Sho's Top 25 Favorite MMA Fighter Countdown

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#11: Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza

First sight: DREAM.2 - Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Opening Round

I could watch Jacare grapple all day long. His BJJ is just that good. People talk about Demian Maia having the best BJJ in MMA. I jonesy at the very notion. That title belongs to this man right here. That MWGP was all his if it weren't for that incredibly lucky up kick by Gegard Mousasi. Souza's standup has really improved since linking up with Black House. Dude is going to be a problem and will become Strikeforce champion by the end of the year. Enough said.

*gator walks out of thread*

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aAbd3HM960"]YouTube- Killer of the Amazon - Ronaldo Jacare HL by Hero1[/ame]

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#10: Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii

First sight: Shooto - The Victory of the Truth

Yes, a female makes the list. She is one of the girls that got me interested in female mixed martial arts. Mega Megu is the baddest 115-pound fighter on the planet, male or female. Don't buy that 'Cyborg' Santos is the best female fighter bullshit for one second. This little lady truly holds that crown. Absolutely filthy and just crushes her opponents. She just signed a contract with Bellator, so you'll get to see her put the Megulock on unsuspecting fighters soon enough.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjf-aoNNVC8]YouTube - Mega Megu Highlight 'hurt part'[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cBHXb977Vs]YouTube - Mega Megu Highlight 'alive part'[/ame]

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#9: Eddie Alvarez

First sight: Dream 1 - Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Opening Round

I'm all about first impressions. When you demolish Dida Amade and then put on two of the best fights of 2008 consecutively against top boys like Tatsuya Kawajiri and Joachim Hansen, it's really easy to earn my affection. Alvarez is an aggressive fighter who has a ton of heart and probably the most ability in the 155 division aside from BJ Penn. After getting subbed by Aoki at 2008 Dynamite!!, Alvarez continued to show growth. He improved his submission defense and went on to submit his next five opponents. The sky is the limit for him.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmJ7M0KhLQw]YouTube - Eddie Alvarez Vs Tatsuya Kawajiri[/ame]

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#8: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

First sight: PRIDE - Total Elimination Absolute

The guy who essentially jump-started my fascination with kickboxing and MMA. The way he made the then menacing Bob Sapp crawl into the fetal position was one of the more vibrant sport memories I've had. Mirko had beastly standup with some of the best takedown defense I've ever seen. Incredibly explosive kicker, who seemed to be peak when he won the PRIDE Openweight GP in 2006. A damn shame that he would fall off so hard and so fast. Regardless, he'll always be one of my biggest influences. His fight vs. Fedor is one of the best fights you will ever see.

"Right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery."

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EruLavarcLE]YouTube - CROCOP Best of[/ame]

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#7: Melvin "No Mercy" Manhoef

First sight: K-1 - Hero's 4

MMA's equivalent of Mike Tyson. Unabashed brutality and violence. He doesn't fight to win, but to eviscerate. And oddly enough, he's one of the nicest fighters around. Manhoef is one of the few remaining successful one-dimensional fighters around. With the way he fights, who gives a damn if he doesn't have a ground game? One thing you can't help but like about him is that he's constantly fighting, whether it be MMA or K-1. He also has the best 2-3-low kick combo in the business.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9bIyiQFrCg"]YouTube- Melvin Manhoef highlight by Damien[/ame]

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#6: Kazushi "The Gracie Hunter" Sakuraba

First sight: PRIDE - PRIDE 3

The face of Japanese MMA. Enough said. When people think of MMA in Japan, nine times out of ten they think of this man. The guy is a legend on the short list when it comes to discussions of GOAT. One of the greatest personalities in the sport, an absolute showman who fights fearless and is incredibly cerebral. My goodness has this guy taken some punishment during his career. For as many brilliant wins, he's had plenty of brutal defeats - his fight against Ricardo Arona immediately jumps to mind, but that is a nature of the game when you're routinely fighting larger opponents. Sakuraba has too many classics to his name, and even now at 40 years he still continues to amaze and inspire. His submission victory over Zelg Galesic last year was an amazing testament of his will and toughness. Like Shibata, I definitely feel that he should be higher on my list, but at this point in my list it's like splitting hairs between the last few.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBtvfATml1s]YouTube - Superman: A tribute to Kazushi Sakuraba[/ame]

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#5: Yoshihiro Akiyama

First sight: K-1 - Hero's 1

Sexyama is a renaissance man who just happens to be a fighter. Model, pop star, company spokesperson, surfer and professional fighter. The guy does it all with flair, charisma and supreme fashion sense. He also has one of the best entrances in MMA. Men want to be him, and women want to be with him. He himself compared his popularity in Asia to the late Michael Jackson - at least until the Sakuraba controversy. While it sounds outlandish initially, stadiums sell out in Korea just to hear him sing. As a fighter, he's extremely composed, has crisp boxing (which is rare from Japanese fighters) and fights with a swagger. He might be a better fit for WW at the end of the day, but I think he'll still make an impact in the title run at MW.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfCdHFI3-XE]YouTube - Yoshihiro Akiyama's Sexy Highlight Reel[/ame]

