Until I have seen a few more PPVs (past and future) and start to learn more about the intricacies of this sport, I’m going to start my MMA blogs by saying this:
I’m not even close to being an expert when it comes to MMA.
I can share what I’ve learned since I’ve started watching, as well as few hints on what to do to become better familiar with MMA.
First and foremost, UFC is the best marketed MMA company currently in existence. Dana White is a big part of that, even though some people think he should take a smaller role in UFC despite his role in making it as popular as it currently is. I don’t believe there has ever been a company as well marketed as UFC. There was a company called (I believe) EliteXC which was on (I believe) CBS. This was basically CBS’s attempt to get a piece of the MMA pie – centered on the hype built up around internet sensation (and legit bad ass) Kimbo Slice. When Kimbo Slice got knocked out, it kinda killed their chances at long-term viability. Another company showed promise. Their name was Affliction, and their long term viability went away when their marquee match got squashed by Performance Enhancing Drug use when Josh Barnett tested positive. His then-upcoming match with the unanimous top ranked heavyweight in the world Fedor Emelianenko garnered interest with most people who had ever heard the legend of Fedor.
That brings me to the main reason for this blog. If you’re a hardcore MMA fan, you clearly know the names I’ve previously mentioned… probably a lot better than I do. If you’re not, then there’s a chance that you’ve heard of all of them… but I would doubt it. Whether you’re a hardcore MMA fan, a beginner, or somewhere in between, I’ve comprised a list of names and a little bit of analysis to help clear up the current MMA landscape (or 90% of it… WEC will have to wait).
There are a few names which every MMA-watching individual should be familiar with. If you’re not familiar with any of these names, I suggest taking about 15 minutes (per name) divided up between Wikipedia and/or YouTube as you see fit. These are the names that EVERYONE ELSE knows. Keep in mind that just because someone is on this list, it doesn’t make them the best of the best… even though a couple of them are regularly talked about as being in the list of the pound-for-pound elite. I’m not going to spend a lot of time talking for these guys. That’s what Wikipedia is all about, and chances are that most of you know these names anyway.
Brock Lesnar – current UFC Heavyweight Champion
Tito Ortiz – Light Heavyweight UFC Legend
Chuck Liddell – Light Heavyweight UFC Legend
Anderson Silva – current UFC Middleweight Champion
Georges St Pierre – current UFC Welterweight Champion
BJ Penn – current UFC Lightweight Champion
Some people would argue that I left some names off that list. Disagree? That’s why you can add comments to the blog… which I encourage. Read the rest of the blog and see where (and if) the names you would’ve included are up there. Keep in mind that the above list isn’t just a list of the sport’s greatest fighters, it’s all about the ones who even the most casual fans know.
When it comes down to it, you don’t have to understand the difference between a Triangle Choke and aa Kimura Lock. Most people can realize when someone’s getting choked out. Besides, most new MMA fans just like watching the stand-up (the stuff that looks like kick-boxing when both guys are on their feet). The thing that keeps people coming back for more and more is to know who’s good. People need to know who’s worth watching.
That’s what this blog is all about. I’m going to try to introduce people to the fighters who I’ve found. I don’t claim to know who everybody is, but with the resources I’ve had to use, I’ve come up with a couple lists for each of the divisions that UFC has to offer. At some point, someone on this site will do something similar for the divisions across the sport I’ve missed.
Now comes down to the more subjective part. I’ve grouped 136 other fighters into various categories. I might include all those names, or just some of them. It all depends on how “chatty” I feel as I go through them.
