Author: Levi Nile

MMA’s Durable Dozen: The 12 Most Indestructible Fighters in MMA History

Half of the battle, they say, is not how much you can dish out, but how much you can take, and if you’re a fighter of any kind, that is one of the central questions that is going to be addressed, sooner or later. Sure, you may be great at being t…

Half of the battle, they say, is not how much you can dish out, but how much you can take, and if you’re a fighter of any kind, that is one of the central questions that is going to be addressed, sooner or later.

Sure, you may be great at being the hammer, but how will you handle being the nail?

For sure, on a long enough timeline, everyone spends time under the “hammer,” so to speak. These are the combative sports we are talking about, and no matter how talented, eventually everyone starts taking some hard shots.

So, who are some of the most durable, indestructible fighters in the history of MMA?

There is a difference between the two terms, you know: A fighter might be incredibly durable over the course of his career, rolling with punches instead of taking them flush and walking forward like a mountain, but that doesn’t make him indestructible.

And an indestructible fighter isn’t always a durable one, as even the most indestructible fighters end up falling when enough punishment is ladled out upon their head, and thus their careers end up declining far sooner than most would expect, while the durable fighters enjoy a kind of longevity that speaks to a rich life, sans afflictions like Pugilistica Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, etc.

Well, I think that when making a list like this, it is only fair to include both.

Truth be told, ranking this list was damn hard, for obvious reasons. So, to account for my choices (and all writers must be able to account for their choices) I have tried my best to reason it all out as plainly as possible.

Before we open the door and you, the reader and critic, take a seat among these 12 men, I would like to acknowledge those who didn’t make the list; Chris Lytle, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Chris Leben, Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz and countless others.

It’s not that I believe these men are not noteworthy, because I have made note of them; it’s just that I wanted to limit this to 12 fighters, simple as that.

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The Top 100 Kicks, Punches, Flurries and Finishes in MMA History

When you overhear casual fans of the sport talking about the next big PPV, their discussion usually turns to a kind of recap of past fights they have loved, and from there, they quickly begin to talk about significant strikes and brutal finishes. Be it…

When you overhear casual fans of the sport talking about the next big PPV, their discussion usually turns to a kind of recap of past fights they have loved, and from there, they quickly begin to talk about significant strikes and brutal finishes.

Be it the fight with Henderson and Bisping or Goodridge and Herrera, they cannot seem to get enough of those highlight-reel moments, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Just like the casual fan, we appreciate those stunning moments where a significant punch, kick, elbow or knee lands because it could be the moment when the tide turns and the fight goes in a different direction.

Thinking back on all the years that the sport has been alive in North America (and abroad as well, make no mistake about that), we have been treated to some serious moments of noteworthy striking, in all forms, shapes and sizes.

So, in tribute to those moments, I present this list of the top 100 kicks, punches, slams, flurries and finishes, with some nasty elbows thrown in.

Of course, this list will always be incomplete, from the moment I publish and into the foreseeable future, because that which is noteworthy is nearly always relative and there have been far more than 100 moments that have seen some excellent striking.

Still, a line needs to be drawn and appreciation numbered, as that is what lists like this are all about. I have tried, to the best of my ability, to account for my choices, and I stand behind them. 

In short, if I could make a list for those casual fans that salivate at such considerations, this is what I would give to them in order to pull them fully into the fold. This is the list I would make to sell the sport on the basis of action and intent.

I hope you enjoy discovering it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. 

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Chuck Liddell: Power Ranking the Ice Man’s Top UFC Performances

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly two-and-a-half years since Chuck Liddell has been in the Octagon. For many years, Liddell was one of the more proven commodities that the UFC could provide, and it used him the way that suited him …

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly two-and-a-half years since Chuck Liddell has been in the Octagon.

For many years, Liddell was one of the more proven commodities that the UFC could provide, and it used him the way that suited him best—by having him not only fight in the cage but abroad in rival promotions where he was ideally placed to spread the UFC gospel.

Now after so many months, I still expect to see the next Liddell bout being advertised anytime I see the beginning of a UFC pay-per-view commercial. When he is nowhere to be found, I feel a bit cheated.

We are nearing an anniversary of sorts. Two of Chuck Liddell’s biggest victories (against Tito Ortiz and Wanderlei Silva) happened near the end of the month of December, and so it seems a perfect time to remember his biggest moments in the UFC and maybe relive some fine fights in the process.

Here is our power ranking of Chuck “The Ice Man” Liddell’s top performances in the UFC.

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MMA Must-See TV: Fighter Documentaries, Fan Videos and More

With the proliferation of video footage on places like Youtube.com, fight fans don’t have to scour their local video store anymore to see some of the best videos around, most of them for free. Back when the sport of MMA was first budding in Ameri…

With the proliferation of video footage on places like Youtube.com, fight fans don’t have to scour their local video store anymore to see some of the best videos around, most of them for free.

