Hello everyone, I'm Alex Cochrane. The UFC employs hundreds of fighters from around the world and the best in the world only fight in the UFC. But who is the best of the best? Well that's what I'm here to explain! In this thread, I will explain to you who are the top 10 fighters in the center stage for the sport. Let's start with Number 10
Well everyone, thanks for reading. And I hope you learned a thing or two bout the wonderful world of fighting.
10. Renan Barao
Although Renan Barao has not officially won a UFC championship, with the longest win streak in MMA it's nearly impossiple to keep this guy off the pound for pound rankings. His theme song "All I do is win" certainly does him justice as he is currently riding a 20 fight win streak which at this point is seemingly unstoppable. Renan Barao made his pro MMA debut in April 2005 where he lost a unanimous decision. However, it is first and only loss and he's definitely got the blood of a champion knowing that. After racking up 23 wins out of 24 professional fights, Renan Barao made his debut in the WEC in June 2010 where he defeated Anthony Leone by submission than shortly afterwards followed up by defeating Chris Cariaso in the first round via submission. The UFC than absorbed the WEC's Bantamweight division and as a result, Barao was immediately contracted to the UFC. He made his debut in a winning effort against former WEC Featherweight champion Cole Escovedo via split decision and show cased a unique blend of unorthodox striking with a top level jiu jitsu game. After defeating Brad Pickett by submission in a bout that earned him fight of the night honors and Scott Jorgensen by unanimous decision, Barao was granted his biggest opportunity to date replacing an injured Dominick Cruz against Urijah Faber for the Interim UFC Bantamweight Championship. Barao dominated The California Kid for 5 rounds breaking his rib in the first en route to a unanimous decision and cementing his 19 fight win streak with UFC gold. Next he was expected to face Dominick Cruz for the undisputed Bantamweight championship but after Cruz was once again sidelined by tearing his ACL again, Barao was presented a challenge in 22 year old Michael McDonald. In a bout where Barao was rocked early, the interim champion submitted the young challenger with an arm triangle choke setting up a for sure encounter with the man that currently holds the strap. It may take a while for the champion to get back up to par, but when he does come back one thing's for sure. Renan Barao will definitely be waiting to take his place.
9. Cain Velasquez
If only he wasn't derailed by a knockout loss to Junior Dos Santos back at UFC on Fox in 2011, Cain Velasquez would be much higher on the list. But just like Renan Barao, the one thing that tests true champions is not how they celebrate a win, but how they deal with a loss. Cain Velasquez's father illegalally migrated from Mexico into the United States and married American born Isabelle who allowed him to obtain American citizenship. The product was young Cain, a restless young child who would mould into the lifeblood of the UFC's heavyweight division. Cain's story begins in Kofa High School in Yuma, Arizona where he compiled a record of 110-10 and winning two 5A Arizona wrestling championships in the process. Upon graduating from high school, he later attended Arizona State University where he wrestled for the Sun Devils alongside fellow UFC fighters Ryan Bader and CB Dollaway. Velasquez compiled a collegiate wrestling record of 86-17 and earned the NCAA Division I championship before joining the renowed American Kickboxing Academy and beginning his ascension into MMA. After defeating two opponents via TKO in the first round, Velasquez made his way to the octagon at UFC 83 where he defeated Brad Morris in similar fashion. Velasquez showed a relentless pace unseen by any heavyweight in the division at the time and defeated Morris via TKO in the first round. After compiling a 5-0 record and earning a Knockout of the Night award, Velasquez was put up against standout Chieck Kongo where he dominated the Frenchman, landing 251 strikes (which is the most done by a UFC heavyweight) en route to a unanimous decision. Velasquez than welcomed veteran Ben Rothwell inside the octagon, and although Rothwell tried to intimidate Velasquez coming into the fight, it worked to no avail as Cain dominated Rothwell earning a TKO victory within the first minute of the second round. The win earned Velasquez a step up competition as he was matched up against Top 10 heavyweight Antonio 'Minotauro' Nogueira where he upset the brazilian with a first round knockout. Velasquez picked up Knockout of the Night honors once again and was next in line for a UFC Heavyweight Championship shot against then-champion Brock Lesnar. At UFC 121 in Anaheim, Califonia Velasquez defeated Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Championship picking up another Knockout of the Night award in the process. Cain was well on his way to a success story but was unfortunately sidelined due to a torn rotator cuff that required sugery. Upon returning, Velasquez was met with an unfortunate truth as he was knocked out just 64 seconds into the first round by Junior Dos Santos. But although he lost, he immediately asked his coach Javier Mendez what he did wrong, which showed his potential to accept his loss and learn from it. He certainly made well from that as he returned better than ever at UFC 146. Velasquez once again played welcoming committee as he faced the debuting Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva, Velasquez dominated from the opening bell, taking Silva down early and bloodying him with relentless ground and pound en route to a TKO victory at 3:36 in the opening round. The win proved that Cain was ready for another title shot that he was immediately thrown into. At UFC 155, Velasquez faced Junior Dos Santos in a rematch for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. This time it was Velasquez who got the better of the deal doing seemingly whatever he wanted to with the at the time champion and regaining the strap for himself with a lobsided unanimous decision. Proving that he is without a doubt on top of the ladder. With an unrivaled gas tank and a relentless pace, it's hard to believe anybody will dethrone this one man wrecking machine, the guy's like the freaking terminator! But if anybody does, I wouldn't be too worried because if history serves us right we'll see a Cain Velasquez 10 times better.
