Top 10 Best Fighters of All Time

Strength is nice. Speed helps. A terrifying stare probably sells a few posters. But when you are talking about the best fighters of all time, the conversation gets messier than a post-fight locker room. You are comparing boxers, mixed martial artists, traditional martial artists, action stars, trainers, stunt performers, and legends whose reputations have grown far beyond any single ring, cage, or film set.

A great fighter is not defined by one clean knockout or one perfectly timed kick. You look at technique, discipline, timing, adaptability, courage, and the ability to stay calm when someone across from them has made a very clear decision to ruin their evening. Some names here built their greatness through sanctioned competition. Others shaped martial arts culture through teaching, choreography, training, or screen performances that made millions of people suddenly want to roundhouse-kick a couch cushion.

This list is about the figures you believe best represent fighting greatness in all its forms. Maybe you value proven records. Maybe you care more about influence, skill, toughness, creativity, or that rare ability to make combat look like chess with bruises. Cast your vote for the fighters you think deserve the top spot, and help decide who stands above the rest when the gloves, belts, movie lights, and fan arguments all get thrown into the same arena.

The Top Ten

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee (November 27, 1940 - July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist, instructor, actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and philosopher. He founded Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy that influenced modern mixed martial arts (MMA). Lee is widely considered one of the... read more

Bruce Lee, I've often heard, was a champion of champions. By that, people mean even champions came to realize being a champion isn't necessarily a destination when they realized Bruce Lee was further down the road than they were on the journey. Champions came to realize they are on a journey, and there is no destination.
It's about how far down the road you are.

A heck of a lot of martial artists of the time said they'd never met anyone with as much fighting ability as Bruce Lee. This is at a time when most styles thought their style was the best. Karate men thought they were better than boxers. Boxers thought they were better than judoists. Judoists thought they were better than boxers, and vice versa.
So for so many martial artists of different styles to say Bruce was the best is very revealing and telling. Bruce Lee was the best fighter.
Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. (January 17, 1942 - June 3, 2016), was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer, poet, and philanthropist. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sporting figures of the 20th century. Ali is... read more

Muhammad Ali is the greatest boxer ever to have lived, and there are several reasons to back that up. He was a strategist. If you've seen the Foreman fight, you'll notice that Foreman was stronger than Ali. However, Ali wore Foreman out until he was so exhausted that Ali took advantage and knocked him out.
Ali was fast. In every fight, he was four steps ahead in strategy, speed, endurance, stamina, and identifying weaknesses. He would identify where you could be injured the most during the fight and would pressure that spot until you couldn't withstand it anymore.

Muhammad Ali is the greatest fighter of all time. Some say Bruce Lee could bring down Ali, but consider the facts. Ali is 6'3 and weighs 220 lbs, while Lee is 5'9 and weighs 150 lbs. If a fight were to happen between Ali and Lee, Ali would win by knockout. Ali would control the distance.
Many people say that Lee could just kick Ali in the head, but with Ali's longer reach and greater height, it would be very difficult for Lee to do that. Also, Lee wasn't fond of kicking taller people in the head because his balance would be compromised, giving Lee the disadvantage. Lee could try to get in close to Ali, but Ali would beat him to the ground.
Jet Li

Li Lianjie, better known by his English stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, producer, and martial artist, born in 1963 in Beijing. A five-time wushu champion, he won gold medals at the Chinese national games before transitioning to film in the late 1980s. Li has starred in international blockbusters... read more

I agree with the other posts. Jet Li should be ranked second. He shouldn't be beaten by a mere boxer. Jet Li was a monk. He was trained day and night to be a fighter, and to be ranked third is completely absurd.
A master in Kung Fu, skilled with numerous weapons and many fighting styles in his arsenal, and yet a boxer is rated higher than him? Yes, Muhammad Ali is brilliant in "boxing," but let's be real. Put him in a ring with a highly skilled, badass fighter like Jet Li, and he will lose. Even his name proves he's gifted: "Jet" Li is as fast as a jet.

