25 Greatest Black UFC Fighters of All Time

Black UFC fighters have contributed to the sport since its inception at UFC 1 back in November 12, 1993. Without the impact of black UFC fighters, the promotion never would have become the global powerhouse it is today. Many of the greatest UFC fighters in history have been of African descent.

As a lifelong MMA fanatic, I have been lucky enough to witness the careers of many amazing black UFC fighters. I’ve been following UFC for nearly 20 years, watching the likes of black UFC fighters like Jon Jones, Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, and “Rumble” Johnson throughout their careers.

In this article, I’m sharing my list of the greatest black UFC fighters of all time. This list includes active black UFC fighters, retired black UFC fighters, and black UFC fighters who have fought in other promotions. My criteria include championships, title defenses, longevity, impact and influence, and records in the UFC.

25. Angela Hill (15-13 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: December 10, 1986

Weight Class: Strawweight (115 lbs)

Fighting Style: Kickboxing and Muay Thai

The only woman to make the list, Angela Hill has been a staple of the UFC’s strawweight division for nearly a decade. Although she’s had an up-and-down career, with a 15-13 record in MMA, she’s racked up considerable accolades during her time in the UFC.

As one of the UFC’s few black female fighters, Hill holds the record for the most UFC women’s strawweight bouts in history (22) and the second most fights in UFC women’s history overall (23). She has also landed the most significant strikes and total strikes in the division’s history, coming in third overall in the UFC behind Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar.

24. Kevin Randleman (17-16 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: August 10, 1971

Death: February 11, 2016

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight (205 and 265 lbs)

Fighting Style: Wrestling and ground-and-pound

Kevin Randleman is perhaps the most “throwback” black UFC fighter to make the list, having a storied MMA career that crossed over the early days of the UFC with a great run in PRIDE FC. He became the UFC’s heavyweight champion in 1999 at UFC 23, when he defeated Pete Williams.

Randleman is considered one of the pioneers of the early UFC, teaming up with Mark Coleman to revolutionize the MMA technique of ground-and-pound. His UFC ledger includes bouts against legendary fighters like Randy Couture, Bas Rutten, and Chuck LIddell.

Randleman was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2020 as part of the Pioneer Wing, a section of the museum dedicated to early trailblazers in the sport of MMA.

23. Uriah Hall (17-11 MMA)

Nationality: Jamaican

Birthday: July 31, 2984

Weight Class: Middleweight (185 lbs)

Fighting Style: Kickboxing and Taekwondo

Uriah Hall spent years terrorizing the UFC’s middleweight division as one of its most feared knockout artists. Of his 17 career victories, 13 came by way of knockout. Although he never quite reached the championship heights he aspired to, Hall still had an incredible run in the UFC that saw him get wins over former champions like Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva, as well as top contenders like Thiago Santos and Gegard Mousasi.

Hall is currently tied for the most knockout victories in the UFC’s middleweight division with 8, a record he shares with Anderson Silva and Thiago Santos (two men he beat). He is a two-time Performance of the Night winner for his fights against Mousasi and Krzystof Jotko and is owner of the Knockout of the Season for The Ultimate Fighter 17.

Hall retired from MMA on August 10, 2022. He currently competes in boxing, winning his debut bout against former NFL player Le’Veon Bell during the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva. 

22. Curtis Blaydes (17-4 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: February 18, 1991

Weight Class: Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Fighting Style: Wrestling

Curtis Blaydes is currently the #4 ranked heavyweight in the UFC and is considered to be one of the best heavyweights in the promotion. Although heavyweight is a weight class most known for its powerful punchers, Blaydes is a former collegiate national champion who brings a high-level of grappling to every fight. 

Blaydes currently holds the record for the most takedowns in a UFC heavyweight bout with 14 and is a three-time Performance of the Night winner for his fights against Cody East, Alistair Overeem, and Chris Daukaus.

His only losses came against Sergei Pavlovich, Derrick Lewis, and Francis Ngannou (twice). Lewis and Ngannou are also black UFC fighters who make appearances on this list.

