Which of UFC's records might actually get broken this year?
Records are made to be broken, right? Try telling that to Wilt Chamberlain and Cy Young.
“Wilt the Stilt” averaged an NBA-record 50.4 points per game in 1961-1962, a season in which he also set a single-game scoring mark with 100 points. No one has come close to either record in the six decades since. Young’s baseball bests go even further back. In amassing career marks for wins (511), starts (815) and complete games (749), he showed why the game’s most cherished pitching award is named after him. Young retired in 1911, so his records have stood for 113 years. Considering how pitchers are used in the modern game, those records appear to be safe.
Mixed martial arts does not have the long, illustrious history of baseball, basketball or other major sports. The UFC has been around since only 1993. But many eye-opening records are on the books — some seemingly unassailable, others with a lifespan that’s just a matter of time before they’re eclipsed.
Brett Okamoto, Andreas Hale, Jeff Wagenheim and Dre Waters looked through the 31-year history of the UFC record book to highlight unmatched achievements that may or may not withstand the test of time.
Wagenheim: St-Pierre never competed in amateur wrestling, yet his takedown prowess helped make him one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen. Only twice in his 28-fight UFC career did GSP fail to land a takedown — both first-round losses in which he made only one attempt. When he defended his welterweight title against Thiago Alves at UFC 100 in 2009, St-Pierre was 10-for-12 on takedown attempts. He did even better the next time he put his belt on the line, going 11-for-11 against Dan Hardy. GSP was such a high-level striker that he would pepper an opponent in the standup before surprising him by changing levels and taking the fight to the canvas. St-Pierre’s technique impressed even fighters with the most serious wrestling bona fides, but no less important to his success were his timing and commitment. When GSP went for a takedown, he really went for it. With his 73.8% success rate, St-Pierre ranks in the top five all-time in takedown accuracy. That made him a nightmare in the cage.
Who can break the record: Merab Dvalishvili, 79. Dvalishvili is still a bit behind GSP, but he has hit double figures in four of his 13 trips inside the Octagon. If Dvalishvili can avoid being flattened by the counterpunching of Sean O’Malley in the Noche UFC main event in two weeks, he’ll have five rounds to surpass St-Pierre. The only previous time he went 25 minutes, against Petr Yan in 2023, Dvalishvili landed 11 takedowns on 49 attempts. Even if he doesn’t get the job done against O’Malley, the 33-year-old has plenty of time to nudge GSP out of his way in the record book. Unless Dvalishvili suffers a career-ending injury or leaves the UFC for a different promotion, this record is all but guaranteed to be his. And if he maintains his current pace, he’ll soon hit triple figures on his way to setting a standard that’ll be hard to match.
Percentage chance this record falls: 99.9%.
Most UFC wins: Jim Miller, 26
1:05
Jim Miller wastes no time knocking out Jesse Butler
Jim Miller sends Jesse Butler to the canvas with a powerful combo.
Okamoto: Miller’s longevity is potentially Hall of Fame worthy on its own, but the fact he did lose 18 times in the UFC speaks to how fragile his wins record is. A few fighters are already hunting this record, with far fewer fights. And if we’re calling it like it is, Donald Cerrone has a claim to this record, because his wins in the WEC — which was essentially an arm of the UFC at one point — don’t count towards his overall total, which is 23.
Who could break it: Max Holloway, 22. Charles Oliveira is right there with 22, but he’s fighting less frequently due to his status in the game. Holloway is only 32 and just four wins shy of Miller’s record. Because of the sheer number of fights Miller has competed in, this is a tough record to break, but it will fall — perhaps in the next few years.
Percentage chance this record falls: 99%.
Fastest submission: Ronda Rousey, 19 seconds
1:35
The best of Rousey, Oliveira and UFC’s top submission artists over the years
Check out some highlights from some of the best submission artists the UFC has had over the years from names like Charles Oliveira and Ronda Rousey.
Okamoto: It’s no surprise Rousey holds this record, because her judo background is designed for speed and efficiency. Takedown, armbar, repeat. Add that Rousey was aggressive by nature, and the opponents she faced early in her UFC career had no idea how to stop what she wanted to do. This record will fall eventually and could fall on any night, but the way it falls will likely look much different than how Rousey set it. It’ll happen when someone essentially knocks their opponent out, but jumps on a choke when their opponent falls to the canvas. It won’t be what you traditionally think about a submission, as in, taking an opponent down. It’ll be a knockout, but with a submission finish.
Who could break it: Tom Aspinall. Aspinall is arguably the best finisher in the sport right now. To get a submission win in under 19 seconds, I think it will take a fighter landing a near-knockout shot and then jumping on a choke. Aspinall engages quickly in his fights, has a sky-high knockdown rate, and is quick on submissions.
