Top 5 Fighters of All-Time
1. FEDOR EMELIANENKO
MMA RECORD: 30-1-0
BORN: Rubizhne, Luhansk of the Ukrainian SSR
6’0, Heavyweight
Registering a perfect record in the sport for a good decade, 30-1-0 Fedor Emelianenko has been the most heralded heavyweight the sport has seen. His greatest feats were dismantling the heavyweight division in Pride FC, where he successfully victimized all comers and dazzled the Japanese fans and became a worldwide phenomenon.
The only blip on his record is a controversial loss to Tsuyoshi Kohsaka via doctor stoppage due to a cut 17 seconds into the fight, which was caused by a missed looping punch as Kohsaka’s elbow struck Emelianenko’s head, an illegal blow under the rules of the promotion—“Rings.” It is a defeat Emelianenko would later avenge.
The serenity and calm on Fedor’s face as he destroyed opponent after opponent has always been a very noted characteristic of the Russian fighter. Intense focus and being able to channel his energy to the task at hand has allowed Fedor to reach his potential as a fighter. He has consistently been a game performer. Some would point and say he has never lost a round in the sport, aside from his sole defeat.
While against former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski, it appeared Fedor was slightly behind in the fight in the first stanza, things were instantly changed with a huge right hand which left his opponent unconscious. It’s a testament to how Fedor handles the rare instances he is put in adverse situations. His dominance has been documented, but his ability to overcome adversity is what adds a dimension to him being a complete fighter and a champion. When Kazuyuki Fujita stunned the Russian with a punch and left him on severely wobbly legs, it was highly impressive to see Fedor come back fired and hurt his Japanese counterpart and swiftly tap him out for the first time in his career via rear naked choke.
We can point to the incredible turnaround against Kevin Randleman as well. The American suplexed Fedor on his head and one would assume that would either instantly KO or severely injure any fighter. But just 47 seconds later Fedor won the fight via armlock.
Great game-planning and execution have led Fedor to victory numerous times, but it is coupled with well-roundedness in all areas. He’s not the greatest submission fighter, he’s not the greatest striker, he’s not the best wrestler, but nobody seems to be able to put it together as well as Fedor in the heavyweight division. He’s not the top guy in all those aspects of the game, but at times he’s just as dangerous as the top fighters in those respective disciplines. He can knock you out or use strikes to outpoint or nullify dangerous strikers. He can take you down and administer some of the brutal ground and pound you can imagine. Or he can use some very quick and slick submission skill to be a hair away from breaking a limb or choking you out. It’s all done in very devastating fashion and the consistency of a machine.
With Fedor not signing with the UFC, many wonder if he will be able to fight against the cream of the crop in the heavyweight class. Ranked number one on most heavyweight lists, fighters and fans alike want the Russian to put his status on the line. Certainly though if anyone is to call themselves the top heavyweight in the world they must first do what nobody seems to be able to do—defeat Fedor Emelianenko.
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2. ANDERSON SILVA
MMA RECORD: 25-4-0
BORN: Curitiba, Brazil
6’2, 185 and 205 pound fighter
Arguably the greatest striker in the history of the sport, Anderson Silva has used his Muay Thai skills to dominate the 185 pound division and put away some of the top middleweights in the game. When he’s on, as he always seems to be, there is nobody in the game that is able to stop “The Spider”. 75% of his wins have been via stoppages.
While his striking is astounding, his ground game is exceptional too. He has showed solid BJJ and is a blackbelt in the craft. His defeat over world class grappler Travis Lutter in the UFC, which ended with the Brazilian holding onto a triangle choke and elbowing his way to a submission over the American middleweight, was an example of the vast amount of tools Silva has in his arsenal, and his ability to use them to finish off opponents.
