EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsIt's hard to remain undefeated in MMA.Since ESPN ranked the top unbeaten martial artists in the world a year ago, several have suffered their first losses. None was more significant than former middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev failing to get his hand raised for the first time in 16 appearances in a split decision to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 last month. Longtime Bellator MMA champ Johnny Eblen and featherweight Lerone Murphy also took their first career defeats.Ilia Topuria has managed to stay perfect through not one but two UFC championships -- and looks to extend that streak in a lightweight title unification bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 in Washington, D.C. For the second straight year, Topuria stands at the top of ESPN's ranking of the best undefeated fighters in MMA today. Here's the full list, based on rsum and potential.1. Ilia Topuria (17-0), UFC lightweight championWhat's incredible is that, against the best opponents in the world, Topuria is delivering similar results to when he started in MMA a decade ago. He always has been a prolific finisher, with an 88% career finishing rate, but that rate has actually climbed to 100% in title fights. Topuria has knocked out Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira in UFC championship fights and submitted Brian Bouland in Cage Warriors. Topuria might be setting an impossible bar to match. He has been perfect at the highest difficulty possible.2. Usman Nurmagomedov (21-0), PFL lightweight championThere are two ways of looking at Nurmagomedov's two-fight rivalry with Paul Hughes in 2025. Either he was shown to be human by barely squeaking out a pair of decisions in back-to-back contests for the PFL lightweight championship, or he proved his mettle by defeating the toughest challenger of his career twice. Even if you choose to believe the former, the fact is Nurmagomedov might be the best lightweight in the world. No one can definitively say how a Nurmagomedov versus Topuria matchup would go. And based on the fact that Nurmagomedov is capable of beating Topuria, he has to rank No. 2 on this list.3. Movsar Evloev (20-0), UFC featherweightIt has taken seven years and 10 consecutive wins inside the Octagon, but it appears Evloev will finally receive his crack at the UFC featherweight belt later this year. Many said he should have challenged for the title in January, but the UFC opted instead to give Diego Lopes his second title fight against Volkanovski in nine months. Evloev didn't complain, though. He just solidified his spot as the No. 1 contender by defeating the other undefeated fighter in his division, Lerone Murphy. There's a reason it has taken Evloev so long to reach the top. He has not recorded a single finish during this 10-fight run in the UFC. But he is one of the best fighters in the world, and Volkanovski will have his hands full, should they meet later this year.4. Michael Morales (19-0), UFC welterweightIn some ways, it feels as if Morales still has something to prove because everything has happened so quickly and easily for him to this point. Like Topuria, Morales has elevated his game as his competition has risen. He has knocked out his past three opponents (Neil Magny, Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady) inside the first round. It's not supposed to look this easy. At some point, there will be a correction the other way. Right? He's talking about a title shot against Islam Makhachev at 26 years old. If he stays unbeaten, he'll be a bona fide star.5. Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0), UFC welterweightIt flew under the radar, but just last week, video surfaced of Rakhmonov training for the first time since he underwent knee surgery in January. The Kazakh welterweight's absence has been one of the most unfortunate developments in all of MMA in recent years. Rakhmonov has been out due to knee injuries since he beat Ian Machado Garry in December 2024 and was removed from the UFC's rankings in February. If he can return to health, he'll return to one of the most dynamic situations in MMA, essentially creating a five-headed monster at the top of the UFC's welterweight division. Fingers crossed for a return this year.6. Dakota Ditcheva (15-0), PFL women's flyweight championDitcheva, 27, is a sleeper pick to be the biggest star in MMA at some point in her career. That is the ceiling here. Depending on how things go, Ditcheva could become a household name. She re-signed with the PFL in 2025, which holds her back in terms of exposure compared with the UFC, but it also puts her in a position in which an entire company is behind her success. Ditcheva is arguably the most violent women's fighter in the world right now, and her perfect record is not entirely manufactured. The PFL has enough talent in its 125-pound division to prove that Ditcheva is not a fraud. She looked like the real deal when she finished former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in two rounds in 2024 and will be back in action for the first time this year against Denise Kielholtz on July 31.7. Muhammad Mokaev (16-0), men's flyweightTo be candid, unless something changes, we will probably never know the full extent of Mokaev's potential. The UFC famously opted not to re-sign him in 2024 despite his perfect record. At that time, he was coming off a victory over Manel Kape, who is currently the UFC's No. 2-ranked flyweight. Mokaev has found work since, but not the kind of opportunity that would prove his status among the world's best. The good news is there's still time; he's only 25 years old. One could argue that, for his age, his undefeated record is actually the most impressive of anyone on this list. He has been perfect against real competition at an extremely young age. But the free agent's future outlook depends heavily on what contracts he signs.8. Jacobe Smith (12-0), UFC welterweightSmith could be this year's version of Michael Morales from a year ago. He has fascinating potential and is entering a point at which his career could start progressing fast. A former All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University -- and two-time NJCAA national champion -- Smith has a phenomenal grappling base. But he has actually finished nine of his 12 career wins by knockout. The UFC knows what it has in Smith, which is why it booked him to a fan-friendly welterweight matchup against Kevin Holland in his home state of Oklahoma on July 18. Smith's exposure is about to meet up with his talent, and the results could be explosive over the next year.9. Thad Jean (11-0), PFL welterweight championJean emerged from relative obscurity to win the PFL's welterweight tournament in 2025. The past two years have represented a significant jump in competition for Jean, but he still has a lot to prove. He has an opportunity to become the face of the PFL's 170-pound division in 2026. His split decision win over Jason Jackson last July was a real indicator that Jean is legit. He is carrying a lot of momentum into his first appearance this year against Shamil Musaev on July 25.10. Josh Hokit (9-0), UFC heavyweightOh, boy. Where to begin? Hokit's 2025 was defined by an intentionally cringy shtick that failed to resonate with fans early on. But that changed overnight in 2026, when he stole the show at UFC 327 by defeating a top-five opponent in Curtis Blaydes. Love it or hate it, Hokit's pro wrestling-style antics have caught fire. If he loses, his shtick could get real old, real fast. But, likely, interest will not wane as long as he continues to win. How good is he, truly? That is now the biggest question, and he'll get a chance to answer when he faces Derrick Lewis on the White House lawn on June 14.11. Baisangur Susurkaev (12-0), UFC middleweightIt's almost fitting that Susurkaev would round out this list of undefeated fighters, as he is a close friend and protg of the man we began the undefeated conversation with, Chimaev. Susurkaev made a huge splash in 2025, when he made his UFC debut on four days' notice after earning a contract on "Dana White's Contender Series." He's a perfect 3-0 inside the Octagon since last August, but to be fair, he has been a massive betting favorite in all three appearances -- and even in victory, he hasn't dominated his fights from start to finish. He's only 25 years old, so there's a lot of room for growth here. He's training alongside one of the best fighters in the world, and his record reflects his talent. If he continues to polish that talent, he'll be tough to beat.
