5 Greatest New Zealand and Australian MMA Fighters
The sport of mixed martial arts has seen many of its most prominent competitors hail from every corner of the globe. The Oceanic region in particular has produced a handful of names who have gone on to become standouts across various major promotions like the UFC and the PFL. From Australia to New Zealand, the region has seen its athletes rise to extraordinary heights on the biggest stage that combat sports has to offer time and time again, and in multiple weight divisions.
Here are the power rankings for the top five fighters from both Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand MMA Fighters
5. Matt Valle
Forgoing an amatuer career and jumping straight into the professional ranks back in 2014, Matt Valle bulldozed his way though his first five contests, winning all of them by first round stoppage, which included taking the Xtreme Fighting Championships welterweight strap. Fighting next for another belt in a different promotion in his next bout, he would fall short in his first loss to 20-fight veteran Benny Alloway by unanimous decision.
Undeterred by the setback, “The Viper” got right back to work, recording five back-to-back title defenses of his XFC gold, along with scoring the Hex Fights Series 170-lb championship. His only defeat in this stretch of time came against future UFC competitor Takashi Sato, falling to the Japanese prospect by TKO.
Recently, Valle has encountered a tough time staying consistent, going 2-3 in his past five scraps. However, he was able to add another trophy to the collection by claiming the Diamondback Fighting Championships Welterweight Championship just this past March. While he hasn’t received the call to throw down in the UFC, should the New Zealander continue to thrive in the win column, a notification from the promotion’s matchmaker may just light up his phone before the year is over.
4. Kai Kara-France
Gaining worldwide recognition from his time on The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions, Kai Kara-France has since been widely-viewed as a standout in UFC’s flyweight division. Entering the company in 2018, “Don’t Blink” impressed in his Octagon debut by earning Fight of the Night honors after a thrilling unanimous decision victory over Elias Garcia. The City Kickboxing representative then won his next two matches in a row before falling to Brandon Moreno in what was his first loss in mixed martial arts in three years.
It wasn’t long before Kara-France made his way into 125-lb contendership, however, as by the time 2022 rolled around, he had gone 4-1 in his next five contests, including a statement-making knockout victory over former bantamweight kingpin Cody Garbrandt, who was making his flyweight debut. Sadly, his momentum was once again halted by divisional nemesis Moreno, faltering before the Mexican standout by third round knockout.
Losing his next fight via split decision to Amir Albazi, Kara-France appeared to be in dire straits in his career, with the title picture slipping further and further out of his reach. But, with a single punch, the Auckland native put himself back on the board by flattening one-time promotional championship challenger Steve Erceg in the very first round this past August at UFC 305.
3. Dan Hooker
For more than ten years, Dan Hooker has been a massive favorite with UFC fans. Making his debut in the promotion in 2014, the New Zealander competed solely in the featherweight category for his first five fights before making his mostly permanent move up to lightweight three years later.
At 155-lb, “The Hangman” proved to be a surging prospect, defeating the likes of Ross Pearson, Marc Diakiese, Jim Miller and future welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns, all by stoppage. Although a third round knockout loss to Edson Barboza spoiled his glorious win streak, Hooker was quick to build up another one, racking up three victories in a row over James Vick, Al Iaquinta and Paul Felder.
However, from 2020 to early 2022, the New Zealander encountered a large problem with consistency, going 1-4 in his next five contests. Although his losses were to some of the best in the weight class such as Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev, it was clear Hooker was falling further and further away from the utmost echelon at lightweight.
Then, with one fateful technical knockout win over Claudio Puelles at UFC 281, he put himself back on track towards the top of the mountain. Following his exciting dispatch of Puelles, Hooker then rattled off two more triumphs over Jalin Turner and Mateusz Gamrot. While he was initially billed to face Justin Gaethje at UFC 313, that bout ended up falling through, which could have opened the door for a title shot if he would have won. Still, now sitting at the number six spot on the 155-lb rankings, Hooker is now closer than ever to knocking on the door of a championship main event.
2. Carlos Ulberg
Appearing first on Dana White’s Contender Series near the tail end of 2020, Carlos Ulberg made an immediate impression with UFC brass by starching his opponent, Bruno Oliveira, in just over two minutes to earn a contract with the company. Stepping into the Octagon for the first time at UFC 259, he faced off with fellow hard-hitter Kennedy Nzechukwu. What turned out to be that event’s Fight of the Night, Ulberg appeared to have had Nzechukwu rocked early on the scrap, only for the Nigeria native to rally in the second round and score the comeback knockout win.
The defeat was the first in Ulberg’s professional mixed martial arts career. It was also his first loss ever in combat sports since dropping a unanimous decision to Oleg Pryimachov in 2018 when he was still competing in kickboxing.