21. Jared Cannonier (16-6 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: March 16, 1984

Weight Class: Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight (185, 205, 265 lbs)

Fighting Style: Boxing and Kickboxing

Jared Cannonier is known as the “Killa Gorilla,” and for good reason. The heavy-handed middleweight is known for his explosive knockout power – having competed across multiple weight classes. Although he’s never been champion, he’s been a top ranked fighter in the UFC since his debut with the promotion in 2015.

Of Cannonier’s 16 wins, 10 have come via knockout. He has big wins over Sean Strickland, Derek Brunson, Kelvin Gastelum, and Anderson Silva. Although he debuted at heavyweight and spent some time at light heavyweight, he’s found the most success at middleweight – where his only losses have come against current champion Israel Adesanya and former champion Robert Whittaker.

20. Derek Brunson (23-9 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: January 4, 1984

Weight Class: Middleweight (185 lbs)

Fighting Style: Wrestling

Derek Brunson is a black UFC fighter who has been hanging out in the top 10 of middleweight for a very long time. Although he’s never been UFC champion, his success as a collegiate wrestler translated very well into MMA. Coming to the UFC through the Strikeforce merger, Brunson has fought in the promotion since 2012.

Brunson has notable wins over the aforementioned Uriah Hall, former UFC champion Lyoto Machida, Kevin Holland, and Darren Till. Despite his reputation for being primarily a grappler, 12 of his 23 wins have come via knockout – more than half his victories. Brunson is a two-time Fight of the Night winner and has the second most wins in UFC middleweight history at 14, tied with Anderson Silva and Brad Tavares. He is also tied with Nate Marquardt and Chris Leben for the third most finishes in the UFC’s middleweight division with 9.

19. Kevin Holland (24-9 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: November 5, 1992

Weight Class: Welterweight and Middleweight (170 and 185 lbs)

Fighting Style: Kung Fu, Striking

Kevin Holland is one of the UFC’s great personalities, living up to his nickname of “Big Mouth.” One of the few practitioners of kung fu in the UFC, Holland is most known for his heavy hands – as well as being a humorous trash-talker inside and outside of the Octagon.

Despite performing well on Dana White’s Contenders Series, Holland wasn’t initially offered a contract. It wasn’t until he came in as a late replacement that Holland made a name for himself in the UFC – going on to have one of the best 12-month stretches in UFC history.

From May 2020 to April 2021, Holland had the most UFC bouts in the promotion’s history, a record that holds to this day. He also holds the record for most wins in a calendar year and the most wins at middleweight in a calendar year at 5.

18. Yoel Romero (15-6 MMA)

Nationality: Cuban

Birthday: April 30, 1977

Weight Class: Middleweight, Light Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Explosive Striking

Yoel Romero is a black UFC fighter who proved to be an ageless wonder in the world of MMA. A fan favorite who many felt was robbed of being crowned UFC middleweight champion multiple times, Romero is a fan-favorite, known for his vibrant personality and explosive knockout ability.

Despite his wrestling pedigree as an Olympic medalist, a neck injury made Romero change his approach for MMA to be more striking-focused. The result was a career full of devastating highlight reels, with a whopping 13 of his 15 wins coming by way of knockout.

Romero’s accolades include the 2018 Fight of the Year, a five-time Fight of the Night winner, and being tied with Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya for the second most post-fight bonuses in UFC middleweight history. His knockout victims include former UFC champions Luke Rockhold, Chris Weidman, and Lyoto Machida.

17. Quinton Jackson (38-14 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: June 20, 1978

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Boxing, Wrestling

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is a legendary black UFC fighter that every longtime fan of MMA will be familiar with. “Rampage” started his career in PRIDE FC before coming into the UFC, becoming the first man to defeat Chuck Liddell under the UFC banner.

During his time with the UFC, Jackson became the UFC light heavyweight champion, defending his belt one time. He also unified the UFC Light Heavyweight and Pride World Middleweight belts. Known for his knockout power, Jackson has knockouts over UFC legends like Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva.

He joined Bellator after his UFC run, making him one of the few fighters to have competed in Pride, UFC, and Bellator. He retired from MMA in 2019.

