In short
- 210 active American fighters are on the UFC roster in our database, more than any other country.
- Four American champions: Justin Gaethje (lightweight), Sean Strickland (middleweight), Kayla Harrison (women’s bantamweight) and Mackenzie Dern (women’s strawweight).
- 48 Americans are ranked in the top 15 of their division.
- Lightweight is the deepest American pool, with 37 fighters.
The UFC was born in the United States, at UFC 1 in Denver on November 12, 1993, and American fighters still make up the largest national group on its roster. Wrestling is the common thread: a large share of the American contingent came up through high school and college wrestling programs before learning to strike.
Below is every active American fighter under UFC contract, with division, official ranking and pro MMA record. Each name opens the full profile.
Ranked American fighters
| Fighter | Division | Ranking | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Gaethje | Lightweight | Champion | 28-5 |
| Sean Strickland | Middleweight | Champion | 31-7 |
| Kayla Harrison | Women’s bantamweight | Champion | 19-1 |
| Mackenzie Dern | Women’s strawweight | Champion | 17-5 |
| Julianna Peña | Women’s bantamweight | No. 1 | 12-6 |
| Sean O’Malley | Bantamweight | No. 2 | 20-3 (1 NC) |
| Tatiana Suarez | Women’s strawweight | No. 2 | 12-1 |
| Brandon Royval | Flyweight | No. 3 | 18-9 |
| Aljamain Sterling | Featherweight | No. 4 | 26-5 |
| Josh Hokit | Heavyweight | No. 4 | 10-0 |
| Khalil Rountree Jr. | Light heavyweight | No. 4 | 14-7 (1 NC) |
| Max Holloway | Lightweight | No. 4 | 28-9 |
| Brendan Allen | Middleweight | No. 4 | 27-7 |
| Raquel Pennington | Women’s bantamweight | No. 4 | 16-9 |
| Erin Blanchfield | Women’s flyweight | No. 4 | 14-2 |
| Mario Bautista | Bantamweight | No. 5 | 18-3 |
| Curtis Blaydes | Heavyweight | No. 5 | 20-6 (1 NC) |
| Rose Namajunas | Women’s flyweight | No. 5 | 14-8 |
| Cory Sandhagen | Bantamweight | No. 6 | 18-7 |
| Joe Pyfer | Middleweight | No. 6 | 16-3 |
| Sean Brady | Welterweight | No. 6 | 19-2 |
| Maycee Barber | Women’s flyweight | No. 6 | 15-3 |
| Jamahal Hill | Light heavyweight | No. 7 | 12-4 (1 NC) |
| Belal Muhammad | Welterweight | No. 7 | 24-6 (1 NC) |
| Fatima Kline | Women’s strawweight | No. 7 | 10-1 |
| Anthony Hernandez | Middleweight | No. 8 | 15-4 (1 NC) |
| Macy Chiasson | Women’s bantamweight | No. 8 | 10-6 |
| Tracy Cortez | Women’s flyweight | No. 9 | 12-4 |
| Steve Garcia | Featherweight | No. 10 | 19-6 |
| Dominick Reyes | Light heavyweight | No. 10 | 16-5 |
| Joaquin Buckley | Welterweight | No. 10 | 21-8 |
| Miranda Maverick | Women’s flyweight | No. 10 | 15-6 |
| Aaron Pico | Featherweight | No. 11 | 14-5 |
| Tim Elliott | Flyweight | No. 11 | 22-14-1 |
| Jared Cannonier | Middleweight | No. 11 | 18-10 |
| Payton Talbott | Bantamweight | No. 12 | 11-1 |
| Tyrell Fortune | Heavyweight | No. 12 | 18-4 (2 NC) |
| Brian Ortega | Featherweight | No. 13 | 16-5 (1 NC) |
| Derrick Lewis | Heavyweight | No. 13 | 29-14 (1 NC) |
| Alonzo Menifield | Light heavyweight | No. 14 | 19-6-1 |
| Bo Nickal | Middleweight | No. 14 | 9-1 |
| Daniel Rodriguez | Welterweight | No. 14 | 20-6 |
| Miesha Tate | Women’s bantamweight | No. 14 | 20-10 |
| Angela Hill | Women’s strawweight | No. 14 | 19-16 |
| Marcus McGhee | Bantamweight | No. 15 | 11-2 |
| Alex Perez | Flyweight | No. 15 | 26-11 (1 NC) |
| Beneil Dariush | Lightweight | No. 15 | 23-8-1 |
| Neil Magny | Welterweight | No. 15 | 32-14 |
Official UFC rankings of September 26, 2026. Every division is on our UFC rankings page.
