The Definitive: Top 5 Heavyweights of All-Time.

[acannxr]

Criteria:

• Number of top ten opponents at Heavyweight.
• Time spent ranked as a top five fighter in the Heavyweight Division
• Only listing #1-10 Heavyweight ranked opponents in candidates' resumes.

#5 - Fabricio Werdum

Werdum's resume:

#4 Gabriel Gonzaga
#1 Fedor Emelianenko
#5 Travis Browne
#5 Mark Hunt
#1 Cain Velasquez
#8 Travis Browne

Werdum defeated six, top ten opponents.
Werdum was ranked in the top five for a combined total of 7 years and 3 months.

#4 - Stipe Miocic

Miocic's resume:

#5 Mark Hunt
#3 Andrei Arlovski
#1 Fabricio Werdum
#3 Alistair Overeem
#5 Junior dos Santos
#2 Francis Ngannou
#1 Daniel Cormier

Miocic defeated seven, top ten opponents.
Miocic was ranked in the top five for a combined total of 4 years and 11 months.

#3 - Junior dos Santos

dos Santos' resume:

#4 Fabricio Werdum
#9 Mirko Filipovic
#6 Shane Carwin
#1 Cain Velasquez
#4 Frank Mir
#9 Mark Hunt
#6 Ben Rothwell
#4 Derrick Lewis

dos Santos defeated eight, top ten opponents.
dos Santos was ranked in the top five for a combined total of 7 years and 11 months.

#2 - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Nogueira's resume:

#5 Valentijn Overeem
#5 Gary Goodridge
#3 Mark Coleman
#6 Ricco Rodriguez
#5 Mirko Filipovic
#10 Heath Herring
#9 Fabricio Werdum
#3 Josh Barnett
#9 Tim Sylvia
#5 Randy Couture
#10 Brendan Schaub

Nogueira defeated eleven, top ten opponents.
Nogueira was ranked in the top five for a combined total of 8 years and 9 months.

#1 - Fedor Emelianenko

Emelianenko's resume:

#8 Renato Sobral
#6 Semmy Schilt
#1 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
#9 Gary Goodridge
#9 Mark Coleman
#7 Kevin Randleman
#2 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
#4 Mirko Filipovic
#4 Mark Coleman
#7 Mark Hunt
#8 Tim Sylvia
#6 Andrei Arlovski
#8 Brett Rogers

Emelianenko defeated thirteen, top ten opponents.
Emelianenko was ranked in the top five for a combined total of 8 years and 9 months.

 

[TheIrishPsycho]

Baddest men on the planet.

 

[OneManOrgy]

Stipe Miocic #1

 

[Buffmeister]

Criteria:

• Number of top ten opponents at Heavyweight.
• Time spent ranked as a top five fighter in the Heavyweight Division
• Only listing #1-10 Heavyweight ranked opponents in candidates' resumes.

Honorable Mention - Cain Velasquez

Velasquez' resume:

#3 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
#1 Brock Lesnar
#9 Antonio Silva
#1 Junior dos Santos
#3 Antonio Silva
#2 Junior dos Santos
#8 Travis Browne

Velasquez defeated seven, top ten opponents.
Velasquez was ranked in the top five from 1/1/10 to 1/1/15 and 7/1/15 to 10/1/17 for a combined total of 7 years and 3 months.

The overly redundant resume and the fact that a large portion of the time that Velasquez was ranked in the top five he was inactive due to injury, is why he gets only an honorable mention.

#5 - Fabricio Werdum

Werdum's resume:

#4 Gabriel Gonzaga
#1 Fedor Emelianenko
#5 Travis Browne
#5 Mark Hunt
#1 Cain Velasquez
#8 Travis Browne

Werdum defeated six, top ten opponents.
Werdum was ranked in the top five from 4/1/08 to 10/1/08, 7/1/10 to 10/1/11, 4/1/12 to 1/1/13, 7/1/13 to 4/1/18 for a combined total of 7 years and 3 months.

#4 - Stipe Miocic

Miocic's resume:

#5 Mark Hunt
#3 Andrei Arlovski
#1 Fabricio Werdum
#3 Alistair Overeem
#5 Junior dos Santos
#2 Francis Ngannou
#1 Daniel Cormier

Miocic defeated seven, top ten opponents.
Miocic was ranked in the top five from 4/1/14 to 7/1/14 and 4/1/15 to Today for a combined total of 4 years and 11 months.

#3 - Junior dos Santos

dos Santos' resume:

#4 Fabricio Werdum
#9 Mirko Filipovic
#6 Shane Carwin
#1 Cain Velasquez
#4 Frank Mir
#9 Mark Hunt
#6 Ben Rothwell
#4 Derrick Lewis

dos Santos defeated eight, top ten opponents.
dos Santos was ranked in the top five from 10/1/09 to 4/1/10, 10/1/10 to 1/1/16, 7/1/16 to 1/1/18, and 4/1/19 to Today for a combined total of 7 years and 11 months.

