Maintaining a zero in the loss column of one's fighting record is about as prestigious of a mark one can have. It is the clearest indicator of a fighter's dominance, along with the assumption of talent and a bright future on the horizon.

However, that zero also can raise a question from fight fans -- just how good has that fighter's competition been thus far? Has that fighter's path to staying undefeated been littered with mediocre opponents? Or, has said fighter faced challenging competition that deserves one's attention and respect?

So which fighters today, with an undefeated record, are legit? Which of them rise above the rest?

Of note, this list is made up of current, active fighters who are unbeaten and have accrued at least three wins in a top MMA promotion -- UFC, Bellator or PFL. With that in mind, let's highlight one fighter who easily cracks this list if he can secure one more win:

DNQ. Bo Nickal, middleweight

Bo Nickal needs just 52 seconds to earn impressive submission win

Bo Nickal pulls off the submission win over Donovan Beard in just 52 seconds in the first round.

Nickal would be the hardest one to rank on this list, because he hasn't done a whole lot in MMA ... but everyone already expects the world from him. One thing he has done is meet and exceed even the loftiest expectations. He has already shown bright lights won't affect him, which is a huge quality to have. I would rank him at No. 11 if he qualified based on our criteria, since it considers both past and future. But if this were only the future, Nickal would likely be top-five, no sweat.

17. Javid Basharat, bantamweight

An even combination of finishes on the ground (six) and on the feet (five), Basharat has impressed since coming off the Contender Series in 2021. Basharat has a lot to prove and a lot of noise to make. He needs to prove he can finish at this level (he never went the distance prior to his UFC debut, and has now done so three times in a row). But the results are obviously still exactly what you want.

16. Vitor Petrino, light heavyweight

He has only been a pro for four years and remarkably signed with the UFC after just six professional appearances. He's exciting -- we know that. He's already 3-0 in the UFC, with three wins in the 2023 calendar year. He hasn't achieved anything too noteworthy yet, but if he keeps winning, that quick path to the UFC is going to make a lot of sense.

15. Michael Morales, welterweight

There's a lot to like about Morales, who is only 24 years old. We hate to nitpick, but his résumé thus far is easy to question. Before he fought on Contender Series 2021, the majority of his opponents had between zero and five professional fights of experience. The good thing about that, however, is Morales styled on nearly all of them -- recording finishes in 10 of his first 11 fights. This fight against Jake Matthews on Saturday should tell us a lot.

14. Azamat Murzakanov, light heavyweight

Murzakanov remains undefeated after TKO win over Clark

Azamat Murzakanov drops Devin Clark, then pounces on him for the TKO finish to keep his undefeated record intact.

It's not clear yet what to make of Murzakanov, in one of the UFC's most wide-open divisions. His 13 wins to date can't stand up with some of the other ones on this list, but his upside could be very high considering a couple wins would legitimately have him in top-five territory. He's coming off a quality win over Dustin Jacoby in April.

13. Lerone Murphy, featherweight

There are some true phenoms on this list of undefeated athletes, as well as some bonafide title challengers. Murphy is really neither of those. He's 32 and has flown well below the radar, compared to some of these other names. But what the man has done time and again is win. He's recorded quick finishes, and edged out split decisions. And he's done so both as a favorite and an underdog.

12. Tatsuro Taira, flyweight

Taira doesn't have the same level of recognition as Muhammad Mokaev at the moment, but the two are similar in many ways. Same weight class. Both have extensive experience on the amateur level. They're both 23 with birthdays six months apart. If Taira continues winning, expect his undefeated record to start turning more heads.

11. Muhammad Mokaev, flyweight

The only thing holding Mokaev back from a higher rank, honestly, is the talent on this list. The fact he's outside of the top 10 speaks to the strength of the names listed. Mokaev is confident, active and targeting the toughest fights in the division. He should finally get them in 2024. What he does with them will be a key storyline to follow in that division.

10. Ian Machado Garry, welterweight

Ian Machado Garry completes remarkable comeback to win via TKO

Ian Garry stays undefeated with a TKO victory over Kenan Song.

Give it one more year, and Garry's spot on this list could be considerably higher. He's only 25, and he has a Cage Warriors belt and a 6-0 UFC record on his résumé. He's impressing more and more with every win, which can be hard to do considering the higher expectations that usually coincide with success. His matchup against Vicente Luque at UFC 296 is a big one.

9. Yaroslav Amosov, welterweight

Another Bellator champ who looks like he could give a number of the UFC's top welterweights a run for their money. Amosov's run in Bellator has been extremely impressive. His work prior to joining Bellator was, of course, perfect; however, one can question some of the opposition he fought. Not that he's the only one on this list you can do that for, but he was facing some very inexperienced competitors in Russia, even as his undefeated record continued to climb. Still, a 27-0 record over a decade of work is not an easy thing, and his past three fights in particular have come against very good opposition.

