10 best ufc fighters. The best MMA fighters of all time. What is p4p rating

Max Holloway / MMA Fighting

It's time to sum up the results of 2017 in mixed martial arts. Over the course of 12 months, MMA fans were able to watch defeats of dominant champions, scandals, the emergence of new stars, shocking knockouts and much more. We present a rating of 10 best fighters regardless of weight category.

No. 10 VOLKAN OZDEMIR (14-1)

Unexpectedly in the top ten best fighters of the year Volkan Oezdemir. As of early 2017 general public MMA knew absolutely nothing about the Swiss fighter of Turkish origin. He had several fights against strong opponents, but he did not stand out in anything significant.

In February of this year, Oezdemir came out on short notice against a UFC top midfielder. Ovince Saint Preux. Most experts considered Volkan an underdog. However, during the meeting he was able to be faster than his opponent, more technical and more active in the first two rounds. By the third five-minute period, the fighter’s strength was exhausted and he could lose. This was due to the fact that he did not go through a full training camp. At the same time, the judges gave him the victory.

In May, Oezdemir received a fight with a light heavyweight prospect Misha Tsirkunov, who was considered one of the most powerful young fighters. The Latvian could have played this fight well, but he underestimated his opponent and went on the attack with his saber drawn, forgetting about defense. In the first round, Oezdemir knocked out his opponent with several accurate hits.

In July, the main fight of life for Oezdemir took place, in which he. Such victories made experts turn their attention to Volkan, who became the discovery of the year as the fighter who achieved a title shot in fewer fights.

#9 AMANDA NUNES (15-4)

UFC women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes had her most successful year in 2016. In 2017, the Brazilian had only one fight. As part of her second title defense, Amanda met in a rematch with the famous Thai boxing master Valentina Shevchenko.

In their first confrontation, Nunes confidently won, beating her opponent on the ground. But by the second fight, Shevchenko emerged more experienced in MMA and dangerous in the stand-up with the ability to defend against a takedown. Therefore, Nunes did not take risks the entire fight and it seemed that she lost the fight. However, the judges.

The year was not the brightest for the Brazilian, but she was able to remove all questions by defeating the most dangerous rivals in the division.

#8 DEMETRIUS JOHNSON (27-2-1)

The best fighter in the world regardless of weight category Demetrius Johnson this year he defended his UFC flyweight title twice more, but for certain reasons he cannot be at the top of our rankings.

Firstly, the “mighty mouse”, having beaten all the strongest opponents in his weight class, fought with the middle peasants in 2017 Wilson Reis And Ray Borg. Secondly, Johnson was offered a fight with the former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw, who was ready to come down in weight. However, Demetrius refused such a test and took an easier path.

This situation has greatly angered the UFC management, which understands that Johnson is unpopular and wants to organize competitive fights for him. Dana White he even resorted to threats, declaring that he would disband the flyweight division. The parties managed to make peace, but the company’s management still had a bad feeling.

No. 7 STIPE MIOCIC (17-2)

Many will wonder why the brightest heavyweight and champion is only in 7th position. The fact is that Stipe Miocic only entered the octagon once. American Croatian. The Brazilian, although he became an official contender, has not been shining in the octagon over the past few years and has had a lot of unimpressive fights. The only consolation was the fact that the champion took revenge from the Brazilian, to whom he had previously lost by a controversial decision of the judges.

At the beginning of 2018, Miocic will face a fight. In this fight, Stipe will be up against youth, overcoming which he will be able to be much higher in the ranking.

#6 TONY FERGUSON (23-3)

Unexpectedly, but deservedly, the 33-year-old “interim” lightweight champion appeared in the ranking Tony Ferguson. El Cucuy also played only one match in 2017, but due to circumstances beyond his control. The main irritant for the American was the Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov, who ruined their mega-fight due to weight loss. This was the second time the Dagestani disrupted their planned fight.

However, in October, Tony managed to have a title fight, in which he was opposed by the arrogant Kevin Lee. During the fight, Ferguson was able to tire his opponent in the third round. Having received the “temporary” title, “El Cucuy” became the main contender for the championship belt, which is held by Conor McGregor. This meeting may take place in the spring or summer of 2018.

