What Is The Greatest Era In UFC History? 

The Machida Era

Silva, GSP, Jones, Rampage, Machida, etc. That was my GOAT era

For me it was about 2008 to around 2016 or so. The rise of Anderson Silva, GSP, Cain and JDS were the new breed of heavyweight. Just too many legends to even name. Brock came in and pissed everyone off and we had a new crop of people to call casuals. We still had pride legends getting it done, TUF was on fire and Dana was calling people drunken retards every other episode. With all of that said, MMA was still a fringe sport and was edgy and violent and cool. The people that discovered it had their minds blown and you felt cool for being the guy that didn't watch football or basketball, you were the guy that watched a bloodsport. My favorite thing about this era though was the fact that bjj and muay thai was becoming accessible as a hobby and that's where I picked it up and it's still my passion these years later. From a skinny 14 year old kid stepping on the mats to now being a guy that's helping guide the young guns in their martial arts journeys. It all started post TUF.

The era that stands out to me is one where it felt like NONE of the Champions would EVER change... D.Johnson/R.Barao/J.Aldo/B.Henderson/GSP/A.Silva/J.Jones/C.Valasquez... crazy to think that today not only is Bones still on the list, but hes the Heavyweight Champ... Very cool

2006-2013 Anderson Silva's Title reign. During that period, LHW and HW was just crazy

2007-2012 was peak UFC. Really 2005-2017 or so, but I tried to keep it to a 5 year window for the 'peak'

Early 2010’s so far is my pick

I personally believe that the increase in talent relates to what is the greatest era. Since the talent has constantly gone up, the quality of fights and craziness of the results also has. Plus it’s cooler now that the champion is truly a world champion, rather than a champion of a niche sport from either the USA or Brazil.

Not sure if it's through nostalgia but my personal favorite time with the UFC was definitely in the middle (03-13). I feel like the amount it rose from VHS tapes to PPVs was such a huge jump in both competitors and famousness and just overall quality. I feel like the more recent years just seem to polish on what the mid era created.

I think we're still coming into it. The idea that there's a bunch of kids coming into this sport, that have trained a mix of wrestling, BJJ, Muay Thai and boxing since elementary school, with the sole intent of joining the UFC, is amazing.

For me, the greatest time was 2006-2013. Hughes vs Gracie was the first fight I saw and that time period was my OBSESSION with UFC.

I got into MMA in 2005; I was stationed in Japan and my friend had several Pride and UFC DVDs we used to watch in the barracks. Pride was still the top dog then; the production quality and atmosphere is still unmatched in my eyes. The quality of the fights is the best right now, but the show has yet to surpass PRIDE.

I got into MMA/UFC in around 2006. So for me, the Golden Era will always be the days of: Chuck, Tito, Randy, Matt Hughes, BJ Penn, GSP, Anderson Silva, Forrest And of course the best era of TUF too: Seasons 1-11 were insane entertainment

If its not based on the ever growing talent then the best era for MMA was probably between 2010-2015. The crossover between Rousey, Lesnar and Mcgregor to a wider non-MMA fan audience was huge and I don't think the UFC will have that same level of mainstream appeal for a long time. The beginning of the TUF era is personally my favourite.

The GSP era. It bridges so many great things. You see the ushering out of the brawlers and meatheads and the blending of the martial arts nerds with athletes and killers.

My favorite era was roughly 2003-2009. Middle School-High School for me. Liddell vs Ortiz/UFC 47 was one of the first fights I remember a lot of people being really excited about. I remember telling my friend’s step dad that I thought Liddell would KO Tito. He thought Tito would take Liddell down and control/submit him. I think MTV did a documentary on their training camps? Saw the fight at my Aunt & Uncle’s. Such a good time. Best fight I saw live in person was Strikeforce: Shamrock vs Le. My dad got us great tickets the day of. He had good connections. The energy was amazing. Vietnamese flags waving everywhere. San Jose is my hometown and it felt like the fight for San Jose. I loved going to the events at the HP Pavilion. I was a little shocked when Frank dropped to the floor while walking back to his corner. Had no idea he got his arm broken. What a night. UFC, Pride, and Strikeforce all putting on great fights and then the UFC buying both and putting together fights we could only imagine prior was great but it was also sad to see the other promotions end. What an era for MMA. One of the things that really interested me in MMA was the rear naked choke and eventually submissions in general. At the time I didn’t that was a way you could win a fight. I used to think you could only win by KO/the other person giving up. It blew my mind.