First of all, Jet Li is better than Chan, Norris, and the people in places 5 and 6 too. In fact, he comes second, right after Bruce Lee. Not to mention, Jet Li is the second greatest of all time. Also, UFC fighters are no match for Lee and Li.
Jackie Chan

Chan Kong-sang, known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor, film director, producer, stuntman, and singer, born in 1954. He is celebrated for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he performs himself. Chan has trained in kung fu and hapkido... read more

When I say the best fighters, I don't pick fighters who were the strongest. I believe there were deadlier fighters than Bruce Lee. It's just that we don't know about them (although he was influential).
Jackie Chan had courage, which many people can't show anymore. This is evident from the bloopers in the end credits. He also staged the best "fixed fight" of all time. I don't like fight scenes with technology. He also had talents in other categories, like singing and directing. Jackie Chan isn't the best, nor the greatest, but he deserves to be number one on this list.

I would have loved to see '80s Jackie Chan against Bruce Lee, both in their prime. Jackie, in my eyes, was underrated. The things this man could do were groundbreaking. People just don't take him seriously. He did all his own stunts and should be second on this list.
Chuck Norris

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940 - March 19, 2026) was an American actor and martial artist. He earned black belts in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo and served in the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1962.... read more

Chuck Norris is a great fighter, but he is not the best in the world. Chuck Norris definitely was not as good as Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee knew more techniques and had more skill. He was also too fast and strong for Norris.

There once was a street named after this man, but they had to change the street's name. That's because no one crosses Chuck Norris and lives. A true American icon and hero, great fighter and great man.

Chuck Norris has done so much more as a martial artist than any other. He is also skilled in several different martial arts. Bruce Lee was good, but not even close to Chuck Norris.
Mike Tyson

Michael Gerard Tyson, born June 30, 1966, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. He became the undisputed world heavyweight champion during the late 1980s.
Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title, achieving this at 20 years, four... read more

Mike Tyson has the perfect build for a fighter. He possesses speed, power, and the mental attitude to destroy anyone. A great fighter is someone who can destroy his opponent, not just hit him. I believe Mike Tyson could beat anyone on the street. Once he has you in a corner, no referee can stop the fight. You can't run away.
Mike Tyson was not just a good fighter but a true warrior. Ali punched and ran away. That's child's play, just like Floyd. If you want to be elusive and hard to fight, fight like Roy Jones Jr. and actually fight. Additionally, Mike was knocking people down with gloves.
Imagine him without gloves. He weighs around 240 pounds and is 5'10. He would toss Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris around. Ali wasn't even close to Mike's athletic ability.
Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko (born September 28, 1976) is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist, sambist, and judoka. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in MMA history and held an undefeated streak from 2000 to 2010. He retired from competition on February 4, 2023... read more

Hands down, the best MMA fighter I have ever watched. He's incredible to watch. Just imagine fighting him. He's so explosive, yet so relaxed. He can fight and be dangerous in every position. If you think you have him, think twice. He's able to escape every submission, and his ground and pound is more unique than anything else.
He's great both standing up and on the ground. He can take any kind of punishment, but in the end, he escapes every dangerous position and finds a way to win every single time. His striking is phenomenal. His Jiu-Jitsu is amazing. He was undefeated for 10 years straight, and nobody understands how he was able to manage that. I don't think we'll ever see a more confident, straightforward fighter like Fedor. He's unique. He just amazes me. Long live the Last Emperor!
Ip Man

Ip Man (1 October 1893-2 December 1972), also known as Yip Man, was a Chinese martial arts grandmaster. He is best known for popularizing the martial art of Wing Chun.
Ip began teaching Wing Chun at the age of 20. Over the years, he trained several students who went on to become accomplished martial... read more

