The UFC has a record of producing elite fighting talents, and some of these talents don’t reach the Octagon on their own; they do with their family members.
Brothers pushing each other in the gym, sibling rivalries, and families building fighting legacies are part of the fabric of the UFC.
A good example of this in modern UFC history is the Nurmagomedov family, known for their Dagestan roots and unmatched excellence in the UFC.
The Nurmagomedov family is famous for producing Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired as the longest-reigning UFC lightweight champion with a 29- 0 record, cementing himself as one of the greatest lightweights of all time.
Umar and Usman Nurmagomedov are Khabib’s cousins. Umar is a UFC Bantamweight contender, while Usman is the undefeated Bellator Lightweight Champion.
Currently ranked 2nd in the UFC, Umar was on a 7-0 winning streak, which earned him a fight against UFC Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. He lost the fight by unanimous decision, marking his first loss in MMA.
Abubakar Nurmagomedov also competed in the welterweight division, but never really made any serious waves in the UFC
Although he’s not a blood relative, Islam Makhachev is seen as a part of the Nurmagomedov and Dagestan clan. Raised, trained, and mentored by Khabib and Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Islam has helped reinforce the family’s dominance, and with 28-1-0 record, Islam is widely regarded as Khabib’s true successor.
He has defeated both Volkanovski and Oliveira twice, as well as Dustin Poirier, Arman Tsarukyan, and Jack Della Maddalena.
In terms of impact and success in the UFC, no other family or sibling group has achieved as much as the Nurmagomedovs. However, there are a few families who have also made a significant impact in the UFC, flooring the octagon with stories that will be told for generations, and here, we highlight ten of them.
10. Gabriel and Ismael Bonfim
Fighting their way from street fights in Brazil to the UFC’s octagon, the Bonfim brothers didn’t look like newbies when they came; they looked like they had been fighting for a while.
Gabriel is the better-known Bonfim brother. He had stints as a boxer and in the Legacy Fighting Alliance before making his UFC debut. His rapid rise through the UFC to dominating the welterweight division has put his family’s name on the map. As of November 18, 2025, he is ranked 11th in the UFC welterweight rankings with a 19-1-0 record.
Ismael Bonfim, who is Gabriel’s older brother, is more under the radar. His career in the lightweight division has lacked the same level of momentum and visibility as his younger brother’s.
So far, none of the Bonfim brothers is close to the belt, but they are known names among UFC fans.
9. Jim and Dan Miller
Born and raised in New Jersey, the Miller brothers are another set of siblings who shook the UFC, especially Jim, as he was a familiar face on TV.
Jim isn’t famous for winning titles or championships; he’s never won them in his career. Instead, he’s known for his ability to survive in the octagon. He owns the record for most fights (46), most total wins, and most wins in the Lightweight division with a record of 38-19-0.
Dan Miller, who is Jim’s older brother, has a more journeyman career. After winning his UFC debut, Dan began fighting in the middleweight division, where injuries and a run of losses have affected his career.
Despite these setbacks, Dan is willing to show up and fight anyone. At this point, Dan Miller has turned into the ultimate gatekeeper in the UFC. The kid just wants to fight.
8. The Nogueira Brothers
In the MMA community, the Nogueira name carries weight, and Antônio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira is the reason why. Minotauro or Big Nog became known for surviving fights that seemed unwinnable. His fighting style is a blend of jiu-jitsu and technical boxing, which made him one of the most respected heavyweights the sport has ever seen. Before retiring from the UFC, he was the interim UFC heavyweight champion.
Antônio Rogério “Minotouro” Nogueira walked the same road as his twin brother, but he didn’t share the same spotlight. He had sharp boxing skills and technique, but his career didn’t blossom as expected, as injuries and a stinging run of losses kept pulling him back. Despite this, he still remains part of Brazilian UFC folklore just like his brother.
7. Gilbert and Herbert Burns
Gilbert and Herbert Burns are another example of siblings on different ends of the spotlight in the UFC.
The older brother, Gilbert, carved out his reputation evolving over the years from being a multiple-time world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu to rebuilding himself into a complete mixed martial artist.
At some point, he was on a generational streak that propelled him to a title fight against former teammate and friend, Kamaru Usman, which he lost in a TKO.
