In the ever-shifting landscape of MMA, with games constantly evolving and refining and fighters retiring and debuting, “best of” lists are also in a perpetual state of flux. Joined by Zane Simon of Bloody Elbow, and in an effort to keep Bleacher Report…
In the ever-shifting landscape of MMA, with games constantly evolving and refining and fighters retiring and debuting, “best of” lists are also in a perpetual state of flux. Joined by Zane Simon of Bloody Elbow, and in an effort to keep Bleacher Report readers in the know, we present the top seven Brazilian jiu-jitsu players in MMA today.
As the driving force behind present-day MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu presents a formidable challenge to those with lesser grappling games, despite the optimization of MMA training over the last 20-plus years. It’s a comprehensive style of grappling, utilizing the legs to control and attack much more than sambo or wrestling, and if a fighter doesn’t know how to counter it, he or she is lost at sea—as early UFC events illustrated. Even today, when virtually every MMA fighter has some grappling in his or her repertoire, a masterful jiujiteiro presents an undeniable and unrelenting threat.
Our top seven is determined by several factors: how effectively Brazilian jiu-jitsu is incorporated into the fighter’s game, victories earned either by submission or in a jiu-jitsu-heavy fight, the caliber of the opposition and the fighter’s dominance in his or her division.
After a rocking September that featured some of the sport’s best prospects in action, October is something of a step back, but it still includes some extraordinarily talented young fighters.
We travel to Europe for the entirety of this month’s crop of …
After a rocking September that featured some of the sport’s best prospects in action, October is something of a step back, but it still includes some extraordinarily talented young fighters.
We travel to Europe for the entirety of this month’s crop of up-and-comers. Much of the young MMA talent in the world can be found in Russia, particularly in Chechnya and Dagestan, and Poland isn’t far behind with a sterling group of fighters both in the UFC and out. France and the United Kingdom have their own youthful stars in action, so we’re covering the entire continent.
This is the Beaten Path, and these are the five best prospects in action this month, complete with videos and everything you’ll need to watch the up-and-comers in action when the time comes.
UFC 192 last weekend saw a main event instantly hailed as a classic. But we’ve been down this road before.
Sure, light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier turning back another tough title bid from Alexander Gustafsson was indeed a great fight. But where d…
UFC 192 last weekend saw a main event instantly hailed as a classic. But we’ve been down this road before.
Sure, light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier turning back another tough title bid from Alexander Gustafsson was indeed a great fight. But where does it really rank among the best UFC light heavyweight title fights of all time?
I’m glad you asked. Here is a somewhat subjective ranking of the best such scraps in UFC history. They are ordered based on the action and result of the fight and the reputations of those involved. Please enjoy.
Ronda Rousey and Beyonce are both powerful, inspiring women. In fact, the two of them together would have a pretty good chance at world domination. Unique in their own ways, these two superwomen have more in common than one might think.
Beyonce has be…
Ronda Rousey and Beyonce are both powerful, inspiring women. In fact, the two of them together would have a pretty good chance at world domination. Unique in their own ways, these two superwomen have more in common than one might think.
Beyonce has been dominating the music scene for well over a decade. While Rousey’s rise to fame has been more recent, it has been reminiscent of Queen Bey more than once. Here, folks, is how Ronda Rousey became the Beyonce of sports.
Fans Went Nuts Over Meeting Her
Beyonce has many devoted fans, and she is often known to spend time interacting with them. Rousey is starting to inspire the same type of zeal from her own admirers. In fact, several fans were moved to tears when they had a chance to meet her in Brazil in July.
“Neither Is a DNB”
Beyonce has been creating memorable lines in songs for years. Rousey now has her own signature term, “do nothing b—h,” which she coined during an episode of the UFC 190 Embedded vlog series. Before performing her song “Diva” at a recent concert, Beyonce played Rousey’s entire speech, inciting cheers from her fans.
To be honest, it’s a honor to have a real powerhouse of a woman like Beyonce just recognize my existence. It’s surreal how something I thought was a pre-fight rant in my hotel room that would end up scrapped on some editor’s floor has taken off to the point a cultural icon like Beyonce is playing it between songs at her concert. Such a huge compliment, I couldn’t be more grateful.
She Killed on Ellen
Anybody who’s anybody has been a guest on Ellen, right? Naturally, Beyonce has appeared more than once, and she’s always a delight.
Rousey proved she too can crush the talk-show scene with her own Ellen appearance in September. Not only did she show her softer side by discussing her tendency to cry before fights, but Rousey also demonstrated a few moves for the audience, showing her anything-but-soft side.
