Sho's Top 25 Favorite MMA Fighter Countdown

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Whenever I get asked who my favorite MMA fighter is, I can never keep it to one - or five. After following this sport for so long I’ve grown attached to quite a few fighters and when forced to pick, depending on what time you catch me, I can have five different answers. It feels like choosing a favorite child, but in the world of MMA mancrushes there can only be one to rule them all. So let's find out who comes out on top.

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#25: Josh "The Babyfaced Assassin" Barnett

First sight: PRIDE - Final Conflict Absolute

Ugh, it pains me to think about where Barnett is now, but a few years ago he was actually a great HW and actually relevant. What drew me to him at first was his entrance music (Ai wo Torimodose) because this was around my peak anime geek years. It helped that he was charismatic, an anime fan, a phenomenal grappler, wasn't afraid to stand and bang when needed, and had a VERY underrated PRIDE run. It still angers me that he pissed motor oil and pretty much deaded his career (and Affliction), but I'm still hoping that he can get some momentum going again.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmt1_sfbnjk"]YouTube- Josh Barnett entrance[/ame]

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#24: Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen

First sight: K-1 - Hero's 1

Joachim Hansen first caught my attention when he bested Caol Uno in a barnburner at Hero's 1. The more I watched him afterwards, there have been times I’ve actually questioned his sanity. Hansen is a showman that just keeps moving forward and has a knack for finishing. One thing I love about him is how well he utilizes his knees. With the lull in Japanese MMA right now, it’s disappointing that Hansen hates ZUFFA so much because as someone who hasn’t traditionally cut weight, I think he’d be a good fit for the WEC FW division (aside from his lack of wrestling) instead of having to kill himself to make that absurd Japanese FW limit (138) now.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV76Xjdx-lQ"]YouTube- Joachim Hansen HL[/ame]

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#23: Katsuyori Shibata

First sight: K-1 - Hero's 8

You know what people say about Clay Guida? Relentless, crazy, aggressive, heart, etc. Katsuyori Shibata is all that times two (thousand), and actually exciting to watch. He's not the most skilled fighter, though he has been improving, but I just get real emotional watching this guy. The guy's passion and spirit is that strong. He was thrown to the wolves early in his career, facing guys like Mayhem Miller, Sakuraba, Akiyama and Sakurai. Watching him go on a two year losing slide and for him to finally break it with a phenomenal victory over Minowaman was one of the better moments to see in MMA. He probably won't ever be a champion, but he will always be an inspiration. I feel like he should be higher on my list.

"I won because of heart; a pro-wrestlers heart.
The first round was hard, but my pro-wrestler’s heart was strong."

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj0WwCvid7E]YouTube - The Lords of the Ring: The Two Wrestlers[/ame]

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#22: Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi

First sight: PRIDE - Bushido 9

Gomi used to be one of the baddest men on the planet. Not just #1 LW bad, but arguably #1 P4P on the planet bad. He had an incredible 14-1-1 NC record during PRIDE against quite a few top guys, but ultimately became a victim of his own success. He became so good at kicking ass he that started to get bored with it and went off to be a pro surfer. Ring rust and an inability to stay motivated post-PRIDE have led to some inconsistent performances, but maybe getting worked by KenFlo will do him some good. I hope.

Gomi vs. Chute Boxe. One of the best moments ever.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJzKhhT8ww0]YouTube - Takanori Gomi - The Best Highlight![/ame]

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#21: Matt Hughes

First sight: UFC 63 - Hughes vs. Penn

I've gotten to spend time with him and Robbie Lawler since they open a gym nearby and they are really nice people. Nothing more to it really.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRLAATcuROE"]YouTube- Matt Hughes Entrance At UFC 98[/ame]

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#20: Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko

First sight: PRIDE - Final Conflict 2005

The man of one expression, destroyer of fighters. He's been dominant for over a decade and his face never changes. Ever. His composure is unparalleled. The way he able to work his away out of disadvantageous positions is remarkable. His fights with CroCop and Big Nog are must-see TV. Fedor's current position is very interesting. He's always been at the top of the heap for so long, but with the cloud of M-1 Management that now hovers over him, along with a new crop of heavies on the come up and an extremely loud promoter have brought questions (some legitimate) about his current standing in a new "era" of the sport. Personally, I think there is too much extremism regarding Fedor. Depending on who you talk to, he's either MMA Christ incarnate or a can crushing degenerate who hasn't fought a quality fighter in his life. I HATE both of these kinds of fans and wish they'd die in a fire. But regardless, he's still the best HW on the planet until further notice and haters will continue to pray for his downfall.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVVrNOQtlzY]YouTube - The Greatest Fighter to have Ever Lived 2.0 (Fedor / ?ë???)[/ame]

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#19: Carlos "The Ronin" Newton

First sight: PRIDE - PRIDE 3

I came late to the Carlos Newton party, but the first fight I saw of him was against Sakuraba and my jaw dropped. My favorite MMA match ever. Newton was a grappling savant with a very deceiving record. A lot of his losses were close and were against the best at the time. He took a lot risks, stayed constantly active and was extremely fun to watch. The problem with Newton was that his head was never fully focused on fighting. When he wasn't delivering pizzas, he was running businesses and going to medical school. While people criticized him for his lack of focus, I think that's part of his appeal. For a part-time fighter, I'd say he did pretty damn well for himself. Plus, he was an anime nerd, too, so brownie points for him.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqzNgC02MEc]YouTube - Carlos Newton[/ame]