Although Gilbert Burns has settled into a top-10 regular rather than a title contender in the division, he can still give anybody in the division a good fight on his day.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have his brother.
Herbert Burns entered the UFC with a similar grappling base as his brother, but his career took a very different trajectory. He had early flashes of brilliance, but injuries and long layoffs repeatedly stalled his progress.
Herbert Burns had only 2 wins in the UFC. He is currently on a 5-fight losing streak. I honestly believe that Herbert lasted as long as he did on the UFC roster because of his brother.
6. Ilia and Aleksandre Topuria
Ilia Topuria is one of the best UFC fighters in the world, and his success has really cast a shadow over his brother’s career.
At first, fans looked at Ilia Topuria as the Tbilisi version of Conor McGregor. To be fair, he really, really tried to act like Conor—he even copies his quotes and has a similar tattoo.
Topuria came into the UFC with the reputation of a strong jiu-jitsu player. But his run to the title has not shown us that grappling at all.
That killer left hook has turned him into the true Georgian Matador living in Spain.
His devastating knockout of fan favourites like Alex Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira has propelled him to superstardom.
Topuria became the first Georgian champion in UFC history, shortly before Merab Dvalishvili claimed his belt. He also achieved double-champ status by claiming the lightweight crown.
Whenever Ilia fights, you’ll see a passionate Aleksandre Topuria in his corner. Aleksandre Topuria is older and less physically imposing than his brother. He has spent much of his career fighting in Ilia’s shadow. Opportunities at the highest level have been harder to come by for Aleksandre, not necessarily due to lack of skill, but because the spotlight burned too brightly, too quickly, on one brother.
However, Aleksandre is content with his progress, and with every fight, he continues to prove himself as no pushover in the UFC.
5. Kamaru and Mohammed Usman
Kamaru Usman’s career set a standard that few siblings in MMA history could realistically match. A dominant welterweight champion, Kamaru has combined wrestling with steadily improving striking to rule one of the UFC’s deepest divisions, winning the welterweight championship in 2019 and becoming the first African King.
He is regarded as one of the greatest welterweights of all time after successfully defending his title five times before losing it to Leon Edwards in brutal fashion in 2022.
Mo Usman’s path has been far more complicated. Competing at heavyweight, he entered the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter, but by the time he arrived in the UFC, the benchmark had already been set uncomfortably high by his brother.
Where Kamaru’s career benefited from elite-level consistency, Mohammed’s has been shaped by patience and gradual learning. Mohammed’s last fight was in June 2025 against Hamdy Abdelwahab, which Mohammed won to keep his Pro MMA record at 12-4-0.
However, Mo Usman is currently serving a 30-month suspension for intentionally using testosterone and a prohibited peptide, BPC-157. Mo Usman admitted to using the substances after first making false statements to the Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) agency.
4. Frank and Ken Shamrock
Before the UFC became a global machine, the Shamrock brothers helped build its foundation. Ken Shamrock is a pioneer of the sport and was the original crossover star who brought professional wrestling and early MMA into the mainstream media. His physicality, intensity, and willingness to fight anyone made him one of the first true attractions in combat sports.
In the early part of his UFC career, Shamrock was named “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” and he became known early on in the UFC for his rivalry with Royce Gracie. After fighting to a draw in the inaugural UFC “Superfight”, he became the first UFC Superfight Champion.
During his reign as the UFC Superfight Champion, he was widely considered the #1 mixed martial artist in the world. He is also an inductee of the UFC Hall of Fame.
Then you have his brother, Frank Shamrock, who became the more complete fighter as he embodied the evolution of mixed martial arts. He was the first fighter to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship(later UFC Light Heavyweight Championship).
At some point, Frank Shamrockwas considered the No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound UFC fighter in the world during his reign. Together, the Shamrock brothers grew the sport and built a legacy in the UFC that cannot be swallowed by the sands of time.
It’s just so sad that Dana White seems to be in a weird beef with the Shamrocks.