One of the most appealing aspects of Silva’s game is the wide variety of attack he uses on the feet, and the extreme creativity he possesses. “Ballet of Violence” was a very apt quote utilized by UFC color commentator Joe Rogan in describing the beauty and devastation of Silva. The Brazilian combines the martial and the art extremely well. The fluidity and impact of his craft is a thing of beauty to watch. You really are never sure what Silva is going to throw at his opponents, but there is always that feeling of certainty that it’s only a matter of time before Silva is going to catch his opponent. His skill level is at such a high level that he is able to toy with opponents and be confident enough to be as creative as he wants to be.
Nobody could have imagined he’d defeat Tony Fryklund with a reverse elbow knockout, one of the most spectacular displays of accuracy, power, creativity and plain audacity to even try and attempt it. People would think you’re out to lunch if you’d discuss the possibility of knocking somebody out like that in MMA prior to that, but that’s exactly the type of attitude Silva feeds off of. “I believe I can do things people think are impossible”, is an Anderson Silva tells mantra. And it has definitely worked–he has accomplished some of the most amazing feats in MMA.
A record 10 straight wins in the UFC is a remarkable achievement, given elite talent has been flocking to the top MMA promotion on the planet for years. 6 title defenses is also a tremendous feat, considering the fact that highly skilled and motivated opponents have been consistently thrown and the Brazilian sensation.
Part of Silva’s greatness has been due to his success moving up to 205. His accomplishments at middleweight are sufficient enough, but he has gone up a weight class and done tremendous in his first two outings. Knocking out James Irvin in his light-heavyweight debut was a textbook case of high level striking. Training Muay Thai since the age of 5 has really aided the Brazilian in his career and he simply grabbed Irvin’s kick in that bout and threw a perfectly timed and accurate right that sent the American to the mat.
His second bout at 205 against Forrest Griffin was another knockout in spectacular fashion. Displaying incredible head movement, striking, and unfathomable self-assurance in his skill to the point where he dropped his hands, Silva punched his way to victory once again at light heavyweight, taking out the former champion in devastating fashion.
Silva has risen to the greatest heights in the sport and keeps on marching forward. Can he continue his rise further into greatness by victimizing the rest of the light-heavyweight class and add some more gold to his collection? It’s hard to deny anything Silva sets his mind to and focuses on in mixed martial arts.
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3. GEORGES ST. PIERRE
MMA RECORD: 19-2
BORN: Saint-Isidore, Quebec, Canada
5’10, welterweight
When it comes to being great in every area of MMA, having the ability to put it together fluidly, make it look easy and do it all with an ultra-nice and respectful attitude, 3 words come to mind—GSP.
Georges St-Pierre’s 8th fight in MMA was a title shot against Matt Hughes. He fought that fight with little confidence, much less experience, and still did very well and surprised many on how good he was. It was clear that the title shot would not be his last, and the Canadian would at some point be wearing that gold. Two years later Pierre defeated Hughes via strikes to win the UFC welterweight strap and he has refined himself into one of the all-time greats in the game.
Pierre is one of the most athletic and talented fighters the sport has seen. He possesses excellent speed, rhythm, timing, strength and stamina. He has been able to run through fighters who have been unstoppable at some point during their UFC careers. Hughes was a complete terror at welterweight before Pierre came around. While the incredible strength of Hughes had been heralded for years, Pierre came along and trumped the American in that category as well on route to defeating one of the greatest champs the sport has ever seen two times.
Same goes for BJ Penn. In their second battle, Pierre turned things up a notch and really laid into the Hawaiin legend. Penn and Pierre were fairly even at the end of the first round, but by the end of the second it was clear that the Canadian was beginning to run away with the bout and was unleashing a torrent of strikes by the third and fourth stanzas on route to a stoppage victory over another incredible UFC champion.
Pierre’s talents have been able to be channeled properly because of excellent training and training partners. He trains with the best in every discipline and puts it all together with one of the best MMA teams in Greg Jackson’s academy. Training with champion boxers and strikers, wrestlers and BJJ fighters, Pierre hones the intricacies of various aspects of the MMA game. From there he travels south to New Mexico and meshes all this work into a top notch MMA training camp.