Back when the sport of MMA was first budding in America, all you got were black-and-white photos (usually just one) with a brief write-up on the latest UFC event in Black Belt magazine, and that was it.

And it was awesome.

A lot of older fans talk about how spoiled newer fans are, and I gotta think that kind of talk is nonsense. We got to watch the events, just like newer fans do, only we had to wait a little longer to see them, and it was on VHS, not DVD or HD, but we still got to see them.

Now, both “generations” of MMA fans can enjoy some excellent MMA clips that are available at the push of a button on our computer, and with that comes a merging of both the old and the new, as you will see.

So without further ado, I bring you what I consider to be “Must-See MMA TV.”

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BJ Penn: Why It’s Lightweight or Nothing for the Former UFC Champ

So, BJ Penn appears to have the answer to the question that he seems to have been searching for: can he beat a Tristar welterweight? He wanted to go into the belly of the beast to beat Rory MacDonald, and as a result he got thoroughly dominated by…

So, BJ Penn appears to have the answer to the question that he seems to have been searching for: can he beat a Tristar welterweight?

He wanted to go into the belly of the beast to beat Rory MacDonald, and as a result he got thoroughly dominated by a younger fighter who was every bit as passionate as he was, who also possessed a sizable advantage in the reach department, and probably strength as well.

So, how does “The Prodigy” process that information? What does he do with it?

Hopefully, he uses it to realize that unless he is fighting at lightweight, he is simply going to be outgunned, relegated to stepping-stone status by any welterweight of reasonable skill and size who can push his buttons and goad him into a fight by slighting his considerable pride as a fighter and UFC champion.

Because to be honest, at least to this writer, it’s lightweight or no weight for BJ Penn when it comes to fighting at this stage of his career.

I honestly think BJ Penn can still be a force in the sport, but only if he can take the time—and hopefully some brutally honest counsel from those whom he respects and acknowledges as being of sound mind—and commit himself toward the end of fighting as a lightweight.

Penn was at his very best at lightweight, and when you look at him as a welterweight, you can see why. As a lightweight, he was trim and able to fight hard for a full five rounds; as a welterweight, he’s soft, slow, all too hittable and his gas tank is greatly diminished.

The time for hard decision making in his career is now. It is not out of the realm of possibility that he could, with some training changes and a new dedication, become a force in the newly rejuvenated lightweight division, but he has to commit totally to this, not half way.

A change in camps would probably do Penn a world of good; training with individuals who are not subject to pleasing him, but to a higher ideal, like perhaps with Anderson Silva and the fighters at Black House.

But in the end, he has to want to choose such a road, because for some reason he’s seemed dead set on proving to the world that he can conquer the welterweight division, and that has been contrary to our experience as viewers.

I only hope it has been contrary to his experience as well, to a point where he longs for the days when he was at his best.

And that will only be found at lightweight.

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16 MMA Fighters for a Lightweight Tournament We Would Love to See

Yes, we all know it’s true: the days of the eight-man, one-night tournaments are long gone, at least in the UFC. They were great in their own way, but the sport seems to have evolved beyond that, for good or bad. Winning a tournament has always s…

Yes, we all know it’s true: the days of the eight-man, one-night tournaments are long gone, at least in the UFC. They were great in their own way, but the sport seems to have evolved beyond that, for good or bad.

Winning a tournament has always seemed more about equal measures of luck and endurance rather than a true telling of who the best really is: Steve Jennum won UFC 3 as an alternate, stepping into the final fight.

But still, there is something about a tournament that just seems…fitting for MMA. Maybe it’s all in one night or maybe a string of events that see a winner crowned over a series of cards, but tournaments are really special events; the people at Pride FC knew this well, and they put on some of the best megaevents based on big tournaments the sport has ever seen.

So, in keeping with the idea of tournaments, one begins to wonder who would emerge victorious in the lightweight division, especially if it was a 16–man tournament; that seems fair given how deep the division is.

For the sake of argument, I have written a list that I think would make a dandy of a lightweight tournament. You will notice that the current reigning champion, Benson Henderson, is not included.

He would be sitting this one out, waiting for the time when he, as UFC lightweight champion, could face the winner of the UFC lightweight tournament (which would have its own special belt, of course) and they would fight for the title, which is as it should be.

Also, you will notice the alternates listed first. All of those chosen on the list were based in part due to their records and current standing in addition to their styles and of course past performances that cast some doubt over how they would fare: Clay Guida is one example, based on his last fight with Gray Maynard.

Of course, no list can ever be fully complete: someone is always left off, but still, I think those included would make for one hell of a tournament.

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