To be honest with all of you Bruce Lee fans and Mike Tyson fans, this man here could crush and destroy all the fighters on this list, including Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Chuck Norris, and others.
The only reason he's not number one is because people don't know anything about him, are jealous of him, or harbor hatred toward him. You should know that he's the one who taught Bruce Lee how to fight. He has a wonderful heart and is a Chinese superhero with superhuman abilities and a powerful mind.
I consider him to be a version of Yoda, Oogway, and Albus Dumbledore, among others. I've never seen anyone beat him because he never gives up. Whether he has good arms, bad arms, no arms, good legs, bad legs, or no legs, he can still beat you using his head while in his wheelchair.
So, this man rules and is untouchable.
Anderson Silva

Anderson da Silva (born April 14, 1975) is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion who held the longest title reign in UFC history, lasting 2,457 days. This reign began in 2006 and ended in 2013, including a record-setting 16 consecutive UFC victories.... read more

I saw that Bisping beat him in 2016, but it seems Bisping was on a really hot streak during that time. From what I can find in terms of historical success, Silva has consistently dominated for a fairly respectable reign.
Plus, looking at the guys ranked 1-8, this isn't a skill-based list. It's a fanboy/Hollywood list, apparently. Pretty boys can look badass, and they have endurance too, for their career. Especially stuntmen. They can take punches. But to win a fight? There's a very real element of application that fighting actors and stuntmen don't utilize the way professional fighters do. But of course, that's all just my opinion.

I think Anderson Silva is easily the best or second-best fighter to have ever set foot on this planet. Even when he couldn't take a step due to his major leg injury (he broke his leg in half and had it replaced with metal), he still came back to fight in the UFC.
His first challenge after the injury was to fight Nick Diaz. He not only attempted it but also succeeded by beating Nick Diaz. If that isn't brave or strong, I don't know what is. Call it what you want, but first put yourself in his position. Would you do that after all that? I certainly wouldn't.
Tony Jaa

Tatchakorn Yeerum, better known as Tony Jaa, is a Thai martial artist, actor, action choreographer, stuntman, and director. Known for his explosive martial arts stunt work, Jaa broke out in 2003 with Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, which earned him international recognition and spawned two sequels. He has... read more

He has more moves than what someone can usually teach you, and he only hits hard. He seems like the toughest fighter on this list to me. Not only is he really fast, but all his moves hit you so hard that you don't feel you can hit back as forcefully.

Tony Jaa is the greatest martial artist I have ever seen. All his moves in the movies were real, and I like his style. He's not really good at acting, but for me, that doesn't really matter. All I want to see is his fighting style. Tony Jaa is great!

Tony Jaa is incredibly strong. He beat around 100 guards and his top enemy in the film. Go on YouTube if you want proof!

The Newcomers

?
Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov (born September 20, 1988) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist of Avar ethnicity. He is a two-time Combat Sambo World Champion and retired as the undefeated UFC Lightweight Champion with a 29-0 record, the longest undefeated streak in professional MMA history... read more

Khabib dominated his opponents like no other. He is arguably the best grappler to ever grace the Octagon and holds Master of Sport titles and multiple world championships in Combat Sambo. Khabib has underrated stand-up skills and an extremely high-level grappling game.

GOAT, undefeated fighter, and the most humble and respectful fighter from those I know. The best of all time must be a great person, not just a great fighter. Khabib is a true inspiration for both.

He destroyed McGregor. After making McGregor look like a big wimp, Khabib should be higher on the list. He even had the guts to hop the cage and go after McGregor's trainer.
?
Wong Shun Leung

This man had over 100 fights and never lost. None were filmed, though.
If someone can have 100 fights without any being filmed, why should people find it hard to believe that the greatest fighter who ever lived, Bruce Lee, also had fights that were never caught on camera?
I vote for Wong because he is more mysterious.

This man fought real fights, not sports fights. He won over 100 fights.
He might not be the best fighter of all time, but in his prime, he was just about the best. Make a film about this man - I want to know more about him.

