Top 10 Best Fighters of All Time

Welcome to the realm of sweat, skill, and glory - the world of fighting! Over the years, we've seen many warriors ascend to the top, showcasing their tenacity, strength, and brilliance. From the famed octagons of MMA to the global stages of boxing, from traditional martial arts dojos to the dramatic sets of Hollywood, countless fighters have left us in awe with their exceptional skills. So, who exactly are the best fighters of all time?

The traits of a good fighter extend far beyond physical strength or a swift punch. An exceptional fighter embodies discipline, endurance, strategy, adaptability, and the kind of mental fortitude that can rival the toughest philosophers. A fighter's prowess is measured not just in their knockout count, but in their ability to read their opponent, to adapt their tactics on the fly, and to stand up again and again, no matter how many times they're knocked down.

Whether it's the unparalleled quickness and agility of Bruce Lee, the powerful and poetic footwork of Muhammad Ali, the cold precision of Fedor Emelianenko, the entertaining yet effective fight sequences of Jackie Chan, or the explosive martial arts talent of Jet Li, each of these fighters and many more have exemplified unique aspects of what it means to be a truly great fighter.

This isn't just about who has won the most titles or who has the most formidable right hook. It's about celebrating those who have pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a fighter, who have shown us that fighting is as much a mental game as a physical one, and that the heart of a true warrior lies in never giving up, even in the face of the most insurmountable odds.
The Top Ten
1 Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist, martial arts instructor, actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that is often... read more

Pro fighters tiptoed around Bruce Lee, as Bruce was obviously a martial arts superstar, and the word was out that he was a bad, bad, nasty man. Pro fighters knew better than to say anything negative about him, let alone challenge him, as Bruce would call them out on it.

However, Bruce was lenient on the men with no name - wannabe tough guys - because he understood why they would want to provoke him. He understood where they were coming from, rising from nothing in search of glory.

Extras on film sets and others like them would sometimes try to challenge Bruce, but he would try to avoid fighting them and give them a chance to back down. Bruce would do all he could to convince them it wasn't a good idea.

2 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, and... read more

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.

3 Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title at 20 years, four months and 22 days old.

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.

4 Jet Li Li Lianjie, better known by his English stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, martial artist, and wushu champion who was born in Beijing.

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.

5 Ip Man

He could beat anyone. Everyone knows that. He was Bruce Lee's master, and for some reason, Bruce Lee is ranked above him. He taught Bruce Lee and, during his learning period, left for some time. When he returned, he had learned a new type of Wing Chun but was rejected by his own master. However, it proved to be the better style.

You can't beat this guy. He defeated the best boxer in the world at the time and was only partially injured with a black eye. He survived the war because he was a master of martial arts and even beat a Japanese general who could easily defeat three martial arts masters in a matter of seconds.

6 Jackie Chan Chan Kong-sang known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor, film director, producer, stuntman, and singer. He is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself, in the cinematic... 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.

7 Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American actor and martial artist. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championships and later founded his own discipline Chun Kuk Do. Shortly... 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.

8 Anderson Silva Anderson da Silva (born April 14, 1975) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and had the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. This started in 2006 and ended in 2013 and included... 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.

9 Fedor Emelianenko Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist, sambist, and judoka, currently competing for Rizin Fighting Federation.

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!

10 Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler, professional American football player, and mixed martial artist who is currently signed to WWE.

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.

The Newcomers

? Demetrious Johnson Demetrious Khrisna Johnson is an American wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is the first and current Flyweight Champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and currently holds the longest active championship reign at 8 title defenses.
The Contenders
11 Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight "Jon" Jones is an American mixed martial artist and current interim UFC Light 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.

12 Tony Jaa

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!

13 Scott Adkins

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.

14 Sugar Ray Robinson Sugar Ray Robinson was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight.

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

15 Floyd Mayweather Jr. Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. is an American former professional boxer and current boxing promoter.

"Pretty boy" Floyd or "Money" Mayweather is widely considered to be one of the greatest if not the greatest boxer in boxing history. Floyd Mayweather has had success not only inside the ring, but 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.

16 Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist of Avar ethnicity. Nurmagomedov is a two-time Combat Sambo World Champion and the reigning undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion. He currently holds the longest undefeated streak in MMA, with 27... read more

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.

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.

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.

17 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. He is a two-division champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) having won titles in the welterweight and... 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.

18 Deontay Wilder Deontay Leshun Wilder is an American professional boxer. He has held the WBC heavyweight title since 2015, and in doing so became the first American world heavyweight champion in nine years, which was the longest period of time in boxing history without an American heavyweight champion.
19 Randy Couture Randall "Randy" Duane Couture is an American actor, retired mixed martial artist and former collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestler.

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.

20 Conor McGregor Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist and boxer. He is the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight and lightweight champion... 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.

21 Junior dos Santos

He has the best chin in the world. With just a few improvements in abilities and cardio, he could be the best heavyweight of today's generation. JDS Cigano, forever a fan.

22 Chuck Liddell Charles David "Chuck" Liddell (born December 17, 1969) is an American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Karate, and Kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A professional... 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.

23 Royce Gracie

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!

24 Manny Pacquiao Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao is a Filipino professional boxer and politician, currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines. He currently ranks #4 in BoxRec's ranking of the greatest pound for pound boxers of all time.

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!

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