8. Demetrious Johnson
Standing at only 5 foot 3 inches tall, Demetrious Johnson may not be an intimidating force if you were to first stumble upon him. But watching this man compete is a treat that leaves every fight fan wanting more. And if you haven't seen this guy do his thing, I suggest you keep an eye on this pound for pound stalwart. Demetrious Johnson was born in Madisonville, Kentucky and shortly afterwards found a home in Parkland, Washington. Growing up, Mighty Mouse was a standout athlete in track, wrestling, and cross country proving at a young age that this man had an athletic gift. Although he won a state championship in both track and cross country, Johnson knew his aspirations lied elsewhere and proceeded to find a career in MMA where he turned pro in 2007 under the tutelage of Matt Hume. Johnson first competed at bantamweight won his first fight via knockout at just 45 seconds in the first round and later went on a ten fight winning streak before arriving in the WEC in April 2010. He lost a unanimous decision to Brad Pickett but put up a hell of a fight being at a largely visible size disadvantage. But that didn't stop Mighty Mouse from coming back as he racked up a decision win over WEC newcomer Nick Pace and upset Damacio Page by submitting him in the third round. The UFC than absorbed the WEC and as a result, Johnson was officially living his dream of making an octagon appearance. He made his debut performance against MMA veteran Norifumi "Kid" Yamato defeating him by unanimous decision than shortly afterwards put on a repeat performance against Miguel Torres. Johnson's riding momentum gained him a UFC Bantamweight title shot against Dominick Cruz where he was dominated by the champion over the series of 5 rounds. But as they always say, as one door closes another one opens and as news hit that the UFC was creating a flyweight division Johnson quickly took the opportunity to drop down to this division. Johnson made his flyweight debut in early 2012 participating in the inaugrual UFC flyweight championship tournament. His first fight was against Ian McCall and Johnson earned a controversial split decision, the controversy arose due to a scoring error on the judge's scorecards and a rematch was immediately envoked. Johnson than officially defeated Ian McCall in the main event at UFC on FX 3, advancing to the tournament finals. Mighty Mouse than faced Joseph Benavidez at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto where he defeated Benavidez with a closely contested split decision and not only won fight of the night honors but gained the title as being the first ever UFC's flyweight champion. The win has garnered him some mainstream popularity, recently appearing in an Xbox commercial. Johnson than made his first succesful title defense against John Dodson at UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago and once again took home fight of the night honors. Johnson's unique style gives problems for his opponents inside the octagon, his short size makes opponents extremely ceceptable to his wrestling and his clinch work is probably the best within the lower weight classes. Mighty Mouse's title reign maybe in its infancy, but if he keeps doing things right inside the octagon, than the the only thing brighter than his future will be the championship he holds so near and dear.
7. Ronda Rousey
Now let's be fair here, Ronda Rousey has done a lot of favours for the world of MMA. Sure, she may have stirred up a lot of controversy along the way, but one thing you can't deny is that she has single handedly proven that the UFC should no longer be a sausagefest.. chicks can hang in there too. Our next competitor on our list is the only female to grace the list, and rightfully so. She comes from good lineage too as her mother Ann Maria Rousey was a standout judoka, claiming a gold medal in the 1984 Judo World Championships. Ronda quickly followed in her footsteps making an olympic appearance in 2004 at just 17 years old. And although she did not a win a medal, she made good shortly afterwards winning a gold medal in the Pan American Judo Championships later that year. She continued to rack up silver and gold medals in judo events before reappearing in 2008 olympics. This time, she managed to win a bronze medal and became the first American to earn a olympic medal in women's judo since it was first introduced in 1992. Although she gained the populairty, she felt like she had not done enough to garner the attention she had wanted which led her to MMA in 2010. In her MMA debut, she defeated her opponent via armbar in the first round in under a minute, her next opponent followed in suit and Rousey later found herself in Strikeforce, defeating both her opponents in similar fashion. Rousey than faced Miesha Tate for the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship, and although Tate gave her a tougher fight than her previous opponents, she later succumbed to Rousy's vicious armbar late in the first round. Rousey claimed the strap for herself and defended it shortly afterwards against Sarah Kaufman, defeating her by first round armbar in shortly under a minute. At this point, Rousey's popularity was vastly growing so large to the point where there was no choice but to finally bring her into the octagon. Rousey's first opponent was against Liz Carmouche who put the champion in the most danger she's ever been in her entire career. However, she overcame the pressure late in the first round and finished Carmouche by first round armbar and becoming the first woman in history to hold UFC gold. Rousey's career in the UFC may just be getting started. But at this point, she definitely has no arguement to being known as "the baddest bitch in town".
6. Benson Henderson
When your nickname is "Smooth", most people would expect you to be a good talker and be a good role model like a smooth going person. But when he steps into that cage, Benson Henderson is all buisness. Henderson's christian like persona is not to be fooled around with, and if you saw his last fight against Nate Diaz, you'd know that although he keeps his words soft and sweet.. come fight night he brings the heat (Yay! that rhymed
). Henderson is an inter-racial mix of both, Korean and African-American descent, and followed his Korean lineage of his mother when he started doing Tae Kwon Doe at the age of 16. He was also an avid wrestler throughout high school and college where he was a two time NAIA All American. In 2006, he graduated from Dana College in Blair, Nebraska where he obtained a double major in criminal justice and sociology. Shortly afterwards, he turned pro in MMA and won his first two fights before dropping a submission loss. In January 2009 Henderson made his WEC debut against Anthony Njoukuani defeating him by submission, and in his next appearance, he knocked out former three time All American wrestler Shane Roller. In the abscense of Jamie Varner, Henderson claimed the interim WEC Lightweight championship when he faced Donald Cerrone in 2009, winning a unanimous decision in Sherdog's 2009 Fight of the Year. Henderson than went on to unify the interim titles by defeating Jamie Varner in January 2010 and defended that title later in the year in a rematch against Donald Cerrone... both by submission via guillotine choke. Henderson was ready to join Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz as WEC champions to transition over the UFC until he was derailed by Lightweight standout Anthony Pettis at the final pay per view. In the middle of that fight, Anthony Pettis combined Capoeira and Parkour and used a high kick to knock Henderson down in the final moments in the fight which to this day is now known as the "showtime kick". Henderson knew he had to get back on track and he had the biggest stage to do it, Henderson was put under intense pressure as he made his UFC debut at UFC 129 against hometown hero Mark Bocek in front of 55,000+ screaming fans. And although the pressure was on him, Henderson squeezed out the unanimous decision victory making good on his UFC debut. Henderson proved himself a true title contender by stringing together unanimous decision victories over Jim Miller and Clay Guida. His reward; a championship shot against than champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 in Japan. In a 5 round war, Henderson proved he could still hang at the top as he toppled the champion via unanimous decision. Henderson than defeated Edgar again in a rematch at UFC 150, this time scoring a split decision. Henderson than opened eyes in his second UFC title defense against Nate Diaz where he dominated the Stockton native, rocking him in the standup, utilizing leg kicks, and reigned down some vicious ground and pound. Maybe there was some debate in the Edgar fights, but after his last peformance Henderson has beyond a shadow of a doubt proved he belongs at the top of the mountain. Next up for Henderson was longtime Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez, whom he edged out a split decision against proving that he is without a shadow of a doubt the best 155 pound fighter in the world. We don't know what's next for Bendo at this point, but when we find out you know he will without a doubt be ready.
