Mixed Martial Arts

The

Fighters

Greatest

Ever

by Abbas Mushtaq

The

Fighters

Greatest

Ever

Foreword by Abbas Mushtaq A history of...

Key People Greatest Heavyweights ever Greatest Light Heavyweights ever Greatest Middleweights ever Greatest Welterweights ever Greatest Lightweights Greatest Featherweights ever Greatest Bantamweights ever Quotes from fighters

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This book is the culmination of research I did in the summer of 2012. I’ve always been a fan of Mixed Martial Arts. It’s a sport I only got into a couple of years ago but I’ve always found it refreshing from other combat sports and other sports full stop. Whenever I watch it, I’ve always had the feeling I’m watching two warriors at the peak of their powers battling it out in the ring and leaving their everything - their heart and soul in the ring.

Their whole lives are devoted to their art and they treat their art with the utmost respect and also treat their opponents with the utmost respect. Mixed Martial Arts has the clue in the name itself - “Martial Arts”.

Something associated with intense discipline and focus. Not all people see it this way though. Many people unfamiliar with MMA or the sport simply call MMA fighters “cage fighters” The difference between saying “martial artist” and “cage fighter” is vastly different, in my opinion. One term has a rich history engraved in thousands of years of practice, and the other creates imagery of human cockfighting. It’s this same crisis between the two terms that led to the huge media controversy for MMA in America and around the world in it’s beginnings.

Consequently for my research I wanted to

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focus on the beginnings of MMA and it’s origins. I wanted to look into the art of mixed martial arts. Just how much a part of their life was a persons fighting style and discipline?

Another aspect of my research was to look at warriors of the past, and compare them with warriors of the present - in this case, mixed martial artists. I paid special attention to the Samurai culture and their philosophies of ‘Bushido’, which literally translates to “Way of the Warrior”. Not only was it fascinating to look into samurai culture and it’s ideals, but it was also fascinating to see the similarities between Japanese samurai and modern day martial artists.

The similarities were much more prevalent than I actually thought. Especially so in Japan where MMA had a huge explosion with the Pride Fighting Championships.

Not even that, many Pride FC events were actually called Bushido!

Samurai warriors trained in martial arts regularly, Bushido was their way of life. It taught them right from wrong and how to practice their life. It gave them purpose and direction. In a similar way, a martial artists fighting style, or discipline, often has the

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same importance in ones life. It’s a tradition and discipline that is passed on generation to generation just like being a Samurai and following Bushido. It’s a way of life, a set of principles.

“Without Jiu Jitsu, it’s like you cut my legs.

It’s gonna be all my philosophy, all my values, So it’s hard to understand myself without Jiu Jitsu” ~ Rickson Gracie Samurai and martial artists often have a master or teacher. In Japanese they say “Sensei”, which means master or teacher.

These masters themselves often had a master, they were the masters disciple until death.

If a Samurai’s master died, or the Samurai did something which was not honourable.

The Samurai committed ‘Seppuku’ - a ritual suicide.

“To continue the tradition, you must get in the ring at least once. After that you can do what you want.” ~ Royce Gracie on the Gracie clan’s tradition

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This same master and student ideals can be correlated to a martial artists way of life though maybe not to the extent they perform suicides when the master dies. Martial Arts is an art, an art passed on from hundreds and thousands of years ago. A master was once, obviously, a student. Modern MMA fighters often train with the same teacher all their career and have a strong connection with their teacher. Often similar to a father and son relationship.

Fighters come from all backgrounds from all over the world, from my research I’ve found that they all have different relationships with their teachers. For example a fighter with a background in a more far eastern fighting style such as Karate, Kung Fu, Muay Thai and so on, often calls his teacher or superior ‘Sensei’. A fighter from somewhere like America with a fighting background in Wrestling will probably not call his teacher ‘Sensei’, maybe ‘Coach’ or something, but the relationship still seems to be the same.

Samurai also associated themselves with clans. Notable clans from the Samurai and Feudal Japan period include the Uesugi clan, Takeda clan, Shimazu clan, Oda clan, Hashiba clan and countless more. Again, in the same way, modern mixed martial artists

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associate themselves with a gym, dojo or overall philosophy. Often fighters who train in the same gym refuse to fight each other in competition and look out for each other, sometimes help train each other.

Sometimes fighters have extra incentive for a fight to avenge another fighters loss and/or to uphold their gyms reputation and superiority against others. Very similar to a clan mentality.

Respect and honour in Samurai and ancient warrior culture was a big thing, I think a lot of it comes down to each warrior understanding just how many sacrifices the other fighter has to make, as they too make the same sacrifices. This is exactly the same with a modern martial arts fighter. Here is a quote expressing Bushido: “Yesterday they were enemies but today they are no longer so. If we cannot think of them as no longer enemies, then it cannot be said that we truly understand the spirit of bushido� ~ Nakayama Hakudo (1872 - 1958)

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Now here is a quote from Anderson Silva, arguably the greatest mixed martial artist ever. He’d just fought with Chael Sonnen in probably one of the biggest MMA fights in modern times. Chael Sonnen is one of the biggest trash talkers in the sport, ever. He bad mouthed Silva and anything to do with him leading up to the fight.

“If you would like to have a barbeque at my house, I’d love to have you come over for a barbeque.” ~ Anderson Silva after stepping into a cage with Chael Sonnen These are just some of the points I want to make about mixed martial artists, they’re much more than just ‘cage fighters’. Some, of course, look at their career as a job but many martial artists devote their life to their art and just so happen to test themselves now and then in a ring or cage.

Bushido also taught Samurai to be fearless, to almost embrace death and look for opportunities to die an honourable death, in battle. Here is a quote expressing Bushido philosophy and how Samurai entered combat

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“Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death.” ~ Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (1870-1966 This same fearless attitude is clear to see in a mixed martial arts contest, if you don’t beat the other guy up, you will get beaten up badly. Once you’re in the cage or ring. It’s you or them.

“The only way he’ll lose is unconscious or death. He’ll never give up.”

