One global superstar put Irish MMA on the map; the rest of this list came up alongside him or after him, from both sides of the border.
1Conor McGregorDublin fighter who became the first UFC fighter to hold two championships at the same time when he added the lightweight title to his featherweight belt at UFC 205 in 2016.1000pts
2Cathal PendredFormer Cage Warriors welterweight champion from SBG Ireland who fought in the UFC from 2014 to 2015.912pts
3Ian Machado GarryDublin-born welterweight and former Cage Warriors champion who beat Belal Muhammad in 2025 and challenged Islam Makhachev for the UFC welterweight title in August 2026.912pts
4Paddy HolohanDublin flyweight who won his UFC debut by submission over Josh Sampo in Dublin in 2014 and retired in 2016 because of a rare blood-clotting disorder.410pts
5Neil SeeryDublin flyweight who debuted in the UFC on short notice against Brad Pickett in 2014 and fought there until a 2017 loss to Alexandre Pantoja.410pts
6Norman ParkeLightweight from Bushmills, Northern Ireland, who won The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes in 2012.0pts
Photo credits
- Cathal Pendred — Davidmc5585, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ian Machado Garry — Oisinvg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Paddy Holohan — Sinn Féin, CC BY 2.0
- Neil Seery — Finglas16, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Norman Parke — AMFE, CC BY 3.0
