To even earn a medal at all at the Olympics is an incredible achievement, but to be a record holder of any kind at one of the highest stages is something else. These athletes are truly the best of the best.

Many names probably come to mind like Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt when it comes to breaking Summer Olympics records, but we have so much more. Without further ado, here are the top 25 most impressive Summer Olympics records!

25. 800 m women’s event (Nadezhda Olizarenko)

Nadezhda Olizarenko holds the Summer Olympics record for the fastest 800 m event. She broke this record at the 1980 Summer Olympics when she earned gold and ran it at 1:53.43.

Olizarenko also came in third at the 1500 m event at the same Olympics. She had the world record for the 800 m event which was broken years later, but not at a Summer Olympics event so she is still the record holder.

24. Shot put (Ryan Crouser)

Ryan Crouser is an American athlete whoholds the Summer Olympic record for longest shot put both indoors and outdoors. He broke the indoor record January 2021 and broke the Summer Olympic record in 2016.

Crouser set a new record at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro when he won gold and threw the shot put 22.52 m (73 ft 10 in). He is also third in the world for all time longest throws.

23. 3,000 m steeplechase (Conseslus Kipruto)

Conseslus Kipruto is a Kenyan middle distance runner who only competes in the 3000 m steeplechase. He won gold in the 2016 Summer Olympics, 2017, and the 2019 World Championship.

Kipruto broke the Summer Olympics records in 2016 when he ran the 3000 m steeplechase in 8:03.28. He has broken his own record in 2019 when he ran it at 8:01.35 but it wasn’t for the Summer Olympics.

22. Oldest gold medalist (Oscar Swahn)

Oscar Swahn was a Swedish shooter who won six medals including three gold. Not only is he the oldest person to win gold, he’s also the oldest person to win any medal and the oldest to ever compete in a Summer Olympics.

At the 1912 Summer Olympics, Swahn became the oldest gold medalist when his team won the single shot running deer team, he was 64 years and 258 days of age at the time.

21. 200 m womens (Florence Griffith Joyner)

Florence Griffith-Joyner, also known as Flo-Jo, was an American track and field athlete. Not only does she have two olympic records, she is also the fastest woman of all time!

Flo-Jo broke the Summer Olympic record in 1988 for the 200 m when she ran it in 21:34.This is not only a Summer Olympic record, it still stands as a world record that no one has come close to beating.

20. Most gold won in a single women’s tournament (Kristin Otto)

Kristin Otto is a German swimming champion who held the world records for the 100 meter and 200 meter freestyle events. She was also the first woman to swim the 100 meter backstroke in under a minute.

Otto is most famous for winning six gold medals in a single Summer Olympics games. She did this at the 1988 Seoul Olympic games. In the same Olympics, she also set records in the 50 m freestyle and 100 m butterfly events.

19. Beating a three-time defending olympic champion (Rulon Gardner)

Rulon Gardner is a retired Greco-Roman olympic gold medalist wrestler. This is particularly impressive because of what he accomplished in 2000. At the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympic games Gardner pulled off the impossible.

Gardner got to the final of the competition where he had to face Russia’s Aleksandr Karelin. Karelin was unbeaten for 13 years in international competitions and had not given up a single point in 6 years. Gardner was able to defeat the world championwhen he was freshlyout of college.

18. Biggest game score (USA vs Nigeria)

Basketball is a popular Summer Olympic sport. No team does it better than the United States when it comes to basketball and in this particular game the US really showed how good they truly are.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, the United States faced off against Nigeria in a game that would break records. The US beat Nigeria 156-72 for a total of 229 points. That record hasn’t even been close to being beaten since.

17. Bowling gold medal performance(Arianne Cerdena)

Arianne Cerdena has a record that as of right now at least, will never be beaten. The 1988 Summer Olympics are the only ones to ever feature Bowling as one of their sports. So at least for now, this record can’t be broken.

Cerdena placed first and is the only woman ever to have a gold medal in bowling at the Summer Olympics. Bowling was discontinued because it is not easy for people in third-world countries to develop skill in bowling.

16. 200 mmen (Usain Bolt)

Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter who is now retired. He is considered by many as the greatest sprinter of all time and he holds three world records. He is also an eight-time Olympic gold medallist.

Bolt is the only sprinter to win the Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles in three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016). No one has come close to beating his time except himself, so we expect this record to stand for a while.

15. Most medals in a single Olympics women (Maria Gorokhovskaya)

Maria Gorokhovskaya was a Soviet gymnast who has the record for the most medals won by any woman in a single Olympics. She did this at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.

Gorokhovskaya won seven medals which is still the record to this day. That was the first Olympics that the Soviet Union even participated in and they completely dominated. She retired in 1954 and then became a judge until she passed in 1991.

14. Most medals in one Olympics (USA)

The United States has the most medals as it is when it comes to the Summer Olympics, but this record is outstanding. At the 1904 Summer Olympics the United States hosted the event in St.Louis, Missouri.

530 American competitiors participayed in 16 different sports events. The US won 239 medals in 1904 (78 gold, 82 silver, 79 bronze). The Soviet Union is second coming in at 195 medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

13. 100 m men (Usain Bolt)

Usain Bolt really needs no introduction. The eight-time Olympic gold medallist has many countless records but this one stands above his 200 m race one because this one was a harder time to beat.

Bolt ran the 100 m in 9.63 which is a Summer Olympic record and was a world record until 2009 when it was broken, by himself to make it 9.58 in Berlin. Bolt is one of the best and most successful sprinters of all time.

12. Most gold medals (USA)

As we have previously stated, no one does it like the US when it comes to the Summer Olympics. With that being said, it is still crazy to see the numbers that the US has put up compared to other countries.

Great Britain is in third place with 263 gold medals, the Soviet Union is second with 395 gold medals, and the US is first coming in at 1022 gold medals. The US has almost three times the gold medals that the secondplace has.

11. 5,000 and 10,000 m race (Kenenisa Bekele)

Kenenisa Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who holds both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m world records.He beat the 5,000 m record in 2004 and the 10,000 m in 2005 but he holds both records for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Bekele is the most successful runner in the history of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. His 5,000 m record is 12:49.60 and the 10,000 m record is 27:01.17. One of the best runners ever!

10. Springboard event (Greg Louganis)

Greg Louganisis an American Olympic diver who won gold medals at the 1984 and1988 Summer Olympics. He is the only man in Olympic history to dominate the diving events in consecutive Olympic games.

Louganishas been called the greatest American diver of all time numerous times and he was the 1988 “Athlete of the Year“. He was the first diver to ever score a perfect 10 from all seven judgesand his score of 754.41 has yet been beaten.

9. Most table tennis gold medals (China)

No country is as dominant in a single event as China in table tennis. China has been dominating the Summer Olympic sport since it was first introduced in 1988. China has failed to get at least one medal only one time ever.

China has a total of 53 medals in 32 events, including28 out of a possible 32 gold medals. It is safe to assume that China will never be overtaken in table tennisat the Summer Olympics.

8. Gold after 24 years (Birgit Fischer)

Birgit Fischer is a former German athlete who won eight gold medals in Olympic games. She is both the youngest and oldest ever Olympic canoeing champion (ages 18 and 42).

Fischer has won many gold medals representing both Germany and East Germany. She holds the record for the longest time between her first and last gold medals. She won her first one in 1980 and her last one in 2004 before she retired, thats 24 years apart!

7. Softball team score (USA)

At the 2004 Summer Olympics the United States had one of the most dominant runs ever seen at the Olympics. Softball was one of three sports that was for women only along with synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics.

The United States won the gold by beating Australia 5-1 in the final. That one point was the only one that the US conceded in all 9 games that they played at the Olympics. The US side outscored its opponents 51-1, something never seen before.

6. Most Olympic appearances (Ian Millar)

Ian Millar is a Canadian athlete for show jumping. He is a two-time winner of the Show Jumping World Cup and he is often referred to as “Captain Canada” for his accomplishments and longetivity in show jumping.

Millar holds the record for most Olympic appearances by any athlete with 10. Despite being to 10 Olympics he has never won a gold medal, only a silver one in 2008. To even go to the Olympics at all is extremely impressive, making it to 10 is just showing off at that point!

5. Youngest gold medal winner (Marjorie Gestring)

Marjorie Gestring was an American competitive springboard diver. She has earned gold in 3 national finals and the 1936 Summer Olympics for her 3 m springboard dives representing the United States.

Gestring has the Olympic record for being the youngest person to ever win a gold medal at 13 years and 268 days. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame.

4. A perfect 10 (Nadia Comaneci)

Nadia Comaneci is a retired Romanian gymnast who won five Olympic gold medals. She was the first person to ever receive a perfect score of 10.0 and she did it at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Comaneci received 6 more perfect scores in her journey to win three gold medals. Her score couldn’t even be displayed on the board because it didn’t have the number 10 as no one had ever received that score before.

3. 7 world records in 8 days (Mark Spitz)

Mark Spitz is a retired American competitive swimmer who has won nine Olympic gold medals. Spitz set records that only Michael Phelps was able to beat 36 years later. That should show how good he really was.

Spitz was the most successful athlete at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He won 7 golds medals in the span of eight days, all of them breaking records. Between 1968 and 1972, Spitz set 35 world records, insane!

2. Most gold medals (Michael Phelps)

Michael Phelps is a retired American swimmer and the most successful and decorated Olympian of all time. Phelps also broke Mark Spitz record of 7 first place finishes at any Olympic event when he got 8 in 2008.

Phelps has the record for the most Olympic gold medals with 23. He also holds the record for the most gold medals in individual events and most overall medals in individual events as well.

1. Men’s long jump (Bob Beamon)

Bob Beamon is a retired American track and field athlete who will always be remembered for the record he broke in the 1968 Summer Olympics. His record is the longest standing Olympic record.

Beamon shocked the world in 1968 when he broke the existing long jump record by 55 cm (21 in). He jumped 8.90 m (29 ft 2 in). When he found out he broke the record by so much, he suffered a brief cataplexy attack making him drop to his knees.

Boxing has changed dramatically from what it once was meaning that some of these records are quite literally impossible to break in this day and age. Many of these records show how much different the sport used to be.

From the best records to the worst, from the most knockouts to being knocked out the most, we have it all. While records were meant to be broken, most of these never will be. Without further ado, here are the top 25 most impressive boxing records!

25. Oldest world champion (Bernard Hopkins)

The average age of world champions in boxing is around 29 years old with some greats like Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson all achieveing that feat at 29 alone. This boxer really provedto everyonethat no age is too old.

Bernard Hopkins holds the record for the oldest world champion. He became a world champion at the age of 49 which was a result of his hard work and how he took care of himself. Hopkins is the oldest world champion as well as the oldest professional athlete to compete at the highest level.

24. Most professional defeats (Reggie Strickland)

Yes, this is a real record, and a quite impressive one too. There are many boxers who would do anything to hold some of the records on this list, but some other records, we are sure they could do without. This is one of those.

Reggie Strickland holds the record for the most professional defeats. He fought a total of 363 times of which he lost 276. In this day and age most boxers don’t even make it past 50 fights, so this is a record that will probably never be broken.

23. Longest KO streak including world championships (Wilfredo Gomez)

Later on in the list we will have a longer streak of just knockouts but what makes this record particularly impressive is that it includes world championships as well. After drawinghis first match, this boxer was unstoppable for a while.

Wilfredo Gomez has the record for the longest knockout streak including world championships at 32. Gomez’s last 13 KO’s were in world championships which makes this record even more astonishing.

22. Shortest heavyweight champion (Tommy Burns)

Heavyweight boxers are known for their massive size, whether that be height or weight. The majority of heavyweight champions areover the 6ft mark weighing over 200lbs. That wasn’t the case for thisfirst record breaker.

Tommy Burns has the record for the being the shortest heavyweight champion coming in at 5 feet 7 inches. He is the only Canadian-born heavyweight champion in history and even with his size being against him, he defended his belt 13 times.

21. Heaviest titleholder (Nikolai Valuev)

There are many heavyweights weighing way over the 200lb mark. It is the division with the most knockouts because of the shear strength that these boxers have behind their punches and their weight has a lot to do with that.

Nikolai Valuev has the record for being the heaviest titleholder in history. Valuev is 7ft tall and when he won his title he weighed a whopping 328lbs. Nicknamed the Russian Giant he held world titles in 2005 and 2009.

20. Most consecutive losses (Robin Deakin)

This is another one of those records that most boxers could probably do without. Even the greatest boxers of all time have lost a fight or two, maybe even a couple. This boxer took that to the extreme though.

Robin Deakin has the record for the most consecutive losses. Deakin lost 51 fights in a row. He fought in the super light division and retired with a record of 2 wins and 53 losses. Surprisingly, the majority of his losses actually were to judges decisions.

19. Country with the most world champions (USA)

Boxing is a very global sport that spans across the entire world. If you are a boxing fan you know that the most world champions of all time have been from Mexico and the UnitedStates. The numbers will surprise you!

The country with the most world champions is the United States. The US has a total of 455world champions which is nearly three times what Mexico has, and Mexico is second for world champions. The US has had some extraordinary fighters likeSugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Henry Armstrong.

18. Defeated most titleholders (Floyd Mayweather)

Winning a title is a huge achievement for any boxer. Defeating world champions or titleholders of any organization is a huge feat and one that boxers dream of. This is a record that might actually be overtaken soon.

Floyd Mayweather Jr has the record for defeating the most titleholders in history at 23. However, Mayweather is currently retired and Manny Pacquiao is still active and could overtake him before he finishes his own career.

17. Two unbeaten streaks of 60+ fights (Willie Pep)

Having an unbeaten streak of 60+ fights is pretty much unheard of, especially in today’s world of boxing. Now, having two different undefeated streaks of 60+ fights? That is a record that will definitely never be surpassed.

Willie Pep holds the record as the only person to ever go on two different unbeaten streaks of 60+ matches. He had a total of 241 fights by the time he retired and he was a two-time Featherweight World Champion.

16. Most wins and bouts in a career (Len Wickwar)

Any boxer would love to have this record. To have the most wins in the history of boxing has to be one of the most impressive records there is. This record was set by an old-time boxer where having multiple fights a month was normal.

Len Wickwar holds the record for the most wins and bouts out of anyone in boxing history. Wickwar fought 467 times and won 339 of those bouts. No one will ever come close to beating this record ever again and that is a certainty.

15. Shortest titleholder (Jake Matlala)

Usually the taller boxers have more of an advantage since they tend to have longer reach. This means that a boxer can hit their opponent from a longer distance which typically also keeps them in a safer position while fighting.

Jake Matlala didn’t let his height stop him though. He holds the record for being the shortest titleholder in boxing history standing at 4 feet 10 inches. He was the WBO Light Flyweight Champion and the WBO Flyweight Champion.

14. Simultaneous world champion in three weight divisions (Henry Armstrong)

Even though nowadays there are many world title belts, this is something that we will probably never see again. Holding a world title is the goal of any boxer. Two at the same time would be a dream, now three at the same time? Unheard of.

Henry Armstrong held three world titles in three different weight divisions at the same time. Not only that, he was the undisputed champion of his divisions in the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight classes.

13. Most knockouts (Billy Bird)

Having the most knockouts in boxing history is definitely something to brag about. Billy Bird holds the record for the most knockouts with a whopping 138 wins by KO. He fought 356 times in his career, something unheard of nowadays.

The current record for knockouts for an active boxer is 51, so it is safe to assume that Bird’s record is safe. He was born in 1899 and was considered one of the most active boxers when he was alive. There are rumors that he fought even more but they were never officially documented.

12. Most straight losses by KO (Eric Crumble)

Eric Crumble holds the record for the most straight losses by knockout. He got knocked out 31 bouts in a row and then retired without ever winning a single match. Now that is hard to beat!

Crumble competed in six different weight classes but never had any success in any of them. He is remembered as one of the most prolific boxers when it comes to consistently losing.All of his losses have also come from the first or second round.

11. Most time between world titles (George Foreman)

George Foreman knocked out Joe Frazier to become the Heavyweight World Champion in 1973. He obtained the WBC, WBA, and Lineal titles and was the undisputed champ. He then went on to win the olympics and then eventually retired in 1977.

Foreman eventually made a comeback in 1987. He remained active until 1997 and in 1994 he won the WBA, IBF, and Lineal Heavyweight titles when he stopped Michael Moorer to once again become the world champion, 21 years later.

10. Only heavyweight to retire undefeated (Rocky Marciano)

To retire undefeated is an outstanding feat for any boxer. To be able to say that no one ever defeated you gives anyone bragging rights for life. A popular boxer who retired undefeated is Floyd Mayweatherwho went 50-0.

Rocky Marciano has the record of being the only heavyweight boxer to retire undefeated. He went 49-0 and was never bested by any of his opponents. Heavyweight fights are the ones that have the most knockouts by far and they are the fights that typically last the shortest, making this record even more impressive.

The current WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, has a record of 31 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw; and also Olxandr Usyk, WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO champion has a record of 19 wins and 0 losses; so both could equal this record of Rocky Marciano (although in Fury’s case, counting 1 draw in his total fights, while Rocky‘s fights were all victories).

9. Tallest boxer ever (Gogea Mitu)

Height is usually associated with reach and good reach can really help a boxer in a fight. This boxer takes having good reach to another level. He’s not just tall, he is the tallest Romanian in history and has his spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Gogea Mitu was a Romanian boxer who is recorded as the tallest professional boxer of all time. He is recorded at 7 feet 11 inches and was nicknamed the Goliath of Romania. He fought two times and won both of his bouts by knockout in the first round.

8. Most consecutive title defenses (Joe Louis)

All champions have to defend their titles at some point. These are of the toughest matches that boxers have because their opponent is fighting for a chance of being a world champion, and they earned their shot.

Joe Louis has the record for the most consecutive title defenses. He defended his belt 25 bouts in a row against the best of the best. 25 title defenses is the record for all weight classes and Louis did it all consecutively.

7. Most first round KO’s (Peter Maher)

Nowadays most boxers wont even make it close to 50 fights and even less 50 knockouts. That is why this next record should be pretty impossible to beat. Peter Maher holds the record for most first round knockouts.

Maher recorded 50 first round knockouts in his career! He competed in the middleweight and heavyweight divisions were he had a record of 135-21-4 with a total of 108 KO’s. He was the world champion until he lost to BobFitzsimmons, where he was knocked out in the first round.

6. Longest uninterrupted reign (Joe Louis)

To hold a title and be at the top is a fighter’s dream. There are many boxers who earn a title just to lose it in their very first bout defending it. Then there are other boxers, who defend their title for years and years.

Joe Louis holds the record for the longest uninterrupted reign. He held the Heavyweight Champion title for 13 years and 3 months! He fought a total of 69 times, winning 66 of his bouts and losing only 3.

5. Most times as undisputed heavyweight champion (Muhammad Ali)

Being the undisputed heavyweight champion is a feat every heavyweight boxer wants to accomplish. This means that you have won the heavyweight title in every organization and that you are undeniably the greatest heavyweight boxer in the world.

Muhammad Ali holds the record for the most times as undisputed heavyweight champion. He held this title on three different occasions when he beat Sony Liston, George Foreman, and Leon Spinks. One of the greatest boxers of all time!