- Rickson Gracie’s wife on her husbands attitude Rickson Gracie went his whole career undefeated and travelled the world to present his families art - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Quite a few years ago, a martial arts reporter, James Williams met Rorion Gracie. Yet another Gracie who happens to be a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master, and sparred with Rorion for a bit. I found it more interesting and notable for the point he made about Samurai culture,

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here is the quote: “The fact that I was bigger and stronger, with extensive wrestling and martial arts experience, did not prevent me from ending up in several submission holds. While I sweated and strained, Rorion remained calm and polite. His breathing never seemed to change. His physical health and attitude are excellent, the consequence of living his life as a warrior with a soft, blending Jiu-Jitsu approach and adhering to an exceptional diet developed by his older brother, Carlos.

Jiu-Jitsu is not so much what they do as who they are. Their approach is more reminiscent of the classical bushi than many styles that claim descent from the arts of the samurai.

However, for the Gracies, this classical mind set is cultivated on the inside and only becomes apparent when you begin to look deep into their art and personal characters.� ~ James Williams To wrap this up, I hope this foreword gave you a glimpse of mixed martial artists and their way of life and also how similar they are to warriors of the past such as Samurai.

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When people think of Samurai, they think of fearless warriors unafraid of death and fiercely honourable. Unfortunately though when people think of modern martial artists, essentially a mixed martial arts fighter, they think of a prizefighter getting punched and stamping on peoples faces for money. This is nowhere near the truth. These perceptions are changing though, especially in North America which has become the place to be for MMA with the UFC’s dominance. These negative perceptions were never really even there in Japan with the Pride Fighting Championships as I’ll cover later.

I hope you have as much fun reading this book and finding out more about MMA and it’s greatest practitioners as I did writing it and researching it. Enjoy!

“It seems like there are fewer and fewer opportunities to find out who you really are. With this combination of violence and discipline -- brains and brawn -- you have a hell of a way to find out. Same thing from the fans’ perspective. There’s no b.s. Two guys are stripped down. One wins, one loses. Where else do you get that anymore?”

– Pat Miletich

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The beginnings of what we now refer to as ‘Mixed Martial Arts’ can be traced back thousands of years ago, right to Ancient Greece. ‘Pankration’ was an Ancient Greek Olympic sport formed in 648 BC, it was a mix of boxing and wrestling and there were pretty much no rules - apart from no biting or eye gouging. Fighters also had very accomplished ground and grappling skills and trained frequently. Sound familiar?

Fast forward almost 2000 years and this same system was still in place in Vale Tudo fighting tournaments around the globe, with particular prominence in Japan and Brazil.

‘Vale Tudo’ literally means “Anything goes”, it’s a full contact combat Sport with few rules apart from no biting or eye gouging.

Fighters from all over the world took part, some were Kickboxers, Wrestlers, Muay Thai practitioners, they all met in a ring and battled it out. Vale Tudo has often been said to have been a clear and large influence on the birth of mixed martial arts.

One of the sports greatest champions was Rickson Gracie. A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner from the legendary Gracie family. Rickson Gracie was in a classic documentary called CHOKE, which followed Rickson as he prepared for the 1994 Vale Tudo

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Championships in Japan, with an infamous training scene. Showing in detail the kind of lives and discipline with which fighters live.

The Gracie Family pretty much invented Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, otherwise known as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu itself helped bring about the birth of modern mixed martial arts.

Rickson’s father was Helio Gracie. A frail and physically unimposing man and the youngest of his brothers who were practising Jiu-Jitsu once it was brought over from Japan. Helio wanted to take the already established JiuJitsu and Judo systems from Japan and make them work for a smaller man, with a stronger emphasis on technique rather than strength so Helio would be at an advantage, not a disadvantage. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (Brazilian JiuJitsu) was born and he kept perfecting his art till his death at the ripe old age of 95. Helio Gracie and his older brother Carlos Gracie are known as the ‘godfathers’ of BJJ. Helio had many sons and grandsons one of which was, of course, Rickson, other notable sons in the birth of MMA are Rorion and Royce Gracie. Martial Arts was huge around the world, especially in South America and Japan. The Gracies were, and still are, nationwide icons in Brazil.

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“20,000 people came to see the bout including the President of Brazil. Helio was 180cm and 80 kg. When I entered the stadium, I found a coffin. I asked what it was. I was told, “This is for Kimura. Helio brought this in.” It was so funny that I almost burst into laughter.” ~ Masahiko Kimura In the early and mid 90’s Martial Arts tournaments were huge in Japan. With organisation such as Pancrase, Shooto, K-1 leading the way and regularly having 30,000+ in the crowds eager to watch two warriors leave everything in the ring. They were all a mix of wrestling, kick boxing, but weren’t the full package of simply fighting in a variety of disciplines as we know today and refer to as “MMA”.

Rorion Gracie, the oldest son of Helio Gracie and himself a BJJ expert, moved to Southern California from Brazil with only $2,000 in his pocket and determined to make their art known worldwide. Working as an extra in movies he also taught BJJ to anyone who would listen in his garage.

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“”Back when I was teaching students in my garage. It was not uncommon for my students to say hey my karate instructor doesn’t believe in Jiu Jitsu. I would say well bring them in! So we had those challenge matches in our garage.” ~ Rorion Gracie In 1988, Rorion produced a ground breaking and controversial film called “Gracies in Action” this involved the Gracies going at it against Karate experts, wrestlers, you name it and pretty much always coming out on top.

It was the first time anyone had seen fighters of different backgrounds and fighting styles going at it to see which fighting style was the ‘best’. This gained Rorion recognition. By 1989 Rorion and his younger brother Royce, now also over from Brazil were having 120 students each week. Having outgrown the garage Rorion set up has now become the world headquarters for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. The Gracie system is constantly growing and with a wealth of modern MMA fighters to world famous celebrity students.

In 1993, four years after establishing the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu headquarters was when

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Rorion realised the next step to lift BJJ to a world-wide stage was TV. This was what inspired Rorion to team up with Art Davie to create the Ultimate Fighting Championships after Art Davie had seen the infamous Gracies In Action videos.

