Six longest win streaks in UFC history ft. Islam Makhachev, Anderson Silva, Jon Jones & more
(Courtesy : UFC)
There are wins, there are title runs, and then there are the longest win streaks.
In the UFC, where one mistake can erase years of momentum in a matter of seconds, stringing together victories is one of the clearest measures of sustained greatness. Champions come and go. Divisions change. Contenders rise and fall. But the fighters who keep winning, year after year and against increasingly dangerous opposition, carve out a different kind of legacy.
For years, Anderson Silva’s 16-fight UFC winning streak stood as the benchmark. No more. Islam Makhachev has now moved to the top of the mountain.
The former lightweight champion and current welterweight king defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision in the UFC 330 main event in Philadelphia on Aug. 15, 2026, extending his winning streak to 17 fights and breaking Silva’s long-standing record.
Islam Makhachev’s achievement headlines a remarkable group of fighters. Behind him sit Silva, Kamaru Usman, Merab Dvalishvili, and a collection of all-time greats who reached 13 straight victories in the promotion. Here is a look at the longest UFC win streaks in history.
1. Islam Makhachev — 17 straight wins
- Divisions: Lightweight, Welterweight
- UFC winning streak: 17 fights
- Streak: 2016-present
The record that once belonged to Anderson Silva now belongs to Islam Makhachev. And fittingly, the achievement required Makhachev to do what he has done throughout his career: solve a difficult problem.
At UFC 330, Islam Makhachev faced Ian Machado Garry, a much taller and longer welterweight challenger with the striking game to keep most opponents at the end of his weapons. Instead of chasing a spectacular finish, Makhachev leaned on the foundation that has made him one of the most dominant fighters of his generation — pressure, wrestling, positional control and patience.
He won a unanimous decision to retain his welterweight championship, with all three judges siding with the champion. The victory gave Makhachev his 17th consecutive UFC win, moving him beyond Silva’s record of 16.
The streak began after the only loss of Makhachev’s professional career, a first-round knockout against Adriano Martins in 2015. From there, the Dagestani fighter rebuilt himself into one of MMA’s most complete competitors.
He submitted Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to capture the lightweight championship, then defeated Alexander Volkanovski twice, including a spectacular head-kick knockout at UFC 294. He added further lightweight title defenses before moving to welterweight, where he captured the belt against Jack Della Maddalena and successfully defended it against Garry.
What makes the streak remarkable is not simply its length. It is the level of opposition Makhachev has faced while maintaining it. And now the number beside his name is 17. The record is his.
Also Read: All UFC title fights that have ended in no-contest
2. Anderson Silva — 16 straight wins
- Division: Middleweight, Light Heavyweight
- UFC winning streak: 16 fights
- Streak: 2006-2012
Before Makhachev came along, Anderson Silva owned the standard by which UFC winning streaks were measured. “The Spider” did more than win 16 straight fights. He turned the Octagon into his personal stage.
Silva arrived in the UFC with a reputation as a dangerous striker, but his second UFC appearance changed everything. He demolished Rich Franklin to win the middleweight championship and then embarked on one of the most extraordinary title reigns in UFC history.
The middleweight division simply struggled to find an answer. Silva’s movement was unconventional. His confidence bordered on theatrical. He would stand in front of elite strikers, slip punches by inches, and punish them with counters that seemed to come from nowhere.
His streak included 10 consecutive successful middleweight title defenses, a record that helped define the era. UFC’s own record book still lists Silva’s 16-fight run among the greatest streaks in promotion history.
There were also trips to light heavyweight, where Silva showed that his brilliance was not limited to his natural division.
The front-kick knockout of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 remains one of the most iconic finishes in UFC history. His comeback against Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 was another signature moment, with Silva surviving a brutal fight before submitting Sonnen in the fifth round. For nearly a decade, 16 looked untouchable. Then Makhachev arrived.
3. Kamaru Usman — 15 straight wins
- Division: Welterweight
- UFC winning streak: 15 fights
- Streak: 2015-2021
Kamaru Usman’s rise was built on pressure. Early in his UFC career, “The Nigerian Nightmare” established himself as a relentless wrestler capable of dragging opponents into deep waters and keeping them there. But the longer the streak continued, the more dangerous Usman became.
His wrestling remained the foundation, yet his striking evolved dramatically under Trevor Wittman. The fighter who once won primarily by grinding opponents down eventually developed the kind of knockout power that could change a fight with one punch.
