Who is the smallest and shortest UFC fighter ever?

As people say, size doesn’t matter and it’s even more true when looking at MMA. Over the years, there have been various small fighters that have gone on to have successful careers, with some even dominating their respective weight classes. Whilst short fighters may have a disadvantage in terms of reach, thankfully they can make up for it by being stockier and more muscular and strong as a result. For those who favor wrestling especially, being short is arguably an advantage.

Without further talk, here’s a list of the smallest UFC fighters to have stepped inside the octagon (fighters below are ranked in height order from tallest to shortest. Remember, this is based on the UFC and isn’t including other fighting promotions)

Henry Cejudo – 5’4″

Henry Cejudo was one of few men to defeat Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson and then went on to win the vacant Bantamweight belt too. This gave him a rare entry into the double champion club that very few have ever achieved. Cejudo came into MMA with a stellar wrestling record, winning gold at the 2008 Olympics. When fighting in the UFC, he wasted no time using his superior wrestling skills but also combined them nicely with other arts such as Karate. Often, he is mocked online for his height but clearly Cejudo is no joke and is one of the greatest UFC fighters ever.

Tim Gorman – 5’4″

Unlike Cejudo, Gorman’s MMA record or legacy was not as good. Retiring in 2015, Gorman left the cage with a 9-4 record which spanned across various promotions. He fought in the UFC twice and lost both times and was nicknamed ‘The Psycho’. This nickname wasn’t far off the mark either, when in 2020 he was arrested for possession of drugs and was put on bail with a $250,000 bail.

Bruno Silva – 5’4’’

Bruno Silva is a Brazilian fighter that made his UFC debut in 2009. Best known for his heavy punches, Silva has racked up several knockout victories in his career that shows that even though he’s small, he still packs a heavy punch. Like Cejudo, he fought in the Flyweight division and has had mixed results. However, in his home country of Brazil, Silvas record is substantially better and here he went 8-3 before joining the US company.

Ray Borg – 5’4″

Fighting between the Flyweight and Catchweight divisions, Borg is also known for missing weight. With this in mind, it’s fair to say that even though he’s small, Ray Borg is very strong and muscular for his size. This frame bought him wins over the likes of Smolka and Jussier Formiga. Although Borg had a steady record in the UFC, he was eventually cut in 2020 which may have been to do with his weight issues. After this, he joined UAE promotion UAE Warriors to continue his career.

Chad Mendes – 5’4″

At the higher end of 5’4″, Chad Mendes went on an impressive 11-0 record earlier on in his career. This run was stopped by Jose Aldo in a Featherweight Championship match. He fought for this belt twice more in the future, but lost yet again to Aldo and then later against Conor McGregor. Known for his wrestling and strong takedowns, Mendes even beat BJJ expert Jeff Glover in a grappling match. Mendes retired from MMA in 2018, eventually moving into bare knuckle boxing in 2021.

Joseph Benavidez – 5’4″

Joseph Benavidez is one of those unlucky fighters who goes on a great run, only to stumble in title matches and comes away without being the champion. In his case in the UFC, this happened with Demetrious Johnson and others who got the better of him. Even before his UFC days, Benavidez fought for the WEC title but came up short against Dominic Cruz. Still, he’s known as one of the better Flyweight athletes in MMA, before losing a string of matches later on in his career.

Marcus Brimage – 5’4″

Marcus Brimage fought at Bantamweight in the UFC and even faced off against Conor McGregor earlier on in the Irishman’s career. Although Brimage got off to a good start to his UFC career, a number of losses followed, leading to his release in 2015. Since then, Brimage fought at various promotions but without luck, only harming his record even more so. An interesting fact about Brimage is that almost all of his fights are either won or lost by some sort of decision. This means, he’s very tough to finish but rarely finished opponents himself. This means that if you face him, you’re in for a tough bout.

Demetrious Johnson – 5’3″

Demetrious Johnson is known as one of the greatest ever in MMA and the UFC. Known as ‘Mighty Mouse, DJ completely dominated the Flyweight UFC division for years, before joining Asian promotion ONE. During his UFC run, he lost twice (once to Cejudo and once to Dominic Cruz). He also racked up an impressive 15 wins during his reign and was known for being skilled in all areas. In 2018, he broke the record for consecutive title defenses in the UFC which stood at 11 when he beat Ray Borg. He did this in style, hitting a suplex straight into an armbar which was arguably one of the greatest submissions sequences ever in MMA.

John Lineker – 5’3″

Another small fighter from Brazil, Lineker once had a record of 5-4 in his earlier career, before turning things around. In his home country, he fought in promotions such as Jungle Fight before entering the UFC and had a number of big victories. Although Lineker was often featured in the top 10 rankings, he never quite got a title shot. This was perhaps due to him fighting in Flyweight, Bantamweight, and Catchweight whilst working for the UFC. Arguably, had he stuck at Catchweight, he may have got a chance at earning the belt. Regardless, this shows how stocky Lineker was, as he could fluctuate between three weight classes during his time at the UFC.

John Dodson – 5’3″

Dodson was a veteran within the UFC promotion and fought (and lost) for the Flyweight title once against (surprise, surprise…) Demetrious Johnson. During this time, Dodson showed his qualities in beating the likes of TJ Dillashaw, Nathaniel Wood and Pedro Munhoz amongst others. Although Dodson won over 20 matches throughout his entire MMA career, only two of these came from submissions – proving that he was a real brawler who liked to scrap and throw hands.

Hector Sandoval – 5’2’’

Also known as Kid Alex, Sandoval is probably the smallest UFC fighter ever and his nickname is fitting in that respect. Sandoval began his career fighting in his native Mexico, where he lost his pro debut but then went on a 8-1 win streak. Joining the UFC later on in his career, Sandoval won various belts at other promotions before making the switch. Like all on this list, he is an example of not being the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that counts!

Special mention: Mark Hunt 5’10”

Obviously, Mark Hunt is by far the biggest on this list and 5’10” is slightly taller than the world’s average. However, Hunt is special as he’s fighting in the heavyweight division, where the vast majority of fighters are easily over 6’0″. The New Zealand native began fighting in Japan in the early 2000s, before joining the UFC. As you can imagine by his height, Hunt was incredibly broad and weighed 120KG. Here, he was known for giving fans a slugfest and win or lose, you were guaranteed a knockout. This earned him legendary status amongst fans and although he never became the Heavyweight Champion, he still won the hearts of fans.