Daniel Cormier
Conor McGregor
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Daniel Cormier leads 2 of 4 categories. Our all-time ranking places Daniel Cormier at #10 and Conor McGregor at #11.
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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.
The case for Conor McGregor
The biggest star the sport has ever produced, McGregor changed MMA's economics and reach while backing it up in the cage during his prime. He became the first fighter to hold two UFC titles simultaneously, knocking out featherweight king José Aldo in a record 13 seconds at UFC 194 in 2015 and stopping Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight belt at UFC 205 in 2016. His left hand was one of the most feared weapons in the sport, and his self-promotion filled arenas and drove the two biggest pay-per-views in company history. He also crossed into boxing for a blockbuster loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Injuries, inactivity and losses to Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov, plus a leg break against Dustin Poirier in 2021, clouded his later years. He sits around 22-6, but his peak dominance and cultural impact are undeniable.