Top 10 Shortest Male UFC Fighters in History

By Jason Bolton June 03, 2024 11:52

Our image of UFC fighters is often of athletic giants who are nearly invincible in the octagon. However, some of the greatest championship fighters of all time were on the small size. This article will examine the top 10 shortest Male fighters in UFC history and give their insights on titanic careers despite their lack of height.

1. Hector Sandoval – 5'2″ – Flyweight

On the bottom is a guys with his own entry in the UFC record book — Hector Sandoval, better known as “Kid Alex,” who clocks in at 5′ 2″. Sandoval boasts an impressive 15–4 professional MMA record of his own, proving that height is not a factor when it comes to exceling in the sport – you just need skill and determination.

2. Demetrious Johnson - 5'3" - Flyweight

Even though Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is not the tallest male fighter that has stepped in the Octagon, arguably, he has to be one of the most successful and most dominate fighters ever in the history of UFC. Johnson held the flyweight title for six years, and is the inaugural UFC Flyweight Champion and has the record for most consecutive title defenses with 11, the most in UFC history.

3. Antonio Banuelos – 5'3″ – Bantamweight

Antonio Banuelos is the shortest male bantamweight fighter at 5 ft 3 in. Having won 20 times at the pro level with 7 wins by KO/TKO and 1 by submission, he has shown yet again that you do not need to be big to be successful in the octagon.

4.Daniel Teymur - 5'5" -Bantamweight

Standing just 5'5″, the 30-year-old Teymur, known as “Kid Dynamite,” is a power-packed, dynamo of every fighter, having compiled a record of 7-3 and record of 3 submissions in five professional UFC wins.

5. Men's Lightweight (155lbs.) Dennis Bermudez-5'5"

Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez, the shortest UFC fighter in the history of the lightweight division, retired on an impressive mark of 17 wins (4 KO/TKO 3 subs) on the card.

6. Michel Prazeres – 5'6″ – Welterweight

The next step up would be Michel Prazeres, taking inspiration from the legend that is Bruce Lee, Prazeres was just 5'6" and had one of the more successful UFC career win loss records on this list with 27 wins to only four losses to his name. Prazeres proves height is no barrier to success in the UFC.

7. Dalcha Lungiambula — 5'8" — Middleweight

Despite his modest stature, 11 of UFC victories — five by KO/TKO and one by submission — says that Dalcha Lungiambula is rightly named Champion.

8. Light Heavyweight : Ilir Latifi 5'10"

Ilir Latifi comes in at just under six feet tall at 5'10 and has 16 wins in the UFC, including six by KO/TKO and four by submission.

9. Chris Barnett – 5'9″ – Heavyweight

At 5'9″, heavyweight Chris Barnett has shown quite a bit of power, with 18 of his 23 wins coming via knockout, proving that height isn't necessarily a disadvantage.

10. Josiane Nunes 5'2″The women's featherweight

Despite her size, 24-year old Brazilian featherweight Josiane Nunes has been able to smash her way through the UFC with only one career loss and seven knockout victories, professionally.

These five have all bucked the odds and broken through traditional roles and boundaries, showing that size doesn't matter when it comes to ultimate success in the UFC. Their trailblazing journey is a source of inspiration to professional fighters and a testament to the sport's diverse and inclusive landscape.

The bottom line is that your height does not dictate what you are capable of in the sport of MMA. Their stories are a testimony of the fact that it is not physical attributes but determination, skill, and heart that enable one to achieve greatness and they continue to inspire fans and fellow fighters alike with their extraordinary feats.