Tag: Rankings/List

There are some divisions in the UFC where the talent pool seems endless. Classes like lightweight, featherweight, and welterweight have always had a constant stream of contenders rising up through the ranks. Not every weight class has had this luxury recently, and there are a few that could use some new blood to make things more interesting.

The 155-pound class has always been known for its depth, and the recent addition of Eddie Alvarez to the fray makes it an even deeper tank of sharks.

Middleweight has seen a resurgence lately as well, with an influx of talent from Strikeforce, like Rockhold, Kennedy and “Jacare” Souza, along with an exodus of a few fighters from the light heavyweight division, like Machida and Mousasi.

The UFC’s newest and fastest rising star, Conor McGregor, is bringing the featherweight division to prominence, and the sky is the limit on the potential fights for the 26-year-old Irishman.

Not all divisions are experiencing a youth movement, however. Heavyweight is going through a renaissance of aging fighters who have been around since MMA’s earlier days. The UFC’s most recent male weight addition, 125 pounds, has seen it’s champion rise to pound-for-pound dominance and nearly clean out the division.

The light heavyweight division has always been the UFC’s marquee weight class. The longtime home to greats like Liddell, Rua and Couture, the 205-pound division currently houses the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones.

Along his path to pound-for-pound greatness, he’s beaten half of the current Top 10 at light heavyweight, and there aren’t a lot of 205-pounders storming their way through the division to get to Jones.

Let’s take a look at the weight classes where the UFC most needs some fresh faces.

Begin Slideshow

Each UFC division is an intricate weave consisting of varying entities of all shapes and sizes.

From positioned top contenders to rising superstars, crafty veterans to exciting rookies, the 10 weight classes that comprise the promotion offer a little something of everything.

These collections of mysterious gunmen (and gunwomen) each offer select opportunities to test the resolve and proficiency of each respective champion.

But some stand out more than the rest. Some encompass a special kind of divisional potency, which in time will forever change the roster’s landscape.

Here are the most interesting fighters in each UFC division outside of the current titleholders.

Begin Slideshow

Nicknames are a thing of the past, present and future.

They often tell a tall tale of overcoming adversity and displaying perfection. More importantly, they encompass the mentality of their owners.

From hard-nosed brawlers to sneaky submission artists, there is an ideal sobriquet for each and every fighter.

Through all the classics like The Iceman, The Spider, The Natural, The Axe Murderer and The Cowboy, there still remains a long list of worthy and strong nicknames that continue to go unused in the world of MMA.

Here they are in a group of magnificent seven. 

Begin Slideshow

Begin Slideshow