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Conor McGregor, Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov: Which UFC fighter has the most TikTok views?

Conor McGregor suit

TikTok has revolutionised social media, but which UFC fighter has managed to garner the most attention on the platform?

In just a few short years, TikTok has become one of the biggest and most addictive social media platforms in the world.

Here are the top 10 UFC fighters with the most views on the platform. Keep in mind, the numbers posted are at the time of writing!

10 - Francis N'Gannou (1.1Billion views)

Beating out the likes of Liverpool loudmouth Paddy Pimblett and Brazilian striking sensation Alex Pereira to number 10 is former heavyweight champion Francis N'Gannou.

Using the hashtag #francisngannou you find clips of the Cameroonian's devastating knockout power. You can also see his contemporaries discussing his plaudits and shortcomings, as well as heartbreaking stories of his rise from the mines of his home country to UFC gold.

His most viewed clip is Dana White famously describing his punching power as being equivalent to being hit by a Ford Escort at top speed. Layered over is footage of him using that same power to finish Jairzinho Rozenstruik - a devastating display of one punch power.

His life hasn't been all money and fame though. N'Gannou's story of poor immigrant child working in the sand mines of Batie, Cameroon, to the most feared knockout artist of his generation and UFC champion is one that brings inspiration to all who hear it.

A man who had nothing handed to him, who had to cross borders illegally to pursue a better life and shed blood, sweat and tears doing it all. Francis N'Gannou's rise to UFC and TikTok stardom is heartwarming and humbling - long may his success continue.

9 - Tony Ferguson (1.3Billion views)

"El Cucuy" - a name that means "The Boogeyman" - certainly is accurate for Tony Ferguson.

The former interim UFC lightweight champion and winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 13, Ferguson is an eccentric but deadly character in and out of the cage.

The hashtag #tonyferguson provides a mix of his in-cage antics, often him covered in blood with a menacing grin on his face, or his out of the cage interviews where he ranges from insightful and poetic to unhinged and full of rage.

A true renaissance man inside the cage, his unorthodox striking technique and black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Eddie Bravo led Ferguson to become the boogeyman in the lightweight division - a man who few would dare challenge and who title holders often avoided.

Unfortunately for Ferguson, the only truly undefeated participant in combat sports is father time. A brutalization at the hands of Justin Gaethje was the beginning of a five-fight losing streak that has seen him fall from the rankings.

Included in that run of defeats was a highlight for the ages as former Bellator lightweight champion delivered a front kick to Ferguson's jaw that knocked him unconscious. A still image of the kick landing on Ferguson's chin is still being reposted all over the internet.

Despite these setbacks Ferguson is yet to announce his retirement. He gave no indication of this after his submission loss to Nate Diaz in September 2022, however many fans have called for him to hang the gloves up, feeling as if the division has passed him by.

Should that be the case, he should be remembered for his achievements rather than his shortcomings; winning The Ultimate Fighter, capturing the interim lightweight title and a 12-fight win streak that saw him defeat some of the most acclaimed fighters in the division.

8 - Dustin Poirier (1.8Billion views)

Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier is one of the most exciting fighters to ever step into the cage.

Another former interim UFC lightweight champion, Poirier captured the title and the hearts of many after a dominant performance over featherweight kingpin Max Holloway at UFC 236 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Poirier's stoppage of Justin Gaethje garnered massive interest from the general public, in a battle to determine who really was 'the most violent man in the UFC'.

When searching through the #dustinpoirier hashtag, you are greeted primarily with press conferences and post-fight interactions.

His high-profile fights with Conor McGregor fueled a media frenzy, from moments of respect to accusations of Poirier's wife being unfaithful (or "In me DM's" as Conor so eloquently put it).

Looking at the faces of opponents such as Michael Chandler or Dan Hooker, you might think they had been fed through a woodchipper rather than a fist fight, but that is the kind of damage Poirier does, leaving post-fight interviews often comprising of his opponents praising his skills and most likely needing a long recovery period.