Heavyweight Division
Guys You NEED To Know About aside from just Brock Lesnar
- Fedor Emelianenko
Considered to be the best Heavyweight fighter in the world by almost all of the people who have seen him fight. Unfortunately he doesn’t fight for UFC, so seeing him in America is tough. Seeing him against the better known Heavyweights in the world: near impossible. At some point, he’ll get paired up with Randy Couture, but not until Couture is done with. A potential fight with Brock Lesnar? That’d be tougher to set up. - Randy Couture
UFC Legend. The man Brock Lesnar defeated to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He has won titles at not only the Heavyweight division, but also at the Light Heavyweight division. His contract is running down with UFC, so you’ll want to see him while he’s around. - Frank Mir
The guy Brock Lesnar beat to become the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion. Previously beat Lesnar in their first match. Held the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship while Randy Couture was “retired” for over a year. - Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira
An all-time record of 31 wins and 5 losses. His only loss since January 2007 was to Frank Mir in a fight which many consider to have been an uncharacteristic peformance by Nog. - Kimbo Slice
I’m sure upon reading Kimbo’s name, a lot of MMA fans groaned (and some of them probably stopped reading). I didn’t put him here because I think he’s a great fighter. He hasn’t done anything yet to deserve to be on the same list as Fedor, Mir, Nog, or Couture. But he has been hyped through the roof through his viral videos on YouTube, on ESPN during his time in EliteXC, and now on SPIKE TV. Dana White always said that he wouldn’t let Kimbo Slice into UFC unless Kimbo fought on the “win a contract with UFC through a UFC-run reality show involving a tournament during a time in which all contestants live together in a huge house”. The show is called The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), and starting in mid-September, Kimbo Slice will be a contestant on the show. He’s already more of a household name than the two coaches for the upcoming season of TUF (“Sugar” Rashad Evans and Quentin “Rampage” Jackson – both of whom are very accomplished fighters)
Guys You’re PROBABLY Going to Need To Know About
- Bobby Lashley
Anyone who considered no longer reading this blog with the mention of Kimbo probably has the same thoughts, but again, I ask that you continue to read, because although I don’t think he’s done anything in the octagon to deserve to be on this list yet, he does belong on this part of the list. Unless he hugely fails in a match before he gets to the UFC – which probably won’t happen if his managers do their job right, he’ll eventually get to UFC, and he’ll get a match with Brock Lesnar due to their similar histories. They were both accomplished amateur wrestlers, and both spent time in professional wrestling – winning championships in the WWE. They’re both very muscular heavyweights, and their eventual fight – regardless of whether a title is involved or not – will gain large buyrates (pay per view ratings). Thus far, Bobby Lashley hasn’t fought any competition significant enough to get him into the UFC. His most recent opponent – Bob Sapp – is high profile, but he’s not as well respected among the MMA community as he might be in other circles – including Japanese professional wrestling. - Shane Carwin
This is where I’m going to start getting SOME credibility back with this list. At UFC 106, Shane Carwin is slated to face Brock Lesnar for the Heavyweight Championship, and with a record of 11 wins and 0 losses, and none of Carwin’s fights have goten out of the first round. Needless to say he’s considered a viable competitor. - Brett Rogers
An undefeated record including 10 wins, six of those wins have occurred since January 2007 – none of them needing to go the distance to be decided by the judges. His lack of mainstream visibility is because none of his fights have taken place in UFC. - Josh Barnett
Highly ranked fighter who was set to fight Fedor Emelianenko before testing positive for anabolic steroids. Because of his confirmed PED use, I can’t put him any higher on this list than here. Undoubtedly when he gets the ability to fight again, he’ll work his way into a high profile match. - Cain Velasquez
I don’t quite know why Cain didn’t get the opportunity to fight Brock Lesnar instead of Shane Carwin, but I won’t question the decision too much because I’m no expert. Velasquez is undefeated in his six fights, 4 of them not going to a decision. - Junior dos Santos
Highly touted fighter who could also be in the running for a shot at Brock Lesnar. He tapped out once in late 2007 – the only loss on his record. His fight at UFC 103 against Cro Cop should help determine what opportunities lay ahead of him. - Gabriel Gonzaga
The majority of his losses have come since the start of 2007, but two of those losses are to top heavyweight fighters – Shane Carwin and Randy Couture. Prior to losing to Couture almost exactly two years ago, Gabriel had a record of 8 wins and only 1 loss. Aside from losing to Couture and Carwin, Gonzaga has only lost to one other opponent – Fabricio Werdum – whom he lost to twice. In an interview given a year ago, Randy Couture was very complimentary about Gabriel Gonzaga’s skills.