#5 TJ DILLASHAW (15-3)

No. 4 GEORGES SAINT PIERRE (26-2)

Canadian mixed martial arts superstar Georges Saint-Pierre after a four-year absence, he finally returned to the UFC. In his first fight after a layoff, the veteran faced the Briton Michael Bisping as part of the fight for the middleweight title.

The Canadian's return was due to taking less damage from Bisping, who is clearly not the best fighter in the division. The Briton won the title thanks to the excessive self-confidence and laxity of the former belt holder Luke Rockhold. After that, he avoided truly dangerous opponents.

The only intrigue remained in what state Saint-Pierre would be after the downtime and how he would be able to compete in the middleweight division. During the fight, Georges showed that he had not lost anything from his technical arsenal. We saw both footwork and the famous Superman punch. As a result, the fight ended with the Canadian winning via sambision in the third round.

After this fight, St-Pierre renounced the title because he fell ill with intestinal colitis.

#3 TYRONE WOODLEY (18-3-1)

UFC Champion featherweight American Tyron Woodley 2017, in the first match with whom I could only count on a draw. In the rematch, Woodley and Thompson once again created a dull spectacle of cautious fighting. This time the champion turned out to be more active, to whom the judges gave the victory.

In the second fight, which took place in July, Woodley faced the best Brazilian fighter Damian Maia. The challenger's threat on the ground should have come from Maia, despite the fact that Woodley is a basic wrestler. However, this did not happen and Tyrone stopped several dozen attempts to take the fight to the ground. He's a champion in the stand.

#2 ROBERT WHITTAKER (19-4)

In April, Whittaker, to the surprise of many experts,... In this fight, the Australian was considered a big underdog and was given almost no chance of winning. However, Robert was able to destroy the "aligator".

In the second match against Yoel Romero Whittaker was given even less chance of winning, since the opponent was very powerful physically and technically. However, Robert took advantage of the Cuban's main drawback - poor endurance. Romero was not enough for 5 rounds and he was forced to lose the episodes that allowed him.

Note that in February 2018, there were 221 Australians at UFC 2018.

#1 MAX HOLLOWAY (19-3)

The most successful year of 2017 was for the Hawaiian guy Max Holloway, who managed to win the featherweight title. In January, Max faced the best fighter in the history of the division Jose Aldo. Despite all the regalia and experience of the Brazilian, “Blessed”. In the third round, after good hits from the American, the referee stopped the fight and gave the victory to Max.

In December, Holloway was scheduled to meet Frankie Edgar, but the challenger was injured and withdrew from the fight. , who was preparing to fight with Ricardo Lamas around the same time. The new confrontation with the Brazilian was tougher, since the veteran used his powerful low kicks more often. However, Jose’s skills and endurance were not enough to withstand an opponent who was constantly advancing. Finally, again in the third round, Holloway.

In 2018, the most anticipated fight for Holloway may be. Don't forget that in the featherweight division it was Max who created the biggest problems for the Irishman.

Karen AGHABEKYAN, website

Randy Couture- American athlete who competed in Greco-Roman wrestling and MMA, five-time UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion weight categories. In mixed fights he fought 30 fights, of which he won 19 (7 by knockout). He became the first athlete who managed to win the champion title in two prestigious weight categories at once - heavy and light heavyweight. Couture is inducted into the UFC “hall of fame” and is also the oldest athlete to hold a championship title, because he achieved all his achievements by the age of 43(!). And, therefore, he is rightfully included in the top 10 best MMA fighters in history.

No. 9. Chuck Liddell

Chuck Liddell- professional kickboxer, specialist in mixed martial arts. He maintained the bar of being an invincible fighter for 5 years (1998-2003). In total he had 28 fights, won 20 of them (13 victories by knockout) and lost 8 times. Became a 4-time UFC champion. To this day he holds the record for the most knockouts in the entire history of MMA.

No. 8. B.J. Penn

B.J. Penn- American mixed martial artist. A former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, he is the second fighter, after Randy Couture, to become a champion in two weight classes. He is considered one of the most gifted mixed arts fighters in the world. Known for his incredible flexibility and willingness to fight against any opponent regardless of weight category. For example, in March 2005, he, weighing 86.5 kg, fought with Lyoto Machida, weighing 102 kg! Penn's punch is considered one of the best in MMA.

