Justin Gaethje Revealed His Top Five MMA Fighters
The UFC lightweight champion excluded Khabib Nurmagomedov from his personal list of all-time greats.
Updated on Sept. 27, 2026 in Mixed Martial Arts
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UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje named his top five fighters during the One Night with Steiny podcast. The 37-year-old fighter chose Royce Gracie, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Chuck Liddell for his list.
Why it matters
Gaethje offered his professional assessment of MMA history, citing the difficulty of narrowing his selection to only a handful of athletes. His exclusion of Khabib Nurmagomedov, who defeated him in 2020, highlighted a notable omission from the list.
Gaethje named 5 fighters to his list, omitting Khabib Nurmagomedov, who maintains a 29-0 career record. The 37-year-old champion currently holds the UFC lightweight title.
The players
Justin Gaethje
He is the current UFC lightweight champion and a veteran professional fighter.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
He is a retired undefeated MMA fighter who holds a career record of 29-0.
Ilia Topuria
He is a professional fighter who lost to Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250.
Arman Tsarukyan
He is a professional mixed martial artist identified by Gaethje as a potential future opponent.
The details
Gaethje announced his list following his victory over Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June, where he forced the opponent's corner to stop the fight. He plans to sit out for the remainder of 2026 before potentially facing Arman Tsarukyan in a future matchup.
Timeline
2020: Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Justin Gaethje.
January 2026: Justin Gaethje competed in a professional fight.
June 2026: Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250.
September 2026: Justin Gaethje announced his top fighter list.
Remainder of 2026: Justin Gaethje plans to refrain from fighting.
Season Trajectory
Gaethje's assessment reflects the subjective nature of legacy rankings in the sport, particularly following his 2020 defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov. This ranking suggests a shift in his competitive focus as he plans to sit out the remainder of 2026.
Gaethje intends to sit out all competition for the remainder of 2026. His career plans remain contingent on a potential future matchup against Arman Tsarukyan.
The takeaway
Fighter rankings often reflect personal competitive history and subjective appreciation for stylistic mastery rather than just record-based statistics. Followers of the sport should expect to see continued debate over these lists as athletes move into the final stages of their careers.
Further reading
For more on the current state of professional combat sports, visit the Mixed Martial Arts section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bloody Elbow.
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Should a fighter's toughest opponent always be included on their list of all-time greats?