8. Umar Nurmagomedov, bantamweight

Umar Nurmagomedov stuns announcers with this vicious kick to the face

Umar Nurmagomedov stuns the announcers with this incredibly placed kick to the head of Nate Maness.

Yet another undefeated name from the Nurmagomedov bloodline, Umar looks like a future champ. He has a very tough weight class to do it in, where any number of top contenders could easily be viewed as champion material. But like the other members of his family, Umar stands out for his work ethic, humble style and well-rounded game. He hasn't shown it against the top of the heap yet, but that opportunity is coming in 2024.

7. Johnny Eblen, middleweight

As is always the case, it's hard to compare these Bellator champions to ranked UFC contenders because of the difference in competition. Eblen has not faced the same level of opposition that exists in the UFC's top five. But based on what we have seen, he's easily considered one of the top middleweights in the sport. He's one of the harder ones to rank on this entire list, because ranking him requires a lot of speculation. But at the end of the day, it feels like he would be competitive with anyone in the UFC's middleweight division, so he's deserving of this high number.

6. Shavkat Rakhmonov, welterweight

Shavkat Rakhmonov knocks out Carlston Harris with help of incredible kick

Shavkat Rakhmonov makes quick work of Carlston Harris with an impressive spinning wheel kick at UFC Fight Night.

Rakhmonov comes in at No. 6 and might have found himself higher if the UFC had an easier time of booking him opponents. Ranked UFC welterweights don't want to fight this guy, and who could blame them? Sixteen consecutive finishes to start a professional career. He had a tough time keeping that streak alive against Geoff Neal in March, but even in his most difficult matchup he was able to get it done. Frankly, his rank might even be a touch too low for 16 consecutive finishes.

5. Movsar Evloev, men's featherweight

He's 7-0 in the UFC. The reason you're not more familiar with him is that all seven of those went to decision. A statistic like that will quiet any sort of hype a fighter might be looking for, but one thing about Evloev is that he doesn't care. He's going to stick to his style, and his style is quite effective. If we're ranking these undefeated records in terms of highlights, Evloev is near the bottom. But if we're ranking on this wide range of criteria, Evloev is near the top. There's really no reason to think his undefeated record is going to change, even as he starts to face ranked competition.

4. Ilia Topuria, men's featherweight

Topuria finds himself at No. 4 based on track record and upside. His game is complete. He has finishing ability on the feet and on the ground. He'll be an obvious underdog against Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC championship in February, but don't be surprised if he's a very trendy upset pick. His five-round dismantling of Josh Emmett was a truly breakout performance. Just to remind you of the sheer dominance of that fight, judges scored it for Topuria 49-45, 50-44 and 50-42. He's only 26, arguably still years away from his prime -- which is a scary thought.

3. Tatiana Suarez, strawweight

At this point, what is a good comparison to Suarez? An athlete of immense potential, who hasn't been able to showcase it due to injury? She basically looked like she could have competed for a title when she came off The Ultimate Fighter in 2016, but has been limited to just six fights in seven years. During that time, she dominated the likes of Alexa Grasso (current champ), Carla Esparza (former two-time champ), Jessica Andrade (former champ). I mean, who has a resume like that? If anyone suggests Suarez is too high on this list because she's only 10-0 ... honestly, I considered ranking her No. 1. Her undefeated record is absurd when you think about who she's fought and the injury obstacles she overcame. Please, let this woman stay healthy so we can see her full potential.

2. Khamzat Chimaev, middleweight

Khamzat Chimaev wastes no time going after Kevin Holland

As soon as the fight starts Khamzat Chimaev immediately pursues a takedown on Kevin Holland.

The hype around Chimaev has cooled considerably, following a very close fight against Kamaru Usman in October. Usman came off the couch to accept that fight on short notice, and nearly beat Chimaev in a three-round bout. Still, Chimaev did beat a former UFC welterweight champion, and pound-for-pound candidate. He did beat Gilbert Burns, a former UFC title challenger. He would be favored over just about any middleweight the UFC could throw at him. Let's not get carried away in any downgrading of Chimaev. His ceiling is still a multi-division champion in the UFC, which not too many of his peers can say. That said, 2024 is a big year for Chimaev. The UFC just re-signed him to a lucrative extension, and we'll see how he responds to that vote of confidence.

1. Usman Nurmagomedov, lightweight

Nurmagomedov is one of the best lightweights on the planet. He's only 25 and positively oozing with talent. Now, he just failed a drug test in California, which isn't a good look. And he's the champion of a promotion in Bellator MMA that faces a very uncertain future. But Nurmagomedov is so good that his future success is virtually guaranteed, barring serious injury. We've seen what Michael Chandler has done in recent years, emerging from Bellator and making an immediate splash in the UFC. Odds are Nurmagomedov will do something similar. Whatever the details, though, he is going to keep winning -- and whichever promotion has him will look to make him a star. He's not the biggest name on this list, but he's the No. 1 undefeated fighter in the world.

Ranking 17 best undefeated fighters mma

2023-11-18 13:01:36