Are you wondering who has the most fights in UFC history overall and for each weight class?
In this article, we’ll look at who has the most fights in the UFC overall and per weight class division, and whether any fighters are likely to take any records either short or long-term.
Contents
Who Has the Most Fights in UFC History? (Top 15)
Here’s a table showing the fighters with the most fights in UFC history:
| Rank | Fighter | Weight Class | DOB | Fights | Status |
| 1 | Jim Miller (USA) | LW / CW / WW | August 30, 1983 | 42 | Active |
| 2 | Andrei Arlovski (BLR) | HW | February 4, 1979 | 39 | Active |
| 3 | Donald Cerrone (USA) | LW / WW | March 29, 1983 | 38 | Active |
| 4 | Clay Guida (USA) | LW / FTW | December 8, 1981 | 36 | Active |
| 5 | Jeremy Stephens (USA) | LW / FTW | May 26, 1986 | 34 | Inactive |
| 6 | Demian Maia (BRA) | WW / MW | November 6, 1977 | 33 | Active |
| 7 | Rafael Dos Anjos (BRA) | LW / WW / CW | October 26, 1984 | 33 | Active |
| 8 | Diego Sanchez (USA) | WW / LW / FTW / MW | December 31, 1981 | 32 | Inactive |
| 9 | Charles Oliveira (BRA) | LW / FTW / WW / CW | October 17, 1989 | 31 | Active |
| 10 | Neil Magny (USA) | WW | August 3, 1987 | 31 | Active |
| 11 | Matt Brown (USA) | WW | January 10, 1981 | 30 | Active |
| 12 | Frankie Edgar (USA) | LW / FTW / BTW | October 16, 1981 | 30 | Retired |
| 13 | Michael Bisping (ENG) | MW / LHW | February 28, 1979 | 29 | Retired |
| 14 | Dustin Poirier (USA) | LW / FTW | January 19, 1989 | 28 | Active |
| 15 | Gleison Tibau (BRA) | LW / WW | July 10, 1983 | 28 | Inactive |
The weight classes in the table are ordered by the number of fights they’ve had in each division, from highest to lowest.
Weight Classes = HW: Heavyweight, LHW: Light heavyweight, MW: Middleweight, WW: Welterweight, LW: Lightweight, FTW: Featherweight, BTW: Bantamweight, FLW: Flyweight
CW = Catchweight, which is not a UFC weight class division but a fight that occurs outside of them
DOB = Date of birth
Inactive = No longer fighting for the UFC, but has the potential to rejoin as they’re not retired from MMA
Which Fighter Has a Chance at the Record for Most Fights in UFC History?
While it’s impossible to say who will have the most fights in UFC history a decade from now (August 2022), it’s likely to be someone from the table above.
This is because as MMA continues to develop, athletes are fighting less frequently as the competition increases, meaning rest and recovery are more important than ever and brain damage concerns are on the rise.
Jim Miller’s likely to hold the record for a while, seeing as he’s still active and he’s still winning; he’s currently on a 3-win streak and beat Donald Cerrone in his last fight.
Charles Oliveira is the one fighter who stands out from the table as having a chance to secure the top spot in the next 5 to 10 years.
This is because he’s only just turning 33 years old (October 17) and is 6 years younger than Jim Miller and 10 years younger than second-placed Andrei Arlovski.
He’s also a dominant champion currently on an 11-fight win streak. If he stays fit and wants to continue fighting until the age of 40 he could easily do so. With a fight in October coming up and an average of 2 fights per year, he could be on 45 fights by 2030.
This is however pure speculation and only time will tell if anyone can overtake Jim Miller. Age is just a number at the end of the day and 43-year-old Andrei Arlovski is evidence of this.
Currently riding a 4-fight win streak and with a fight upcoming, Andrei seems to be progressing rather than slowing down.
Who Has the Most Fights in UFC History by Weight Class Division?
Here’s the table showing the athletes with the most fights in UFC history by weight class division.
