For a country that is so small, New Zealand has produced well above its fair share of top MMA fighters who have graced the UFC in the past.
The UFC’s return to Australia this month for UFC Perth gives the opportunity for not just the best Australian fighters, but also some of the finest Kiwis to battle at the event.
The show is headlined by New Zealand’s Carlos Ulberg, who is staking his claim as one of his country’s greatest ever fighters.
With that being said, here are the top 5 greatest MMA fighters to come from New Zealand, so keep reading to find out where Ulberg ranks among the all-time greats.
5. Mark Hunt
Battling through a tough childhood and two terms in jail, Mark Hunt became one of New Zealand’s greatest fighters during his time in the Heavyweight division in the UFC.
The Super Samoan began his career in K-1 in Japan before joining the UFC in 2007, taking on all the top Heavyweights of his day in bone-crushing fights.
Hunt boasted wins over legends like Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo, coming close to becoming UFC Heavyweight champion when he was knocked out by Fabricio Werdum in 2014.
UFC 200 saw Hunt in one of the featured matches against Brock Lesnar, showing just how far he’d climbed to face the former champion in his return fight in the company.
4. Dan Hooker
Dan “The Hangman” Hooker has been a UFC stalwart for over a decade, earning his stripes and representing New Zealand in a competitive landscape for a long time.
Since debuting in 2014 with a TKO win over Ian Entwistle, Hooker has remained a key part of the UFC with 22 fights over 11 years, in both the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions.
While the Kiwi fighters have yet to be featured in a title fight, their record of 14 wins and 8 losses in the promotion has made them a trusted figure, especially with the various Performance of the Night bonuses he has won.
Hooker is only 35 and could have years left in his career, so a future title shot and unlikely run as UFC Champion is not out of the question for Hangman.
3. Carlos Ulberg
Ulberg quickly emerged as one of the UFC’s most promising Light Heavyweight prospects and is well on his way to a title fight in the near future.
The #3-ranked Light Heavyweight will have one eye on Magomed Ankalaev when he takes on Dominick Reyes at UFC Perth.
The Kiwi fighter knows a big win can launch him up the rankings, potentially into the #1 spot and into a title fight with the reigning Light Heavyweight champion.
This would make Ulberg the first Kiwi-born UFC Light Heavyweight champion in history, cementing his hard-won spot as one of his country’s most impressive fighters ever.
2. Kai Kara-France
Born in Auckland and of Maori and French heritage, Kai Kara-France has proved himself to be one of New Zealand’s most impressive exports with his performances in the UFC Flyweight division.
Kara-France possesses speed and power that is rare at 125 lbs, and is more than comfortable standing up and brawling as he is grappling on the octagon floor.
He has come close to becoming world champion, falling short against Brandon Morena and then again to Alexandre Pantoja in Flyweight world title shots.
With 38 fights in his career, “Don’t Blink” has bags of experience to go with his talent and could well become a world champion one day.
1. Israel Adesanya
Born in Nigeria before moving to New Zealand as a child, Israel Adesanya has represented his adopted nation proudly in his exploits in the UFC.
Adesanya is a two-time UFC world champion, first beating Kelvin Gastelum to become the Middleweight champion in 2019, before regaining the title against Alex Pereira in 2023.
The rangy, six-foot-four striker is one of the most impressive fighters in the game, both technically and psychologically.
He is one of the best counter-punchers in MMA, which has allowed the Nigerian-Kiwi to score some impressive knockouts in his career, like his finish of Pereira in his second title win.
While he may be on a three-fight losing streak at the moment, Adesanya has done his adopted country proud in his career as New Zealand’s top fighter in MMA history.