3. Anthony and Sergio Pettis
Anthony “Showtime” Pettis is famous for his athleticism and doggedness during his time in the UFC. He fought across the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of the UFC before moving on to the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
That Showtime kick against Benson Henderson turned him into the first legit superstar in modern MMA. This was before Conor and Rondamania.
Although he was the Lightweight Champion for a short period, he cemented his place in UFC history. For that short period, Showtime was everywhere—SportsCenter, highlight compilations, Wheaties boxes.
So with all that hype around Anthony Pettis, it is no surprise that his brother Sergio Pettis struggled to live up to the hype. Despite fighting in similar weight classes, he never carried the same aura as Showtime. They’ve both left the UFC for good.
2. Valentina and Antonina Shevchenko
Valentina Shevchenko is one of the most ruthless women in the UFC. It’s no wonder they nicknamed her “Bullet”.
Her ability to take down her opponent with elite striking ability while remaining calm under pressure is one of the reasons why she is highly regarded in the sport. She is the first woman to win and defend the UFC Women’s Flyweight championship, and she is tied with Amanda Nunes for the most title fight wins in UFC women’s history.
Apart from Nunes and Grasso, Shevchenko has been perfect. She is definitely heading into the UFC Hall of Fame once she retires.
Antonina, who is the older sister, didn’t quite have the guile of her younger sister. She also competed in the flyweight division and recorded her fair share of wins, but she lacked the soundness and ruthlessness that her sister showed.
Despite being sound technically, Antonina Shevchenko was never championship caliber in the UFC. She was just left on the UFC roster to help her sister train and stay in shape.
1. Nick and Nate Diaz
The Diaz Brothers are the biggest cult heroes in the UFC. Although they didn’t hold any UFC titles, the Diaz brothers built a cult following that had more to do with their gangsta personality than their actual fighting ability.
Nick Diaz had a reputation coming from the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) championship, where he was a welterweight champion.
In the UFC, he didn’t reach spectacular heights, losing his challenge against Georges St-Pierre for the UFC belt, but he dazzled with his ability to strike fear into his opponents before and during the fight.
The same applied to Nate. He was versatile, had a positive attitude, and even won Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter” before losing the 2012 UFC lightweight title fight against Benson Henderson.
But everything changed when Nate Diaz called out Conor McGregor in the now-legendary post-fight interview.
He then went on to back up all the chatter with a lifetime performance in which he defeated prime Conor McGregor. The level of popularity Nate Diaz achieved after this victory is the best thing besides winning a UFC belt.
But hey, “I’m not surprised…”
The Diaz brothers didn’t need belts to show their quality; fans knew these guys were elite talents from the start, and their ability to appeal to more than what happened earned them a place in the hearts of many.
Both brothers have iconic quotes and moments throughout their careers in the UFC. And the fact that they were ready to brawl at the drop of a water bottle made them fan favourites.
Honorable Mention: The Gracie Family
The Gracie Family is UFC heritage. From Rorion, who co-founded the UFC, to Royce, who won three of the first four one-night fights in the UFC, there’s enough evidence to rank the Gracies as the greatest family in UFC and MMA history.
Royce won UFC 1,2 and 4 Tournament championships. He’s a UFC hall of famer, the first UFC tournament champion, and holds the record for longest finish streak and most bouts won in UFC history.
But there’s even more on their collective résumé, including the fight careers of Rickson, Neiman, Roger, Ralph, Kron, and other brothers, cousins, and nephews.
Renzo, one of the cousins who fought in the UFC, defeated several champions and founded his New York City gym, which produced Georges St-Pierre, Matt Serra, and others.
Cesar, a cousin of the Gracie family, also founded the Cesar Gracie Academy, which produced Nick and Nate Diaz.
There is no better feeling than sharing the spotlight with your sibling, but most times, as seen in these stories, one sibling’s career could potentially overshadow the other. But in spite of that, these UFC siblings have stuck to their own paths and built undeniable legacies.
Which pair of UFC siblings did you think should’ve made the list? Let us know in the comments.
Who wrote this?
Wisdom Aghe is a creative whose passions include sports, video editing, writing and a little bit of design. With these skills and a curious mind, Wisdom takes interest in creating sports content and holding interesting sports conversations. He loves sports and it's his happy place. He spends his leisure time playing football, playing games and reading.