Taking almost a year off, he made his return to competition at UFC 271, beating Fabio Cherant by unanimous decision. The win marked a huge turning point for Ulberg, who has since collected seven more splendid victories over stern opposition like Alonzo Menifield, Volkan Oezdemir and Jan Błachowicz. Currently in the midst of one of the longest winning streaks in the light heavyweight division, “Black Jag” is possibly just one more successful walk to the cage away from contending for his first UFC championship.
1. Israel Adesanya
Before setting his sights on greatness in mixed martial arts, Israel Adesanya had developed a colossal name for himself in the realm of combat sports. As a kickboxer, the Nigeria native had accumulated a total of 80 matches, prevailing in 75 of them, along with taking home several prestigious King in the Ring titles, ranging from 86kg to 100kg. He also won a pair of Super 8 Boxing championships, securing the company’s cruiserweight strap on two occasions.
This degree of skill transitioned nicely into his journey into mixed martial arts, with the Kiwi fighter going a perfect 11-0 on both the Chinese and New Zealand regional scene. He then got the call of a lifetime to join the UFC in 2018, making his freshman appearance in the Octagon that same year opposite future PFL 205-lb king Rob Wilkinson, whom Adesanya dispatched by second round technical knockout.
The legend of “The Last Stylebender” only grew from here, as the kickboxing specialist barreled through the 185-lb division, getting the better of other stalwart figures such as Brad Tavares, Marvin Vettori, Anderson Silva and Kelvin Gastelum. Capturing the interim belt from the latter, Adesanya proceeded to demolish then champion Robert Whittaker, flattening “The Reaper” in just two rounds. Over the next three years, he went 5-1 in his next six bouts; his only defeat in that time period being to Jan Błachowicz after a failed move up in weight for a second championship.
In recent years, however, Adesanya has found himself on a woeful downward spiral. Beginning with a late 2022 loss to his kickboxing nemesis Alex Pereira at UFC 281, he has only won a single time in the four scraps he’s had after being pushed off his throne. Currently riding a three-fight skid, the once five-time defending middleweight apex has greatly struggled to get back into the win column, suffering three back-to-back setbacks to Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis and Nassourdine Imavov.
Australian MMA Fighters
5. Steve Erceg
Blasting into the UFC in 2023, Steve Erceg made an immediate splash in the flyweight class after beating the then top 15-ranked David Dvořák by unanimous decision at UFC 289. Earning his spot in the rankings after just one Octagon showing, “Astro Boy” only continued to climb his way up the ladder in impressive fashion, scoring two more wins over Alessandro Costa and former Ultimate Fighter competitor Matt Schnell.
Barely a month before the one year anniversary of his company debut, Erceg was tasked with taking on current 125-lb champion Alexandre Pantoja in his first UFC main event at UFC 301. Giving the incumbent the harshest test of his reign so far, the Aussie proved that he was championship material by taking “The Cannibal” to incredibly deep waters, even going as far as to cut Pantoja badly on his forehead with a slicing elbow. Sadly, an ill-advised takedown attempt in round five ended up with the flyweight king reversing him and achieving mount, allowing the Brazilian nearly three minutes of control time that eventually won him the match.
In his three bouts since his defeat to Pantoja, Erceg has yet to get back to his feet as a bonafide title contender. Starting with an unfortunate first round knockout loss to Kai Kara-France, he is now in the midst of a two-fight losing skid, dropping a unanimous decision to previous champion Brandon Moreno just recently at UFC on ESPN 64.
4. Jimmy Crute
At one point in time, Jimmy Crute looked to be on a nigh unstoppable warpath within the UFC’s light heavyweight landscape. Appearing on Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2018, “The Brute” was coming off a superb championship reign in Hex Fight Series, defending the organization’s 205-lb strap twice. Netting a contract in entertaining fashion, the undefeated prospect bulldozed his through Chris Birchler to earn his spot in the biggest mixed martial arts promotion in the world.
He did not disappoint in his first two expeditions to the Octagon, claiming a pair of stoppage wins over veteran fighters Paul Craig and Sam Alvey. Unfortunately, a first round submission setback to Misha Cirkunov saw him take both his first loss as a professional and as a UFC competitor.
Getting right back in the saddle, though, Crute rattled off two more stellar stoppage victories over Michał Oleksiejczuk and Modestas Bukauskas, nabbing two Performance of the Night awards for his efforts. Although it seemed as though the 24-year old was gearing up for a solid run up the light heavyweight rankings, his win against Bukauskas currently stands as the last triumph he has had in the company. Beginning with a TKO loss to Anthony Smith, Crute has not entered the winners circle in five years, going 0-2-2 in his past four cage appearances, losing to Jamahal Hill and Alonzo Menifield and drawing with Menifield and Rodolfo Bellato in his latest UFC outing.