#2 - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Nogueira's resume:

#5 Valentijn Overeem
#5 Gary Goodridge
#3 Mark Coleman
#6 Ricco Rodriguez
#5 Mirko Filipovic
#10 Heath Herring
#9 Fabricio Werdum
#3 Josh Barnett
#9 Tim Sylvia
#5 Randy Couture

Nogueira defeated ten, top ten opponents.
Nogueira was ranked in the top five from 4/1/01 to 1/1/10 for a combined total of 8 years and 9 months.

#1 - Fedor Emelianenko

Emelianenko's resume:

#8 Renato Sobral
#6 Semmy Schilt
#1 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
#9 Gary Goodridge
#9 Mark Coleman
#7 Kevin Randleman
#2 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
#4 Mirko Filipovic
#4 Mark Coleman
#7 Mark Hunt
#8 Tim Sylvia
#6 Andrei Arlovski
#8 Brett Rogers

Emelianenko defeated thirteen, top ten opponents.
Emelianenko was ranked in the top five from 4/1/02 to 1/1/11 for a combined total of 8 years and 9 months.

For those who will undoubtedly ask about Daniel Cormier:

Spoiler

Cormier's resume:

#6 Antonio Silva
#8 Josh Barnett
#7 Frank Mir
#1 Stipe Miocic
#5 Derrick Lewis

Cormier defeated five, top ten opponents.
Cormier was ranked in the top five from 7/1/12 to 1/1/14 and 10/1/18 to Today for a combined total of 2 years and 8 months.

Cormier has the least amount of top ten wins and the shortest amount of time spent in the top five rankings out of everyone in this list (including Velasquez).

 

[gevoudane]

Josh Barnett?

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

Criteria:

• Number of top ten opponents at Heavyweight.
• Time spent ranked as a top five fighter in the Heavyweight Division
• Only listing #1-10 Heavyweight ranked opponents in candidates' resumes.

Honorable Mention - Cain Velasquez

Velasquez' resume:

#3 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
#1 Brock Lesnar
#9 Antonio Silva
#1 Junior dos Santos
#3 Antonio Silva
#2 Junior dos Santos
#8 Travis Browne

Velasquez defeated seven, top ten opponents.
Velasquez was ranked in the top five from 1/1/10 to 1/1/15 and 7/1/15 to 10/1/17 for a combined total of 7 years and 3 months.

The overly redundant resume and the fact that a large portion of the time that Velasquez was ranked in the top five he was inactive due to injury, is why he gets only an honorable mention.

#5 - Fabricio Werdum

Werdum's resume:

#4 Gabriel Gonzaga
#1 Fedor Emelianenko
#5 Travis Browne
#5 Mark Hunt
#1 Cain Velasquez
#8 Travis Browne

Werdum defeated six, top ten opponents.
Werdum was ranked in the top five from 4/1/08 to 10/1/08, 7/1/10 to 10/1/11, 4/1/12 to 1/1/13, 7/1/13 to 4/1/18 for a combined total of 7 years and 3 months.

#4 - Stipe Miocic

Miocic's resume:

#5 Mark Hunt
#3 Andrei Arlovski
#1 Fabricio Werdum
#3 Alistair Overeem
#5 Junior dos Santos
#2 Francis Ngannou
#1 Daniel Cormier

Miocic defeated seven, top ten opponents.
Miocic was ranked in the top five from 4/1/14 to 7/1/14 and 4/1/15 to Today for a combined total of 4 years and 11 months.

#3 - Junior dos Santos

dos Santos' resume:

#4 Fabricio Werdum
#9 Mirko Filipovic
#6 Shane Carwin
#1 Cain Velasquez
#4 Frank Mir
#9 Mark Hunt
#6 Ben Rothwell
#4 Derrick Lewis

dos Santos defeated eight, top ten opponents.
dos Santos was ranked in the top five from 10/1/09 to 4/1/10, 10/1/10 to 1/1/16, 7/1/16 to 1/1/18, and 4/1/19 to Today for a combined total of 7 years and 11 months.

#2 - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Nogueira's resume:

#5 Valentijn Overeem
#5 Gary Goodridge
#3 Mark Coleman
#6 Ricco Rodriguez
#5 Mirko Filipovic
#10 Heath Herring
#9 Fabricio Werdum
#3 Josh Barnett
#9 Tim Sylvia
#5 Randy Couture

Nogueira defeated ten, top ten opponents.
Nogueira was ranked in the top five from 4/1/01 to 1/1/10 for a combined total of 8 years and 9 months.

#1 - Fedor Emelianenko

Emelianenko's resume:

#8 Renato Sobral
#6 Semmy Schilt
#1 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
#9 Gary Goodridge
#9 Mark Coleman
#7 Kevin Randleman
#2 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
#4 Mirko Filipovic
#4 Mark Coleman
#7 Mark Hunt
#8 Tim Sylvia
#6 Andrei Arlovski
#8 Brett Rogers

Emelianenko defeated thirteen, top ten opponents.
Emelianenko was ranked in the top five from 4/1/02 to 1/1/11 for a combined total of 8 years and 9 months.

