Longest UFC victory series: Anderson Silva's record-breaking run to Jon Jones whittling down the established elite and 'The Machine'
UFC's Longest Win Streaks: A Look at the Greatest Fighters in MMA History
The UFC, the world's premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, has seen some of the most iconic and historic fights in the sport's history. One aspect that sets these fighters apart is their impressive win streaks. Here's a rundown of some of the longest win streaks in UFC history and beyond.
Khabib Nurmagomedov holds one of the longest undefeated streaks in UFC history with 29 wins and 0 losses before retiring in 2020. His most notable victory was against Conor McGregor in one of the most iconic rivalries in the sport's history. Current contender Islam Makhachev is actively close to matching or surpassing top streaks, currently on a significant win streak.
Another notable fighter is Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez, who currently has the 2nd longest active UFC win streak in the Middleweight Division, though the exact number of wins is not specified.
Max Holloway has a win streak of 13 fights in the UFC, with victories over Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis. However, his UFC featherweight title was lost to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 245 in December 2019.
Tony Ferguson had a win streak of 12 fights in the UFC, making him one of the greatest lightweights in the sport. His streak came to an end in a bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 in May 2020.
Islam Makhachev, the current lightweight champion, made the decision to vacate the title in 2025 to move up a division. His most recent victory was against Charles Oliveira in 2022 to become the new lightweight champion.
Anderson Silva held the UFC middleweight title for over six years and had a win streak of 16 fights. His most notable defeat came against Chris Weidman in 2013, but he embarked on a 16-fight win run following his UFC debut in June 2006.
Kamaru Usman has a win streak of 15 fights, including a victory over Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 in 2019 to become the new welterweight champion. His reign was recently challenged by Leon Edwards, who knocked him out at UFC 278 in August 2022.
Georges St-Pierre has a win streak of 13 fights, with victories over the likes of Michael Bisping and Johny Hendricks. His career came to a pause due to a medical condition, but he returned to action in 2017 and defeated Michael Bisping to win the middleweight title.
Jon Jones has a win streak of 13 fights, with his most recent victory being against Stipe Miocic in his last fight to date. Jones was constantly berated for not unifying the heavyweight title against Tom Aspinall, but he expressed his desire to fight on the UFC White House card.
Demetrious Johnson defended his flyweight title a record-breaking 11 times. His most notable victory came against Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 to win the flyweight title. Johnson recently announced his retirement from MMA.
Amanda Nunes has a win streak of 12 fights in the UFC, with victories over Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. Her most recent victory was against Julianna Peña at UFC 277 in July 2022 to reclaim the bantamweight title.
Merab Dvalishvili has a win streak of 13 fights in the UFC, making him one of the best bantamweights in the sport. His most recent victories include defeating Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo in successive fights.
Other fighters with long win streaks (not limited to UFC but relevant) include Russia's Usman Nurmagomedov (19 wins currently), and Australian Jack Della Maddalena (18 wins currently), among others.
Historical long streaks in MMA (including UFC and other organizations) include Igor Vovchanchyn with a 40-fight undefeated streak, Renan Barao with 32, and Fedor Emelianenko with 27.
In conclusion, the UFC has seen some of the most impressive win streaks in MMA history, with Khabib Nurmagomedov's 29-0 record standing as the longest win streak. Current contenders like Islam Makhachev and Anthony Hernandez hold significant active streaks, while other fighters like Max Holloway, Tony Ferguson, Anderson Silva, Kamaru Usman, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, Amanda Nunes, and Merab Dvalishvili also boast impressive win streaks. The UFC continues to be a platform for some of the most talented and successful fighters in MMA.
- The UFC, a premier sports organization for mixed martial arts (MMA), is known for its historic and iconic fights, with some fighters being distinguished by their impressive win streaks.
- Besides UFC, other sports such as NFL, F1, football, boxing, and other MMA organizations have also witnessed significant win streaks, like Russia's Usman Nurmagomedov with 19 wins and Australia's Jack Della Maddalena with 18 wins.
- Prior to UFC's Khabib Nurmagomedov, who went 29-0 before retiring, Igor Vovchanchyn from outside the UFC had an even more impressive 40-fight win streak.
- Moving forward in the UFC, both Islam Makhachev and Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez are actively attempting to surpass some of the longest win streaks seen in MMA history, with Makhachev recently becoming the new lightweight champion after his victory against Charles Oliveira in 2022.