5. Dominick Cruz
"Run, run as fast as you can. Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man." If any nursery rhyme was used to describe a fighter's style, it would be that to UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz. This San Diego native has a puzzling style that nobody at 135 has been able to figure out for years. And at this point, it's hard to see anybody coming up with a reliable game plan to put away one of the most athletic fighters in the game. Dominick Cruz's MMA story begins in 2005 where he used this puzzling style to defeat his opponent over the course of 3 rounds. And although he had failed to finish his opponent, he definitely made a point that he knew how to play the game. Over the course of the next two years Cruz racked up 9 straight wins and championships in two different weight classes before arriving in the WEC in 2007. Upon arriving in the WEC, Cruz was immediately thrown in the lion's den with then-WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber, coming up short in just 98 seconds of the first round via guillotine choke. The loss persuaded Cruz to drop down to the WEC's Bantamweight division where he has been a force ever since. After compiling wins over Charlie Valencia, Ian McCall, & Joseph Benavidez, Cruz was given an opportunity to fight for the WEC Bantamweight Championship in March 2010. He made good on that opportunity as he stopped than champion Brian Bowles in between rounds 2 & 3 and claiming the strap for himself in the process. Although he has been dominant throughout his entire career, a lot of fans question his wins due to his inability to finish. But anybody who trains MMA knows that although he may not finish fights, he most certainly doesn't play around in the cage. The person who first hand learned this was Team Alpha Male standout Joseph Benavidez who Cruz defeated the previous year, and in a repeat performance Cruz defeated Benavidez via split decision and sending the message that nobody should question his performances regardless of his ability to finish. Cruz than defeated Scott Jorgensen in the final WEC event of the year and was absorbed into the UFC where he was awarded the UFC's Bantamweight Championship in the process. His first octagon appearance was a rematch against the only man to defeat him, as Urijah Faber who was dropping down to 135 challenged him after defeating two top names. Cruz avenged that loss in a highly entertaining bout which I still consider to be the best fight in the Bantamweight Division by giving Fabes a 25 minute go, although the usual controversy strewed. However, Cruz couldn't dwell.. the bottom line is that he had won the match and needed to worry about his next fight. His opponent was current UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson, and although we were expecting Cruz to pick apart "Mighty Mouse". He shocked audiences around the world by using his wrestling to grind out another unanimous decision win, defending his title for the 4th time overall and 2nd inside the octagon. Unfortunately for Cruz, he has not fought since than as he is currently sitting on the sidelines with a torn ACL. But you can expect when he gets back, he's definitely gonna make good on his inactivity, so expect the best Dominator in his next appearance against Renan Barao!
4. Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo is the prime example of a rags to riches story, and his journey to the top is only parallel to his complete and utter domination of the UFC's Featherweight division. Over the last 7 years, Aldo has tasted championship glory, strung together a 15 fight winning streak, and knocked out nearly every opponent that has stepped up to fight this rabid animal that is the UFC's Featherweight Champion. Jose Aldo's story begins in the favelas of Brazil where he grew up not well off, actually, when he first started training his trainer would ask him if he had anything to ate during the day or the day before. If not, he would take Aldo to eat and than unleash his intensity in the gym. Aldo's bent up aggression with how his lifestyle was first taken out in 2004 where he knocked out his opponent in a jaw dropping 18 seconds. The man was on a complete warpath for the first two years of his career until he was given his lone loss to date in late 2005. Shortly afterwards, Aldo joined the Zuffa owned WEC in 2008 where he quickly finished Alexandre Nogueira in the 2nd round (no relation to Minotauro Nogueira, for those wondering). Aldo's most notable win came in June 2009 where he knocked out highly touted Jackson MMA knockout artist Cub Swanson in just 8 seconds with a double flying knee. The win still to this day is considered by former WEC promoter Scott Adams as the greatest knockout in WEC and launched him immediately into title contention. And in November 2009, Jose Aldo picked up the WEC Featherweight Championship by defeating Mike Brown by TKO in the 2nd round. The win not only gained him popularity within the WEC, but he also proved that even the lower weight clases had true wrecking machines that were capable of carrying the pound for pound moniker. In the final days of the WEC, Aldo defended his title twice by dominating Urijah Faber in a five round beatdown and knocking out Manny Gamburyan in the 2nd round. When the WEC merged with the UFC in 2011, Jose Aldo was immediately crowned the first and only to date UFC Featherweight Champion, and with wins over Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes and Frankie Edgar, he has definitely lived up to the hype. Next on the list for Aldo is Lightweight standout Anthony Pettis who will be making the drop to 145 for an exclusive fight for the champion. And if it's gonna be anything like his last 15 fights, expect this little animal here to stay for a long time.
