy Couture

Couture Fought In A Record Of 16 Title Fights

In the early days of the UFC, Randy Couture was one of the first stars, beating Vitor Belfort by TKO to win his first title in 1997. In the 2000s, the orthodox fighter was very much still in his prime. “The Natural” fought in a record of 16 title fights. Additionally, Couture became the first person in UFC history to win championships in two different weight classes. He did this by beating Maurice Smith for the Heavyweight belt, and Liddell for the Light Heavyweight belt in 2003.

4

Chuck Liddell

The Iceman Holds The Record For Most Consecutive Knockouts

In UFC history, Chuck Liddell might be the most feared fighter in the sport. “The Iceman” stuffed takedowns at an elite level, which forced fighters to have to strike with him. Of his 21 wins, 13 of them were by knockout. Liddell holds the record for the most consecutive knockouts in a row with seven. At Light Heavyweight, he defended his belt successfully four times.

3

Georges St-Pierre

The Canadian Is Third All-Time In Belt Defenses With Nine

There are a lot of great Welterweights – but it’s hard to dominate the division like St-Pierre did. The Canadian was a master of the ground and pound. While St-Pierre had a lot of success early in his career, his title loss to Hughes at UFC 50 set him back. He would get his revenge back in 2006, knocking out Hughes in the second round. St-Pierre beat him again a year later – the beginning of the most dominant stretch by a champion maybe the UFC has ever seen. Also, he is third all-time in title defenses, with nine. St-Pierre also won a belt at Middleweight.

2

Fedor Emelianenko

The Last Emperor Is Probably The Most Talented Fighter To Never Appear In The UFC

Like Wanderlei Silva, Fedor Emelianenko made a name for himself in PRIDE. Known as “The Last Emperor,” he had a 27-fight winning streak at Heavyweight. In the division, after winning the title, he defended it three times from 2003 to 2007. In his 40-win career, he had a finish in 31 of his matchups (15 knockouts, 16 submissions). He’s probably the most talented fighter to never to fight in the UFC.

1

Anderson Silva

Silva Won A Record 16 Straight Fights In The UFC

In MMA, there was never a dull moment with Anderson Silva. No matter how important the fight was, Silva would showboat and have fun. But make no mistake, Silva was one of the most talented artists in the history of the sport. He could win a fight in many different ways, whether that’s a knockout from the stand-up position or a submission from his back. Silva’s most impressive victory was when Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 dominated him on the ground the entire fight. But with about two minutes left, Silva came up clutch with a Hail Mary triangle choke to submit him and keep his long winning streak alive. Silva won a record of 16 straight fights in the UFC, which started in 2006. Additionally, Silva is second all-time in title defenses.