Top 5 Dominant UFC Performances [2025 Updated Rankings]

At the highest level of mixed martial arts, there are still some one-sided beatings, and it is not an anomaly. Tables turn, MMA/UFC fighters run into stiff journeymen, underdogs on the money line prove all odds wrong, and much can happen. Here are the top 5 UFC performances that were dominant through and through, and help elaborate.

From former champs and best strikers, to hard-chin brawlers and pound-for-pound #1 kings, these are some of the most dominant performances in UFC competition history.

Honorable mentions

Belal Muhammad threw, spiked, scrambled, got up, and outboxed a champ all the way to a UD (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) – for welterweight title at the UFC 304 PPV main event. Aljamain Sterling powerbombed his way into dominant grappling positions during his featherweight debut.

Ronda Rousey used to knock out competition so hard that they dry-hugged and scrambled with the referee out of confusion!

The most dominant UFC performance ever belongs to Tom Aspinall, who knocked out Curtis Blaydes in just 1:00 at UFC 304. Other historic performances include Max Holloway’s 445 strikes vs. Calvin Kattar and Conor McGregor’s 13-second KO vs. José Aldo. Here’s the full list with stats and fight details.

Top 5 Most Dominant UFC Performances

ALSO READ: Top 5 Best Boxers in The UFC [2025 Updated Rankings]

5. Conor McGregor in his two most-important title tints

Stance: Southpaw

Record: 22-6-0

Conor McGregor might be a hub of controversy now, but ‘The Notorious’ got his zingy moniker for a reason. The Euro striker was notorious indeed, and burst into the UFC scene with more than a few that can make the listings for top 5 performances. One that mattered most was his 13-second counter-left KO that caught Jose Aldo and won him UFC gold.

Up to that point, McGregor’s psychological warfare about being a brute and hunting down ‘favelas on horseback‘ really worked. What worked even better was the fact that he mocked Aldo as a friendly one and too safe, which is why he risked his chin and got hit.

Then McGregor did it again in a jam-packed MSG crowd, the Mecca of fighting. He followed the suit of what coach John Kavanaugh predicted and punctuated multiple knockdowns in the first frame with his distance management and speed. Eight minutes into it, he ended the UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor PPV main event with a second-round finish over Eddie Alvarez.

Before UFC forked $4 billion in a deal to WME-IMG, McGregor even wanted incentives for his biggest-ever win, which won him lightweight gold. The win was so big and a PPV hit that he demanded equity and rights ownership for it later on.

4. Anderson Silva Vs. Forrest Griffin

Stance: Southpaw

Record: 34-11-0

At UFC 101, the organization matched Anderson Silva and Forrest Griffin up in the co-main feature, in a non-title light heavyweight superfight. At that moment, Silva had no title defense of his middleweight championship to mount, and thus, he accepted an invitation to compete against the former light heavyweight champion.

Griffin was highly dominant up until then, carrying the charge as the TUF Champ to even logging a brand win over Rampage Jackson in 2008. So naturally, there were doubts about ‘Spider’ and his fate at the 205-pound mark against this competition. But Silva was out to prove he wasn’t just a good boxer and prolific striker at 185. He was a prolific striker and a GOAT fighter, period!

From the opening round, Spider floated in and out of range with tact slipping and good footwork, and transitioned side to side. Griffin missed a lot, and Silva carried power, making it look like the sturdy opposition didn’t even want to be there. He ended the UFC 101: Declaration co-main event with a late round one finish, 3:23 mark.

3. Kamaru Usman Vs. Tyron Woodley

Stance: Switch

Record: 21-4-0

A former #1 Pound-for-pound with a stout 5-0 title reign, Kamaru Usman did it dominantly whenever he did it. Many of his fights could end up on the top 5 UFC performances list. However, it was the UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith lineup where his streak really bloomed vs. champion Tyron Woodley.

Usman already had a helluva long streak, and it warranted a shot at Woodley’s defense of the UFC welterweight gold. Except for his TUF start, the Nigerian-American was already the exclusive 8-0 Contender cub then.

In the bout between Usman, the 10th welterweight champion, and Woodley, the latter was outweighed by a margin of 336 to 60 strikes logged over the course of 25 minutes. He also totaled over 18 minutes of control time with his stiff wrestling. The most memorable moment of the evening arguably transpired subsequently in the rear, as Woodley’s mother congratulated Team ONX Sports’ Usman as the new era champ.

The optics of that alone were quite the dominance from a fighter with UFC gold dapped around his delts.

2. Max Holloway, anywhere, everywhere

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 27-8-0

One would naturally think of Max Holloway Vs. Calvin Kattar, when spelling dominance, if they are a hardcore UFC/MMA enthusiast. The event already had big emotives and history behind it, like the coming back to live simulcast, and broadcast on ABC. But ‘Blessed’ added more history, with the single-fight record for the largest striking differential in UFC competition history.

With a 313 striking differential, Holloway spun around in a flow state and wide, fluid striking. All the while, he proved Kattar’s pre-fight statements wrong, that he was the division’s best boxer. Holloway even touted the ‘best boxer’ monologue to the limited crowd base and the commentary booth as well.

The gusto does not stop there; the hard-chin fighter Holloway was dominant enough to teach former title challenger Brian Ortega how to guard from his punches, mid-fight, while punching! Thrice, while being ahead on the judges’ cards (last time at the UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3 PPV headliner), he made his signature point to the canvas for a throw-down.

That’s how dominant he is.

1. Tom Aspinall

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 15-3-0

Dominant is when a person does it more than once, like Holloway or Ilia Topuria as of late. One name that just spells dominant is the now-undisputed UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall. Per UFC Leaderboards (Record Book | statleaders.ufc.com), he is indomitable with his frame and anti-wrestling. He just has about 0.09% bottom position percentage (0:01 bottom position time before he got up).

As of writing this, the UK Native has had multiple first-round KO/TKO as well. The last of them was an interim title defense and R1 knockout (punches) – 1:00 mark of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 PPV in Manchester, last Summer. Aspinall also has the shortest average fight time in competition history due to first-round wins.

Some pundits have billed that this might cause him trouble as he lacks battle experience beyond first-round stretches. But Aspinall has proved otherwise and is at the zenith of the most dominant top 5 UFC performances. So much so that as a New-gen competition heavyweight, he was considered a perfect skills test for Jon Jones, but the latter refused.