The tournament would feature the best martial artists from all over the world from different disciplines competing. Facing each other in no-holds-barred combat in disciplines such as Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Kung Fu, Karate, even boxing. With the boxer Art Jimmerson infamously fighting wearing just one boxing glove. No one had really heard of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu yet though, the Gracies wanted them all to take notice. The Gracies elected to put forward the lanky and skinny Royce Gracie forward to further express BJJ’s technique. All 175lb’s of him.

“At that time, there was no time limits, no judges, no rules. Two guys walk in, one guy walks out.” ~ Rorion Gracie The first tournament took place in 1993 in front of 2,000 people under the tag line

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“There are no rules!”, although there were rules such as no biting and eye gouging.

Royce Gracie twisted and submitted his way through some fighters 100 pounds heavier than him - including the American wrestling superstar Ken Shamrock in 57 seconds. A fighter who must have been at least a couple of weight classes above him. All the fighters didn’t know what hit them, what was this Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stuff, and how was a little guy twisting them up with ease? Brazilian JiuJitsu had arrived. The other fighters realised they needed to be adept on the ground and with submissions as well as striking on their feet. The UFC was a huge success and Mixed Martial Arts was born.

The UFC then started to hold annual tournaments year on year, with each one slightly more successful in terms of attendance and buy-rate than the one before.

Royce Gracie won three of the first four UFC tournaments. Some of the other early champions were American heroes such as Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock, Mark Coleman and Marco Ruas. Ruas is considered one of the earliest examples of a modern mixed martial artist. Hugely adept both on the ground and on his feet.

Slowly over time, more rules were added and by the late 90’s the tournament format was

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scrapped in order to bring a fight card format.

Similar to a boxing card, where fighters take part in pre-planned fights, know their opponents and take part in a fighting camp.

Only fighting once in the night. Instead of 3-4 times like they did in the past and in Vale Tudo tournaments in the past.

Mixed Martial Arts was exploding all over the globe producing fighters with different backgrounds and core disciplines. The UFC went from an idea of which fighting style was the best in a ‘fight’, to a more progressive state where it was now more of a sport.

Further becoming more legitimate in American culture.

The UFC might be the biggest MMA organisation in the world right now but this wasn’t always the case. In the late 1990’s the violent nature of the sport caught attention of the US authorities. US Senator John McCain saw a tape of the first UFC events and further found it appalling. Famously calling it ‘human cockfighting’. He wrote to governors of all American states calling for “no-holdsbarred” fighting to be banned. Thirty-six states enacted the law and banned no-holdsbarred fighting in their states, the UFC was in deep trouble and lost a massive chunk of it’s audience, especially it’s PPV audience.

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To try and get on better terms with the state athletic commissions, more rules were brought in such as a ban on fish-hooking and weight classes were introduced along with 5 minute rounds. UFC evolved a little bit more and become more of a legitimate sport rather than a spectacle. There was a long road ahead though and the UFC was struggling, making a tiny amount of money compared to what they were used to and in huge debt.

Notable UFC fighters to emerge in this era include Hall of Famers Mark Coleman, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes and Tito Ortiz, as well as notables Vitor Belfort, Mark Kerr, Pedro Rizzo, Frank Shamrock, Mikey Burnett, Jens Pulver, Evan Tanner, Andrei Arlovski and Wanderlei Silva, among others.

This was a testing time for the UFC and MMA in America, it seemed like no one in America really understood the art of mixed martial arts and just saw them as cage fighters, human cockfighting. There’s a big difference between ‘mixed martial artist’ and ‘cage fighter’. The UFC was now largely underground, barely scrapping from event to event, but the UFC did have a brilliant roster of fighters, with Tito Ortiz at the forefront of the new movement. Fighters were now

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starting to become complete fighters in the ever evolving word of MMA, no more slobs squashing people to submission. MMA fighters were complete athletes, and experts in a variety of disciplines from jiu-jitsu to boxing.

One of the fighters at the forefront of this movement was Tito Ortiz, a brash and cocky Californian. Instantly recognisable with his bleached blonde hair and flame shorts. Billing himself as the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy”.

Tito was one of the sports first breakout stars and poster-boys and really helped push American MMA and UFC through the ‘dark days’.

While this was going on, over in Japan, the Pride Fighting Championships (Pride FC) was established in 1997 some four years after UFC’s inception. The difference here was that MMA was hugely accepted in Japanese culture. Pride frequently held their MMA events in the Saitama Super Arena and regularly had 40,000+ Japanese fans crammed in and screaming to see their heroes. MMA fighters were pop culture icons in Japan, even having comic books and action figures!

It’s easy to understand why Pride FC became

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the place to be for any MMA fighter worth his salt and quickly became the most successful and appealing MMA organisation in the world with fighters from all over the world competing in MMA. Some not even speaking a word of Japanese. Pride saw what was going on with the UFC and straight away made a few changes to be seen as a legitimate sport, one of these strategies was to have a ring similar to a boxing ring, instead of a cage. Or what the UFC call ‘The Octagon’.

Pride FC’s first event was a fight between Japanese pro-wrestler Nobuhiko Takada and Rickson Gracie, the ‘leader’ of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu movement, Vale Tudo champion and at the forefront of the Gracie family. Rickson won in front of 47,000 fans. Slightly more than the 2,000 that gathered to see the first UFC event.

Pride fighter entrances were not too dissimilar to seeing a rock concert with lasers and pyrotechnics shooting off everywhere while the fighter walked down a brightly lit ramp, huge contrast to the UFC. Even in terms of the way the two organisations were branded was hugely different. Compare the two early posters for both organisations and you can see

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the difference yourself in terms of graphic design (left). Pride was much more slick, and almost seemed like somewhere you’d take your family to see a spectacle. The UFC had an aura of burly men beating the crap out of each other with blood flying through the cage onto your laps.

Just like with the UFC, Pride also created many legends of it’s own with classic fights.

Even now, some years later many MMA fans recall the ‘Pride days’ fondly where many old timers were in their prime and tearing the roof off the place.

“Japan has a long proud tradition of martial arts and Pride Fighting championships was the ultimate stage. The best martial artists.

