Best UFC HW from 2000-2008

[BowserJr]

To many this time frame was the golden era of HW MMA overall as it was filled with fighters across orgs had high level grapplers and strikers as well as fighters who were highly skilled all around.

Of this era who was the best HW to come out of the UFC? Meaning which HW was the best that originally made their name in UFC?

Below is the list of the guys that were at the top at one time or another. Some had a short stint on top but we're absolute beasts while there. Some hung around at the top through most of the era.

So there could be 2 answers.
Who was the best at their absolute peak?
And who was best overall for the era?

Josh Barnett
Andre Arlovski
Frank Mir
Randy Couture
Tim Sylvia
Ricco Rodriguez
Pedro Rizzo

 

[Michael Wetzel]

Barnett was best at his peak (probably due to drugs). Couture was best overall.

 

[markg171]

Mir

 

[Hymen Crusher]

Arlovski was by for the most exciting and fun to watch. Then he went ahead and fought for another 15 years winning more then losing. I think he might be the most underrated great fighter of all time.

 

[JKS]

Always gonna go with Josh Barnett

 

[-Sideways-]

No-one wants to say it's Tim Silvia, but it's probably Tim Silvia.

 

[TRYHARD 2001]

No-one wants to say it's Tim Silvia, but it's probably Tim Silvia.

I gotta go with Barnett based on strength of schedule and the nature of his victories, but Timmeh was so much better than people gave him credit for. He had a body like an old dirt road, moved like a chubby spastic, but he was at or near the top of the HW division for years and beat some absolute beasts in the process. Everyone still hated him cuz Tim Sylvia, but he may well be the most underrated HW in UFC history.

There, I said something nice about Tim Sylvia! That's my good work for the week!

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Randy Couture is the answer

 

[chinarice]

If I had to pick who would win the most out of them all if they faced each other, I'm going Barnett

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

Overall: Randy. There's just something special about a guy that can scrap with the best and win gold well into his 40s.

Peak: roided Barnett. I thought he was going to dominate HW for a long time, too bad he couldn't do it without the butt juice. Have still always been a fan of him though, and I always loved his catch wrestling style that so many HWs had issues with.

He's actually the only proven roid cheat in MMA I'm really a fan of, wonder why that is.

 

[Sweater of AV]

 

[Bullitt68]

I've said it a lot of times for a lot of years, but Ricco Rodriguez might just be the most underrated fighter ever, and his run through the UFC HW division is one of the most impressive runs ever. In his first 15 fights, he only lost once, with the rest slick submissions mixed with absolute destructions, and this in spite of the fact that he wasn't in the best shape or the most diligent with his training. That all changed when he joined up with Tito at Team Punishment, which is when he quickly became an absolute wrecking machine, buzzsawing through a young Arlovski, a game Pete Williams, a durable Jeff Monson, and an always crafty TK. They literally had nothing for him. By the time he stepped into the cage against Randy Couture to fight for the vacant HW belt, he'd reached his peak form. In his only loss, he gassed against Bobby Hoffman in a couple of minutes and quit after getting dropped with a punch. Against Randy, he was getting stronger in the championship rounds, and he looked like he could've kept up his relentless pace with TDs and vicious GNP for five more rounds. Barnett managed to reverse Randy, get on top, and force a ref stoppage, but Ricco took what Randy had, turned the tables, outwrestled him, outworked him, and outfought him. It's one of the most impressive championship victories considering it was his first time challenging for a belt against the longtime champ and a vet.

In terms of records and titles, Couture, Sylvia, Mir, and Arlovski might outshine him, but Ricco deserves way more respect than he gets, and if I'm being honest, the Ricco that beat Couture that night at UFC 39 is the only fighter in the history of the sport next to the Cro Cop that annihilated Wand and Barnett to win the OWGP who I think would stand a good chance of beating Fedor. He was really that good for a time.

 

[BowserJr]

Randy Couture is the answer

Despite losing to Barnett, Ricco and arguably Rizzo?

Would've been nice to see Randy fight Arlovski but instead he fought Chuck... randy v mir would've been awesome too!

 

[BowserJr]

I've said it a lot of times for a lot of years, but Ricco Rodriguez might just be the most underrated fighter ever, and his run through the UFC HW division is one of the most impressive runs ever. In his first 15 fights, he only lost once, with the rest slick submissions mixed with absolute destructions, and this in spite of the fact that he wasn't in the best shape or the most diligent with his training. That all changed when he joined up with Tito at Team Punishment, which is when he quickly became an absolute wrecking machine, buzzsawing through a young Arlovski, a game Pete Williams, a durable Jeff Monson, and an always crafty TK. They literally had nothing for him. By the time he stepped into the cage against Randy Couture to fight for the vacant HW belt, he'd reached his peak form. In his only loss, he gassed against Bobby Hoffman in a couple of minutes and quit after getting dropped with a punch. Against Randy, he was getting stronger in the championship rounds, and he looked like he could've kept up his relentless pace with TDs and vicious GNP for five more rounds. Barnett managed to reverse Randy, get on top, and force a ref stoppage, but Ricco took what Randy had, turned the tables, outwrestled him, outworked him, and outfought him. It's one of the most impressive championship victories considering it was his first time challenging for a belt against the longtime champ and a vet.

