I have been posting the countdown on Bleacher Report and it has been somewhat controversial. I do have to say that some of the people that criticize my list, then tell me David Abbot should be included are idiots.
I stated from the outset that a fighter's name was not enough to go deep on my list. One had to look at the overall body of work. I also pronounced from the beginning that the sport has evolved so greatly that it is hard to compare a fighter that dominated in the mid 1990's to a fighter today.
Overall, I think I did an excellent job on my rankings.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Countdown to MMA's Greatest Fighter: The Top 5
This is the final installment of the somewhat controversial Greatest MMA Fighters of All-Time piece. I spent several days researching these fighters and came up with the 33 greatest.
Looking back at it, there were some changes I would make, but I stuck with my initial order. Also, I appreciate the feedback I have received (positive or negative feedback is welcome).
#33 Shinya Aoki
#32 Don Frye
#31 Pat Miletich
#30 Mark Kerr
#29 Igor Vovchanchyn
#28 Josh Barnett
#27 Sean Sherk
#26 Tim Sylvia
#25 Dan Henderson
#24 Ken Shamrock
#23 Tito Ortiz
#22 Frank Shamrock
#21 Uriaj Faber
#20 Cro Cop
#19 Sakuraba
#18 Matt Hughes
#17 Lyoto Machida
#16 Wanderlei Silva
#15Mauricio Rua
#14Rickson Gracie
#13 Dan Severn
#12 Takanori Gomi
#11 Bas Rutten
#10 Mark Coleman
#9 BJ Penn
#8 Randy Couture
#7 Quinton Jackson
#6 Georges St. Pierre
#5 Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Lidell (6'2 205 pounds)
Lidell is one of the most feared striker in the Light Heavyweight division. Lidell, who has a 21-5 record, has noteworthy wins over Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Jeremy Horn and Tito Ortiz.
Lidell is a future UFC Hall of Famer, who is still near the top of his game despite being 39 years old. .
An intriguing matchup which MMA fans are surely looking forward to is Lidell vs. Anderson Silva if Silva does indeed move up to the light heavyweight division.
#4 Anderson Silva (6'2 185 pounds)
Silva is a long lanky fighter at 6'2 185 pounds that dominates fights with his striking skills. He is currently a 7-fight win streak and has absolutely obliterated the competition in the UFC’s middleweight division. Rumors are circulating that Silva will move up to the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division in July.
The 33 year old has noteworthy wins over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Jeremy Horn and Carlos Newton.
Silva has seen more success when fighting in the caged octagon as opposed to fighting in boxing style ring, like Pride. Two of Silva’s losses have come against less heralded Japanese fighters in Pride (Ryo Chonan and Daijui Takase.
#3 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (6'3 231 pounds)
An excellent fighter on the ground known for his submission skills (he has won 19 fights via submission). Nogueira has fought mainly in Japan, in Rings and Pride, during his illustrious career where he has compiled a 31-4 record. He has noteworthy wins over Josh Barnett, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Coleman, Tim Sylvia and Dan Henderson.
The 32 year old is the current UFC interm Heavyweight Champion.
#2 Royce Gracie (6'0 176 pounds)
The 42 year old UFC Hall of Famer who is synonymous with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He infatuated early MMA fans by defeating opponents much larger than himself (6'0 176 pounds). He has notable wins over Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock and Kazushi Sakuraba.
Gracie’s reputation was tarnished May when he tested positive for the steroid Nandrolone Metabolite. Overall it is difficult to rank Gracie because of his overwhelming influence in the sport.
The problem with making a list like this is whether or not Gracie in his prime would be able to compete against today’s mma fighters, whom are better all-around then the competition back in Gracie’s heyday.
#1 Fedor Emelianenko (27-1)
This was a no doubter as Fedor has dominated the Pride heavyweight division for years. The problem is could he dominate the UFC heavyweight division? My answer is yes.
The former Pride Heavyweight champion has won an astounding 24 fights in a row. He has noteworthy wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2 times), Mark Coleman, Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filopovic, Mark Hunt and Semmy Schilt. Emelianenko will square off against Tim Sylvia on July 19th on the Affliction Banned card.
Rumors have been circulating in the mma community about a potential matchup against Randy Couture, who is also ranked in the Top Ten.
Looking back at it, there were some changes I would make, but I stuck with my initial order. Also, I appreciate the feedback I have received (positive or negative feedback is welcome).
#33 Shinya Aoki
#32 Don Frye
#31 Pat Miletich
#30 Mark Kerr
#29 Igor Vovchanchyn
#28 Josh Barnett
#27 Sean Sherk
#26 Tim Sylvia
#25 Dan Henderson
#24 Ken Shamrock
#23 Tito Ortiz
#22 Frank Shamrock
#21 Uriaj Faber
#20 Cro Cop
#19 Sakuraba
#18 Matt Hughes
#17 Lyoto Machida
#16 Wanderlei Silva
#15Mauricio Rua
#14Rickson Gracie
#13 Dan Severn
#12 Takanori Gomi
#11 Bas Rutten
#10 Mark Coleman
#9 BJ Penn
#8 Randy Couture
#7 Quinton Jackson
#6 Georges St. Pierre
#5 Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Lidell (6'2 205 pounds)
Lidell is one of the most feared striker in the Light Heavyweight division. Lidell, who has a 21-5 record, has noteworthy wins over Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Jeremy Horn and Tito Ortiz.
Lidell is a future UFC Hall of Famer, who is still near the top of his game despite being 39 years old. .
