30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Why Royce Gracie was so difficult to rank

The UFC’s 30th anniversary date has come and gone, and in the build-up to the milestone date, MMA Junkie counted down its 30 greatest fighters of all time to compete for the promotion.

There was plenty of debate about the entire list from top to bottom, and one of the major discussion points was Royce Gracie’s ranking.

The final list was tabulated through a points system after voting from MMA Junkie’s 12-person staff. Gracie, the winner of UFC 1 and two other tournaments in 1993 and 1994, came in at No. 14, a major point of conversation on MMA Junkie’s special edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” where the majority of our staff came together to discuss and debate the finer points of the list. Just how difficult was it to rank Gracie?

Check out the discussion in the video above, or watch the entire 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time podcast below.