Fighter Profiles

 Introduction Michael "Iron" Chandler is one of the most explosive lightweight fighters of the modern MMA era and a three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion. The Missouri native, NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, and Nashville gym owner has competed at championship level for over a decade — winning Bellator's lightweight title three separate times before joining the UFC in January 2021 and challenging for the UFC Lightweight title twice. He is scheduled to fight on the historic UFC Freedom

 Introduction Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson is one of the most beloved and unorthodox fighters in UFC lightweight history. The TUF 13 winner from Muskegon, Michigan compiled the longest UFC lightweight win streak in promotion history at twelve consecutive victories between 2013 and 2019, won the UFC Interim Lightweight Championship in October 2017, and is widely cited by Daniel Cormier and other commentators as the most unpredictable freestyle fighter in modern MMA. His five-time-cancelled fight with

 Introduction Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje is the current Interim UFC Lightweight Champion and one of the most action-guaranteed fighters in MMA history. The Arizona-born Mexican-American started his career a perfect 17-0 as the inaugural WSOF Lightweight Champion before joining the UFC in 2017, has held the UFC Interim Lightweight title twice, and won the second-ever BMF title in 2023. His 18 career KO finishes and his unmatched record of post-fight bonuses make him the embodiment of what UFC

 Introduction Dan "Hendo" Henderson is one of the most accomplished and decorated mixed martial artists in the sport's history. The two-time Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler from Apple Valley, California became the first fighter ever to simultaneously hold championships in two weight classes in a major MMA promotion — the PRIDE Welterweight and Middleweight titles in 2007. His signature "H-Bomb" right-hand KO of Michael Bisping at UFC 100 won the 2009 World MMA Knockout of the Year, and his UFC 139

 Introduction Sean "Suga" O'Malley is one of the most marketable fighters of the modern UFC era and a former UFC Bantamweight Champion. The Helena, Montana native rose to prominence on Dana White's Contender Series in 2017, captured the UFC bantamweight title from Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023, and has built one of the largest digital followings of any active UFC fighter — driven by his colorful aesthetic, his self-managed media presence, and his championship-level striking arsenal

 Introduction Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is one of the most feared heavyweight strikers in combat sports history and the 2006 PRIDE Open-Weight Grand Prix Champion. The Croatian kickboxer-turned-MMA fighter holds career championships in multiple disciplines — the 2006 PRIDE Open-Weight Grand Prix, the 2012 K-1 World Grand Prix, and the 2016 RIZIN Open-Weight Grand Prix — making him the second fighter ever to win major championships in both MMA and kickboxing. His left-leg head kick produced some

 Introduction Royce Gracie is the foundational figure of modern mixed martial arts and the first inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu icon won three of the first four UFC tournaments — UFC 1, UFC 2, and UFC 4 in 1993 and 1994 — defeating much larger opponents with submission grappling at a time when ground fighting was virtually unknown to global combat sports audiences. His success single-handedly proved the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, triggered the global BJJ b

 Introduction Cain Velasquez is one of the most accomplished UFC heavyweight champions in promotion history and the most prominent Mexican-American fighter in the modern UFC era. The two-time heavyweight champion held the title twice across the early 2010s, won the UFC 121 title by knockout of Brock Lesnar in their first meeting, and defended his second-reign title twice with wins over Antonio Silva and Junior dos Santos before injuries cut short what could have been one of the longest heavyweig

 Introduction Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is one of the most accomplished Brazilian fighters in mixed martial arts history and a 2024 UFC Hall of Fame Pioneer Wing inductee. The Curitiba native won the 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament — defeating four elite opponents in one calendar year — and the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2010 with a first-round knockout of Lyoto Machida. His UFC 139 war against Dan Henderson is enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing as one of the gre

 Introduction Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva is one of the most ferocious strikers in MMA history and a foundational figure of the Pride FC era. The Brazilian held the PRIDE Middleweight Championship for nearly six years — the longest reign in the promotion's history — won the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament, and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Pioneer Wing as part of the Class of 2024. He holds the most knockouts in Zuffa's combined history (UFC, PRIDE, WEC, Strikefor

 Introduction Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is one of the most charismatic and physically intimidating light heavyweights in MMA history. The Memphis native held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2007, unified the UFC and Pride 205-pound titles in his first defense, and built a career on slam-driven finishes that included the most replayed slam KO in MMA history (Ricardo Arona, Pride Critical Countdown 2004). His UFC 71 KO of Chuck Liddell is enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing. C

 Introduction Matt Hughes is one of the foundational figures of the early UFC welterweight division and a two-time champion who defended the 170-pound title a record seven times across his two reigns. The Illinois farmer turned fighter from Hillsboro built his championship resume on raw collegiate wrestling and Miletich Fighting Systems mat training, was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Pioneer Wing in 2010, and has spent the past nine years recovering from a near-fatal 2017 train accident t