The Contenders

Scott Adkins

Scott Edward Adkins (born 17 June 1976) is an English actor and martial artist. He gained prominence with his villainous portrayal of the Russian prison fighter Yuri Boyka in the American martial arts film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006). He reprised this role in its sequels, Undisputed III:... read more

Scott Adkins is the most complete fighter in the world. He has skills, muscles, and technique. I think he is the most complete fighter in the world now, in the 21st century. Seriously, do you think Scott Adkins should be this far behind?

Scott Adkins should at least be in the number three spot in the world. He is also a real fighter. I agree with the people who think that he is one of the top-ranked fighters.

He is the best fighter in the world. He should be at the top of this list. He is very flexible, and his techniques are mind-blowing, so he should be in the number 1 position.
Brock Lesnar

Brock Edward Lesnar (born July 12, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler, football player, and mixed martial artist who is currently signed to WWE. He first gained prominence as the youngest WWE Champion in history after winning the title in 2002. He later became the... read more

Not the greatest fighter, but he definitely is the guy who has worked hard. He is massive and has accomplished a lot in his career despite going through illness, etc. He's an NCAA Champion, UFC heavyweight champion, and, despite being scripted, is a champion in professional wrestling.
He headlined four out of the six highest PPV events, two of them being the top two. Plus, he moves around the cage/ring like a light heavyweight guy.

Brock Lesnar only lost in the UFC due to his battle with illness. He has squatted 1,000 pounds, deadlifted 900, and according to witness Kurt Angle, he benched over 800 pounds! He ran a 50m dash in 6 seconds! He can truly beat anyone. If he gets a hold of you, you're done! The force with which he could hit you or slam you is tremendous.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. is an American former professional boxer and current boxing promoter.
Known as "Pretty Boy" and "Money," Mayweather is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers in history. He achieved tremendous success in the ring and has proven to be a savvy businessman outside... read more

I do not like Floyd Mayweather Jr., but that being said, he is one of the greatest defensive fighters I have ever seen. It's like he's living two seconds in the future. His reflexes and speed are arguably the greatest in the history of boxing. His instincts are supernatural. I respect him as a fighter. He is number 7 on my list.

Greatest boxer of all time. No ifs, ands, or buts. He is BY FAR the most superior defensive boxer of all time. He has only ever been cleanly hit once. He should be in the top three on this list. It's preposterous to have Pac-Man, Lesnar, and 22 of the other names above him on this list.
Jon Jones

Jonathan Dwight "Jon" Jones, born July 19, 1987, is an American mixed martial artist. He is a former UFC champion in both the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions. In June 2025, Jones announced his retirement, and interim champion Tom Aspinall was promoted to undisputed heavyweight champion.

Jon Jones has more durability by a ten percent difference than Bruce Lee had because he is so much heavier and trains really hard. Jones is a little faster than Lee. At full potential, he could run and dodge slightly better since he uses the treadmill and track a lot and is taller.
Bruce Lee was stronger at his best. He benched more weight than Jon Jones can do and hits faster and harder. Bruce Lee could only do the one-inch punch. Jon Jones really does well in mixed martial arts, but Bruce Lee knew a few more moves and techniques. Their athleticism and skills are equally matched.