3. Georges St-Pierre
After Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell made MMA a splash in pop culture, the man they call "Rush" quickly followed and made a biggest splash in households around the world with his public relations phenomenons that still sweep the mainstream world as we know it today. Ever since he made his debut in 2004, Georges St-Pierre has displayed an explosive style that is unparalleled with any other fighter seen inside the octagon ever. St-Pierre first starting doing karate when he was 7 years old to defend himself from a schoolyard bully, and scored a head kick knockout when he was just 16 years old. With the uprising of the UFC thanks to Dana White in 2002, Georges St-Pierre eventually made the transition into MMA and quickly made a splash by defeating Ivan Menjivar by TKO in the first round. The unique thing about St-Pierre was that although he had no formal background in wrestling, he would dominate his opponents on the ground, not relenting once which is still with-held this day as St-Pierre has only spent a career total of 30 seconds on his back. St-Pierre made his UFC debut at UFC 46 against Karo Parysian after finishing 4 more opponents in the first round and capturing the TKO Major League Welterweight Championship at just 22 years old. The performance quickly garnered St-Pierre attention as he completely dominated the judoka on the ground and took home the unanimous decision victory. After another dominating performance, St-Pierre earned a UFC title shot against then-champion Matt Hughes in which he came up short. But the loss didn't bring St-Pierre down as he quickly went on a 5 fight winning streak before earning a rematch with Hughes. In his second encounter, St-Pierre dominated Hughes earning a TKO victory in the second round and earning his first UFC welterweight championship. His reign was cut short by Matt Serra who shocked the world by scoring a TKO victory over the champion earning the title for himself, and although St-Pierre was heart broken, he came back stronger than ever. After out wrestling former NCAA Division I wrestler Josh Koscheck, St-Pierre defeated Matt Hughes in a rubber match for the interim championship, dominating Hughes at his own game on the ground and earning the second round submission finish by armbar. St-Pierre than quickly regained the title in a rematch with Serra, scoring a TKO victory with a series of vicious knees to the body. Since than, St-Pierre has been absolutely unstoppable, defending the title seven times and compiling 10 straight wins against the likes of; Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Josh Koscheck, Jake Shields, & Carlos Condit just to name a few. St-Pierre's next challenge was the most personal one to date against Nick Diaz, who the champion himself requested to fight. This proved the champion's mental toughness as the challenger was been the only person to make the champ outlash years and as most people would guess, he completely dominated the challenger. It's hard to believe that anyone can stop this man. However, if anyone does, don't count the Montreal Quebec native out, for as history tells for every 7 times St-Pierre falls down, he gets up 8.
2. Jon Jones
It's hard to believe that Jon Jones has accomplished what he has at the tender age of 25. If he continues to dominate the way he has over the next few years, there's no doubting that he will go down as one of the greatest fighters of all time. After capturing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at just 23 years old, Jon Jones quickly earned the moniker of "the Michael Jordan of MMA" and after seeing the list of opponents he's slewed through over the last two years, it's hard to deny that claim. His brothers Arthur and Chandler both hold positions in the NFL, however young Jonny had a differnet goal. Jon Jones' career in martial arts began as a standout wrestler at Union-Endicott high school in his hometown of Endicott, New York. He continued his wrestling career into College where he became a Junior College champion at Iowa Central Community College. Jones made the transition from wrestling to MMA when he was 20 years old and quickly ascended up the ranks. In three months, he compiled a total of 6 wins finishing all of those fights. Opportunity knocked for Jones in August 2008, where he took his first UFC fight on just two weeks notice. In his UFC debut, he dominated Andre Gusmao en route to a unanimous decision, and although Jones was a nobody at the time he quickly turned heads with his unique innovative offense. Jones faced a tougher challenge at UFC 94, where he met one of the original ultimate fighters Stephan Bonnar and with another dominant performance turned in (including a spinning back elbow which was thought to have knocked Bonnar out at the time) Jones proved that he could withstand the toughest challenges easy and breezy. Jones' biggest test came when he leap-frogged over former teammate Rashad Evans into a Light Heavyweight Championship match against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Jones once again assumed domination in this match with technical striking and brutal ground and pound, and by the third round collapsed Shogun and earned a TKO victory, becoming the youngest UFC champion in history at the tender age of 23. Since than Jones has steamrolled over all comers, that so far have been all former Light Heavyweight Champions themselves; Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, & Vitor Belfort. In his most recent outing, Jones tied Tito Ortiz for most consecutive UFC Light Heavyweight title defenses by dispatching Chael Sonnen with a first round TKO and becoming the fourth fighter to earn 9 consecutive wins inside the octagon. All hands now point to a potential superfight with UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva, which will without a doubt be the biggest test of his career. But in the meantime, if he keeps up his domination.. only sky's the limit for this burgeoning UFC great.
And the Number 1 Pound for Pound greatest fighter in the world is..........
1. Anderson Silva
You may find a better boxer, muay thai kickboxer, or Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner than Anderson Silva. But as far as putting it together goes, you will never find anybody more capable than this wrecking machine. Silva is currently on a 17 fight win streak with 16 of those wins coming in the UFC, and he has broken nearly every record inside the octagon doing so. Arriving in 2006, Silva quickly made a name for himself by knocking out steel chinned Chris Leben in slightly under a minute. The win was so impressive that it launched him immediately into title contention against then UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin who Silva easily destroyed in the first round, claiming the strap for himself. The win would be a start as a trail of destroyed opponents that Silva has layed waste to still marks him undefeated in the UFC this day. Records that Silva holds include: Most consecutive UFC wins (16), Most Consecutive UFC title defenses (10), Most Knockouts in UFC history (11), Highest Striking Accuracy (67.8%), and that doesn't even scratch the surface! Silva possesses laser beam precision in his strikes, a demoralizing counter striking game, and he can knock you out with either his left or right hand, feet, or vicious knees. But don't let his striking game fool you, Silva is no slouch on the ground ether! He currently holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu under Antonio Minotauro Nogueira and has submitted notable grapplers including fellow Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Travis Lutter, Greco-Roman Wrestling Olympian Dan Henderson, and Freestyle Wrestling Olympic Alternate Chael Sonnen. It's hard to believe after all these years anybody will be able to stop this man, and with rumours that he has recently signed a 9 year contract extension with the UFC, it could mean possiply a cementing of what is bound to be the greatest legacy in the fight world today.