Usman defeated Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 to become welterweight champion and went on to establish himself as one of the division’s defining champions.
His rivalry with Colby Covington produced two memorable championship fights, while his knockout of Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261 added another highlight to the résumé.
Most importantly, Usman’s 15 consecutive victories remain the longest winning streak ever recorded within the UFC welterweight division. UFC has highlighted that mark as the division’s benchmark.
Then came one of the most dramatic endings imaginable. At UFC 278, Leon Edwards was trailing deep into the fifth round when he landed a perfectly timed head kick that instantly ended Usman’s title reign and snapped his historic streak. For years, Usman had been the man nobody could stop. Until Edwards found one opening.
4. Merab Dvalishvili — 14 straight wins
- Division: Bantamweight
- UFC winning streak: 14 fights
- Streak: 2018-2025
Merab Dvalishvili’s streak may have been the hardest to watch — and the most exhausting to fight against. “The Machine” did not overwhelm opponents with one devastating weapon. He overwhelmed them with everything. Takedown after takedown. Scramble after scramble. Wave after wave of pressure.
After losing his first two UFC fights, Dvalishvili completely transformed his career. What followed was a 14-fight winning streak that carried him from unheralded prospect to UFC bantamweight champion.
His cardio became legendary. His pace became suffocating. And his wrestling became a nightmare. Dvalishvili defeated former champions such as José Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo during his run, before finally capturing the bantamweight title by defeating Sean O’Malley at UFC 306.
He then added more championship wins in 2025, extending the streak to 14. UFC’s official record book credits Dvalishvili with the longest winning streak in UFC bantamweight history, while UFC noted that his 14-fight run ended when Petr Yan defeated him at UFC 323.
That loss came on Dec. 6, 2025, when Yan reclaimed the bantamweight championship with a unanimous decision victory. Fourteen straight wins. For a fighter whose greatest weapon was simply refusing to stop, it was a fitting number.
5. Georges St-Pierre — 13 straight wins (tied)
- Divisions: Welterweight, Middleweight
- UFC winning streak: 13 fights
- Streak: 2007-2017
Georges St-Pierre’s 13-fight streak tells the story of one of MMA’s greatest comebacks. After suffering a shocking upset loss to Matt Serra, GSP rebuilt himself from the ground up. The result was terrifyingly efficient.
His jab became a range-finding weapon. His double-leg takedowns became among the best in the sport. His ability to dictate where fights took place made him one of the most complete champions the UFC had ever seen.
St-Pierre went on a dominant run at welterweight, defeating elite opponents including Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, and Johny Hendricks.
Then, after stepping away from the sport for four years, he returned at UFC 217. The comeback was spectacular. St-Pierre moved up to middleweight and submitted Michael Bisping to become a two-division UFC champion.
He had left the sport for years. He returned and immediately became a champion again. That final victory completed a 13-fight UFC winning streak and cemented one of the most remarkable careers in MMA history.
5. Jon Jones — 13 straight wins (tied)
- Division: Light Heavyweight
- UFC winning streak: 13 fights
- Streak: 2010-2016
Jon Jones did not simply defeat a generation of light heavyweights. He dismantled it. Jones became the youngest UFC champion in history when he defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at just 23 years old. From there, he spent years beating one elite challenger after another.
- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
- Lyoto Machida.
- Rashad Evans.
- Vitor Belfort.
- Chael Sonnen.
- Alexander Gustafsson.
The list reads like a who’s who of the era. Jones’ style was impossible to prepare for. Long-range elbows, oblique kicks, wrestling, submissions, and an uncanny ability to fight from angles opponents rarely encountered made him one of the most unpredictable champions in UFC history.
His 13-fight winning streak remains tied among the greatest in UFC history. The official UFC record book lists Jones alongside GSP, Demetrious Johnson, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway at 13.
The number could have been higher. Jones’ 2017 victory over Daniel Cormier was later overturned to a no contest, preventing it from extending his official UFC winning streak.
5. Demetrious Johnson — 13 straight wins (tied)
- Division: Flyweight
- UFC winning streak: 13 fights
- Streak: 2012-2017
If MMA is chess at full speed, Demetrious Johnson was playing three moves ahead. “Mighty Mouse” combined speed, technique, creativity, and fight IQ into one of the most complete skill sets the sport has ever seen.
