The best MMA fighters in the world

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is one of the most dynamic and spectacular sports of today. Over several decades, MMA has evolved from niche fights with minimal rules to a global phenomenon. Now, MMA fighters have a huge audience worldwide, earning millions of dollars for stepping into the octagon. In this article, we have compiled the top 10 fighters at the moment according to the editorial board of Scores24.

1st place — Islam Makhachev

We believe there can be no dispute about the first place. Islam Makhachev confidently leads the ranking of the best UFC fighters regardless of weight categories. Therefore, his position at the top of our list should not surprise anyone. The Russian fighter, who holds the record for UFC lightweight title defenses in history, moved up to the welterweight division in November 2025 and outclassed Jack Della Maddalena, who was the champion at that time. Thanks to this result, Makhachev matched the record of legendary Brazilian Anderson Silva for the longest winning streak (16) in the world's best league. Therefore, Islam has forever left his mark in history. But in our opinion, Makhachev is the best in the world not only because of his achievements but also due to his skills. The Dagestani fighter simply has no weak spots — he has elite wrestling, diverse striking, excellent cardio, and the highest fighting IQ.

2nd place — Ilia Topuria

Yes, Topuria recently lost a fight against Justin Gaethje at the UFC tournament in the White House, losing not only his flawless record but also the title in the lightweight division. However, this cannot affect what the Spanish fighter of Georgian origin has done over the past two years — early victories over sports legends (Volkanovski, Holloway, and Oliveira) and the status of a double UFC champion — give him the opportunity to be second in our ranking.

3rd place — Khamzat Chimaev

Chimaev, like Topuria, sensationally lost the UFC middleweight title, losing a close fight to Sean Strickland. But in terms of skills, Khamzat is still an elite fighter. Nobody dominates their opponents like "Borz" does. There's no doubt that without the weight-cutting issues that the Chechen had before UFC 328, he would easily handle Sean in a rematch.

4th place — Francis Ngannou

Yes, Ngannou hasn't competed in the world's best league for over three years. But that doesn't stop the Cameroonian from remaining the most dangerous man in the world. The May victory over Felipe Lins by knockout in the first round only proved that the former UFC and PFL champion is still in shape. It seems that there is still no one stronger in the heavyweight division than "The Predator", especially after Jon Jones' retirement,

5th place — PetrYan

Petr Yan found himself in a deep crisis in March 2023. It seemed that the Russian's career was on the decline, and he would not return. However, by June 2026, the Russian fighter had a four-fight winning streak and regained his UFC bantamweight champion title. His performance in the December rematch with Dvalishvili is a guide for any aspiring fighter. We are once again witnessing Yan's fast, technical, and combination boxing with superb takedown defense. And such a version of Petr deserves to be in the top 5 of our ranking.

6th place — Arman Tsarukyan

The Armenian UFC lightweight has long deserved a title fight. However, health problems and not the best relationship with UFC bosses constantly delay this moment. But, it seems, this year Tsarukyan will finally realize his dream and win the belt. Meanwhile, Arman continues to torment his opponents in the RAF league, where he fights under grappling rules. For example, Tony Ferguson recently fell under the distribution, who was crushed on the mat with a score of 10:0.

7th place — Alex Pereira

Pereira is a real phenomenon for the martial arts industry. The Brazilian fighter at 34 burst into the world's best league and won two UFC championship titles in two divisions in 736 days! At the event at the White House, the Brazilian put everything on the line and tried to become the first triple UFC champion in history. However, Ciryl Gane was too tough for the Brazilian. Still, the size and natural power in the heavyweights are completely different. But the numerous records of "Poatan", rewritten over the past five years, have guaranteed his place in this ranking.

8th place — Alex Volkanovski

Volkanovski is still not fading. After defeats from Makachev and Topuria, the legendary Australian managed to return. And how! He again holds the UFC title in the featherweight division and is preparing for another defense of his title (rumor has it, his opponent will be the undefeated Movsar Evloev). Moreover, there is a feeling that over the years Alex has become smarter in fighting. He has improved in footwork, takes fewer risks, and acts pragmatically, inflicting colossal damage on opponents due to excellent boxing.

9th place — Merab Dvalishvili

Dvalishvili is indeed a machine. The Georgian fighter has the best cardio in the world. He constantly pressures his opponents and threatens with multiple takedown attempts, not allowing them to "breathe". Last year, Merab set an unattainable pace for himself, holding four title fights. Dvalishvili successively defeated Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O'Malley, and Cory Sandhagen. But he stumbled on Petr Yan and lost the UFC bantamweight title. Nevertheless, the Georgian fighter still deserves to be among the best on the planet. And it's too early to write him off.

10th place — JustinGaethje, Usman Nurmagomedov, and Vadim Nemkov

Yes, it's cunning, but we couldn't pick just one person for the tenth spot. The competition in modern mixed martial arts is so intense that each of these guys deserved to make it into the top 10. Justin Gaethje has literally resurrected his career in the last six months and, thanks to a victory over Topuria at the White House, managed to finally become the UFC champion at 37. Usman Nurmagomedov continues to remain undefeated among professionals (21 wins and one fight declared a no-contest) and has been dominating the lightweight division of the world's second most powerful promotion (first Bellator, then PFL) since 2022. As for Vadim Nemkov, he has been undefeated in MMA since 2016, and since the end of 2025, he holds the PFL title in the heavyweight division.