She Brought Home the Bacon
According to Forbes, Beyonce was the highest-paid woman in music in 2014, earning $115 million. Rousey told Ellen DeGeneres she is the highest-paid fighter in the UFC, and Forbes listed her at eighth on its list of the top 10 highest-paid female athletes of 2015.
She Is One of the “40 Under 40”
Fortune just named Rousey to its “40 Under 40” list of influential people. The magazine cited her achievements in the ring, emergence as an actress and power to inspire women as reasons for her inclusion.
It’s no surprise Beyonce made it onto a similar list in 2014, gracing the cover of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” issue. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg wrote in the issue, “Beyonce doesn’t just sit at the table. She builds a better one. Her secret: hard work, honesty and authenticity.”
She Promoted a Healthy Body Image
Both Beyonce and Rousey are champions of positive body images for women. In a 2014 short film titled Yours and Mine, Beyonce said, “We do not value ourselves enough. Especially young people, [who] don’t really appreciate, how brilliant our bodies are.”
Rousey, who was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, told Elizabeth Narins of Cosmopolitan she purposely gained weight before the shoot. “I wanted to be at my most feminine shape, and I don’t feel my most attractive at 135 pounds, which is the weight I fight at,” Rousey said. “At 150 pounds, I feel like I’m at my healthiest and my strongest and my most beautiful.”
She Gave Her Belt Away
Beyonce and her husband, Jay Z, spend a good deal of time on charitable endeavors. In May, Bey visited Haiti to meet victims of the 2010 earthquake, and she and Jay are set to headline a charity concert in October.
Rousey has proved to be a generous superstar as well. After her August victory over Bethe Correia, Rousey donated her championship belt, along with $300,000, to a judo school in Brazil, where the fight was held.
She Will Star in a Movie
Beyonce is not just a singer—she is an entertainer. Queen Bey has several acting credits to her name, including Austin Powers in Goldmember and Dreamgirls. Rousey, too, has showed off her acting chops. She made cameos in the Entourage movie and Furious 7 and signed on to star in a remake of the classic Patrick Swayze film Road House.
She Took Home the Bling
Beyonce and Rousey both dominate their respective crafts, and they are recognized for it. Bey has won an incredible 20 Grammy Awards to date. In July, Rousey beat out Serena Williams for the “Best Female Athlete” ESPY Award.
Both Are Pioneers
In 2012, Ronda Rousey became the first female fighter to sign with UFC. Beyonce is herself a female pioneer. In 2003, she became the first woman to have a single and album at No. 1 on the U.S. and UK charts at the same time (“Crazy in Love” and Dangerously in Love). In August, it was announced she would become the first black female to appear on the cover of Vogue‘s September issue.
2015 has been a huge year for the UFC.
After a disastrous 2014, the promotion has found a pair of new and highly profitable stars in Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey and has pared down the number of shows it offers, slowed its headlong rush into interna…
After a disastrous 2014, the promotion has found a pair of new and highly profitable stars in Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey and has pared down the number of shows it offers, slowed its headlong rush into international expansion and cut its offerings on Fight Pass.
The result has been a windfall. Fewer cards and better luck with injuries have allowed the UFC to stack its pay-per-view events and put better fights on free television as well. The upcoming slate of fights is the best the promotion has ever assembled, and a little help from Bellator makes this the most promising fall and winter in the history of the sport.
In an incredibly promising slate of events, all of which are drastic improvements over their 2014 counterparts, a few fights stand out. Bleacher Report’s top MMA writers will take a closer look at 15 of them.
As you may be aware, Bellator 142 goes down this Saturday from one of MMA’s more history-laden settings, San Jose, California.
In the main event of the evening, grizzly-bearded Englishman Liam McGeary is the favorite to defend his light heavyweight tit…
As you may be aware, Bellator 142 goes down this Saturday from one of MMA‘s more history-laden settings, San Jose, California.
In the main event of the evening, grizzly-bearded Englishman Liam McGeary is the favorite to defend his light heavyweight title against old man Tito Ortiz.
McGeary is a talent and fast-rising fighter, one of the best on Bellator‘s roster, which is itself on the up and up.
It all got us to thinking: Who are the best fighters on the Bellator MMA roster right now? Where might McGeary—or for that matter, Ortiz—figure into these calculations?
These are the 10 best athletes under the Bellator banner. Rankings are based on records and achievements.