His 13-fight UFC winning streak included a remarkable 11 consecutive flyweight title defenses, an achievement that remains one of the defining championship records of the UFC.
But Johnson’s greatness cannot be captured by numbers alone. His signature moment came at UFC 216 against Ray Borg. Johnson launched Borg into the air, caught his arm during the transition, and secured an armbar before the two had even fully returned to the canvas.
It was the kind of sequence that looked impossible until Johnson did it. For years, Johnson ruled the flyweight division with a level of consistency few champions have matched.
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov — 13 straight wins (tied)
- Division: Lightweight
- UFC winning streak: 13 fights
- Streak: 2012-2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s 13-fight UFC streak was less a winning streak than a prolonged demonstration of control.
“The Eagle” entered the UFC and quickly developed a reputation for making elite fighters look helpless. His signature formula was brutally simple: get the opponent down, control the wrists, maintain pressure, and keep attacking.
But knowing what was coming did not make it easier to stop. Khabib’s run eventually carried him to the lightweight championship and title defenses against some of the division’s biggest names.
He defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 229, submitted Dustin Poirier at UFC 242, and defeated Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Then he walked away. Khabib retired with a perfect 29-0 professional record, including 13 consecutive UFC victories.
There was no comeback. No final attempt to add another win. The streak simply ended because Khabib decided his career was over.
5. Max Holloway — 13 straight wins (tied)
- Division: Featherweight
- UFC winning streak: 13 fights
- Streak: 2014-2018
Max Holloway’s rise was built on volume, durability, and a willingness to stand in the fire. After losing to Conor McGregor in 2013, Holloway embarked on a remarkable 13-fight UFC winning streak. He became one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport while steadily climbing the featherweight rankings.
Then came José Aldo. Holloway stopped the legendary Brazilian twice in a row, first at UFC 212 and then at UFC 218, both times by third-round TKO.
Those victories transformed Holloway from contender into champion and established him as one of the greatest featherweights the UFC had produced. His streak eventually ended against Dustin Poirier at UFC 236, when Holloway moved up to lightweight to challenge for the interim title.
The loss did little to diminish what came before it. Thirteen straight wins at 145 pounds had already secured Holloway’s place among the division’s elite.
6. Amanda Nunes, Alexander Volkanovski & Tony Ferguson — 12 straight wins
Three elite fighters share the sixth spot with 12 consecutive victories, with each putting together an impressive run against top-level opposition.
Amanda Nunes (Bantamweight & Featherweight): 12 consecutive wins from March 2015 to March 2021, spanning bantamweight and featherweight. Her run included victories over Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, Cris Cyborg, and Holly Holm before it eventually ended against Julianna Peña.
Alexander Volkanovski (Featherweight): 12 consecutive wins from November 2016 to July 2022. The streak included victories over José Aldo, Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, and Chan Sung Jung, establishing Volkanovski as one of the dominant featherweights of his era.
Tony Ferguson (Lightweight): 12 consecutive wins from October 2013 to June 2019. His remarkable run featured victories over Edson Barboza, Rafael dos Anjos, Kevin Lee, Anthony Pettis, and Donald Cerrone, including his capture of the interim lightweight title.
Who has the longest win streak in UFC history?
Islam Makhachev currently holds the longest UFC win streak with 17 consecutive victories, surpassing Anderson Silva’s previous record of 16.
What is Anderson Silva’s UFC win streak?
Anderson Silva won 16 consecutive UFC fights between 2006 and 2012, a record that stood for years before Makhachev surpassed it.
Who has the longest UFC win streak in the welterweight division?
Kamaru Usman holds the welterweight record with 15 consecutive UFC victories.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Blesson Daniel is a sub-editor who spends his days organizing words and managing social media, crafting bursts of creativity designed to make people smile. He occasionally dives into writing as well — whether it’s crafting articles, brainstorming ideas, or finding the perfect caption. Believing that every piece of writing offers an opportunity to tell a story, Blesson brings creativity and thoughtfulness to every project he takes on. When he’s not glued to his laptop, Blesson is likely planning his next travel adventure or losing himself in music. A passionate explorer of new places, sounds, and ideas, he believes in balancing work, play, and a good playlist in the background. Whether he’s editing, writing, or daydreaming about his next trip, Blesson is always chasing that sweet spot where creativity and curiosity collide to create something memorable.