Sometimes, you just need a fighting Pokémon in Pokémon Go to step into the ring and duke it out with your opponents. That's why we're here with a list of the best fighting Pokémon that can tenderize the opposition with vicious kicks and punches – they hit so hard that it makes Mike Tyson blush. Trust us when we say these 'mon are capable of round-one knockouts but are equally capable of going the distance if necessary.
Alternatively, if you want a companion that can bring the heat, our list of the best fire Pokémon is the place to be, or these ice Pokémon might be a better shout if you want the opposite effect. Or, check out our fighting Pokémon weakness guide to see how to keep your Machamp moving.
Here are our picks for the best fighting Pokémon in Pokémon Go:
Shadow Machamp
- Fast attack: Counter
- Charged attack: Dynamic punch
Machamp is basically the poster child for fighting Pokémon, with a champion's belt and an extra set of sinewy, muscle-clad limbs to help land the KO on your opponents. Debuting in the first generation, Machamp remains a fan-favorite all these years later, and his battle prowess translates to Pokémon Go, especially if you get the Shadow version of it.
Shadow Machamp can reach a CP of 3,455 with a 234 attack stat to back it up. Due to being a Shadow Pokémon, it benefits from the 20% increase in its offense capabilities, and Shadow Machamp's 207 HP stat somewhat offsets the 20% decrease to its defense.
For its fast attack, you ideally want Shadow Machamp to have counter, while it's best to have dynamic punch as its charged attack. These attacks allow your champion to inflict heavy amounts of damage.
Mega Lucario / Lucario
- Fast attack: Force palm
- Charged attack: Aura sphere
When you think of fighting Pokémon, there's a good chance you think about Lucario. Actually, some people may name Lucario when you ask them to name any Pokémon due to how popular it is. Well, in Pokémon Go, you want to get Mega Lucario if you can, as it is the best fighting Pokémon in Pokémon Go.
Mega Lucario can reach a CP of 4,325, while its attack stat sits at a staggering 310, making it an absolute beast when it goes on the attack. The best moves for it are force palm and aura sphere, so bear that in mind when prepping it for battle.
While Mega Lucario is most definitely the best fighting Pokémon in the mobile game, period, normal Lucario is also one of the best, and it's easier to get your hands on. We say easier, but it can still take some time if you don't encounter one and instead need to evolve Riolu.
The maximum CP for Lucario is 3,056, and its attack stat is 236, which is very respectable for a standard Pokémon. For its moveset, you should give it the same as Mega Lucario: force palm and aura sphere. However, if you want it to have moves for two different types, the steel Pokémon fast attack bullet punch is also a good choice.
Shadow Conkeldurr / Conkledurr
- Fast attack: Counter
- Charged attack: Dynamic punch
Shadow Conkeldurr more than fits the bill of being the fighting Pokémon on your team, mixing the 20% increase in offense with a nice 243 attack stat and a max CP of 3,773. Plus, it has a 233 HP stat, helping to mitigate a 20% decrease in its defenses.
We suggest you use counter as its fast attack and dynamic punch as its charged attack, though poison jab is a viable choice for your fast option if you want to mix things up, rather than have Shadow Conkledurr serve only fighting-type damage.
It's worth pointing out that a regular Conkledurr can also fill the spot of a fighting-type for your team quite comfortably, being one of the few standard 'mon to qualify for this list.
Mega Gallade
- Fast attack: Counter
- Charged attack: Close combat
The appearance of Mega Gallade on this list should surprise no one. While the Shadow and normal versions of Gallade don't qualify as one of the best fighting Pokémon in Pokémon Go at the moment, Mega Gallade certainly does.
Mega Gallade has a behemoth max CP of 5,112, making it one of the biggest on this list by quite some margin. Then, there's the 326 attack and 230 defense stats, further cementing its effectiveness in battle. With stats like that, you're likely wondering why we claim Mega Lucario to be the number one option, but that's where the moveset comes into play.
Low kick and close combat are the fighting-type moves you can give to Mega Gallade. However, they're not the best attacks it has, far from it. While Gallade can still deal plenty of damage with those fighting-type attacks, it's actually the psychic Pokémon moves, confusion and psychic, that are the most damaging.
So, with that in mind, it might be worth using low kick as Mega Gallade's fast attack and psychic as its charged attack. This way, you cover more types and actually have Mega Gallade's best move.
To get a huge advantage against Mega Gallade, check out our psychic Pokémon weakness guide. Oh, and should you be struggling to get Gallade, check out our Ralts evolution article – we tell you how to get not just Gallade, but the psychic Pokémon Gardevoir too.
Keldeo (Ordinary Forme)
- Fast attack: Low kick
- Charged attack: Sacred sword
It's time for a legendary Pokémon to make its mark on this list. If you can get Keldeo in its Ordinary Forme, you have one of the best fighting Pokémon out there, especially if you give it low kick as its fast attack and sacred sword as its charged attack.