No. 7. John Jones

John Jones- American mixed martial artist. The youngest champion in UFC history. Throughout his professional career he suffered only one defeat in 23 fights. Over the 4 years of holding the champion title, he made 8 successful defenses. On this moment occupies 4th place in the ranking of the best fighters, regardless of weight category.

No. 6. Igor Vovchanchyn

Igor Vovchanchyn- professional Ukrainian kickboxer, mixed style fighter. Between 1995 and 2000 he fought 32 fights without defeat. In total, in his track record 87 fights in which he scored 76 victories (36 by knockout). He was one of the most popular MMA fighters in the heavy weight category.

No. 5. Matt Hughes

Matt Hughes- American mixed martial artist, two-time UFC welterweight champion. He is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame. The second result in the UFC in the number of welterweight title retentions is 7 times. In total, he fought 54 fights in mixed martial arts, winning 45 of them (15 victories by knockout).

No. 4. Dan Henderson

Dan Henderson- American athlete, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestler, specialist in mixed martial arts. He is the first fighter in history to win championships in two leading mixed martial arts organizations - UFC and Pride. His track record includes victories over such athletes as Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderday Silva, Mauricio Rua, Vitor Belfort and others. Throughout his career, he fought 46 fights, winning 32 of them (16 by knockout).

No. 3. Georges St. Pierre

Georges St. Pierre- Canadian mixed martial artist. Former UFC welterweight champion. Defended the champion title for the 11th time in a row, which is an incredible achievement. Widely considered one of the best MMA fighters in the world. Major publications unanimously recognize him as the best welterweight and among the best fighters regardless of weight category. He fought 27 fights, won 25 of them (8 by knockout).

No. 2. Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva- Brazilian mixed martial artist. From October 14, 2006 to July 6, 2013, he was the UFC middleweight champion, made 10 successful defenses, which is absolute record V UFC history. He also has a streak of 16 wins in a row in this organization, which is also a record. As of October 2012, he is the strongest middleweight fighter, as well as one of the best MMA fighters, regardless of weight category. He fought 42 fights, winning 33 of them (20 wins by knockout).

No. 1. Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Emelianenko- Russian athlete, four-time MMA heavyweight world champion according to Pride FC, two-time according to RINGS, two-time according to WAMMA. Fedor is the greatest fighter in the history of MMA. Most strong fighter in all weight categories. Remained undefeated for almost ten years. He was in leading positions in many world rankings: first place by MMA.com, second by MMANews and third by Sherdog, and was recognized by many experts as the best MMA fighter in the history of the sport. Throughout his career in mixed martial arts, he fought 41 fights, winning 36 times (11 by knockout). In 2012, after defeating heavyweight Pedro Rizzo, he announced his retirement, but in 2015 he resumed performing in mixed martial arts.

Reading time: 13 min.

The fastest growing sport is MMA (mixed martial arts), with more and more fans appearing every day. This sport is only a quarter of a century old, but there are already many famous athletes in it who are proud of their titles and awards. It is difficult to stay in this sport for a long time, so it is quite possible that old champions will be replaced by new talents. In the meantime, we present you the rating - best MMA fighters for 2017.

Georges Saint-Pierre

Georges Saint-Pierre - undefeated champion MMA, Anderson Silva lost this title to him after a recent defeat. Georges is at the peak of his physical capabilities and, apparently, is not going to give up his place on the throne to anyone. Without a doubt, welterweight is the category in which he is the best; in battle, Georges shows excellent physical and psychological characteristics, unbalancing his opponents with his behavior in the ring. Saint-Pierre is also a participant in UFC tournaments (the absolute fighting championship), where he has two defeats (after revenge, he won) and twenty-four victories. UFC champion twice, set a record for victories, by decision of the judges - 11 victories. Matt Hughes is his closest opponent in UFC wins with 18 wins. Each of these records will most likely be broken by Saint-Pierre himself; fans of the fighter are waiting for this moment, monitoring Georges’ fights. His young age and physical characteristics give him the opportunity to achieve new records.

