Good fighters are measured by many different abilities.Striking, wrestling, submissions, chin, and heart are all well and good but are just the tip of the iceberg.The very essence of stepping inside the Octagon seemingly comes down to a specific combat…
Good fighters are measured by many different abilities.
Striking, wrestling, submissions, chin, and heart are all well and good but are just the tip of the iceberg.
The very essence of stepping inside the Octagon seemingly comes down to a specific combative state of mind.
You have to want to fight. You have to want to be in there to entertain millions of people watching around the world. You have want to take punches to the face, knees to the ribs and head kicks to the ear.
That, alongside the ability to keep pushing forward on the offensive side of things, is what we call toughness.
It’s what separates the Dan Hendersons from the Stefan Struves.
Here are the top-15 toughest fighters in the UFC today.
Jon Jones let everyone know exactly how good he is this past Saturday at UFC 145 against Rashad Evans.He’s by far the most unstoppable force in the UFC today, demonstrating an ungodly reach that frequently supplements his dangerous striking that seems …
Jon Jones let everyone know exactly how good he is this past Saturday at UFC 145 against Rashad Evans.
He’s by far the most unstoppable force in the UFC today, demonstrating an ungodly reach that frequently supplements his dangerous striking that seems to drastically improve every time he sets foot inside the cage.
Following his recent destruction of Evans, who many people considered the only contender who possessed the chance to knock off the 24-year-old, Jones is now set to fight Dan Henderson sometime later this year.
Considering the UFC has Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen and Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit already hashed out—as well as needing a date for Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber—the next time we see “Bones” in the Octagon may not be until four or five months from now, subsequently making it his last bout in 2012.
If Jones defeats the aging Henderson, he’ll arguably become the most decorated light heavyweight champion in UFC history, making potential fight matchups in 2013 that more interesting.
Here are the top five fighters we could see Jon Jones face off with next year.
There are all sorts of fighters in the UFC. From street brawlers to technical submission artists, the eight divisions that comprise the biggest MMA promoter in the world offers an array of talent.However, a handful of fighters tend to pick their shots …
There are all sorts of fighters in the UFC. From street brawlers to technical submission artists, the eight divisions that comprise the biggest MMA promoter in the world offers an array of talent.
However, a handful of fighters tend to pick their shots and play it safer inside the Octagon compared to their counterparts. These tentative tendencies are for the most part beneficial, but sometimes it befuddles a fighter’s true talents and abilities to finish fights.
With that said, here are the five biggest play-it-safe contenders in the UFC today.
The UFC employs some of the best fighters in the world.Some possess KO power, others look for submissions to end bouts early.But some of the most dangerous athletes in the sport are the ones who are overlooked. The ones who may not look the part …
The UFC employs some of the best fighters in the world.
Some possess KO power, others look for submissions to end bouts early.
But some of the most dangerous athletes in the sport are the ones who are overlooked. The ones who may not look the part but most definitely are.
These fighters have had success in the past by implementing their game plans to a T and catching their opponents off guard. Going into the future this tendency will continue to reign supreme.
Here are the most unassuming mixed martial artists in the UFC today.
How easy is it to win a UFC title?How many chances do fighters get in their often brief careers to challenge an opponent for Octagon greatness?To be honest, these type of opportunities come with little to no consistency and require some of the best ski…
How easy is it to win a UFC title?
How many chances do fighters get in their often brief careers to challenge an opponent for Octagon greatness?
To be honest, these type of opportunities come with little to no consistency and require some of the best skills in the game.
The seven current UFC champions that grace each of their respective divisions have no doubt earned their keep, securing their mark on the game forever.
But in some instances, the road to stardom is less traveled for one fighter compared to another. Sometimes a champion has to overcome more to captivate his weight class.
Here’s how each UFC champion stacks up against the others in their respective roads to a title.
Monetarily, the UFC is among the fastest-growing sports in the world. With the best fighters in mixed martial arts currently manning the promotion’s eight divisions, along with the TV shows, month-to-month PPV events and broadcast deals with FOX a…
Monetarily, the UFC is among the fastest-growing sports in the world.
With the best fighters in mixed martial arts currently manning the promotion’s eight divisions, along with the TV shows, month-to-month PPV events and broadcast deals with FOX and FX, the UFC has the world at its fingertips.
But while the company seeks profits at every corner, does its unmatchable desire to do so deflate the entertainment value as a whole?
It depends. And that’s exactly what’s up for debate.
There’s no disputing that the UFC has more than made up for lost time in mainstream America over the past couple of years. They’ve transformed a crippled company into one of the most popular franchises worldwide, due in part to president Dana White‘s promotional sensibility.
However, the UFC has arguably grown itself thin. With dozens of new fighters, new events, higher expectations, injury-riddled champions and increased viewing prices for even the oldest of fans, the company has become somewhat one-dimensional.
For the UFC, the main issue is to create a reputable brand revolving around recognition and creativity, and using that popularity to earn profits.
That’s all well and good—it’s a business at heart. But even though the company has been the forefront for MMA within American sports over the past decade, the action inside the cage and the efforts to preserve the sport’s greatest asset (the fights themselves) may be deemed unsatisfactory in the eyes of its detrimental fanbase.
Sure, some fights have been monumental over the past few years in securing the prestige of worthwhile entertainment for each and every viewer, but as previously mentioned, the more events, fighters, promotions and media facets that the company produces, the thinner it becomes.
However, there’s a flip side to this notion, being that in order to promote the sport and keep it growing in comparison to major entities already in place, you have to write a new page in the book at every turn.
But when you dismantle the entertainment machine that’s responsible for the popularity of the sport itself, aren’t you sabotaging the essence of competition?
This may seem generic, whining about the entertainment value of seeing two fighters try to knock each other out, but it’s important to understand where your money is going.
Fans don’t pay to see lackluster fights. Fans don’t spend their hard-earned cash to see a pay-per-view event end after 25 minutes of championship jabbing. Fans aren’t spending their valuable time following the UFC to see their favorite fighters compete only twice a calender year, mostly due in part to the company’s efforts to expand divisions, create new ones and offer content directed toward “potentially new” fans.
Don’t get me wrong—the more MMA fights in mainstream sports, the better. But at some point, mixing the fights fans want to see with the ones that the UFC is putting forth to fill event slots, PPV under cards, PPV main cards and broadcast freebees, takes away from the overall entertainment value. A good portion of these bouts prove unworthy, whether they cost $44.99 or not.
The point to this whole thing is that somehow, the UFC—the company that has branded itself as being the fastest-growing sport in the world—may in fact be growing, but within the completely wrong capacity.
And even though the company has done everything imaginable to create the best fights in the world, sometimes it is better off to slow things down, diagnose what you have and what works best and let the entertainment speak for itself.
Monetarily, the UFC is among the fastest-growing sports in the world.