An intriguing matchup which MMA fans are surely looking forward to is Lidell vs. Anderson Silva if Silva does indeed move up to the light heavyweight division.
#4 Anderson Silva (6'2 185 pounds)
Silva is a long lanky fighter at 6'2 185 pounds that dominates fights with his striking skills. He is currently a 7-fight win streak and has absolutely obliterated the competition in the UFC’s middleweight division. Rumors are circulating that Silva will move up to the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division in July.
The 33 year old has noteworthy wins over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Jeremy Horn and Carlos Newton.
Silva has seen more success when fighting in the caged octagon as opposed to fighting in boxing style ring, like Pride. Two of Silva’s losses have come against less heralded Japanese fighters in Pride (Ryo Chonan and Daijui Takase.
#3 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (6'3 231 pounds)
An excellent fighter on the ground known for his submission skills (he has won 19 fights via submission). Nogueira has fought mainly in Japan, in Rings and Pride, during his illustrious career where he has compiled a 31-4 record. He has noteworthy wins over Josh Barnett, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Coleman, Tim Sylvia and Dan Henderson.
The 32 year old is the current UFC interm Heavyweight Champion.
#2 Royce Gracie (6'0 176 pounds)
The 42 year old UFC Hall of Famer who is synonymous with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He infatuated early MMA fans by defeating opponents much larger than himself (6'0 176 pounds). He has notable wins over Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock and Kazushi Sakuraba.
Gracie’s reputation was tarnished May when he tested positive for the steroid Nandrolone Metabolite. Overall it is difficult to rank Gracie because of his overwhelming influence in the sport.
The problem with making a list like this is whether or not Gracie in his prime would be able to compete against today’s mma fighters, whom are better all-around then the competition back in Gracie’s heyday.
#1 Fedor Emelianenko (27-1)
This was a no doubter as Fedor has dominated the Pride heavyweight division for years. The problem is could he dominate the UFC heavyweight division? My answer is yes.
The former Pride Heavyweight champion has won an astounding 24 fights in a row. He has noteworthy wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2 times), Mark Coleman, Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filopovic, Mark Hunt and Semmy Schilt. Emelianenko will square off against Tim Sylvia on July 19th on the Affliction Banned card.
Rumors have been circulating in the mma community about a potential matchup against Randy Couture, who is also ranked in the Top Ten.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Countdown to MMA's Greatest: Part 5
In parts one through four I ranked the fighters in the following order:
#32 Don Frye, #31 Pat Miletich, #30 Mark Kerr, #29 Igor Vovchanchyn, #28 Josh Barnett, #27 Sean Sherk, #26 Tim Sylvia, #25 Dan Henderson, #24 Ken Shamrock, #23 Tito Ortiz, #22 Frank Shamrock, #21 Uriaj Faber, #20 Cro Cop, #19 Sakuraba, #18 Matt Hughes, #17 Lyoto Machida, #16 Wanderlei Silva, #15Mauricio Rua, #14Rickson Gracie, #13 Dan Severn, #12 Takanori Gomi and #11 Bas Rutten.
#10 Mark ‘The Hammer’ Coleman(6'1 245 pounds)
Do not let his record fool you (15-8) because Coleman has always been known to fight against the best fighters in the world. He has notable wins over Don Frye (2 times), Gary Goodridge, Dan Severn, Igor Vovchanychn and Mauricio Rua. His losses have all come against, arguably the top fighters of all time (Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Nogueira). Coleman did have a brief period where he suffered a four fight losing streak against some fighters he should have won against (Takada, Pete Williams, Maurice Smith and Pedro Rizzo). By the way Coleman is a UFC Hall of Famer.
Coleman was due to fight Brock Lesnar in Minnesota at UFC 87, but had to pull out of the event due to a knee injury. The 43 year old can still fight, but the question remains for how much longer.
#9 B.J. ‘The Prodigy’ Penn (5'9 155 pounds)
Th 29 year old Penn is the current UFC Lightweight Champion. He has noteworthy wins over Renzo Gracie, Matt Hughes, Sean Sherk, Jens Pulver and Matt Serra. His overall record of 14-4-1. He is known for his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills.
Penn recently defeated Sean Sherk at UFC 84 and it is rumored that he will have a rematch against Georges St. Pierre sometime later this year.
#8 Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture (6'1 225)
The 45 year old Couture is a UFC Hall of Famer with a 16-8 overall record. Surprisingly, Couture still is near the top of his game.
He has notable wins over Jeremy Horn, Chuck Lidell, Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, Tim Sylvia and Tito Ortiz. He operates an elite training facility for fighters called Xtreme Couture. He has held the UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight titles.
A lesser known fact about Couture is that his wife, Kim, lost in her mma debut against Kim Rose in Las Vegas this past weekend. The event was the first ever combined mma/boxing event.
As for her husband, Randy, who knows when he will fight again. Couture is supposedly starring in the Scorpion King 2, which will bypass theaters and go straight to DVD.
#7 Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson (6'1 205 pounds)
The 30 year old Jackson (28-6) exudes confidence inside and outside the ring. He made a name for himself in Pride, although he never was able to become the top dog in their light heavyweight division. Jackson, actually lost 5 times during his career in Pride. Surprisingly he has made a smooth transition into the Octagon becoming the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson has one of the most memorable knockouts in mma history, which occurred when he slammed Ricardo Arona to the ground
Two years ago, Jackson probably would not have even have cracked a Top 25 list now he is in the Top Ten.