Early 2000s to mid 2010s. Great fights, not over saturated, and not so many aloud mouth, cocky pricks. That last one has really pushed me away from mma in the last few year as. I miss fighters that showed class

If Tommy Toehold was a marvel comic book hero his passion for this sport would be his superpower. Fucking great video

Now is probably the best time to be a fan because there are more good fighters in solid promotions than ever before, but that iconic lineup of champions in the 2011-2012 era was probably the most proud I have ever been to be an MMA fan. Even as the sport continued to mature and grow, a certain darkness accompanied Conor's arrival and Jon Jones' personal decline. Somewhere in there it stopped being fun for me. It has mostly recovered, but I don't know if we'll ever see a slate of demigods like that atop the sport again.

Im 47 and have been involved in MMA since it was called NHB. Too me the greatest era for the sport is the Pride era.

If you have a time when GSP, Anderson, JBJ & Cain are all champs at the same time... that's the best era.

I would say between 03-13 was the "Attitude Era" of the UFC like it was in the WWE/WWF. Such a huge and successful time for the promotion.

My timeline The dark age 1993-2001 The Zuffa era 2001-2005 The TUF era 2005-2010 The Legacy era 2010-2015 The Rousey/Mcgregor era 2015-2018 The ESPN era 2018-2020 The Pandemic era 2020-2021 The Modern ere 2021-Present

I’d say between the TUF boom era and the McGregor era.

2005-2015 was a crazy decade for this sport.

The late 2000s into the early 2010s was probably the absolute peak of the UFC. From the TUF Boom to the JBJ Vs DC rivalry, you had something for everyone in every card. It was truly a golden era that I don’t think will ever be replicated

a Tommy Toe Hold video always gets an immediate thumbs up. Every single one is always a banger.

So much knowledge and hard work gone into this. Great stuff!

I think the most exciting era was the Chuck to Anderson era, because that's when we were starting to get legitimately extremely talented fighters who were also cross trained, but there was also still a lot of variation in styles, you still had wrestlers, and muay thai fighters, and boxers, today pretty much everyone is just a mixed martial artist. And obviously fighters still have different strengths and tendencies, but the style of fighting has become a lot more uniform as the sport has progressed. That being said, I think the best era as far as fighters skills is definitely right now, and its still getting better. The downside to that is that there are often more slow paced, tactical fights, because everyone is so good at defending.

Always interested to hear when people first started watching, i started at UFC 60 when I was twelve, the return of Royce Gracie about one month after I was shown the VHS tapes of UFC 1

Keep them coming MMA on point, love these historic recapitulation videos.

Its tough. Maybe the Silva, GSP era.

Keep this kind of content coming guys the long form stuff is absolutely fantastic! 👍👍

2007-2013 was MMA at its PEAK

Great video refreshing thing to think about & makes the fandom just that lil more interesting , thank you.

Fantastic video as always! Love these type of videos

My God, i started following MMA as a regular fan since 2016 and to see that's arleady a period of past makes me feel nostalgic and little sad. This video reminds me why i love MMA - its history, legendary fighters, awesome fights, its place in the pop culture, the counter culture image, becoming more mainstream than before, the controversial moments, the whole concept of the sport to blend all the fighting styles and to become a complete fighter, the respect and etc. I didn't feel so excited about MMA for a long time. Thank you MMA On Point.

you guys consistently crank out amazing content👏🏼👏🏼

Youve been putting out really unique mma content. Love it

this video was awesome guys, great job.

I really got into MMA and started training during the Dark Age/Pride Era, around 2001. I was and still am completely in love with PrideFC and that era, I think the World Domination Era leading into the Mainstream Era was the best balance of overall talent, competition, entertainment, amount of shows per year, and cost/access from home was the at its peak as of yet. I used to be able to put events off until my cable bill was due before ESPN+ put up a second paywall. Its fine, but the ease of access has to account for something.

Another great video, you guys are on fire 🔥

Thank you MMA on Point for making this!

The whole time watching this thinking this channel has came such a long way as well! Great job guys! This is my most trusted MMA channel!

Around 2010 was the best years imo

You guys are awesome. Great video.

TUF Era. I was a 14-year-old 240lb fat kid that just started wrestling. Seeing as wrestling was almost never on TV, the UFC having a weekly show dedicated to fighting, and MMA being loaded with wrestlers it seemed like the logical thing to watch. Watching the first 10 or so seasons of TUF, remembering the fighters from that era, it was really a special time in the sport. Just far enough away from the start that guys weren't fighting in Gi's, and the best guys were becoming complete fighters. But not so far ahead in the current era where its sterilized and mainstream. I find myself longing for the tribal tattoo, Nu-Metal and TapouT branding I saw as a kid watching current UFC cards. They seem so paint-by-numbers compared to the old UFC. Go watch a TUF Finale in The Pearl at the Palms and then watch a show at the Apex and tell me that the UFC as a product isn't truly well past its peak. Also, the classic paring of Mike Goldberg doing his best and Joe Rogan when he was all in on being a commentator is something I really miss. It was like watching the WWF in the Attitude Era with JR and Jerry the King Lawlor on commentary. It just worked.