16. Alistair Overeem (47-19 MMA)

Nationality: Dutch

Birthday: May 17, 1980

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Kickboxing

Alistair Overeem is one of the most feared strikers in UFC history. He was the first ever fighter to simultaneously hold championship belts in both MMA and K-1 kickboxing. His MMA career traces all the way back to the PRIDE days, continuing into Strikeforce and the UFC.

Although much of his MMA success happened before his stint in the UFC, Overeem’s time during the promotion was still the stuff of legend. He racked up wins over former champion Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, and Andrei Arlovski. He remains the only man to have beaten Sergei Pavlovich in the UFC, who is now considered the top heavyweight contender. 

Overeem was released from his UFC contract in 2021 and returned to kickboxing.

15. Rashad Evans (20-8-1)

Nationality: American

Birthday: September 25, 1979

Weight Class: Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Boxing and Wrestling

Rashad Evans is another black UFC fighter that OG fans of the promotion will know well. Evans was a staple of the UFC during it’s golden era, throwing down with the very best the UFC had to offer. He fought and beat a who’s who in UFC lore, including Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson, Tito Ortiz, Quinton Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell, Michael Bisping, and many more.

Evans was the heavyweight tournament winner for the second season of The Ultimate Fighter and went on to become the UFC’s light heavyweight champion when he knocked out Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 in 2008. That fight was his follow-up performance after knocking out Chuck Liddell at UFC 88, which was later dubbed the Knockout of the Year.

Evans was honored by the UFC with a Hall of Fame induction in 2019. He currently competes with Eagle Fighting Championship, the MMA promotion founded by former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

14. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (23-6 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: March 6, 1985

Death: November 13, 2022

Weight Class: Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Boxing and Wrestling

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson was a beloved black UFC fighter known for his extremely powerful knockout punches. During his run in the UFC, Johnson racked up knockouts against legends like Antonio Nogeuira, Alexander Gustafsson, Ryan Bader, and Glover Texeira. Johnson was also famous for fighting across multiple weight classes, fighting at light as welterweight (170 lbs) all the way up to heavyweight (265 lbs).

Of Johnson’s 23 wins, 17 came by way of knockout. He is a five-time winner of Performance of the Night and is tied with Anderson Silva and Thiago Santos for the third most knockouts in UFC history with 11.

Tragically, Johnson passed away from blood cancer on November 13, 2022, at the age of 38. RIP Rumble, and thank you for the memories.

13. Neil Magny (27-10 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: August 3, 1987

Weight Class: Welterweight

Fighting Style: Balanced; striking and grappling

Neil Magny is one of the UFC’s premiere welterweights, having competed as a top-10 contender for many years. Magny is known as a fighter who will take on any fight at any time, no matter the risk. Despite never having been champion, his career in the UFC has been impressive.

Magny is tied with Roger Huerta and the aforementioned Kevin Holland for the most wins in a calendar year with 5, which he accomplished in 2014. He also has the most decision wins in UFC history with 13 and the most wins in UFC welterweight history with 20. He also holds the UFC welterweight record for most significant strikes landed, with a staggering 1296.

Magny has big wins over Carlos Condit, Li Jingliang, Robbie Lawler, Geoff Neal, and Kelvin Gastelum. Although he hasn’t been able to reach championship heights, his accumulation of stats earns him a spot on the list of best black UFC fighters ever.

12. Jamahal Hill (12-1, 1 NC, MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: October 24, 1990

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Striker; boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai

Jamahal Hill is the UFC’s current Light Heavyweight champion, becoming the first Dana White’s Contender Series product to win UFC gold. The heavy-handed Hill lives up to his nickname of “Sweet Dreams,” with 7 of his 12 wins coming via knockout.

Hill’s rise to the heights of the UFC was meteoric – debuting with the promotion in 2020 (after competing on DWCS in 2019) and becoming light heavyweight champion only 3 years later by defeating Glover Texeira at UFC 283.

Although his stint in the promotion has been relatively short, Hill has still been able to rack up the accolades. He has the most significant strikes landed in a UFC light heavyweight fight with 232, which he did in his championship victory over Texeira. In that same fight, he also set the light heavyweight record for strikes attempted with 402.