Although Renan Barao has not officially won a UFC championship, with the longest win streak in MMA it's nearly impossiple to keep this guy off the pound for pound rankings. His theme song "All I do is win" certainly does him justice as he is currently riding a 20 fight win streak which at this point is seemingly unstoppable. Renan Barao made his pro MMA debut in April 2005 where he lost a unanimous decision. However, it is first and only loss and he's definitely got the blood of a champion knowing that. After racking up 23 wins out of 24 professional fights, Renan Barao made his debut in the WEC in June 2010 where he defeated Anthony Leone by submission than shortly afterwards followed up by defeating Chris Cariaso in the first round via submission. The UFC than absorbed the WEC's Bantamweight division and as a result, Barao was immediately contracted to the UFC. He made his debut in a winning effort against former WEC Featherweight champion Cole Escovedo via split decision and show cased a unique blend of unorthodox striking with a top level jiu jitsu game. After defeating Brad Pickett by submission in a bout that earned him fight of the night honors and Scott Jorgensen by unanimous decision, Barao was granted his biggest opportunity to date replacing an injured Dominick Cruz against Urijah Faber for the Interim UFC Bantamweight Championship. Barao dominated The California Kid for 5 rounds breaking his rib in the first en route to a unanimous decision and cementing his 19 fight win streak with UFC gold. Next he was expected to face Dominick Cruz for the undisputed Bantamweight championship but after Cruz was once again sidelined by tearing his ACL again, Barao was presented a challenge in 22 year old Michael McDonald. In a bout where Barao was rocked early, the interim champion submitted the young challenger with an arm triangle choke setting up a for sure encounter with the man that currently holds the strap. It may take a while for the champion to get back up to par, but when he does come back one thing's for sure. Renan Barao will definitely be waiting to take his place.
9. Cain Velasquez
If only he wasn't derailed by a knockout loss to Junior Dos Santos back at UFC on Fox in 2011, Cain Velasquez would be much higher on the list. But just like Renan Barao, the one thing that tests true champions is not how they celebrate a win, but how they deal with a loss. Cain Velasquez's father illegalally migrated from Mexico into the United States and married American born Isabelle who allowed him to obtain American citizenship. The product was young Cain, a restless young child who would mould into the lifeblood of the UFC's heavyweight division. Cain's story begins in Kofa High School in Yuma, Arizona where he compiled a record of 110-10 and winning two 5A Arizona wrestling championships in the process. Upon graduating from high school, he later attended Arizona State University where he wrestled for the Sun Devils alongside fellow UFC fighters Ryan Bader and CB Dollaway. Velasquez compiled a collegiate wrestling record of 86-17 and earned the NCAA Division I championship before joining the renowed American Kickboxing Academy and beginning his ascension into MMA. After defeating two opponents via TKO in the first round, Velasquez made his way to the octagon at UFC 83 where he defeated Brad Morris in similar fashion. Velasquez showed a relentless pace unseen by any heavyweight in the division at the time and defeated Morris via TKO in the first round. After compiling a 5-0 record and earning a Knockout of the Night award, Velasquez was put up against standout Chieck Kongo where he dominated the Frenchman, landing 251 strikes (which is the most done by a UFC heavyweight) en route to a unanimous decision. Velasquez than welcomed veteran Ben Rothwell inside the octagon, and although Rothwell tried to intimidate Velasquez coming into the fight, it worked to no avail as Cain dominated Rothwell earning a TKO victory within the first minute of the second round. The win earned Velasquez a step up competition as he was matched up against Top 10 heavyweight Antonio 'Minotauro' Nogueira where he upset the brazilian with a first round knockout. Velasquez picked up Knockout of the Night honors once again and was next in line for a UFC Heavyweight Championship shot against then-champion Brock Lesnar. At UFC 121 in Anaheim, Califonia Velasquez defeated Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Championship picking up another Knockout of the Night award in the process. Cain was well on his way to a success story but was unfortunately sidelined due to a torn rotator cuff that required sugery. Upon returning, Velasquez was met with an unfortunate truth as he was knocked out just 64 seconds into the first round by Junior Dos Santos. But although he lost, he immediately asked his coach Javier Mendez what he did wrong, which showed his potential to accept his loss and learn from it. He certainly made well from that as he returned better than ever at UFC 146. Velasquez once again played welcoming committee as he faced the debuting Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva, Velasquez dominated from the opening bell, taking Silva down early and bloodying him with relentless ground and pound en route to a TKO victory at 3:36 in the opening round. The win proved that Cain was ready for another title shot that he was immediately thrown into. At UFC 155, Velasquez faced Junior Dos Santos in a rematch for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. This time it was Velasquez who got the better of the deal doing seemingly whatever he wanted to with the at the time champion and regaining the strap for himself with a lobsided unanimous decision. Proving that he is without a doubt on top of the ladder. With an unrivaled gas tank and a relentless pace, it's hard to believe anybody will dethrone this one man wrecking machine, the guy's like the freaking terminator! But if anybody does, I wouldn't be too worried because if history serves us right we'll see a Cain Velasquez 10 times better.