Great video 💯

This is such great content! Congrats gents on what you’re doing

I started watching during the Khabib era. I remember the world talking about UFC ,every news channel covering it. He made the spot popular in the Asian and middle eastern region.

Ive been a casual fan since the tough boom but shoved all in during the pandemic era. I rewatched TUF season 1 and stumbled upon this channel which is how i got up to speed through the years i sparsley watched.

I've been watching sense I was a 5 year old back in 97, I think the best Era was during the spike/tuf Era only because of all the great cards they had on TV for free. Really think they need to fade away from all the ppvs to truly grow larger and a better fan friendly approach

Spot on with the Nostalgia hits bro!

I've been a fan since 1993 but my favorite time was when they had 1 PPV a month. The whole fight card was Amazing! I was on the edge of my seat with every fight.

Started off with the Liddell and Tito era, but Anderson Silva really solidifies my love for the UFC

The best era is the one where I was introduced to the sport and have the most nostalgia.

That was a lot of fun. Great video, great sport.

I don’t have a favorite but I do look back with nostalgia on certain era’s because of the good times I shared with friends and loved ones that have since moved on or passed away. Since I have been watching since UFC 1 I’ve cycled through a lot of people and experiences.

2012 - 2016 was the peak for me.

I started watching at 17 or so during the GSP Silva era so that will always be the best era for me. I had been following boxing since I was a kid and fighting as an amateur for a couple years at the time. MMA didn't click for a year or so I thought it was either way to violent or way to boring. However, had a good highschool friend who also fought and he really got me into it to where I had one amateur fight myself. I think I stopped following it so hard around a year or two before COVID. I just got really really hooked into boxing again and that became and still kinda is the only sport I follow really hard. I'll still watch other stuff, but boxing definitely takes priority over everything else.

Like it or not, Dana is one of the greatest CEO in sports industry

I think I enjoy typos and errors more when they're from my favorite channels because I can do a chuckle and then move on. Excellent video 👍

It’s a shame because I’ve only recently become obsessed with this sport. I think my first event was 291. The history of this sport is just amazing, watching old fights has fanned my love for sports

I‘m impressed by you‘re performance Tommy

Great video!!! I’m going to have to think about my answer.

The TUF era of 2005-2009(ish) was an incredible time for mma fans. If you weren't watching before the Ultimate Fighter debuted you just can't understand how amazing it was to have fights on television every single week. Before that, you relied on your local movie rental store to watch past UFC pay-per-view events, or you hoped to catch Pride/K1 at 3am on ESPN2. After season 1 of TUF, mixed martial arts became so much more readily available and it was AWESOME.

The pride era was truly a thing of beauty ❤️nothing even close to it since imo. Ufc after the pride buyout was right up there to with shogun and machida, Silvas domination, gsp and bj Penn, TUF, Cain and jds a bit later and the beginning and the end of chucks career 😢 everything that was happening during those times made for great times in the sport!

Lol such a good ending to the video. I came in during Connors fight with nate but then got fight pass and literally watched everything. I think those first few ufcs are amazing. I had heard of Chuck Lidell but didn't know much about the sport other than he was like a badass or something. I lost my interest until izzy started popping and I think the gastelum izzy fight brought me back and im so interested in just everything now. Cyborg vs nunes was insane. I could argue that we are in the best Era now but I think we should all just be happy that we have the sport in general. Great video love you guys long time supporter thank you so much.

The consolidation era. When the UFC folded in Pride, then WEC, then Strikeforce. So many dream fights became reality. So fun

Great video..❤

I remember being 14 & watching the first season of TUF & and I have been hooked ever since

You SHOULD MAKE a seperate video talking about the GREATEST era in MMA Period x so that includes PRIDE era and Strikeforce as well, MMA history is NOT JUST exclusively the UFC x we can't forget the run of prime fedor, the prime Wandelei - Axe-murderer- Silva or strikeforce nick diaz etc

As a young lad I remember going to my buddy's house cuz his dad had the trade tape vhs in 1995 -96. I was hooked I was about 7 been a fan ever since. Its what got me fighting in Muay Thai and Competing in Judo. I think before I get too old I need to take to the cage a couple times just to experience what I have been a fan of for so long. in my opinion I'd say The beginning, pride and up through chuck/randy were the best times to be a fan. My all time favorite fighter is don frye, and what was always fun was being able to follow your favorite fighter through their career. Now days fighters maybe will fight a 4 or 5 times then get cut unless you're a champion or crazy abstract like Yair Rodriguez.