70,000 fans packed into the arena. The Japanese fans have tremendous respect for their fighters. To them Pride was the embodiment of the Samurai spirit. The warrior code of Bushido. In a Pride match, win or lose. Both competitors, were heroes.” ~Bas Rutten, Former Pride FC Colour commentator, Former 3x King of Pancrase and UFC Heavyweight champion

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Pride FC accommodated so many legends, many of whom are still fighting now. Just a few of them are Fedor Emelianenko , Quinton “Rampage’ Jackson, Wanderlei “Axe Murderer” Silva, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Kevin Randleman, Royce Gracie, Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman, Anderson Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba, Ken Shamrock, Don Frye, Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem.

It’s worth noting pretty much all of the fighters mentioned have also fought, or are currently fighting in UFC. UFC 40 was a turning point for the struggling organisation. Featuring the current biggest star Tito Ortiz against the ‘old dog’ Ken Shamrock in the main event, UFC 40 was the biggest UFC event ever up to that point. A lot of the interest in the event was probably because of Ken Shamrock returning to MMA fighting from his successful stint in the WWF (now WWE) pro wrestling organisaton. The PPV buyrate was 150,000 three times higher than the UFC had ever done. It even gained mainstream attention from media outlets such as ESPN and USA Today which was a landmark moment for MMA, especially in America with UFC at the forefront. Long time UFC referee “Big” John McCarthy said that he felt UFC 40 was the turning point in whether or not the sport of MMA would survive in

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America. The UFC now had some good, if not, great news.

“When that show (UFC 40) happened, I honestly felt like it was going to make it.

Throughout the years, things were happening, and everything always looked bleak. It always looked like, this is it, this is going to be the last time. This is going to be the last year. But, when I was standing in the Octagon at UFC 40, I remember standing there before the Ortiz/Shamrock fight and looking around. The energy of that fight, it was phenomenal, and it was the first time I honestly said, it’s going to make it.” ~“Big” John McCarthy, UFC Referee One successful event wasn’t going to save the UFC’s fortunes though, the UFC was still millions of dollars in debt. A major factor to the UFC’s huge explosion in the mid 2000’s was the idea brought forward to do The Ultimate Fighter for a TV market. A reality show where several up-and-coming fighters live and train together for a couple of months, while also taking part in a tournament against each other with the final being shown live on TV and the overall winner gaining a

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UFC contract and hitting the big time.

Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar met in the final. What followed made both fighters overnight stars and legends of the sport.

Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar absolutely tore into each other for 3 rounds, with momentum shifting repeatedly between the fighters but neither fighter ever falling, quitting or giving up. It was truly like watching a Rocky movie. This was one of the breakout moments of MMA into America’s consciousness. This wasn’t a PPV event for a niche. It was broadcast live on cable tv, all of America could see this drama unfold on tv.

For once MMA was being portrayed in a positive light in MMA, showing two absolute warriors showing true grit and determination. In fact, this had always been there, event after event, but this time people were actually watching it and seeing for themselves. The president of UFC, Dana White has often said this is the event that saved the UFC and really turned around their fortunes.

TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) hugely helped the UFC begin to be seen as a legitimate sport and be accepted in America. Things only went up from here with each event frequently outdoing the previous.

In 2006, UFC purchased WEC(World

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Extreme Cagefighting), the WEC was another American MMA organisation which made a name for itself by showcasing fighters from lighter weight classes such as Lightweight and Bantamweight. By purchasing WEC, UFC obviously gained the contracts of yet more world stars. Fighters such as Benson Henderson, Dominick Cruz and Jose Aldo.

All three have gone on to become UFC champions.

The emergence of UFC was now a force to be reckoned with and growing substantially every year, while Pride was remaining stagnant. In 2007, UFC bought Pride FC. The idea was for both organisations to run as separate brands, this was subsequently disbanded and UFC basically consumed Pride.

End of an era. Japanese MMA hasn’t been the same since and is greatly missed by old school MMA fans as it’s kind of the spiritual home of Martial Arts. By consuming Pride, UFC gained even more superstars.

By 2009, UFC was now a worldwide phenomenon and rapidly growing. UFC 100 was a memorable event with 1.7 million buys. The card was stacked. Featuring UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar aiming to avenge his loss against Frank Mir. Canadian superstar Georges St-Pierre going

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head to head with Brazilian knockout artist Thiago Alves and Pride legend Dan Henderson squaring up to British bad-boy Michael Bisping. To think just 10 years ago the UFC would have been happy if it gained 50,000 buys shows the phenomenal rate at which MMA as a sport is growing with the UFC at the forefront.

The biggest MMA event in North American history ever is UFC 129. On Saturday April 30th 2011 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canadian superstar and home favourite Georges St-Pierre took on Jake Shields in front of 55,000 people. Gate revenues exceeded $11 million, shattering previous North American MMA records.

In a matter of 10 years, UFC had gone from the brink of liquidation to being the biggest MMA organisation in the world, with the best fighters from all over the world and is at the forefront of the fastest growing sport in the world. A sport which didn’t even officially exist some 20 years and is now rivalling and in some cases surpassing boxing in popularity -a sport with hundreds of years of rich history.

Mixed Martial Arts is here to stay.

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Dana White is the president and ‘boss’ of the UFC. Seen at every single UFC event. Often outspoken and straight to the point. One of the most powerful MMA figures in the world.

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The Chairman/CEO of Zuffa, LLC. The organisation that pretty much saved the UFC when they bought it.

Lorenzo handles stuff with a more behind-the-scenes approach but the guy right at the top.

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This commentating duo is synonymous with UFC. Perfectly bouncing off each other with expertise and wit. Joe Rogan is a stand up comedian and black belt in several martial arts.

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The most famous ‘Octagon girl’ along with Brittney Palmer. Ever prescent at every UFC event and very popular, I wonder why?

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Bruce Buffer

The voice of the Octagon and the UFC. Has called virtually every UFC event ever and famous for his booming ring announcements and fighter introductions. “It’s TIIIIIIIIIIIME!”

