Last Updated on May 24, 2024
Can you name any of the short UFC fighters?
Well…
Let's jog your memory a bit. Do you remember the fighter in the bout against Sergio Pettis at UFC 218? Francis Ngannou faced Alistair Overeem in the heavyweight division, and Max Holloway gave Jose Aldo a TKO in the featherweight fight of that event.
The fighter we're talking about is a short UFC fighter, and he ranks at the top of our list below.
Who Is The Shortest UFC Fighter?
Though some left the UFC, they're still MMA fighters, so we'll list current and former UFC fighters.
1. Demetrious Johnson - 5'3" (160 cm)
He's the shortest MMA fighter and one of the most prolific combat sports athletes.
Influential people in the MMA world, such as Joe Rogan and Dana White, consider the "Mighty Mouse" the greatest in the industry. He’s in UFC history for several reasons, such as title defenses and winning many awards, from Fight of the Night to Submission of the Night, just like Anderson Silva and Conor McGregor.
We also rank him as the smallest UFC fighter as he weighs 125 pounds as well as one of the top 20 famous black UFC fighters today!
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2. Jarred Brooks - 5'3" ( 160 cm)
"The Monkey God" was a House of Fame Flyweight champion in 2015. He's faced opponents in different divisions, from strawweight to bantamweight.
His debut bout at the UFC was against Eric Shelton, a taller and larger opponent; however, he won.
One of the matches he lost at the UFC was against Jose Torres in 2018, though, initially, he was to face Hector Sandoval.
3. John Dodson - 5'3" (160 cm)
You might remember him from the finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Tema Bisping vs. Team Miller.
Dodson fights in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions and has faced opponents like Nathaniel wood and Pedro Munhoz. The bout you'll never forget is his UFC Flyweight fight against Demetrious Johnson in 2013.
4. John Lineker - 5'3" (160 cm)
Nothing seems to hold Lineker down when he combines his skills in boxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He has a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu like Stefan Struve and light heavyweight fighter Marvin Vettori.
Fun Fact: Of the mixed martial arts favorites, it's Muay Thai vs BJJ that ranks one of the most popular combo fighting styles used!
Lineker has 35 wins out of 44 matches, most of these from his knockout punches. He's even won Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses.
5. Henry Cejudo - 5'4" (163 cm)
"The Messenger" holds several records in UFC history as he won both UFC bantamweight and flyweight titles, making him one of the few UFC fighters to win in two divisions.
Daniel Cormier, Conor McGregor, and Amanda Nunes are some of the other martial art fighters who won in different divisions.
Fun Fact: Daniel Cormier and Conor McGregor are two of the MMA fighters who started late in their UFC careers!
Cejudo faced Demetrious Johnson for the UFC Flyweight title twice. He lost the first time, but two years later, in 2018, they met again, and he won. He lost a match to Joseph Benavidez in Las Vegas.
6. Ray Borg - 5'4" (163 cm)
"The Tazmexican Doll" switched from flyweight to the bantamweight division in 2019 after his title attempt against Demetrious Johnson ended in his submission in the fifth round.
He had an exemplary mixed martial arts record before joining UFC, and even after he left in 2021, he's had several wins under Eagle FC.
7. Molly McCann - 5'4" (163 cm)
McCann's first win at The Ultimate Fighting Championship was at the UFC London Fight Night 147 against Priscila Cachoeira às Jorge Masvidal faced Darren Till in the welterweight division.
After a series of wins, she lost to Taila Santos when they met at UFC on ESPN when Calvin Kattar was facing Dan Ige while Khamzat Chimaev was facing John Pillips in the middleweight division.
One of her memorable wins was during UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall, where Tom Aspinall fought Alexander Volkov as Paddy Pimblett gave Kazula Vargas a rear-naked choke in the lightweight division.
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8. Tenshin Nasukawa - 5'4" (163 cm)
"Ninja Boy" may be one of the smallest UFC fighters, but has a record of over 100 matches as an amateur kickboxer and 42 fights in his professional career.