Jackson had been vying to play Mr. T in the A-Team movie but the rumor is the role could be going to ICE Cube, which is a terrible choice in my opinion.
Jackson will be fighting Forrest Griffin at UFC 86.
#6 Georges St. Pierre (5'10 169 pounds)
The 27 year old St. Pierre has compiled a 16-2 record. He has noteworthy wins over Matt Hughes, BJ Penn and Sean Sherk
St. Pierre is the current UFC welterweight champion and is scheduled to fight Jon Fitch at UFC 87.
#32 Don Frye, #31 Pat Miletich, #30 Mark Kerr, #29 Igor Vovchanchyn, #28 Josh Barnett, #27 Sean Sherk, #26 Tim Sylvia, #25 Dan Henderson, #24 Ken Shamrock, #23 Tito Ortiz, #22 Frank Shamrock, #21 Uriaj Faber, #20 Cro Cop, #19 Sakuraba, #18 Matt Hughes, #17 Lyoto Machida, #16 Wanderlei Silva, #15Mauricio Rua, #14Rickson Gracie, #13 Dan Severn, #12 Takanori Gomi and #11 Bas Rutten.
#10 Mark ‘The Hammer’ Coleman(6'1 245 pounds)
Do not let his record fool you (15-8) because Coleman has always been known to fight against the best fighters in the world. He has notable wins over Don Frye (2 times), Gary Goodridge, Dan Severn, Igor Vovchanychn and Mauricio Rua. His losses have all come against, arguably the top fighters of all time (Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Nogueira). Coleman did have a brief period where he suffered a four fight losing streak against some fighters he should have won against (Takada, Pete Williams, Maurice Smith and Pedro Rizzo). By the way Coleman is a UFC Hall of Famer.
Coleman was due to fight Brock Lesnar in Minnesota at UFC 87, but had to pull out of the event due to a knee injury. The 43 year old can still fight, but the question remains for how much longer.
#9 B.J. ‘The Prodigy’ Penn (5'9 155 pounds)
Th 29 year old Penn is the current UFC Lightweight Champion. He has noteworthy wins over Renzo Gracie, Matt Hughes, Sean Sherk, Jens Pulver and Matt Serra. His overall record of 14-4-1. He is known for his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills.
Penn recently defeated Sean Sherk at UFC 84 and it is rumored that he will have a rematch against Georges St. Pierre sometime later this year.
#8 Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture (6'1 225)
The 45 year old Couture is a UFC Hall of Famer with a 16-8 overall record. Surprisingly, Couture still is near the top of his game.
He has notable wins over Jeremy Horn, Chuck Lidell, Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, Tim Sylvia and Tito Ortiz. He operates an elite training facility for fighters called Xtreme Couture. He has held the UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight titles.
A lesser known fact about Couture is that his wife, Kim, lost in her mma debut against Kim Rose in Las Vegas this past weekend. The event was the first ever combined mma/boxing event.
As for her husband, Randy, who knows when he will fight again. Couture is supposedly starring in the Scorpion King 2, which will bypass theaters and go straight to DVD.
#7 Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson (6'1 205 pounds)
The 30 year old Jackson (28-6) exudes confidence inside and outside the ring. He made a name for himself in Pride, although he never was able to become the top dog in their light heavyweight division. Jackson, actually lost 5 times during his career in Pride. Surprisingly he has made a smooth transition into the Octagon becoming the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson has one of the most memorable knockouts in mma history, which occurred when he slammed Ricardo Arona to the ground
Two years ago, Jackson probably would not have even have cracked a Top 25 list now he is in the Top Ten.
Jackson had been vying to play Mr. T in the A-Team movie but the rumor is the role could be going to ICE Cube, which is a terrible choice in my opinion.
Jackson will be fighting Forrest Griffin at UFC 86.
#6 Georges St. Pierre (5'10 169 pounds)
The 27 year old St. Pierre has compiled a 16-2 record. He has noteworthy wins over Matt Hughes, BJ Penn and Sean Sherk
St. Pierre is the current UFC welterweight champion and is scheduled to fight Jon Fitch at UFC 87.
Countdown to MMA's Greatest: The Top Ten
#10 Mark ‘The Hammer’ Coleman(6'1 245 pounds)
Do not let his record fool you (15-8) because Coleman has always been known to fight against the best fighters in the world. He has notable wins over Don Frye (2 times), Gary Goodridge, Dan Severn, Igor Vovchanychn and Mauricio Rua. His losses have all come against, arguably the top fighters of all time (Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Nogueira). Coleman did have a brief period where he suffered a four fight losing streak against some fighters he should have won against (Takada, Pete Williams, Maurice Smith and Pedro Rizzo). By the way Coleman is a UFC Hall of Famer.
Coleman was due to fight Brock Lesnar in Minnesota at UFC 87, but had to pull out of the event due to a knee injury. The 43 year old can still fight, but the question remains for how much longer.
#9 B.J. ‘The Prodigy’ Penn (5'9 155 pounds)
Th 29 year old Penn is the current UFC Lightweight Champion. He has noteworthy wins over Renzo Gracie, Matt Hughes, Sean Sherk, Jens Pulver and Matt Serra. His overall record of 14-4-1. He is known for his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills.
Penn recently defeated Sean Sherk at UFC 84 and it is rumored that he will have a rematch against Georges St. Pierre sometime later this year.
