| Rank | UFC BMFs | Record | Last 3 Results |
| #1 | Justin Gaethje | 25-4 | W-W-L |
| #2 | Max Holloway | 24-7 | W-W-L |
| #3 | Cory Sandhagen | 16-4 | W-L-W |
| #4 | Dustin Poirier | 23-7 | L-W-L |
| #5 | Kevin Holland | 25-9 | W-W-L |
| #6 | Michael Chandler | 23-8 | L-W-L |
| #7 | Marlon Vera | 22-8-1 | L-W-W |
| #8 | Stipe Miocic | 20-4 | L-W-W |
| #9 | Chan Sung Jung | 17-7 | L-W-L |
| #10 | Khamzat Chimaev | 12-0 | W-W-W |
The UFC BMF title is the closest the company has ever gotten to being like the WWE and its fictional universe. Nevertheless, the unique championship has a lot of meaning inside the industry as it signifies which fighter is the roughest, toughest, and baddest cage fighter in the top MMA promotion in the world.
While the UFC BMF belt currently resides around the waist of lightweight superstar Justin Gaethje, there are many fighters in the UFC who deserve a shot at the reigning champ or to compete for a version of the make-believe title in their own weight class. With that in mind, here are Sportsnaut’s special UFC BMF rankings.
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Top 10 UFC BMF fighters right now
10. Khamazat Chimaev (12-0)
Khamzat Chimaev has taken the UFC by storm by being an absolute wrecking machine in not one, but two divisions. In seven appearances in the Octagon, he is unbeaten and has finished all but one opponent. And in the fight that went the distance — versus Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 — the scrap was an absolute war that was on the list for the 2022 fight of the year.
“Borz” is a brash, and cocky rising star who will fight anyone, anywhere, and smash.
9. Chan Sung Jung (17-7)
You can’t have a UFC BMF list without the one and only “Korean Zombie.” For years, the smaller weight classes in MMA were often — and unfairly — cast as being less knockout and brawl heavy than their heavier counterparts. However, fighters like Chan Sung Jung completely altered that perception by constantly being a part of entertaining and unforgettable scraps.
Be it wild submissions or thunderous knockouts, no fighter has a more devoted legion of fans than Jung for being one of the toughest and baddest featherweights the sport has ever seen.
8. Stipe Miocic (20-4)
The heavyweight division may not be deep in amazing athletes and technical savants, but no weight class is more hazardous for one’s health due to the power of all the competitors. Being able to survive multiple wars in the weight class and often come out on the winning side takes a real deal UFC BMF. And that is why Stipe Miocic is the first and only heavyweight in these rankings.
No MMA big man has shown more toughness than the former heavyweight king. But what truly makes him special is his ability to deal out just as much violence as he has received over a legendary career in the Octagon.
7. Marlon Vera (22-8-1)
Marlon Vera is the sort of fighter that will make some truly tough individuals question if MMA really is the right career for them. While he may not be the flashiest combatant in the weight class, his will is a weapon all in itself. Pushing him forward and making pain seem like an afterthought as if he were less cage fighter and more Ecuadorian Terminator.
Furthermore, his collage of tattoos and biker beard just accentuates the rugged and rabid dog that “Chito” is when he steps into the cage.
6. Michael Chandler (23-8)
For a long-time during his dominant reign as champion in Bellator, Michael Chandler was seen as a wrestler who can sometimes get dirty and scrap on occasion. However, the version that has been on the UFC roster is a true BMF and has delivered pure violent madness over his five bouts in the company. Win or lose, Chandler is must-see TV and delivers bloodshed and bombs with the best of them.
5. Kevin Holland (25-9)
Few fighters can bludgeon a man while also delivering elite-level trash talk, but Kevin Holland really is a special fighter. The competitor UFC president Dana White once dubbed “Big Mouth” is never in a boring fight, and sure, he has lost a few inside the Octagon but rarely is it from an opponent that is willing to trade fists and trash talk on the feet.
He has scored several finishes over big-name competition during his run in the company, including a shocking KO over middleweight great Ronaldo Souza while sitting on his butt. Now that is no doubt BMF material.
4. Dustin Poirier (23-7)
There isn’t any better proof of a real-deal UFC BMF fighter than being in an actual bout for the coveted belt. And Dustin Poirier did that at UFC 291 in July. While he did not take home the title on that night, he still owns a victory over the current champion and has a legendary hit list of victims — including Conor McGregor twice — and has been in several fight-of-the-year candidate scraps.
Yet what makes “Diamond” so unique for this list is he isn’t a competitor that seems like he might have a screw or two loose. He is actually an outstanding representative of the sport in and out of the cage while also being a legit BMF.
3. Cory Sandhagen (16-4)
Bantamweight star Cory Sandhagen is a scary fighter. While his long and lanky exterior may not strike fear in the hearts of men, once the cage door is locked there are few harder challenges to overcome in what has become the UFC’s best division.
Sandhagen has the heart of a lion and is willing to go forward and shed blood, but also has an orthodox fight style where he can switch stances and pick you apart from the outside like Dhalsim from Street Fighter. If there was a new create-a-BMF feature added in the next UFC video game, the finished product very well might look like Sandhagen.
2. Max Holloway (24-7)
If not for the man at the top of the list Max Holloway would be the obvious top choice for the No. 1 BMF on the current UFC roster. He is one of the greatest featherweights of all time because he is an outstanding fighter with amazing boxing and a top-shelf fight IQ. However, he is a beloved competitor and BMF because he has a chin that is second to none and a fire in his belly that makes him a terrifying force inside the Octagon.
“Blessed” has been in many legendary wars that will go down in UFC lore for being equal parts high-level technique and savagery. He is one of the BMFs now and forever.
1. Justin Gaethje (25-4)
Justin Gaethje is a truly special talent and will go down as one of the great lightweight fighters of all time. But his resume as the top BMF right now is hard to deny. There is no fighter that is a better guarantee for Octagon violence in each fight than “The Highlight.” His hooks are deadly, and his leg kicks are nasty, but his unbreakable chin makes his opponent’s legs get rubbery and crowds roar.
Beating Dustin Poirier with a thunderous head kick stamped his place as the top fighter in our UFC BMF rankings, and at 34 there is still room for Gaethje to add more blood-curdling moments of cage fury to his stellar resume.