8. Demetrious Johnson
Standing at only 5 foot 3 inches tall, Demetrious Johnson may not be an intimidating force if you were to first stumble upon him. But watching this man compete is a treat that leaves every fight fan wanting more. And if you haven't seen this guy do his thing, I suggest you keep an eye on this pound for pound stalwart. Demetrious Johnson was born in Madisonville, Kentucky and shortly afterwards found a home in Parkland, Washington. Growing up, Mighty Mouse was a standout athlete in track, wrestling, and cross country proving at a young age that this man had an athletic gift. Although he won a state championship in both track and cross country, Johnson knew his aspirations lied elsewhere and proceeded to find a career in MMA where he turned pro in 2007 under the tutelage of Matt Hume. Johnson first competed at bantamweight won his first fight via knockout at just 45 seconds in the first round and later went on a ten fight winning streak before arriving in the WEC in April 2010. He lost a unanimous decision to Brad Pickett but put up a hell of a fight being at a largely visible size disadvantage. But that didn't stop Mighty Mouse from coming back as he racked up a decision win over WEC newcomer Nick Pace and upset Damacio Page by submitting him in the third round. The UFC than absorbed the WEC and as a result, Johnson was officially living his dream of making an octagon appearance. He made his debut performance against MMA veteran Norifumi "Kid" Yamato defeating him by unanimous decision than shortly afterwards put on a repeat performance against Miguel Torres. Johnson's riding momentum gained him a UFC Bantamweight title shot against Dominick Cruz where he was dominated by the champion over the series of 5 rounds. But as they always say, as one door closes another one opens and as news hit that the UFC was creating a flyweight division Johnson quickly took the opportunity to drop down to this division. Johnson made his flyweight debut in early 2012 participating in the inaugrual UFC flyweight championship tournament. His first fight was against Ian McCall and Johnson earned a controversial split decision, the controversy arose due to a scoring error on the judge's scorecards and a rematch was immediately envoked. Johnson than officially defeated Ian McCall in the main event at UFC on FX 3, advancing to the tournament finals. Mighty Mouse than faced Joseph Benavidez at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto where he defeated Benavidez with a closely contested split decision and not only won fight of the night honors but gained the title as being the first ever UFC's flyweight champion. The win has garnered him some mainstream popularity, recently appearing in an Xbox commercial. Johnson than made his first succesful title defense against John Dodson at UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago and once again took home fight of the night honors. Johnson's unique style gives problems for his opponents inside the octagon, his short size makes opponents extremely ceceptable to his wrestling and his clinch work is probably the best within the lower weight classes. Mighty Mouse's title reign maybe in its infancy, but if he keeps doing things right inside the octagon, than the the only thing brighter than his future will be the championship he holds so near and dear.
7. Ronda Rousey
Now let's be fair here, Ronda Rousey has done a lot of favours for the world of MMA. Sure, she may have stirred up a lot of controversy along the way, but one thing you can't deny is that she has single handedly proven that the UFC should no longer be a sausagefest.. chicks can hang in there too. Our next competitor on our list is the only female to grace the list, and rightfully so. She comes from good lineage too as her mother Ann Maria Rousey was a standout judoka, claiming a gold medal in the 1984 Judo World Championships. Ronda quickly followed in her footsteps making an olympic appearance in 2004 at just 17 years old. And although she did not a win a medal, she made good shortly afterwards winning a gold medal in the Pan American Judo Championships later that year. She continued to rack up silver and gold medals in judo events before reappearing in 2008 olympics. This time, she managed to win a bronze medal and became the first American to earn a olympic medal in women's judo since it was first introduced in 1992. Although she gained the populairty, she felt like she had not done enough to garner the attention she had wanted which led her to MMA in 2010. In her MMA debut, she defeated her opponent via armbar in the first round in under a minute, her next opponent followed in suit and Rousey later found herself in Strikeforce, defeating both her opponents in similar fashion. Rousey than faced Miesha Tate for the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship, and although Tate gave her a tougher fight than her previous opponents, she later succumbed to Rousy's vicious armbar late in the first round. Rousey claimed the strap for herself and defended it shortly afterwards against Sarah Kaufman, defeating her by first round armbar in shortly under a minute. At this point, Rousey's popularity was vastly growing so large to the point where there was no choice but to finally bring her into the octagon. Rousey's first opponent was against Liz Carmouche who put the champion in the most danger she's ever been in her entire career. However, she overcame the pressure late in the first round and finished Carmouche by first round armbar and becoming the first woman in history to hold UFC gold. Rousey's career in the UFC may just be getting started. But at this point, she definitely has no arguement to being known as "the baddest bitch in town".
6. Benson Henderson
When your nickname is "Smooth", most people would expect you to be a good talker and be a good role model like a smooth going person. But when he steps into that cage, Benson Henderson is all buisness. Henderson's christian like persona is not to be fooled around with, and if you saw his last fight against Nate Diaz, you'd know that although he keeps his words soft and sweet.. come fight night he brings the heat (Yay! that rhymed
). Henderson is an inter-racial mix of both, Korean and African-American descent, and followed his Korean lineage of his mother when he started doing Tae Kwon Doe at the age of 16. He was also an avid wrestler throughout high school and college where he was a two time NAIA All American. In 2006, he graduated from Dana College in Blair, Nebraska where he obtained a double major in criminal justice and sociology. Shortly afterwards, he turned pro in MMA and won his first two fights before dropping a submission loss. In January 2009 Henderson made his WEC debut against Anthony Njoukuani defeating him by submission, and in his next appearance, he knocked out former three time All American wrestler Shane Roller. In the abscense of Jamie Varner, Henderson claimed the interim WEC Lightweight championship when he faced Donald Cerrone in 2009, winning a unanimous decision in Sherdog's 2009 Fight of the Year. Henderson than went on to unify the interim titles by defeating Jamie Varner in January 2010 and defended that title later in the year in a rematch against Donald Cerrone... both by submission via guillotine choke. Henderson was ready to join Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz as WEC champions to transition over the UFC until he was derailed by Lightweight standout Anthony Pettis at the final pay per view. In