All things come together well for Pierre because of his training and solid game-planning. He and his coaches devise some stellar gameplans to neutralize fighter’s strengths and counter on weaknesses. Nobody has been able to manhandle BJ Penn in mixed martial arts the way Pierre did in their second fight. Not even the 205 pound king in Lyoto Machida, who was much larger than BJ Penn when they fought, could dominate the Hawaiin in said fashion. Granted Machida was not the fighter he is today, but it still does speak for the special type of fighter Pierre is.
The bout against Thiago Alves was another good example of nullifying an opponent’s strengths. Alves, a very terrifying and devastating striker was held virtually ineffective on the feet against Pierre. Executing a solid mix of striking and takedowns, as well as footwork, GSP pitched a 5 round shutout against one of the top welterweights in the game. His dominance over Jon Fitch was also an incredible fight, but once again we’ve gotten use to the level of fighting GSP can show that it’s almost become expected. He has raised the bar quite high for himself and it’s hard to outdo himself.
A sign of a great champion is how he responds to adversity, and Pierre’s loss to Matt Serra via strikes forced him to refocus and come back with a renewed purpose. Pierre did avenge the loss after coming back strong, become champion again and defend 3 times. The success after his defeat to Serra has shown his perseverance and championship heart, and his 14 rounds of action defending his highly coveted UFC belt has shown he can not only obtain but consistently protect his status as the best welterweight in the game.
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4. BJ PENN
MMA RECORD: 11-0
BORN: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
6’2, 185 and 205 pound fighter
Aside from a decision loss early in his career against former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver, BJ “The Prodigy” Penn has been untouchable at 155 pounds. He has been able to successfully dismantle opponent after opponent at lightweight. Recognizing his own amazing talents, it has been his aim to reach his full potential—thus venturing off into weightclasses as high as heavyweight to pursue his vision.
Penn has a solid takedown and maybe the best takedown defense in the game. His BJJ a masterful display of technique and submission violence in MMA. Striking-wise he is an excellent boxer with great instincts. He’ll usually look to tag you with his fists, but his timing on throwing heavy knees has become a very useful tool at his disposal.
Nabbing two titles in 2 different weightclasses has been one of Penn’s greatest achievements. He really has an immense amount of faith in his abilities. The vast majority of the MMA world were anticipating a colossal pounding to occur when the lightweight Penn decided to move up to fight Matt Hughes at welterweight. Everyone was shocked when Penn tapped out Hughes in the first round via rear naked choke. Penn’s talents could perhaps not have been harnessed fully had the Hawaiian not always held an unflappable belief he could do the impossible.
Penn was raised to reach for the stars, but he didn’t need to fight. Born into a wealthy family, Penn solely has pursued the fight game because of the challenge and joy it brings him to compete. He is a natural fighter. It comes to him instinctively and his shirts which adorn the phrase “Just Scrap” are a perfect emblem to symbolize that mentality. There’s no shyness about Penn’s aggression and what he’s looking to do—either blast his opponent’s head with strikes or strangle it unconscious with a choke.
Penn burst onto the scene in 2001, and is still going strong. At 155 he doesn’t appear to be slowing down a bit. His losses outside of 155 have come only to some of the greatest champions MMA has seen—Matt Hughes, Georges St. Pierre and Lyoto Machida. The defeat against Machida, who is a bona-fide light-heavyweight fighter was still a remarkable fight for Penn, who lost a close decision to a much bigger and highly skilled opponent.
Penn has just about done it all in the sport. He’s knocked out fighters, submitted them, jumped 3 or more weight classes above him, coached on The Ultimate Fighter, won titles in 2 weight classes, defended his belt twice, and inspired a legion of MMA fans across the globe. His legacy is cemented, there’s nothing more needed to be proved, and there’s still a lot more in him at age 30. He’s still the champ and at the top of the mountain but checking the horizon for further peaks to embark on.
