- Royce Gracie, of the legendary Gracie family, is one of the most prolific and influential MMA fighters in history. He became an 'underdog' hero while changing the landscape of combat sports and revolutionizing martial arts forever. After winning the first UFC Tournament (s).
- Official profiles of boxers in the PBC fight series, including Deontay Wilder & Gervonta Davis. Find stats, videos and bios on all your favorite fighters.
Humans have always been confronted with the issue of certain humans being oppressed due to various different social factors. Such oppression and cruel behavior on the part of humans makes a big question mark in our minds. Are they really “humans” who try to destroy humanity? In such cases, some righteous and courageous people fight for rights. They are themselves oppressed and beaten up for their freedom fight. But eventual success find its way for their relentless and righteous efforts. History notes down their name as the greatest freedom fighters ever like in the following rundown:
11-Bhagat Singh
His revolutionary activities and heroism established during the opposition of the subcontinent against British Rule and the British-found, East India Company. Shaheed Bhagat Singh belonged to a Sikh family. He was a diligent person who didn’t simply go to war. He first studied several different revolutionists biographies then tactically applied it to his own struggle. His part in the Indian Independence Movement started by his revenge for killing of Lala Rajpat Rai. Bhagat played an important role in assassinating a British Police officer. He gave himself under custody for the murder of the police officer. Remarkably, his freedom fight didn’t even end while he was in jail.
Ranking Contributors. As Tapology users create their own lists, the consensus rankings will update in real-time. For All Time Greatest Nicknames in MMA, the.
He started a hunger strike that lasted 116 days. During this strike, he raised the awareness of the dire need for Indian prisoners to be treated equally well as European prisoners. However, he was put under trial for the assassination. With the proofs of the assassination being undoubtedly clear, he was executed at a very young age. He lived for just 23 years, but played an important role in The Independence Movement. Bhagat Singh is one of the most prominent patriot in the list of Indian freedom fighters.
10-Frederick Douglass
Frederic Douglass started the journey of his life in an environment of oppression and captivity. He was born in 1818 in Maryland. As he grew up and gained maturity, he was confronted by the slavery and oppression of his masters. He strives hard even under such circumstances. He used every possible way to get the knowledge of writing and reading. After being successful in the escape from slavery, he continued his quest of writing and reading. Frederick Douglass took the way of writing as his voice and began outsourcing to many government and local dignitaries. He emphasized on topics like opposition to slavery, equal rights, saying no to racism and women’s rights. This popularity and keen interest led him to publish some autobiographies and narratives like “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave“.
He became a famous anti-oppression instructor. He gained huge fame to the point of even advising presidential authorities regarding abolition of slavery. His opposition to the 15th amendment which banned suffrage discrimination based on race while upholding sex-based restrictions is a proof of his support for women. Moreover, he stood up firmly against casting his vote if women weren’t given equal rights for voting. For this he was even mocked and beaten up by angry mobs. However, eventual success followed his way when in 1847, he returned to USA as an independent and massively celebrated personality.
9-Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr was a Baptist priest and social dissident. He assumed a key part in the American social liberties development from the mid-1950s until his death in 1968. Despite being born in an area full of racist opposition, King found his way. He gained a PhD degree from Boston University in systematic theology. Motivated by supporters of peacefulness, King dreamt for social balance for African Americans. He eagerly took up this challenge with great zeal. During this journey of righteousness, he was imprisoned 30 times! He was the main thrust behind notable occasions. Enraged by the imprisonment of an African-American girl over racism in public transport, he mobilized a vast number of people.
They all boycotted public transport system unless equal rights were granted for all races. This helped to finally bring about a change and a landmark enactment such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was another landmark achieved due to his remarkable efforts. His renowned speech “I have a dream” is till this date celebrated as one of the most astounding speeches ever. He was recompensed the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
8-Che Guevara
Che Guevara a very famous freedom fighter, was born in 1928 in Argentina. He grew up with the interest in medicine and therefore pursued his education in this field. During this journey of gaining medical education, he got shocked with the extreme hardships of hunger and poverty he witnessed. It was this point where his freedom fight for Cuban Revolution started. Due to his keen interest in freedom fighting, he abandoned the field of medicine.