In terms of records and titles, Couture, Sylvia, Mir, and Arlovski might outshine him, but Ricco deserves way more respect than he gets, and if I'm being honest, the Ricco that beat Couture that night at UFC 39 is the only fighter in the history of the sport next to the Cro Cop that annihilated Wand and Barnett to win the OWGP who I think would stand a good chance of beating Fedor. He was really that good for a time.

I always wanted to see prime Ricco vs Fedor. He arguably got Robbed vs Nog which is why Timmeh was sonhighly rated for a while.

 

[BowserJr]

Overall: Randy. There's just something special about a guy that can scrap with the best and win gold well into his 40s.

Peak: roided Barnett. I thought he was going to dominate HW for a long time, too bad he couldn't do it without the butt juice. Have still always been a fan of him though, and I always loved his catch wrestling style that so many HWs had issues with.

He's actually the only proven roid cheat in MMA I'm really a fan of, wonder why that is.

Peak I'd say Barnett or Ricco

Overall I'd say Barnett or Arlovski

 

[Bullitt68]

Despite losing to Barnett, Ricco and arguably Rizzo?

He never lost to Rizzo. Their first fight was close but Randy on points all the way. Not to mention, if you want to go the "arguably" route, then Randy arguably should've gotten the win with a first-round TKO from that vicious GNP assault he opened with. And then you also have to factor in Randy being an undersized HW. It makes what he was able to do and who he was able to beat that much more impressive. Off the top of my head, I'm not sure he ever weighed over 230 in HW competition, regularly competing between 220-230 and giving away 15+ pounds to his opponents.

Would've been nice to see Randy fight Arlovski but instead he fought Chuck... randy v mir would've been awesome too!

Arlovski would've been a stylistic nightmare for Randy, basically a bigger and stronger Chuck. Arlovski had lots of height on Randy, 20 pounds of lean muscle, incredible quickness, and humungous power, plus in his prime he developed excellent TDD. Randy might get to a couple of clinches and push him to the fence, but I don't see him getting Arlovski down, and on the feet, it'd only be a matter of time before Arlovski found his chin with a bomb.

As for Mir, I think that Randy could've taken him. He was quicker, more athletic, and in better shape. I think he could've outworked Mir on the feet and in the clinch. If they went to the ground, Randy'd need to be extremely careful, because Mir can snatch a submission on literally anyone, but I could've seen Randy Gonzagaing Mir, just getting in his face, tiring him out, and then putting him away after a few rounds.

I always wanted to see prime Ricco vs Fedor.

No way Fedor stops his TDs - he seriously made Randy look like he'd never wrestled before, which nobody else in the history of MMA, not even Kevin Randleman or Mike Van Arsdale, can boast - and Ricco's grappling was beyond Fedor getting an easy armbar off his back. Especially under UFC rules with Ricco being able to use elbows, Fedor would've had his work cut out for him, whereas under PRIDE rules he would've stood a better chance surviving off of his back and getting stand-ups and more opportunities to knock Ricco out on the feet. Because Fedor's Fedor, I'd pick him finding a way to knock Ricco out on his feet, but that's the only way I see him winning, and imagining Ricco repeatedly and aggressively taking Fedor down and beating him up from on top is not all that difficult. That's how good Ricco was, particularly against Randy at UFC 39.

He arguably got Robbed vs Nog which is why Timmeh was sonhighly rated for a while.

Under PRIDE rules, the decision makes sense, as Ricco wasn't actually doing anything on top. This is why I specified UFC rules: Ricco trained with Tito and he fought like Tito, with elbows being essential to his GNP arsenal. Ricco fighting in PRIDE without being able to elbow to the head on the ground is like when Fedor fought in RINGS and couldn't punch to the head on the ground: You've got these guys essentially fighting with an arm tied behind their back.

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

Peak I'd say Barnett or Ricco

Overall I'd say Barnett or Arlovski

Honestly when I think about it, it's hard not to give overall to Arlovski since he stuck around up until literally last year.

 

[markg171]

No-one wants to say it's Tim Silvia, but it's probably Tim Silvia.

I have no idea how you could possibly pick Sylvia when he's got like the worst record head to head of them all.

Mir subbed him
Arlovski is 1-2-0-1 with him (really should be 2-2 but ONE's rules then were gay so his KO became a NC)
Randy decisioned him

At no point was he truly the best, and his then HW title defence record reign exists solely because Mir was out, Randy was still at LHW, and Arlovski's a basket case he split wins with regardless.

 

[Pierce 34]

Despite losing to Barnett, Ricco and arguably Rizzo?

Would've been nice to see Randy fight Arlovski but instead he fought Chuck... randy v mir would've been awesome too!

Didn't barnett fail the drug test?

 

[moreorless87]

I think career wise its Barnett and Werdum but neither of them fought a massive amount in the UFC during that era and you could argue may not have been at their peaks when they did. Barnett I think became a better striker afterwards and Werdum was just starting his Chute Boxe time in 2008.

Actual peak in the cage in the UFC I suspect it may have been Arlovski during his title run, his earlier UFC run pre Roach he was not nearly as good a boxer.