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5. ROYCE GRACIE
MMA RECORD: 25-4-0
BORN: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
6’0, 175 POUNDS
Royce Gracie redefined martial arts in North America. A thin frail looking Brazilian was expected to be crushed by the many onlookers during the first UFCs, but Gracie would showcase to the world the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Royce learned Jiu-Jitsu from his father and older brothers Rorion, Relson, and Rickson Gracie. And he learned it well. Royce was the pioneer champ of the UFC, but it his brother Rorion, along with and Art Davie, was created the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which in November 1993 would begin as an eight-man elimination tournament with very few rules and would award $50,000 to the winner. The idea was to find out how different styles of martial arts would fare against each other, but Rorion was confident it would end up being a glorious triumph for BJJ and a fantastic infomercial for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. And thanks to the fighting efforts of Royce, so it became.
At UFC 1: The Beginning, the world would be mesmerized watching the Gi-laden Brazilian choke out opponent after opponent on route to winning 3 fights and the first UFC tournament. Along the journey Gracie defeated a 220-pound Ken Shamrock via rear naked choke. Gracie would rack up 8 straight wins over UFC 1 through 3, and he would be victorious in the UFC 2 tournament as well. During the first half of the 90s where Gracie competed in the UFC, he was an untouchable fighter. Hoards of martial arts fans signed up for BJJ classes inspired by the Gracie dominance.
Royce’s wins over heavyweights including Patrick Smith (250 pounds), Dan Severn (260 pounds), as well as Kimo Leopaldo really mystified UFC crowds live and those viewing on pay per view. The win over Severn came after defeating two opponents previously that evening, and catapulted Royce into a 3 time UFC tourney champion as he took home the UFC 4 tournament champion crown.
One of Gracie’s most memorable matches was a 1 hour and a half match with Japanese sensation Kazushi Sakuraba. Rules were modified for unlimited rounds and no referee stoppages. After a grueling battle back and forth, Gracie’s corner threw in the towel after he was exhausted and seemingly unfit to continue fighting. The loss would be avenged by Royce in 2007 but was tainted as he tested positive for anabolic steroid after the fight. Gracie denied and disputed the allegations.
Royce would return to the UFC in 2006 to fight dominant welterweight champion Matt Hughes. The bout would be a one-sided affair where Hughes would ironically mount the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master and attempt submissions on Gracie, prior to taking his back, flattening him out and pounding him on route to a TKO victory. Despite the loss, Gracie was given much credit for returning to action to take on the then top welterweight in the world. In spite of the defeat, Royce still took away a little pleasure from the fact that Hughes was able to successfully utilize BJJ techniques introduced to via the Gracie family. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practiced in Brazilian was passed on to Pat Miletich, which was passed on to fighters such as Matt Hughes. And that’s just one in a million. MMA is indebted to Royce Gracie and his family.
In November 2003, at the ten year anniversary of the UFC, Royce Gracie along with Ken Shamrock were the first inductees into the UFC Hall of Fame.
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Strikeforce pre-fight press conference video highlights for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’
I like Fedor, Shields, Werdum and Mousasi for this card. I would be surprised if Rogers pulls off the upset but not shocked. He’s a big strong fighter who hits real hard, has good striking, is aggressive and effective on the feet and fighting in the city he came from–Chicago. He has to keep it standing to win because on the ground Fedor is just a menace to deal with. On the feet he can put you away as well, but it will only be in the standing position where Rogers can potentially pull off some magic.
Fedor to the UFC on Friday?
The LA Times is reporting that the UFC is finalizing their deal with Fedor Emelianenko, as per a source close to the situation the announcement by the UFC will be made on Friday.
UFC® PRESIDENT DANA WHITE BREAKS LATEST UFC NEWS
IN MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL
FRIDAY, JULY 31 – 11:00AM PT / 2:00pm ET
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – This Friday, UFC President Dana White will break all the latest news and developments in UFC® to the press in an 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern conference call.
SHAWN TOMPKINS talks Belfort fight against Fedor
This fight between Fedor and Vitor seems very odd as Vitor has moved down to 185, and now he’s moving up to heavyweight to fight the best in the world at that weight class. Evidently, Tompkins, Vitor and their team were looking for a fight with Fedor at some point. They surely didn’t anticipate this happening on 10 days notice.