Anderson Silva

Initially, he was a member of the Chute Boxe Academy, but due to problems with management and other factors, he founded his own organization, the Muay Thai Dream Team. Anderson Silva, better known as “The Spider,” lost his title to Chris Weidman, but remains the best fighter in the MMA ring. Silva’s homeland is Brazil, he defended his title and the honor of his homeland a record number of times - 10. He made his MMA debut in 2000, with Denis Kazyukin, a Russian fighter, with whom they later became close friends. Kazyukin defeated Andre Galvao via armbar, and Anderson was defeated by Luis Azered, his teammate. Having won by knockouts against Claudinor Fontinelle and Jose Barreto, he restored his name. Champion of the UFC, middle weight category, he held this position for eight long years. 2013 - fight with Chris Weidman (loss), demanding a rematch, his demand was granted. In the rematch, unfortunately for the fans, he broke his leg in the second round.

Randy Couture

Randy Couture has a couple of aliases: "Natural" and "Captain America". The most popular fighter in the history of mixed martial arts, Chuck Liddell, may soon lose this title as Randy is hot on his heels. By the way, in the fight between Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, the latter received a landslide victory. Couture is a three-time heavyweight champion in MMA history. He also participated in martial arts competitions in the light heavyweight division. He is also associated with the UFC - a five-time champion of this discipline. The daring and unfounded statements of boxer James Toney that MMA and Randy in particular are a frivolous and temporary phenomenon were refuted by Randy himself in a fight with the boxer, which ended in a confident victory for Couture. James Toney exposed himself in an unattractive light after this fight, without ceasing to discuss this topic, but his words sound funny after the defeat. Randy had some problems with MMA: litigation related to non-payment by the organization Money and conducting battles.

Chuck Liddell

MMA considers Chuck Liddell to be what Shaquille O'Neal is to basketball, Ronaldinho to football and Michael Phelps to swimming - a global star! He is considered the most popular MMA fighter and, in general, the best fighter in the history of martial arts in general.
Having defeated Tito Ortiz, he received the champion belt in the light heavyweight category and defended this title 4 times in two years. But nothing lasts forever, and at the end of his career he lost several times, to the chagrin of those who were not indifferent to his skill. In the very dawn of mixed martial arts, he was his treasure, which won victories over many worthy and more experienced opponents. It was he who drew the attention of the American public to MMA, making these competitions the top, among other similar shows. And after finishing his career, he keeps himself in shape. He also owns a gift shop and appears on various popular television shows. He also published an autobiographical book, “Icy. My fighting life."

Bas Rutten

Bas Rutten, better known as “Pretty Boy,” is a professional athlete who contributed to the very birth of MMA. Dutch by birth, he was previously a professional kickboxer and had a black belt in karate, and easily switched to mixed martial arts. A huge muscleman who already instilled fear in his opponents with his appearance, plus a good technical base - these two components helped him become a champion who made an invaluable contribution to the development of MMA at the time of its inception. Winning one victory after another, he literally swept away his opponents with his signature low kicks and knee strikes to the head. He finished his professional career without a single defeat, having participated in twenty-two fights. His favorite move was a kick to the liver, which usually paralyzed the opponent and Rutten won. Bas's natural charisma and his behavior in the ring made him a crowd favorite. Now he has finished his career, but despite this he continues to work in MMA, albeit as a commentator. He also starred in several films and became a character in games.

Royce Gracie

Royce Gracie is nicknamed “The King of Submissions” and deservedly so. He is a pioneer of MMA, one of the first professional athletes to move from academic sports to mixed martial arts. The master of Brazilian jiu-jitsu won victories over much larger opponents with the help of painful and choking techniques. While still competing in jiu-jitsu competitions as a teenager, he had a record amateur score of 51 wins and only 3 losses. Fans have always loved Gracie: in one fight, when his elbow caught his opponent's triangle, he was willing to walk around with a broken arm rather than admit defeat. Scandals related to prohibited substances did not affect his career - steroids were found in Royce’s blood. Nandrolone, a stereoid whose presence in the blood is allowed in the amount of 2ng/mg of testosterone, was exceeded three times, which was the reason for a scandal and the annulment of the results of the fight, in which Gracie won a landslide victory. He also starred in films and videos (for example, the video for Attitude, the Brazilian group Sepultura).