7 - Islam Makhachev (1.8Billion views)

The prince who became king, the man who many saw as the successor to Khabib Nurmagomedov's throne, Islam Makhachev has captured UFC gold and the attention of the public.

The current UFC lightweight champion has trained alongside his friend and surrogate brother Khabib Nurmagomedov since the two were children and the former always saw him as the successor to his lightweight throne.

After capturing the belt from champion Charles Oliveira, Makhachev entertained current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski to the weight class for a clash between the pound for pound number two and three.

A close fight saw Makhachev come out the victor by unanimous decision. He is now facing a landscape of challengers in the deepest UFC division, with his next fight not only being highly anticipated but highly scrutinized as he looks to escape the shadow of Nurmagomedov.

The hashtag #islammakhachev shows that community and teamwork are at the heart of Makhachev's success.

Whether that be his connection to his faith or his constant accompaniment by members of his Russian teammates, Makhachev shows that one man may wear the belt, but it takes many men to earn it.

6 - Khamzat Chimaev (2.1Billion views)

Bold, brash and beasting through his opposition like a hot knife through butter, the rise of Sweden's Khamzat Chimaev has been a thrill to watch, and as he has caught plenty of attention along the way for better and worse.
Entering the UFC having dominated the regional circuit in the Middle East, Chimaev stormed through his first three opponents in the UFC with each win adding to his mystique.

Against John Phillips in his UFC debut, he was dominant, exploiting the Welshman's lackluster grappling to secure a D'Arce Choke submission in the second round.

Then came Rhys McKee ten days later, the quickest turnaround in modern day history led to an even faster finish, this time by ground and pound in the first round. The public took more interest but a star making performance would be needed to send the hype train into overdrive.

That performance came exactly eight weeks later. Chimaev went up from welterweight to middleweight and starched the toughest opponent of his career Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds.

Despite some of his fights being short enough to be put on TikTok in their entirety, the #khamzatchimaev hashtag rarely shows the Swede actually fighting in its most popular videos.

His fearless staredowns, his jovial demeanor outside of the cage and his interactions with members of his faith are what dominate his most popular videos, showing the life outside of the cage for one of the UFC's most dominant future stars.

5 - Israel Adesanya (2.2Billion views)

Israel Adesanya defeated longtime rival Alex Pereira to reclaim middleweight gold and you best believe he had something to say about it.

TikTok is the perfect home for Adesanya. A wildly entertaining personality who always has a joke to crack or an opponent to aggravate, his content is perfect to be clipped up for TikTok and introduced to the masses.

Since his victory over Pereira, the main item on the #israeladesanya hashtag has been related to his somewhat bizarre post-fight celebration.
As he approached the side of the cage, Adesanya pointed to the crowd before dropping dead to the floor, an unexpected reaction to some, Adesanya explained all in his post-fight press conference.
"The first time he knocked me out in Brazil, his son came into the ring and just started to lie dead next to me, and I'm like you fucking little asshole I'm gonna whoop your ass if your dad don't do it for you. But then I looked for his kid and pointed at him and I saw him, and I was like hey *mimes lying dead on the cage* just to remind him"

The moment has over two million likes on a singular TikTok and will likely live on forever as part of the Adesanya highlights package.

4 - Jon Jones (2.5Billion views)

Arguably the greatest fighter to ever lace up a pair of gloves, Jon "Bones" Jones has been a one-man wrecking machine ever since he stepped into the cage for the first time in 2008.

The career of Jon Jones has been one hell of a ride for those who have stuck around, from becoming the youngest champion in UFC history at 23 years old to his arrests for DUI's and the various allegations of PED use, one thing you can't say about being a Jones fan is that it's boring.
From a career standpoint, Jones is practically unmatched when it comes to iconic moments, from knocking Stephan Bonner down with a spinning back elbow to head kicking Daniel Cormier into the stratosphere he has plenty to choose from.

But the most iconic of them all came against Lyoto Machida at UFC 140.

In Jones' second defense of his title, in a match where many predicted "The Dragon's" karate style would cause him issues, he dominated and secured a standing guillotine choke that send Machida to sleep. He went on to mercilessly drop him once the fight was stopped and leave Machida lying unconscious in a heap on the floor.