Jon Jones has never "lost" an MMA fight. While his record shows one loss, you must not have seen the Matt Hamill fight. That disqualification was a bogus call, but unfortunately, Hamill was unable to continue after the beating.
I don't know why all these actors are ranked ahead of true fighters unless you really believe Jet Li or Jackie Chan would beat MMA fighters. They are smaller and have no ground skills. Statham, who is the most well-rounded actor, would beat all the actors listed above. He has a black belt in kickboxing and a brown belt in jiu-jitsu. While I respect Jet Li and Jackie Chan, they would lose to Statham 99 times out of 100 because a bigger opponent with striking and grappling ability beats a smaller, one-dimensional karate fighter. We learned that in UFC 1.
I think a separate category for the best fighter among actors would be cool. We would want to base it on real-life credentials. I believe Bruce Lee was the best pound-for-pound fighter, but at only 140 to 145 pounds, he was the first to start learning grappling 25 to 30 years before the UFC showed us that a one-dimensional grappler beats one-dimensional strikers. Royce Gracie easily defeated karate, kickboxing, and boxing fighters. Even Shamrock, who had limited grappling experience from Japan, did boxing and wrestling, and had a 50-pound weight advantage over Gracie, was easily submitted.
So, with their current skill sets, the bigger and better grappler, Statham, beats Bruce Lee at least 9 times out of 10. P.S. I love Bruce Lee. He has been my hero for 30 years since I watched The Big Boss at four years old, but I'm a realist.
Georges St-Pierre

Georges St-Pierre (born May 19, 1981) is a Canadian retired professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. A two-division champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he won titles in both the welterweight and middleweight... read more

True MMA fans know who the GOAT truly is. Georges St-Pierre was the best that ever was, pound for pound, in MMA. Casual fans prefer theatrics compared to skill, so they look past any real martial artist and prefer actors who were good at some martial arts, like Bruce Lee.
Name me one of his conquests that proves he was so great. How about can crushers like Fedor, or worse yet, can crushers who are one-dimensional like Anderson Silva? Ridiculous list. Georges St-Pierre was truly a level above everyone.

The fact that Georges St-Pierre is not even in the top 3, let alone the top ten, is beyond me. This guy didn't just beat his opponents. He absolutely dominated them.
Given the high caliber of opponents he faced, it's remarkable how bad he made them look. Also, this list is for best fighters, not actors. The inclusion of people like Jet Li on this list is baffling.
Don "The Dragon" Wilson

If someone could give Bruce Lee a hard time, Don Wilson is the guy!
Conor McGregor

Conor Anthony McGregor, born on July 14, 1988, is an Irish professional mixed martial artist and boxer. He is best known for being a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion.
McGregor began his MMA career in 2008. In 2012, he won the Cage Warriors Featherweight and Lightweight Championships... read more

Conor is a much better fighter than Chuck Norris and many other Hollywood actors listed in the top 30. I think he should be in the top 4. He has great accuracy and is a complete fighter who covers many aspects of unarmed combat.
Floyd and Manny are the greatest 145-pound boxers in history, but Conor is a complete fighter who has dominated pure unarmed combat. Therefore, I believe he should be ahead of both of them. He also has incredible speed, precision, timing, and reflexes. He is most likely the greatest MMA fighter in history.

At least top 20.
When you think about Conor, whether you love or hate him, you know that he's a hugely influential figure. Day by day, he is being compared to the likes of the greats such as Muhammad Ali.
Even the UFC has figuratively embraced his icon, saying things like, "He is the Muhammad Ali of the UFC."
Conor McGregor is still in his prime and undoubtedly going to improve. Time is a factor in all of this, and I'm sure he will soon make it into the top 10 in the history he writes.
In Conor McChrist we trust.
Chuck Liddell

Charles David "Chuck" Liddell (born December 17, 1969) is an American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He has a striking background in Kempo, Karate, and Kickboxing, along with grappling experience from collegiate wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.... read more

I go with Chuck because he beat so many fighters I didn't like, and he won the war against Randy Couture. So why is Randy ahead of Chuck?