3. Jack Della Maddalena
After a rough start to his journey as a mixed martial artist by dropping his first two fights in row by finish, Jack Della Maddalena didn’t necessarily come off as a man who could ever possibly compete for a major promotional strap. In the almost nine years since that pair of losses, though, the Aussie has evolved into a true divisional threat to some of the best the welterweight class has to offer. Even before taking his talents to the UFC, Della Maddalena had built up a sterling reputation on the Australian regional circuit, notably capturing the Eternal MMA 170-lb belt and defended it four consecutive times.
Having compiled a 17-fight win streak at the time of this writing, he has utterly decimated his way through the elite of his division after making his UFC debut in 2022. Reputed for his expert boxing ability, the Perth representative has conquered a handful of talented individuals such as Randy Brown, Bassil Hafez, Kevin Holland and Gilbert Burns. Della Maddalena has also amassed quite the list of monetary achievements as well in the UFC, logging five different performance awards, which includes four Performance of the Night bonuses and one Fight of the Night.
At the moment, he is scheduled to come to blows with current welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 next month in what will surely be the biggest test of his company run to date. Originally, Della Maddalena was slated to go up against previous 170-lb kingpin Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night 255, but was suddenly pulled from the card and replaced by fellow streaking contender Sean Brady. While the Aussie fighter does stand as a significant betting underdog to the American, Della Maddalena presents an interesting challenge to Muhammad, being a danger anywhere the fight
2. Robert Whittaker
There is perhaps no one more accredited in the UFC’s middleweight category today as Robert Whittaker. A veteran of the roster since 2012, the former 185-lb champion has accomplished much in his storied tenure with the organization.
Scoring a contract by winning The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes tournament over Bradd Scott, Whittaker began his time in the UFC as a welterweight. Although he went 3-2 in his first five contests in the division, the weight cut wound up taking too much of a toll on his body, prompting him to move up in weight in 2014.
Within his first year as a newly-minted middleweight competitor, “The Reaper” established himself as a legitimate contender after pushing his way through Clint Hester, Brad Tavares and Uriah Hall. By 2017, he was fighting for the interim title opposite the intimidating Yoel Romero, taking a close unanimous decision over the Cuban; he was later made the undisputed champion following Georges St-Pierre’s retirement from mixed martial arts.
After beating Romero once more in a rematch, Whittaker crossed paths with worldwide kickboxing sensation Israel Adesanya at UFC 243. For the Aussie, it would be his last night as champion, as “The Last Stylebender” wound up trouncing him with a highlight reel left hook to record the second round knockout victory.
In the years since dropping his strap, Whittaker has remained a perpetual figurehead of the weight class, remaining in the top five while collecting further wins over Darren Till, Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Cannonier and Paulo Costa. Losing a rematch with Adesanya for his long-lost championship again in 2022, “The Reaper” has yet to make it back to a title bout again, coming up short in his most recent contest with Khamzat Chimaev by first round submission.
1. Alexander Volkanovski
Long before his unparalleled reign over the featherweight class, Alexander Volkanovski had carved a warpath of domination as one of the top mixed martial arts prospects outside the UFC. Competing almost entirely in Australia, the 5’6 South Wales representative fought as a welterweight for the first stretch of his career, going 3-0 before taking his first defeat by head kick knockout.
Bouncing around from 145-lb to 155-lb over the next three years, Volkanovski made the permanent move to featherweight in his second ever UFC fight in 2017. Proving to be a juggernaut in the weight category, “The Great” embarked on an unstoppable run towards the championship in 2019, garnering victories over tough opposition in Darren Elkins, Chad Mendes and José Aldo.
To the delight of Aussie bettors like at Funbet, Ccompeting in his first UFC title bout at UFC 245, the Aussie picked up his biggest win at the time over a massively popular Max Holloway, ripping the strap away from the Hawaiin by unanimous decision.
Blossoming into a pound-for-pound colossus once the belt was fastened around his waist, Volkanovski notched five total title defenses during his time as champion. From his legendary performance against Brian Ortega, to his epic duel with current lightweight king Islam Makhachev, the future hall-of-famer had more than cemented himself as an all-time great of the sport. Sadly, two knockout defeats in a row to the aforementioned Makhachev and his 145-lb usurper Ilia Topuria led many to believe that “The Great” had begun to hit a point of decline as an elite of the organization.
Silencing the critics in emphatic fashion at UFC 314 earlier this month, however, Volkanovski fought strong contender Diego Lopes, besting the impeccable Brazilian after five action-packed rounds. Out striking his younger opponent two-to-one, the previous gold bearer won back his championship to become only the second ever two-time featherweight kingpin. Accomplishing the feat at 36-years old, his triumph in Florida has seemingly elevated himself to being considered the greatest 145-lb fighter of all time in the eyes of many.
