Worlds Ten Best Mixed Martial Arts Heavyweight Fighters
I need to tell you that when I decided to write down my top 10 list, I didn't think it would take too long. I believed that I could easily pick 10 fighters that were heads and shoulders above the pack. It wasn't that easy. I'm sure that there will be a lot of people who disagree with my picks, but isn't that the point, to start a discussion of who's the best and who is just there for a paycheck?
The 10th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world.
This was the toughest position to choose, really there could be 4 or 5 guys tied for this position, but I needed to choose one and it was Mark "The Hammer" Coleman. Mark Coleman was one of MMA's pioneers, he established ground and pound as a valid MMA skill. In fact, Mark is still one of the most intense fighters in the game. Unfortunately his submission skills (both offensive and defensive) have not improved enough to be competitive with the top fighters in the world.
The 9th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
Rashad Evans is my pick for fighter number 9. Rashad is still relatively new to the fight game and his natural athletic ability is as good as it gets. With time Rashad will move much closer to the head of the pack, but for now, congratulations Rashad on your success and making it to the list!
The 8th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
Brandon "The Truth" Vera is certainly one of the most exciting heavyweight fighters in the UFC right now and I was tempted to put him in the top 5. However, he needs to beat a more substantial fighter than Frank Mir. While I have the utmost respect for Frank Mir, it's apparent to me that he's not the same fighter that he was before his accident. I believe that Brandon will be top 5 on next years list. He's one quality win away from that (in my eyes).
The 7th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
Tim Silvia is the UFC's heavyweight champion. Why is he only ranked #7, the only explanation I have is that I've never personally met anyone who likes to watch Tim Silvia fight. He keeps on winning, but I'm never impressed with his performances. Sorry Tim, that's the way it is, you sit at number seven and if you don't start winning fights in a more crowd pleasing manner, I'm afraid you'll drop off the top 10 entirely.
The 6th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
It might surprise you that I put former K-1 fighter Mark Hunt in the top 10. It should surprise you that I put him above Tim Silvia, but I have my reasons. Last year Mark Hunt beat Mirko Cro Cop (by a very close decision) and he also held strong with Fedor Emelianenko, even on the ground, in the most recent Pride event.
The 5th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
Josh Barnett is my pick for the 5th best MMA heavyweight fighter in the world. Josh says his style is "pro wrestling", but don't mistake his performances as fake. Barnett combines general toughness and strength with much improved stand up and a stellar ground game. His fights are always exciting and often bloody. Josh is a former UFC heavyweight champion with victories over the likes of Randy Couture.
The 4th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
A year ago I would have put Andrei Arlovski in the top 3, maybe even top 2, but his losses to Tim Silvia have me wondering. I don't question Andrei's skills, he's an excellent stand up fighter with a strong ground game, I do question whether he is afraid of getting hit after loosing to Tim Silvia's by knockout. By the way, that is a fight he should have won, in my opinion Silvia got lucky (but he seems to do that a lot). I'm looking forward to seeing what 2007 has in store for Andrei.
The 3rd best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
Who in their right mind would argue that Mirko Cro Cop belongs in the top 3 heavyweight fighters in the world? Now that Mirko has joined the UFC it's clear that Tim Silvia's days as champion are numbered. Mirko will hold the UFC heavyweight title in 2007, I'd put money on that one. Mirko's strength is most certainly his striking, including the best high kicks in the business. Victim's of Cro Cop's left high kick is a list of MMA royalty...I wonder if he can get that kick 6 foot 7 (Tim Silvia's height).
The 2rd best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world is none other than Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Nog for short. Nog has faces the absolute best of MMA and the only fighter who has consistently had his number is Fedor. He has beaten Cro Cop and most recently Josh Barnett. He is a talented master of submissions, has good stand up and as shown in his match against Bob Sapp, he is tough as nails and can take a punch.
The best heavyweight fighter in the world is Fedor Emelyanenko. There can be no argument, he's beaten every other fighter on this list (at least those who've faced him). Congrats Fedor, you're #1!
That's it, my list of the top 10 heavyweight fighters in the world. Keep watching the fights.
Related Tags: best, pride, ufc, mma, fights, fighters, top, mirko, pridefc, fedor, silvia, nog
Planning parties can be stressful, but it helps to have excellent food. Go to Best Ever Recipes for some of the tastiest recipes ever. Also, for Christmas recipes and general Christmas cheer, go to Christmas Wonderland and North Pole Christmas
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- What Is The Most Popular Martial Art System To Master?
In order to attain the most benefit with the martial arts, you have got to pick the style that best - Best Boxing Accessories To Enhance Your Boxing Style
Boxing is a mixed martial art game; in the game of boxing each and every boxer follow some styles an - Discover More About Aikido
Aikido is among the oldest kind of martial humanities. Set up by Morihei Ueshiba, aikido came about - The Toughest Karate Instructor Of All Time!
While there have been many fantastic karate instructors, only Mas Oyama can honestly lay claim to be - A Women's Intuition Your First Line Of Self-defense
"Actual danger is not necessary to justify the use of deadly force in self-defense. If one is confro - A Ride On The Luxurious Venice Simplonorientexpress
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, more generally known as the Orient Express, is a legendary train - The Fastest Method To Enlightenment
The four main practices used to achieve enlightenment are the way of the fakir, the way of the monk, - Pse Compound Bows
In terms of evolution, compound bows, of course, modern invention. These bows are made from composit - Three Ways Of Understanding Matrix Martial Arts
To come to grips with Matrixing one must understand that Matrix Martial Arts is an actual technology - Mixed Fighting: Which Type Of Fighter Are You?
Many novices to mixed fighting have no idea what types of skills they need to learn in order to comp
Most viewed articles in this category:
- What is Tai Chi - Not Merely A Martial Art
What is Tai Chi (and qigong, for that matter)... and how is it spelled and pronounced?Over many, man - What Is Mixed Martial Arts?
The New Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world's leading mixed martial arts sports association. - Martial Arts Instruction - The Real Reason People Teach Martial Arts
The sales rep was well meaning, but obviously knew nothing about the martial arts business.I was pla - What Kids Learn from Martial Arts
Martial Arts are becoming more popular as the years go on and they do provide us with the skills tha - How I Started Writing My First Book and Why I Decided To Write It
I am often asked why I started writing my first series of books, and although the answer is actually - Learn How To Kick: Kicking Effectively in a Self-Defense or Combat Situation Part 2 of 10
This ten article series will deal with the various components that need to be addressed when conside - Martial Arts Book Review: Martial Arts and the Law by Dr. Karl J. Duff
Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of - 5 Ways to Ruin Your Self-Defense Training, Part 3
The Flaw of Training with Protective Equipment"The sensation of body unity becomes obvious only - Martial Arts Book Review: American Law and the Trained Fighter by Carl Brown
Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of - Tournament Fighting and the Use of Proven Zen & Budo Strategy
There is a good reason the samurai adopted Zen philosophy and its strategic insights - it optimized