For those who will undoubtedly ask about Daniel Cormier:

Spoiler

Cormier's resume:

#6 Antonio Silva
#8 Josh Barnett
#7 Frank Mir
#1 Stipe Miocic
#5 Derrick Lewis

Cormier defeated five, top ten opponents.
Cormier was ranked in the top five from 7/1/12 to 1/1/14 and 10/1/18 to Today for a combined total of 2 years and 8 months.

Cormier has the least amount of top ten wins and the shortest amount of time spent in the top five rankings out of everyone in this list (including Velasquez).

The problem with this way of ranking is

1. it doesn’t matter how you got a win as long as you got it. So a split decision is the same as a convincing KO

2. There’s no context. Context is really important. For example, a win over a #3 ranked Conor McGregor in January will not be nearly as impressive as the khabib win even though he’s only 2 ranks lower the reality is that until we see him fight in January we have no idea how good he is. So he could be a rank 3 type of guy. Or 1. Or 12. We don’t know. But that kind of context is missing from the considerations.

3. it’s not accounting for losses. So your only looking at who they beat and how high they were ranked, not consecutive wins, or win/loss ratios etc.


Though I will say the thread is beautiful and well put together

 

[JKS]

I got Fedor, Big Nog, Stipe, JDS and Werdum and in that order I think.

 

[Gambit MMA]

Fedor stipe nog jds and cain

 

[acannxr]

The problem with this way of ranking is

1. it doesn’t matter how you got a win as long as you got it. So a split decision is the same as a convincing KO

2. There’s no context. Context is really important. For example, a win over a #3 ranked Conor McGregor in January will not be nearly as impressive as the khabib win even though he’s only 2 ranks lower the reality is that until we see him fight in January we have no idea how good he is. So he could be a rank 3 type of guy. Or 1. Or 12. We don’t know. But that kind of context is missing from the considerations.

3. it’s not accounting for losses. So your only looking at who they beat and how high they were ranked, not consecutive wins, or win/loss ratios etc.


Though I will say the thread is beautiful and well put together

I understand the criticisms, but what you're asking for makes it a lot more subjective and a lot less objective. The criteria I used makes it consistent across the board, the moment I start adding the question of who was in their prime, not in their prime, pre-USADA, post-USADA, inactivity, age, win/loss ratio, etc. then it will ultimately be impossible to judge the candidate's correct position in this list because there's no objective way to answer all those questions.

 

[Jew Jif Shoes]

Nice work TS.

Also, WAR JDS! I know he's got at least one title run left in him.

 

[JabToucher]

Santos beat and old battle worn Cro Cop.

Let's remember it's not just the name but teh millage.

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

I understand the criticisms, but what you're asking for makes it a lot more subjective and a lot less objective. The criteria I used makes it consistent across the board, the moment I start adding the question of who was in their prime, not in their prime, pre-USADA, post-USADA, inactivity, age, win/loss ratio, etc. then it will ultimately be impossible to judge the candidate's correct position in this list because there's no objective way to answer all those questions.

which is exactly why after 15 years watching this sport, I still can’t tell you for sure who’s gonna win on Saturday night. I appreciate the effort, and it’s a great thread, I just do think it’s important to acknowledge those short comings, at no fault of your own.

 

[Doctor Lenovo]

I disagree with the criteria. If you didn't fight in the UFC, then you don't deserve to be on the list. The "Top 10" qualifier is a bunch of nonsense, because we don't who is making the rankings and what algorithm they are using to rank fighters. So, why should we care who is ranked or not?

 

[Bouboumaster]

Interesting take.
I'd personnaly go with:
1- Fedor
2- Stipe
3- Cormier
4/5 (tie) Cain and JDS

 

[Drugstore Cowboy]

There's no definitive list without including deep footage study.

 

[acannxr]

Josh Barnett?

Seven top ten wins, but spent a much shorter amount of time ranked in the top five than Werdum.

 

[acannxr]

Santos beat and old battle worn Cro Cop.

Let's remember it's not just the name but teh millage.

He was in the top ten when Santos defeated him, so I included it on his resume. Keep in mind, Miocic isn't listed in Santos' resume simply because Miocic was #11 at the time.

I appreciate the effort, and it’s a great thread, I just do think it’s important to acknowledge those short comings, at no fault of your own.

I disagree with the criteria.

Then make your own thread with your own criteria.

 

[blaseblah]

Santos beat and old battle worn Cro Cop.

Let's remember it's not just the name but teh millage.

If you're going to use "old and battle worn" as a criteria then all of Stipe's wins would be disqualified.

 

[acannxr]

If you're going to use "old and battle worn" as a criteria then all of Stipe's wins would be disqualified.

And if I did that, I'd have to do that for everyone else's resume, and quite frankly...

 

[Rafael MMA]

Quality thread @acannxr