Guys Who Previously Made A Splash
- Andrei Arlovski
- Tim Sylvia
- Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
- Cheick Kongo
- Antoni Hardonk
- Pedro Rizzo
- Heath Herring
Light Heavyweight Division
Guys You NEED To Know About other than Tito & Chuck
- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
He’s not the Light Heavyweight champion, but many people disagree with the judges who awarded Forrest Griffin the belt by unanimous decision – a fight which represents Quinton’s only loss since early 2005. He’s poised to fight Rashad Evans (his opposing coach in the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter) in December, and the winner of that fight will almost definitely get a shot at the Light Heavyweight Title, since Rashad Evans was the man who took the belt from Forrest Griffin – only to lose it to the current champion. It’s almost impossible to watch UFC without knowing who Rampage Jackson is, and he’s so entertaining that you’d be missing out if you didn’t. - Lyoto Machida
The undefeated Light Heavyweight champion who is part Japanese, part Brazilian. People have doubted his chances against Thiago Silva, Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans, but he continues proving them wrong. His fights are not the most exciting contests, but he finds ways to come up with great strategies to win, and that’s all that counts – until someone beats him. - Rashad Evans
Former Light Heavyweight Champion whose record is 13 Wins, 1 Loss (Lyoto Machida), 1 Draw (Tito Ortiz). Rashad won season two of The Ultimate Fighter and will be one of the coaches on the upcoming season. Of his four victories since the start of 2007, two of them have earned Knockout Of The Night honors. You’ll want to see what Rashad is all about, because he has fights that people talk about. - Forrest Griffin
Despite being on a bit of a downslide lately (albeit with understandable losses to Anderson Silva and Rashad Evans), Forrest is a talented competitor who won the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, and I can vouch for the fact that he gives great interviews – whether for radio or television. - Thiago Silva
He amassed a perfect record of 13 wins prior to losing to Lyoto Machida in a fight which would’ve earned him a shot at the Light Heavyweight Championship. Only ONE of his 14 fights has gone to decision, so it’s safe to say he’ll probably earn a shot at the belt in the next year or two. - Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
He has beaten Chuck Liddell, Mark Coleman, Quinton Jackson, Alistair Overeem (twice) and Rogerio Nogueira en route to amassing a record of 18 wins, 3 losses. He’s got the upcoming shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in late October, and if he can win that match, he’ll cause huge waves in the division.
Guys You’re PROBABLY Going to Need To Know About
- Jon Jones
I’ve failed to see any signature victories in his career, but I also don’t see any losses either in the nine professional fights to his record… and only two of them went to decision. His next fight has yet to be announced, but he could be getting set into an opportunity where a title match in UFC comes his way. - Yoshihiro Akiyama
The only loss of Akiyama’s career was back in 2005 in a fight where he was out-weighed by nearly 80 pounds. He won by decision against Alan Belcher at the highly promoted UFC 100, their contest being called “Fight of the Night”. Once his broken orbital bone heals, he’ll find his way into a title shot sooner than later if he continues to compete at this high level upon his return. - Ryan Bader
The Light Heavyweight winner from the Team Nogueira vs Team Mir season of The Ultimate Fighter (which resulted in a winner in each of two weight classes), Bader will have his perfect record put to the test on UFC 104 – the same pay per view on which the Light Heavyweight Title is being defended in the main event. - Luiz Cane
The only loss of his 11 match career was to James Irvin, but since the start of 2007, three of Cane’s four victories have been by knockout. His next match has yet to be determined, but if he can extend his current 3-match winning streak, the quality of his next couple opponents could turn him into a viable contender. - Wanderlei Silva
Unlike a lot of the individuals on this list, his record in the past 33 months isn’t spectacular. In fact, most people would say that 1 win and 4 losses is the opposite of spectacular, but Wanderlei takes on VERY tough opponents and puts up a great fight. Those losses? Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell, Quinton “Rampage Jackson” and Rich Franklin. Did I mention his nickname is “The Axe Murderer”? - Keith Jardine
Here’s another example of a fighter whose record doesn’t tell the tale. Anyone following Jardine since the start of 2007 would see a fighter who lost half of his six fights over that span. His last match was Fight of the Night in a losing effort against Quinton Jackson this March. His next fight is against Thiago Silva (who you’ll remember from when I mentioned him earlier in this article), and that would be a huge win for him. - Krzysztof Soszynski
After losing in the semi-finals of The Ultimate Fighter season 8, Soszynski won his next two UFC fights – both earning Submission Of The Night honors. Bigger fights could be coming his way given those victories, paired with the fact that he’s a likeable personality from the UFC’s reality show. - Razak Al-Hassan
Less visible than some of the others I’ve mentioned, Al-Hassan has won seven of his eight matches since the start of 2007, only one of them needing to go to a decision. Without any high profile victories, it might be a little while before Razak gets a title shot, but if he keeps winning, it shouldn’t take too long.