Key People Ring announcer

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Heavyweight

Accomplishments: UFC 8 champion Ultimate Ultimate 96 champion

Don Frye

Record: 20W 9L 1D 7KO Retired

“If I wanted to spend a half hour between two hairy legs I’d go to your mother’s house.” ~ Don Frye.

Hero. Retired legend. Left it all in the ring and a great personality, as you can probably tell.

Notable fights: vs Tank Abbott vs Yoshihiro Takayama

Accomplishments: Strikeforce & Dream & K-1 champion

Heavyweight

Record: 36W 11L 15KO

Looks like something out of a comic book, Overeem is an absolute beast. Well travelled and fought pretty much everywhere. The first ever to be a champion in MMA and kickboxing at the same time.

Alistair Overeem

Notable fights: vs Todd Duffee vs Brock Lesnar vs James Thompson

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Heavyweight

Accomplishments: Former UFC Heavyweight champion

Brock Lesnar

Record: 5W 3L 2KO Retired

Brock Lesnar is possibly the most freakishly large and freakishly athletic athlete ever. Brock Lesnar went from ruling WWE to ruling UFC with his 4XL gloves and huge drawing power.

Notable fights: vs Randy Couture vs Shane Carwin vs Frank Mir

Accomplishments: 2x UFC Heavyweight champion

Heavyweight

Record: 16W 6L 4KO

The most experienced heavyweight currently in the UFC and also with the most submitted opponents. A huge threat on the ground with his Jiu-Jitsu skills and a 2-time UFC Heavyweight champion.

Frank Mir

Notable fights: vs Rodrigo Nogueira vs Cheick Kongo vs Brock Lesnar

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Heavyweight

Accomplishments: Current UFC Heavyweight champion Notable fights: vs Shane Carwin vs Cain Velasquez vs Gabriel Gonzaga

Junior Dos Santos

Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos is a Brazilian hero and a huge threat standing up with his supreme boxing skills. The current heavyweight champion of the world and unbeaten since his UFC debut.

Record: 15 1L 11KO

Current UFC champion

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Accomplishments: Pride Heavyweight champion 4 x World Sambo champion

Heavyweight

Record: 34W 4L 10KO

Possibly the greatest mixed martial artist ever, “The Last Emperor”, Fedor Emelianenko. Fedor went on a legendary 10 year unbeaten run.

He faced the best ever in Pride FC’s heyday and ran through them all.

Fedor Emelianenko

Notable fights: vs Rodrigo Nogueira vs “Cro Cop” vs Kevin Randleman

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Retired

Heavyweight

Accomplishments: UFC Superfight champion King of Pancrase

Ken Samrock

Ken Shamrock is one of the ‘old school’. One of the sports early stars and champions with his relentless wrestling and strength.

Ken also had a succesful stint in pro wrestling with WWF/E.

Record: 28W 15L 2KO

Hall of Famer

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Notable fights: vs Royce Gracie vs Don Frye vs Dan Severn

Accomplishments: Former UFC Heavyweight champion

Heavyweight

Record: 10W 1L 9KO

A world class wrestler and absolute animal in the ring. Cain’s only been stopped once and that was when he was dethroned as the first Mexican UFC Heavyweight champion by Junior Dos Santos.

Cain Velasquez

Notable fights: vs “Big Foot” Silva vs Brock Lesnar vs Rodrigo Nogueira

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Heavyweight

Accomplishments: Former Pride Open Weight Grand-Prix champion

Mirko Filipovic

“Cro Cop” is a former kickboxer and he showed that with his legendary headkicks providing numerous highlight reels in his Pride FC prime. Famously once said “Right kick hospital, left kick morgue”

Record: 18W 7L 12KO

Retired

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Notable fights: vs Wanderlei Silva vs Fedor vs Vovchanchyn

Accomplishments: Pride champion UFC interim champion

Heavyweight

Record: 33W 7L 3KO

A warrior on his feet and a Jiu-Jitsu master on the ground. “Big Nog� is full of heart and determination and has been through many wars, most notably in Pride, with the scars to show it.

Rodrigo Nogueira

Notable fights: vs Tim Sylvia vs Heath Herring vs Dan Henderson

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Heavyweight

Accomplishments: UFC 10 & 11 champion & Pride FC 2000 open weight champion

Mark Coleman

“The Godfather of ground and pound” Mark Coleman helped MMA evole with his signature ground control with hammerfists to his poor opponents face. Coleman has fought basically everywhere.

Record: 16W 10L 4KO Retired

Hall of Famer

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Notable fights: vs Don Frye vs Vovchanchyn vs “Shogun” Rua

Accomplishments: UFC 6 runner-up Ultimate Ultimate 1996 runner-up

Heavyweight

Record: 24W 14L 6KO

One look at Tank and you know he’s from the old school. Tank loved to scrap, and developed his style by brawling in bars and streets. Bit different to modern MMA fighters and their Nike sponsorships, eh?

Tank Abbott

Notable fights: vs Dan Severn vs John Matua

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Retired

Light Heavyweight

Accomplishments: UFC Light heavyweight champion

Tito Ortiz

The “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” is one of the sports biggest stars and helped the UFC through trying times in the ‘dark days’ in the early 2000’s. Instantly recognisable with his bleached hair and flame shorts.

Record: 16W 11L 9KO Retired

Hall of Famer

65

Notable fights: vs Ken Shamrock vs Forrest Griffin vs Chuck Liddell

Accomplishments: 3x UFC Heavyweight & 2x LHW champion

Light Heavyweight

Record: 19W 11L 7KO Retired

“Captain America� personified American grit and determination.

An NCAA wrestling champion who started MMA at the age of 35 and took on all comers till late into his forties. A bonafied legend.

Randy Couture

Notable fights: vs Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz vs Tim Sylvia

66

Hall of Famer

Light Heavyweight

Accomplishments: UFC Light heavyweight champion

Chuck Liddell

The “Iceman” is probably the most exciting MMA fighter ever. Chuck went for the knockout with his haymakers, everytime. He has been in too many classic fights to mention in a legendary LHW period.