Vitor has some great speed and boxing technique, but the strength, ground and pound, size, mental strength and just ability to find wins to win and deal with adversity gives Fedor an edge. You’ve got to give the advantage to a fighter considered one of the best, or the best fighters in the planet.
Fedor Vs. Aoki Exhibition Set For M1 Challenge In Japan
I’ll definitely watch this, but I’d much rather see Fedor go at it with the best heavyweights in the cage. Japan is definitely taking advantage of the fact they can have competitions outside of weight classes to put on this exhibition. But the next press release about Fedor I’d like to see is one that he has signed with the UFC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
IT’S OFFICIAL: FEDOR EMELIANENKO AND SHINYA AOKI TO COMPETE IN SPECIAL EXHIBITION THIS WEDNESDAY DURING M-1 CHALLENGE JAPAN
Amsterdam, Holland – While WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko’s recent two wins over former UFC heavyweight champions Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski have taken place on American soil, he first earned his reputation as being the world’s pound-for-pound best fighter while competing in Japan.
Despite having made a name for himself in Japan, Fedor has not competed in the Land of the Rising Sun since recording a first round submission victory over 7′2” Goliath Hong Man Choi at “Yarrenoka” on New Year’s Eve 2007.
But Fedor will end his hiatus from active competition in Japan on Wednesday, April 29 at Shinjuku Face in Tokyo during the third edition of the 2009 “M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction.” Fans in attendance will be treated to a special five-minute sparring exhibition between Fedor when he returns to the ring for a five-minute special sparring exhibition against WAMMA lightweight champion Shinya Aoki.
Aoki, 20-4, is one of the leading jiu-jitsu practitioners in all of MMA with 12 submission wins to his credit. The 25-year old has forced his opponent to tap out in his last three victories with a notable heel hook submission over Eddie Alvarez during FEG’s “Dynamite!!” event this past New Year’s Eve at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama.
Fedor is a multi-time World Combat Sambo champion who is 30-1 lifetime in MMA. A former PRIDE heavyweight champion, he has recorded historic victories in Japan over the likes of former interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Japanese combat sports icon Kazuyuki Fujita, K-1 standout Semmy Schilt, and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, just to name a few.
Complete rules of the Fedor vs. Aoki sparring exhibition are still being negotiated, but it will be presented as a special attraction during a 19-bout event scheduled to feature head-to-head M-1 Challenge matchups between host country Japan vs. England, Team USA West vs. South Korea, and Spain vs. France.
South Korea, which upset defending M-1 Challenge Champions Team Imperial during the ‘09 M-1 Challenge opener in Tacoma, Wash. in February, will look to maintain its slim lead over Team USA West in Group B. Like South Korea, USA West is 1-0 following its upset win over Brazil Naja in the opener but trails in the first tie-breaking category of individual victories.
Despite the strong showing vs. Brazil, USA West team owner Roy Engelbrecht and Steve Bash have changed three fifth’s of their roster, turning to Affliction veteran Fabio “Negao” Nascimento along with former EliteXC veterans Giva Santana and Shane Del Rosario.
While Japan will be making its ‘09 season debut, England will be making its M-1 Challenge debut after not fielding a team in 2008. Led by owner Andy Lillis, the Brits will feature Ian Butlin at lightweight, Simon Phillips at welterweight, middleweight Matt Thorpe, light heavyweight Tom Blackledge, and heavyweight Rob Broughton.
Group A participants Team France and Team Spain will also go head-to-head with much anticipated matchups taking place at lightweight between France’s Makhtar Gueye vs. Spain’s Jose Luiz Aguirre and at light heavyweight with Christian Mmpumbu of Team France vs. Enoc Solves of Team Spain.
Additionally, the event will also feature a “Superfight” between French striking phenom Karl Amoussou and IFL veteran Kazuhiro Hamanaka.
The complete fight card for the Third Edition of the M-1 Challenge is now available at www.M-1Global.com along with standings and results.