# Who is the best French UFC fighter of all time?

> France waited years for homegrown UFC contenders, and now heavyweights, flyweights and lightweights all have a case.

*By YPB Team · Published November 11, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-french-ufc-fighter-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Ciryl Gane** — score 1000/1000
   French heavyweight who won the interim UFC heavyweight title by stopping Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 in 2021 and later challenged Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones for the undisputed belt.
2. **Cheick Kongo** — score 590/1000
   French heavyweight and former kickboxer who went 11-6-1 in the UFC between his 2006 debut and 2013 before moving to Bellator.
3. **Francis Ngannou** — score 500/1000
   Cameroon-born heavyweight who also holds French citizenship, won the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 260 in 2021 and defended it against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in 2022.
4. **Cyrille Diabaté** — score 389/1000
   French light heavyweight and former kickboxer who fought in PRIDE before competing in the UFC.
5. **Benoît Saint Denis** — score 0/1000
   French lightweight who knocked out Beneil Dariush in 16 seconds at UFC 322 in November 2025 and stopped Dan Hooker in 2026.
6. **Nassourdine Imavov** — score 0/1000
   French middleweight who knocked out Israel Adesanya in February 2025 and beat Caio Borralho at UFC Paris that September.
7. **Manon Fiorot** — score 0/1000
   French flyweight who challenged Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC women's flyweight title at UFC 315 in May 2025, losing a decision.

Tags: sports, ufc, france, fighters, mma