Record: 21W 8L 13KO Retired

Hall of Famer

67

Notable fights: vs Tito Ortiz vs Randy Couture vs Wanderlei Silva

Accomplishments: Current UFC Light Heavyweight champion

Light Heavyweight

Record: 16W 1L 8KO

Jon “Bones” Jones is probably the most prodigious MMA fighter of all time. The youngest UFC champion ever with only 4 months experience prior to entering the Octagon. The posterboy of MMA’s new generation

Jon Jones

Notable fights: vs Shogun Rua vs Lyoto Machida vs Rashad Evans

68

69

Light Heavyweight

Accomplishments: 3x King of Pancrase UFC HW champion

Bas Rutten

Record: 28W 4L 12KO Retired

Bas Rutten is an old school legend.

Like most older generation fighters, he fought everywhere, most notably Pancrase in Japan. “El Guapo� is loved for his personality as much as his ability in the ring.

Notable fights: vs Frank Shamrock vs Kevin Randleman vs Funaki

Record: 23W 10L 6KO Retired

Light Heavyweight

Accomplishments: UFC LHW & Pancrase & Strikeforce champion

Frank Shamrock was one of the few fighters that was in his prime in the 90’s and the 00’s. Shamrock fought everywhere and won championships everywhere with his mix of wrestling and kickboxing.

Frank Shamrock

Notable fights: vs Shogun Rua vs Lyoto Machida vs Rashad Evans

70

71

Light Heavyweight

Accomplishments: Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion

Rashad Evans

Record: 17W 2L 6KO

Rashad Evans is a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler and winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 2. A former Light Heavyweight champion and a threat to anyone in the world with his well rounded game.

Notable fights: vs Frank Shamrock vs Kevin Randleman vs Funaki

Accomplishments: Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion

Light Heavyweight

Record: 19W 7L 3KO

Forrest Griffin quite possibly saved the UFC altogether with his absolutely classic fight with Stephan Bonnar in 2005. Forrest never gives up and has a ton of heart and great conditioning.

Forrest Griffin

Notable fights: vs Stephan Bonnar vs Quinton Jackson vs Tito Ortiz

72

73

Light Heavyweight

Accomplishments: Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion

Lyoto Machida

Record: 18W 3L 7KO

Lyoto Machida is one of the most unorthodox strikers in MMA with his unique brand of Karate which is uncommon in a mixed martial artist’s arsenal. Machida is a problem for anyone.

Notable fights: vs Randy Couture vs Rich Franklin vs Rashad Evans

Record: 29W 8L 13KO

Light Heavyweight

Accomplishments: Pride FC MW and WW champion & Strkeforce LHW champion

“Hendo” has been around and fought everywhere. Just as dangerous on the ground with his Olympic level wrestling as he is standing up. His patended “H-bomb”, right hand is legendary.

Dan Henderson

Notable fights: vs Dan Henderson vs Fedor Emelianenko vs Michael Bisping

74

75

Light Heavyweight

Accomplishments: Former Pride Middleweight champion & UFC LHW champion

Shogun Rua

Record: 21W 6L 18KO

Mauricio “Shogun� Rua burst onto the scene at Pride in Japan as one of the most feared fighters in the world. From the famous Chute Box Academy in Brazil, Shogun has bad intentions with every strike.

Notable fights: vs Chuck Liddell vs Mark Coleman vs Rodrigo Nogueira

Accomplishments: 3x King of Pancrase UFC 13 Lightweight champion

Light Heavyweight

Record: 30W 14L 11KO Retired

One of the greatest exponents of the early days mixed martial arts and an extremely tough opponent.

Guy has competed in many other combat sports such as boxing, kickboxing and karate.

Guy Mezger

Notable fights: vs Tito Ortiz vs Funaki vs Semmy Schilt

76

77

Middleweight

Accomplishments: Former Pride Middleweight champion & UFC LHW champion

Wanderlei Silva

Record: 34W 12L 24KO

“The Axe Murderer� lives up to his name. Probably the scariest fighter ever but also one of the greatest.

Silva leaves everything in the cage with his lethal knees and clinches.

Silva guarantees a war.

Notable fights: vs Quinton Jackson vs Chuck Liddell vs Kazushi Sakuraba

Accomplishments: current UFC Middleweight champion

Middleweight

Record: 32W 4L 19KO Retired

Probably the greatest mixed martial artist ever. The best fighter on the planet. Unbeaten for a UFC record of 8 years. “The Spider� makes the impossible happen with his phenomenal skills and agility.

Anderson Silva

Notable fights: vs Chael Sonnen vs Vitor Belfort vs Forrest Griffin

78

79

Middleweight

Accomplishments: NCAA Division 1 All- American

Chael Sonnen

Record: 27W 12L 7KO

The best trash talker in MMA ever, and all of sports right now. He’s more than a mouth though. When you fight Chael, you know he’s going to put you on your ass and pound your face in, and it works.

Notable fights: vs Anderson Silva vs Michael Bisping vs Nate Marquadt

Accomplishments: UFC 1,2 & 4 winner Longest Pride FC fight in history

Middleweight

Record: 14W 2L Retired

Royce Gracie is a legend in MMA, he helped make it what it is today with his legendary victory at the first UFC event ever. A scrawny kid with Jiu-Jitsu was twisting up huge wrestlers. MMA was born.

Royce Gracie

Notable fights: vs Ken Shamrock vs Kazushi Sakuraba vs Dan Severn

80

81

Middleweight

Accomplishments: UFC Japan tournament winner 2000 Pride FC Semi-finalist

Kazushi Sakuraba

Record: 26W 16L 4KO

Sakuraba became known as “The Gracie Killer� for his willingless to challenge the famous Gracies and actually beat four of them.

Famously took part in a 90 minute fight with Royce Gracie.

Notable fights: vs Quinton Jackson vs Chuck Liddell vs Kazushi Sakuraba

Accomplishments: Vale Tudo Japan ‘94 & ‘95 champion Undefeated career

Middleweight

Record: 11W Retired

Rickson Gracie is considered one of the best martial artists ever and definitely the best Brazilian JiuJitsu practitioner ever. Rickson is undefeated and tore up the scene in the Pre-UFC Vale Tudo days.