4. Longest fight (Andy Bowen vs Jack Burke)

If there is one record that we are confident will never be broken, it’s this one. Boxing was very different back in the day and when this particular fight took place, the only way to win your bout was by knockout, however long that took.

Andy Bowen and Jack Burke held the longest boxing match in histoy back in 1893. The fight went on for 110 rounds and lasted almost 7 and a half hours! Burke broke both of his hands and when it was over both fighters lost nearly 10 lbs.

3. Youngest world champion (Wilfred Benitez)

Experience takes boxers a long way when it comes to their bouts. This is why most boxers don’t become world champions until they have fought for a couple of years and gotten better with time. That’s not the case for everyone though.

Wilfred Benitez became the youngest world champion in boxing history when he defeated Antonio Cervantes in 1976. Benitez won the title at only 17 years old! He had his high school classmates sitting in the audience and what makes this even more impressive is that he beat Cervantes who held the title for almost a decade.

2. Most fights unbeaten (Packey McFarland)

Unbeaten records make a fighter feel like they’re on top of the world. In this particular era of boxing the most well known unbeaten record is Floyd Mayweathers 50-0 before he retired. The record holder has more than double Floyd’s wins.

Packey McFarland holds the record for the most fights unbeaten. He remained undefeated for 104 bouts before eventually retiring. Despite never being beaten, McFarland never got a shot at a world championship bout.

1. Most world titles in different weight classes (Manny Pacquiao)

It’s crazy to think about that the majority of these records are held by old-school boxers. These are records that could only be made in the older generation of boxing where the rules were way different. That’s what makes this record being held by an active boxer even more impressive.

Manny Pacquiao holds the record for the most world titles in different weight classes. Pacquiao has won world titles in eight different divisions, something unheard of. He weighed 112 lbs for his first world title and had to go up 38 lbs to win his heaviest. A strong contender for the best pound-for-pound boxer of all time!

While the UFC hasn’t been around for long, there are still some very impressive records that we don’t see being broken for some time. From fastest knockouts to most consecutive wins, we have it all.

These records are all as of April 2022and some of them are new as of this same year. We have some incredible achievements on this list so without further ado, here are the top 25most impressive UFC records!

25. Most finishes (Charles Oliveira)

A “finish” in mixed martial arts is when a fighter wins a fight before the fight time expires. This can be by submission or strikes, mostly knockouts. Charles Oliveira is a Brazilian fighter who currently holds the UFC Lightweight Champion belt.

Charles Oliveira has the most finishes in UFC history with 17and he achieved the record when he beat Michael Chandler to win his Lightweight belt, which he later raised to 18 in his last fight against Poirier. He also holds the record for the most submission wins at 15.

24. Highest win percentage (Khabib Nurmagomedov)

There are fighters who have quite literally only ever fought once, won that fight, and then retired. We aren’t talking about those fighters though. This record is the highest win percentage with the most fights.

Khabib Nurmagomedovhas the highest win percentage at 100% with 29bouts. He retired at the age of 31 after his victory overJustin Gaethje,leaving the question of how far he would have gone if he had continued fighting.

23. Most takedowns in a single bout (Khabib Nurmagomedov)

A takedown is when a fighter gets his opponent on the floor to try to grapple them into submission. Khabib Nurmagomedovwasan expert grappler and a fighter who retired undefeated while beating some big names like Conor McGregor.

Khabib is ranked as the #1 lightweight of all time and in one match he successfully pulled off 21 takedowns in the same bout. Sean Sherk came “close” with 16 takedowns in one match, but Khabib is at a different level.

22. Most wins by split decision (Gleison Tibau)

A split decision win occurs when two judges pick a fighter as the winner, while the third judge picks the other fighter. Split decisions are rare as it is. Most fights will be won by knockout, submission, or unanimous decision.

Gleison Tibau is a Brazilian fighter who currently competes in the Lightweight division. He has the record for the most split decision wins at 5. Tibau has an impressive 50 fights under his belt and he doesn’t look like he’s stopping anytime soon.

21. Most bouts in the Heavyweight division (Andrei Arlovski)

Heavyweight fighters are of the weight class that takes the biggest beatings and damage, so as a whole their cycles are usually pretty short lived. Most Heavyweight UFC fighters have an average of 10-15 bouts throughout their career.

Andrei Arlovski is aBelarusian-American fighter who has the record for the most bouts in the heavyweight division with an outstanding 55 bouts. He is a former Heavyweight Champion and the most impressive part is that he is still competing.

20. Most total fight time (Frankie Edgar)

As previously stated, most UFC fighters as a whole don’t rack up many bouts throughout their careers. The record for the most bouts in a calendar year is 5 and even then that is an absurd amount for a fighter.

Frankie Edgar is a former UFC Lightweight Championwho currently competes in the Bantamweight division. He is still competing and he has the record for the most total time fighting at 7 hours, 40 minutes, and 51 seconds.

19. Most consecutive wins (Anderson Silva)

Even the best of the best have received a loss or two in their career. It is particularly impressive when a fighter is on a hot streak and looking like no one could possibly stop them. That was the case for 7 years in this occasion.

Anderson Silva is a Brazilian fighter who has the record for the most consecutive wins at 16 in a 7 year span. At one point, Anderson Silva was the face of the UFC and he looked unstoppable.One of the hardest records to break for sure.

18. Latest finish in a title bout (Demetrious Johnson)

Late finishes aren’t very common as a whole, but what makes this one impressive is that it was in a title match. Demetrious Johnson is a former UFC Flyweight Champion who now competes for ONE championship.

Johnson has the record for the latest finish in a title bout and he got that title in the last round in minute 4:59. This means that there was only one second left for the entire fight to be over, this record is quite literally impossible to beat.

17. Most finishes in a title bout (Anderson Silva)

Finishing a fight before an official decision is impressive enough as it is. Fighters always try to finish off their opponents as fast as possible.This record is particularlyimpressive because all of these were to gain or retain a title.

Anderson Silva has the record for most finishes in title bouts with 9. No one is even close to beating this record currently and it just shows how dominant Silva really was in his prime. He is currently still competing so he has the chance to extend and break his own record.

16. Fastest knockout (Jorge Masvidal)

Everyone loves a good fightbut not as much as a good knockout. Most people watching UFC fights want to see some sort of insane knockout that will make highlight reels and be talked about for a while.

Jorge Masvidal is a Welterweight fighter that has the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history. This was in his bout against Ben Askren. Only 5 seconds into the fight Masvidal catches Askren with a flying knee that instantly ended the bout.

15. Most knockout of the night bonuses (Anderson Silva)

Knockout of the night is given to the most spectacular knockout in each fight night. This is impressive to get as it is because there are usually more than 10 fights per night. To even land a knockout on your opponent is impressive, but to get the knockout of the night too is something else.

Anderson Silva has the record for the most Knockout of the night bonuses with 7. The next fighter in line that is still actobve only has 4 KOTN bonuses. This is just another very impressive record that Silva has.

14. Most significant strikes landed (Max Holloway)

A significant strike in MMA is a power strike in the clinch and on the ground, as well as all strikes from a distance. This means that all short strikes don’t classify as significant strikes, those are just total strikes.

Max Holloway has the most significant strikes in all of UFC history. Holloway has landed 2618 significant strikes in his career and second place is Donald Cerrone with1727.Holloway is still competing so he will keep expanding this record and no one is even close to reaching him.

13. Most knockdowns (Donald Cerrone)

A knockdown is when a fighter touches the floor with any part of their body that isn’t their feet. A fighter can get knocked down by a hit or if the other fighter brings them to the floor to try to grapple them into submission.

Donald “Cowboy”Cerronehas the record for most knockdowns with 20. He also has the record for most wins in UFC historyand is known for his aggressive fighting style. This record should hold its ground for a while.

12. Total fight time in a title bout (Jon Jones)

Total fight time in title bouts is one of the most impressive records a fighter can hold. This means that whoever holds this title has the most amount of time competing for a Championship Belt, so they have spent the most time fighting in the biggest stage.

Jon Jones has the record for the most total fight time in title bouts with 4 hours, 39 minutes, and 47 seconds. He is a former two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Championwho is still competing in the UFC and can keep extending his record.

11. Most knockouts in title bouts (Anderson Silva)

Winning a Championship Belt via knockout in a title match is impressive enough as it is, but the record for the most knockout wins in title bouts is 7. Having that many knockouts in title fights is a crazy achievement.

Anderson Silva with yet another record here. All 7 knockout of the night bonuses that he got were all from title bouts so having both of those records is extremely impressive. No one holds more records than Silva and he’s still active to break more.

10. Most significant strikes in a title bout (Max Holloway)

We’ve already talked about significant strikes and what they consist of. This record is more impressive than the other one because this is the most significant strikes in title bouts. These are the biggest hits landed only in title fights.

Max Hollowayholds the record with 1208 hits and he is a master at landing significant strikes. He will come up on our list one more time for an even more impressive record that shows just how good he is.

9. Most performance of the night bonuses (Charles Oliveira)

The performance of the night bonus is awarded to the fighter who puts on the best and most thrilling individual performance of the night. To be the most impressive fighter amongaround 15-20 fighters in a night is already an achievement as it is.

Charles Oliveira is a Brazilian fighter who has won the performance of the night bonus 13times. The second fighter with the most performance of the night bonuses is Conor McGregor who has 7.

8. Most significant strikes in a single bout (Max Holloway)

When we’re talking about significant strikes, there is only one person we can count on and thats Max Holloway. His other two records are also about significant strikes and while they are impressive, this record beats the rest for one reason.

Max Holloway has the record for the most significant strikes landed in a single bout with 445. While that as it is, is incredibly impressive, what’s even more impressive is that the second most is 290 significant strikes. Who has the 290? Max Holloway also.

7. Fastest submission (Oleg Taktarov)

A submission is when a fighter pins the other one and makes them yield, or “tap out“,hence winning the match immediately. Submissions usually take some work and really good techinique to drop your opponent and catch him in the right combinations.

Oleg Taktarov has the fastest submission in UFC history, having done it in only 9 seconds. This is insanely impressive because fighters can literally spend minutes on the ground before they actually tap out. So to get an opponent on the floor and into submission in less than 10 seconds is very impressive.

6. Highest pay-per-view buys (Khabib vs McGregor)

Pay-per-view events are usually reserved for the biggest fights. Two huge names fighting against each other for the title. Conor McGregor has the first and second most PPV buys of all time which should really be no surprise to anyone.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor was the fight with the most pay-per-view fights in history. The fight had 2,400,000 PPV buys which beat the previous record of Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz 2 which had 1,600,000 buys.

5. Most title reigns (Randy Couture)

A title reign is how many times a fighter challenges the current champion and beats them to strip them from theirChampionship Belt. It is very hard to fight a current champion for a title and come out on top as it is.

Randy Couture has done this 6 different times. That is facing a world champion 6 different times and stripping him from his belt which is something incredibly impressive. When you face the champion, you have to beat the best of the best to get that belt.

4. Longest title reign (Anderson Silva)

Reaching the top is incredibly hard. Fighters have to win numerous bouts to even get a shot at a championship belt and then winning that fight is another story. Once at the top, defending your title from hungry competitors is a massive challenge.

Anderson Silva is a fighter who knows what it’s like to be at the top, and stay there. He has the record for the longest consecutive title reign having held his belt for 2457 days. This means Silva remained the champion for almost 7 years.

3. Oldest champion (Randy Couture)

When they reach the top, most champions average being in their early-to-mid thirties. The average age of a UFC fighter is 31 years old with many retiring way before that. That’s what makes this record so impressive.

Randy Couture has the record for being the oldest champion in UFC history. Couture became a champion when he was 45 years old! He is the only fighter to have reclaimed his title 3different times and to have won a title after being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

2. Longest combined title reign (Amanda Nunes)

This record is the person who has the longest combined time as the champion. It is particularly impressive because the fighter with this record is consistently at the top. It is no surprise to anyone who this record belongs to.

Amanda Nunes has the record for the longest combined title reign with 2697 days. Nunes is widely regarded as the best female UFC fighter of all time and topsour own countdown in ourtop 25 best female fighters of all time list.

1. Fastest knockout in a title bout (Conor McGregor)

Knockouts are impressive as it is and even more so in a title bout to earn you the a championship belt. Most fights for the title of champion are tough bouts between two of the best fighters that often goes to a decision by judges.

Conor McGregor has the record for the fastest knockout in a title bout. He knocked out Jose Aldo in only 13 seconds to become the UFC Featherweight Champion and strip Aldo of his belt. The most impressive achievement in UFC history!

There have been many excellent boxing matches that have taken place in the past. These bouts have been about leaving it all out on the ring, incredible knockouts, iconic moments, and fighters showing heart for the sport. We have all of that in this list and more.

Since this list isn’t narrowed down to a specific weight class, a lot of thought had to go into classifying all the bouts and picking the best of the best. Without further ado, here are the top 25 greatest boxing matches of all time!

25. Israel Vazquez vs Rafael Marquez III

Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez ended up having four fights between them. Their first fight was intense with Marquez taking the win after an absolute brawl between the two. The second fight was even better winning the Ring Magazine Fight of the Year award after Vazquez won by split decision.

After two fantastic fights everyone was expecting a war between the two. This fight also won the Fight of the Year award and it went the full twelve rounds. Vazquez fought with deep cuts on his eyes and after another huge brawl Vazquez took the win by split decision.

24.Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II

The second bout between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield is an iconic one. Originally nicknamed as “The Sound and the Fury” before being infamously named “The BiteFight” this was the fight fortheWBA Heavyweight Championship.

This was probably one of the most insane fights in boxing history as in the third round, Tyson bit off part of Holyfield’s ear. This got Tyson disqualified and made him lose his boxing license even though it was later reinstated to him. One of the most bizarre things ever seen in a boxing ring!

23.Carmen Basilio vs. Sugar Ray Robinson

Carmen Basilio vs Sugar Ray Robinson was a beautiful fight. Robinson was jabbing perfectly throughout while Basilio pressed him, always keeping up the aggression. Robinson had come out of a three-year retirement recently before this fight.

It was a tough match to score but Basilio got thesplit decision in the end which gave him the middleweight champion title. The fight ended up winning the Fight of the Year award and the two fought again 6 months later, withRobinson winningthat rematch which got him his fifth middleweight titleofhis career!

22.Jack Johnson vs. James Jeffries

Jack Johnson and James Jeffries had one of the most anticipated fights ever as this one was nicknamed the “Fight of the Century“. Johnson was African-American and the white people in America at the time were unhappy that he was holding thechampionship belt.

James Jeffries at the time was retired, but he retired as an undefeated champion and he came back to strip Johnson of his belt. Johnson battered Jeffries to the point that his corner stopped the fight. After he won, riots broke out throughout America.

21.Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton III

This was the third bout between Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton. Intheir first fight Norton won and sent Ali to the hospital with a broken jaw. Their second fight was much closer with Ali scraping a win by split decision.

This was the most money ever offered to a fighter at the time with $6 million dollars going to Ali for the fight. This was also an extremely close fight and many boxing fans argue about who actually deserved to win it. After 15 grueling rounds Ali took the victory.

20.Erik Morales vs. Marco Barrera

Erik Morales and Marco Barrera were two Mexican fighters who held the super bantamweight title. The first round alone was all action from both fighters and it was a pretty even round.

In the fifth round, Morales was assaulting Barrera with right hands until the final minute of the round were Barrera answered with his own punchesin what was awarded the Round of the Year by Ring. Morales won by split decision whichpaved the way to one of the best trilogies the boxing world has ever seen!

19.Carmen Basilio vs. Tony DeMarco II

This was the second bout between the twofighters as the first time they crossed Tony DeMarco lost his champion title to Carmen Basilioin a 12-round bout. DeMarco was on a mission to reclaim his welterweight title.

Round one was all DeMarco and round two saw Basilio breaking his left hand. Basilio knocked downDeMarco in the last round who managed to get up on the count of eight. Basilio assaulted him again and left DeMarco unconscious on the ring floor to win the fight.

18.Floyd Mayweather Jr vs. Manny Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fought for the welterweight title in what was billed the “Battle for Greatness“. The fight broke PPV revenue records in the United States with $410 million, making it the highest-grossing PPV fight in history.

The first three rounds went to Mayweather with Pacquiao getting his mojo back for the fourth round. By the end of it, Mayweather’s defense was too good for Pacquiao, and Mayweather took the win by unanimous decision, even though Pacquiao himself said he thought he won the fight.

17.Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II

The most recent fight on our list, Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury 2was billed as “Unfinished Business“. Their first bout ended in a controversial drawand the two giants were now fighting for the heavyweight title.

This was a completely different fight from their first encounter as Fury absolutely dominated Wilder and even knocked him down two times before his corner threw in the towel. Fury’s performance was praised and said to be one of the most impressive in recent years for a heavyweight fighter.

16.James Corbett vs John Sullivan

James Corbett and John Sullivan fought in 1892 for the World Heavyweight Championship.Boxing back then was nothing like it is now and it was even outlawed in many states.

Corbett won the fight by knocking out Sullivan in the 21st round, yes, the 21st. These fights could sometimes go up to 75 rounds and would end when an opponent was knocked out! Gloves were also recently added as until 1889 the title championships had been bare-knuckled.

15.Rocky Marciano vs. Joe Walcott

This fight was great because of how divided it was before it even started. Walcott was the champion at the time and he stated how Marciano “couldn’t fight” and even stated that if he got beat by him to “take my name out of the record books“.

Walcott gave Marciano the first knockdown of his career midway throught the fight. Both fighters were cut and hurt and by the seventh round Rocky said he couldn’t see. Marciano got a perfect hit on Walcott’s chin and knocked him out cold to win the fight.

14.Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler

Sugar Ray challenged Hagler to a fight after only having one bout in five years, so this seemed like an easy win for Hagler with big money involved for fighting the former world champion.

However, Leonard took the first couple of rounds and then finished the fight by boxing smartly. It was a huge upset that no one expected but Sugar Ray took the split decision win and Hagler never fought again afterwards.

13.Zolani Tete vs. Siboniso Gonya

Zolani Tete vs Siboniso Gonya set a world record in this fight. This bout was for the WBO World bantamweight title that Tete was defending. There isn’t much to say about the fight itself as it didn’t last very long.

In only 11 seconds, Tete knocked out Siboniso Gonya with his first and only punch of the entire fight. This was the fastest knockout ever seen in a world title fight and that is what makes this fight so iconic.

12.Joe Louis vs. Billy Conn

At this point in time, Joe Louis was the heavyweight world champion and he had defended his title 17 times. Louis took the first two rounds but Conn showed that he was there to fight in the third.

For the first time ever, the champion Joe Louis was retreating and noticably hurt by Conn’s strategic and powerful punches. Louis responded with a right that dazed Conn and then finished him off with perfect power punchesto win the match. One of the most intense fights in history.

11.Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran II

Billed as “The Super Fight” this was the second of three fights between Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard. Duran won the first fight by unanimous decision, stripping Leonard of his welterweight champion title.

Leonard was teasing Duran and outboxing him throughout and then came the eighth round. At the end of the eighth Duran started waving his glove and supposedly saying “no mas” to the referee, which means “no more“. Leonard won by TKO and reclaimed his title.

10.Andy Bowen vs. Jack Burke

This boxing match broke a record as Andy Bowen and Jack Burke fought for 110 rounds, the longest bout in history. The match was for thelightweight title of the South. It started on a Thursday evening and didn’t end until Friday.