That moment was Jones at his best, an apex predator who would stop at nothing to eviscerate his prey, truly a ruthless performance from the champion and one that sits on top of the list of not only the #jonjones hashtag but at the top of his highlight reel as well.

3 - Nate Diaz (2.6Billion views)

Nate Diaz is one of the most popular fighters on the planet and with 2.6billion views on TikTok alone it's easy to see why.

A tough as nails boxer with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Cesar Gracie, Diaz is a fighter who loves to put on a show.

His rivalry with Conor McGregor is what put Diaz into the wider public eye, with their UFC 196 press tour becoming the stuff of legend, even before Stockton's favourite son secured one of the biggest upsets of all time.
His #natediaz hashtag is full of reminders of his glittering career in and out of the cage, often seeing Diaz drenched in blood flexing at the camera or performing the famed Stockton slap.

The most notable moment was in his rubber match with Gray Maynard. As Diaz swarmed Maynard with punches, he threw in a Stockton slap before stopping and gesturing to a battered Maynard to ask him "WHAT?" before he continued his onslaught. Diaz would go on to finish Maynard in the first round.

Now seeking opportunities outside of the UFC, Diaz will hopefully be putting up more highlights very soon, wherever he goes though the gangster from West Coast California will live on forever in UFC memory.

2 - Khabib Nurmagomedov (7.2Billion views)

The former pound for pound number one Khabib Nurmagomedov has had a career and a social media reach like few others before or since.

"The Eagle" utilized his smothering Dagestani wrestling style to maul all 29 opponents he faced in his career, retiring with a perfect record and the respect of the sporting world.

A humble man with colossal talent, Nurmagomedov would often refuse to engage in the serious trash talk of his contemporaries. With infinite confidence in his skills, he believed he was the best and that was always good enough to sustain him.

Much like Chimaev and Makhachev, Nurmagomedov is a practicing Muslim and attributes his discipline and success to his faith and community.

His connection to his faith and his family is ultimately what led to his retirement from MMA. After the passing of his father and longtime coach Abdulmanap, he promised his mother he would end his career, but not before one final swansong where he defeated Justin Gaethje and dedicated his performance to his late father.

The #khabib hashtag is an interesting mix of content, although one would expect fight footage of "The Eagle" dominating his foes with his Sambo style to be front and center, it's his interactions with "Mini Khabib" Hasbulla that get the most attention.
Hasbulla has become something of a social media sensation since bursting onto the TikTok scene in 2021, and the Russian's diminutive stature garnered him the moniker "Mini Khabib" due to his association with fighters and love of wrestling.

The two are an odd paring but have fully embraced each other. They share a homeland of Dagestan and a love of fighting, so where Khabib may draw the eye from a fight fan, Hasbulla draws the eye from a wider audience who enjoy watching his journey through the world.

1 - Conor McGregor (13.2billion views)

Who else could it have been? Conor McGregor is a true renaissance man, whose trash talk, and knockout power are far from the only assets the Irishman possesses.

McGregor has been a superstar for years now. A record-breaking knockout of Jose Aldo started it all, the fall and rise of the Nate Diaz saga amplified it and finishing Eddie Alvarez at Madison Square Garden to become the UFC's first ever double champion was the icing on the cake.

But it is another moment that dominates the #conormcgregor hashtag. Wanting a new challenge after the Alvarez fight, he challenged Floyd Mayweather to a fight under a boxing ruleset, stepping out of his comfort zone and into the mainstream.

McGregor had been a revolutionary trash talker in the UFC, but in the pre-fight press against Mayweather he took things to another level, becoming "Money Mac" and destroying Floyd on the mic day after day.
Despite not winning the fight, McGregor did his job perfectly. He created such a buzz around himself that anything he did was must see TV.
His PPV sales never dropped below 1million, his social media following exploded and he became the highest paid athlete in UFC history, not bad for a plumber from Dublin.
READ MORE: Conor McGregor, Holly Holm and Joaquin Buckley: Top 10 knockouts in UFC history

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