The four American champions
Justin Gaethje holds the lightweight title, the deepest division in the sport, and is No. 3 pound for pound. Sean Strickland is the middleweight champion and No. 7 pound for pound; a defense against Nassourdine Imavov is being negotiated for UFC 335 on December 12. Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist, rules women’s bantamweight and defends against Amanda Nunes at UFC 334 on November 14. Mackenzie Dern, a world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, holds the women’s strawweight belt.
Other American fighters on the roster
Heavyweight (12)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| Steven Asplund | 7-2 |
| Terrance Chatman | 5-2 |
| Elisha Ellison | 5-3 |
| Denzel Freeman | 7-2 |
| RJ Harris | 6-0 |
| Alvin Hines | 7-2 |
| Allen Frye Jr. | 6-1 |
| Thomas Petersen | 11-5 |
| Sean Sharaf | 5-2 |
| Ryan Spann | 24-12 |
| Gable Steveson | 4-1 |
| Anthony Wint | 8-0 |
Light Heavyweight (7)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| Sedriques Dumas | 7-6 |
| Christian Edwards | 9-5 |
| Billy Elekana | 10-2 |
| Luke Fernandez | 6-1 |
| Luis Hernandez | 9-0 |
| Dustin Jacoby | 22-10-1 |
| Julius Walker | 7-3 |
Middleweight (21)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| Mansur Abdul-Malik | 10-2-1 |
| Cody Brundage | 12-9-1 (1 NC) |
| Kyle Daukaus | 17-5 (1 NC) |
| Osman Diaz | 10-5 |
| Torrez Finney | 11-1 |
| Kelvin Gastelum | 20-11 (1 NC) |
| Tresean Gore | 7-4 |
| Donte Johnson | 9-0 |
| Nick Klein | 6-3 |
| Ryan Loder | 7-3 |
| Eric McConico | 11-5-1 |
| Jackson McVey | 8-2 |
| Gerald Meerschaert | 37-22 |
| Andre Petroski | 13-6 |
| Zachary Reese | 10-4 (1 NC) |
| Wesley Schultz | 9-4 |
| Edmen Shahbazyan | 17-6 |
| Dustin Stoltzfus | 17-8 |
| Brad Tavares | 21-12 |
| Gilbert Urbina | 8-4 |
| Tre’ston Vines | 10-4-1 |
Welterweight (21)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| Ramiz Brahimaj | 13-7 |
| Chris Curtis | 32-13 (1 NC) |
| Mickey Gall | 7-7 |
| Billy Ray Goff | 9-5 |
| Bassil Hafez | 9-5-1 |
| Kevin Holland | 29-15 (1 NC) |
| Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani | 11-2 |
| Court McGee | 22-14 |
| Tim Means | 33-17-1 (1 NC) |
| Ty Miller | 8-0 |
| Geoff Neal | 16-8 |
| Chidi Njokuani | 26-12 (1 NC) |
| Eric Nolan | 8-5 |
| Charles Radtke | 12-5 |
| Leon Shahbazyan | 12-5 |
| Jacobe Smith | 12-0 |
| Punahele Soriano | 13-5 |
| Stephen Thompson | 17-9-1 |
| Austin Vanderford | 13-3 |
| Jeremiah Wells | 14-4-1 |
| Khaos Williams | 16-5 |
Lightweight (34)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| Lucas Brennan | 10-3 |
| Charlie Campbell | 9-3 |
| Michael Chandler | 23-11 |
| Mark Choinski | 7-1 |
| Mike Davis | 12-4 |
| Grant Dawson | 24-3-1 |
| Drew Dober | 29-15 (1 NC) |
| Stanley Dorsainvil | 6-0 |
| Evan Elder | 10-2 |
| Darrius Flowers | 13-9-1 |
| Matt Frevola | 11-6-1 |
| Thomas Gantt | 13-0 |
| Jared Gordon | 21-9 (1 NC) |
| Gabriel Green | 12-5 |
| King Green | 36-17-1 (1 NC) |
| Josiah Harrell | 11-2 |
| Alexander Hernandez | 18-9 |
| Chase Hooper | 17-5-1 |
| Dakota Hope | 11-2 |
| Michael Johnson | 24-20 |
| Drakkar Klose | 16-4-1 |
| Francis Marshall | 10-3 |
| Terrance McKinney | 18-9 |
| MarQuel Mederos | 12-1-1 |
| Jim Miller | 39-19 (1 NC) |
| Richie Miranda | 13-2 |
| Trey Ogden | 17-7 (1 NC) |
| Chris Padilla | 18-6-1 |
| Billy Quarantillo | 18-8 |
| Mitch Ramirez | 8-4 |
| Kody Steele | 8-1 |
| Jeremy Stephens | 29-23 (1 NC) |
| Jalin Turner | 16-9 |
| Gauge Young | 13-4 |
Featherweight (30)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| Hyder Amil | 11-3 |
| Damien Anderson | 5-1 |