Burke broke both of his hands during the fight and both fighters lost nearly 10 pounds by the end of it, insane! After 7 hours and 19 minutes of fighting, the bout ended in a draw after the referee stopped it.

9.Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy Hearns

Many believe that this is the best middleweight fight in boxing history. The first round was three minutes full of action were both fighters hurt each other. Hearns and Hagler both showed incredible heartand gave the fans a show.

Remembered as “Eight Minutes of Fury“, this fight is iconic for boxing fans. Hagler won the fight in the third round by knockout.The bout won the Fight of the Year in 1985 even though it only lasted those three rounds.

8. Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Jake LaMotta VI

Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta are two legendary fighters who always gave their fans a show. They fought a crazy six times and their final fight was their most memorable as it was a full on assault.

The fight took place on February 14th and it is remembered as the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre“. Robinson won the fight in the thirteenth round when ringside officials signaled the referee to stop the fight because of the vicious beating LaMotta was taking.

7. JackDempsey vs. Luis Firpo

Luis Firpo was the first Latin American fighter to challenge the world heavyweight title. The Argentine fighter dropped Jack Dempsey almost immediately in the first round to which Dempsey responded by dropping Firpo seven times in the space of a minute and a half.

Towards the end of the first round Firpo hit Dempsey right on the chinliterally dropping him out of the ring. Dempsey somehow recovered and in the second round heknocked Firpo out.The fight had11 knockdowns in four minutesin what is one of the most historic and brutal fights the sport has ever seen.

6.Julio Chavez vs. Meldrick Taylor

The first fight between Julio Chavez and Meldrick Taylor was a spectacular battle. The fight was exhilarating from the start with Taylor landing many clean punches on Chavez who endured them like a champ.

Taylor punished Chavez for most of the fight but Chavez also landed good combinations when the two got in close to trade blows. If the fight ended before the last round,Taylor would’ve won, but in the epic last round Chavez landed a devastating right with only 2seconds left of the fight that won him the fight.

5.Sugar Ray Leonard vs. ThomasHearns

Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns were the two biggest boxers at the time and this was a very anticipated fight. The fight was pretty even until the 6th round when Leonard struck Hearns on the chin leaving him stumped for the round.

Round thirteen saw Sugar Ray stun Hearns with a right hand that followed by him throwing 25 punches and knocking him down. Round fourteen was more of the same with Hearns taking a beating until the referee stopped it and raised Leonard’s hand for the win.

4.George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali

This was the fight that crownedMuhammad Alias the heavyweight champion of the world for thesecond time in his careerafter knocking out George Foreman in what was billed as the”Rumble in the Jungle“.Ali was the underdog coming into the fight but you can never undersell alegendlike him.

Foreman landed somevery hard punches on Ali, but that was the plan all along. Ali waited for Foreman to get tired and then in theeighth roundhe answered with a barrage of quick combinations thatlaid Foreman on the mat to give Ali the win.

3.Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward

The ending of this fight is magnificent. Gatti started off better and the end of the third round was a slug fest between the two fighters. Gatti gets saved by the bell in the eigth round after some monster shots to the head by Ward.

In the last round, both fighters just unleashed as many shots as they could on each other and as soon as the final bell rang, they both fell into each other’s arms. Ward was declared the winner and the two ended up having two more fights.

2.Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali

Billed as”The Fight of the Century“, this was themost anticipated fightthe boxing world had ever seen. This was the first timetwo undefeated heavyweight boxersfought for the title. Ali took the first rounds but Frazier quickly showed why he is the champion that he was.

In the 15th round Frazier hit Ali with one of themost iconicleft hooksin boxing history. Ali somehow got up though, and when it was all overFrazier won via unanimous decision. The fight was outstanding and widely regarded by many asthe biggest boxing match in history.

1.Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III

The”Thrilla in Manila“was the third fight between the two boxers afterFrazier won the first bout and Ali the second.Although it didn’t have the same anticipation as their very first fight, both boxers showedwhy they are legendsin this one. Ali started strong again on the first rounds but in the middle onesFrazier bashed Aliwith powerful body shots.

Aliregained momentumin the last couple of rounds and towards the end of the fightFrazier could barely seefrom how swollen shut his eyes were.Eddie Futch, Frazier’s trainer,asked the referee tostop the fightafter the 14th round to give Ali the win. This iconicfight gave Ali the win in their trilogy and is thegreatest title fight in history.

Female MMA wasn’t really a big deal until the UFC purchased them, but since they have, they have stayed relevant and very popular ever since. This list is taking into consideration all MMA promotions, like Bellator and Invicta FC, not just the UFC.

The very first official female MMA fight actually took place in the United States in 1997. Ever since, many women have made their mark on the sport. Some completely revolutionized the world of female fighting while others made it as popular as it is today. Without further ado, lets take a look at the top 25 greatest female MMA fighters of all time!

25. Michelle Waterson

Michelle Waterson, nicknamed “The Karate Hottie” is an American MMA fighter and model who competes in the UFC. She is a former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion and as of April 2021, she is ranked #9 in the UFCwomen’s strawweight rankings.

Waterson was ranked as the number 1 atomweight fighter in the world between 2013 and 2014. She has two Fight of the Year awards and the 2014 Most Vulgar Display of Power Award for her beatdown against Yasuko Tamada. Waterson has a record of 18 wins and 8 losses.

24. Carla Esparza

Carla Esparzais an American strawweight fighter who fights in the UFC. She is one of the most successful fighters in recent times and is well known for her grappling abilities. She was the very first Strawweight Champion in both the UFC and Invicta FC, holding both titles simultaneously at one point.

Esparza is the only woman to win two inaugural titles with two different MMA promotions and as of January 2021, she is fourth in the UFC’s women’s strawweight rankings. Known for her wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu skills, Esparza is one of the most well-rounded fighters there is. She has a record of 17 wins and 6 losses.

23. Zoila Gurgel

Zoila Gurgel,nicknamed the “Warrior Princess”, is an American fighter who was the very first Bellator Women’s Champion. She is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Taekwondo. Gurgel has competed in three different weight classes, Bantamweight, Flyweight, and Strawweight.

Gurgel’s father is a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo and her sister is also an MMA fighter, Stephanie Frausto. Gurgel started in Bellator where she was their very first female champion and then went to Invicta FC were she had a negative record. She has an overall record of 13 wins and 6 losses.

22. Miesha Tate

Miesha Tate,nicknamed “Cupcake“, is an American who competes in the UFC. She is a former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion who is known for her grappling skills. She was the inaugural champion in the UFC but she lost that title her very next fight against another fighter on this list, Ronda Rousey.

Tate lost against Cat Zingano and Ronda Rousey once more before winning three fights in a row and earning another title shot against Holly Holm. She defeated Holm and was crowned champion once again but the story repeated itself and she lost that title her very next fight. Tate has a record of 18 wins and 7 losses.

21. Jessica Andrade

Jessica Andradeis a Brazilian fighter who is currently signed to the UFC where she competes in the women’s flyweight division. She is the former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion and as of October 2020, the number 1 in the UFC women’s flyweight rankings.

Andrade is one of the best Brazilian fighters and she is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She has a Performance of the Night award and three Fight of the Night awards while in the UFC. As of April 2021, she has the most knockouts in strawweight division history. Andrade has a record of 21 wins and 8 losses.

20. Julianna Pena

Julianna Pena,nicknamed “The Venezuelan Vixen“, is an American fighter who competes in the UFC. She was the first woman to win The Ultimate Fighter and has one Performance of the Night award. She is one of the best in the MMA scene.

Pena isnumber 6 in the UFC women’s bantamweight rankings as of April 2021. She won her first four consecutive fights as a professional before losing to Sarah Moras in 2012. Pena also won the 2021 January Submission of the Month for a recent fight against Sara McMann.She has a record of 10 wins and 4 losses.

19. Gina Carano

Gina Caranois an American fighter who competed in EliteXC and Strikeforce for 4 years. She was known as the face of women’s MMA because of her popularity at the time and she was also the first woman to headline a major MMA event alongside Cris Cyborg.

Carano spent only a few years in the MMA scene before becoming an actress, landing roles in movies like Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and the Disney+ show, The Mandalorian. She competed in the first ever women’s MMA bout in the state of Nevada which she won and she was close to joining the UFC in 2014. Carano has a record of 7 wins and 1 loss.

18. Megumi Fujii

Megumi Fujii,nicknamed “Mega Megu“, is a Japanese fighter who was a master in takedowns and submissions. She is a fantastic fighter but she is not higher on this list because she never faced top-tier names like some of our other fighters on this list. She is a black belt in Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Fujii was also the first Razryad International Master in Sambo and also achieved four second place finishes in World Sambo Tournaments. 73% of all her wins have been by submission and she won her first 22 bouts as a professional MMA figher. She has a record of 26 wins and 3 losses.

17. Cat Zingano

Cat Zinganois an American fighter signed to Bellator MMA, competing in their women’s featherweight division. She also competed for the UFC in the past and she became the very first woman to win a UFC fight by technical knockout. She is one of the best in the cage.

Zingano was also the first woman to be awarded the UFC Fight of the Night award. When she left the UFC she was ranked seventh in their women’s bantamweight rankings. She beganwrestling at age 12 and eventually became part of both the University of the Cumberlands and MacMurray College women’s teams where she became a 4-time All-American and National Champion. Zingano has a record of 12 wins and 4 losses.

16.Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Karolina Kowalkiewicz,nicknamed the “Polish Princess“, is a Polish fighter who currently fights for the UFC. She is the former Konfrontacja Sztuk Walk (better known as KSW) Women’s Flyweight Champion. She also competed in one Invicta FC bout where she won Fight of the Night before making the jump to the UFC in 2015.

Kowalkiewicz started her professional career going 10-0 and when she joined the UFC she was given a title shot againstJoanna Jędrzejczyk. She lost that fight and has struggled to bounce back since. Besides her recent losses no one can argue that she is one of the best female fighters in MMA history.Kowalkiewicz has a record of 12 wins and 6 losses.

15. Sarah Kaufman

Sarah Kaufmanis a Canadian fighter who competes in the women’s bantamweight division. She is the Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion and she was also the first Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion. She started her career going on a 12-0 unbeaten streak.

Kaufman has beat some of the best names in the sport but her unbeaten run came to an end when she facedMarloes Coenen. She has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but also does a lot of wrestling when fighting. Kaufman has a record of 21 wins, 5 losses, and 1 no contest.

14. Rose Namajunas

Rose Namajunas,nicknamed “Thug Rose“, is an American fighter in the UFC who competes in the women’s strawweight division. She is a former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion and as of December 2020, she is number 1 in the UFC Women’s Strawweight Rankings.

Namajunas is a very complete fighter who possesses good knockout power but can also pin her opponents into submission. She is a black belt in Taekwondo and Karate while also being a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Rose has a record of 9 wins and 4 losses.

13. Xiong Jingnan

Xiong Jingnan,nicknamed “The Panda“, is a Chinese fighter who is a legend in the MMA world. She is the inaugural and reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion and was also the first ever Chinese World Champion in MMA history.

Jingnan has won most of her fights by knockout and she has four successful title defenses. She is still fighting and we could see her way higher on this list in a couple of years if she can keep her form. She has a record of 14 wins and 2 losses.

12. Tara LaRosa

Tara LaRosais an American fighter who is very decorated. She has never fought in the UFC and most of her success has been while fighting for BodogFight. She was the firstand only BodogFight Women’s Bantamweight Champion. She has also competed in 12 Grappling World Championships where she won gold in 6 of them.

LaRosa was the number 1 flyweight between 2010 and 2012. Based on her many grappling medals, she is one of the most decorated grapplers that MMA has ever seen. In 2013, LaRosa was inducted into the New Jersey Martial Arts Hall of Fame. She has a record of 22 wins and 5 losses.

11. Holly Holm

Holly Holm,nicknamed “The Preacher’s Daughter“, is an American fighter who competes in the UFC. She is the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and was also a very successful professional boxer where she defended her titles 18 times in three different weight classes.

Holm had a boxing record of 33 wins and 3 losses before joining the UFC in 2014. She has been one of the best fighters in two different women’s divisions and she also knocked out Ronda Rousey in only her third UFC fight to become the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion. She has a record of 14 wins and 5 losses.

10. Claudia Gedelha

Claudia Gedelhais a Brazilian fighter who competes in the Women’s Strawweight division of the UFC. As of April 2021, she is number eight in the UFC women’s strawweight rankings. She is a second degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has won 14 BJJ world championships.

Gadelha won the first Women’s Strawweight fight in UFC history and has also won the Fight of the Night award two times,against Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. She also won the Performance of the Night award in her fight against Kowalkiewicz.She has a record of 18 wins and 5 losses.

9. Marloes Coenen

Marloes Coenenis a retired Dutch fighter who was also a former Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion. She joined Strikeforce and lost to Cris Cyborg but then beat SarahKaufman to win the Women’s Bantamweight Title.

Coenen is a grappling expert who has won 74% of her fights by submission. She won her first eight bouts while competing professionally and in November of 2000, she also won the ReMix World Cup. The ReMix World Cup was the first female MMA championship which makes her the first ever femaleMMA champion. Coenen has a record of 23 wins and 8 losses.

8. Zhang Weili

Zhang Weiliis an active Chinese fighter who currently competes in the UFC under the strawweight division. As of April 2021, Weili is the only Chinese person to hold any title in the UFC. She was the former Kunlun Fight (KLF) Strawweight Championand is the current UFC Women’s Strawweight World Champion.

Weili spent most of her career fighting in the KLF, with many people believingthat she is the best fighter to ever compete in the competition. She has also defeated some huge names like Jessica Andrade and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Weili has a record of 21 wins and 1 loss.

7. Jennifer Maia

Jennifer Maiais a Brazilian fighter who competes in the UFC under theflyweight division. As of April 2021, she is ranked fourth in the UFC women’s flyweight rankings. Maia is the former Invicta FC Flyweight World Champion. She is an absolute machine!

Maia won her first four professional MMAfights, all of them in the first round. She won the UFC Performance of the Night award for her fight against Joanne Calderwood and won two Invicta FC Fight of the Night awards for her bouts against Vanessa Porto and Roxanne Modafferi. Maia has a record of 18 wins, 7 losses, and 1 draw.

6. Satoko Shinashi

Satoko Shinashiis a Japanese fighter who is a submission expert. She is widely regarded as the best Japanese female MMA fighter of all time. She has won most of her fights by submission and was almost impossible to beat in her prime!

Shinashi won the Smackgirl Lightweight Championship and the Deep Women’s Flyweight Championship. She retired in 2008 when she found out she was pregnant but she came back in 2014 where she had 5 fights and won them all. Shinashi has a record of 34 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw.

5. Valentina Shevchenko

Valentina Shevchenkois a Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian fighter who competes in the UFC under the women’s flyweight division. The “Bullet” is the current UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion and she got that title by defeating none other than Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

Shevchenko won the goldmedal at theI.F.M.A World Championship 8 times and won a silver medal the only time she participated and didn’t win. She has defeated big names like Holly Holm,Sarah Kaufman, andJoanna Jędrzejczyk. Shevchenko has a record of 20 wins and 3 losses.

4.Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Joanna Jedrzejczykis a Polish fighter who competes in the UFC under the women’s flyweight and strawweight divisions. She was considered as THE best female fighter at one point but her recent form has hurt that reputation a bit. Before doing MMAshe was a kickboxer winning World Championships in three different organizations.

Jedrzejczyk is a former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion. She defendedher title 5 times before eventually losing it to Rose Namajunas. She also has the most wins in UFC Women’s Strawweight history and the most title fights as well.Jedrzejczyk has a record of 16 wins and 4 losses.

3. Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rouseyis a former American fighter who spent most of her career in the UFC under the women’s bantamweight division. She was the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in judo and also won her MMA debut for King of the Cage. She has definitely had one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, impact in the world of female MMA.

Rousey beat some big names likeSarah Kaufman,Julia Budd, andMeisha Tate. She won the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Title and the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title. In 2018, she became the first woman to ever be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Rousey has a record of 12 wins and 2 losses.

2. Cristiane Justino

Cristiane Justino,better known as Cris Cyborg, is a Brazilian-American fighter who competes in Bellator MMA under the featherweight division. As of April 2021, she is the current Bellator Women’s Featherweight Champion. She is also a former UFC, Invicta FC, and Strikeforce Featherweight Champion.

Justino defended her title against Hiroko Yamanaka but it was still stripped from her because she tested positive for anabolic steroids. She then won the UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship until she faced Amanda Nunes. Cyborg has one of the most impressive accolades in female MMA history. Her record is 23 wins, 2 losses, and 1 no contest.

1. Amanda Nunes

Amanda Nunesis a Brazilian fighter who competes in the UFC under the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. As of April 2021, she is the current UFC Women’s Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion. She is the first woman to become a two-division UFC champion.

Nunes has defeated some massive names likeValentina Shevchenko,Ronda Rousey, and Cris Cyborg. She is the first person in UFC history to successfully defend two titles in two different divisions while holding them both at the same time. She has a record of 21 wins and 4 losses. It’s hard to argue that Amanda Nunes isn’t the greatest ever after defeating the biggest names in women’s mma and being a two division champion!

Many players on this list have also had European careers but later came to the MLS and made a big impact on the leaue. Scoring goals comes easy to some of these players as they have racked up an impressive goal count.

It’s interesting to think abouthow different this very same list will look a couple of years from now since many of the top goalscorers are still active now. This list is accurate as of before the 2021 MLS season. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the highest goal scorers in MLS history!

25. Kenny Cooper Jr

Kenny Cooper Jr is a former2008 MLS Best XI who started his career with European giants Manchester United. He has scored 75goals in 211 appearances while in the MLS and retired in 2015 playing for Montreal Impact.

Cooper’s dad, KennyCooper Sr, played professional soccer as well. He was a goalkeeper in the Premier League before also moving to the United Stateswere he played for Dallas Tornadoin the North American Soccer League.

24. Steve Ralston

Steve Ralstonis an American former midfielder who played most of his career playing for the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the New England Revolution. When he retired in 2010, he was the league’s all-time leader in assists with 135.

Ralston also held the United States record for most professional appearances in 2010 with 412. He has 76 goals in 378 appearances in the MLS. Ralston was also the assistant coach for the Houston Dynamo and the San Jose Earthquakes.

23. David Villa

David Villa is a soccer legend. The retired Spanish striker is regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation. He scored 77 goals in 117 games while in the MLS which also gives him one of the best games-to-goals ratio in league history.

Villa is a very decorated player who has won many prestigeous awards. He won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 along with the Champions League with Barcelona. He was the MLS MVP in 2016 and is a two-time MLS Best XI.

22. Josef Martinez

Josef Martinez is a Venezuelan striker who plays for Atlanta United. He holds the MLS record for career hat-tricks with six and the record for most consecutive games with a goalwith 15. He has been tearing up the league ever since his arrival in 2017.

Martinez became the most decorated player in a single MLS season in 2018 when he won the League MVP, All-Star Game MVP, Golden Boot, and MLS Cup Final MVP. He has 77 goals in 84 games and is still active so we could easily see him way higher on this list in the future.

21. Preki

Predrag Radosavljevic, better known as Preki, is a former Serbian midfielder who is an “MLS Original” since he played for the Kansas City Wizards when the league began in 1996. He is the only player to win two MLS MVP awards.

