Highlights
- Cardio is crucial in MMA - fighters with poor endurance risk getting knocked out or submitted.
- Georges St-Pierre and Merab Dvalishvili are examples of fighters with impressive cardio in the sport.
- Fighters like Nate Diaz and Valentina Shevchenko show that exceptional cardio can be a game-changer in MMA.
For a lot of MMA fans, there's nothing worse than watching an exciting fight devolve into two fighters gasping for air as they take slow, wild swings at each other. Fighters that don't have impressive cardio are at a serious disadvantage at just about every level of MMA.
10 Best Punchers In MMA History, Ranked
MMA has produced very hard hitters in the Octagon. Many of these punches dominated the UFC. Here's a look at MMA's best punchers, ranked!If a fighter can't stand and trade blows without getting gassed, chances are they will get knocked out or taken to the ground, leading to submission or damage via ground-and-pound. There have been plenty of incredible fighters over the years who have impressive lungs, though. Here is a list of these cardio machines.
10 Georges St-Pierre Became A Two-Division Champion
GSP Destroyed Opponents Thanks To Proper Conditioning And Endurance
- Georges St-Pierre has only lost two fights in his career, one in a shocking upset against Matt Serra in 2007.
- After amassing a 26-2 record, he announced his official retirement from MMA in February 2019.
- One of the few fighters who incorporated various fighting styles (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, Boxing, Wrestling).
For a guy who was literally given the nickname "Rush," Georges St-Pierre (aka GSP) seemingly never got tired. From his debut in 2002 to his prime, GSP's cardio was never an issue. He dominated many opponents, like Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. This engine inside helped him win the UFC welterweight title on two occasions. He defended it in his second stint from 2007 to 2013 before vacating.
This epic cardio saw the Canadian take a four-year hiatus before returning to the UFC for one last fight -- beating Michael Bisping for the middleweight belt. While most fighters tend to get a bit more worn out toward the end of their careers, GSP concluded his on a thirteen-fight win streak. GSP looks fitter and younger presently, affirming that a healthy lifestyle in and out of the octagon pays dividends.
9 Merab Dvalishvili Never Stops Coming At You
'The Machine' Knows How To Wear Opponents Down
- Merab Dvalishvili debuted in MMA in 2014 and has a 17-4 record at present.
- Dvalishvili broke the UFC record for most takedowns in a bout with 49 attempts vs. Petr Yan.
- Dvalishvili also took out high-level fighters like John Dodson and Marlon Moraes
Merab Dvalishvili is known as 'The Machine' because he never runs out of gas. It doesn't matter if it's three or five rounds; he is still raring to go when they end. His exuberance shows outside the octagon too, with quite a few extreme hobbies under his belt. That said, his in-cage performance is second to none.
So much so, UFC CEO Dana White -- as much as he dislikes Dvalisvhili for not fighting Aljamain Sterling -- has christened him next for a bantamweight title shot. It is very deserving. The Georgian has defeated elite fighters such as José Aldo, Petr Yan, and recently, at UFC 298, Henry Cejudo. The latter is a big feather in Dvalisvili's cap, as he dominated the Olympic gold wrestler for most of their three-round fight.
8 Demetrious Johnson Ruled The UFC Flyweight Division
'Mighty Mouse' Loves To Tire Out His Opponents
- Demetrious Johnson is an avid video gamer and loves to stream his gaming sessions on Twitch.
- 'Mighty Mouse' debuted in MMA in 2009 and has a record of 25-4-1.
- Johnson started fighting for ONE Championship in 2019 and is the current flyweight champion there.
Most people agree that the only reason the flyweight division even managed to continue existing was thanks to Demetrious Johnson and his incredible reign as the champion. He consistently outclassed his opponents in just about every respect in all of his bouts at the time. He set and broke many records, even though he didn't get the accolades he deserved at the time from fans and the UFC.
Part of it was due to many bouts going to the championship rounds. Most of the time, Johnson looked like he could go for five more. He never fatigued, which is why he, as much of a showman as he was, mitigated risk and finished by just dancing around the battered enemy. 'Mighty Mouse' oozed technical excellence, leaving many fighters struggling to catch him. In the end, he scalped fighters like Cejudo, Kyoji Horiguchi and Joseph Benavidez, letting them know he could go the distance anytime.
10 Best UFC Featherweights Of All Time, Ranked
Over the past 10 years, many of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC have come from the featherweight division.7 Michael Bisping Was A British Tank
Bisping Took Damage And Came Back For More
- Michael Bisping's precision and knockout power garnered him a 30-9 record before retiring in 2017.
- The Brit has written an autobiography about his life and career called "Quitters Never Win."
- Bisping sustained a detached retina against Vitor Belfort, which sidelined him from the octagon for a lengthy amount of time.
Michael 'The Count' Bisping was a true British brawler. He absorbed serious damage, but his cardio aided his durability. He had plenty of bouts go the distance against the best of the best. After debuting in MMA in 2004, he debuted in the UFC in 2006. As the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3, a lot was expected.
And he delivered in spades. He used his cardio to beat Chris Leben, Brian Stann, Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson. Sure, he had some bumps along the road, but Bisping carved out quite a name for himself, eventually topping Luke Rockhold for middleweight gold in 2016 with one eye and short notice. He talked trash and garnered a ton of haters, but no one could criticize his gas tank and never-say-die attitude.
6 Kamaru Usman Enjoys Bullying His Opponents
'The Nigerian Nightmare' Never Runs Out Of Juice
- Kamaru Usman was the first Nigerian-born UFC Welterweight Champion.
- Usman debuted in MMA in 2012 and now boasts a 20-4 record.
- Usman laid the playbook down on how to utilize clinching inside the octagon.
