Cardio levels are an essential part of being an MMA fighter, and we have seen many great UFC fighters use outstanding cardio to their advantage over the years. From UFC legends such as Tony Ferguson in his prime and “Cardio” Cain Velasquez, to a group of today's rising stars that includes Khamzat Chimaev and Merab Dvalishvili, here are the greatest UFC fighters in terms of their exceptional cardio.

Who has the best cardio in MMA history?

The title for the best cardio in UFC history undoubtedly belongs to Cain Velasquez, who earned the nickname “Cardio Cain” for his consistent ability to outlast opponents.

Velasquez is one of the best UFC heavyweights of all time, having gone 14-3 in his MMA career. He secured several first-round knockouts against fighters such as Antonio Silva (twice) and Brock Lesnar. However, his fifth-round win over Junior dos Santos was the greatest testament to his incredible cardio.

How do UFC fighters train cardio?

Stamina and endurance are vital for fighters striving to make a real name for themselves in the UFC, especially with the potential for five-round fights. That means making cardio training a crucial part of their regime.

Endurance-based training is the key here, with one of the most important factors being steady cardio – raising the heartbeat to 150 beats per minute or more and maintaining that while using a rowing machine or spin bike.

Short-burst activities such as jump-rope exercises, circuit training, sprints, uphill runs, and high-altitude training are also crucial for enhancing the overall endurance and conditioning of UFC fighters.

Ranking the 10 UFC Fighters with the best cardio right now to go five rounds

10. Nate Diaz Weight Class: Welterweight

Nate Diaz’s last fight in the UFC was against Tony Ferguson in 2022, but there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he could come back and fight for five rounds twice in the same night.

Known for his exceptional cardio -- with UFC fans often highlighting his ability to find a new gear late in the fourth round of his contests – Diaz always outpaces his opponents in Round 5.

Diaz has shown a relentless ability to sustain damage while remaining on the attack, and he played his part in some of the biggest brawls in UFC history. His victory over Conor McGregor was one prime example. Diaz was covered in blood early in that fight, but he ended up submitting McGregor in the second round.

His decision victory over Cowboy Cerrone was another one of his best fights. He took significant damage, but he just kept going and dealt enough strikes to claim that fight by unanimous decision.

Diaz is a textbook striker who continually wears down opponents and makes it hard for them to land a knockout blow. Remarkably, only one of his 11 UFC losses was a submission and only one was a doctor's stoppage. The other nine went to a decision verdict.

9. Petr Yan Weight Class: Bantamweight

Petr Yan’s name might not immediately spring to mind in any discussion of cardio in the UFC, but he has had several exceptional performances in five-round fights.

Many fans believe Yan was robbed of a victory against Sean O’Malley, who is one of the most exhausting fighters to face because of how well he moves and dodges strikes. Yan had the best performance against O’Malley to date, as he was still shooting for takedowns and landing strikes in the fight’s fifth round. A takedown with roughly 30 seconds left in the fight nearly gave him a victory. He certainly showcased his impressive cardio right until the very end.

Yan also had a real slugfest against Cory Sandhagen, another fighter well respected for his high stamina levels. Yan's victory over Jose Aldo required five rounds, and it’s worth noting that he also secured multiple wins by decision earlier in his UFC career.

 8. Kamaru Usman Weight Class: Middleweight

Kamaru Usman’s cardio doesn’t get enough respect. He’s impeccably well trained, and a superb wrestler. He focuses on heavy weight training and cardio so he can get through long fights in the Octagon, and that work certainly paid off for him during the peak of his career.

Usman, who made his UFC debut in 2015, was undefeated in 15 fights before losing to Leon Edwards. He beat several cardio machines during that stretch, too -- including his unanimous-decision win over Rafael dos Anjos -- and secured two wins against one of the top cardio fighters of all time in Colby Covington.

The UFC middleweight fighter’s second bout against Covington was one of the best five-round fights any UFC watcher will ever see, as the momentum swung back and forth all the way to the final bell.

7. Sean Strickland Weight Class: Middleweight

Sean Strickland is a little bit different from others on this list, because he’s not necessarily the strongest UFC fighter when it comes to his cardio. However, he does know exactly how to wear down his opponents and is never the one fighting for breath in the Octagon.

Strickland’s fighting approach is geared more toward efficiency, and his stunning upset of Israel Adesanya to claim the middleweight title was a perfect example of this. By the end of that title fight, Izzy had nothing left to give, while Strickland was charging at him, yelling at him, and didn’t even appear to break a sweat during the five rounds.

His first title win took a long time, but no one can knock Strickland’s ability to outlast his opponents and win a lot of fights as a result.
6. Khamzat Chimaev Weight Class: Middleweight

Khamzat Chimaev, one of the UFC’s rising stars, has demolished everybody he has had to face at this level.

He showed his tremendous ground control early on in his career, dominating Rhys McKee and absolutely crushing John Phillips in just over one round of action.