11. Aljamain Sterling (23-3 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: July 31, 1989

Weight Class: Bantamweight

Fighting Style: Wrestling and BJJ

Aljamain Sterling is the UFC’s current bantamweight champion, and with a few more victories, is poised to go down as one of the greatest 135 lb fighters in MMA history. He currently has three bantamweight title defenses over Henry Cejudo, T.J. Dillashaw, and Petr Yan – all three of whom are former UFC champions. Those three consecutive title defenses currently stands at the UFC bantamweight record for consecutive belt defenses.

Sterling is one of those fighters that approaches every fight the same way – but is so good at what he does, his opponents can’t stop it. He utilizes his size and length to set up takedowns, en route to “backpacking” himself on his opponents while fishing for the rear-naked choke finish. The “backpack” is his signature move.

Sterling’s wrestling and BJJ skills have proved so effective that he’s racked up the most wins in UFC bantamweight history at 14, the second most title fight wins in bantamweight history at 4, and the most control time in UFC bantamweight history. On top of that, he owns the most significant strikes landed in the division with 1646.

If things keep going well for Sterling, expect him to climb up the rankings of the best black UFC fighters very quickly.

10. Derrick Lewis (26-11 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: February 7, 1985

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Boxing

The UFC’s knockout king is none other than Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis, an all-time fan-favorite. Lewis is known for his hilarious moments on the mic, being one of the funniest UFC fighters on the roster. In addition to his awesome personality, Lewis is a potent knockout artist, having collected more KOs than any other fighter in the promotion’s history.

Lewis is currently tied with Matt Brown for the most knockouts in UFC history, a record that stands alone in the heavyweight division. Those 13 knockouts are also good to tie him with Frank Mir for the most finishes in UFC heavyweight history. He is a four-time Performance of the Night winner and three-time Fight of the Night winner.

Lewis’ last second over Alexander Volkov at UFC 229 stands as one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history, winning the 2018 award for Comeback of the Year. Although he’s never been champion, being the knockout king of the UFC earns Lewis a spot on the list of the greatest black UFC fighters ever.

9. Leon Edwards (21-3, 1 NC MMA)

Nationality: English

Birthday: August 25, 1991

Weight Class: Welterweight

Fighting Style: Kickboxing

Leon “Rocky” Edwards is the current UFC welterweight champion, having won the belt with a spectacular 5th round head kick knockout of Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 – considered one of the biggest upsets in UFC welterweight history. Some UFC fans considered his win a fluke, but he successfully defended his title against Usman in their rematch at UFC 286.

Edwards is currently on an impressive unbeaten streak – 12 consecutive fights, with victories over Nate Diaz, Rafael Dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone, and Vicente Luque. The streak ties him with Georges St. Pierre for the second longest unbeaten streak in UFC welterweight history. Known for his vicious kickboxing, Edwards also owns an 8-second knockout, good for 6th fastest in UFC history.

Edwards fights out of England, but was born in Jamaica, making him the first Jamaican-born UFC champion in history.

8. Tyron Woodley (19-7 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: April 17, 1982

Weight Class: Welterweight

Fighting Style: Wrestling and boxing

Tyron Woodley is a black UFC fighter who is considered one of the sport’s best welterweights of all-time. Although his career with the UFC ended on a losing streak, his time as champion left an indelible mark on the sport. Woodley had a storied championship run, with classic fights with Robbie Lawler, Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia, and Darren Till.

Woodley was able to defend his UFC welterweight title four times. During his career, he collected a Knockout of the Night, three Performance of the Night bonuses, and two Fight of the Night honors.

After his run in the UFC, Woodley had an unsuccessful venture into boxing, which saw him lose two bouts against Jake Paul.

7. Francis Ngannou (17-3 MMA)

Nationality: Cameroonian

Birthday: September 5, 1986

Weight Class: Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Boxing

The “baddest man on the planet” title has to go to former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, the promotion’s first Cameroonian-born champion. Known for his devastating one-punch knockout power, Ngannou’s run inside the UFC is the stuff of legends.

Ngannou holds the world record for the hardest recorded punch – and he showed it off plenty of times in the UFC Octagon. In fact, all but two of his UFC victories came by way of knockout. Ngannou became UFC heavyweight champion after knocking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260, getting revenge over the man who handed him his first loss inside the Octagon.

