4 Strongest Mortal Kombat Fighters Who Would Easily Crush The UFC

From its inception to its execution, UFC 250 attracted pretty much constant discourse, and a lot can be said about everything that happened outside the cage, including the fact that one of the organization’s most popular champions was escorted off the premises. However, most fans can probably agree on one thing: the fights were largely incredible. Despite being seen as a somewhat underwhelming main event in the lead-up, Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria put on one heck of a show!

As the unchallenged leader of a firmly established combat sport in 2026, UFC has long since left behind those days when it would market itself as real-life Mortal Kombat. Famously sold with the tagline “There Are No Rules,” UFC 1 tapped into the counter-cultural zeitgeist fueled by Midway’s franchise, sparking similar but more intensive moral outrage in the process. Nowadays, both UFC and Mortal Kombat are massive, mainstream properties… I mean, UFC just had a White House event, and Mortal Kombat 2 made nearly $70 million at the box office.

This got me thinking: which MK fighters would dominate the UFC and hold gold for years?

Johnny Cage

Welcome, The New UFC Mega Star

• Era: Mortal Kombat 1
• Weight Division: UFC Middleweight (185 lbs) or Welterweight (170 lbs)
• Entrance Theme Song: Remix of songs from his movies / “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor
• Height: 6’1″
• Martial Arts / Fighting Style: Kickboxing, boxing

Unlike his previous incarnations, which incorporated some magic, Mortal Kombat 1‘s Johnny Cage is merely an excellent martial artist with a massive ego. He primarily fights by combining kickboxing and traditional boxing, incorporating quick jabs, counters, and wheel kicks. While the latter can certainly backfire badly in the UFC (as Chris Weidman learned first-hand in his UFC 194 fight against Luke Rockhold), Cage’s lightning-fast movement almost defies human limits, suggesting he would be able to either catch opponents off-guard or, at least, recover in time to mitigate damage.

In the Middleweight division, elite striking repeatedly proves to be the difference maker, as exemplified by Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira’s perfect blend of timing and precision. Cage takes those elements and magnifies them to, well, video game proportions, making him basically untouchable on the feet. Kickboxers can be vulnerable to wrestlers who smother them on the canvas, but Johnny’s defensive moves are specifically designed to counter lunges; in fact, he would probably get the winning blow if a wrestler attempts a takedown.

Finally, Johnny is the ultimate hype man, and he would 100% throw off most opponents before they even get into the cage. Admittedly, he probably wouldn’t be a vicious trash talker like Chael Sonnen, but his flippant attitude would get under everyone’s skin inside and outside the cage. The UFC would see $$$, too.

How Johnny Might Lose…

Johnny fights dirty. Scratch that, he is literally hardwired to fight dirty. At peak hype, he will forget himself and strike somebody in the groin, getting disqualified in the process.

Cassie Cage

Welcome, The New UFC Mega Star (Part 2)

• Era: Mortal Kombat X and 11
• Weight Division: UFC Women’s Bantamweight (135 lbs)
• Entrance Theme Song: “Bubblegum B*tch” by MARINA
• Height: 5’8″
• Martial Arts / Fighting Style: Brawler, boxing

I almost went with Sonya Blade since she is voiced by Ronda Rousey in MK11, but Cassie seems like she would fare better in the UFC. For one thing, she has the larger-than-life personality that is nowadays required to really become a breakthrough MMA star. Secondly, she is arguably a better fighter, combining her mother’s weapon-based military training with Johnny’s martial arts.

Obviously, Cassie couldn’t enter the Octagon armed with pistols or wearing her special forces armor, and she would need to rely on her hand-to-hand skills (and her Brawler variant in MK10). She is pretty much a high-pressure MMA striker that uses hooks, head movement (like her mother), and takedowns. Unlike traditional point-fighters that wait for an opening, Cassie fights with overwhelming forward pressure, and her height and reach are roughly the same as the division’s current champion, Kayla Harrison.

How Cassie Might Lose…

Due to her military background, Cassie relies on game plans and data. If she meets a fighter who goes against the script, she could be caught off guard. She might also get distracted by the media side of things, even if she wouldn’t be able to take a selfie in the Octagon.

That, or Cassie steps into the cage with Amanda Nunes. I’m not betting against the Lioness.

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Liu Kang

An Honorable Champion

• Era: Classic
• Weight Division: UFC Lightweight (155 lbs)
• Entrance Theme Song: Theme from Enter the Dragon by Lalo Schifrin
• Height: 5’10”
• Martial Arts / Fighting Style: Jeet Kune Do, Shaolin Kung Fu

Before becoming a Fire God, Liu Kang was just your humble, average Bruce Lee and Gordon Liu fusion. In the classic era, Kang fights with fluidity, explosiveness, and economical movement, relying on mid-to-low kicks and rapid-fire punches to gradually chip away at opponents (and maybe give them “dead leg”).

Historically and statistically, UFC’s Lightweight division is the most competitive and deeply stacked. Consequently, we have seen so many different types of fighters rise to the top, from combo brawlers to wrestlers who maintain control for nearly the entire duration. Elite strikers are probably the most flashy and popular, with most of them emphasizing boxing and attritional leg kicks to gradually slow down the other fighter. Kang simply operates on a different plane of speed, and his stance maximizes his mobility for both defense and offense. He is also deadly with his hands and legs, making him a pretty complete fighter. If a fighter tries to circle the fence to relieve pressure, Kang’s speed would allow him to close the distance and get in a finishing hit.

How Liu Kang Might Lose…

Honestly, Kang’s success would come down to his opponent. Against a striker? He wins. Against a high-pressure, counter-resistant machine like Khabib Nurmagomedov? Yeah, no, Kang’s direct nature would be his undoing.

Reiko

The UFC Heavyweight Division Could Use A New Body

• Era: Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)
• Weight Division: UFC Heavyweight (Max 265 lbs)
• Entrance Theme Song: “The Trooper” by Iron Maiden
• Height: 6’3″
• Martial Arts / Fighting Style: Muay Thai, Wrestling

Mortal Kombat 1 completely rebuilt Reiko from the ground up, stripping him of any supernatural-flirting elements and turning him into, honestly, a pure modern MMA fighter. He relies on grabs, tackles, and suplexes. The latter might not be that flashy in the octagon, but his sheer size and strength would let him manhandle most of the UFC’s biggest boys. At roughly 273 lbs, Reiko could readily make the cut down to 265 lbs and then rehydrate back to his standard weight, and he would be right in line with the division’s meatiest members (Tom Aspinall or Brock Lesnar).

While he can hold his own on his feet, Reiko would be a classic ground-and-pound nightmare who has the raw physical strength to break through defensive guards. No complex jiu-jitsu submissions; Reiko would trap his opponent’s wrists and unload short-range elbows until the ref steps in.

How Reiko Might Lose…

Reiko is trained and bred to kill, not score points. He could very well end up committing an illegal move that gets him disqualified, and Herb Dean would have the thankless task of not only stopping the fight but also informing Reiko that he has lost.

Reiko’s strikes can also be a bit reckless, which could leave him vulnerable to a fast striker like Aspinall, Gane, or maybe Jon Jones.