#8 Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture (6'1 225)
The 45 year old Couture is a UFC Hall of Famer with a 16-8 overall record. Surprisingly, Couture still is near the top of his game.
He has notable wins over Jeremy Horn, Chuck Lidell, Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, Tim Sylvia and Tito Ortiz. He operates an elite training facility for fighters called Xtreme Couture. He has held the UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight titles.
A lesser known fact about Couture is that his wife, Kim, will be making her mma debut against Kim Rose in Las Vegas this weekend. The event is the first ever combined mma/boxing event.
As for her husband, Randy, who knows when he will fight again. Couture is supposedly starring in the Scorpion King 2, which will bypass theaters and go straight to DVD.
#7 Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson (6'1 205 pounds)
The 30 year old Jackson (28-6) exudes confidence inside and outside the ring. He made a name for himself in Pride, although he never was able to become the top dog in their light heavyweight division. Jackson, actually lost 5 times during his career in Pride. Surprisingly he has made a smooth transition into the Octagon becoming the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson has one of the most memorable knockouts in mma history, which occurred when he slammed Ricardo Arona to the ground
Two years ago, Jackson probably would not have even have cracked a Top 25 list now he is in the Top Ten.
Jackson had been vying to play Mr. T in the A-Team movie but the rumor is the role could be going to ICE Cube, which is a terrible choice in my opinion.
Jackson will be fighting Forrest Griffin at UFC 86.
#6 Georges St. Pierre (5'10 169 pounds)
The 27 year old St. Pierre has compiled a 16-2 record. He has noteworthy wins over Matt Hughes, BJ Penn and Sean Sherk
St. Pierre is the current UFC welterweight champion and is scheduled to fight Jon Fitch at UFC 87.
#5 Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Lidell (6'2 205 pounds)
Lidell is one of the most feared striker in the Light Heavyweight division. Lidell, who has a 21-5 record, has noteworthy wins over Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Jeremy Horn and Tito Ortiz.
Lidell is a future UFC Hall of Famer, who is still near the top of his game despite being 39 years old. .
An intriguing matchup which MMA fans are surely looking forward to is Lidell vs. Anderson Silva if Silva does indeed move up to the light heavyweight division.
#4 Anderson Silva (6'2 185 pounds)
Silva is a long lanky fighter at 6'2 185 pounds that dominates fights with his striking skills. He is currently a 7-fight win streak and has absolutely obliterated the competition in the UFC’s middleweight division. Rumors are circulating that Silva will move up to the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division in July.
The 33 year old has noteworthy wins over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Jeremy Horn and Carlos Newton.
Silva has seen more success when fighting in the caged octagon as opposed to fighting in boxing style ring, like Pride. Two of Silva’s losses have come against less heralded Japanese fighters in Pride (Ryo Chonan and Daijui Takase.
#3 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (6'3 231 pounds)
An excellent fighter on the ground known for his submission skills (he has won 19 fights via submission). Nogueira has fought mainly in Japan, in Rings and Pride, during his illustrious career where he has compiled a 31-4 record. He has noteworthy wins over Josh Barnett, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Coleman, Tim Sylvia and Dan Henderson.
The 32 year old is the current UFC interm Heavyweight Champion.
#2 Royce Gracie (6'0 176 pounds)
The 42 year old UFC Hall of Famer who is synonymous with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He infatuated early MMA fans by defeating opponents much larger than himself (6'0 176 pounds). He has notable wins over Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock and Kazushi Sakuraba.
Gracie’s reputation was tarnished May when he tested positive for the steroid Nandrolone Metabolite. Overall it is difficult to rank Gracie because of his overwhelming influence in the sport.
The problem with making a list like this is whether or not Gracie in his prime would be able to compete against today’s mma fighters, whom are better all-around then the competition back in Gracie’s heyday.
#1 Fedor Emelianenko (6’0 233 pounds)
This was a no doubter as Fedor has dominated the heavyweight division for years. The problem is could he dominate the UFC heavyweight division? My answer is yes.
The former Pride Heavyweight champion has won an astounding 24 fights in a row and he has an overall record of 27-1. He has noteworthy wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2 times), Mark Coleman, Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filopovic, Mark Hunt and Semmy Schilt. Emelianenko will square off against Tim Sylvia on July 19th on the Affliction Banned card.
It could be argued that 31 year old Emelianenko is the greatest heavyweight of all time. Rumors have been circulating in the mma community about a potential matchup against Randy Couture, who is also ranked in the Top Ten.
Do not let his record fool you (15-8) because Coleman has always been known to fight against the best fighters in the world. He has notable wins over Don Frye (2 times), Gary Goodridge, Dan Severn, Igor Vovchanychn and Mauricio Rua. His losses have all come against, arguably the top fighters of all time (Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Nogueira). Coleman did have a brief period where he suffered a four fight losing streak against some fighters he should have won against (Takada, Pete Williams, Maurice Smith and Pedro Rizzo). By the way Coleman is a UFC Hall of Famer.
Coleman was due to fight Brock Lesnar in Minnesota at UFC 87, but had to pull out of the event due to a knee injury. The 43 year old can still fight, but the question remains for how much longer.
#9 B.J. ‘The Prodigy’ Penn (5'9 155 pounds)
Th 29 year old Penn is the current UFC Lightweight Champion. He has noteworthy wins over Renzo Gracie, Matt Hughes, Sean Sherk, Jens Pulver and Matt Serra. His overall record of 14-4-1. He is known for his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills.