the middle of that fight, Anthony Pettis combined Capoeira and Parkour and used a high kick to knock Henderson down in the final moments in the fight which to this day is now known as the "showtime kick". Henderson knew he had to get back on track and he had the biggest stage to do it, Henderson was put under intense pressure as he made his UFC debut at UFC 129 against hometown hero Mark Bocek in front of 55,000+ screaming fans. And although the pressure was on him, Henderson squeezed out the unanimous decision victory making good on his UFC debut. Henderson proved himself a true title contender by stringing together unanimous decision victories over Jim Miller and Clay Guida. His reward; a championship shot against than champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 in Japan. In a 5 round war, Henderson proved he could still hang at the top as he toppled the champion via unanimous decision. Henderson than defeated Edgar again in a rematch at UFC 150, this time scoring a split decision. Henderson than opened eyes in his second UFC title defense against Nate Diaz where he dominated the Stockton native, rocking him in the standup, utilizing leg kicks, and reigned down some vicious ground and pound. Maybe there was some debate in the Edgar fights, but after his last peformance Henderson has beyond a shadow of a doubt proved he belongs at the top of the mountain. Next up for Henderson was longtime Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez, whom he edged out a split decision against proving that he is without a shadow of a doubt the best 155 pound fighter in the world. We don't know what's next for Bendo at this point, but when we find out you know he will without a doubt be ready.5. Dominick Cruz
"Run, run as fast as you can. Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man." If any nursery rhyme was used to describe a fighter's style, it would be that to UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz. This San Diego native has a puzzling style that nobody at 135 has been able to figure out for years. And at this point, it's hard to see anybody coming up with a reliable game plan to put away one of the most athletic fighters in the game. Dominick Cruz's MMA story begins in 2005 where he used this puzzling style to defeat his opponent over the course of 3 rounds. And although he had failed to finish his opponent, he definitely made a point that he knew how to play the game. Over the course of the next two years Cruz racked up 9 straight wins and championships in two different weight classes before arriving in the WEC in 2007. Upon arriving in the WEC, Cruz was immediately thrown in the lion's den with then-WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber, coming up short in just 98 seconds of the first round via guillotine choke. The loss persuaded Cruz to drop down to the WEC's Bantamweight division where he has been a force ever since. After compiling wins over Charlie Valencia, Ian McCall, & Joseph Benavidez, Cruz was given an opportunity to fight for the WEC Bantamweight Championship in March 2010. He made good on that opportunity as he stopped than champion Brian Bowles in between rounds 2 & 3 and claiming the strap for himself in the process. Although he has been dominant throughout his entire career, a lot of fans question his wins due to his inability to finish. But anybody who trains MMA knows that although he may not finish fights, he most certainly doesn't play around in the cage. The person who first hand learned this was Team Alpha Male standout Joseph Benavidez who Cruz defeated the previous year, and in a repeat performance Cruz defeated Benavidez via split decision and sending the message that nobody should question his performances regardless of his ability to finish. Cruz than defeated Scott Jorgensen in the final WEC event of the year and was absorbed into the UFC where he was awarded the UFC's Bantamweight Championship in the process. His first octagon appearance was a rematch against the only man to defeat him, as Urijah Faber who was dropping down to 135 challenged him after defeating two top names. Cruz avenged that loss in a highly entertaining bout which I still consider to be the best fight in the Bantamweight Division by giving Fabes a 25 minute go, although the usual controversy strewed. However, Cruz couldn't dwell.. the bottom line is that he had won the match and needed to worry about his next fight. His opponent was current UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson, and although we were expecting Cruz to pick apart "Mighty Mouse". He shocked audiences around the world by using his wrestling to grind out another unanimous decision win, defending his title for the 4th time overall and 2nd inside the octagon. Unfortunately for Cruz, he has not fought since than as he is currently sitting on the sidelines with a torn ACL. But you can expect when he gets back, he's definitely gonna make good on his inactivity, so expect the best Dominator in his next appearance against Renan Barao!
4. Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo is the prime example of a rags to riches story, and his journey to the top is only parallel to his complete and utter domination of the UFC's Featherweight division. Over the last 7 years, Aldo has tasted championship glory, strung together a 15 fight winning streak, and knocked out nearly every opponent that has stepped up to fight this rabid animal that is the UFC's Featherweight Champion. Jose Aldo's story begins in the favelas of Brazil where he grew up not well off, actually, when he first started training his trainer would ask him if he had anything to ate during the day or the day before. If not, he would take Aldo to eat and than unleash his intensity in the gym. Aldo's bent up aggression with how his lifestyle was first taken out in 2004 where he knocked out his opponent in a jaw dropping 18 seconds. The man was on a complete warpath for the first two years of his career until he was given his lone loss to date in late 2005. Shortly afterwards, Aldo joined the Zuffa owned WEC in 2008 where he quickly finished Alexandre Nogueira in the 2nd round (no relation to Minotauro Nogueira, for those wondering). Aldo's most notable win came in June 2009 where he knocked out highly touted Jackson MMA knockout artist Cub Swanson in just 8 seconds with a double flying knee. The win still to this day is considered by former WEC promoter Scott Adams as the greatest knockout in WEC and launched him immediately into title contention. And in November 2009, Jose Aldo picked up the WEC Featherweight Championship by defeating Mike Brown by TKO in the 2nd round. The win not only gained him popularity within the WEC, but he also proved that even the lower weight clases had true wrecking machines that were capable of carrying the pound for pound moniker. In the final days of the WEC, Aldo defended his title twice by dominating Urijah Faber in a five round beatdown and knocking out Manny Gamburyan in the 2nd round. When the WEC merged with the UFC in 2011, Jose Aldo was immediately crowned the first and only to date UFC Featherweight Champion, and with wins over Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes and Frankie Edgar, he has definitely lived up to the hype. Next on the list for Aldo is Lightweight standout Anthony Pettis who will be making the drop to 145 for an exclusive fight for the champion. And if it's gonna be anything like his last 15 fights, expect this little animal here to stay for a long time.
