Amanda Nunes
Daniel Cormier
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Amanda Nunes leads 3 of 4 categories. Our all-time ranking places Amanda Nunes at #6 and Daniel Cormier at #10.
The case for Amanda Nunes
The greatest female fighter in history, 'The Lioness' is the first woman to hold two UFC titles simultaneously, reigning over both bantamweight and featherweight. She dismantled an entire generation of stars: a 48-second knockout of Ronda Rousey at UFC 207 in 2016, a 51-second knockout of the previously unbeaten Cris Cyborg at UFC 232 in 2018, plus wins over Miesha Tate, Holly Holm, Germaine de Randamie and two victories over Valentina Shevchenko. The only blemish in her prime was a shocking submission loss to Julianna Peña at UFC 269 in 2021, which she emphatically avenged with a one-sided decision at UFC 277 in 2022. She retired as the reigning double champion at 23-5, having beaten more current or former champions than any woman in the sport and settling the female GOAT debate for a generation.
The case for Daniel Cormier
A two-time Olympic wrestler and 2008 U.S. team captain, 'DC' translated elite grappling into a two-division championship career, holding both the light heavyweight and heavyweight belts. He captured the vacant light heavyweight title against Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 in 2015, defended it against Johnson again and Alexander Gustafsson, then moved up and knocked out the great Stipe Miocic to take the heavyweight crown at UFC 226 in 2018. His stellar record of 22-3 carries an asterisk that defines his career: every one of his losses came against Jon Jones, and one of those was overturned to a no-contest after Jones failed a drug test. Endlessly durable, technical and cerebral, Cormier would likely be remembered as an all-time great champion in any era that did not also contain his one impossible rival.