Percentage chance this record falls: 95%.
Most UFC fights: Jim Miller, 44
1:12
Jim Miller becomes UFC leader in all-time wins with sub of Donald Cerrone
Jim Miller gets Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone to tap, becoming the UFC’s all-time wins leader in the process.
Okamoto: UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby once emailed Jim Miller about a short-notice fight, which Miller accepted right away. Shelby responded, “of course you’re in, because you’re Jim F—ing Miller.”
This record will fall eventually, but Miller’s career was perfectly tailored for it, and it might hold up for a long time. He’s been consistently good enough to keep his roster spot, but he’s never quite made it into title contention. What that has allowed him to do is be very active. One thing about getting into title contention is that you tend to take fewer fights.
Who could break it: Raul Rosas Jr. He’s 19 and he’s already had four fights in the UFC. On the one hand, throwing his name in the hat is odd because he has 40 more fights to go, but he’s got a head start on every other 19-year-old on the planet. But if Rosas has a long career, he could eclipse 40 fights.
Percentage chance this record falls: 90%.
Most decision wins: Neil Magny, 14
Hale: Magny has never met a judges’ scorecard he didn’t like, with 58% of his MMA wins coming courtesy of decision. He’s been a litmus test in the UFC’s welterweight division since his arrival in the promotion in 2013. Although he’s never been a champion, he is the guy anybody with title aspirations has to get by to be taken seriously as a contender. “The Haitian Sensation” has gone to the scorecards a UFC-record 17 times and has won 14 times by decision. He’s not known as a prolific finisher but if the fight manages to go the distance, his craft and technical skill have helped get his hand raised in victory.
Who can break the record: Belal Muhammad,12. Of his 24 professional MMA wins, Muhammad has won 18 by decision (75%). With the welterweight championship now in his grip, the competition only increases, drastically dropping the likelihood of Muhammad winning fights inside the distance. It doesn’t seem likely that Muhammad will retire anytime soon and unless he falls off a cliff, he will likely push past Magny’s record by 2026. Granted, this also requires Magny not to win any decisions in the process, as he’s still going strong in his 33-fight UFC career. It certainly feels like Muhammad has more tread on the tires than Magny as he’s just now reaching his peak as a competitor. This all goes out the window if Muhammad suddenly becomes a finishing machine. Meanwhile, Brad Tavares is a single decision behind Magny at 13 and could tie the record by the end of the year when he fights again in October. Somebody is breaking this record. Soon.
Percentage chance this record falls: 90%.
Most flyweight KO/TKO wins: Joseph Benavidez, 5
Hale: In a division that historically hasn’t been known for producing knockouts, Benavidez ascended to the top of the list during his 10-year, 19-fight tenure. For many, it may be surprising that Benavidez tops a list that featured heavy-handed 125-pounders such as John Lineker, Deiveson Figueiredo and John Dodson. Alas, this division historically produces high-octane fights, not devastating knockouts.
Who can break the record: Kai Kara-France, 3. Since making his UFC debut in 2018, Kara-France has demonstrated an impressive ability to score knockouts. All three of his knockouts have come in the past three years with finishes of Rogerio Bontorin, Cody Garbrandt and his most recent outing against former title contender Steve Erceg. The 31-year-old is primed to challenge for the flyweight championship and has faced almost every top fighter in the division. Whether he beats Alexandre Pantoja or not, KKF has found something when it comes to sitting down on his punches and flattening the opposition. Three of Kara-France’s last four wins have come by KO or TKO. If he continues to make the weight, Benavidez’s record won’t stand much longer.
Percentage chance this record falls: 66%.
Most welterweight finishes: Matt Brown, 15
0:56
Matt Brown amazes with one-punch KO
42-year-old Matt Brown gets a walk-off knockout on Court McGee to take home a win.
Hale: A fighter must possess the desire and ability to compete in the UFC for an extended period to have a puncher’s chance at catching Brown’s record. It took “The Immortal” 30 UFC fights in 15 years to set the record and Brown accomplished the feat while never challenging for a UFC championship. What’s more impressive about the record is that Brown’s last 10 victories all came inside the distance. Brown was the epitome of doing anything to prevent a fight from going to the judges and made a successful career out of it. With today’s UFC fighters moving divisions more often than not, it’s a difficult record to see falling.