Note: The table below compiles data from UFC 1, while the UFC records only compile data from UFC 28 as this was when the Unified Rules of MMA were first incorporated.
| Division | Fighter | Fights | DOB | Status |
| Heavyweight | Andrei Arlovski (BLR) | 39 | February 4, 1979 | Active |
| Light Heavyweight | Tito Ortiz (USA) | 27 | January 23, 1975 | Retired |
| Middleweight | Michael Bisping (ENG) | 24 | February 28, 1979 | Retired |
| Welterweight | Neil Magny | 31 | August 3, 1987 | Active |
| Lightweight | Jim Miller (USA) | 37 | August 30, 1983 | Active |
| Featherweight | Max Holloway (USA) / Darren Elkins (USA) | 24 | December 4, 1991 / May 16, 1984 | Active / Active |
| Bantamweight | Pedro Munhoz (BRA) | 18 | September 7, 1986 | Active |
| Flyweight | Joseph Benavidez (USA) | 19 | July 31, 1984 | Retired |
| Women’s Featherweight | Megan Anderson (AUS) / Felicia Spencer (USA) | 6 | February 11, 1990 / November 20, 1990 | Active / Active |
| Women’s Bantamweight | Raquel Pennington (USA) | 15 | September 5, 1988 | Active |
| Women’s Flyweight | Katlyn Chookagian (USA) / Gillian Robertson (CAN) | 12 | December 28, 1988 / May 17, 1995 | Active / Active |
| Women’s Strawweight | Angela Hill (USA) | 20 | January 12, 1985 | Active |
Which Fighters Have a Chance at the Record for Most Fights in UFC History per Weight Class Division?
For the heavyweight division, no one will take Andrei Arlovksi’s record for many years or possibly ever, as the only active heavyweight who comes close is Derrick Lewis with 25.
For the light heavyweight division, 40-year-old Mauricio Rua is the most likely to take the record with 23 fights.
For the middleweight division, either Brad Tavares or Derek Brunson is the most likely to take the record. Brad Tavares has 21 middleweight fights and is only 34 years old, while Derek Brunson has 20 and is 38 years old.
For the Welterweight division, Neil Magny is the most likely to take the record as he has only 1 fight less than Matt Brown with 29 but is 6 years younger.
For the featherweight division, Max Holloway could become a standout as he’s still only 30 years old, soon to be 31.
For the bantamweight division, Pedro Munhoz is still active and only 35 while Marlon Vera is hot on his trail with 17 fights and is only 29 years old, while also being a top 5 contender.
For the flyweight division, Tim Elliott has 16 fights and is 35 years old. Further down the list are Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo with 13 fights, although Moreno is only 28 and Figueiredo is 34.
The women’s featherweight division is the most open, but as it’s so inactive it’s hard to say. It’ll either be Amanda Nunes who continues to defend her belt, or Megan Anderson and Felicia Spencer who are both 32.
For the women’s bantamweight, Amanda Nunes (age 34) is one behind Raquel Pennington (age 33) with 14 and the record will depend on who fights for longer.
For the women’s flyweight division, Gillian Robertson is likely to take the record in the short term and long term as she’s tied first and is only 27 years old.
For the women’s strawweight division, Tecia Torres is the most likely to take the record in the future despite only having 15 fights, as she’s 4 years younger than Angela Hill.
To Summarize
So, ‘who has the most fights in UFC history’?
Jim Miller has the most fights in UFC history with 40, and he also has the most wins in UFC history with 24.
The records for the most fights in UFC history are hard to take, as modern MMA athletes are fighting a maximum of 4 or 5 times a year, while the average is 2 to 3 times a year.
The top 3 are likely to be the frontrunners for the next 5 years, but may possibly be overtaken by Charles Oliveira if he continues fighting at his current pace and wants to further his legacy as a UFC legend.
For most fights in UFC history by weight class division, most of the records except the heavyweight division are open to being taken by a new athlete in the short term – only time will tell.
You may also be interested in reading the longest UFC win streaks and the most UFC title defenses.