He went on long voyages across South America to gain popularity amongst the oppressed. They supported him eagerly to overthrow the “Batista Government”. After his marriage, he traveled to Mexico, where he grouped up with Fidel Castro. They made joint strategic plans to overthrow Batista’s government to bring justice for South Americans. They attacked Cuba several times to crumble the Batista regime. By 1959, they succeeded in overthrowing the oppressive government. He was later appointed as president of the national bank and minister of industry. His assistance in the country’s transformation into a communist state can not be forgotten.
His speech in the United Nations condemning US foreign policy was a huge landmark achieved. He went on to explore more states where oppression existed. It was during one of these conquests that he found himself in the hands of the Bolivian army. He was eventually executed by the Bolivian army in 1967. Indeed, one of the greatest freedom fighters in the world!
7-Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle was a military personnel by profession. He is renowned as a notable figure in French history and politics. His struggle of freedom established during the Cold War. He worked as a military officer during the First World War and Second World War and was wounded several times. He himself found in trouble when he was arrested during 1st World War. At the end of the war he was released. He was a commander of tank regime. Due to his accomplishments and diligence, he was appointed as the Under Secretary for War by the French Government.
A turning point in his life was the moment when France surrendered to Germany in 1940. He couldn’t accept this defeat and escaped to England. There he established a Free French Movement, which was the real start of his freedom struggle. With the help of England’s Prime Minister, he started voicing his ideas publicly about gaining freedom. He urged upon the need to act as one nation and gain back the occupied areas under German control. Not only just voicing his ideas, but also he simultaneously started gathering troops to fight the oppression. Eventually he became president of France’s provisional government.
However, at the end of 1950’s, the crumbling French system became a serious worry and so he returned to France. He aided in the formation of a new government, thus taking over from the oppression of Germany. He became the President of France in 1959 and established an intelligent approach by keeping France away from super-powers. Thus, he proved to be a vital personality in the recovery of France and its people for freedom.
See Also: 10 Longest Hunger Strikes In History That Shocked The World
6-William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight. He gained fame as one of the pioneers amid the Wars of Scottish Independence. Despite knowing the consequences of standing up against the English men, he kept on working hard for the Scottish. Wallace defeated an English armed force at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297. He worked together with Andrew Moray. He was designated Guardian of Scotland and served until his demise at the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298.
English king offered a large sum of money to anyone who killed or captured him. Wallace was seized in August 1305, and transported to London. He was charged and tried with treason. William denied all charges. He was executed in 1305. His body was cut off after execution and the head was placed on London Bridge. His limbs were put on display in Newcastle, Berwick, Stirling and Perth. Since his death, Wallace has acquired a famous status all around the UK specifically Scotland.
5-Vladimir Lenin
A Russian communist by nature, he developed his revolutionist nature after seeing the execution of his brother in 1887. He studied law and eventually moved to St. Petersburg. This led him to meet many oppressed, exiled Russians. He grouped up with some revolutionists and began a campaign. The campaign included the spreading of communist ideas by paper to even going openly against the government physically. He leaded the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
This led to the formation of Russia and afterward the more extensive Soviet Union turned into a one-party comrade state represented by the Russian Communist Party. Lenin is regarded by many as the most significant political leader of the century. Not only in the former Soviet Union but also among many non-Communist states, he has been noted as a greatest revolutionary leader, thinker and indeed one of the greatest freedom fighters of all time.