Matt Hughes

Hughes was the dominant welterweight champion until Georges St-Pierre came along. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and won the UFC welterweight title twice. Participated in fights, at a small show in Higher School Madonna, in the Chicagoland area. For his debut fight he received only a hundred dollars. A year later, he performed at the same show, winning, just like in his first fight. Then he started performing in different cities and countries: including Great Britain, Japan, Kuwait and Hawaii, etc. When his MMA career began, he won the welterweight title twice, earning him an induction into the UFC Hall of Fame. This continued until Georges St-Pierre came to martial arts. Hughes defended his title a record seven times. Matt's most famous fight was against Carlos Newton. greatest fight. He used this opportunity one hundred percent, and knocked out Carlos, receiving the welterweight championship.

Dan Henderson

The Dan Henderson phenomenon defies any description. Despite his age and professional injuries, he still faces off against fighters who are younger than him, using his experience and skill. Starting his career in the Pride Fighting Championships, he moved to the UFC, almost immediately becoming a world-class fighter. By participating in Olympic Games, in the middle and welterweight categories, he won titles in both weights. He won the 17th UFC tournament in the middle weight category, and became the first to win the “Pride” championship in 2 weight categories (middle and welterweight). According to Strikeforce, he won the light heavyweight title and won the 1999 Kings of Kings competition. The most decorated fighter in the world, he has so many awards that the media cannot even count their number. He fought and defeated such famous fighters as: Vitor Belfort, Mauricio Rua, Wanderlei Silva, Antonia Rodrigue Nogueira. It is also noteworthy that he defeated the Russian hero – Fedor Emelianenko.

Igor Vovchanchyn

Born in Ukraine, in the city of Kharkov. Igor Vovchanin, according to experts, is the most underrated fighter in the history of mixed martial arts. Having the longest winning streak in this series of disciplines - 37 fights, at his peak, he was the best fighter in the history of MMA. With a small height for MMA (only 174 cm), he won victories over taller opponents, which made his fights something akin to the battle of David and Goliath, with a similar ending. The most interesting victories were over Mark Curry, Edilson Lima (two victories), Kazushi Sakuraba, and Valentin Overeem. Now he is the president of the promotion company “Warrior’s Honor”, ​​holds a tournament of the same name, where he serves as a judge and vice-president of the “Oriental” martial arts association, and has a business in his hometown. He starred in the series “The Supreme Measure” as a fighter who performs in the semi-professional ring. He ended his career only due to a hand injury, but did not give up sports - now he trains young guys.

Fedor Emelianenko

“Terminator”, “Russian Experiment”, “The Last Emperor” - Fedor received all these nicknames in his sports path. Fedor, according to the majority and the results of social surveys, is the best fighter in MMA. Alexander Karelin is the only one who can compare with Fedor in terms of the number of titles and achievements. For ten years and more than three dozen fights, Emelianenko remained undefeated and began to lose only when his age no longer allowed him to be in the same shape as in his youth. If opponents had met him in the ring a few years ago, the Russian would have shown what absolute victory is. Heavyweight champion, in several fights, almost killed some champions, after the fight they needed urgent health care. He is considered the king of MMA and the pride of his homeland. The most significant were his victories over Mark Hunt, Pedro Rizz, Andrei Arlovski, Matt Linland, Heath Herring, Mark Coleman, Tim Sylvia, Kevin Randleman, Semmi Schilt and many other great athletes.

History remembers many winners who showed themselves in the cage as brave and strong warriors. By no means, not many people managed to make as serious a contribution to the development of fights without rules as the athletes listed below. We propose to consider the rating, which presents the best MMA fighters of all time. The list was created taking into account the number of fights, victories and knockouts. At the same time, we took into account the contribution that the fighters made to the development of the UFC. You will see the best MMA athletes in different weight categories.

TOP 10 best MMA fighters of all time!

The fighter was born on July 19, 1987. Under the auspices of the UFC he competed in the light heavyweight division. He is a UFC champion. It is worth noting that he managed to become the youngest winner of the World Championship in Ultimate Fighting. Received the belt on March 19, 2011. In four years he defended his title 8 times. In April he was arrested due to car accident. He fled the scene of the crime, which is why the UFC federation deprived the champion of his well-deserved belt. The talented fighter was suspended from competition for an indefinite period.