Penn recently defeated Sean Sherk at UFC 84 and it is rumored that he will have a rematch against Georges St. Pierre sometime later this year.
#8 Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture (6'1 225)
The 45 year old Couture is a UFC Hall of Famer with a 16-8 overall record. Surprisingly, Couture still is near the top of his game.
He has notable wins over Jeremy Horn, Chuck Lidell, Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, Tim Sylvia and Tito Ortiz. He operates an elite training facility for fighters called Xtreme Couture. He has held the UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight titles.
A lesser known fact about Couture is that his wife, Kim, will be making her mma debut against Kim Rose in Las Vegas this weekend. The event is the first ever combined mma/boxing event.
As for her husband, Randy, who knows when he will fight again. Couture is supposedly starring in the Scorpion King 2, which will bypass theaters and go straight to DVD.
#7 Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson (6'1 205 pounds)
The 30 year old Jackson (28-6) exudes confidence inside and outside the ring. He made a name for himself in Pride, although he never was able to become the top dog in their light heavyweight division. Jackson, actually lost 5 times during his career in Pride. Surprisingly he has made a smooth transition into the Octagon becoming the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson has one of the most memorable knockouts in mma history, which occurred when he slammed Ricardo Arona to the ground
Two years ago, Jackson probably would not have even have cracked a Top 25 list now he is in the Top Ten.
Jackson had been vying to play Mr. T in the A-Team movie but the rumor is the role could be going to ICE Cube, which is a terrible choice in my opinion.
Jackson will be fighting Forrest Griffin at UFC 86.
#6 Georges St. Pierre (5'10 169 pounds)
The 27 year old St. Pierre has compiled a 16-2 record. He has noteworthy wins over Matt Hughes, BJ Penn and Sean Sherk
St. Pierre is the current UFC welterweight champion and is scheduled to fight Jon Fitch at UFC 87.
#5 Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Lidell (6'2 205 pounds)
Lidell is one of the most feared striker in the Light Heavyweight division. Lidell, who has a 21-5 record, has noteworthy wins over Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Jeremy Horn and Tito Ortiz.
Lidell is a future UFC Hall of Famer, who is still near the top of his game despite being 39 years old. .
An intriguing matchup which MMA fans are surely looking forward to is Lidell vs. Anderson Silva if Silva does indeed move up to the light heavyweight division.
#4 Anderson Silva (6'2 185 pounds)
Silva is a long lanky fighter at 6'2 185 pounds that dominates fights with his striking skills. He is currently a 7-fight win streak and has absolutely obliterated the competition in the UFC’s middleweight division. Rumors are circulating that Silva will move up to the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division in July.
The 33 year old has noteworthy wins over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Jeremy Horn and Carlos Newton.
Silva has seen more success when fighting in the caged octagon as opposed to fighting in boxing style ring, like Pride. Two of Silva’s losses have come against less heralded Japanese fighters in Pride (Ryo Chonan and Daijui Takase.
#3 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (6'3 231 pounds)
An excellent fighter on the ground known for his submission skills (he has won 19 fights via submission). Nogueira has fought mainly in Japan, in Rings and Pride, during his illustrious career where he has compiled a 31-4 record. He has noteworthy wins over Josh Barnett, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Coleman, Tim Sylvia and Dan Henderson.
The 32 year old is the current UFC interm Heavyweight Champion.
#2 Royce Gracie (6'0 176 pounds)
The 42 year old UFC Hall of Famer who is synonymous with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He infatuated early MMA fans by defeating opponents much larger than himself (6'0 176 pounds). He has notable wins over Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock and Kazushi Sakuraba.
Gracie’s reputation was tarnished May when he tested positive for the steroid Nandrolone Metabolite. Overall it is difficult to rank Gracie because of his overwhelming influence in the sport.
The problem with making a list like this is whether or not Gracie in his prime would be able to compete against today’s mma fighters, whom are better all-around then the competition back in Gracie’s heyday.
#1 Fedor Emelianenko (6’0 233 pounds)
This was a no doubter as Fedor has dominated the heavyweight division for years. The problem is could he dominate the UFC heavyweight division? My answer is yes.
The former Pride Heavyweight champion has won an astounding 24 fights in a row and he has an overall record of 27-1. He has noteworthy wins over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2 times), Mark Coleman, Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filopovic, Mark Hunt and Semmy Schilt. Emelianenko will square off against Tim Sylvia on July 19th on the Affliction Banned card.
It could be argued that 31 year old Emelianenko is the greatest heavyweight of all time. Rumors have been circulating in the mma community about a potential matchup against Randy Couture, who is also ranked in the Top Ten.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Countdown to MMA's Greatest: Part 4
#15 Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua (6'0 201 pounds)
The 26 year old Rua has 16-3 record with noteworthy wins over Quinton Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman and Allstair Overeem.
He recently lost to Forrest Griffin.
Shogun dominated the light heavyweight division in Pride but suffered a setback when he recently lost to Forrest Griffin. A win against Griffin would have setup a rematch between Rua and Jackson.
Rua was supposed to fight Chuck Lidell in June, but is recovering from a knee injury. The fact that Rua is young (he will not be 27 until November) and his dominant striking skills (13 TKO’s) make him a likely candidate to crack the top ten soon. The one question that remains may be how he fair’s in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division, which is arguably the toughest division in all of MMA.
#14 Rickson Gracie (5'10 185 pounds)
Gracie’s professional record is listed at 11-0. He is a legend in MMA circles and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion. Rickson is tough to rank because of his limited mma record, which spans nearly twenty years.