4-Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro was one of the pioneers to lead the Cuban Revolution and was the head of Cuba’s government until 2008. Starting in 1958, Castro started a crusade of guerrilla fighting to effectively topple Cuban despot Fulgencio Batista. Castro turned into the nation’s new pioneer. His comrade household arrangements and military and monetary relations with the Soviet Union prompted strained relations with the United States.
Under Castro, changes were made to social policies and health and education were established with great attention. In January 1966, Castro established the Organization for Solidarity with the Peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This helped promote revolution and communists ideas. In 1967, he therefore framed the Latin American Solidarity Organization to encourage revolutions for the oppression in several Latin American nations.
3-Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong was born on December 26, 1893, in Shaoshan, Hunan Province, China. He established his ideas for communism in China by watching the success of the Russian Revolution. Mao therefore joined as one of the first members of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. He established an alliance with the Chinese leader Sun Yat-sen. However, Sun Yat-Sen’s successor proved to be against communism so he broke the alliance. So Mao Zedong led a small army of farmers for the sake of freedom and communism in China.
However, they got easily defeated. Upon several small uprisings by the communists, they realized that it was time to act wisely. Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, in a short period of time, almost 10 small states were established influenced by communism. This enraged the government and they decided to attack. At this time Mao Zedong led a Long March to retreat from the government’s attacks. It was here when he gained popularity from the Long March. He emerged as the Communist Leader. He led the Chinese against war with Japan and introduced revolutionary steps to build a modern China. Due to leading such a large nation with diligence, he is 3rd on the list of the top 10 greatest freedom fighters of the world.
2-Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi is the one of the greatest Indian freedom fighter of 20th century. Gandhi united the whole India in the struggle of independence of the country. His most famous non-violence methods really works and at the end British handed over the sub-continent to its people. Indian movement for independence was managed and spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi. He laid various civil rights movements for his country freedom. Gandhi stood firm in every hardness leading his nation from the front. He inspired the whole world with his strong determination and the non-violence approach.
See Also: Top 10 Famous Trials That Changed History
1-Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela spent his young life battling for the flexibility of South Africa’s dark and hued populace from mistreatment forced by the minority government. Not long after discharge, he turned into the supreme president of South Africa in which all the general population could vote regardless of race, nationality or any other social factors. For 20 years, he coordinated a peaceful rebellion against the South African government for its bigot strategies. In 1993, Mandela and South African President F.W. de Klerk were together granted the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to disassemble the nation’s racial framework.
He was detained for a long span of 27 years in prison. In 1994, Mandela was appointed as South Africa’s first dark president.He always urged upon the need to work in cooperation and peace, no matter what race an individual belonged to. He was a symbol of forgiveness and peace. He came out with no bitterness, forgiving his enemies despite the extreme and excruciating hardships he was confronted with. No doubt he is the best freedom fighter of the world!
The list is incomplete without mentioned some of the other greatest freedom fighters across the world.
The sport of MMA has grown tremendously since the UFC burst on the scene in
1993. Over the next two decades, MMA has become a global attraction that has
spawned numerous promotions and dozens of great fighters. Some of these athletic
combatants have gone on to transcend the sport and even help MMA grow to
unimaginable heights.
This list of the most famous MMA fighters is just a starting point; an
entrance into a fight world with personalities and athletes that have become
larger than life. By no means is this a complete or ultimate “All-Time Best”
list. In fact, if you feel that a fighter is missing from below, then reach out
to us.
List of the Most Famous MMA Fighters
Anderson Silva
Anderson “The Spider” Silva was at one point the best pound for pound fighter
in the world. He dominated the middleweight division for nearly seven years and
was the longest reigning champion in the history of the UFC. Some people believe
that Silva is the greatest MMA fighter of all-time, but that’s a debate for
another day and another list.
Silva unified the UFC and Pride middleweight titles and, at one point, held
the record for most successful title defenses with 16. He won the UFC
middleweight title in his 2nd fight with the promotion and dominated
for another 2,457 days. Anderson would also go on to hold multiple striking
records with the promotion.