Preki has 79 goals in 242 games in the MLS. In 2020 he was inducted into the American National Soccer Hall of Fame. He won the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield with the Kansas City Wizards in 2000 and is an MLS legend.

20. Josh Wolff

Josh Wolff is a former American player who is the current Austin FC head coach. Wolff won two CONCACAF Gold Cups with the United States and has won awards with both the Chicago Fire and the Kansas City Wizards.

Wolff has 80 goals in 267 appearances in the MLS. He won an MLS Cup and Western Conference Championship with the Chicago fire and the Western Conference Championship with the Kansas City Wizards too. He also won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with both teams.

19. Brian McBride

Brian McBride is a former American player who played for the Columbus Crew and Chicago fire. He is the fifth all-time leading goalscorer for the United States national team and was the team captain for England side Fulham for four years.

McBride has 80 goals in 220 appearances. He has the same number of goals as Josh Wolff but we have ranked him higher since he got to that goal tally with less matches played. McBride won the U.S. Open Cup in 2002 with the Columbus Crew and was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2014.

18. Brian Ching

Brian Ching is a former American player who played in the MLS for twelve years and represented the United States national team for eight. He was the first player of Hawaiian descent to be selected in the MLS draft. He scored 82 goals in 233 games while in the MLS.

Ching has won three MLS Cups, one with the San Jose Earthquakes and two with the Houston Dynamo. He has also won two MLS Western Conference Championships and an MLS Supporters’ Shield. The 2004 MLS Golden Bootwinner put up some numbers while in the MLS.

17. Dom Dwyer

Dom Dwyer is an active American player who plays as a forward for Orlando City SC. He was born in Sussex, England, but became an American citizen in 2017 and later that year he got called up to the United States national team to play in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup were he won the tournament.

Dwyer has 82 goals in 193 appearances. Besides winning the Gold Cup in 2017, he won the MLS Cup, Eastern Conference playoffs, and two U.S. Open Cups with Sporting Kansas City. His transfer from Sporting Kansas City to Orlando City in 2017 is the largest transfer between two MLS clubs.

16. Raul Diaz Arce

Rauld Diaz Arce is a former Salvadoran player who played as a forward. He is El Salvador’s top goal scorer with 39 goals in 68 appearances. He also played for 12 different teams and 5different MLS clubs.

Arce has 82 goals in 150 appearances while in the MLS. He won two MLS Cups, the Supporters’ Shield, and the U.S. Open Cup with D.C. United. In 2009, Diaz-Arcewas inducted into the D.C. United Hall of Tradition.

15. Diego Valeri

Diego Valeri is an active Argentine midfielder who is the Portland Timbers captain. He is considered as one of the best MLS players of all time and is a four-time MLS All-Star and three-time MLS Best XI.He also led his team to win the MLS Cup in 2015.

Valeri has 83 goals in 230 matches while in the MLS. He won the 2017 Landon Donovan MVP Award and the 2013 Newcomer of the Year award while playing with the Portland Timbers. He also won the MLS is Back tournament in 2020.

14. Robbie Keane

Robbie Keane is a former Irish forward who is the top goalscorer for the Republic of Ireland national team.He started his career in Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers were he scored two goals in his debut at only 17 years old.

Keane has 83 goals in 125 matches playing for LA Galaxy. He won three MLS Cups and the Supporters’ Shield while also being a four-time MLS Best XI. He was the 2014 MLS MVP and is a four-time LA Galaxy Most Valuable Player.

13. Roy Lassiter

Roy Lassiter is a former American striker who played in the MLS when the league formed in 1996. He was one of the most lethal strikers in the league at the time and won the very first MLS Golden Boot in 1996 with the Tampa Bay Mutiny.

Lassiter has 88 goals in 179 matches while in the MLS and he won the CONCACAF Champions League in 1998 with D.C. United. He also won the MLS Cup in 1999 with D.C. United. One of the original top quality goalscorers that the league has had.

12. Carlos Ruiz

Carlos Ruiz is a former Guatemalan player who played for five different MLS clubs (D.C. United, Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC, FC Dallas, LA Galaxy).He has 89 goals in 183 matches and has the MLS record for most goals in the post-season with 16.

Ruiz won the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield with the Galaxy in 2002. That same year he won the MLS Cup MVP and was the Major League Soccer MVP. He is also the all-time top goalscorer in FIFA World Cup qualification games.

11. Edson Buddle

Edson Buddle is a former American player and one of only 11 players in MLS history to have scored100 goals in the league. He scored 100 goals in 304 matches playing for five different MLS clubs (Columbus Crew, New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC, LA Galaxy, and Colorado Rapids).

Buddle won the Supporters’ Shield with Colombus Crew and LA Galaxy. In 2002 he won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and in 2012 he won the MLS Cup with the LA Galaxy. He was part of the MLS Best XI in 2010.

10. Taylor Twellman

Taylor Twellman is a former American player who is mostly remembered for his time playing with the New England Revolution.From 2002 to 2009 no player scored more goals than Twellman in the MLS and he was also the youngest player to score 100 goals in the MLS.

Twellman has 101 goals in 174 appearances for New England Revolution. He is the teams leading goalscorer and in 2005 he was the MLS MVP. He is a five-time MLS All-Star and also won the CONCACAF Gold Cup with the United States in 2007.

9. Dwayne De Rosario

Dwayne De Rosario is a former Canadian player who played as a forward or attacking midfielder. He played for five different MLS clubs (San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo, Toronto FC, New York Red Bulls, and D.C. United).

De Rosario scored 104 goals in 342 appearances throughout his MLS career. He is a four-time MLS Cup winner and also won the MLS MVP award in 2011. De Rosario is also Canada’s leading top scorer with 22 goals in 81 games and a four-time Canadian Player of the Year.

8. Jason Kreis

Jason Kreis is a former American player who is now the assistant coach for Inter Miami. He was the 1999 MLS MVP and at one point during his career he was the all-time leading goal scorer in the MLS.He played most of his career for the Dallas Burn, now known as FC Dallas.

Kreis has 108 goals in 305 MLS appearances. He played 14 games for the United States were he scored one goal. He has coached 3 different MLS teams (RealSalt Lake, New York City FC, and Orlando City).

7. Ante Razov

Ante Razov is a former American forward who is the current Los Angeles FC assistant coach. He is the all-time leading goal scorerfor two different current or former MLS clubs (Chicago Fire and Chivas USA). He was the third player in MLS history to score 100 goals.

Razov has114 MLS goals in 262 appearances. He won the MLS Cup in 1998 and the Supporters’ Shield in 2003. He also won three Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups and the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2002. Razov scored six goals in 25 caps playing for the United States.

6. Bradley Wright-Phillips

Bradley Wright-Phillips is an active English player who plays as a striker for Columbus Crew SC. He started his career playing for Manchester City before eventually making his way to the MLS in 2013. In his first full season with the league he equalled the record for most goals in a single campaign with 27.

Wright-Phillips has 116goals in 214MLS games. He has won three Supporters’ Shields and is a two-time MLS Golden Boot winner. He is also a two-time MLS Best XI.Wright-Phillips is still active and has the potential to be in the top 5 spots of this list by the time he retires.

5. Kei Kamara

Kei Kamara is a Sierra Leonan striker who currently plays forMinnesota United. The 6’3 powerhouse forward has played most of his career in the MLSand he could be a serious contender for a top 3spot on this list by the time he retires.

Kamarahas 129 goals in 356 MLS appearances. He is a two-time Eastern Conferencewinner and in 2007 he won the MLS Fair Play Award.In 2015 he was the MLS Cup top-scorer and was also an MLS All-Star.

4. Jaime Moreno

Jaime Morenois a formerBolivianplayerwho playedfor D.C. United for the majority of hiscareer. He was the MLS all-time leading goalscorer when he retired in 2010. In 2009 he was the first MLS player to reach 100 goals and 100 assists.

Moreno scored 133 goals in 340 MLS appearances.He represented Bolivia in five Copa America tournaments and the 1994 FIFA World Cup.He also won four MLS Cups and four Supporters’ Shields. Moreno is also a five-time MLS Best XI.

3. Jeff Cunningham

Jeff Cunninghamis a formerAmerican player who played as a forward. He is a two-time MLS Golden Boot winner and a three-time MLS Best XI. In 2010 Cunninghamwon the MLS Western Conference Championship with FC Dallas.

Cunninghamhas 134 goals in 365 MLS appearances. He won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2002 and the MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2004 with the Columbus Crew. He played only 14 games for the United States national team and scored one goal for his country.

2. Landon Donovan

Landon Donovan is a former Americanplayer who holds multiple MLS and United States national team records.He is regarded as one of the bestUnited States men’s soccer players of all time and has the numbers to back up that claim.

Donovanhas 146 goals in 340 MLS games. He has the record for most MLS Cups with six and he is also the leagues all-time leader in assists. He also has four CONCACAF Gold Cups and two Supporters’ Shields with LA Galaxy. He was awarded the MLS Greatest Player of All Time award.

1. Chris Wondolowski

Chris Wondolowski is an active player for the San Jose Earthquakes and the all-time MLS top goalscorer.He is the only player in the league’s history to have scored ten or more goals in ten consecutive seasons and has the record for most MLS game winning goals.

“Wondo” has 164goals in 378 MLS appearances.He won two MLS Cups with Houston Dynamo and two Supporters’ Shields with the San Jose Earthquakes. Wondo is a two-time MLS Golden Boot and a three-time MLS Best XI. He takes our number one spot and he is only going to keep racking up more goals!

Many times the goal scorers get all the credit and we tend to forget that the assisters are just as important when it comes to scoring. Aperfect pass can beway more impressive and require much more classthan the goal itself.

This list is accurate and has been made after the end of the2020 MLS season. With some of these players still being active this list could change completely in just a couple of years. Without further ado, let’s check out thetop 25 highest assisters in MLS history!

25. Sebastian Giovinco

Sebastian Giovincomade a big impact from his first season playing in the MLS. When he joined the league in 2015, the Italianbroke the league’s record for most combined goals and assists in a single season. He played in the league for four years before being transfered to Al Hilal.

Giovinco has put up 68 goals and 42 assists for Toronto FC during his time in the club. He won an MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield with the club while also winning three Canadian Championships in the four years that he played for Toronto.

24. Federico Higuain

Federico Higuain is an active Argentine midfielder who currently plays for Inter Miami with his brother, Gonzalo Higuain. In his prime he was one of the best playmakers that the league has seen and in 2012 he had 13 goal contributions in 13 games.

Higuain has 57 goals and 46 assists in 207 MLS appearances. He was the MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2012 and in 2015 he helped Columbus Crew SC win the Eastern Conference title. When he signed for the club it was for a record US$650,000 at the time.

23. Ronald Cerritos

Ronald Cerritos is a former Salvadoran striker who is the all-time leader in assists for the San Jose Earthquakes.He played the majority of his career in the MLS and in his first year in the league he was named in the MLS Best XI.

Cerritos has 70 goals and 47 assists in 221 MLS appearances. In 2010, he was the first ever player to be inducted into the San Jose Earthquakes Hall of Fame. He made over 60 appearances in the El Salvador national team and participated in a CONCACAF Gold Cup.

22. Lee Nguyen

Lee Nguyen is an active American player who played most of his career in the MLS. He is a very productive midfielder who also adds creativity to his game. In 2014 he had his best season when he was third for the MLS MVP and got to the MLS Cup final.

Nguyen has 55 goals and 59 assists in 256 MLS appearances. He won the Supporters’ Shield with Los Angeles FC in 2019 and was an MLS Best XI in 2014. In 2012 he started his MLS career when he was the second overall draft pick in the MLS Waiver Draft.

21. Robert Warzycha

Robert Warzycha is a former Polish player who played the majority of his career in the MLS but also played in Premier League side Everton. He spent seven years in the MLS as a player for the Columbus Crew and then became the head coach forthe team for five seasons.

Warzycha has 19 goals and 61 assists in 160 MLS appearances. He won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as a player for the Crew. As a coach, he won two Supporters’ Shields and an MLS Cup for the club. When his coaching came to an end he hadspent 18 years of his life with Colombus Crew.

20. Richard Mulrooney

Richard Mulrooney is a former American player who played his entire career in the MLS. He played mostly as a midfielder and defender for the San Jose Eartquakes were he spent most of his career. He was the third overall draft pick in the 1999 MLS College Draft.

Mulrooney has8 goals and 68 assists in 281 MLS appearances. He has won two MLS Cups and the Western Conference Championship with the San Jose Earthquakes. With the Houston Dynamo he won an MLS Cup and a Western Conference Championship.

19. Chris Klein

Chris Klein is a former American player who spent 13 seasons playing in the MLS. He is now the president of LA Galaxy. He played for three different MLS sides (Kansas City Wizards, Real Salt Lake, and Los Angeles Galaxy).

Klein has 49 goals and 69 assists in 333 MLS appearances. For the Kansas City Wizards Klein won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, an MLS Cup, a Supporters’ Shield, and two Western Conference Championships. He also won a Supporters’ Shield with the LA Galaxy in 2010.

18. Jeff Cunningham

Jeff Cunninghamis a former striker who was born in Jamaica but became a U.S. citizen in 2001. He played in the MLS for 13 years and is the league’s third all-time leader in regular season goals. He played for five different MLS clubs.

Cunningham has 134goals and 70 assists in 365 MLS appearances. He is a two-time MLS Golden Boot winner and a three-time MLS Best XI. With the Columbus Crew he won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and an MLS Supporters’ Shield. He also won an MLS Western Conference Championship playing for FC Dallas.

17. Jason Kreis

Jason Kreis is a former American player who is now the assistant coach for Inter Miami and the head coach of the United States U-23 team. Before that he was the head coach for two MLS clubs (New York City FC and Real Salt Lake).

Kreis has 108 goals and 74 assists in 305 MLS appearances. He was the MLS MVP in 1999 and is currently a top 10 top goalscorer in league history. At one point in his career he was the all-time top goal scorer in the MLS.

16. Mark Chung

Mark Chungis a former American midfielder who played ten seasons in the MLS. He played in the MLS for four different clubs (Kansas City Wizards, Metrostars, Colorado Rapids, and the San Jose Earthquakes). He also played for the US national team were he scored two goals.

Chung has 65 goals and 76 assists in 310 MLS appearances. He was a first round pick for the Kansas City Wizards in the MLS Inaugural Draft. He was alsoan MLS Best XI in 1997, 2002, and 2003. Chung played in the 1993 Copa America with the UnitedStates squad.

15. Dwayne De Rosario

Dwayne De Rosariois a former Canadian player who played as a forward and midfielder. He played for five different MLS clubs (San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo, Toronto FC, New York Red Bulls, and D.C. United).

De Rosario has 104 goals and 77 assists in 343 MLS appearances. He has won four MLS Cups, two with the San Jose Earthquakes and two with Houston Dynamo. He also won a Supporters’ Shield with San Jose and won the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Canada in 2000.

14. Mauricio Cienfuegos

Mauricio Cienfuegosis a former Salvadoran midfielder who played in the MLS for the majority of his career. He joined Major League Soccer in its inaugural season in 1996. Cienfuegos played for Los Angeles Galaxy for eight years until he retired in 2003.

Cienfuegos has 35 goals and 80 assists in 206 MLS appearances. He was a three-time MLS Best XI and played in seven MLS All-Star games. He also won the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the U.S. Open Cup, and the 2002 MLS Cup with the LA Galaxy.

13. Chris Henderson

Chris Hendersonis a former American midfielder who is the current sporting director of Inter Miami CF.When he retired, he was Major League Soccer’s all-time leader in games played. He also played 79 games for the United States national team.

Henderson has 51 goals and 80 assists in 317 MLS appearances. He was the Colorado Rapids MVP in his first year with the team and in 2000, he won the MLS Cup with the Kansas City Wizards. Hendo is the Rapids’ all-time leader in assists and games played.

12. Javier Morales

Javier Moralesis a former Argentine midfielder who is the current academy coach at Inter Miami CF.He came to the MLS in 2007 when he joined Real Salt Lake. In his first game, he got an assist only 40 seconds into his debut, which is also an MLS record.

Morales has 50 goals and 83 assists in 255 MLS appearances. He won an MLS Cup and the Western Conference playoffs with Real Salt lake while also being a two-time MLS All-Star. Morales also carried his team to their first ever MLS Cup appearance.

11. Andy Williams

Andy Williams is a former Jamaican midfielder who played most of his career for Real Salt Lake. He first joined the league in 1998 were he played for the Columbus Crew. Williams was the second player in Real Salt Lake history when he was their first choice in the 2004 MLS Expansion Draft.

Williams has 14 goals and 86 assists in 189 MLS appearances. He won an MLS Cup and the Eastern Conference Championship with Real Salt Lake while also winning an MLS Supporters’ Shield and theLamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with the Chicago Fire.

10. Diego Valeri

Diego Valeri is an active Argentine midfielder who captains the Portland Timbers. He is considered as one of the best players to play in the MLS andhe carried the Timbers to an MLS Cup win in 2015 which also awarded him the MLS Cup MVP.

Valeri has 84 goals and 88 assists in 233 MLS appearances. He is a three-time MLS Best XI and a four-time MLS All-Star. Valeri also won the 2013 Newcomer of the Year award and the 2017 Landon Donovan MVP Award.

9. Cobi Jones

Cobi Jones is a former American midfielder who is currently an MLS analyst for LA Galaxy. He spent the majority of his career playing for the Galaxy and he is the all-time leader in caps for the United States national team.

Jones has 70 goals and 91 assists in 306 MLS appearances. He won the CONCACAF Champions Cup and two MLS Cups with the Galaxy along with the Supporters’ Shield and two U.S. Open Cups. Jones was also part of the MLS 25 Greatest squad.

8. Sacha Kljestan

Sacha Kljestan is an active American player who plays as a midfielder for LA Galaxy.He joined the MLS in 2015 when he was transferred to the New York Red Bulls and won the Supporters’ Shield in his first season with the team.

Kljestan has 23 goals and 93 assists in 117 MLS appearances. He wonmany awardsplaying for R.S.C Anderlecht like the Belgian Pro League three times and the Belgian Super Cup four times. Kljestan is a two-time MLS Best XI and was part of the 2016 MLS All-Star team.

7. Marco Etcheverry

Marco Etcheverry is a former Bolivian player who played as a forward. He is widely considered as one of the best Bolivian players of all time. Etcheverry spent most of his career in D.C. United were he won many trophies with the club.

Etcheverry has 34 goals and 93 assists in 190 MLS appearances. He won three MLS Cups, two Supporters’ Shields, the CONCACAF Champions League, and the U.S. Open Cup with D.C. United while also being a four-time MLS Best XI.

6. Jaime Moreno

Jaime Moreno is a former Bolivian forward who played in the MLS for the majority of his career. He was the all-time leading goal scorer in the MLS when he retired in 2010 and in 2009 he was the first player in MLS history to reach 100 goals and 100 assists.

Moreno has 133 goals and 102 assists in 340 MLS appearances. He won four MLS Cups and four Supporters’ Shields with D.C. United along with two Lamar Hunt U.S. Cups and the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup.

5.Preki

Predrag Radosavlevic, better known as Preki, is a former Serbian-American midfielder. He is the only player to have won two MLS MVP awards and was inducted into the American National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2010.