There was a rumor over two years ago that Rickson may come out of his mma retirement and fight in December of 2006. This never materialized and it looks like the 50 year old Gracie is officially retired from mma competition.
#13 Dan ‘The Beast” Severn (6'2 250 pounds )
Severn has compiled a 86-15-7 record during a long and illustrious career. Severn’s reputation does suffer, though, from not knowing when to call it quits. Severn still fights, despite being 50 years old.
He fought recently against Pavel Botka on May 3rd 2008, losing via decision.
His reputation also suffers from his lack of fighting against top tier competition. Severn is a UFC Hall of Famer who defeated Ken Shamrock when Shamrock was in his prime and won by decision against a young Forrest Griffin.
Severn is a substitute teacher and runs mixed martial arts classes in the Michigan area.
#12 Takanori Gomi (5'8 154 pounds)
Gomi suffers from not being a household name in the United States as he has spent most of his career fighting in Japan. He has compiled an impressive 28-3 record. The 29 year old has noteworthy wins over Jens Pulver, Duane Ludwig and Marcus Auriello.
Gomi is scheduled to fight in the Sengoku 4 event in Japan in August.
#11 Bas ‘El Guapo’ Rutten (6'1 205 pounds)
Rutten is probably known more for his work in the broadcast booth because injuries cut short a promising MMA career which he compiled a 28-4 record
Rutten has noteworthy wins over Kevin Randleman and Frank Shamrock.
Rutten took a nearly ten year layoff before he defeated Ruben Villareal in 2006. The 43 year old has since gone back into retirement.
The 26 year old Rua has 16-3 record with noteworthy wins over Quinton Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman and Allstair Overeem.
He recently lost to Forrest Griffin.
Shogun dominated the light heavyweight division in Pride but suffered a setback when he recently lost to Forrest Griffin. A win against Griffin would have setup a rematch between Rua and Jackson.
Rua was supposed to fight Chuck Lidell in June, but is recovering from a knee injury. The fact that Rua is young (he will not be 27 until November) and his dominant striking skills (13 TKO’s) make him a likely candidate to crack the top ten soon. The one question that remains may be how he fair’s in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division, which is arguably the toughest division in all of MMA.
#14 Rickson Gracie (5'10 185 pounds)
Gracie’s professional record is listed at 11-0. He is a legend in MMA circles and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion. Rickson is tough to rank because of his limited mma record, which spans nearly twenty years.
There was a rumor over two years ago that Rickson may come out of his mma retirement and fight in December of 2006. This never materialized and it looks like the 50 year old Gracie is officially retired from mma competition.
#13 Dan ‘The Beast” Severn (6'2 250 pounds )
Severn has compiled a 86-15-7 record during a long and illustrious career. Severn’s reputation does suffer, though, from not knowing when to call it quits. Severn still fights, despite being 50 years old.
He fought recently against Pavel Botka on May 3rd 2008, losing via decision.
His reputation also suffers from his lack of fighting against top tier competition. Severn is a UFC Hall of Famer who defeated Ken Shamrock when Shamrock was in his prime and won by decision against a young Forrest Griffin.
Severn is a substitute teacher and runs mixed martial arts classes in the Michigan area.
#12 Takanori Gomi (5'8 154 pounds)
Gomi suffers from not being a household name in the United States as he has spent most of his career fighting in Japan. He has compiled an impressive 28-3 record. The 29 year old has noteworthy wins over Jens Pulver, Duane Ludwig and Marcus Auriello.
Gomi is scheduled to fight in the Sengoku 4 event in Japan in August.
#11 Bas ‘El Guapo’ Rutten (6'1 205 pounds)
Rutten is probably known more for his work in the broadcast booth because injuries cut short a promising MMA career which he compiled a 28-4 record
Rutten has noteworthy wins over Kevin Randleman and Frank Shamrock.
Rutten took a nearly ten year layoff before he defeated Ruben Villareal in 2006. The 43 year old has since gone back into retirement.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Countdown to MMA's Greatest:15-20
# 20 Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic (6’2 220 pounds)
The 33 year old is known as the king of the high leg kick. He was the most feared striker in the now defunct Pride Heavyweight division. Cro Cop’s career took a nosedive, though, after he signed with the UFC. If these rankings had been made before his move to the UFC, he could easily have made the top ten. Cro Cop, though, was never able to succeed in the UFC and has since returned to fight in Japan. This has to make one wonder how the subtle rule changes in the two organizations effects a fighter (i.e. fighting in a cage versus a ring)
Cro Cop has a career record of 23-6-2 with 16 of his victories coming by the way of TKO or KO. He has noteworthy wins over Mark Coleman, Josh Barnett, Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva.
Cro Cop is currently fighting in Japan in the newly formed Dream promotion, but he is recovering from an injury.
#19 Kazushi Sakuraba ‘The Gracie Hunter” (6’0 190 pounds)
A legend in Japan, where he is known as ‘The Gracie Hunter,’ Sakuraba has compiled a 24-11 record. He has noteworthy wins over Vitor Belfort, Ken Shamrock, Quinton Jackson, Royce Gracie, Renzo Gracie and Kevin Randleman.
Sakuraba is known for his unorthodox, yet highly exciting style. He has won 17 fights via submission.