Silva will also be remembered for his gruesome broken leg suffered during a
rematch fight against Chris Weidman.
Georges St-Pierre
If there’s another fighter on this list that could rival Silva as the
greatest MMA fighter of all-time, it would be Georges St-Pierre. More commonly
known as GSP, the Canadian MMA superstar was a 2-division champion and widely
considered as the greatest welterweight fighter of all-time.
GSP suffered two losses within the first three years of his UFC career.
However, since then, St-Pierre has won every fight. He’s defeated some of the
sport’s all-time greats like BJ Penn and Matt Hughes. He’s taken out some of the
top fighters of this era too, like Nick Diaz and Michael Bisping.
During the peak of his career, GSP was also the top PPV draw for the UFC.
Although others have passed him in this category, GSP will always be remembered
as one of the greatest ever.
Ronda Rousey
You can’t think of women’s MMA without thinking of the name Ronda Rousey. The
two will be synonymous forever. Rousey did more for women’s MMA than anyone
before her. In fact, it will be hard for any female MMA star to surpass Ronda’s
accomplishments.
Rousey was the first-ever American woman to win an Olympic medal in Judo when
she won the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2010, she turned
professional and had a few successful MMA fights for various promotions. She
would become Strikeforce’s Women’s Bantamweight Champ before moving on to the
UFC in 2012.
In the UFC, Rousey would become the biggest star in the company during her
heyday. She became the company’s first ever female champ and went undefeated for
nearly three years. Rousey had six successful title defenses before finally
losing. During that streak, she was the main event for PPV, patented her arm-bar
submission, and revolutionized the sport for female fighters.
Famous Fighters From Boston
Rousey would become the first ever female fighter to be inducted into the UFC
Hall of Fame. She’s also enjoyed a modest Hollywood career and has gone on to
become a megastar in the WWE.
Randy Couture
I don’t think there’s a fighter at the level of Couture who has retired more
times than Randy has. With that in mind, Couture continued to come out of
retirement and win championships. Randy was one of the first fighters to win
titles in two divisions: the light heavyweight and the heavyweight. Nicknamed
“The Natural,” Couture is a former 3-time UFC heavyweight champ and a former
2-time UFC light heavyweight champ.
Randy is well known for fighting into his late 40’s and doing so at a high
level. In fact, there aren’t many 40-year-olds who have won championships in any
sport, especially MMA. But, Couture did it. His last fight came in 2011. Since
then, Randy has enjoyed retirement.
Couture will go down as one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time. He will
also hold UFC records that will probably never be passed, like winning a fight
at the age of 46. During his retirement, Couture has become a steady actor with
popular roles in The Expendables movie franchise and on the TV show
Hawaii 5-0. It’s clear, whatever the former U.S. Army Sargent sets his mind
to, he succeeds at.
Royce Gracie
In addition to being a UFC Hall of Famer, Gracie is an MMA legend and a
pioneer. He won three of the first UFC tournaments and starred in the first MMA
mega-feud with Ken Shamrock. Gracie and his family went on to perfect Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, the Gracie name is synonymous with the popular martial art.
Greatest Boxer Of All Times
Outside of the UFC, Gracie had one of the most memorable bouts in PRIDE
Fighting as he fought Sakuraba for over 90 minutes. Although the latter fights
of his career didn’t turn out as he and his fans had hoped, the sport and the
UFC would have never gotten off the ground if it weren’t for pioneers like
Gracie.
Ken Shamrock
You can’t mention the name of Gracie without his counterpart, Ken Shamrock.
The two were involved in a bitter feud during the early days of the UFC, which
put the company on the mat and took the MMA sport mainstream. Shamrock was the
first ever Superfight Champ, which would eventually go on to become the
heavyweight championship after the implementation of weight divisions.
Shamrock was also a big star outside of the UFC. He became the first
“foreigner” to win a major championship in Japan when he won the King of
Pancrase. During this period of time, Shamrock was considered the top MMA
fighter in the world.