Chuck would bum-rush any of the competitors and throw off any kind of martial arts defense.
Sugar Ray Robinson

Sugar Ray Robinson was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. Robinson's dominance in the welterweight and middleweight divisions led sportswriters to develop the concept of "pound for pound" rankings, which compare fighters regardless of weight class. He is widely regarded as... read more

Ray was 85-0 in the amateur ranks. Most of his professional defeats came after the time he "wanted retirement." During this three-year retirement break, due to money issues, he was forced to return and got 16 losses because of it. He would have retired with 132 wins and three losses.
Those three losses were: 1) Jake LaMotta, who Ray beat four times in a row after this defeat. 2) Randolph Turpin - after 90 straight wins, Turpin beat Ray, but Ray won it back with a clean knockout. 3) Joey Maxim, a much heavier opponent who was actually losing, but Ray was overheating badly and retired.
Even after his three-year break, no one beat him twice in another five years in the ring. And after his whole 19 losses ever (44 years old at second retirement), he never got knocked out. He only retired once against a light-heavyweight when he was a middleweight, and it was so hot that the referee fainted. Ray was ahead on all the judge's cards.
Basically, if Ray had fully retired when he wanted to, his record would be (including his amateur record of 85-0) 217 wins and three losses, which he rematched and beat both (apart from the really unfair Joey Maxim bout).
GREATEST
Royce Gracie

Royce Gracie (born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer, and is considered to be one of the most influential figures... read more

Royce may not be the most talented of the Gracies, but in my opinion, he is the one that deserves to be on this list because he doesn't give up. His talents are world-class, don't get me wrong. But it's his perseverance and ability to keep fighting even when things aren't going his way that makes him a formidable warrior. Raw talent means nothing without it. Great fighter.

This man is an incredible human being, let alone fighter. I've met him once and watched a number of his fights. He would dominate anyone on here! Hands down! There's a reason there are Chuck Norris jokes and not Royce Gracie jokes. Everyone knows he is no damn joke!
Randy Couture

Randall "Randy" Duane Couture (born June 22, 1963) is an American actor and retired mixed martial artist. He was a six-time UFC champion, winning the Heavyweight Championship three times and the Light Heavyweight Championship twice, along with an Interim Light Heavyweight title. Couture was inducted... read more

He is the smartest fighter of all time. He can come up with a game plan for anyone and execute it like nobody else. He only loses to elite competition and beats elite opponents as well. In his prime, during the years 2000 and 2003, I would pick him over anybody in a fight.

Best fighter the world has ever seen aside from Muhammad Ali. The two make up a unique category.
Steven Seagal

Steven Frederic Seagal is an American actor, film producer, screenwriter, director, martial artist, and musician. He began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan before transitioning to Hollywood. Seagal is also known for working as a reserve deputy sheriff and for his roles in action films... read more

He has a black belt in aikido. He can beat all these movie stars with his single palm fist. In reality, he has no chance. In a movie, it is arguable.

There's no way any of these names already listed, with the exception of Bruce Lee, could have beaten Steven Seagal!

This guy is the real deal. He should be at the top of this list. In his prime, he was simply the best that ever was.
Manny Pacquiao

Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao is a Filipino professional boxer and former politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is widely considered one of the greatest boxers in history. BoxRec has ranked him highly on their all-time pound-for-pound list.... read more

Woah, Pacman should be at the top of the list! Number one, I mean. He is our national hero from the year of his birth until today. We Filipinos love him so much that we gave him a lot of jobs to do.
He is a boxer, a promoter, a congressman/statesman, a cornerstone in his family's home, a supplier of goods in General Santos City, a former vendor of peanuts, a devoutly religious guy, a loyal person, a wealthy individual, an honest human, a man with strong passions, a persevering Filipino, and a nice guy to have a match with. Woohoo! Pacquiao #1! Hail to you. Idol!

He should be number 2, with his idol Bruce Lee in number 1. He idolized Bruce Lee and, without a doubt, he's the GOAT of boxing.
Beating young, undefeated champions at age 41 is really ridiculous to imagine. An older guy beating young bloods. Manny is the true definition of GOAT: an 8-division world champion.
Huo Yanjai
Deontay Wilder

Deontay Leshun Wilder, born October 22, 1985, is an American professional boxer. He held the WBC heavyweight title from January 2015 until February 2020.
Wilder was the first American to win a world heavyweight title since 2007, ending a nine-year drought. He is known for his powerful punching... read more