Tag: Rankings/List

The 10 UFC Fighters Who Are Most Fun to Watch

It’s hard to pick just 10, especially given a burgeoning new guard of UFC action fighters.
That’s what makes this job so hard. You think it’s easy to narrow down the 10 UFC fighters who are the most fun to watch? I beg to differ, sir or madam. I beg to…

It’s hard to pick just 10, especially given a burgeoning new guard of UFC action fighters.

That’s what makes this job so hard. You think it’s easy to narrow down the 10 UFC fighters who are the most fun to watch? I beg to differ, sir or madam. I beg to differ. So you want to be a slideshow writer…

The group we did end up selecting (plus the considerable honorable mentions list) pulls from a newer generation along with the more familiar contingent. Yes, purveyors of the spinning stuff figure prominently—we’re not made of stone—but there is such a thing as an exciting grappler, and we have those as well. 

Be it for their individual fighting style, aggression, in-cage flair, finishing ability or some combination, these 10 guys and gals are must-see TV in the UFC. Extra weight given to fighters who are more active in current competition. After all, you can only be so exciting if you only fight once a year.

 

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The Top 25 MMA Prospects for 2017, Part 2

The grind of high-level MMA is remorseless. Injuries, retirements and losing streaks all take their toll on the rosters of the major promotions, which means they constantly need a fresh supply of athletes. Local and regional promotions that run thousan…

The grind of high-level MMA is remorseless. Injuries, retirements and losing streaks all take their toll on the rosters of the major promotions, which means they constantly need a fresh supply of athletes. Local and regional promotions that run thousands of shows every year provide the grist for the mill.

It took 112 new fighters to keep the UFC running in 2016, but of that total, only a few will go on to achieve at a high level. Every year, Bleacher Report brings you its list of the 25 best prospects on the face of the planet—the young fighters you need to be aware of who have the most potential to break through to the very top of the sport. 

Scott Harris published part one of this list last week, and I am bringing you part two here. Be sure to check out the initial installment.

Here is who is excluded:

  • Fighters who have competed in the UFC
  • Champions from Bellator, World Series of Fighting or ONE Championship (others from these promotions are included sparingly)
  • Fighters age 30 or older, with exceptions possible for those who have switched careers to pursue MMA (e.g. Holly Holm, Daniel Cormier)
  • Fighters with more than five years of pro MMA experience

Let’s check out the list.

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UFC on Fox 23 Results: The Real Winners and Losers from Denver Fight Card

If you slumbered on UFC on Fox 23, you missed a title eliminator bout, one of the best action fights possible in the welterweight division and the most exciting prospect in the heavyweight division.
You also missed Bruce Leeroy and The Kid. 
A lot…

If you slumbered on UFC on Fox 23, you missed a title eliminator bout, one of the best action fights possible in the welterweight division and the most exciting prospect in the heavyweight division.

You also missed Bruce Leeroy and The Kid. 

A lot was going on Saturday night on this UFC card in Denver, wedged into Pro Bowl weekend. In the main event, Valentina Shevchenko and Julianna Pena, respectively the first- and second-ranked women’s bantamweights on the UFC roster, did battle to see who would face champion Amanda Nunes.

In the co-main event, dynamic welterweights Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Jorge Masvidal faced each other. If that doesn’t sell itself, you don’t buy much of anything in MMA.

Later on the main card, heavyweight up-and-comer Francis Ngannou tried to get over against veteran Andrei Arlovski.

And those are only three of the evening’s 12 fights. As usual, the final stat lines only reveal so much. These are the real winners and losers from UFC on Fox 23.

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7 Fighters the UFC Should Build Its Future Around

One of the main criticisms often levied at the UFC is that the promotion struggles to create stars. For years, the focus has been on the brand and the idea that those three letters will forever mean more than any individual who enters the cage.
While s…

One of the main criticisms often levied at the UFC is that the promotion struggles to create stars. For years, the focus has been on the brand and the idea that those three letters will forever mean more than any individual who enters the cage.

While stars like Georges St-Pierre, Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor have done their best to provide evidence counter to that assertion, the $4 billion the company fetched when it was sold earlier this year might be enough to suggest the “UFC-first” line of thinking has some merit.

Either way, the UFC needs stars to maximize its brand. It needs athletes to go out and sell fights, perform once the fights are sold and then start the whole circus over again once the fight is over. With St-Pierre and Lesnar likely gone, Rousey possibly going and McGregor already into his late-20s, it’s never too early for the promotion to look to the future and see who might be next in line for stardom.

It’s also worth considering that the UFC has been, and likely will continue to be, focused on becoming a global brand and accessing all parts of the world through its brand and associated stars. It will need names that can sell in North America, Brazil, Asia, Europe and Australia, and oftentimes will need niche stars who can sell in particular corners of those markets.

With that in mind, here’s a list of folks who might be up to the task in the coming years.

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Olympians in MMA: Top 10 Fighters of Today Who Competed in the Olympic Games

There have been superfights in boxing. There have been blockbuster stadium shows in MMA. But nothing comes close to the grandiosity and reach of the Olympic Games.
In all of sports, the gold medal is the most identifiable, most iconic and greatest awar…

There have been superfights in boxing. There have been blockbuster stadium shows in MMA. But nothing comes close to the grandiosity and reach of the Olympic Games.

In all of sports, the gold medal is the most identifiable, most iconic and greatest award an athlete can receive. It’s a lure that has attracted the best from the biggest sports in the world…and mixed martial arts is no different.

Many of the greatest fighters in history competed in or strove to be a part of the Games at one point or another. Only a select few, however, have actually made a run for a medal and then made a serious splash in MMA. Today’s fans, though, are lucky enough to be able to see some of these competitors in action.

So which fighters are among this lot? And how do they stack up against one another? Read on and find out.

Begin Slideshow

Olympians in MMA: Top 10 Fighters of Today Who Competed in the Olympic Games

There have been superfights in boxing. There have been blockbuster stadium shows in MMA. But nothing comes close to the grandiosity and reach of the Olympic Games.
In all of sports, the gold medal is the most identifiable, most iconic and greatest awar…

There have been superfights in boxing. There have been blockbuster stadium shows in MMA. But nothing comes close to the grandiosity and reach of the Olympic Games.

In all of sports, the gold medal is the most identifiable, most iconic and greatest award an athlete can receive. It’s a lure that has attracted the best from the biggest sports in the world…and mixed martial arts is no different.

Many of the greatest fighters in history competed in or strove to be a part of the Games at one point or another. Only a select few, however, have actually made a run for a medal and then made a serious splash in MMA. Today’s fans, though, are lucky enough to be able to see some of these competitors in action.

So which fighters are among this lot? And how do they stack up against one another? Read on and find out.

Begin Slideshow