Shamrock also left his mark on professional wrestling as he was a multi-time
champ in the WWE (WWF when he wrestled). Ken became an even bigger mainstream
star after his run in the WWE. With his famous MMA center known as the Lion’s
Den, Shamrock became one of the most influential MMA fighters of all-time.
Brock Lesnar
Although not as accomplished in MMA as other fighters on this list, Brock
Lesnar turned the UFC upside down when he decided to participate in mixed
martial arts. Lesnar came from the WWE world to MMA and fans refused to accept
him at first. In his 3rd fight with the UFC, Lesnar defeated Couture
to win the UFC heavyweight title. Lesnar would go on to have some of the highest
grossing fights in UFC history. He was an instant box office attraction.
Despite having little MMA experience, and a great deal of professional
wrestling experience, Lesnar was actually an accomplished amateur wrestler in
college. For his career, Lesnar went 106-5 in four years at college. He was a
two-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten Champ, and the 2000 NCAA
heavyweight champ.
Oh, and we can’t forget that Lesnar had a brief stint in the NFL after
leaving the WWE for other challenges. Brock continues to be one of the biggest
stars in the WWE and sends shockwaves through the sport of MMA anytime he shows
up in the UFC.
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor has transcended the sport of MMA like no other. He’s set new
records for UFC gates and PPV buys, while becoming a massive international
superstar. McGregor has become one of the best in the sport at selling a fight
with his words and tends to back it up more times than not. McGregor is one of
only a handful of 2-divisions champs and actually held those two divisional
belts at the same time.
McGregor proved his star power in 2017 when he took on Floyd Mayweather Jr.
in a boxing match. Conor went 10 rounds with one of boxing’s best fighters of
all-time. It’s gone down as the 2ndhighest grossing PPV fight of
all-time.
McGregor is widely considered to still be in his prime, but only time will
tell. Even if he retired tomorrow, McGregor would definitely be remembered for
the way he took the sport of MMA to another level.
Jon Jones
Regardless of his troubles outside of the sport, Jon Jones is regarded as one
of the best MMA fighters of all-time. In fact, some say that if Jones wasn’t his
own worst enemy, he would be the greatest MMA fighter of all-time.
Following the first loss of his pro career, in 2009, Jones would go on one of
the most impressive streaks the sport has ever seen. He won 14 straight fights
before his last one was overturned. Along the way, he beat some of the sport’s
best fighters in Cormier, Sonnen, Belfort, Evans, Rua, Bader, Machida, and
Jackson. His 13-fight win streak in the lightweight division is a record that
will probably never be broken.
At the time of winning the light heavyweight belt in 2011, Jones became the
youngest UFC champ ever. Not only does Jones have one of the most impressive
fight resumes in all of MMA, but he’s also going to go down as the greatest
light heavyweight of all-time; a huge accomplishment in itself.
B.J. Penn
Penn doesn’t have the fight record of other fighters on this list, but his
name is easily recognizable in any MMA circle. Not to mention he has a cool
website that provides some great insight, MMA news, and analysis. However, if it
wasn’t for his success in MMA, nobody would’ve turned to his site in the first
place.
Penn was first noticed in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship where he became
the first non-Brazilian to win the black-belt division. He also finished high in
other prominent Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, leading to him signing with the UFC. From
there, Penn would take on some of the sport’s all-time greats, like GSP and Matt
Hughes.
B.J. Penn wasn’t afraid to take on other fighters in different weight
classes. He also didn’t have a problem fighting in other promotions. No MMA list
is complete without Penn.
Chuck Liddell
Known as “The Iceman,” Chuck Liddell was the most feared striker on the
planet during his peak. From early 1999 to late 2006, Liddell went 18-2, won the
UFC light heavyweight belt, and defeated fighters like Ortiz, Belfort, Overeem,
and Couture. His feuds with Ortiz and Couture took the UFC to new heights.