Who can break the record: Shavkat Rakhmonov, 6. Rakhmonov hasn’t been in the UFC long, but he’s made one hell of an impression by finishing all six of his opponents inside the distance and is now knocking at the door for a UFC title. The idea that he keeps the 100% finish rate going is unlikely. However, he’s only 29 years old and is squarely in his prime. As he moves up the ladder, the opposition will get more challenging, which should lead to fewer finishes. One other name to consider? Vicente Luque (13). If he can put his past struggles behind him and return to the pace he set from 2015 to 2021 — when he finished 13 of 17 opponents — the record could be his next.
Percentage chance this record falls: 60%.
Longest winning streak: Anderson Silva, 16
1:01
The best of Anderson Silva
Before his final UFC fight, check out Anderson Silva’s biggest moments inside the Octagon.
Hale: There was a time when Silva was an absolute force who ran roughshod over the MMA world. He started his UFC tenure in 2006 by decimating Chris Leben and then went on an absolute tear by finishing his next seven opponents. The only fighters to not get finished during his six-year unbeaten run were Thales Leites and Demian Maia, who simply refused to engage with “The Spider.” Outside of Jon Jones — who would have had a longer winning streak, but his 12-6 elbow on Matt Hamill in 2009, resulting in his only professional loss, ruined that — we haven’t seen a fighter exhibit this level of dominance.
Who can break the record: Islam Makhachev, 14. The pupil of Khabib Nurmagomedov darted right past his teacher in the record books when Makhachev finished Dustin Poirier earlier this year. Makhachev is an evolved version of Nurmagomedov, adding exceptional striking to suffocating grappling. It’s a frightening combination of skills that opponents have been unable to figure out. What makes Makhachev the best candidate to surpass Silva is his opposition at lightweight. Outside of Arman Tsarukyan, who will likely be his next opponent, there are no real threats to end his winning streak. He has already beaten Oliveira, Dan Hooker and Poirier, while Justin Gaethje is fresh off of being knocked out by Holloway. Currently, there is no clear threat to Makhachev’s title run and he could end up tying Silva by this time next year.
Percentage chance this record falls: 50%.
Most women’s flyweight title wins: Valentina Shevchenko, 8
1:12
Shevchenko wins thrilling fight vs. Santos for 7th consecutive defense of title
Valentina Shevchenko defends her title for the seventh consecutive time against a tough Taila Santos at UFC 275.
Waters: Shevchenko’s body of work is undeniable, as her eight UFC title wins serve as evidence of her dominance. Since defeating UFC Hall of Famer Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the flyweight belt in 2018, every Shevchenko fight has been for the title. Beyond Shevchenko, only two other fighters have ever held the belt, and neither has more than one successful title defense. Shevchenko can add to her record when she takes on Grasso in a trilogy bout at Noche UFC on Sept. 14.
Who could break the record? Erin Blanchfield. Blanchfield, the top prospect in ESPN’s 2023 25 under 25, was undefeated inside the Octagon before her most recent loss to Manon Fiorot. At just 25 years old, Blanchfield still has plenty of time to claim the title. And if she were to win it, she’d have the prime of her career and plenty of runway to pile up title fight wins.
Percentage of the record falling: 45%.
Longest card in UFC history: 3:19:32, UFC 263
Waters: In 31 years of UFC events, the promotion has composed countless fight cards full of exciting moments and compelling matchups. But if you were to ask UFC CEO Dana White if UFC 263 was one of those cards, he would likely emphatically say “No.” Although UFC 263 featured many fighters who have since become top stars in the promotion — Muhammad, Israel Adesanya, Leon Edwards and more — the matchups did not lead to many finishes. Instead, only three of the 14 fights on the card ended via knockout or submission. As a result, UFC 263 became the longest fight card in promotion history, according to UFC Stats.
Due to the nature of fight announcements, it’s impossible to project which future fight card could beat this record. And, considering the UFC likely doesn’t want this to happen again, the chance of this happening again may be low, but it is certainly possible.
Who could break the record: N/A
Percentage of the record falling: 33.3%
Most UFC performance bonuses won: Charles Oliveira, 19
Okamoto: I might get some pushback on this one, but I believe this record will stand the test of time. I can see a world in which, 50 years from now, Oliveira is still hanging on to this record with an iron fist. Winning 19 fights in the UFC is incredible on its own. Winning them in a way that draws a bonus is absurd. With parity in the sport growing yearly, it will be increasingly more challenging to fight frequently enough and win impressively enough to chase a record like this. I don’t see anyone breaking this one, maybe ever, because the sport itself will make it so challenging.
Who could break it: Tom Aspinall, 7. The UFC’s interim heavyweight champion has seven bonuses, and he’s a good bet to keep collecting them, as he’s finishing his fights at an average of two minutes. Aspinall is only 31, a baby by heavyweight standards. He could break the record, but obviously, he’s got a long, long way to go.