Ngannou would defend his belt against Ciryl Gane before waiting out the remainder of his UFC contract. Disputes on the negotiating table led Ngannou to leave the UFC to sign with the PFL, but his run in the UFC included massive victories over Cain Velasquez, Curtis Blaydes, and Junior Dos Santos.

Ngannou is tied with Israel Adesanya for the fifth most Performance of the Night bonuses in UFC history with 8, and won multiple Knockout of the Year accolades for his hellacious uppercut knockout of Alistair Overeem.

6. Kamaru Usman (20-3 MMA)

Nationality: Nigerian

Birthday: May 11, 1987

Weight Class: Welterweight

Fighting Style: Wrestling and ground-and-pound

If it wasn’t for the aforementioned Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman would have a strong case for the greatest UFC welterweight of all time. Even still, the former UFC welterweight champion has had an amazing career and will go down in history as one of the greatest black UFC fighters of all time.

Known as the “Nigerian Nightmare,” Usman is the UFC’s first Nigerian-born champion. Usman’s run in the UFC started after he won The Ultimate Fighter 21 tournament. His accolades in the sport are numerous, holding the record for the most consecutive wins at welterweight with 15. He also holds the latest finish in UFC welterweight history for his last minute TKO over Colby Covington at UFC 245.

Usman was able to successfully defend his belt five times and has big wins over Tyron Woodley, Jorge Masvidal, Rafael Dos Anjos, Sean Strickland, and others. He was named the 2021 Fighter of the Year, which saw him defend his belt three times. The last defense was a knockout of Jorge Masvidal, which also won Knockout of the Year.

5. Israel Adesanya (24-2 MMA)

Nationality: Nigerian/New Zealander

Birthday: July 22, 1989

Weight Class: Middleweight

Fighting Style: Kickboxing, Boxing

Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya is the current UFC middleweight champion and currently ranked #5 overall on the pound-for-pound list. The striking virtuoso joined the UFC after a successful career in kickboxing that saw him go 75-5. He is a two-time middleweight champion, having regained his belt in the rematch over Alex Pereira at UFC 287.

Adesanya’s on a trajectory to put himself firmly in the conversation for the greatest UFC fighter of all time. He currently has five title defenses to his name, the most knockdowns in UFC title fights with 4, the second longest winning streak in middleweight history at 12, and the second most title fight wins in UFC middleweight history at 8. He is also tied with Anderson Silva for the most knockdowns overall in middleweight history with 13.

4. Daniel Cormier (22-3 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: March 20, 1979

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Wrestling, Boxing

Daniel “DC” Cormier is one of the original “champ-champs,” having held the UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight titles simultaneously. The Olympian wrestler is known for his Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling with a penchant for slamming his opponents on their backs. He was only the second UFC fighter to simultaneously hold belts in multiple weight classes, with the first being Conor McGregor.

Cormier added to the “champ-champ” ledger by becoming the first fighter to hold title defenses in multiple weight classes. He defended his light heavyweight title three times and his heavyweight title once. He is the fifth multi-weight class champion overall in UFC history and won Performance of the Night three times.

Cormier currently works as an analyst for the UFC and ESPN, providing commentary during fights.

3. Anderson Silva (34-11 MMA)

Nationality: Brazilian

Birthday: April 14, 1975

Weight Class: Middleweight, Light Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Muay Thai and BJJ

Anderson “The Spider” Silva was the UFC’s first black superstar. A living legend, Silva revolutionized the sport with his creative striking, winning fans around the world with his flashy knockouts. He holds many UFC records that are unlikely to ever be overcome.

Silva is considered to be the greatest UFC middleweight of all time and one of the greatest fighters of all time overall. He holds a staggering 10 title defenses, five Fight of the Night bonuses, the most Knockout of the Night honors with 7, the longest winning streak in UFC history with 16, the most consecutive wins at middleweight with 13, and the most title fight wins at middleweight with 11.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Anderson Silva’s accomplishments. He also has the most knockouts in UFC title fights with 7, the most finishes in title fights with 9, the fifth most finishes in UFC history, and is tied for second with the most knockdowns at 18.