Liddell’s personality and look helped him to stand apart from other fighters.
He’s considered one of the promotion’s first true superstars and easily earned
UFC Hall of Fame honors. It’s hard to imagine where the company or the sport
would be without Chuck Liddell. The Iceman certainly did things his way, which
includes going down swinging on his way to retirement.
Quinton Jackson
“Rampage,” became a fan favorite due to his exciting fight style and his
colorful personality. He was a star in Pride Fighting, winning the middleweight
title. Jackson had a highly memorable feud with Wanderlei Silva in the Pride
promotion before eventually heading to the UFC in 2006. Within his first few
fights, Jackson KO’d Liddell to win the UFC light heavyweight title. From there,
Jackson became one of the most dynamic fighters in the UFC.
Quinton’s final years with the UFC were up and down due to controversy,
losses, and a few title wins. In 2013, Jackson left for Bellator and helped
establish that promotion as a reputable brand. Additionally, Rampage decided to
try his luck at pro wrestling when he joined TNA in 2013.
Outside of the octagon, Jackson is best known for his role as B.A. Baracus in
the hit movies The A-Team.
Fedor Emelianenko
Unlike the majority of fighters on this list, Fedor had most of his success
prior to entering the UFC. Emelianenko dominated Pride Fighting and also saw
success in M-1 Global and Affliction. For over eight years (2001 through 2009),
Emelianenko went undefeated as he won 28 straight fights. During that span, he
defeated Nogueira, Mirko Filipovic, and Alrovski to name a few. He didn’t need
the UFC to become a superstar. The UFC chased after Fedor because he was already
an international star.
Once he signed with Strikeforce, Fedor lost a few fights, and the mystique
wore off. Eventually, he retired as a legend of the sport. However, like other
MMA legends, Fedor came out of retirement for a few fights in various promotions
before ending up in Bellator. Regardless of his record and latter fights, “The
Last Emperor” was truly one of the last legit international MMA stars outside of
the UFC.
Tito Ortiz
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was a force to be reckoned with during his
peak run from 2000 to 2006. Over that period of time, Ortiz wen 11-2 and won the
UFC light heavyweight title and defended it five times. His feud with Liddell is
considered one of the greatest MMA feuds of all-time, right up there with Gracie
vs. Shamrock.
Tito fought during an era where the sport was still growing. Ortiz definitely
helped to bring more fans to the sport and became a star. Tito also had a few
retirements along the way but came back to the sport he loved and was very
successful at.
Ortiz tried his hand at acting and pro wrestling, but nothing really took off
for him in either industry. Outside of his legendary fight career, Tito is also
famous for his relationship with the super popular adult film star Jenna
Jameson.
Chael Sonnen
Sonnen has certainly tasted defeat in his career, but it’s his showmanship
that helped Chael stand apart. Furthermore, it’s his trash talking that has
become an art form where other fighters have tried to emulate him. In fact,
Sonnen might be the only MMA star that can out-trash talk Conor McGregor.
Chael might also be the only fighter on this list that’s more famous for his
talking and entertaining than his actual fighting. Chael doesn’t really have any
major titles on his resume, but he always seems to land big fights in every
promotion that he’s a part of.
Sonnen has worked with ESPN for several years as an MMA analyst.
He’s never short on words or insults. If you are questioning why he’s on this
list of famous MMA fighters, go check out some video clips of his greatest
promos.
Honorable Mentions
There are certainly dozens of fighters we could add to the famous MMA
fighters list above, but then we might as well just write a book on this topic.
Other fighters that could be included on this list and any other legit MMA list
are Jose Aldo, Takanori Gomi, Rich Franklin, Matt Hughes, Wanderlei Silva,
Mauricio Rua, Demetrious Johnson, The Diaz brothers, Daniel Cormier, Urijah
Faber, Bas Rutten and many more.