Percentage chance this record falls: 20%.
Most career takedowns landed, women’s strawweight: Carla Esparza, 45
Hale: Esparza had an obvious game plan that she rode to become a two-time strawweight champion. The two-time wrestling All-American was determined to drag the fight to the canvas by any means necessary and she found tremendous success throughout her nearly 15-year MMA career. With women’s MMA still evolving, Esparza’s wrestling dominance neutralized less well-rounded opposition. It took powerful strikers or someone with a similar wrestling pedigree to slow her down. As she prepares to bow out of the sport at UFC 307, she will look to add to her record and make her total nearly insurmountable.
Who can break the record: Tatiana Suarez, 25. Suarez may have a long way to go to catch “Cookie Monster,” but the 33-year-old has been a brute in the Octagon with a 65.8% success rate on takedowns attempted, No. 1 in the division. She may have already broken the record if she wasn’t sidelined for four years due to injuries. Suarez currently averages 3.5 takedowns per fight, compared to Esparza’s three. Suarez has been destined to become a world champion, but her struggles to stay healthy have gnawed off years of her career. Still, Suarez could catch Esparza if she keeps up her pace and fights three times a year for the next three years. It sounds like a lot, but Suarez has only fought seven times in eight years, she’s got some catching up to do.
Percentage chance this record falls: 20%.
Most title fight wins: Jon Jones, 15
Okamoto: Records are meant to be broken, but it’s hard to envision anyone breaking the record of a GOAT in Jones. Jones is also the youngest champion in UFC history, another record that will be very difficult to beat. He’s been competing in title fights now for 13 years. Thirteen years. Jones is now 37, and if he wants to add to this number, he will. The closest names to him are Georges St-Pierre (13) and Demetrious Johnson (12), also candidates for greatest fighter of all time. To have a shot at breaking this record, one would have to win a title very early and be on the shortlist for greatest fighter of all time. And do it in a modern era of MMA, where longer title reigns will likely be rarer.
Who could beat it: Amanda Nunes, 11. If Nunes ever wanted to come out of retirement, she could pass Jones’s mark within two years. She’s only four shy now, and she’d be a massive favorite over anyone she fought. This may be cheating, picking a fighter who is retired. But one thing we know about this sport is that retirements don’t always stick. I don’t see Nunes returning, but I also see her as the only real threat to Jones’s record here.
Percentage chance this record falls: 10%.
Fastest knockout: 5 seconds, Jorge Masvidal
Wagenheim: If you think it’s impossible to better Masvidal’s record, take a look at the video. It’s short. You’ll first notice that when referee Jason Herzog starts the fight, Masvidal wastes about a second casually strolling along the fence. Then, as Ben Askren makes his way to the center of the cage, “Gamebred” suddenly charges forward and unleashes the flying knee that stiffens his opponent. At three seconds. The official time of the fight is five seconds only because it took Herzog two more seconds to dive between them and wave it off.
One might say Masvidal could have gotten the job done in two seconds if he had charged out of his corner the moment Herzog said, “Fight!” But Masvidal needed Askren to meet him at center cage. Really, the only way a fight could end more quickly would be if both fighters were to immediately charge at each other — and even then, the ref would have to be lightning-quick at jumping in. So, while it’s Masvidal’s name in the book, this actually is a three-person record made possible by Askren and Herzog.
Who can break the record: How often do we see a bout in which both fighters are recklessly aggressive from the start? It’s a rarity — almost as rare as having a ref show off the quick first step needed to better this record.
Percentage chance this record falls: 5%.
Most combined takedowns attempted in one match: Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili, 54
Waters: This might be a two-person record but don’t be fooled, the majority of the takedown attempts in this 2023 matchup came from one side. Against Yan, a former bantamweight champion, “The Machine” showed his elite cardio and persistent wrestling as he attempted 49 takedowns — also a UFC record — compared to just five attempts by Yan. Although this record is impressive, it is worth mentioning that it wouldn’t be possible without Yan’s impressive takedown defense and his ability to work back to his feet after the fight goes to the mat. Dvalishvili only recorded 11 successful takedowns. The previous record — Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez had 34 attempts at UFC 155 — lasted over a decade, so it might be a while before another fight passes this record.
Who could break the record: Dvalishvili vs. Ricky Simon. It’s hard to imagine a fight breaking this record, but if one were to, it would have to be a matchup that features Dvalishvili, right? So let’s pair him with another active fighter in the division who is constantly looking to take fights to the mat in Simon.
Percentage chance this record falls: 0.01%.
