Benardo “Lion King”Sopaj

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a global platform that brings together fighters from diverse backgrounds, currently representing 73 countries, as of July 2023. This document provides comprehensive data on these fighters, tracking their progression in the league, in addition to mapping their origins. The catalogue also includes information about recent additions to the UFC sphere as well as retirements and departures – some voluntarily and others due to the end of contract terms.

Significantly, this record highlights UFC fighters who are yet to make their first appearance in the ring, along with those who have opted to return following announced retirements or extended hiatuses. Moreover, it also takes note of athletes who have faced suspensions administered by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), local commissions for misconduct, or directly by the UFC itself. To illustrate this, a notable fact is that 76 UFC fighters have been penalized by USADA since the inception of the UFC USADA testing program in 2019.

The fighters’ nationality, represented with flag icons, is in concurrence with the UFC’s telecasts. Still, these illustrations might not adequately or accurately articulate the complete citizenship status of the listed fighters. This compilation of data analysis and fighter statistics was last updated on February 24, 2024, following the UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2.

The UFC has implemented a rankings system, based on votes by a panel consisting of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) media members. These members assign rankings to top active fighters in various weight classes and on a pound-for-pound basis. Notably, a fighter may be ranked in multiple divisions simultaneously if they have competed in more than one. The reigning champions and interim title holders are prioritized in their respective weight class lists, while only the champions are eligible for voting in the pound-for-pound rankings.

These rankings, along with other fighter-related information, are recorded and updated based on the data retrieved from the official UFC website. The last update took place on February 27, 2024, again following UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2.

As of now, UFC operates across nine different weight classes. The list of champions across these divisions was last updated on December 16, 2023, after UFC 296. Included among these champions are those who successfully defended or claimed their title, such as the fighter who defeated Amanda Lemos at UFC 292 on August 19, 2023, and the one who drew with Valentina Shevchenko at UFC Fight Night 227 on September 16, 2023. The list also includes the champion who overcame Alexander Volkanovski twice – at UFC 284 on February 12, 2023, and at UFC 294 on October 21, 2023.