Preki has 79 goals and 112 assists in 242 MLS appearances. He won the MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield,and the US Open Cup with the Kansas City Wizards. He is currently the MLS all-time leader in points scored with 270.

4. Carlos Valderrama

Carlos Valderrama is a former Colombian attacking midfielder. He is widely regarded as one of the best Colombian players of all time. He won the South American Footballer of the Year in 1987 and 1993 while also being included in the FIFA 100 list of players.

Valderrama has 16 goals and 114 assists in 177 MLS appearances. He won the MLS Supporters’ Shield with the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1996 while also being that years’ MLS All-Star of the Year and the MLS MVP. He also holds the single-season record for most MLS assists with 26.

3. Brad Davis

Brad Davis is a former American midfielder who played his whole career in the MLS. He was the third pick in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft by Metrostars. He has the most appearances in Houston Dynamo history and is a four-time Dynamo team MVP.

Davis has 57 goals and 123 assists in 392 MLS appearances. He won two MLS Cups with the Houston Dynamo and the Supporters’ Shield with the San Jose Earthquakes. Davis is a six-time MLS All-Star and was the 2011 MLS Best XI.

2. Steve Ralston

Steve Ralston is a former American midfielder who spent the majority of his career playing in the MLS. He was the league’s all-time leader in assists when he retired in 2010 before being overtaken by Landon Donovan.

Ralston has 76 goals and 135 assists in 378 MLS appearances. When he retired, not only did he have the most assists in the league, he also had the record for most appearances, starts, and minutes played in the MLS.

1. Landon Donovan

Landon Donovan is a former American forward who holds a multitude of MLS and United States national team records. The Major League Soccer MVP Award was renamed in his honor to the Landon Donovan MVP Award.

Donovan has 147 goals and 136 assists in 340 MLS appearances. He has the record for most MLS Cups with six and has also won two Supporters’ Shields with LA Galaxy along with the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Donovan is also a thirteen-time MLS All-Star and was the MLS MVP in 2009.

But apart from the recordBallon d’Orwinner, the league has seen other superstars who, back in the day, won titles such as the Champions League and the World Cup. There are some who also came to the MLS and made their markwhile some others will be forgotten when it comes to league accomplishments.

This list was easy and hard to make at the same time. Picking the names was simple but ranking them was a challenge as we are ranking the best against the best. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top 25 most famous players in MLS history.

25.Clint Dempsey

Clint Dempsey could easily be the greatest American soccer player in history. He started and ended his career in the MLS but played most of his career in Premier League side Fulham. He is Fulham’s all-time top goalscorer.

Dempsey was the first American player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League. While representing the United States, he earned more than 142 caps and scored 57 goals which makes him the top goalscorer tied with Landon Donovan. His huge European and International team success have made Dempsey a well known name for sports fans.

24. Carlos Vela

Carlos Vela is a Mexican player known for his creativity and goal scoring abilities. His career began with European giants Arsenal before his transfer to Real Sociedad were he played for six years before joining MLS side Los Angeles FC.

Vela has participated in two World Cups with Mexico and won the 2009 Gold Cup. He is known for his time at Real Socieded were he played 250 matches and scored 73 goals but his time at the MLS has only made him more famous. He has won the MLS Golden Boot, MLS MVP, MLS Cup and a Supporter’s Shield with LAFC already while breaking goal scoring records.

23.Alexandre Pato

Alexandre Pato is a Brazilian player who had a fantastic career from a very young age. He made his debut when he was 16 and helped his side, Internacional, win the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup before joining Milan in 2007.

At Milan he earned the Golden Boy and Serie A Young Footballer of the Year award and was the top scorer for his team when they won the league title during the 2010/11 season. Pato also played for Chelsea in the Premier League and in 2021 moved toOrlando City.

22. Hristo Stoichkov

Hristo Stoichkov is a Bulgarian former player known for being a lethal forward and is widely regarded as the best Bulgarian soccer player of all time. He is a two-time runner up for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award and in 1994 he won the Ballon d’Or.

Stoichkov was the top goalscorer in 1990 with CSKA Sofia which gave him the European Golden Shoe. He then joined Barcelona were he won 13 titles with the club including the Champions League. In the MLS he joined the Chicago Fire were he won the U.S. Open Cup in 2000.

21. Ashley Cole

Ashley Cole is a formerEnglish defender mostly remembered for his time at Chelsea and Arsenal in the Premier League. He has 399 Premier League appearances and is widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.

Cole was a part of the “Invincibles” team with Arsenal who went a whole seaon undefeated and also won three FA Cups with the club. He then won the Champions League with Chelsea and in 2016 he joined MLS side LA Galaxy. Cole was also the 2010 England Player of the Year.

20.Landon Donovan

Landon Donovan is a former American player who holds countless MLS records. Donovan is one of the few players on this list who became even more famous, if not the most well known, during their time in the MLS. He has broken records everywhere.

Donovan won a record six MLS Cups and is Major League Soccer’s top assister. The league renamed the MVP award after him and for the United States he is also the all-time leader in assists and tied for first as the top goalscorer. He is also a four-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year Award and the only man to ever win that award.

19. Javier Hernandez

Javier Hernandez or as he’s commonly known by, Chicharito, is a Mexican striker who has played for some of the best clubs in the world. Before joining LA Galaxy in 2020, he played for Manchester United and Real Madrid were he made a name for himself.

Chicharito has one of the best minutes-per-goal ratios in Premier League history and is Mexico’s all-time leading goalscorer with 52 goals in 109 matches. He was the 2011 Gold Cup’s top scorer and the MVP of the tournament were he led Mexico to victory.

18. Lorenzo Insigne

Lorenzo Insigneshocked the world by announcing he was leavingNapoliat his 30 years of age as a free agent forMajor League Socceroutfit Toronto FC in the summer of 2022.

Insigne is an electric winger who played more than 300 games with Napoli and also shone with the Italian national team, playing a pivotal role in their 2020 Euro success. His move to Toronto was huge for MLS as he was still in his prime.

17. Lothar Matthaus

Lothar Matthausis a former German player who was an absolutemachine on the pitch. He captained his team to win the 1990 FIFA World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year were he still remains as the only German player to have received that award. He joined MLS side Metrostars in 2000.

Until 2018 Matthaus had the record for playing in the most World Cups having participated in five different ones. Diego Maradona said this about Matthaus, “he is the best rival I’ve ever had. I guess that is enough to define him”.

16. Alessandro Nesta

Alessandro Nesta is a fomer Italian defender who is widely considered as one of the best defenders of all time. He is a four-time Serie A Defender of the Year and in 2004 he was named one of the Top 100 Greatest Living Footballers.

Nesta won the World Cup with Italy in 2006 and is a four-time UEFA Team of the Year player. He has two Champions League and was inducted into the A.C. Milan Hall of Fame. In 2012 he signed for Montreal Impact as a free transfer.

15. Gonzalo Higuain

Gonzalo Higuainis a formerArgentine striker known for being a prolific goalscorer. He played for Real Madrid, Napoli, and Juventus before joining Inter Miami in 2020. in 2016 he became the highest ever transfer for an Italian club when Juventus signed him for 90 million euros.

Higuain has the record for most goals in a single Serie A season with 36 and is a three-time Serie A Team of the Year player.His stint with Inter Miami didn’t start well but he left on a high note, being instrumental in the team’s run to the playoffs in 2022.

14. Carlos Valderrama

Carlos “El Pibe” Valderrama could possibly have the most famous hairstyle out of any player ever. He is considered by many as Colombia’s greatest ever player and was one of South America’s most recognisable players in the late 1980s.

Valderrama won the South American Footballer of the Year award in two separate occasions and is Colombia’s most capped player. He joined the MLS side Tampa Bay Mutiny in their very first inaugural season and in 2005 was named as an MLS All-Time Best XI.

13. Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard is a former English player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. He was the Man of the Match in the Champions League final in 2005 when his team came back from being 3-0 down in what became known as the “Miracle of Istanbul”.

Gerrard is the only player to score in an FA Cup Final, a UEFA Cup Final, a League Cup Final, and a UEFA Champions League Final, winning every final as well. He is England’s fourth most capped player and has the record for most matches as Liverpool captain with 473. Gerrardjoined LA Galaxy in 2015and retired a year later.

12. Bastian Schweinsteiger

Bastian Schweinsteiger is a former German player whois considered as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He is mostly remembered for his time at Bayern Munich were he won 18 titles including the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.

Schweinsteiger made his move to Chicago Fire in 2017 were he played for two years before he retired. He won the World Cup with Germany in 2014 was the 2013 Footballer of the Year in Germany. He was also a two-time MLS All-Star and in 2018 he got inducted into the FC Bayern Munich Hall of Fame.

11. Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard is a former English player who is considered as one of Chelsea’s best ever players and one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. He spent 13 years playing with Chelsea and is the clubs all-time leading goalscorer with 211 goals.

Lampard is a legend of the game and the only midfielder to have scored more than 150 goals in the Premier League. He joined New York City FC in 2015 were he played 29 games and scored 15 goals before he retired at the club.

10. David Villa

David Villa is a former Spanish player regarded by many as the best Spanish striker of all time. He won the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona in 2011 and the FIFA Club World Cup. He is Spain’s all-time top scorer with 59 goals.

Villa joined New York City FC in 2014 and stayed with the club for four years. He is NYCFC’s all-time top scorer with 80 goals and was a two-time MLS Best XI. In 2016 he won the MLS MVP and in 2017 he was awarded the Best MLS Player ESPY Award.

9. Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba is a former Ivorian striker and the all time top goalscorer for his country. He is widely regarded as one of Chelsea’s best ever players and he also won the African Footballer of the Year twice.He transfered to MLS side Montreal Impact in 2015 were he scored 21 goals in 33 games.

Drogba was the first Chelsea player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League and the player with the most Golden Boots in the clubs history. He is the only player to score in four separate FA Cup finals. Drogba is one of the best African players of all time.

8. Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo is a former Italian player known for his class and creativity. He was a crucial player to Italy’s World Cup win in 2006 and is the fifth-most capped player for his country.He has won countless trophies in his career and is one of the best ever deep-lying playmakers the sport has ever seen.

Pirlo won two Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup with Milan. He has won six Serie A league titles and two Coppa Italia trophies. In 2015 he transfered to MLS side NYCFC were he played for four years. He has been inducted in both Italy’s Hall of Fame and the Juventus Greatest XI of all time.

7. Kaka

Kaka is a former Brazilian player who is considered as one of the best players of his generation. He is one of only eight players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or. He is mostly known for his time with Real Madrid and AC Milan.

Kaka joined Orlando City in 2014 and played for the club until he retired in 2017. He is a three-time MLS All-Star and has won countless individual awards. Kaka was the top assist provider in two different Champions League seasons and the top scorer in the 2006/07 season.

6. Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale‘s move to LAFC waswithout any doubt one of the biggest signings in MLS history. Not because it was an expensive transfer— Bale was out of contract at Real Madrid— but because of the Welsh player’s fame.

Bale was a world-class winger who helped Real Madrid win multiple UEFA Champions League titles and won an MLS Cup with LAFC in his first year at the club. His MLS tenure lasted just six months as he retired after the Qatar 2022 World Cup, but Bale helped to increase the league’s exposure.

5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the most decorated players and the third player with the most goal contributions in the last decade only behind Messi and Ronaldo.

Ibrahimovic has scored over 500 goals throughout his career and has scored in the last four decades. He joined LA Galaxy in 2018 were he scored 52 goals in 56 games, an insane games-to-goal ratio! He has 11 Ballon d’Or nominations and won the 2013 Puskas Award for his 35-yard bicycle kick.

4. Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is a former English player who is widely considered as one of the best players of his generation. He is the top goalscorer for both Manchester United and the England National team. Rooney is also the second-top scorer in Premier League history.

Rooney joined D.C. United in 2018 were he scored 23 goals in 48 games. He is also the youngest player to start in a competitive match for England at 17 years and 160 days. A true legend of the game and one of the most decorated Premier League players of all time.

3.Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry is a former French striker who is widely considered as the greatest player in the history of the Premier League and one of the best strikers of all time. Henry was one of the most marketed soccer players during the 2000’s.

Henry joined the New York Red Bulls in 2010 were he scored 51 goals in 122 games andwon the Supporters’ Shield in 2013. He is a four-time MLS All-Star and three-time MLS Best XI.Henry won the FIFA World Cup with France and is a four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner.

2. David Beckham

David Beckhamwasthe most famous player in MLS history until Messichanged the league forever. He played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe like Manchester United and Real Madrid. He was alsothe first English player to play in 100 UEFA Champions League matches.

Beckhamis a legend in the soccer world and he is also extremelywell known just as a celebrity. He joined LA Galaxyin 2007 were he won two MLS Cupsand two Supporters’ Shields. Beckham is now the owner of Inter Miami FC and continues his huge impact in the MLS.

1. Lionel Messi

Though the likes of Becks and Henry have also been crucial to put MLS on the map, nothing compares to the arrival of Lionel Messi. The Argentine superstar still had enough left in the tank to continue shining in Europe, but instead, decided to take his talents to the US.

At 36 and off the back of a World Cup success, Messi immediately turned Inter Miami around as he led the club to its first ever title at the 2023 Leagues Cup. His presencemade an unprecedented impact both on and off the field, with fans going crazy just to see him play or to get his jersey. An extremely decorated player who won the most important trophies on Earth, Messi is widely regarded as the best player of all time. Therefore, the first spot on this list couldn’t belong to anyone else.

This list is only taking MLS performances into account, not how great a player may have been overall throughout their career. Some players were in the league from the very start and some othersare way more recent just breaking record after record.

There are some absolute league legends on here and some overall legends of the sport. There are many big names on this list and in one way or another they have done something worthy to be ranked among the greatest players in MLS history. Without further ado, lets take a look at the greatest MLS players of all time.

25. Brian Ching

Brian Chingis an American player who is now retired and played in the MLS for 12years.Ching was the first player of Hawaiian descent to play in theleague and he also represented the U.S. national team for eight years.

Ching won the Golden Boot andBest MLS XI in 2014 when he scored 25 goals in 56 games for the San Jose Earthquakes. He then made a move to Houston Dynamoand won two MLS Cupswith the team while scoring important goals in the competition.

24. Cobi Jones

Cobi Jones is an LA Galaxy legend and played at the club for almost the entirety of his career. He is the all-time leader in caps for the United States national team and played for the Galaxy for 11 years. In 1998 he was named the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year.

Jones had a fantastic run with the Galaxy and led them to two Supporter’s Shields, two MLS Cups, and a CONCACAF Champions Cup. In 2005, Jones became the very first player to remain in the same MLS team since 1996 and when he did retire, the club also retired his jersey number to honor him.

23. Thierry Henry

Thierry Henryis an absolute legend of the sport. He was included in the UEFA Team of the Year five times and the PFA Team of the Year for six consecutive years. He was definitely one of the most impactful signings in MLS history.

Henry is a three-time MLS Best XI and led the New York Red Bulls to a Supporters’ Shield which was the club’s first ever trophy. The Arsenal all-time top scorer made his mark in the MLS and helped the NY Red Bulls achieve what they never had before.

22. Bradley Wright-Phillips

Bradley Wright-Phillips had to fight for his minutes playing for the New York Red Bulls as Thierry Henry was at the club during the same time. He showed he was worthy of playing time and has two of the top 10 best-goal scoring seasons in MLS history.

Phillips is a two-time MLS Golden Boot winner, two-time MLS Best XI, eighth in all time goals scored in the league, and carried the New York Red Bulls to three Supporters’Shields. As of March 2021, he has 116 goals in 214MLS matches and is still going strong.

21. Guillermo Barros Schelotto

Guillermo Barros Schelotto played in the MLS for four years but his time in the league was well spent. He played for Columbus Crew before moving back to Argentina and finishing his career at Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata in 2011.

Barros Schelotto led the Crew to threeleague and cup titles and also won two individual awards in his short time with the league. in 2008 he was named the league MVP after getting 19 assists with the Crew and winningthe MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shieldin the same year.

20. Clint Dempsey

If this was a list about the greatest United States national team players, there would be few who would argue that Clint Dempsey isn’t #1. However, in the MLS Dempsey played for New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders were he made an impact on both clubs.

Dempsey was the 2004 MLS Rookie of the Year, the 2016 MLS Cup winner, the 2017 MLS Comeback Player of the Year, and a two-time MLS Best XI. He scored 72 goals in 186 games during his time in the MLS before retiring in 2018.

19. Preki

Preki is an ‘MLS original’ as he played for the Kansas City Wizards in 1996 upon the start of Major League Soccer. As of March 2021, he is the only player to have earned the MLS MVP award twice and was inducted into the American National Soceer Hall of Fame in 2010.

Preki played 244 games and scored 79 goals in the MLS and his 112 assists make him the 5th all-time assister in league history. He is the current all-time league leader in points scored and was named an MLS All-Time Best XI.

18. Carlos Ruiz

Carlos Ruiz has played for five different MLS clubs (LA Galaxy, FC Dallas, Toronto FC, Philadelphia Union, and D.C. United). Nicknamed “El Pescadito” or “The Little Fish”Ruiz is the 12th all-time scorer in the MLS with 89 goals.

Ruiz won the MLS MVP award in 2002 when he scored 24 goals and led the LA Galaxy to an MLS Cup. He was also named an MLS Best XI and has an MLS Goal of the Year award. Ruiz also scored 16 goals in a post-season which is is an MLS record.

17. Taylor Twellman

Taylor Twellman is one of the greatest goal scorers that Major League Soccer has had. He joined the New England Revolution side in 2002 and scored 23 goals in 28 games in his first season. No other player scored more MLS goals than Twellman from 2002/09 with 101 goals.

Twellman played in four MLS Cups but has never won the trophy. He is the New England Revolution’s all-time top goal scorer with 101 goals and won the 2005 MLS MVP and Golden Boot. He is also a two-time MLS Best XI and 10th in all time league goals.

16. Carlos Vela

Carlos Vela is known for being a lethal goal scorer and a versatile player who can play anywhere up top. As of March 2021 he has only played in the MLS for three years but he has had a big impact on the league.

Vela is a two-time MLS Best XI and won the 2019 MLS MVP and Golden Boot with the LAFC. That same year he broke a league record by scoring 34 goals in 34 games and also broke the league record for most combined goals and assists in a single season.

15. David Beckham

David Beckham is the most impactful signing that the MLS has ever had and there is no debating that. Him joining the league after playing for European giants Real Madrid and Manchester United instantly gave the MLS more prestige as a league.

Beckham won two MLS cups and two Supporters’ Shields with the Galaxy while also being an MLS Best XI in 2011. He also scored many outstanding freekicks and has 18 goals and 40 assists in 98 games. He is the current owner of Inter Miami FC and is continuing his huge impact in the MLS.

14. David Villa

David Villa is Spain’s all time leading top scorer and won a World Cup as well as the Champion’s League. There is no debate that Villa is a soccer legend and his time in the MLS was well spent. He holds the record for most games played (113) and goals scored (73) for NYCFC.

Villa won the 2016 MLS MVP award and was second for the award the year after. He is also a two-time MLS Best XI and took NYCFC from a new expansion team to one of the league’s best. Villa was one of the greatest goal scorers of his time.

