Ranking the 5 toughest fighters in the UFC today

#4 - Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou (right) is one of the toughest fighters in the UFC today

Francis Ngannou proved to be one of the toughest fighters in the UFC after defeating Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. While this in itself gives an idea of the Cameroonian's toughness, there's much more.

'The Predator' has proved himself a force to reckon with, not just inside the octagon but also outside of it. His life journey, which included crossing continents illegally, fighting starvation, and risking death, is an achievement that makes him mentally one of the toughest. However, his feats inside the UFC octagon are on a different level altogether.

#AndNew heavyweight champion! 🗣🏆 @Francis_Ngannou is the baddest man alive. #UFC260 pic.twitter.com/tOFgCUnxsb

— UFC (@ufc) March 28, 2021

Francis Ngannou made his UFC debut in 2015 after securing a 5-1 record in his MMA career. He became heavyweight champion in 2021, picking up 10 knockout wins on his way. He has spent less than four minutes in his previous five fights combined and also holds the record for the hardest punch in the world.

Francis Ngannou is widely regarded as a knockout specialist, and although he has lost three fights in his career (two in the UFC), he hasn't been stopped once. He is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the toughest fighters in the UFC today.

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#3 - Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman is one of the toughest fighters in the UFC today

The current No. 2 UFC pound-for-pound fighter and reigning welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, is an MMA legend. The former NCAA wrestling champion started his MMA career in 2012 and faced his first and only loss in his second outing in 2013. Since then, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has been undefeated and is on an 18-fight winning streak (13 in the UFC).

However, what makes Kamaru Usman one of the toughest fighters in the UFC today is his dominance in the welterweight division. He defeated Tyron Woodley in 2019 to become the UFC champion. Since then, he has defended his title four times already, cementing his place as one of the toughest fighters in the UFC.

Kamaru Usman has cemented his place as one of the toughest fighters in the UFC today because of his pace, versatility, and invincibility. In his four title defenses, Usman has picked up three knockout wins. He was pressured by Colby Covington at UFC 245 but retaliated by breaking his jaw and knocking him out.

He was knocked down by Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 but ended up TKO'ing 'Durrinho' seconds later. He also took on one of the best boxers in the UFC, Jorge Masvidal, twice. Usman not only remained undefeated but even knocked out 'Gamebred' at UFC 261, becoming the first-ever to do so.

WHAT A KO 🤯@USMAN84kg left Jorge Masvidal out on the mat and ran over to Dana White. pic.twitter.com/Xp2kLNAesj

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 25, 2021

Kamaru Usman has defeated most of his rivals in the UFC welterweight division and is now on his way to lap them again. For this reason, he is often compared to MMA GOAT Georges St-Pierre and dubbed one of the toughest fighters in the UFC today.