Rickson Gracie

Notable fights: vs Nobuhiko Takada vs Rei Zulu Yuki Nakai

82

83

Middleweight

Accomplishments: Former UFC Middleweight champion

Rich Franklin

Record: 29W 6L 15KO

Rich Franklin is a workhorse and great ambassador for the UFC, he never gives up a fight and has endless cardio and heart. One of the nicest guys in MMA but also one of the hardest to beat.

Notable fights: vs Wanderlei Silva vs Chuck Liddell vs Evan Tanner

Accomplishments: Former UFC LHW champion & Pride FC 2003 GP Runner-up

Middleweight

Record: 32W 10L 14KO

Quinton has been a champion everywhere he’s been, he loves to stand and bang. “Rampage” Jackson is a huge star in Japan from his famous Pride FC days and his defeat of Kazushi Sakuraba.

Quinton Jackson

Notable fights: vs Ricardo Arona vs Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva

84

85

Middleweight

Accomplishments: Former UFC LHW champion UFC 12 winner

Vitor Belfort

Record: 21W 9L 14KO

“The Phenom” burst onto the scene at the ripe old age of 19 and looked unbeatable with intense ferocity and lightning hands. It’s a testament to his longevity that he’s still relevant at the age of 35.

Notable fights: vs Randy Couture vs Wanderlei Silva vs Tank Abbott

Accomplishments: The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner & Cage Rage LHW champion

Middleweight

Record: 22W 4L 14KO

Michael Bisping is one of the most controversial figures in MMA with his outspoken demeanour. He’s also a constant contender and Britian’s best MMA fighter ever with his relentless kickboxing and cardio.

Michael Bisping

Notable fights: vs Yoshihiro Akiyama vs “Mayhem” Miller vs Josh Haynes

86

87

Middleweight

Accomplishments: Former Strikeforce Middleweight champion

Cung Le

Record: 8W 2L 7KO

Cung Le started his MMA career late in life. He’s also a movie star and fights like one with his inventive striking. One can only think of how good Le could be if he fought full time.

Notable fights: vs Frank Shamrock vs Scott Smith vs Wanderlei Silva

Accomplishments: 3x Pancrase MW champ & current Strikeforce WW champ

Middleweight

Record: 32W 10L 9KO

Nate Marquadt is superbly well rounded. Well versed from boxing to Jiu-Jitsu. Marquadt has been a contender everywhere he went and he’s fought all over the world.

Notable in Japan and USA.

Nate Marquadt

Notable fights: vs Kiuma Kunioku vs Demian Maia vs Tyron Woodley

88

89

Welterweight

Accomplishments: Current and 2x UFC Welterweight champion

Georges St-Pierre

Record: 22W 2L 8KO

The biggest draw in MMA and one of it’s greatest champions with a record reign. “GSP” is a brilliant ambassador and always in superb physical shape with enormously well rounded skills.

Notable fights: vs Matt Serra vs BJ Penn vs Matt Hughes

Accomplishments: 2x UFC Welterweight champion Record title defenses

Welterweight Hall of Famer

Record: 45W 9L 15KO

Matt Hughes is a legend and one of the greatest Welterweight champions ever. He holds two 6 fight winning streaks and holds the record for the most UFC wins. Once considered the best in the world.

Matt Hughes

Notable fights: vs Royce Gracie vs St-Pierre vs Frank Trigg

90

91

Welterweight

Accomplishments: Former Strikeforce and WEC WW champion

Nick Diaz

Record: 27W 8L 13KO

You either love or hate Nick Diaz, Diaz does everything on his own terms but one thing that is never debatable is the Stockton native’s skills. A Jiu-Jitsu black belt and one of the best boxers in MMA.

Notable fights: vs BJ Penn vs Carlos Condit vs Frank Shamrock

Accomplishments: UFC Welterweight champion & UFC 16 Welterweight champion

Welterweight

Record: 29W 7L 5KO Retired

Pat Miletich may nowadays be better known as one of the most well respected coaches in MMA but in the cage he was no slouch either.

One of the early MMA stars and the first UFC Welterweight champ ever.

Pat Miletich

Notable fights: vs Renzo Gracie vs Mikey Burnett vs Carlos Newton

92

93

Welterweight

Accomplishments: Pride 2005 & 2006 Welterweight GP Semi-Finalist

Akihiro Gono

Record: 31W 18L 7KO Retired

Akihiro is one of the best known Japanese fighters ever. He has fought everywhere from Shooto to Pancrase to Pride to UFC. A very deceptive and explosive fighter.

Notable fights: vs Tamdan McCrory vs Dan Henderson vs Hayato Sakurai

Accomplishments: Current interim Welterweight and former WEC champion

Welterweight

Record: 28W 5L 13KO

The current UFC Interim Welterweight champion and an extremely smart and unorthodox fighter. Condit made his name in WEC with extremely exciting and dangerous highlight reel finishes.

Carlos Condit

Notable fights: vs Nick Diaz vs Rory McDonald vs Hiromitsu Miura

94

95

Welterweight

Accomplishments: 4x NCAA AllAmerican

Josh Koshcheck

Record: 17W 7L 5KO

One of the biggest ‘villians’ in MMA and the UFC, Josh Koshcheck isn’t in the game to make any friends with his NCAA Division 1 level wrestling, boxing and granite chin.

Notable fights: vs Matt Hughes vs Anthony Johnson vs Georges St-Pierre

Accomplishments: NCAA Division 1 wrestling Most decision wins

Welterweight

Record: 23W 4L 5KO

Jon Fitch knows what works for him with his ground wrestling game. Some say he’s “boring” but one thing you can’t deny it’s effectiveness. Fitch is hard to beat and a long-time contender.

Jon Fitch

Notable fights: vs Georges St-Pierre vs Thiago Alves vs BJ Penn

96

97

Lightweight

Accomplishments: Current UFC Lightweight champion & Former WEC champion

Benson Henderson

Record: 17W 2L 2KO

Another lightweight fighter who made a name for himself in WEC. “Smooth� is the current lightweight champion with superb cardio and striking and an ability to squeeze out of deep submissions like magic.

