Ranking 10 Greatest Ever MMA Fighters From The UK & Ireland

The more MMA has emerged from the fringes to become a globally popular sport, the more training facilities have popped up in just about every location one can think of. There is one region, in particular that has produced some of the brightest stars to ever put on a pair of gloves: the British Isles.

Over the last decade, several British and Irish stars have been making waves in both the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well as other high-profile organizations around the globe.

With that in mind, we are going to take a closer look at the top ten fighters the region has ever produced. The list is an excellent mix of today's top stars, combined with some of the big-name pioneers that helped pave the way for their fellow countrymen (and women).

Of course, the term "great" can be quite subjective. However, for our purposes, we are primarily taking into account a fighter's in-cage accomplishments, the fame and notoriety they've achieved, as well as the impact they have had on the sport of mixed martial arts as a whole.

Now that the criteria has been explained let's get to it.

King's Lynn, Norfolk's Liam McGeary is one of best light heavyweights the nation of England has ever produced. He also has the distinction of being the only athlete on our list to have never competed in the UFC.

That being said, he's certainly more than made his presence felt in Bellator MMA. In 2015, the well-rounded Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt made history by defeating Emanuel Newton and becoming the UK's first Bellator champ.

From 2010 until 2016, McGeary was an undefeated fighter with a perfect 11-0 record. The 6'6" former champ holds a victory over UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz. McGeary also defeated Muhammed 'King Mo" Lawal, back in 2018.

Given that he hasn't fought in the UFC, Liam McGeary isn't as well known among casual fans. However, he's been one of Bellator's best for years now and distinguished himself by becoming the promotion's first British champ.