13. Josef Martinez

Josef Martinez is a lethal goal scorer who has made his time in the MLS count. He holds the record for most hat-tricks in the league with six, the record for goals in both regular and post season with 35, and the record for most consecutive games with a goal with 15.

Martinez has broken record after record and there is still time to break more for the Venezuelan. He is an MLS MVP and Golden Boot winner, MLS Cup winner, and three-time MLS Best XI. He also won the 2019 MLS Goal of the Year award with Atlanta United.

12. Sebastian Giovinco

Sebastian Giovinco is another versatile player who can play in many offensive positions. He was the first player in MLS history to score 20+ goals and 10+ assists in a single season and is Toronto FC‘s top goal scorer with 68 goals in 114 games.

Nicknamed “The Atomic Ant” he was the 2015 MLS MVP and won the Golden Boot award. Heis also a three-time MLS Best XI.In 2017 he won the MLS Cup and carried the team while also giving them their very first appearance in the playoffs.

11. Carlos Valderrama

Carlos “El Pibe” Valderrama set expectations high for other attacking midfielders. He is known for his unique hairstyle and won the league’s very first MLS MVP award.As of March 2021 he is the fourth all-time assister in the league with 114 assists in 177 matches.

Valderrama won the Supporters’ Shield in the league’s very first season with the Tampa Bay Mutiny.A three-time MLS Best XI and 1996 MLS MVP, he holds the MLS record for most assists in a single season with 26.

10. Jaime Moreno

Jaime Moreno was the all-time leading goal scorer in the MLS when he retired in 2010 and in 2009 he became the first MLS player to ever reach the mark of 100 goals and 100 assists. He was also inducted into the D.C. United Hall of Tradition in 2013.

Moreno scored 134 goals in 329 matches and is a five-time MLS Best XI. He is the fourth all time scorer and is sixth in all time assists. The Bolivian won four MLS Cups and is one of the most impactful players the league has ever had.

9. Eddie Pope

Eddie Pope spent his entire career in the MLS were he made 254 appearances. He played for three different teams (D.C. United, Metrostars, and Real Salt Lake) but is mostly remembered for his time at D.C. United. The star defender quickly became an MLS icon.

Pope gave D.C. United their very first MLS Cup in 1996 when he scored the golden goal cementing him as a club legend. He won three MLS Cups and was the 1997 Defender of the Year. The four time MLS Best XI was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011.

8. Tony Meola

Tony Meola is remembered by many as an iconic American keeper. He had 250 appearances in the MLS mostly representing the Kansas City Wizards. In 2000 Meola set the record for most clean sheets in a season at 16.

Meola is the only goalkeeper to win the MLS MVP award and he was just outstanding in goal. He led the KC Wizards to their firstMLS Cup victory in 2000 and also made the MLS Best XI. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.

7. Diego Valeri

Diego Valeri is a Portland Timbers legend. He has played 223 matches and scored 84 goals for the Timbers while also leading them to an MLS Cup win in 2015.Valeri is an outstanding player and the Portland Timbers fans will never forget what he did for the club.

Valeri had his most memorable season in 2017 when he single-handedly qualified his team into the playoffs when he got 20+ goals and 10+ assists. He is number 1 in goals and assists for the club. Valeri won the 2015 MLS Cup, the 2017 MLS MVP, and is a three-time MLS Best XI.

6. Marco Etcheverry

Marco Etcheverry is considered as one of the best Bolivian players of all time.He was one of the most dominant players in the first years of the league and carried his team to three separate MLS Cup wins.He spent his MLS career playing for D.C. United.

Etcheverry is one of the best forwards to ever play in the MLS. He won the MLS Goal of the Year twice and is a four-time MLS Best XI. He is seventh in all-time assists in the league with 101 and he also scored 34 goals in his 190 games for D.C. United.

5. Dwayne De Rosario

Dawyne De Rosario played for five different MLS teams (San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo, Toronto FC, New York Red Bulls, and D.C. United). The Canadian is the eighth all time top scorer in the league with 104 goals.

De Rosario won the MLS Cup four times and was the 2011 MLS MVP and Golden Boot winner. He is a six-time MLS Best XI and has won two MLS Goal of the Year awards. He was also crucial forthe Houston Dynamo and them winning their first two MLS Cups.

4. Jeff Agoos

Jeff Agoos is second in MLS Cupwins to the one and only Landon Donovan.He won five MLS Cups (three with D.C. United and two with the San Jose Earthquakes) and is considered one of the best defenders the MLS has ever had.

Agoos also helped lead his team to two Supporters’ Shield and a U.S. Open Cup. He is a three-time MLS Best XI and won the 2001 award for MLS Defender of the Year. Agoos was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001.

3. Chris Wondolowski

Chris Wondolowski was is a player you’d love in your team but hate to come up against. He is the top scorer in MLS history and the only player in league history to have scored 10+ goals in ten consecutive seasons.

Wondolowski was the 2012 MLS MVP and is the all-time leading goal scorer for the San Jose Earthquakes with 162 goals as of March 2021. Wondo has won two MLS Cups, two MLS Golden Boots, and three MLS Best XI awards.

2. Robbie Keane

Robbie Keane is the most capped player and highest goal scorer for the Republic of Ireland national team.In 2011 he joined LA Galaxy to create one of the best trios the MLS has ever seen with him, David Beckham, and Landon Donovan.

Keane won three MLS Cups with the Los Angeles Galaxy and was the 2014 MLS MVP. He scored 83 goals in 125 games for the Galaxy and was a four-time MLS Best XI.He was one of the best strikers that the MLS has ever seen!

1. Landon Donovan

Landon Donovan being number 1 on this list should be no surprise to anyone. He has the most MLS Cups out of any other player with six and was the 2009 MLS MVP. He has won almost a quarter of the leagues MLS Cups.

Donovan won the Goal of the Year award and is a seven-time MLS Best XI. He holds the record for most assists in MLS history with 136 and in 2015 the league renamed the MVP award to the “Landon Donovan MVP Award”.An easy pick for our number 1 spot!

Ranking this list was no easy task and many legendary players had to be left out like the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic andGianluigi Buffon since they have never won the competition. The players that did make the list were ranked on wins, appearances, andlegendary momentsin the competition.

There are many big names on this listandin one way or another they have done something worthy to be ranked among the bestin Champions League history. At club level, it simply doesn’t get any bigger than the Champions League. Without further ado, let’s check out the top 25 greatest Champions League players of all time!

25. Carles Puyol

Carles Puyolis often regarded as one of the best defenders and captains in the history of the sport. He won three Champions League trophies, all of them with Barcelona, were he played his entire career. Puyol had115 appearances in the competition for Barcelona.

Puyol was a natural leaderand an extremely decorated player besides his three Champions League trophies. He had100 caps for Spainand won 18 major club titlesincludingsix La Liga trophies.A true legend of the game andone of Champions League best for sure!

24. Roberto Carlos

Roberto Carlos is known for his thunderous left leg and for being one of the most attacking full-backsin the history of the sport. He played in 128 Champions League matches and won three trophiesall with Real Madrid. There will never be another left back like him.

Roberto Carlos is undoubtedly a legend and his 105 miles per hour freekicks will always be remembered by fans. At Real Madrid he won four La Liga titles besides his three Champions League trophies andin April 2013, Marca named him in their“Best Foreign eleven in Real Madrid’s history”!

23. Toni Kroos

When it comes to the winningest players in tournament history, Toni Kroos can take pride in being on that list, as he is one of the few players whowon the UEFA Champions League on five occasions.

The German player lifted the trophy for the first time in 2013with Bayern Munich, and went on to taste continental gloryfour more times with Real Madrid. Hats off for one of the best midfielders the competition has ever seen.

22. Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho is often regarded by many as the greatest player of all time.He won the 2005-06 Champions League with Barcelona and was a vital player to get the trophy. He will always be remembered for his technical skills, dribbling, and creativity that made him one of the most entertaining players to watch.

Ronaldinho is one of the most decorated players ever and has won most, if not all, of the trophies any soccer player would dream of. He is a two-time Best FIFA Men’s Player, has won a Ballon D’or, a Copa America, a Copa Libertadores, and a World Cup. That’s only the major trophies too, Ronaldinho is a true legend of the game.

21. Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale has won five Champions League trophies with Real Madrid and has scored some very vital goals for them in the competition. In his first Champions League win he scored six goals in eight games and in 2018 he stole the show with an acrobatic goal against Loris Karius to score a winning goal in the final.

In that 2018 final, Bale also won the Man of the Match award.He couldn’t build on that performance to continue playing regularly in the starting lineup, but Bale still managed to win another Champions League before moving to MLS, where he called it a career.

20. Casemiro

Strikers or attacking midfielders always take much of the spotlight, but in modern soccer, you can’t win without a reliable defensive midfielder. That’s why it’s safe to say Casemiro played an instrumental role in Real Madrid’s return to international success.

The Brazilian bossed the middle of the park, doing the dirty work to let Luka Modric and Kroos do their magic with the ball. With five Champions League titles, he’s one of the most successful players in tournament history.

19.Ryan Giggs

Ryan Giggs is another player on this list who played their entire career for Manchester United and is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. His long career has seen him win two Champions League trophies and make 141 appearances in the competition. He is the only player to have played in 16 different seasons of the competition.

Ryan Giggs is one of only 28 players to have made over 1,000 appearances in their career, an incredible achievement! He won 13 Premiere League trophies, four FA Cups, three League Cups, a FIFA Club World Cup medal, a UEFA Super Cup, and nine FA Community Shield medals. Giggs is one of the most decorated players of all time.

18. Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba has some iconic moments in the Champions League no doubt. Him cursing at the cameras after being knocked out by Barcelona in 2009 is definitely one of the most remembered ones but we want to focus on his insane header in the 2012 final against Bayern Munich. That header tied the game for Chelsea and when the game went to penalties he scored the decisive one to win them the trophy.

Drogba is the all-time top scorer for Ivory Coast and the top foreign scorer at Chelsea. He is also a two-time African Footballer of the Year and the only player to score in four different FA Cup finals as of March 2021. Drogba was a truly spectacular player and him stepping up in the 2012 final gives him a spot on this list.

17. Alfredo Di Stefano

Alfredo Di Stefano is a Real Madrid legend and one of the top scorers in the competition with 49 goals in 58 games.Regarded by many as one of the best footballers of all time, he won five competitions with Real Madrid but when he played it wasn’t called the Champions League yet, it was named the European Cup.

Alfredo Di Stefano played a vital part in all five of his cup wins, scoring a goal in each of the finals.He scored 216 league goals in 282 games for Real Madrid and was the top scorer for a long time until the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo came about. One of the greatest players and a top European League winner and scorer.

16. Kaka

Ricardo Kakais widely remembered for his passing, dribbling, and goal scoring. He has 36 goals in 86 games in the competition and he won the Champions League in the 2006/07season with AC Milan as the top goal scorer. He also helped Milan finish secondin the 2004/05 Champions League with him as the top assist provider of the tournament.

Kaka is one of only eight players to have won the Ballond’Or, Champions League, and World Cup. After spending six years with AC Milan he transferred to Real Madrid for 67 million euros which at the time was the second highest transfer fee the sport had seen. He also won the Golden Ball Award in 2009 for being the best player in the FIFA Confederations Cup.

15. Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane was an even better player than he was manager believe it or not. Zizou is widely regarded by many as one of the best players of all time and he will always be remembered for his next-level playmaking, passing, techinque, and elegance.He only won one Champions League in 2002 with Real Madrid and was a runner-up twice with Juventus.

Zidane won the Champions League in 2002 when he scored an incredible lefty volley into the top corner for what many believe is the greatest Champions League goal ever scored.He also won the Ballond’Or in 1998 and is a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year.Zizou was a true wonder to watch.

14. Edwin van der Sar

Edwin van der Sarhas been instrumental for many Champions League teams. He has two Champions League trophies and the first one came with Ajax in 1994/95 when he kept eight clean sheets in 11 matches to help the team secure them the tournament. His second trophy came with Manchester united in 2008 after defeating Chelsea on penalties.

Van der Sar is the seventh oldest player to have played in the Champions League and was Netherlands most-captained player until 2017, when that title would go to Wesley Sneijder.Considered by many the greatest goalkeeper of all time he is also an extremely decorated player having won 26 major trophies in his career.

13. Ruud Van Nistelroy

Ruud Van Nistelroy is the only player in this whole list who hasn’t actually won the Champions League, to no fault of his own. He is one of thehighest goal scorers in the competition with 56 goals in 73 games and in 2002/03 he scored 14 goals with Manchester United before getting knocked out by Real Madrid.

Van Nistelroy is considered one of the best strikers of his generation and he has the numbers to back up that claim. He has been the top scorer in three separate Champions League seasons but even then was not fortunate enough to lift the trophy. He had some iconic runs in the tournament which put him on this list and with those numbers if he had actually won one he would be way higher.

12. Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard was the main centerpiece in the “Miracle of Istanbul” were Liverpool came back against AC Milan after being down 3-0. He scored the first goal for Liverpool and drew a penalty for the second one six minutes later. Definitely one of the best performances in Champions League history.

Gerrard took Liverpool to another final just two years after his inspirational performance but this time AC Milan got their revenge beating them 2-1 in the final. Although he only won one trophy, he had some of the best performances the tournament has seen and gave Liverpool the trophy for the first time in 21 years.

11. Samuel Eto’o

Samuel Eto’o has 30 goals in 78 games in the Champions League and is one of the few players who have scored in more than one final. He is often regarded as one of the best strikers in the world at his prime and one of the greatest African players of all time.While other players have more goals than him few had the effect he did on his team winning important games.

Samuel Eto’o won his first Champions League with Barcelona in 2006 were he scored in the final and his second in 2009 were he played with the likes of Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi and once again, scored in the final. His third and final tournament win was with Inter Milan, and all of these wins were in the space of only five seasons.

10. Luka Modric

Luka Modricis a phenomenal midfielder and was the first player since 2007 to win the Ballon D’or who wasn’t Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.He has won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid and three of them were consecutive from 2015-2018.

He became the first croatian player to be included into the FIFA FIFPro World XI and went on to make the team for many more years. The Croatian mastermind defied the odds and continued to show his skills despite the pass of time, proving to be one-of-a-kind player in the greatest competition of all.

9. Clarence Seedorf

As of March 2021, Clarence Seedorf is among the players with mostChampions League appearances but what makes him stand out over the rest is that he is the only player to have won the tournament with three spearate teams. He has a total of four Champions League trophies and is one of the tournaments best ever playmakers.

Clarence Seedorf won the competition with Ajax, Real Madrid, and AC Milan twice.He is considered one of the most successful players in the history of the competition and in 2007 he was named the best midfielder in the Champions League. He was truly a great player to watch and there is no denying his success when it comes to the Champions League.

8. Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas held the record formost appearances in the Champions League with 177 games until Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed him. However,he is the highest ranked goalkeeper on our list and it couldn’t be anyone else. Casillas is the youngest ever goalkeeper to play in and win a Champions League final at 19 years and four days old. He won the tournament three times, all of them with Real Madrid.

Casillas is considered by many as the greatest goalkeeper of all time and was named the World’s Best Goalkeeper every year from 2008/12.He is also one of the few players to have played over 1000 professional matches.

7. Xavi

With151appearances, Xavi is one of the footballers who played in this competition the most and is a four-time winner of the competition.The “Puppet Master” was part of one of the best midfield trios ever seen with Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.He played a vital role in the 2011 Champions League final against Manchester United.

Xavi will always be remembered for his spectacular passing, positioning, and view of the game. He is regarded by many as the best midfielder of all time. Xavi had the record for most games played with Barcelona until Lionel Messi broke it and with the club he won eight La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies.

6. Paolo Maldini

Paolo Maldini is one of the few players who have won the Champions League five times.He won the European Cup twice before it was rebranded and has a total of 140 matches in the competition, 109 after the rebrand. Maldini will always be remembered as one of the best defenders to have ever played in the tournament.

Maldini played in eight different finals and won three of them as captain. In 2003, he was named Man of the Match against Juventus in a final that finished 0-0, the only goal-less final in the history of the tournament. He had the record for most appearances in the Serie A with 647 until he was overtaken by Gianluigi Buffon.

5. Raul

With142appearances and 71 goals in the Champions League, Raul made a strong case to be named among the best players in tournament history.He won the tournament three times and in two of those he scored in the final which put him in a small pool of players to have ever done so. Before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there was Raul putting up the incredible numbers.

Raul is considered as one of the most important players in Real Madrid’s history and one of the greatest Spanish players of all time.He is among the club’sall time top scorers and won six La Liga, four Spanish Supercup, and two Intercontinental cups.One of the best players the Champions League and La Liga have ever seen!

4. Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniestaleft his mark with130 Champions League appearances and four titles withBarcelona. He has one of the bestgoals in the history of the tournament with his late minute winner against Chelsea in the 2008/09 semi final. His outsidefoot finish is one of the most iconic goalsbut it is impossible to pinpoint just one moment for such a legendary player.

Iniesta is widely considered asone of the best players of his generation andone of the greatest midfielders of all time. His excellentpassing and playmakinghas cemented him as one of the best players of all time anddefinitely one of the greatest Champions League players of all time.

3. Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos is one of the most impactful players in the history of the Champions League and no one can debate that. He has wonthe tournament four timeswith Real Madrid. Ramos has so many iconic moments like his two headers in four minutes in the semi-final against Bayern Munich, his only goal in the 2016 final against Atletico Madrid, orhis 93rd minute equaliser in 2011.

Sergio Ramos is an incredible player and will no doubt go down as one of the best defenders of all time.Ramos has also been in the FIFAPro World 11more times than any other defender in history.

2. Lionel Messi

Well it’s almost always down to either Messi or Ronaldo isn’t it? Lionel Messi has won the Champions League 4 times and is among the top scorers and players with most appearances. Messi has many iconic moments like his four goals against Arsenal in 2010, his chip over Manuel Neuer in 2015, andan insane dribble and goal past Real Madrid in 2011.

Messi is undoubtedly one of, if not the best, player to have ever played the game. He has won more Ballon d’Ors than any other player, multipleEuropean Golden Shoes, and countlesstrophies with Barcelona. Messi has broken all kinds of records and is a legend of the sport.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is the Champions League greatest ever player and it isn’t even a question. He has the most appearances and is the all time top goalscorer with140 goals. His first evertrophy came with Manchester United and the other four have been with Real Madrid.

Over half of Ronaldo’s goals in the tournamenthave come in knockout games and he has wonthree Champions League goal of the season awards in 2014, 2017, and 2018. He has won countless major trophies, including multiple Ballon d’Or awards andEuropean Golden Shoes. Ronaldo is the ChampionsLeagueGOATand there is no debating that.

Many fights on our list are from back in the day and some of them even over 100 years ago.There are many great heavyweight boxers now like Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder but the names that made people fall in love with heavyweight boxing are the Tyson’s and Ali’s.

This list consists of the greatest heavyweight boxing bouts in the history of the sport. There will be many famous names and some iconic fights, knockouts, and upsets.We tried our best to rank all of these justly and had a lot of fun doing so. Now, without further ado, lets dive in to the greatest heavyweight fights of all time.

