The White House Is Hosting UFC Freedom 250, And Dan Severn's #25 Spot Has Fans Talking

Alright, Emerald City! You already know the deal: when the stakes are high, we show up. And trust me, the UFC is about to hit stakes like never before. Sunday, UFC Freedom 250 is going down on the South Lawn of the freakin' White House! We're talking America's 250th birthday celebration, a spotlight bigger than anything the Octagon has ever seen. Naturally, when history's being made, we gotta look at the history-makers. We put together our list of the 25 best American fighters to ever grace the UFC, and yeah, we went deep. You're not ready for some of these calls, but hey, that's what being a fan is about, right?

How We Even Got Here, For Real

So how do you even rank the absolute legends who've thrown down in the most brutal cage on earth? Our process wasn't some cookie-cutter nonsense. We dug into legacy, accomplishments, innovation, and yeah, a little bit of those crucial "vibes." But here's the kicker, and it's a big one: this list is strictly about their UFC careers. That means some incredible names, like Dan Henderson, who are all-time greats in the broader MMA world, didn't make the cut if their UFC-only resume wasn't enough. We also weighted a fighter's peak performance over any rough patches they hit later in their careers when age and "cage miles" started to pile up. Oh, and full disclosure: Max Holloway was accidentally missed in the first pass, but he's on there now!

Meet Your Top 25, Starting With a Legend

Kicking off our list at number 25, we've got the OG, Dan "The Beast" Severn. This dude was the first truly elite amateur wrestler to bring his skills into the Octagon, showing everyone what a game-changer wrestling could be back in the early days. He was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and a two-time Olympic alternate, no joke. After dropping the UFC 4 tournament finals to Royce Gracie, Severn bounced back like a champ, winning the next event's tournament and then snagging the 1995 Ultimate Ultimate tournament. We're talking wins over guys like Oleg Taktarov (twice!), Dave Beneteau, Paul Varelans, and Tank Abbott during those runs. He even avenged a prior superfight loss to Ken Shamrock at UFC 9, though that fight was... well, let's just say emergency rules made it truly terrible. Severn eventually lost the first UFC heavyweight championship fight to Mark Coleman at UFC 12, but his place in history was already stamped. Right above him, coming in at number 24, is Aljamain "Funk Master" Sterling. This guy is a former UFC bantamweight champion, and he didn't just win it, he defended that strap three times! With 14 wins, he holds the record for the most in... well, let's just say he's racking up those W's! Sterling's got a solid case to climb even higher on this list as his career unfolds. So there it is, a taste of our definitive list. Whether you agree or wanna throw your remote at the screen, you gotta admit, these rankings are gonna get people talking! Make sure you tune in Sunday for UFC Freedom 250 live on Paramount+ to see what these legends paved the way for. The Octagon is gonna be glowing under that White House spotlight, and you know we'll be watching every single second!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.