Thanks Tommy 👍 You know us well!

The correct answer is it's yet to happen. There's always nostalgia attached to when you first got into the sport. Like the iconic sounds of mike Goldberg and Joe rogan, the fighters like liddell, ortiz ext but the fights back then where nowhere near as technical and as impressive as the ones now. And in 10 years from now it will be the same. It's a great sport and it will always be a great sport to watch.

Been watching mma since the UFC 1-3 days when my fight happy uncle would buy the VHS tapes. My favorite era though is pre-pandemic Silva, Jones, McGregor. Where you could go to a sports bar to catch a PPV and it would be packed to the gills. These days I can watch fights online every weekend, which I enjoy. But I miss going to a sports bar and knowing it would be packed for the PPV

I love this channel 🎉🎉🎉🎉

It basically started with the TUF 1 finale because thats what saved not only the UFC but MMA in general. Its hard to say where the end was

The Gracie clan says it was in the first years so their form of BJJ dominated due to no one knowing how to defend it, along with no time limits and judges to rule in favor of shamrock in that one fight where Gracie spent the fight on his back, getting hit repeatedly, and no rules which is what saved Royce vs Kimo when he clearly grabs hair

Life was much simpler when the champions we're: HW: Cain LHW: Jones MW: Silva WW: GSP LW: Henderson FW: Aldo BW: Cruz IBW: Barao FLW: Johnson WB: Rousey

Well thank you for the nostalgia trip through the eras 😏🤜🤛

My introduction to the UFC was the ESPN era but I didn’t become a super fan until the Pandemic era. Having gone back and watched classic fights (along with all of your videos acting as history lessons of the sport), I’ve gotta agree that every era was great and offered a lot to the viewers of that time

I actually loved the pandemic era. Something felt so surreal about hearing every single strike. Watch Dan Hooker and Dustin go at it in the apex was like the closest thing I think I’ll ever get to the kumite in my lifetime. Or hearing Gathje break Tony, those were those fights you just wanted to hear and have everyone around you shut the fuck up

While I'm not sure it qualifies at the best, but the period from UFC 52-100 was my favorite. TUF boom, Pride acquisition, so many legendary fights and fighters. Maybe it's nostalgia, but it was awesome

Hughes, Liddell, Silva/Franklin era is why i watch MMA and TUF 1 of course the whole show me and my friends were in the eight grade and blown away since then ive been a hardcore fan

For me its the World Domination Era which I mark from 2011 (UFC on Fox and post-Lesnar) to 2016 (The Sale of the UFC to Endeavour). This era represented the zenith of the exponential growth of the sport: The UFC undeniably had all the best fighters on the roster, the level of skill was at a height that only saw a shallow growth from 2016 to today, the UFC entered the mainstream, the brass' desire to sell the company incentivised them to put the best product out as they possibly, and to cap it all off the era ends with 2016 which is the greatest year the sport has ever had.

I came across the sport around 2014 and ever since then I've been a fan

I agree that it’s hard to pick an era, but this video is amazing regardless!

This video was epic! I'm a fan of the Rich Franklin era personally.

Started watching mma in 04, and todays fighters are so damn good it’s hard to compare the guys from back then, of course the mid 2000s holds a special place in my heart, but the guys from today are so skilled.

The best is yet to come

I came in as a Kid in the NoRules Era, Spent hours online downloading Bootleg copies of the first 8 UFC Events then kept up as they came out, Left andc ame back a few times but The Match between Gordeau and the Samoan is the "Spark" when i think of my initial love for the sport. (I was fkn 8)

Spike TV Era. So many of my friends got together to watch fights during that time. People would pitch in on the PPV and enjoy the night. I miss those days.

The tuf boom is my favourite. Fighters had distinct styles. MMA wasn't very meta yet where everyone is pretty good everywhere

I will never forgive you for tricking me into watching this amazing walk down memory lane, Tommy.

The best is yet to come.

I started watching the UFC right in between the mainstream/ESPN eras. 2014-present. Before that, I would see a clip or two, but it never really caught my eye. It's been almost 10 years and I don't regret it at all. ✌️

My favorite era was when i got to watch UFC6 Shamrock vs Severn PPV for free somehow at my grandparents house by luck of timing and flipping through channels. I was hooked since that day

I’ve been a fan since UFC 1, that era… watching live was mind blowing. Absolutely nothing like it. ….but…. No arguments for the GSP, Silva, Jones, Cain era. Bringing in the WEC & Strikeforce talent was fun to watch as well.

These videos are so good. I wondered how you guys would keep making content. Thought maybe someday, running out of topics would be an issue! But no. It just gets better and better!!!!!