Guys Who Previously Made A Splash
- James Irvin
- Stephan Bonnar
- Mark Coleman
- Alistair Overeem
- Chris Leben
- Kendall Grove
Middleweight Division
Guys You NEED To Know About other than Anderson Silva
- Dan “Hendo” Henderson
Aside from Middleweight Champ Anderson Silva, Hendo is the most popular guy in the division. He’s coming off a mildly heated battle against Michael Bisping – his rival coach on a recent season of The Ultimate Fighter. The fight ended with a knockout you HAVE to see. Bisping took minutes to get up. Henderson’s next challenge will be against Anderson Silva – a fight that should not disappoint like some of Silva’s previous fights. - Michael Bisping
His last fight ended with him losing and looking up at the lights for the first time in his career, but prior to that, his only loss in 17 matches was a split decision against Rashad Evans in Bisping’s last Light Heavyweight fight before moving to the Middlweight Division. Despite some people finding him too cocky, I’m certain I’m not alone in thinking he was the more likeable coach during this past season of The Ultimate Fighter as he helped Team Britain win both of the show’s tournaments (as that season featured two weight classes). Unless his loss to Dan Henderson is a turning point in his career that puts him into a downward spiral, his next few fights shouldn’t be missed. - Demian Maia
Undefeated with all 10 of his matches resulted in wins, Demian Maia finds himself in a match at UFC 102 against Nate Marquardt with the winner getting a future opportunity to fight Anderson Silva for the Middleweight Championship. Since the start of 2007, five of Maia’s six matches have ended in submission by either Triangle Choke or Rear Naked Choke. - Nate Marquardt
At 28 wins and 8 losses, Nate Marquardt’s record is not as impressive as some in the division, but he has performed well enough to earn himself a chance to fight Demian Maia at UFC 102 for a future shot at the Middleweight Championship, so he has obviously impressed some of the decision makers in the UFC front office. - Rich Franklin
The only losses Rich Franklin has suffered since the start of 2007 were to Dan Henderson and Anderson Silva. Not a bad pair to lose to. Rich Franklin has been around for a while, and he still finds ways to beat most of his opponents. - Thales Leites
Going into his match with Anderson Silva, many people thought Thales Leites might be the one to dethrone the Middleweight Champion. His record was 14-1 at that point, and although he lost that match and the follow-up against Alessio Sakara, he should still be considered a top contender until he loses a few more. - Patrick Cote
The only loss Patrick Cote has suffered since the start of 2007 was to Anderson Silva and was due to injuring his leg. Cote was the first UFC opponent who ever made it to the third round against Silva. Aside from that loss, Cote has amassed 13 wins to only 5 losses.
Guys You’re PROBABLY Going to Need To Know About
- Vitor Belfort
Although his record of 18 wins & 8 losses isn’t hugely impressive, he is undefeated in his four fights since the start of 2007, and the fact that he is main eventing UFC 103 should speak volumes. - Alessio Sakara
He beat Thales Leites en route to 14 wins and 7 losses, but that fight wasn’t enough to get him into a contender spot just yet, but if he can continue to put down the challenges of guys like Thales Leites, he could be. - Tomasz Drwal
Sixteen wins and only two losses on his record and the fact that Drwal hasn’t lost to anyone other than Thiago Silva since early 2004 should put him on everybody’s radar. - Tim Credeur
Tim nearly earned a spot in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter season 7, but lost by decision. With a record of 12 wins and only 2 losses, Tim Credeur could get some big opportunities if he can beat Nate Quarry in mid-September.
