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]

 

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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]