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#18: Chan Sung "The Korean Zombie" Jung & Junior "Cigano" dos Santos

First sight: DEEP - 39 Impact & UFC 90 - Silva vs. Cote

Yes, a two-for-one deal. Cop-out, but it's my list and I do what I want. :redfinge5r:

These guys are future stars and have taken their divisions by storm. Dos Santos probably has best resume of any HW in the UFC at this point and Chan Sung Jung constantly stole the show during his time in SRC (his loss vs. Masanori Kanehara was one of the best matches of 2009) and did it again in his WEC debut where he was BRUTALLY ROBBED against Leonard Garcia - it still pisses me off to think about that one. The sky is the limit with these two and the bandwagons are filling up fast. Hop on while there is still room.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FHEQnKf-xs]YouTube - Chan Sung Jung: Dawn of the Dead [HL][/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZotvbpQE64]YouTube - Junior "Cigano" dos Santos Highlight[/ame]

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#17: Bob "The Beast" Sapp

First sight (MMA): K-1 - Hero's 1

He never had his heart into fighting and pretty much fights now simply for the appearance fee, but when he first came into the fighting game he actually used to try. Despite his extremely low tolerance for pain, he used to maul a few fighters in K-1 kickboxing before Mirko CroCop completely destroyed his monstrous aura at the time. And I don't give a damn who you are, when you can beat Ernesto Hoost (the greatest Dutch kickboxer ever) TWICE that means something. I remember back when Tyson vs. Sapp and Lesnar vs. Sapp were highly anticipated matchups. He is also an entertaining guy and I always cheer for just so I can see his victory dance again:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6fp5ONBDAw"]YouTube- Minotauro Vs Bob Sap[/ame]

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#16: Daisuke Nakamura

First sight: PRIDE - Bushido 12

Ah, good ol' Boots n' Briefs. A talented catch wrestler who attempts flying armbars almost every chance he gets and is crazy good at chaining submissions together. One of the most exciting grapplers in the sport that has been improving steadily over the last few years, but he also has bouts of inconsistency. 2009 was not kind to him, but got his first win of 2010 at ASTRA. I hope that he gets a spot on a bigger card because he's too good of a fighter to not be televised. His bout against Hideo Tokoro is one of my favorites.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvQPCiu4ciM]YouTube - Daisuke Nakamura Vs. Carlos Valeri[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBe0k4_T9bQ]YouTube - Daisuke Nakamura vs Hideo Tokoro[/ame]

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#15: Georges "Rush" St. Pierre

First sight: UFC 65 - Bad Intentions

For as much crap I give about Jean French and his inability to finish opponents lately, he's an incredibly impressive fighter that is extremely well-rounded and a great ambassador of the sport. Very hard fighter to dislike. Unlike most wrestlers, he's constantly active and improving position. St. Pierre is probably the fighter most aspiring MMA fighters should try and emulate. Still, it would be nice to see him KO somebody sometime soon.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np4DQ4y6Q_U]YouTube - Georges St.Pierre HL By: Machinemen[/ame]

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#14: Alistair "Demolition Man" Overeem

First sight: PRIDE - Final Conflict 2005

A bit funny that Ubereem is this high, especially considering that my favorite MMA fights that he's participated in involve him getting stomped out by Shogun Rua. Didn't really catch my eye as a fan until he moved to heavyweight. Badr Hari started calling out MMA for it's "hugging and shit" and claimed K-1 was superior. Overeem answered the challenge. When he viciously KO'd Hari and stunned the crowd he had me, but he didn't stop there. He then goes on to manhandle Ewerton Teixeira and legend Peter Aerts after narrowly losing a decision against (an injured) Remy Bonjasky in K-1. Now he's back in MMA and in the states answering the critics and I love it. Ubereem fever, catch it!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCdXk_OAbAw]YouTube - Alistair Overeem: The Ubereem Era[/ame]

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#13: Hideo Tokoro

First sight: K-1 - Hero's 3

Hideo Tokoro is pound-for-pound THE most exciting fighter on the planet. None of his fights are ever boring. Ever. He's also the most inconsistent fighter I've ever seen. Depending on what night you catch him, you would either think he's one of the best FWs on the planet or just another jobber. But his all out style and rags to riches story (GOOD READ) has made him a fan favorite. He really has too many awesome bouts to name. The fights vs. Royler and Royce Gracie, Daisuke Nakamura, Caol Uno, etc. are off the top of my head too sick. The Royce Gracie fight especially since he was very much the smaller fighter and neutralized the legend's grappling. I thought he won that fight.

Wasn't too attached to the Tokoro HLs, so here is the best fight of 2009, Hideo Tokoro vs. Abel Cullum.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7inpuuZmkM]YouTube - Dream 9: Cullum vs Tokoro[/ame]

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#12: Kenny "KenFlo" Florian

First sight: UFC - The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale

I've always had a soft spot for Kenny Florian. Really humble and classy fighter who should deserves more love and fanfare than he's been getting. Watching him develop into one of the best LWs in the sport has been really fun. He's one of the few fighters that are really heavy into using elbows and even some people whine about stoppages, I admire it because coming from a MT background I also like elbows. Still don't know what the hell he was thinking with that strategy against BJ Penn, but maybe a third time is the charm for Florian. Would be really great to see him with the gold.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icM7teBtN1I]YouTube - Best Kenny Florian Highlight [HD][/ame]