Notable fights: vs Frankie Edgar vs Clay Guida vs Donald Cerrona

Accomplishments: Former UFC Lightweight champion Fight of the year 2011

Lightweight

Record: 14W 3L 3KO

Frankie Edgar is the perennial underdog and warrior. An undersized lightweight who doesn’t know the meaning of giving up.

Been in many classics and is the like a real life Rocky Balboa.

Frankie Edgar

Notable fights: vs Gray Maynard vs Benson Henderson vs BJ Penn

98

99

Lightweight

Accomplishments: Current UFC Lightweight champion & Former WEC champ

BJ Penn

Record: 16W 8L 7KO

“The Prodigy� has that nickname for a reason. One of most dangerous fighters ever. BJ has fought anyone at any weight. Famously has an after-fight ritual where he licks the opponents blood off his glove.

Notable fights: vs Georges St-Pierre vs Matt Hughes vs Nick Diaz

Accomplishments: NCAA Division 1 wrestling Fight of the year

Lightweight

Record: 11W 1L 2KO

Gray Maynard is a great NCAA Division 1 wrestler who’s extremely tough to beat. Maynard took part in a fantastic rivalry with Frankie Edgar including a fight of the year.

Gray Maynard

Notable fights: vs Frankie Edgar vs Kenny Florian vs Nate Diaz

100

101

Lightweight

Accomplishments: Former Strikeforce Lightweight champion

Clay Guida

Record:7W 2L 29W 13L 4KO

You watch any Clay Guida fight and you know you’re in for an absolute war. Guida doesn’t know the meaning of backing down and comes at you right from the bell.

Clay Guida means entertainment.

Notable fights: vs Ben Henderson vs Diego Sanchez vs Yusuke Endo

Accomplishments: Pride Lightweight champion & 2005 Grand-Prix champion

Lightweight

Record: 33W 8L 13KO

During his time in Pride, “The Fireball Kid� was the top Lightweight in the world. Known for a great chin and never being finished by strikes and having over a dozen knockouts in his career.

Takanori Gomi

Notable fights: vs Tyson Griffin vs Luis Azaredo vs Ralph Gracie

102

103

Lightweight

Accomplishments: Former Dream Lightweight and Shooto Welterweight champion

Shinya Aoki

Record: 30W 6L 1KO

Shinya Aoki is best known for his excellent flexibility and submission skills. Yet another in a long line of Japanese MMA stars who are masters of Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. He will break your arm with ease.

Notable fights: vs Mizuto Hirota vs Eddie Alvarez vs Fedor

Accomplishments: WEC & current UFC Featherweight champion

Featherweight

Record: 21W 1L 13KO

José Aldo was the Featherweight champion at WEC, with the UFC’s purchase of WEC, Aldo was now the first UFC Featherweight champion and he’s not been stopped. A beast in the cage.

José Aldo

Notable fights: vs Cub Swanson vs Mark Hominick vs Mike Brown

104

105

Bantamweight

Accomplishments: WEC & Current UFC Bantamweight champion

Dominick Cruz

Record: 19W 1L 6KO

Like Aldo, the last WEC and first UFC Bantamweight champion. Cruz has been unstoppable. As is often seen in the lighter divisions - Cruz has lightning speed, great cardio and superb versatility.

Notable fights: vs Urijah Faber vs Jo Benavidez vs Brian Bowles

Accomplishments: Former WEC Featherweight champion

Bantamweight

Record: 26W 6L 7KO

Urijah Faber doesn’t know the meaning of fear, “The California Kid” will come at you till the last bell rings. Faber possesses lethal submissions and had a notable rivalry with Dominick Cruz.

Urijah Faber

Notable fights: vs Dominick Cruz vs Jens Pulver vs Brian Bowles

106

107

Bantamweight

Accomplishments: Former WEC Bantamweight champion

Miguel Torres

Record: 40W 5L 9KO

Miguel Torres is one of the best strikers in the featherweight division with lethal Muay Thai and a deadly Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu submission game with over 20 wins by submissions.

Notable fights: vs Charlie Valencia vs Takeya Mizugaki vs Chase Beebe

108

“Look at him and look at me. I’m going to a bar, have some beers, and get in another fight. He’s going to the hospital...”

Tank Abbott

“Fighting is the best thing a man can have in his soul.”

Renzo Gracie

“Years ago we hardly had anything to eat.

Now I earn more money and see every opponent as a man that tries to put me back to that poorer period. That man has to be eliminated.”

Fedor Emelianenko

109

“War only in the ring. Peace on Earth.”

-Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva

“When a teacher dies, a world of knowledge is lost. That’s why I have no secrets. So when I die, cast my ashes to the four winds, for as long as my students live and teach, I will live.”

Gene LeBell

“A champion is someone who sweats to exhaustion, even when noone else is watching.”

Bas Rutten

110

“If I wanted to spend a half hour between two hairy legs I’d go to your mothers house”

Don Frye

“I going beat Tito Ortiz into a living death”

Ken Shamrock

“All I guarantee is violence.”

Wanderlei Silva

“Brazil isn’t a bowing country. You bow in Brazil they’ll hit you over the head and take your wallet out of your pocket.”

Chael Sonnen

111

“My phone rings, they call me up and say, ‘Chael, your testosterone level is too high.’ I say, ‘Well, how high was it?’ They say, ’0.7.’ I said, ‘What’s normal?’ They say, ’0.6.’; I said, ‘One-tenth? You’re telling me I’m one-tenth higher than the average man? Re-test that – you must have caught me on a low day.’”

Chael Sonnen

“…when I was a little kid, I’d go outside with my friends and we’d talk about the latest technology, in medicine, gaming, and American ingenuity, and Anderson and the Brazilian kids are sitting outside playing in the mud.”

Chael Sonnen

“The very essence of martial arts is the thirst for knowledge and the truth about ourselves�

Frank Shamrock