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#4: Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett

First sight: PRIDE - Shockwave 2005

The anti-thesis of Georges St. Pierre. He's cocky, doesn't take the sport seriously at all, and constantly in and out of jail - but I would drop $60 without hesitation just for the opportunity to see him fight. Win or lose, you are bound to see something interesting every time you see him. The frustrating thing about Bennett is that he oozes talent, he simply doesn't give a damn enough to capitalize on it. He's been trying to change his life around and taking the sport seriously (or so he says) this year and we will see this June. My favorite Bennett highlight was when he KO'd the highly touted KJ Noons in his EliteXC debut. I hope that he duplicates that feat again.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssjw8PRdkN8]YouTube - Getting to Know Krazy Horse Charles Bennett[/ame]

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#3: Hayato "Mach" Sakurai

First sight: PRIDE - Bushido 9

The "Everytime Champion" is the greatest lightweight fighter I've ever seen. I know that most people say that Penn or Gomi is the best ever, but to me Mach will always be the GOAT. He was incredibly well-rounded and quick. During his first run at lightweight he used to MURDER opponents and maintained that success at welterweight until he a real bad car accident after getting his first loss against Anderson Silva. I still say that car accident robbed some of the best years from him. He had a few forgettable fights at WW and MW, but got his second wind of sorts in 2005. He started training in the US with Matt Hume, got focused and had one hell of run at lightweight during PRIDE. Unfortunately, Mach succumbed to his love for Korean BBQ and REALLY hates to cut weight. He's still a tough fight for anyone at welterweight (when motivated), but there is still so much that he could accomplish at lightweight.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUS4s8nX3BA]YouTube - Hayato "Mach" Sakurai Hyperlight[/ame]

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#2: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

First sight: PRIDE 32 - The Real Deal

Arguably the greatest 205'er to ever live, Shogun Rua has been a BAMF from day one. He came into PRIDE snapping necks and cashing checks with such violence that I had not really seen before at the time. Rua's berserker mentality with his flashy standup combined with the soccer kicks and head stomps was phenomenal. After seeing him dominate in PRIDE in the matter he did at such a young age - his only loss in PRIDE was a freak arm break against Mark Coleman - it was sad and downright confusing to see people jump off the wagon and called him washed up after his loss to Forrest Griffin. However, now that people have finally seen him healthy again after his two knee surgeries, those critics are few and far between. After Shogun beat Machida (either time, take your pick), people were claiming that the 'old' Shogun was back and that couldn't be further from the truth - he's easily a better fighter now than what he was years ago. The younger iteration was sloppy, but utilized his aggressiveness to overwhelm opponents. Shogun now is a lot more controlled and refined in his striking and doesn't take nearly as many shots as he used to, yet he still is able to flip the switch into berserker mode. The scary thing about Rua is that he is younger than Georges St. Pierre and has plenty of room to grow.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C73GBHQtpI]YouTube - Mauricio Shogun Rua HL by Machinemen 2010[/ame]

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#1: Caol "Uno Shoten" Uno

First sight: K-1 - Hero's 1

An absolute legend at lightweight and as close to a hero that I have in MMA. A very well-rounded fighter who actually had good standup (an aspect he never got much credit for), but made his name with his top-notch and creative grappling that he also displayed in ADCC and THE CONTENDERS (a submission grappling organization). Not to mention his heart. Uno had heart in spades. I feel that it is an absolute travesty that the first thing that comes to most people's minds is his 11-second KO loss to BJ Penn, but his career was so much more. People forget that he fought Penn to a highly contested draw a year later (I thought he won) and fought a most of the top lightweights at the peak of their careers, even at the tail end of his career. As a result, he has a lot of great fights under his belt. Uno vs. Sato I is a fight that every MMA fan NEEDS in their life and Uno-Penn II, Uno-Hansen, Uno-Ishida are just some of the other great fights in his career that I love. He was dealt a really bad hand in his most recent UFC run, but I hope he continues to fight in Japan. I <3 Uno and you should, too.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1vALIFNsYg]YouTube - Caol Uno (HL) (???) by GoForkYourself[/ame]

BONUS: Here is the classic bout between Caol Uno and Rumina Sato.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChNC_-sTz0Y"]YouTube- Caol Uno vs. Rumina Sato 1 - Part One Shooto[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwXMqAtHIYM"]YouTube- Caol Uno vs. Rumina Sato 1 - Part Two shooto[/ame]

[Liquidrob]

So Minowa didnt make the top 25?

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So Minowa didnt make the top 25?

Thought long about it, but nope.

The list was favorite fighters, not favorite superheros.