Let’s begin by asking one simple question: Who are the best MMA fighters from Ohio? It’s no secret that the Buckeye State has churned out some of the best athletes that the United States and the world has ever known.
One need look no further than basketball superstar LeBron James. 22 years ago, James, then an 18-year-old out of Akron, was selected No. 1 overall by the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers in the draft after the Cavs won the NBA draft lottery. Although LeBron executed a magnificent face-heel turn 15 years ago by going to the Miami Heat in a controversial television special, he eventually did an about-face and won the Cavs a title six years later.
While you could sit in your chair for the better part of the next week trying to come up with any number of top athletes with ties to Ohio, we’ll choose to limit our focus to the best MMA fighters from Ohio. Ohio, much like any other state in the union, has embraced MMA as a sport, with Cleveland hosting UFC 203 almost a decade ago.
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Best MMA Fighters From Ohio: Important Ground Rules
As is often the case when pieces of this nature are done, there are ground rules we’ll be dishing out. First and foremost, this list won’t be confined to just the UFC.
Other promotions, like the PFL, will be considered here today, as well. Secondly, both current and former fighters are to be taken into consideration for the purposes of this article.
With those preliminaries out of the way, it’s time for us to get started with the best MMA fighters from Ohio. There’s not a moment to waste, so let’s begin right away.
Best MMA Fighters From Ohio: Lance “The Party” Palmer
Ohio is known as “The Buckeye State,” and one of the state’s key landmarks is Ohio State University, whose athletic programs are nicknamed “Buckeyes.” It’s in that spirit that we’ll begin with an Ohio State alumnus.
In 2013, Lance “The Party” Palmer made his initial appearance in the late World Series of Fighting, a third-round guillotine choke submission loss to Georgi Karakhanyan. This was Palmer’s first professional loss after securing the Resurrection Fighting Alliance Featherweight Championship months earlier.
He’d recover from that defeat mightily, winning the WSOF Featherweight Championship in two stints before the WSOF was reformed as the PFL in 2017. It was in 2017 that Palmer began an 11-fight winning streak that saw him win the 2018 and 2019 PFL Featherweight Championships in the process.
Best MMA Fighters From Ohio: Lance Palmer Sees Fight PPD, Season Canceled by COVID
In March of 2020, it was announced that Lance Palmer was to fight Jason Soares on the opening card of that year’s PFL season. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States forced the PFL to delay and ultimately cancel its 2020 season. The Soares fight was never rescheduled.
While the PFL would resume regular operations in 2021, Palmer would lose both of his regular season fights that year and miss the postseason. A unanimous decision defeat over Sheymon Moraes in June of 2022 would be his last in the PFL.
To date, this is his last win in combat sports. While Palmer may have exited the arena in defeat more often than not, he’s still one of the best MMA fighters from Ohio.
Best MMA Fighters From Ohio: Kayla Harrison
We continue our look at the best MMA fighters from Ohio by taking a drive to Middletown, the birthplace of Kayla Harrison. Even before Harrison turned her attention to MMA, she was already an accomplished Olympian.
During the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic Games in London and Rio de Janeiro, respectively, Harrison secured gold medals in judo. In 2018, her MMA career began under the PFL promotional banner.
Upon going 3-0 in showcase fights during the 2018 PFL season, she began her championship chase the following spring, winning the 2019 and 2021 PFL Women’s Lightweight Championships. All told, she amassed a 15-0 record before suffering her first defeat at the hands of Larissa Pacheco in November of 2022.
Best MMA Fighters From Ohio: Kayla Harrison Joins UFC
After making a single PFL appearance in 2023, winning by way of unanimous decision over Aspen Ladd in a catchweight of 150 lbs, Kayla Harrison joined the UFC’s active roster for the landmark UFC 300 in April of 2024 inside T-Mobile Arena in Enterprise, NV. She made her UFC promotional debut on the TV undercard of UFC 300, submitting Holly Holm inside the second round.
Since then, she hasn’t missed a beat under Dana White’s promotional banner, securing the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in June of 2025. While she may train out of Florida now, Kayla Harrison will remain a Buckeye for life.
Best MMA Fighters From Ohio: Stipe Miocic
Finally, we end our look at the best MMA fighters from Ohio by talking about former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Cleveland’s own Stipe Miocic. After compiling an undefeated amateur record in MMA, Miocic turned pro in early 2010.
It didn’t take long for the UFC to come calling. At 5-0 in professional MMA, he made his promotional debut in the fall of 2011, besting Joey Beltran by way of unanimous decision on the UFC 136 undercard. From there, he picked up a first-round knockout against Phil de Fries inside the opening minute in his second UFC fight.
In so doing, Miocic pocketed a $50,000 (USD) cash advance for the Performance of the Night Award. He’d eventually parlay his sterling record into the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2016 via first-round knockout versus Fabricio Werdum with a punch. He’d defend the title three times before losing it to Daniel Cormier. A shot at reclaiming the title versus Francis Ngannou ended in defeat in 2021 after Ngannou finished him in round two with a left hook.
Best MMA Fighters From Ohio: Miocic’s Last Stand
In November of 2024, Stipe Miocic made one final bid at the UFC Heavyweight Championship in UFC 309’s main event of the evening. That night’s opponent for Stipe Miocic was Jon Jones.
Although Jones and Miocic got to a third round, “Bones” had the final say, unloading with a spinning back kick, followed by punches to knock Stipe Miocic out. In the immediate aftermath of UFC 309, Miocic took to the microphone for one last interview with Joe Rogan.
He’d officially announce his retirement from the sport in the interview. Since retiring, he’s continued to work as a firefighter in the Cleveland suburb of Westlake.
Final Thoughts
What do you think of this list? Are there any of the best MMA fighters from Ohio that we missed? Let us know in the comments.