Best Fighter for Every Attribute: Top 8 Picks Each

A draft build is eight picks, one per attribute, so the useful question is rarely who the best overall fighter is. It is who the best fighter is at each specific skill. This page answers that for all eight. The rankings use each fighter's peak card in the dataset, and a fighter who was rated in two divisions is listed once, at the entry where the number is higher.

Ties at the top are common, because the ratings are whole numbers on a fairly narrow scale. Where several fighters share a number, they are ordered by peak overall rating and then by name. Every name links to a full breakdown of that fighter, including where they are weakest, which matters just as much when you are deciding which slot to spend them on.

Best Boxing

Boxing covers the hands: jab, combinations, head movement and the ability to trade in the pocket. It is the category that decides most standing exchanges, and the one that produces the most highlight knockouts. A high rating tells you a fighter can hurt people with punches and avoid being hurt in return.

The top rating in the dataset is 97, held by Francis Ngannou at heavyweight. 2 fighters in this list share that number.

Best Kickboxing

Kickboxing is everything done with the legs, knees and elbows at range and in the clinch: leg kicks that take away mobility, body kicks that drain the gas tank, and high kicks that end fights. It also measures how well a fighter manages distance, which is why karate and Muay Thai specialists rate well here.

The top rating in the dataset is 98, held by Alex Pereira at light heavyweight. 2 fighters in this list share that number.

Best Wrestling

Wrestling is takedowns, takedown defense and control against the cage. It decides where a fight takes place. A strong wrestler picks the phase, which is why the best of them can beat opponents who are better at striking and grappling on paper.

The top rating in the dataset is 99, held by Khabib Nurmagomedov at lightweight. The next best is 98.

Best BJJ

BJJ is the submission game: chokes, joint locks, sweeps and escapes on the ground. It rewards patience and technique, and it is the attribute most likely to end a fight suddenly from a position that looked safe.

The top rating in the dataset is 99, held by Charles Oliveira at lightweight. The next best is 98.

Best Strength

Strength is physical force: clinch control, lifting and slamming, winning grip fights, and the raw power behind strikes. It matters most in the heavier divisions and in exchanges along the fence, where the stronger fighter dictates positions.

The top rating in the dataset is 99, held by Francis Ngannou at heavyweight. The next best is 98.

Best Durability

Durability is the chin, the recovery and the capacity to keep fighting after being hurt. It is not the same as never being hit. Several fighters on this list absorbed enormous damage and still won because they could recover and keep working.

The top rating in the dataset is 96, held by Max Holloway at featherweight. The next best is 95.

Best Cardio

Cardio is pace over five rounds. A fighter with elite cardio does not slow in the championship rounds, and they turn a close fight into a clear one late. It also lets a fighter keep a high output that tires opponents out.

The top rating in the dataset is 99, held by Merab Dvalishvili at bantamweight. 2 fighters in this list share that number.

Best Fight IQ

Fight IQ is decision-making: reading an opponent, setting traps, making adjustments between rounds and choosing the phase that suits the matchup. It is hard to see in a stat line, but it is what separates fighters who win tactically from those who only win on athleticism.

The top rating in the dataset is 99, held by Jon Jones at light heavyweight. 3 fighters in this list share that number.

Using these lists

A build made only of category leaders is not automatically the strongest, because the same fighters tend to lead several lists and you can only draft each attribute once per run. Look at the most complete fighters for foundation picks and the grappling and striking guide for how the two halves of a build fit together. Ratings are our own independent research and are unofficial.