Silva retired from MMA in 2020 and currently competes in boxing.

2. Demetrious Johnson (25-4 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: August 13, 1986

Weight Class: Flyweight, Bantamweight

Fighting Style: Wrestling, Kickboxing, BJJ

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is widely considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. During his time with the UFC, he set multiple records that still stand to this day. Although he may not get the recognition he deserves, Johnson has an argument for being considered the greatest black UFC fighter of all time.

Johnson was the UFC’s inaugural flyweight champion, a belt he would go on to defend a staggering 11 times. He holds pretty much every major record for the UFC flyweight division – most title fights (13), most title fight wins (12), most consecutive wins (13), most submission wins in the weight class (5), most significant strikes landed in the weight class (1059), and many others.

Johnson’s achievements go beyond just the flyweight division. His 11 consecutive title defenses are a UFC record, one that is unlikely to ever be challenged. He owns the third most UFC title fight wins with 12 and is tied with Jon Jones for the third most finishes in title fights (7) and most submissions in title fights (4).

Johnson was traded to ONE Championship, where he is currently the flyweight champion. 

1. Jon Jones (27-1 MMA)

Nationality: American

Birthday: July 19, 1987

Weight Class: Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight

Fighting Style: Wrestling, Kickboxing, BJJ

Jon “Bones” Jones is an easy pick for the greatest black UFC fighter in history. In fact, he has the strongest case for the greatest UFC fighter in history overall. Jones is currently the UFC heavyweight champion after having dominated the UFC’s light heavyweight division for a decade. His only loss in MMA was a controversial disqualification in a fight he was handily winning.

Jones is a two-time UFC light heavyweight champion, having defended his first belt 8 times and his second belt three times. He holds the record for the longest reign as UFC light heavyweight champion at 1501 days, as well as the longest unbeaten streak at 19. 

If not for controversies outside the Octagon that include PED scandals and run-ins with law enforcement, Jon Jones would have no detractors. His accomplishments in the UFC speak for themselves and are unlikely to ever be replicated in MMA. That’s why he’s my pick for the greatest black UFC fighter of all time.

FAQs

Who is the best black UFC fighter of all time?

There are three names that could answer the question of who the best black UFC fighter of all time is: Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, or Anderson Silva. Each of these fighters has a strong case for being not only the greatest black UFC fighter of all time, but the greatest UFC fighter of all time in general.

Jon Jones is the only fighter currently active in the UFC. He recently made the move from light heavyweight to heavyweight, becoming one of the few fighters in UFC history to have won a belt in multiple divisions.

Demetrious Johnson holds the UFC record for consecutive title defenses and currently competes in ONE Championship, where he is the flyweight champion.

Anderson Silva is an icon in the UFC, having dominated the middleweight division for nearly a decade. The virtuoso striker still holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history. He retired from MMA in 2020 and currently competes in boxing.

Although Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, and Anderson Silva are the best options to answer who is the best black UFC fighter of all time, Israel Adesanya could overtake these fighters before he ends his UFC career.

Who is the best black UFC fighter right now?

Jon Jones could be considered the best black UFC fighter right now, considering recently won the UFC heavyweight belt. However, Israel Adesanya and Aljamain Sterling could also be considered the best current black UFC fighters.

Israel Adesanya recently got redemption over Alex Pereira to reclaim his UFC middleweight title, while Aljamain Sterling is coming off a massive victory over Henry Cejudo to bring his UFC bantamweight title defense to 3.

How many black fighters are in the UFC?

There have been hundreds of black UFC fighters throughout the history of the promotion. As of 2023, there are currently 578 UFC fighters overall on the UFC roster, with hundreds of them being black.

Who was the first black UFC champion?

Maurice Smith became the first black UFC champion when he won UFC 14 in 1997. He went on to become the first black American to headline a non-tournament UFC event.

Who are the best black UFC heavyweights?

Currently, the best black UFC heavyweights are Jon Jones, Ciryl Gane, and Curtis Blaydes. Former black UFC heavyweights include Francis Ngannou, Daniel Cormier, Kevin Randleman, Rashad Evans, and Alistair Overeem.