Chimaev’s ability to earn early stoppages in each of his first few fights was quite something, but he has since proven himself over three-round bouts against both Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman.

The Usman fight, in particular, gave Chimaev an opportunity to prove himself as a striker, and he now looks like one of the best all-round fighters in the entire UFC. He can beat you just about any way he chooses, whether by dealing damage on his feet or shooting for well-timed takedowns and controlling the ground game.

A nasty bout of COVID cost Chimaev a lot of time, and he needed surgery to make his way back, but he beat Usman at UFC 294 to remain undefeated at 13-0.

5. Max Holloway Weight Class: Featherweight

Max Holloway has had some truly elite performances in lengthy fights, having outlasted great UFC fighters on multiple occasions.

Holloway has an elite-level mindset when it comes to his cardio, believing that if fights had no final bell, he would win them all. He feels his cardio is better than every other fighter in the UFC, and a fight such as his rematch against Jose Aldo was a prime example of that.

Holloway’s performance against Calvin Kattar was one of his very best, and he has had numerous decision wins in thrilling fights throughout his career. He’s extremely confident and nearly impossible to knock out, which makes him a nightmare for opponents in the Octagon.

4. Tony Ferguson Weight Class: Lightweight

In his prime, Tony Ferguson was one of the most outstanding cardio fighters we have ever seen in the UFC. He was also an extremely popular fighter with UFC fans. A 12-fight stretch that saw him go from 13-3 to 25-3 was outrageous, as he beat a group that included Cowboy Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Kevin Lee, and Rafael dos Anjos.

In fact, his fight with dos Anjos might just have been the best display we’ve seen from Tony Ferguson. Those were his glory days, when he was fighting at his very best and could use his cardio to dismantle opponents. He fought dos Anjos at altitude in Mexico City on a night that saw some fighters in the lighter weight classes struggle beyond the first round.

Ferguson went five rounds that night to wear down his opponent and win by unanimous decision -- all while remaining light on his feet throughout the fight.

Despite his recent struggles during the latter stages of his career, Ferguson maintains one of the best cardio levels in the UFC. If you need a reminder of just how good he was at his very best, take a moment to watch video of that dos Anjos fight.
3. Alexander Volkanovski Weight Class: Featherweight

Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski is undoubtedly one of the all-time elite UFC fighters when it comes to having the best cardio. Four rounds into a fight, he never seems to be sitting in his corner gasping for air. He looks fresh and energetic, and he has shown the strength of his cardio multiple times.

One of the great fighters of his generation, Volkanovski’s first fight against defending champion Islam Makhachev was one for the ages. The two men exchanged blows for five rounds, even though Makhachev's ground game and wrestling skills can exhaust opponents quickly.

Volkanovski got to the end of that fight and looked capable of starting it all over again. He wasn’t beaten up badly or sweating. He has recorded several wins against fighters with great stamina, too, beating Max Holloway three times in a trilogy of incredible fights that all went to a decision.
2. Colby Covington Weight Class: Welterweight

For a welterweight fighter, Colby Covington’s cardio levels could easily put him at the very top of this list, and it was a close call to rank him second.

An All-American wrestler in college, the relentless Covington has proven that he is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC, too. He’s incredibly efficient in how he uses his energy while shooting for takedowns -- much like Sean Strickland is with his advances.

Covington looks like one of the very few fighters who could just keep going and going. Max Holloway and Volkanovski are also impressive in that way, but there is a considerable gap between the top two names on this list and everybody else.

Covington is not just a knockout fighter, because he has also claimed unanimous-decision wins in fights against Jorge Masvidal, Robbie Lawler, Tyron Woodley, Rafael dos Anjos, and several others.

He has twice lost to Kamaru Usman, but the way he battled back in the second half of their second encounter at UFC 268 was amazing. Covington appeared defeated after the first two rounds, but once again, his impressive cardio kicked in -- allowing him to push through and take the fight the full distance.
1. Merab Dvalishvili

Weight Class: Bantamweight

Merab Dvalishvili has yet to lose in the UFC since making his debut in 2020. His overall record of 17-4 includes eight straight wins in the UFC against high-level fighters, including Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and Jose Aldo.

His secret weapon is his unbelievable cardio. Considering his fighting style, it is truly remarkable that he’s able to keep it up for as long as he does. While others such as Colby Covington and Alex Volkanovski are efficient in terms of how they use their energy, the always energetic Dvalishvili doesn’t need to rely on such a strategy.

He is completely reckless with his takedown attempts -- swinging uncontrollably at times. Watching him fight, one would expect Dvalishvili to run out of gas by the end of Round 1, but he just never seems to tire.

His brawl with Petr Yan was electric, and he is fully deserving of the title shot coming his way in the UFC bantamweight division.

In the UFC power rankings for the best cardio levels, Dvalishvili takes the prize every time.

Parameters of Rankings

These elite cardio fighters have been ranked based on performances that have proven their level of endurance, as well as their reputation for fighting deep into the late rounds of UFC matches.

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