Guys Who Previously Made A Splash
- Nate Quarry
- Ed Herman
- Wilson Gouveia
- Chael Sonnen
- Aaron Simpson
- Nick Catone
Welterweight Division
Guys You NEED To Know About other than Georges St Pierre
- Thiago Alves
With seven straight wins dating back to mid-2006, many thought Thiago was destined to defeat GSP at UFC 100, but after all five rounds were over, The Bulldog failed to take the Welterweight strap. The upcoming match between Alves and Paulo Thiago in December is sure to play a large role in determining who will get the first shot at the Welterweight Championship in 2010. - Jon Fitch
In something of a shocker to many, Jon Fitch got a win over the otherwise undefeated Paulo Thiago at UFC 100, which immediately puts Fitch back into the conversation for top contender to GSP’s belt – which Jon nearly gained a year ago, losing by decision to St Pierre by decision after 25 minutes of battling. - Paulo Thiago
With 11 wins and only 1 loss, Paulo would find himself as GSP’s next opponent if he had beaten Jon Fitch at UFC 100, but one would have to think that if he can return to his winning ways, he’ll be in the conversation again in 2010. - Dong-Hyun Kim
Since joining the UFC in 2008, Kim has increased his record to 12 wins, 0 losses, 1 draw and 1 no contest. With a win in the preliminary set of matches at UFC 100, Dong-Hyun could start to get bigger opportunities to see how he fares against higher visibility opponents. - Ricardo Almeida
Almeida makes his UFC Welterweight division debut at UFC 106 against the very accomplished Jon Fitch. A win there could go a long way towards earning him his first title shot in UFC after holding the Pancrase Middlweight Championship before vacating it in July 2004.
Guys You’re PROBABLY Going to Need To Know About
- George Sotiropoulos
Undefeated going back to late 2006 in a match against Shinya Aoki, George Sotiropoulos continues to gain traction as he heads towards his fourth match in UFC against an opponent yet to be named. - Frank Trigg
Making his return to UFC since his loss to Georges St Pierre back in 2005, Frank Trigg attempts to earn his 20th career win coming up in September at UFC 103. A win over Josh Koscheck in that fight could help him get a higher profile fight in UFCC in early 2010. - Jesse Lennox
If Lennox can continue to build on his record of 11 wins and only 1 loss, he will get some opportunities. Thus far, he only has one UFC fight to his credit, a win via doctor stoppage at UFC 101. - Aaron Riley
At a professional record of 28-11, I will admit that Aaron Riley is mostly on this list because he trains MMA in the Washington DC area where I’m from, but I’m not too biased – I haven’t met Aaron Riley yet. He has yet to suffer a loss in UFC that he hasn’t avenged, so a fight against rececnt Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson could give him some considerable mainstream visibility as TUF viewers tune in to see how Pearson does against other UFC competitors. - Shane Nelson
After his time on The Ultimate Fighter, Shane Nelson has won two of his three fights in UFC. He’s yet to get another fight booked, but with a professional record of 12 wins and 4 losses, Nelson is sure to get another fight if he wants one. - Matt Riddle
Undefeated after three professional fights – all with the UFC – chances are good that Matt Riddle will begin to get more opportunities to move up the card after a win over Dan Cramer at UFC 101. - Carlos Condit
A split-decision loss in his UFC debut on April 1st, former WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit should get plenty of opportunity to show how he got into the top spot under his former employer.