3. Georges St-Pierre
After Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell made MMA a splash in pop culture, the man they call "Rush" quickly followed and made a biggest splash in households around the world with his public relations phenomenons that still sweep the mainstream world as we know it today. Ever since he made his debut in 2004, Georges St-Pierre has displayed an explosive style that is unparalleled with any other fighter seen inside the octagon ever. St-Pierre first starting doing karate when he was 7 years old to defend himself from a schoolyard bully, and scored a head kick knockout when he was just 16 years old. With the uprising of the UFC thanks to Dana White in 2002, Georges St-Pierre eventually made the transition into MMA and quickly made a splash by defeating Ivan Menjivar by TKO in the first round. The unique thing about St-Pierre was that although he had no formal background in wrestling, he would dominate his opponents on the ground, not relenting once which is still with-held this day as St-Pierre has only spent a career total of 30 seconds on his back. St-Pierre made his UFC debut at UFC 46 against Karo Parysian after finishing 4 more opponents in the first round and capturing the TKO Major League Welterweight Championship at just 22 years old. The performance quickly garnered St-Pierre attention as he completely dominated the judoka on the ground and took home the unanimous decision victory. After another dominating performance, St-Pierre earned a UFC title shot against then-champion Matt Hughes in which he came up short. But the loss didn't bring St-Pierre down as he quickly went on a 5 fight winning streak before earning a rematch with Hughes. In his second encounter, St-Pierre dominated Hughes earning a TKO victory in the second round and earning his first UFC welterweight championship. His reign was cut short by Matt Serra who shocked the world by scoring a TKO victory over the champion earning the title for himself, and although St-Pierre was heart broken, he came back stronger than ever. After out wrestling former NCAA Division I wrestler Josh Koscheck, St-Pierre defeated Matt Hughes in a rubber match for the interim championship, dominating Hughes at his own game on the ground and earning the second round submission finish by armbar. St-Pierre than quickly regained the title in a rematch with Serra, scoring a TKO victory with a series of vicious knees to the body. Since than, St-Pierre has been absolutely unstoppable, defending the title seven times and compiling 10 straight wins against the likes of; Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Josh Koscheck, Jake Shields, & Carlos Condit just to name a few. St-Pierre's next challenge was the most personal one to date against Nick Diaz, who the champion himself requested to fight. This proved the champion's mental toughness as the challenger was been the only person to make the champ outlash years and as most people would guess, he completely dominated the challenger. It's hard to believe that anyone can stop this man. However, if anyone does, don't count the Montreal Quebec native out, for as history tells for every 7 times St-Pierre falls down, he gets up 8.
2. Jon Jones
It's hard to believe that Jon Jones has accomplished what he has at the tender age of 25. If he continues to dominate the way he has over the next few years, there's no doubting that he will go down as one of the greatest fighters of all time. After capturing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at just 23 years old, Jon Jones quickly earned the moniker of "the Michael Jordan of MMA" and after seeing the list of opponents he's slewed through over the last two years, it's hard to deny that claim. His brothers Arthur and Chandler both hold positions in the NFL, however young Jonny had a differnet goal. Jon Jones' career in martial arts began as a standout wrestler at Union-Endicott high school in his hometown of Endicott, New York. He continued his wrestling career into College where he became a Junior College champion at Iowa Central Community College. Jones made the transition from wrestling to MMA when he was 20 years old and quickly ascended up the ranks. In three months, he compiled a total of 6 wins finishing all of those fights. Opportunity knocked for Jones in August 2008, where he took his first UFC fight on just two weeks notice. In his UFC debut, he dominated Andre Gusmao en route to a unanimous decision, and although Jones was a nobody at the time he quickly turned heads with his unique innovative offense. Jones faced a tougher challenge at UFC 94, where he met one of the original ultimate fighters Stephan Bonnar and with another dominant performance turned in (including a spinning back elbow which was thought to have knocked Bonnar out at the time) Jones proved that he could withstand the toughest challenges easy and breezy. Jones' biggest test came when he leap-frogged over former teammate Rashad Evans into a Light Heavyweight Championship match against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Jones once again assumed domination in this match with technical striking and brutal ground and pound, and by the third round collapsed Shogun and earned a TKO victory, becoming the youngest UFC champion in history at the tender age of 23. Since than Jones has steamrolled over all comers, that so far have been all former Light Heavyweight Champions themselves; Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, & Vitor Belfort. In his most recent outing, Jones tied Tito Ortiz for most consecutive UFC Light Heavyweight title defenses by dispatching Chael Sonnen with a first round TKO and becoming the fourth fighter to earn 9 consecutive wins inside the octagon. All hands now point to a potential superfight with UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva, which will without a doubt be the biggest test of his career. But in the meantime, if he keeps up his domination.. only sky's the limit for this burgeoning UFC great.
And the Number 1 Pound for Pound greatest fighter in the world is..........
1. Anderson Silva
You may find a better boxer, muay thai kickboxer, or Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner than Anderson Silva. But as far as putting it together goes, you will never find anybody more capable than this wrecking machine. Silva is currently on a 17 fight win streak with 16 of those wins coming in the UFC, and he has broken nearly every record inside the octagon doing so. Arriving in 2006, Silva quickly made a name for himself by knocking out steel chinned Chris Leben in slightly under a minute. The win was so impressive that it launched him immediately into title contention against then UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin who Silva easily destroyed in the first round, claiming the strap for himself. The win would be a start as a trail of destroyed opponents that Silva has layed waste to still marks him undefeated in the UFC this day. Records that Silva holds include: Most consecutive UFC wins (16), Most Consecutive UFC title defenses (10), Most Knockouts in UFC history (11), Highest Striking Accuracy (67.8%), and that doesn't even scratch the surface! Silva possesses laser beam precision in his strikes, a demoralizing counter striking game, and he can knock you out with either his left or right hand, feet, or vicious knees. But don't let his striking game fool you, Silva is no slouch on the ground ether! He currently holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu under Antonio Minotauro Nogueira and has submitted notable grapplers including fellow Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Travis Lutter, Greco-Roman Wrestling Olympian Dan Henderson, and Freestyle Wrestling Olympic Alternate Chael Sonnen. It's hard to believe after all these years anybody will be able to stop this man, and with rumours that he has recently signed a 9 year contract extension with the UFC, it could mean possiply a cementing of what is bound to be the greatest legacy in the fight world today.
Well everyone, thanks for reading. And I hope you learned a thing or two bout the wonderful world of fighting.
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