In his prime he was one of the most exciting fighters I have ever seen, as he went 12-1-1 from 12/21/97 to 12/9/2000. Four of those victories were against the Gracie’s (Ryan, Royler, Royce and Renzo).
Sakuraba recently suffered a loss at Dream 4 to Melvin Manhoef.
#18 Matt Hughes (5’9 170 pounds)
Hughes has compiled a 43-7 record. Hughes falls in the rankings due to losing three out his last four fights. He has noteworthy wins over Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, Royce Gracie, George St. Pierre.
After losing to Georges St. Pierre, Hughes lost badly in his last fight to Thiago Alves at UFC 84. He could possibly face Matt Serra next.
#17 Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida (6’1 205 pounds)
This ranking may prove to be controversial, but if you look at Machida’s resume (13-0 record)he has to be considered in the top 20. He has noteworthy wins over Stephan Bonner, BJ Penn, Rich Franklin and Tito Ortiz. Machida could crack the top ten list in the future if he continues his dominance in the cage.
Machida’s most recent win was against Tito Ortiz at UFC 84.
Up next for Machida, who knows in the stacked UFC Light Heavyweight division. Could he face the winner of Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson?
#17 Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida (6’1 205 pounds)
This ranking may prove to be controversial, but if you look at Machida’s resume (13-0 record) he has to be considered in the top 20. What helps Machida is that he is probably in the midst of his prime at age 33.
He has noteworthy wins over Stephan Bonner, BJ Penn, Rich Franklin and Tito Ortiz. Machida could crack the top ten list in the future if he continues his dominance in the cage.
Machida’s most recent win was against Tito Ortiz at UFC 84.
Up next for Machida, who knows in the stacked UFC Light Heavyweight division. Could he face the winner of Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson?
#16 Wanderlei Silva (5'11 205 pounds)
One of the most feared strikers in the light heavyweight division, as he has won 22 fights by knockout. He has compiled a 32-8 record during his career. Silva’s reputation took a hit though, as he went 5-5 over his last 10 fights. Silva is a former Pride Light Heavyweight champion.
Silva has noteworthy wins over Quinton Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Sakuraba and Dan Henderson.
Silva’s next opponent could be Chuck Lidell, a rematch from an earlier fight where Lidell defeated Silva.
The 33 year old is known as the king of the high leg kick. He was the most feared striker in the now defunct Pride Heavyweight division. Cro Cop’s career took a nosedive, though, after he signed with the UFC. If these rankings had been made before his move to the UFC, he could easily have made the top ten. Cro Cop, though, was never able to succeed in the UFC and has since returned to fight in Japan. This has to make one wonder how the subtle rule changes in the two organizations effects a fighter (i.e. fighting in a cage versus a ring)
Cro Cop has a career record of 23-6-2 with 16 of his victories coming by the way of TKO or KO. He has noteworthy wins over Mark Coleman, Josh Barnett, Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva.
Cro Cop is currently fighting in Japan in the newly formed Dream promotion, but he is recovering from an injury.
#19 Kazushi Sakuraba ‘The Gracie Hunter” (6’0 190 pounds)
A legend in Japan, where he is known as ‘The Gracie Hunter,’ Sakuraba has compiled a 24-11 record. He has noteworthy wins over Vitor Belfort, Ken Shamrock, Quinton Jackson, Royce Gracie, Renzo Gracie and Kevin Randleman.
Sakuraba is known for his unorthodox, yet highly exciting style. He has won 17 fights via submission.
In his prime he was one of the most exciting fighters I have ever seen, as he went 12-1-1 from 12/21/97 to 12/9/2000. Four of those victories were against the Gracie’s (Ryan, Royler, Royce and Renzo).
Sakuraba recently suffered a loss at Dream 4 to Melvin Manhoef.
#18 Matt Hughes (5’9 170 pounds)
Hughes has compiled a 43-7 record. Hughes falls in the rankings due to losing three out his last four fights. He has noteworthy wins over Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, Royce Gracie, George St. Pierre.
After losing to Georges St. Pierre, Hughes lost badly in his last fight to Thiago Alves at UFC 84. He could possibly face Matt Serra next.
#17 Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida (6’1 205 pounds)
This ranking may prove to be controversial, but if you look at Machida’s resume (13-0 record)he has to be considered in the top 20. He has noteworthy wins over Stephan Bonner, BJ Penn, Rich Franklin and Tito Ortiz. Machida could crack the top ten list in the future if he continues his dominance in the cage.
Machida’s most recent win was against Tito Ortiz at UFC 84.
Up next for Machida, who knows in the stacked UFC Light Heavyweight division. Could he face the winner of Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson?
#17 Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida (6’1 205 pounds)
This ranking may prove to be controversial, but if you look at Machida’s resume (13-0 record) he has to be considered in the top 20. What helps Machida is that he is probably in the midst of his prime at age 33.
He has noteworthy wins over Stephan Bonner, BJ Penn, Rich Franklin and Tito Ortiz. Machida could crack the top ten list in the future if he continues his dominance in the cage.
Machida’s most recent win was against Tito Ortiz at UFC 84.
Up next for Machida, who knows in the stacked UFC Light Heavyweight division. Could he face the winner of Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson?
#16 Wanderlei Silva (5'11 205 pounds)
One of the most feared strikers in the light heavyweight division, as he has won 22 fights by knockout. He has compiled a 32-8 record during his career. Silva’s reputation took a hit though, as he went 5-5 over his last 10 fights. Silva is a former Pride Light Heavyweight champion.
Silva has noteworthy wins over Quinton Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Sakuraba and Dan Henderson.