25. Joe Frazier vs Jerry Quarry (1969)

Jerry Quarry was one tough boxer. At the time of this fight Joe Frazier was the best boxer around and it’s hard to argue against that claim. The fight took place inMadison Square Garden were Frazier was defending his World Heavyweight Champion belt.Quarry was very solid in the first rounds and was looking very good early on.

This didn’t last long for Quarry as Frazier retaliated with lethal hooks that led to a nasty cut in Quarry’s face right under his right eye. The fight was stopped in the seventh round due to how bad the cut was and Frazier remained champion. The two fought again two years later were Frazier once again triumphed over his opponent.

24. Evander Holyfield vs Michael Dokes (1989)

When Evander Holyfield and Michael Dokes fought it was a true show for the fans. Many doubted Holyfield could make it in the heavyweight division as he was a light heavyweight fighter. Dokes started the fight better landing some nice and monstrous punches early on.

However, Holyfield showed that he’s the real deal and quickly responded with rapid punches and movement that Dokes wasn’t expecting. In the eighth round, Dokes had Holyfield cornered raining down punches on him but Holyfield prevailed and in the tenth round he delivered a perfect uppercut that left Dokes too dazed to go on and the ref stopped the fight to give Holyfield the win.

23. Cassius Clay vs Sonny Liston (1964)

At this point Sonny Liston was at one of the greatest points in his career and he was the active heavyweight champion after knocking out Floyd Patterson. Most people had no faith in Cassius Clay, or better known as Muhammad Ali, going into the fight. There was a lot of controversy with this fight about what actually happened.

Clay went into the fight with fantastic movement and doing a good job to protect himself from Liston’s heavy blows. Liston gave up from his stool right before the start of the seventh round giving Clay a monstrous win and beginning his journey to be one of the best fighters ever. The controversy came from the fact that Liston was the meanest man around and an undefeated champion, but he gave up from his corner against a 22 year old kid?

22. James Braddock vs Max Baer (1935)

This fight was later featured in Braddocks biopic movie “Cinderella Man” and it was for a good reason. Baer was unstoppable at the time and took fighting Braddockas an easy win. Baer fought carelessly and let his opponent tire him out with good body punches and quick jabs while he dropped his hands and did a bit of trash-talking.

Once Baer decided to start taking things seriously it was too late and Braddock was too dominant to stop. The fight went all the way to the final round and when it was all over Braddock had taken home the win. His huge underdog win got him the name “Cinderella Man”.

21. Derrick Jefferson vs Maurice Harris (1999)

This fight was two titans clashing against each other. MauriceHarris was knocked down four times and Jefferson once in a brawl that was an absolute spectatle for the viewers watching. Jefferson dropped Harris two times in the second round but then Harris turned it around with a vicious right.

Harris was knocked by Jefferson’s powerful body shots but he quickly responded with a fury of combinations that looked to end the fight. It seemed this way until Jefferson’s iconic left hook that ended the fight with one of the best knockouts in the history of the sport.

20. Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury (2018)

This fight ranks as one of the most entertaining in the 21st century. The bout betwen Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder ended in a controversial draw. Fury was better throughout but Wilder got the shot he needed to drop Fury in the ninth. Fury got up dazed and it looked to be over for him.

Then came the famous last round when Wilder drops Fury with a viscious left that left him looking like he was out cold. This was until he magically stood back up and finished the fight. Even though the end result was a draw, this was one of the greatest heavyweight fights in the last century!

19.Leotis Martin vs Thad Spencer (1968)

Leotis Martin and Thad Spencer had one of the best heavyweight fights of all time, however, it wasn’t even filmed. Martin dropped Spencer in the first round but Spencer picked it back up during the middle rounds and kept the fight under control.

In the eighth round Spencer had Martin at matchpoint and it was looking like he was going to take home the win. This was until Martin’s lethal punch that won him the match when things weren’t looking good for him. Although it was not filmed, this fight remains a classic.

18.George Foreman vs Michael Moorer (1994)

This fight crowned George Foreman as the oldest heavyweight champion in history. a 45 year old Foreman wasn’t looking like the favorite before or even during the fight as Moorer was was landing punch after punch on him. This was until the tenth round of the fight.

Moorer was exhausted by this point and Foreman delivered a huge right hand to finish the fight and crown him champion. This knockout left everyone speechless and Formean dedicated his win to “all my buddies in the nursing home”.

17.Rocky Marciano vs Ezzard Charles (1954)

Rocky Marciano and Ezzard Charles fought twice this year. In their first bout Marciano won by points and it was the first time that anyone had even come close to beating the legendary fighter. The fight was a brawl but Marciano got theunanimous decision.

The second fight was just as entertaining as the first. The two battled it out but Marciano ultimately got the win with a big knockout in the eighth round. His corner had suggested he go for the body but Marciano said “I don’t knock ’em out in the body. I knock ’em out on the chin”.

16.Buster Douglas vs Mike Tyson (1990)

Buster Douglas vs Mike Tyson could be considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of boxing. At the time Mike Tyson was unstoppable and Douglas was a 42:1 underdog. Douglas dominated Tyson from the first round but Tyson delivered a viscious uppercut in the eighth round that almost won him the fight.

The ref started the count but Douglas got back up and in the tenth round he knocked out Tyson with a hugepunch. Mike Tyson was the undefeated heavyweight world champion going into the fight so this was one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, upsets ever seen.

15.Michael Moorer vs Bert Cooper (1992)

This five-round bout is one of the best fights there is. Cooper came out strong looking to bring a good fight to the reigning champion and dropped him the very first round. Both fighters brawled it out until the fifth round were Moorer put Cooper against the ropes and finished the fight with an uppercut and left hook combination.

Moorer became the first left-handed heavyweight champion in history and this fight was the 1992 KO Magazine Fight of the Year.This fight was the definition of a brawl and both fighters didn’t ease up for a second which in hindsight was a mistake by Cooper.

14.Lennox Lewis vs Vitali Klitschko (2003)

This fight was called the “Battle of the Titans” and it was rightly named. Current heavyweight champion Lennox Lewisfaced off against former champion Vitali Klitshcko. Klitschko hurt Lewis early on and was winning the fight throughout. However, a nasty cut above his left eye cut the fight short after the sixth round giving Lewis the win.

Such a close match and controversial outcome was screaming for a rematch but that never happened as Lewis actually retired after that match the next year. Lewis never had his rematch with either Klitschko or Tyson, two fights the boxing world would’ve loved to see!

13. Floyd Patterson vs Ingemar Johansson (1961)

Floyd Patterson was the heavyweight champion after Rocky Marciano retired which at the time made him the youngest heavyweight champion in history at only 21 years old. Johansson destroyed the young champion in three rounds after having knocked him to the ground seven times.

Only a year later Patterson got his revenge with a fifth round knockout which led to the third and final bout between the two. Both fighters went down in the first round of the third fight and after many rounds of brutal hits Patterson knocked out Johansson in the sixth round and despite him trying his hardest to get up, his body didn’t allow it.

12.Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko (2017)

This was a very hyped up fight that had a slow start. The first couple of rounds were nothing special and there were minimal exchangesbetween the two fighters. However, in the fifth round Joshua knocked Klitshcko down to the mat and the round that followed Klitshcko almost took Joshua out.

The fight hadstarted to heat up and after some very exciting rounds Anthony Joshua took the victory in the eleventh round via technical knockout. Klitshcko retired a few months after and the fight was named Fight of the Year by The Ring and Boxing WritersAssociation of America.

11.Rocky Marciano vs Joe Walcott (1952)

Joe Walcott was a very underrated heavyweight boxer. Walcott was ahead for the majority of the fight and if it had gone to the bell there is no doubt that he would’ve taken the win. However, in the thirteenth round Marciano knocked Walcott out with a beautiful one punch KO.

Walcott knocked down Marciano in the very first round and was looking extremely dominant. Marciano retired undefeated with 49 fights but this was definitely his closest call out of all of his fights. Marciano’s deadly knockout let him retireundefeated and scrape a win against Walcott.

10.Ike Ibeabuchi vs David Tua (1961)

Both fighters threw a combined 1,730 punches this match in what was an absolute brawl. This heavyweight title fight was a brutal one. The fight itself was a close one all around with Ibeabuchi taking the win at the end of it all.

Tua was the favorite going into the fight but the underdog prevailed in what is considered one of the biggest brawls in heavyweight boxing history. After the fight, Ibeabuchi was taken to the hospital for the massive headache that he had and Tua had surgery on his elbow a week later.

9.Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson (1996)

Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson were scheduled to fight six years before they actually did but that plan fell apart when Tyson lost the heavyweight title to Buster Douglas.By this point Tyson was past his prime and Holyfield dropped him in the sixth round. Holyfield had a response for everything Iron Mike threw at him.

Holyfield was the superior fighter this match and in the eleventh round the bout was put to a stop as Holyfield won after launching a vicious combination on Tyson. Holyfield was named the 1996 Fighter of the Year by The Ring and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

8.Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman (1974)

This fight crowned Muhammad Ali as the heavyweight champion of the world for the second time in his career after knocking out George Foreman in what’s known as the “Rumble in the Jungle”.Ali was the underdog coming into the fight but you can never undersell a legend like he was.

Foreman landed some very hard punches on Ali but that was his plan all along. Ali waited for Foreman to get tired and then in the eighth round he answered with a barrage of quick combinations that laid Foreman on the mat to give Ali the win.

7.George Foreman vs Ron Lyle (1976)

This was Foreman’sfirst fight after losing hisheavyweight title to Muhammad Ali which was another fight on this list. Lylecame out strong against the former champ and almost stopped him in the very first round.Foreman came back anddid much better in the second.

Then came the legendary fourth round. This round is considered as one of the best rounds in boxing history. Lyle started the round knocking Foreman down, who then got back up and returnedthe favor. Not long after Lyle knocked Foreman down again. It all ended in the fifth round were Foreman came back strong and put the fight awayraining punches on Lyle.

6.Larry Holmes vs Ken Norton (1978)

The final round in this fight may be the best onein the history of heavyweight boxing. Larry Holmes and Ken Norton were fightingfor the world heavyweight title that Nortonhad just acquired. The fight itself was fantastic and very even throughout.

What makes this fight legendary is the final round. After a very intense 14 rounds Holmes and Norton bothfoundthe energy to come out andcompletely battle it out for the entirety of the last round to give the fans one of the most exciting endings to a fight ever seen. Holmes won the titleby minimal points.

5.Joe Jeannette vs Sam McVea (1909)

This was a completely different era of boxing. This fight was named the “World Colored Heavyweight Championship” and is a good contender for the most ferocious bout on this whole list. These fights could only be won by knockout and this fight lasted three hours and went for 48 rounds.

Both Jeannette and McVea refused to give up throughout the fight which was one of the most brutal affairs the world of boxing has ever seen. Jeannette ended up winning the fight when McVea threw in the towel after his eye was so swollen he couldn’t even open it. Brutal scenes!

4. Riddick Bowe vs Evander Holyfield (1992)

Holyfield was one of the biggest names in boxing when this match took place and the odds were all in his favor. The two ended up fighting twice and while both were good bouts, their first fight was spectacular. Holyfield and Bowe traded heavy punches in every single round.

Holyfield struggled trading punches with Bowe as he was much bigger and stronger but he showed why he’s the legend that he is during that fight. Both fighters went at it and in the 11th round Bowe knocked Holyfield down. He miraculously finished the round and when it was all over, Bowe won by unanimous decision in one of the greatest heavyweight boxing matches of all time.

3.Jack Dempsey vs Luis Firpo (1923)

This was the biggest fight there ever was at that time and it will always be iconic. Luis Firpo was the first Latin American fighter to challenge the world heavyweight title. Firpo dropped Dempsey almost immediately in the first round to which Dempsey responded by dropping Firpo seven times in the space of a minute and a half.

Towards the end of the first round Firpo hit Dempsey right on the chin literally dropping him out of the ring. Dempsey somehow recovered and in the second round he knocked Firpo out. The fight had 11 knockdowns in four minutes in what is one of the most historic and brutal fights the sport has ever seen.

2.Joe Frazier vs Muhammad Ali (1971)

Named “The Fight of the Century”, this was the most anticipated fight the boxing world had ever seen. This was the first time two undefeated heavyweight boxers fought for the title. Ali took the first rounds but Frazier quickly showed why he is the champion that he was.

In the 15th round Frazier hit Ali with one of the most historic left hooks in boxing history. Ali somehow got up and when it was all over Frazier won via unanimous decision. The fight was fantastic and widely regarded by many as the biggest boxing match in history.

1.Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier (1975)

The “Thrilla in Manila” was the third fight between the two boxers after Frazier won the first bout and Ali the second.Although it didn’t have the same anticipation as their very first fight, both boxers showed why they are legends in this one. Ali started strong again on the first rounds but in the middle ones Frazier bashed Ali with strong body shots.

Ali regained momentum in the last couple of rounds and towards the end of the fight Frazier could barely see from how swollen shut his eyes were. Eddie Futch, Frazier’s trainer,asked the referee to stop the fight after the 14th round to give Ali the win. This historic fight is the greatest heavyweight title fight in history.

For our ranking we considered differentfactors, includingthe fighters’ competition, accomplishments, and how good they really were in their prime. Those with titles in multiple divisions and morefightsunder their belts also have the upper handon this list.

Some fighters on the list may be wellpast their primebut we are mostly focused on the skill, wins, and competitionwhen they were at their best. Let’s go ahead and take a look at the top 25 greatest MMA fighters of all time!

25. Valentina Shevchenko

It’s safe to say Valentina Shevchenkoisthegreatestfemale striker in the history of MMA. Shevchenko has a long history of winning world championships in Muay Thai as she has won 8 gold medals and one silver while representing both Kyrgyzstan and Peru.

Shevchenko hasdefeated the likes of Holly Holm, Julianna Pena, and Jessica Eye. Sheis intimidating and arguably the best female striker the MMA has ever seen. Unlike other fighters, she prefers to counter attack rathern than go for an aggresive style. When attacking, Shevchenkoloves to usetwo-punch combinations.

24. Antonio Nogueira

Antonio Nogueira or “Big Nog” is one of the fewfighters to be the Pride Heavyweight Fighting Champion and the Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC).Nogueira had some of the best grappling skills the division has ever seen and he took down some big names like Dan Henderson, Tim Sylvia, and Fabricio Werdum.

Nogueira came to the UFC from Pride and still managed to win a title which is very impressive. Big Nog retired with a record of 46 total fights, 34 wins, and 21 of those wins by submission which is no surprise to anybody because of how good his grappling skills were.Nogueira got inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame in July2016.

Though he capitalized on his jiu-jitsu skills to make the difference, Nogueirahas strengthened himselfwith different variations of submissions to beat his opponents. Besides, he also proved to be capable of taking hits without giving up.

23. Max Holloway

Max Holloway made a strong case to be part of this privileged list after putting on a show on countless occasions. One of the best strikers in MMA history, he took down some big-name opponents throughout his career.

Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, AnthonyPettis, Brian Ortega, and Frankie Edgar have all lost at least once to Holloway. Besides, he became the first American to win the UFC featherweight championship.

His striking skills earned him the nickname”Blessed,” as he forged a reputation for being a ruthless fighter for his opponent. Additionally, his ability as a finisher has also drawn a lot of praise.

22. Robbie Lawler

“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler is one of the most aggressive fighters we have seen. Definitely of the most entertaining fighters to watch on this list Lawler really knew how to put on a show and is the only fighter to have won three “Fight of the Year” awards in a row.

Lawler had some tough fights against the likes of Carlos Condit and Rory McDonaldand his run as champion was excellent. Ruthless really is the perfect nickname for the fighter, whoseknockout power made him an intimidating opponent. He stood out for his explosive hits and strikingpower.

21. Matt Hughes

Matt Hugheshad some of the best techniques to knock his opponentsand wrestle them into inevitable defeat. Hughes would get his opponents to the ground and it was almost a won fight by then because his ground game was at another level.Matt Hughes also has excellent submission skills and good power behind his punches which made him a man to fear.

Hughes has wins over some top level opponents like Sean Sherk, BJ Penn, and the one and only Georges St-Pierre.Hughes retired with a record of 54 total fights, 45 wins, and 9 losses. He had some next-level ground skills and unmatched sominance in the ring.

20. Eddie Alvarez

Eddie Alvarez won world championships in both the UFC and the Bellator MM, which is why he made the cut. Achampion in both welterweight and lightweight divisions, Alvarez proved that he can perform in multiple divisions. In the process, he delighted fans.

“The Underground King” took down high-profile opponents, including the likes of Anthony Pettis, Rafael dos Anjos, and Eduard Folayang. A two division champion,Eddie Alvarez always gave the fans an entertaining fight.

19. Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya has earned his spot on this list and can only go up from here as he is still active. He has already defeatedthe likes ofAnderson Silva, Kelvin Gastelum, Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker. So we mightbe in front of a generational talent.

Dubbed the “Last Stylebender” for his style of fighting, Adesanya is considered one of the best strikers in theMM world. He has shown some serious skill from the very beginning, winninghis first 20 fights in a row!

18. Henry Cejudo

Henry Cejudo had a rough startto life in the UFC, having losthis first twobouts.However, in therematch againstDemetrious Johnson he proved his worth bypullingoffan upset. After that fight began one of the most incredible runs ever seen.

Cejudo is a two division champion winning in both flyweight and bantamweight while also being the only person to win a UFC title and an Olympic gold medal.He retired with a record of 18 total fights, 16 wins, and 2 losses, his very first two fights.

17. Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey made a successful transition from judo to mixed martial arts, getting off to a 12-0 start to her career in the octagon. Before that, she wona bronze medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Rousey loved totrash talk, but she backed it up with great results,winningabantamweight belt.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame for her contribution to promote women’s UFC, Rousey’s rose to famelet her try her luck in WWE and even in the big screen, as she made an appearance in the Fast and Furious franchise.

16. Randy Couture

Randy Couture is one of the few MMA fighters to become a champion in two different weight classes. Aformer three-time UFC heavyweight champion and two-time light heavyweight champion,Couture’s primed lasted longer than that of other fighters on this list.

“The Natural” has competed in a record 16 title fights, pulling off memorable wins overthe likes of Chuck Liddell andTito Ortiz.On top of that, Couture defied Father Time by reclaiming the UFC heavyweight title in his 40s. His experience in wrestling gave him a trademark fighting style, being a master in takedowns and in dominating top positions.

15. Chuck Liddell

The old school will always rememberChuck Liddell, once the most dominating light heavyweight in the league. “The Iceman”had vicious hands and knew how to takepunches. He had memorable fights and even tookdown some of the biggest names like Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz, and Randy Couture.

Liddell retired with a record of 30 fights, 21 wins, and 9 losses. Back in the day, he was acrowd favorite as his aggressive styledelivered the most entertainingbouts we’veever seen. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2009.

14. Dan Henderson

Dan Hendersonhad absolutelyepic fights at Pride. Remembered for hisamazing striking power, Henderson’s knockouttoMichael Bispinbecame an instant classic. He built his success withgood grappling skills, a monstrous overhand right, and an iron chin that came in handy againsthis tougher opponents.

Hendo was a Pride Welterweight Champion, Pride middleweight Champion, and strikeforce light heavyweight Champion. Some of his biggest victories came against the likes ofVitor Belfort, Big Nog, Mauricio Rua, and Fedor Emelianenko. Though the UFC titlewas elusive to him, Henderson still had aremarkable career.