| Austin Bashi | 14-2 |
| Dennis Buzukja | 12-7 |
| Shane Collins | 8-0 |
| Jose Miguel Delgado | 12-3 |
| Ezra Elliott | 8-0 |
| Jamall Emmers | 23-8 |
| Josh Emmett | 19-7 |
| Julian Erosa | 31-13 |
| Andre Fili | 25-13 (1 NC) |
| Sean King III | 7-0 |
| Kai Kamaka III | 18-8-1 |
| Dan Ige | 19-12 |
| Miles Johns | 16-5 (1 NC) |
| Michael Aswell Jr. | 12-5 |
| Calvin Kattar | 23-10 |
| Ryan Kuse | 9-3 |
| Nate Landwehr | 18-8 |
| Jordan Leavitt | 13-4 |
| Chepe Mariscal | 18-7 |
| Tommy McMillen | 12-0 |
| Steven Nguyen | 10-2 |
| Trevor Peek | 9-4 (1 NC) |
| Christian Rodriguez | 13-4 |
| Pat Sabatini | 22-5 |
| Danny Silva | 11-2 |
| Ramon Taveras | 10-4 |
| Ricky Turcios | 12-6 |
| Sean Woodson | 14-2-1 |
Bantamweight (22)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| Garrett Armfield | 10-5 |
| Da’Mon Blackshear | 17-8-1 |
| John Castañeda | 21-9-1 |
| Timothy Cuamba | 10-4 |
| Ethyn Ewing | 10-2 |
| Rob Font | 22-10 |
| Cody Garbrandt | 15-8 |
| John Garza | 7-2 |
| Luis Gurule | 11-4 |
| Chris Gutiérrez | 22-7-2 |
| Victor Henry | 25-7 (1 NC) |
| Brady Hiestand | 9-2 |
| Montel Jackson | 16-4 |
| Jonathan Martinez | 19-6 |
| Bryce Mitchell | 19-3 |
| Angel Pacheco | 7-4 |
| Kyler Phillips | 12-5 |
| Ricky Simón | 22-8-1 |
| Elijah Smith | 10-1 |
| Malcolm Wellmaker | 10-2 |
| John Yannis | 10-5 |
| Adrian Yañez | 18-6-1 |
Flyweight (6)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| Clayton Carpenter | 8-3 |
| Alden Coria | 13-3 (1 NC) |
| Cody Durden | 18-11-1 |
| Charles Johnson | 20-9 |
| Joseph Morales | 14-3 |
| Mitch Raposo | 11-2 |
Women’s Bantamweight (1)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| Chelsea Chandler | 7-4 |
Women’s Flyweight (4)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| JJ Aldrich | 15-8 |
| Carli Judice | 7-2 |
| Anna Melisano | 6-2 |
| Juliana Miller | 5-4 |
Women’s Strawweight (4)
| Fighter | Pro MMA record |
|---|---|
| Melissa Amaya | 8-1 |
| Vanessa Demopoulos | 11-9 |
| Sam Hughes | 11-7 |
| Elise Reed | 8-6 |
Upcoming fights
| Date | Event | American fighter | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 3, 2026 | UFC 332, Salt Lake City | Payton Talbott | Deiveson Figueiredo, co-main event |
| Oct. 10, 2026 | UFC Fight Night, Las Vegas | Brendan Allen | Christian Leroy Duncan, main event |
| Oct. 17, 2026 | UFC Fight Night, Edmonton | Joaquin Buckley | Mike Malott, main event |
| Nov. 7, 2026 | UFC Fight Night, Las Vegas | Sean Brady | Gabriel Bonfim, main event |
| Nov. 14, 2026 | UFC 334, New York | Josh Hokit | Ciryl Gane, heavyweight title |
| Nov. 14, 2026 | UFC 334, New York | Kayla Harrison | Amanda Nunes, women’s bantamweight title |
| Dec. 12, 2026 | UFC 335, Las Vegas | Sean Strickland | Nassourdine Imavov, in negotiation |
Every date of the season is on our UFC schedule 2026, and this week’s card with start times is on UFC tonight.
Frequently asked questions
How many American fighters are in the UFC?
210 active American fighters are under UFC contract in our database as of October 2026, 48 of them ranked in the top 15 of their division.
Who are the current American UFC champions?
Justin Gaethje (lightweight), Sean Strickland (middleweight), Kayla Harrison (women’s bantamweight) and Mackenzie Dern (women’s strawweight).
Who is the best American UFC fighter right now?
By the official rankings, Justin Gaethje, lightweight champion and No. 3 pound for pound. On the women’s side, Kayla Harrison, bantamweight champion and No. 2 pound for pound.
Which division has the most American fighters?
Lightweight, with 37 active Americans, followed by featherweight with 34.