Silva’s next opponent could be Chuck Lidell, a rematch from an earlier fight where Lidell defeated Silva.
Countdown to MMA's Greatest: Part 2
#26 Tim ‘The Maine-iac’ Sylvia (6'8 260 pounds)
the 32 year-old Sylvia is the former UFC heavyweight champion. He has compiled a 24-4 record. He has noteworthy wins over Andre Arlovski, Ben Rothwell and Brandon Vera. All 4 of his losses have come against top tier opponents (Frank Mir, Randy Couture, Andre Arlovski, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira).
Sylvia recently signed with Affliction and will be fighting Fedor Emelianenko on July 19th. A win over Emelianenko could vault Sylvia into my top 20.
#25 Dan ‘Hollywood’ Henderson (6'1 183 pounds)
The 37 yeard-old former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has compiled a 22-7 record. He has lost his last two fights to Anderson Silva and Quinton Jackson. He has noteworthy wins over Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, Renzo Gracie and Murilo Rua.
Henderson is still signed with the UFC, but at this time he does not have an opponent scheduled for his next fight.
#24 Ken ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ Shamrock (6'1 235 pounds)
The 44 year-old Shamrock would be ranked higher if he had decided to retire six years ago when he lost for the first time versus Tito Ortiz, but he kept fighting. Shamrock is a big name in this sport, but he is typically over hyped in rankings because he has fought since the 1st UFC event.
Shamrock recently lost to Robert Berry at Cage Rage 25, it was his 5th consecutive loss.
#23 Tito Ortiz 'Huntington Beach Bad Boy' (6'2 205 pounds)
The 33 year old Ortiz is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He has a record of 15-6 overall. He has noteworthy wins over Forrest Griffin and Ken Shamrock. Ortiz lost his last fight to Machida and he is currently a free agent.
Ortiz had a falling out with UFC president Dana White during the last couple years of his contract.
Affliction or Elite XC are likely to sign Ortiz in the coming weeks.
#22 Frank Shamrock (5'10 185 pounds)
The younger brother of Ken Shamrock has had a long and illustrious MMA career. He has been the King of Pancraese, UFC Middleweight Champion and the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He has noteworthy wins over Bas Rutten, Tito Ortiz and Jeremy Horn. He currently has a 22-9 MMA record.
Shamrock, who is 35 years old, broke his arm against Cung Lee in March. He recently was one of the broadcasters for CBS at the Elite XC Primetime event. When Shamrock returns to Strikeforce a potential opponent for him could be Cung Lee.
# 21 Uriaj Faber (5'6 140 pounds)
Faber is finally becoming a household name. He has compiled a 20-1 record with his lone loss coming to Tyson Griffin. The reason why he is not more known is because he fights in a lower weight class and he fights in a smaller mma orgainization the WEC
Faber recently defeated Jens Pulver on June 1st.
the 32 year-old Sylvia is the former UFC heavyweight champion. He has compiled a 24-4 record. He has noteworthy wins over Andre Arlovski, Ben Rothwell and Brandon Vera. All 4 of his losses have come against top tier opponents (Frank Mir, Randy Couture, Andre Arlovski, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira).
Sylvia recently signed with Affliction and will be fighting Fedor Emelianenko on July 19th. A win over Emelianenko could vault Sylvia into my top 20.
#25 Dan ‘Hollywood’ Henderson (6'1 183 pounds)
The 37 yeard-old former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has compiled a 22-7 record. He has lost his last two fights to Anderson Silva and Quinton Jackson. He has noteworthy wins over Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, Renzo Gracie and Murilo Rua.
Henderson is still signed with the UFC, but at this time he does not have an opponent scheduled for his next fight.
#24 Ken ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ Shamrock (6'1 235 pounds)
The 44 year-old Shamrock would be ranked higher if he had decided to retire six years ago when he lost for the first time versus Tito Ortiz, but he kept fighting. Shamrock is a big name in this sport, but he is typically over hyped in rankings because he has fought since the 1st UFC event.
Shamrock recently lost to Robert Berry at Cage Rage 25, it was his 5th consecutive loss.
#23 Tito Ortiz 'Huntington Beach Bad Boy' (6'2 205 pounds)
The 33 year old Ortiz is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He has a record of 15-6 overall. He has noteworthy wins over Forrest Griffin and Ken Shamrock. Ortiz lost his last fight to Machida and he is currently a free agent.
Ortiz had a falling out with UFC president Dana White during the last couple years of his contract.
Affliction or Elite XC are likely to sign Ortiz in the coming weeks.
#22 Frank Shamrock (5'10 185 pounds)
The younger brother of Ken Shamrock has had a long and illustrious MMA career. He has been the King of Pancraese, UFC Middleweight Champion and the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He has noteworthy wins over Bas Rutten, Tito Ortiz and Jeremy Horn. He currently has a 22-9 MMA record.
Shamrock, who is 35 years old, broke his arm against Cung Lee in March. He recently was one of the broadcasters for CBS at the Elite XC Primetime event. When Shamrock returns to Strikeforce a potential opponent for him could be Cung Lee.
# 21 Uriaj Faber (5'6 140 pounds)
Faber is finally becoming a household name. He has compiled a 20-1 record with his lone loss coming to Tyson Griffin. The reason why he is not more known is because he fights in a lower weight class and he fights in a smaller mma orgainization the WEC
Faber recently defeated Jens Pulver on June 1st.
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