Georges St-Pierre
Anderson Silva
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Dead even across the measured categories. Our all-time ranking places Georges St-Pierre at #2 and Anderson Silva at #3.
The case for Georges St-Pierre
The most dominant welterweight in history and a paragon of preparation, GSP retired at 26-2 having avenged both losses. He first won the welterweight title from Matt Hughes at UFC 65 in 2006, suffered a stunning upset knockout by Matt Serra in 2007, then reclaimed the belt and never lost again, defending it nine consecutive times against a murderer's row that included B.J. Penn, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves, Jake Shields and Nick Diaz. Famous for tailoring a specific game plan to every opponent — wrestling strikers and out-striking wrestlers — he combined an elite jab with suffocating top control. After a four-year hiatus he returned at UFC 217 in 2017 to submit middleweight champion Michael Bisping, becoming a two-division titleholder, then retired on top. His run of 13 title-fight wins stood as a record and his professionalism reshaped the sport.
The case for Anderson Silva
For seven years 'The Spider' was untouchable, holding the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days and a record 16 consecutive victories with 10 straight middleweight title defenses. His striking looked like something from another sport: the front-kick knockout of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 in 2011, the matrix-like head movement, the finishes of Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, Chael Sonnen and Chris Leben. He fought with his hands down and made elite opponents miss by inches before countering with fight-ending precision, and he twice moved up to light heavyweight and won. His aura finally cracked when Chris Weidman knocked him out at UFC 162 in 2013, and the 2013 rematch ended horrifically when Silva broke his leg on a checked kick. He retired 34-11, but at his peak he was the most artistic finisher the sport has seen.