Guys Who Previously Made A Splash
- Josh Kosheck
- John Howard
- Martin Kampmann
- Karo Parisyan
- Mike Swick
- Ben Saunders
- CB Dollaway
- Tamdan McCrory
Lightweight Division
Guys You NEED To Know About aside from BJ Penn
- Shinya Aoki
No lightweight division list would be complete without Shinya Aoki, who is widely considered one of the top two MMA lightweight fighters in the world. Because he fights in the DREAM promotion, he doesn’t get much visibility in the United States, but those who have watched him fight think very highly of him. Hopefully in the next couple years we will get to see a fight between Aoki and BJ Penn. - Kenny Florian
Many thought “KenFlo” had a great chance of beating BJ Penn for the belt at UFC 101, but in the fourth round he succumbed to a Rear Naked Choke. The only two matches Florian has lost in the past four years have been his two attempts at the Lightweight Championship. - Diego Sanchez
He’s next up to face BJ Penn for the Lightweight Championship after moving down from the welterweight division back in February against Joe Stevenson. With a record of 21 wins and only 2 losses, Sanchez undoubtedly knows that if he could beat Penn at UFC 105, he would get into elite company (GSP, Matt Hughes, Lyoto Machida, Jens Pulver). - Gray Maynard
Undefeated after eight matches, Gray Maynard could very well find himself with a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship if he’s able to overcome Roger Huerta at an upcoming UFC Fight Night. - Roger Huerta
Having won over 90% of his professional fights, a win over Gray Maynard at an upcoming UFC Fight Night would most likely result in his first opportunity to fight the winner of BJ Penn / Diego Sanchez. - Jim Miller
With a record of 14-2, Jim Miller’s loss to Gray Maynard back in March means he will have to wait in line before getting a chance to fight for some UFC Lightweight gold until after the winner of Roger Huerta / Grey Maynard, but he shouldn’t be too far down the list. - Frank Edgar
At 10 wins and only 1 loss, Frank Edgar’s resume speaks for itself, including victories over Sean Sherk, Tyson Griffin, Jim Miller and Hermes Franca. His next fight is yet to be booked, which means others who have already accepted fights in the Lightweight division are likely to move ahead of him in the ranks if he doesn’t get a fight set up soon.
Guys You’re PROBABLY Going to Need To Know About
- Sean Sherk
With 33 wins and only 4 losses, former UFC Lightweight Champion Sherk is very accomplished. Testing positive for a banned substance after defeating Hermes Franca two years ago, Sean had a bit of a setback, losing two-of-three upon returning, raising some questions about the role banned substances might have played in fights earlier in his career. Having competed in nearly 40 professional fights, Sean Sherk has plenty of experience under his belt and should be considered a legitmate opponent to anyone he might face. - Joe Stevenson
After 40 fights, Joe Stevenson has a winning percentage of 75%, and although he has competed in two of 2009’s Fight of the Night contests, he was only on the winning end of one of them, both ending by decision. Since the start of 2008, he has lost three of his five fights, but Joe “Daddy” Stevenson should still be considered viable competition with all his experience. - Nate Diaz
His last 4 fights have all won accolateds – three of them being Fight of the Night winners (of which he lost two of them), and before that he was awarded Submission of the Night for his Triangle Choke which put away Kurt Pellegrino. He’s not set to be a top contender anytime soon, but he gets the chance to get back on track in mid-September against Melvin Guillard. - Kurt Pellegrino
In the past three years, Pellegrino has won nearly 80% of his fights, but losses to Nate Diaz and Joe Stevenson have kept him from getting a title shot in UFC. - Tyson Griffin
No relation to UFC’s Light Heavyweight division competitor Forrest Griffin, Tyson gets a chance to take a step up the card as he faces Hermes Franca at UFC 103 as he fights on the main card.
Guys Who Previously Made A Splash
- Clay Guida
- Melvin Guillard
- Gleison Tibau
- Josh Neer
- Mac Danzig
- Hermes Franca
- Rafael dos Anjos
At this point, the Lightweight division is the smallest weight class UFC employs. WEC and other companies have world-class divisions with lower weight limits, but because of the number of competitors in UFC, it was a tall task to put together this blog, and due to their visibility, I thought it was more important to start with UFC analysis before moving on to other companies (even though WEC is owned by Zuffa – the same parent company which owns UFC). I tried my best to include competitors from other companies on the aforementioned list, but I love to learn about new great competitors, so if you see a glaring omission from the list, please let me know through a comment.
Next up, I hope to do some decent analysis for the upcoming UFC 102 pay per view.