13. B.J. Penn

B.J. Pennmay have gone through a rough patch in UFC, butin his prime, he was an absolute machine – especially in the lightweight division. After all,he was a UFC champion in both lightweight and welterweight.Even though he doesn’t have the most impressive record,there is no denying that Penn had raw talent and went through four divisions.

“The Prodigy” had32 fights, with 16 wins, 14 losses, and 2 draws. Throughout his career, Penn beatMatt Hughes, Jens Pulver, and Diego Sanchez, among others.Penn’s matt work and grappling skills wereunmatched. Additionally, he’s one of the fastest people ever to receive a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu.

12. Dominick Cruz

Dominick Cruzis the only person who was able to defeat Demetrious Johnson in his prime. Cruz had fantastic movements thatno one could guessand a signature fighting style. If injuries hadn’t caught up to him, he would be even higher up on this list.

“The Dominator”managed to overcome the likes ofTJ Dillashaw, Demetrious Johnson, and Brian Bowles.He retired with a record of23 wins and 3 losses. Besides his impressive record, Cruz brought a new style of fighting to the UFC, withunprecedentedfootwork.

11. Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormierfound success in both light heavyweight and heavyweight. We’re talking about the second fighter in UFChistory to defendtitles in two different weight classesand was the first to ever do it in two divisions.

Cormier retired with a record of 26 fights, 22 wins, 3 losses, and oneno contest, winninga world championship in every promotionhe fought in. Someof his notable winscameagainst the likes of Josh Barnett, Alexander Gustafsson, and Dan Henderson.He truly dominated almost every opponent he came up against with explosive punches.

10. Stipe Miocic

Stipe Miocicwasa two-time UFC heavyweight championwith next level boxing ability and advanced wrestling techniques. In 24fights, he recorded 20 wins- 15 by knockout -and 4losses. He took some heavy losses but then turned it around and went on to buildone of the best streaks the UFC has ever seen.

He has taken out some of the biggest namesin UFC history, includingFabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem,and Daniel Cormier,until he lost toFrancis Ngannou.

9. Amanda Nunes

Amanda Nunes is the first woman to become a two-division champion (Bantamweight and Featherweight) and the third fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two different weight classes along with Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier.Nunes is widely considered the best female MMA fighter of all time and she can back that up with her results.

Nunes is the only fighter in the UFC to defend two titles while actively holding them. She has some very notable wins against some of the top female fighters of all time like Valentina Shevchenko, Holly Holm, Cristiane Justino, and Ronda Rousey.Her knockout power is alsooutstanding and most of her wins have been by knockout.

8. Jose Aldo

A former three-time UFC featherweight champion, Jose Aldobecame the first ever UFC featherweight champion after the WEC/UFC merger.He remained undefeated for over a decade, being one of the most dominant featherweights of all time. But Aldo’s quick loss against McGregor makes some fans forget just how good hereally was.

Aldo was a monster in his WEC days. In 38 bouts,he put up 31wins with just 7 losses, beatingbig names like Cub Swanson, Mike Brown, and Urijah Faber.Aldo is considered by many as the greatest featherweight in MMA history. HisMuay Thai techniques, leg kicks and defensive wrestling made Aldo stand out from his peers.

7. Conor McGregor

Conor McGregormight be a social media and trash-talking icon. But besides all the showy stuff, no one can’t deny thatMcGregor is a top fighter.In fact, his left hand is one of the bestthe sport has ever witnessed. There’s a reason he’s the highest-paid MMA fighter of all time.

McGregor made headlines by knocking outJose Aldoin13 seconds, making it the fastest UFC title fight in history.He alsotook down the likes ofMax Holloway, Chad Mendes, Nate Diaz, and Eddie Alvarez. The first fighter to defend UFC titles in two different weight classes, McGregor’s skills not only included boxingtechniques and a powerful left hand, but also playing mind gameswith his opponents.

6. Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson is the one of the bestflyweight championsthe UFC has everhad.Ever since he claimed the throne, he grabbed it with both hands. If you don’t take our word for it, the fact that he’s tied for the most consecutive title defenses at 11 speaks by itself. In addition, he alsoproduced the most takedowns in UFC flyweight history.

The “Mighty Mouse” beat the likes ofHenry Cejudo, Miguel Torres, and Joseph Benavidez.In 36 bouts,Johnson had 31wins, 4losses, and one draw. It’sfair to wonder ifsomeone will ever come close to what he meantat the flyweight division.

5. Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Emelianenko never fought in the UFC likemostof thefighters on this list. But that doesn’t take away the fact that he is an absolute machine and has one of the most impressive undefeated streaks(28 consecutive wins).He is often called the best heavyweight fighter ever. His marqueepowerful punches andhead movement to defendwerecrucial for a track record of success.

“The Last Emperor”picked upnotable wins against great opponentssuch asMark Hunt, Mirko Filipovic, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.He has a record of 47fights, with 40wins, 6 losses, and 1 no contest. Many consider him the best of all time and his record may be a strong argument for that.

4. Anderson Silva

Back in the day, Anderson Silva would absolutely destroyhis opponents. He holds the record for the longest titledefense in the UFC at 2,457 days.In that period, he also recorded 16 consecutive wins.Silva is without any question one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.

“The Spider” retired with an MMA record of34 wins, 11 losses, and 1 no contest. He pulled offwins against somethe likes ofVitor Belfort, Rich Franklin, and Dan Henderson.Silva had one of the best counter attacking games ever seen in the sport and his fights were alwaysmouth-watering for fans.

3. Jon Jones

Jon “Bones” Jonesset arecord for being the youngest UFC champion at 23 years old. Aformer two-time UFC light heavyweight champion, he also boasts themost title defenses, longest winning streak, most submission victories, and most wins in that division.

Jones has a record of26 wins, 1 loss, and 1 no contest. Buthis only losswasa controversial disqualification against Matt Hamill.Shogun Rua, Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort, and Daniel Cormier were just some of his victims.

2. Georges St-Pierre

Georges St-Pierre has the most insaneall around skills of any MMA fighter ever. He won UFC championships in both welterweight and middleweight divisions and is considered by many as the greatest fighter in the history of MMA.

St-Pierretook downthe likes ofMatt Hughes, Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, and BJ Pennto cement his status among the greatest of all times. He was also ranked as the #1 welterweight in the world for many years before retiring in 2013with a record of 28 fights, 26 wins, and 2 losses.

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedovwasthe longest reigning UFC lightweight division champion. Hissuperb grapplingmade the edge inmany fights,making a strong case to consider himasthe best fighterin MMA history.Not onlydid he win all his fights, he alsodidit in dominating fashion.

“The Eagle” retired with a perfect record of 29 total fights and 29 wins, something unheard of in MMA. Throughout his extremely successful career, Nurmagomedov beat the likes ofMichael Johnson, Rafael Dos Anjos, and Conor McGregor.

Hand speed is a very desirable asset to have in the boxing world and even though it can be trained, some of the fighters in this list were born with the gift of speed.While power is also important and something every boxer should work on, speed is the one qualitythat is invaluable when it comes to a fighters traits.

Great speed gives boxers a unique level of unpredictability and while it is important for the offense, defensively speed can get fighters out of harms way quickly. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was a master of this and his technical skills combined with his speed makes him one of the greatest fighters of all time. Without further ado, here are the top 25 fastest boxers of all time!

25. Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford is a speed machinewelterweight boxer and there is no question that he is a defensive genius. One of the best pound-for-pound boxers of his weight class Crawford is currently undefeated with37 boutsand 28 of those wins coming in by knockouts as of March 2021.

Crawfordhas held multiple world championships in different weight classes and is one of the more enjoyable boxers to watch. As of February 2021, Crawford has been namedthe world’s best active boxer, pound for pound, by ESPN.His incredible speed is always a challenge for his opponents.

24. Oleksandr Usyk

Oleksandr Usykis the first cruiserweight in history to hold all four major world championship titles. Nicknamed “The Cat” Usyk is known for his incredible legwork and endurance. He is currently undefeated with 18 fights and 13 of them being wins by knockout as of March 2021.

Even the speed of his accomplishments is impressive as the boxer won his first world title in his tenth fight and became the undisputed champion by his fifteenth. In 16 fights Usyk had defeated five current or former world champions,an incredible achievement.

23. Larry Holmes

Larry Holmesnicknamed the “Easton Assassin” had one of the best and quickest left jabs in boxing history. When it comes to the heavyweight division, few fighters came close to the speed Holmes had in his jabs.Holmes held the heavyweight title for five years and defended his title against 19 fighters!

Holmes is one of only five boxers to ever beat Muhammad Ali and the only one who was able to stop him. The speed of his jabs made him stand out when facing his opponents and he could come up with some clean fast combinations as well.

22. Oscar De La Hoya

Oscar De la Hoya nicknamed “The Golden Boy” wasn’t the fastest boxer in the planet but he did have his speed. De La Hoya could always compete against speed welland his massive punches gave him the upper hand. While not known primarily for his speed like some others on this list, De La Hoya was quick in his prime and combined with his big punches he was a force to be reckoned with.

De La Hoya won 11 world titles in six different weight classes and before the likes of Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao he was the top pay-per-view earner generating aproximately $700 million in pay-per-view income. The boxer had 45 bouts in which he won 39 (30 wins by knockout) and lost 6.

21. Paulie Malignaggi

Paulie Malignaggi nicknamed “Magic Man” was known for his incredibly fast hand speed and durability. Malignaggi loved a good mid-fight mockery and his speed let him do that safely away from his opponents fists. He held world championships in the light welterweight and welterweight divisions.

Malignaggi didn’t have the De La Hoya or Holmes striking power but his insane speed made up for everything else the boxer was lacking. The Magic Man was smart inside of the ring and could bring forth good combinations while still giving his known teases to his opponents.

20. Roberto Duran

Roberto Duran nicknamed “Manos de Piedra” (“Hands of Stone”) had excellent defense and a punching power to fear. This combined with his speed made him one of the best boxers of all time. Duran ended his career with 119 fights, 103 wins, and 70 knockouts.

Duran held world championships in four different weight classes and is the second boxer to have competed over a span of five decades. His punching power combined with his speed quickly made him a star and a name that the boxing world will remember forever.

19. Ryan Garcia

Ryan Garcianicknamed “The Flash” has good power and incredibly fast hands that live up to his nickname. in 2016Garciasigned with Golden Boy Promotions, the company Oscar De La Hoya himself created, and as of January 2021, he is ranked as the world’s third best active lightweight boxer.

Garcia is a lethal opponent for any boxer as his power, speed, and good combinations are something to fear. He is currently undefeated as of March 2021 with a record of21 fights and 21 wins,18 of them by knockout. The young star has been making headlines and could be the next big pay-per-view star.

18. ThomasHearns

Thomas Hearnsnicknamed “The Hitman” had some serious speed. Hearns was a 6’1 welterweight boxer with one of the hardest pound for pound punches in the sport.The type of speed he could produce was astonishing especially for a boxer his size.

Hearns became the first boxer in history to win world titles in five different weight divisions. His tall and slim body type allowed him to do this and no matter in what division he was in he was equally as fast and strong making it that much more impressive and memorable.

17. Amir Khan

Amir Khan or “King Khan”has astoundingly fast hands and no one can deny that. Khan can thank the majority of his wins on his speed and his losses on his weak chin. He is one of the youngest ever british professional world champions as he won the WBA title at 22 years old.

Khan had 39 fights with 34 wins and 21 knockouts. King Khan always stood out for his speed and the boxer also had other notable achievements like 3 gold medals and a silver medal representing Great Britain in the Olympics in 2004.His speed was one to be reckoned with.

16. Naseem Hamed

“Prince” Naseem Hamedis known for his bizarre boxing antics like entering the ring on a magic carpet and his next-level showboating in the ring. This was only possible because of his incredible hand speed and when his opponents where least expecting it Naseem would strike quickly and with good power.

Prince Naseem held multiple featherweight world championships and was introduced into the International Boxing Hall of Famein 2015. While known for his ring entrances and cocky persona he was also a spectacular fighter with some of the fastest hands ever seen.

15. Sergio Martinez

Sergio “Maravilla” Martinezwas astounding and could be fastest middleweight ever. The Argentine had a 50-month reign as a middleweight champion and that record is still one of the longest ever for that weight class. Martinez has a record of 58 fights, 53 wins, 2 draws, and 30 knockouts.

Martinezwas known for his speed and exciting fighting style which made him one of the more enjoyable boxers to watch. His great combinations and speed along with his eye-pleasing fighting style makes Maravilla Martinez a champion to remember.

14. Zab Judah

“Super” Zab Judahwas compared to Mayweather, not by his technical skills but by his hand speed. Judah had a huge potential that sadly never fulfilled and a big part of that was the boxers extremely fast hands and striking power. His career ended in 2019 when he was hospitalized after suffering a brain bleed.

Judah retired with a record of 56 fights, 44 wins, 30 by knockout,10 losses, andtwo no contests. Super Judah held multiple world championships in two different weight classes including the WBO junior and IBF welterweight titles between2000-2004.

13.Gary Russell Jr

Gary Russell Jr is known for being one of the fastest fighters in the sport. As of January 2020, he is ranked as theworld’s second best active featherweightboxer. Russell Jr has a record of 32 fights, 31 wins, 18 of those wins by knockout.

The 2011 Prospect of the Year has some seriously quick hands. Russell Jr. is known for his speed and athleticism, his only down side is that he really only fights about once a year. Some of the fastest hands the boxing world has seen for sure.

12. Willie Pep

Willie Pephad phenomenal defense and was quick to answer his opponent’s attackwith multiple jabs and good combinations. Pep boxed an impressive 1,956 rounds in the 241 bouts he had in his career, some unheard of numbers! He retired with a total record of 241 fights, 229 wins, 65 knockouts, 11 losses and 1 draw.

Pep was known for his speed and immaculate defense. He was voted as the number 1 featherweight of the 20th century and ranked the number 1 featherweight of all time by the International Boxing Research organization in 2005. Pep’s lightning fast hands got him inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

11. Shane Mosley

“Sugar” Shane Mosleyhad excellent footwork, great boxing IQ, and strong striking power. Mosley held multiple world championships in three weight classes including the WBC welterweight, WBA (Super), and IBF lightweight titles. In 2000 and 2001 “Sugar” Mosley was named the world’s best active boxer, pound for pound, by The Ring.

Mosley had some very memorable fights like his bouts with Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, and Manny Pacquiao. His final record at retirement was 61 total fights, 49 wins, 41 knockouts, 10 losses, 1 draw, and 1 no contest. Mosley doesn’t get into many lists like these but we believe he deserves a spot in the rankings.

10. Hector Camacho

Hector Camachodidn’t posses a knockout punch like many other boxers on this list but he was able to outperform many of his opponents due to his incredible speed alone. Camacho competed in eight different weight classes and was a world champion in three of them.

Camacho is another boxer with some very notable fights like his bouts with Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, but he is remembered for beating Roberto Duran twice and knocking out the one and only Sugar Ray Leonard and sending him into retirement.

9. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Floyd “Money” Mayweatheris a defensive genius and one of the best boxers the sport has seen. Mayweather’s impenetrable defense and quick returns made him one of the best defensive boxers in history. That along with the fact that Mayweather has one of the highest records ever when it comes to striking accuracy made him a beast.

Mayweather retired with a record of 50 fights, 50 wins, and 27 wins by knockout. His nickname is money for a reason, Mayweather has earned approximately $1.67 billion in PPV revenue throughout his career and has been the highest paid athlete in the world in multiple years.

8. Sugar Ray Robinson

Sugar Ray Robinson had many things besides his ridiculous speed, like great combinations and a striking power to fear. Robinson is often regarded by many as the greatest boxer of all time and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Robinson retired with a record of 200 total fights, 173 wins, 109 wins by knockout, 19 losses, 6 draws, and 2 no contests. Sugar Ray Robinson went on a 91 fight unbeaten streak from 1943 to 1951, the third longest in professional boxing history.

7.Mike Tyson

“Iron” Mike Tyson was one of the fastest and most explosive heavyweight boxers the sport has ever seen. Mike was not as tall or as big as his fellow heavyweight opponents but his fast footwork and unpredictable speedy strikes made him the world champion we all remember.

Tyson retired with a record of 58 total fights, 50 wins, 44 wins by knockout, 6 losses, and 2 no contests. At 20 years, four months, and 22 days Tyson has the world record as the youngest boxer to ever win a heavyweight world title.

6. Floyd Patterson

Floyd Patterson was one of the first fast heavyeweight boxers in history. Patterson had incredible hand speed and was known for his peek-a-boo style of boxing. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991 and was a two-time world heavyweight champion.

Patterson retired with a record of 64 total fights, 55 wins, 40 wins by knockout, 8 losses, and 1 draw. Before Mike Tyson broke his record, Patterson was the youngest boxer to win the title at the age of 21.He was one of the fastest heavyweights the sport has ever seen!

5. Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali would dance around his opponents and had some of the quickest footwork of any heavyweight boxer ever. He was known for trash talking but he always put his money where his mouth is.Ali was something special and way more than just a boxer.

Ali retired with a record of 61 total fights, 56 wins, 37 wins by knockout, and 3 losses. Some of the most historic and memorable fights ever are Ali’s bouts with Joe Frazier such as the “Fight of the Century” and the “Thrilla in Manila” and his “rumble in the Jungle” with George Foreman which has been called one ofthe greatest sporting events of the 20th century.

4. Meldrick Taylor

Meldrick Tylor had some bizarre handspeed and could quite possibly be the fastest weltwerwight boxer in history. Taylor had good combinations and was great technically but it was his insane speed that really gave him the edge over his opponents.

Taylor retired with a record of 47 total fights, 38 wins, 20 wins by knockout, 8 losses, and 1 draw. He was a two-weight world champion and was nicknamed “TNT” for his explosivesness and impressive speed. One of the fastest hands the world of boxing hasseen!

3. Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is ranked as the fastest left-hand boxer in history. “PacMan” is an incredible fighter and as of March 2021 he is ranked as the world’s third best active welterweight boxer. Pacquiao is the only eight-division world champion in the history of boxing and he has won a total of 12 major world titles.

Pacquiao went up several weight divisions and usually when boxers do that they trade weight and muscle for speed, not PacMan though, as he went up several weight classes and only seemed to get faster.Pacquiao has also been ranked as the greatest southpaw fighter of all time.

2. Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray Leonard is one of the fastest boxers in history and his speed was just otherworldly. Leonard had some superior moves and his combinations were unpredictable and precise. Sugar Ray Leonard would burst into ferocious flurries were he would land multiple shots in only a few seconds.

Sugar Ray Leonard retired with a record of 40 total fights, 36 wins, 25 wins by knockout, 3 losses, and 1 draw. Often regarded as the best boxer of all time, Leonard won world titles in five different weight classes and two gold olympic medals. Very few boxers were able to endure his fury of punches.

1. Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones Jr. at his best was absolutely unstoppable and had some of the most insane speed ever seen. Jones took showboating to a different level and even fought with his hands behind his back attimes. He was able todo this becuase of his cat-like reflexes and speed that no other boxer he faced possessed.

Roy Jones Jr. retired with a record of 75 total fights, 66 wins, 47 wins by knockout, and 9 losses. Jones held multiple world championships in four different weight classes and as of March 2021, holds the record for most wins in unified light heavyweight title bouts at twelve.