Overall, Keldeo has a maximum combat power of 4,181, backed by 260, 192, and 209 attack, defense, and HP stats, respectively. It's also worth pointing out that Keldeo has access to poison-, bug-, and water-type moves as well, if you want to get a mixture of offensive types in there.
Shadow Hariyama
- Fast attack: Counter
- Charged attack: Dynamic punch
Shadow Hariyama is here to lay the smackdown on its opponents, reaching a maximum CP of 3,198, which is admittedly a little bit lower than most of the other entries on this list. However, the 20% drop in defense that comes with being a Shadow Pokémon is highly negligible thanks to Hariyama's 302 HP stat.
To make the most out of Shadow Hariyama, we suggest you use force palm as its fast attack and dynamic punch as its charged attack. While some entries on this list are suitable to a mixture of attacks, not just fighting, Hariyama is purely a fighting machine, with its other types of moves not being worth consideration.
Mega Alakazam
- Fast attack: Counter
- Charged attack: Dynamic punch
Now, this might be a surprising entry to some of you, but Mega Alakazam is one of the best fighting Pokémon in Pokémon Go without even being a fighting-type. While it's solely a psychic Pokémon, it still has access to attacks from different types, including fighting, so if you have it use counter and focus blast, it can fill that tricky slot on your team.
Admittedly, this is one of those occasions where we suggest that if you do use Mega Alakazam, you consider using counter as its fast attack, but maybe use its most powerful move for its fast attack, which is psychic. Of course, this is entirely up to you, but on the whole, focus blast isn't the best charged fighting-type attack out there, well, in the hands of a psychic-type, at least.
Regardless of what you decide, Mega Alakazam can cause a world of hurt for your opponents, reaching up to 5,099 for its combat power with a devastating 367 attack stat.
To discover the cure to Toxicroak's poison, take a look at our poison Pokémon weakness guide.
Mega Blaziken
- Fast attack: Counter
- Charged attack: Focus blast
We know, this list has a lot of mega evolutions, but what can we say? They're some of the most powerful 'mon you can get, and that includes Mega Blaziken. This fan-favorite can reach 4,704 CP, putting it on the higher end among the other entries. Plus, it boasts a 329 attack stat, so you know it's packing some serious knockout power.
Being a dual fighting- and fire-type, you can create a devastating combination with Mega Blaziken's moveset. Its best fast attack is counter, while its most devastating charged attack is blast burn, giving you the best of both. However, if you only care about dealing fighting-type damage, you can swap out fire blast for focus blast.
To discover how to put Blaziken's fire out, take a look at our Fire Pokémon weakness guide.
Mega Lopunny
- Fast attack: Double kick
- Charged attack: Focus blast
Mega Lopunny is so much more powerful than regular Lopunny, cementing its place among the best fighting Pokémon (and normal Pokémon, for that matter). Admittedly, this rabbit probably isn't the first fighting-type you think of, but it's worthy of a spot on your team if you don't come across any other entries you might prefer.
Coming in with a max CP of 4,234 and an attack stat that reaches 282, Mega Loppuny is a bit of a hard hitter, while its 214 defense stat means it can take a hit or two itself. We recommend you give Mega Lopunny double kick and focus blast, as they're both fighting-type attacks (and focus blast is arguably its best attack overall), but you can swap double kick for pound if you want to embrace the normal-type side of Lopunny as well.
Mega Heracross
- Fast attack: Counter
- Charged attack: Close combat
Mega Heracross gives Mega Lucario a run for its money as the best fighting Pokémon in Pokémon Go, reaching a massive 5,443 CP, with a huge 334 attack stat behind it. Not only that, but with a defense stat of 223, it's not going down after just one round.
Regarding its moves, you can't go wrong if you give Mega Heracross counter for its fast attack. As for its charged attack, you have a choice to make. You see, Mega Heracross is also one of the best bug Pokémon in the game, with its most formidable charged attack being the bug-type move megahorn.
So, you can opt to embrace all aspects of this kickass bug, or give it close combat if you just want to focus on the fighting half og Mega Heracross. No matter what you choose, you have an incredibly powerful Pokémon on your side.
If Heracross gives you any trouble, just take a look at our bug Pokémon weakness guide to discover how to protect your 'mon.
Terrakion
- Fast attack: Double kick
- Charged attack: Sacred sword
Terrakion isn't the first legendary you're likely to think of, but it is one of the best fighting Pokémon in Pokémon Go by a fair margin, reaching a respectable 4,181 CP, though its 260 attack stat is perhaps its best feature. Without question, double kick and sacred sword are the best attacks you can give Terrakion, and they're both fighting-type moves, so that's handy.
There you have it, the best fighting Pokémon in Pokémon Go. If you need a helping hand in dealing with these fighters, check out our fighting Pokémon weakness guide. For even more great adventures, make sure you check out our best Pokémon games list, and if you're looking to brush up on your general knowledge, check out our complete Pokédex.