Nasukawa has a commendable record as he holds a black belt in shin karate and Kyokushin kaikan. He was the winner of the Combat Press Knockout of the Year award in 2016.
9. Tony Gravely - 5'5" (15 cm)
He's a wrestler and holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Gravely has many accolades in and out of the UFC. For instance, he is a one-time winner of a Fight of the Night bonus for his rear-naked choke on Brett Jones, even though he lost that match.
Also, he received a Performance of the Night bonus for technical knockout punches that took Anthony Birchak down. He's not fought long under the UFC since he joined in 2020.
10. Raphael Assuncao - 5'5 1/2" (166 cm)
Assuncao joined UFC when it merged with World Extreme Cagefighting, so he has an impressive MMA record before the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Among his most memorable fights are his bout against Marlon Morales in 2017, where he won by a split decision, and their rematch two years later.
He lost the rematch. He also lost a match against Cory Sandhagen in 2019 at UFC 241, where Nate Diaz was facing Anthony Pettis.
11. TJ Dillashaw - 5'6" (168 cm)
Dillashaw ranks among the top bantamweight fighters in the UFC. He's a two-time champion in that weight division, the first time earning it with head kicks and punches on Renan Barao in 2014.
Barao attempted to take it from Dillashaw in a rematch, and he wasn't successful. That was the last defense match for TJ Dillashaw because Dominick Cruz took the title in the next bout. It took him almost two more years to win it back.
12. Urijah Faber - 5'6" (168 cm)
He's a UFC Hall of Fame inductee in the same wing as Ronda Rousey but different from Randy Couture. "The California Kid" competed in the featherweight division for five years and switched to bantamweight.
13. Sean Sherk - 5'6" (168 cm)
"The Muscle Shark" is a former UFC lightweight champion. He had the title for about one year, then he failed a drug test when defending it and lost the lightweight championship.
Sherk fought 41 matches in his MMA career and won 36 times.
14. Marlon Moraes - 5'6" (168 cm)
Initially, Moraes was in the featherweight division but now fights in the bantamweight division like Journey Newson. He's among the top 20 fighters in this division.
His last win was in 2019 when he faced Jose at UFC 245 as Kamaru Usman was facing Colby Covington in a welterweight match.
15. Ricky Simon - 5'6" (168 cm)
Simon's record is admirable, winning the Fight of the Night awards twice when he fought Merab Dvalishvili and another time against Rob Font.
Only Rob Font and Urijah Faber have taken him down since he joined UFC in 2018.
16. Brian Kelleher - 5'6" (168 cm)
Kelleher's MMA history shows he's competed in several organizations, including Bellator and UFC. His first bout at UFC was in 2017, and he gave Luri Alcantara a guillotine choke in the first round.
This move earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.
17. Alejandro Perez - 5'6" (168 cm)
His record at the UFC is one of many wins and a few losses. His most notable win is his bout against Johnny Eduardo in 2021, where he had Eduardo in a scarf hold armlock and won a Performance of the Night bonus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does height matter in the UFC?
Height won't make your game better if you don't have the skill, but it has some advantages. It gives a better reach making it easier to reign over an opponent. Also, a take-down is more skillful for tall than short fighters.
Who is the best shortest UFC fighter?
In MMA news, you'll always come across Demetrious Johnson as one of the best fighters in martial arts.
What is the shortest UFC fight ever?
It was a Saturday night fight between Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo. McGregor gave Aldo a knockout punch just 13 minutes into the first round, which was a second shorter than the previous record held by Ronda Rousey, who won against Cat Zingano via a straight armbar submission.
Conclusion
Demetrious Johnson is the most prominent short fighter. He ranks third for consecutive wins, a position he ties with Jon Jones, Georges St Pierre, Max Hollaway, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. By the time Johnson left the UFC in 2018, only Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz had taken him down.
He is proof that short UFC fighters can also give a good show. Some of them take on taller opponents. For instance, Jarred Brooks defeated Eric Shelton.