• Fights: 23;
• Wins: 22;
• Defeats: 1.

Weight: Welterweight

To the best UFC fighters in history it is necessary to include Matt Hughes, who is a two-time world champion in martial arts. The American fighter was born on October 13, 1973. In his youth he was engaged in wrestling and grappling. Later, Smog would amaze the whole world with his amazing achievements in mixed martial arts. He was able to defend the title 7 times. Only Georges St-Pierre is better than him in this indicator. In the welterweight division, Hughes showed his worth almost immediately. Actually, for this he is grateful to the excellent student preparation. As part of the university competition, he conquered the entire state without a single defeat in wrestling.

• Fights: 54;
• Wins: 45;
• Defeats: 9.

This talented wrestler was born on June 2, 1976. Represented the interests of Brazil. The retired mixed martial arts fighter is remembered by the world primarily for his trilogy with Fedor Emelianenko. He is a master of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In the heavyweight division he won the World Championship in 2008. He became famous while competing for the Japanese organization Pride Fighting Championships, winning the championship title in the 93+ weight class. In 2004 he became a finalist in the Pride Grand Prix. In 2006, Odu made it to the semi-finals of Pride. He soon ended his career.

• Fights: 46;
• Wins: 34;
• Defeats: 10;
• Draws: 2.

Randy Dwayne Couture, who was born on June 22, 1963, should also be considered one of the most talented MMA fighters. Attention! It's about about the five-time UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion. Additionally, Randy is famous actor and a showman. He starred in such famous films as “The Expendables.” In addition, he is considered a professional showman. On June 24, 2006, he was enrolled as a member of Zada ​​Slava UFC. During his long career, he was able to defeat such fighters as Chuck Liddell, Tim Sylvia and Tito Ortiz.

• Fights: 30;
• Victory; 19;
• Defeats: 11.

Weight: Light Heavy

On December 17, 1969, another person was born who managed to go down in history as one of the best fighters in the world. The American is a professional kickboxer who competed in the welterweight division. He is a mixed martial arts specialist. Honored Champion in Mixed Arts from 2005 to 2007. He is an honorary member of the UFC Hall of Fame. Received the status on July 10, 2009. While still in college, he began to get involved in wrestling, but later mastered kickboxing. He also led the American football team.

• Fights: 29;
• Wins: 21;
• Defeats: 8.

Weight: Welterweight

Georges St-Pierre is deservedly one of the best MMA fighters in the history of the sport. The Canadian was born in Saint-Père in 1981. In Canada, he was repeatedly recognized as the best athlete of the year. At the same time, many top publications have repeatedly called him the leading fighter in the history of the welterweight division. Moreover, it is considered one of the best regardless of category. According to Wrestling Observer magazine, he became the best in MMA for 2009. He began studying karate at the age of 7. Claims that he had a difficult childhood. He was often beaten and his clothes were taken away.

• Fights: 27;
• Wins: 25;
• Defeats: 2.

Sebastian Rutten was born in 1965. In the Netherlands he for a long time did kickboxing. During his career, he managed to defeat such outstanding fighters as Frank Shamrock and Maurice Smith. He also defeated Guy Mezger and Minoru Suzuki. In the end I was able to achieve winning streak out of 22 wins. This is an amazing result. In addition, Bas was remembered for his “signature move”: a blow to the liver. He actively ended fights with this technique with many talented fighters who were well aware of Rutten’s technique, but could not do anything about his fighting style.

• Fights: 32;
• Wins: 28;
• Defeats: 4.

Weight: Medium

One of the most influential figures in the field of MMA is Royce Gracie. Born December 12, 1966. The Brazilian athlete mastered jiu-jitsu and was able to amaze the world with his technique, and along with his fans, his rivals. Thanks to his merits in the cage, he became an honorary member of the UFC Hall of Fame. He achieved fame by successfully using techniques against opponents who were above his weight. It was his merits that led to the fact that fighters from all over the world began to intensively devote time to wrestling. It was Royce’s techniques that amazed the perception and attitude towards mixed martial arts.