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Thursday, Jul 20, 2017

The 7 Greatest UFC Fighters of All Time

Anderson Silva (via CBS)

Mixed martial arts (MMA) has dominated the combat sports segment for several years now, and one of the top championships with regard to MMA happens to be the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). There are numerous other championships that take place across the world, but it is commonly held belief that some of the best MMA players have been witnessed in the UFC. Now, we will be taking a look at the top seven MMA fighters of all time. They are:

Anderson Silva

Silva (via Scrap Digest.com)

Anderson Silva is regarded as one of the greatest MMA players of all time. He devastated opponents in the ring for several years. At a time when the UFC witnessed most of the middleweight fighters, Silva made his name by creating a record of 17-0.

Incredibly, he managed to destroy 14 out of 17 fighters in a period of six years from 2006 to 2012. Some of the names who have suffered at the hands of Silva include Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, Travis Lutter, Yushin Okami, and Nate Marquardt.

Silva’s career in the arena began in 1997. He managed to build a record of 16-4 even before he attained his peak. During his formative years, Silva managed to overcome the likes of Lee Murray, Carlos Newton, Hayato Sakurai, Jorge Riviera, and Jeremy Horn. Even though he suffered four losses during that period, it should be remembered that Silva was already up against some of the best in the business.

Georges St-Pierre

GSP (via Muscle and Fitness.com)

It may be tough to name Georges St-Pierre since he still remains as part of the current generation, but his overall record is one of the best around. St-Pierre has been fighting since 2002, and he has an overall record of 25-2. Those two defeats came through a stoppage. Such has been the presence of St-Pierre in the ring that he has become one of the immensely popular MMA fighters around. Some of the names who have suffered defeats at the hands of St-Pierre include Jason Miller, Jay Hieron, Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, and Carlos Condit.

Fedor Emelianenko

Emelianenko (via Fightstate.com)

Emelianenko makes it to the list of the greatest MMA fighters after going almost a decade without a defeat. He went without a loss from 2001 to 2009 – a run that saw him take part in 28 fights. In that streak, Emelianenko managed to overcome some of the best heavyweight champions.

His greatest achievements might be overcoming Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski – who were among the top UFC heavyweights. However, factors that go against Emelianenko are the lack of great competition in Pride along with the lack of games against the world class names of his generation.

Chuck Liddell

Liddell (via Gazette Review.com)

Liddell was one of the iconic names in the UFC during the mid-2000s when the sport was gathering momentum. He managed to possess a record of 21-8, but the most impressive period was when he went through a run of seven consecutive wins during the early part of the century.

This run included victories over the likes of Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, and Murilo Bustamante. Liddell was also a star at knocking out the opposition. Incredibly, he knocked out seven opponents for a two-year period between 2004 and 2007. Such records are extremely rare to find, but top MMA betting tips try to take advantage of such runs.

Matt Hughes

Hughes (via Chideo)

Hughes was a regular fixture in the Zuffa time period of the UFC. One of the primary reasons for this elevated status was his incredible consistency when it comes to fight. For a long time, Hughes was of the straightforward fighters in the MMA. This consistency turned into a remarkable run of dominance from 2001 to 2006 when he managed to establish a record of 19-1.

At the top of his game, he managed to defeat the likes of Georges St. Pierre, Carlos Newton, Royce Gracie, Sean Sherk, and B.J. Penn. Crucially, he managed to defend his welterweight strap on multiple occasions in the prime.

His overall MMA record stood at 44-4 between 1998 and 2006. Even though there were two consecutive defeats against the likes of Thiago Alves and St. Pierre, they were merely minor blemishes in the overall record, which looks impressive even by today’s standards.

Jon Jones

Jones (via USA Today)

Jones came up with an overall record of 22-1 during the eight-year period between 2008 and 2016. That solitary loss came as a result of a disqualification in the fight against Matt Hamill. His biggest success is the incredible athleticism that makes him a major force to reckon with in the ring.

Even though he divides popularity and opinion, there can be no denying that his overall record is nothing short of excellent. Jones is expected to make the switch into the heavyweights sooner rather than later. He has managed to beat the likes of Glover Teixeira, Rashad Evans, and Vitor Belfort.

Royce Gracie

Gracie (via Roye Gracie.com)

Royce Gracie is often credited with making MMA as one of the popular sports in the world. His career spanned during the early 1990s and he managed to go on a run of 11-0-1 from 1993 to 1995. During this period, he managed to pick up three UFC titles. More importantly, all of his 11 victories have involved the opposition going down through submission. Gracie will personally regard his success over Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock as the best of his career. He is still remembered as the icon of modern MMA.

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posted by FCF Staff @ 10:08 am
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