Jason Burgos
On Saturday night in Las Vegas, the UFC BMF title will once again be on the line when current title holder Max Holloway takes on the challenge of former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 326. While the booking is a major matchup at 155 pounds, it will decide who is considered the baddest motherf***** in the UFC.
However, there are many fighters in the company’s various weight classes who would be worthy of fighting for a UFC BMF title. With that in mind, we bring to you our all-new rankings of the 10 baddest mofos in the UFC right now.
10. Michael Morales
Similar to Carlos Prates, Ecuadorian has become a feared man at 170 pounds because of the serious thunder he has in his hands. The undefeated 26-year-old has won all seven of his UFC bouts, five by knockout. The last three have all come in the first round, and to the top 10 stalwarts of the last decade, like Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady.
Unlike Prates, Morales is more like Alex Pereira in being a quiet killer who doesn’t show a ton of emotion or talk trash. It might make him scarier than his welterweight contemporary.
9. Ilia Topuria
When you score knockout wins over UFC legends Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira in three straight fights, there is no denying Ilia Topuria is a very bad man. The unbeaten lightweight champion has been an absolute monster since he arrived in the UFC six years ago, and has evolved into one of the company’s pound-for-pound best fighters.
However, he ends up near the back of our list because he has become very picky with his opponents over the last couple of years, which is unbecoming of a traditional UFC BMF.
8. Carlos Prates
Carlos Prates has lived up to the nickname of “Nightmare” since he earned a UFC contract on the Contender Series three years ago. All six of his wins inside the Octagon have been knockouts, and three of them have been in Round 1.
The Brazilian has scary power for a welterweight, and somehow has a pretty solid gas tank despite being an avid cigarette smoker. When you can smoke eight or more cigs a day and still be an elite fighter, then you are definitely a BMF.
7. Jean Silva
Featherweight Jean Silva has quickly become one of the UFC’s most must-see fighters. No matter who he is fighting, and no matter how high the stakes, “Lord” is going to go forward and throw bombs as he looks to take his foe’s head off.
The Brazilian is a wildman who doesn’t mind taking a couple of shots so he can deliver a power punch, and is always talking trash, even if his opponents don’t know what he is saying.
6. Dricus Du Plessis
Former middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has earned his spot on our UFC BMF top 10 with a whole lot of blood and sweat. The South African is a rarity in that he reached the highest levels of the sport without a very technical fighting style. His punches and takedown attempts can look sloppy, and he takes way too many punches for a top fighter.
However, he has the heart of a lion and a chin made of steel. His fights are often the best on the card, and he has proven time and again how bad a** he is.
5. Dan Hooker
A BMF doesn’t have to be an elite fighter, because while Dan Hooker has never come close to fighting for UFC gold during his 12 years in the company, he is the epitome of a BMF. He is never in a boring fight, and although he has 10 losses in the company, he often gets his pound of blood and flesh from his foes in defeat. The New Zealander is one of the longest tenured fighters in the company because he always delivers what his bosses want: Violence.
4. Jiří Procházka
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka is an eccentric individual and looks to live his life honorably like a Samurai. However, when he enters the cage, he violent Viking looking to inflict pain on his enemies.
The Czech fighter has never been in a boring fight in the UFC and is often either delivering a highlight reel finish or being on the wrong end of them. You can’t have a true UFC BMF list without Prochazka.
3. Alex Pereira
Former two-division champ Alex Pereira is the thesis of a silent assassin. In an era of overly talkative and loud stars, “Poatan” does all his talking in the Octagon. Like a true UFC BMF, the Brazilian is always looking to move forward to land pinpoint shots on the chins of his enemies. And while fight fans are used to BMFs with brash and colorful personalities in and outside of the ring, Pereira is a fighter who decimates his foes with an ice-cold blank stare.
2. Max Holloway
The current holder of the lone UFC BMF title had to be on this list. But even if he didn’t have the gold and silver belt, “Blessed” has been in some of the bloodiest and most violent wars in UFC history. Including epic clashes with Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.
The former featherweight champion is a technically sound fighter, but what makes him a legend and BMF is his willingness to always go forward and get bloody to put hands on his foes. His knockout of Gaethje in 2024 will be on UFC highlight reels forever.
1. Justin Gaethje
You can’t have a UFC BMF list without Justin Gaethje. From the moment he entered the promotion in 2017, he has been one of the company’s most reliable fighters when it comes to delivering action-packed wars inside the Octagon. Gaethje has been in multiple Fight of the Year winners or contenders, and having six KOs in 10 wins inside one of the toughest divisions in the sport proves how bad he is.