Since debuting in the UFC and winning The Ultimate Fighter 21 in 2015, 10 out of Kamaru Usman's 15 wins have gone the distance. A lot of it is down to his strength and conditioning. Many have said he has that NFL cardio, with teammates such as Gilbert Burns and Justin Gaethje, as well as coach, Trevor Wittman, always left in awe.
It shows by how Usman delivers his post-fight interviews in a calm and collected manner. Even after losing to the likes of Khamzat Chimaev, it is clear Usman has that cyborg vibe. This helped him reign as welterweight champion from 2019 to 2021, defeating Tyron Woodley, Burns, Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal along the way.
5 Nate Diaz Runs Out Of Rounds
When Diaz Doesn't Win, He Doesn't Tire
- Nate Diaz is the younger brother of inactive UFC fighter, Nick Diaz.
- Diaz represents California and is famous for the 'Stockton Slap' in the cage.
- Diaz is known for causing trouble at press conferences and flaunting a gangster lifestyle.
Everyone knows the Diaz brothers are rarely stopped. Nate Diaz is the one that stands out the most, taking fights on short notice. He simply loves to fight, whether it's in the street, in winning 2007's Ultimate Fighter 5, or in the boxing ring where he went 10 rounds in a loss to Jake Paul in 2023.
No matter the arena or sporting discipline, Diaz always seems to gain energy as the fight progresses. It doesn't matter if he gets bloodied; he isn't weary. This ridiculous gas tank helped him beat fighters such as Conor McGregor, Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis, en route to a 21-13 MMA record. Diaz has been in the game since 2004, leaving fans wondering if he will still have this longevity in his upcoming boxing match against Masvidal.
4 Valentina Shevchenko Is A Pseudo-Soldier
The 'Bullet' Doesn't Know What Being Tired Means
- Valentina Shevchenko has an MMA record of 23-4-1
- Her older sister, Antonina, also competes in the same division.
- 'Bullet' has beaten fighters such as Taila Santos, Jéssica Andrade, Holly Holm and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
Valentina Shevchenko is one of the UFC's most decorated female fighters. The Russian grew up as a kid honing her craft in taekwondo and judo. As part of her military-like regimen, she added boxing, Muay Thai and kickboxing to the arsenal. She eventually started an MMA career in 2003, got to the UFC 12 years later and has become a monster in the cage in terms of never losing energy.
Using this trait, Shevchenko won the flyweight belt in 2018 and defended it seven times. She dropped it to Alexa Grasso, and then drew in a five-round rematch in 2023. This set Shevchenko and Grasso up to coach the next Ultimate Fighter and then hopefully fight at The Sphere to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. Fans expect another long battle, which Shevchenko won't mind. Nine of her 16 UFC fights have gone the distance, and at the end of them, 'Bullet' looks sharp and fresh.
3 Johnny Eblen Is An Underrated Engine
Eblen Excelled As Bellator's Middleweight Champion
- Johnny Eblen wrestled collegiately at the University of Missouri.
- Eblen fought in Shamrock FC prior to Bellator.
- Eblen has a 15-0 record and is widely considered the best middleweight outside the UFC.
Most MMA casual fans won't know this, but Johnny Eblen is a machine as well. The likes of Dustin Poirier and Masvidal have often touted up their American Top Team teammate. If you watched Bellator, you would know why. Eblen goes the distance a lot, wearing down opponents. It led to him winning the Bellator middleweight title over Gegard Mousasi.
He also beat the likes of Anatoly Tokov and Impa Kasanganay at the recent PFL vs. Bellator event. Eblen has eight decision wins in his 15 fights since he entered MMA in 2017. Admittedly, his fights may not look pretty, but Eblen handles his cardio like a boss.
10 Nicest Fighters In UFC History
UFC is loaded with tough talent, but some fighters are downright nice. They hit hard, but these 10 MMA fighters are also very kind people!2 Colby Covington Feels Immortal In The Cage
'Chaos' Is Another UFC Welterweight Who Won't Sleep
- Colby Covington is famous for getting into skirmishes with Jorge Masvidal and Fabricio Werdum.
- Covington also made disparaging comments about Leon Edwards' dead father.
- Covington often touts himself up as 'Donald Trump's favorite fighter.'
The UFC's Colby Covington is maligned for his trash talk and denial when he loses. But one has to give the All-American wrestler his props for having an infinite gas tank. 'Chaos' knows how to weaponize cardio, stemming from his days at Oregon State University. Covington began his MMA career in 2012, got to the UFC in 2014 and won the interim welterweight title in 2018.
He often gassed opponents out, earning wins over Rafael dos Anjos, Robbie Lawler, Demian Maia and Jorge Masvidal. Even when he lost to champs like Usman and Leon Edwards, Covington seemed like he could go another couple of rounds.
1 Alexander Volkanovski Has Unlimited Energy From Down Under
'Volk' Has Parlayed His Cardio Into Big Fights
- Alexander Volkanovski made his MMA debut in 2012.
- 'Volk' debuted in the UFC in 2016 and has an overall record of 26-4.
- Volkanovski's YouTube shows off his culinary chops via a cooking series -- 'Cooking With Volk.'
Alexander Volkanovski may have lost some of his shine recently due to losses against Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. But prior to that, the 'Great' showed what finessed cardio was all about. 'Volk' loved going the distance, coming off fresh as a daisy after. It showed in fights against the likes of Max Holloway and Brian Ortega.
Even if Volkanovski was cut, his energy reservoir grew in each round. A lot originates from his rugby background, which helped condition his lungs for an MMA career. 'Volk' may not be the featherweight champ right now, but with previous wins over Yair Rodríguez, Aldo, Chad Mendes, and the 'Korean Zombie,' it is tough to write him off. He is a true athlete and someone fans cannot wait to see challenging for the belt again.