Here is my list of 10 and justifications for each one.
1. Royce Gracie - Went with one of the safest choices for the number one spot and went with the guy who was a key player in introducing BJJ to the US and indeed, the world and the guy who made the ground game so very vital to this sport.
2. Randy Couture - Perhaps the first UFC champ recognizable on any sort of public figure, he was also among the first major fighters to give MMA the sort of universal appeal to American audiences that baseball and football were known for and that the UFC needed at the time. Hardly the most consistent former UFC champ there was, but the success he had in two weight classes, the grit and grinding style he showed in the cage and his All American marketability were monumental in getting the UFC its popularity during the 2001-2005 time period.
3. Fedor - Going for a risky choice for the number 3 spot, but MMA, like other sports, benefited greatly from athletes who manage to rise above all others and for a decade very few if any did it better than Fedor. The guy did not have a single loss in that time that was considered legit; his dominance got established MMA fans excited as all hell and he was instrumental in helping PRIDE bring in new fans from both hemispheres. he is also very likely a key player in convincing numerous other fighters from across Europe and Russia that this sport could indeed be a viable career option. We see his legacy now with Russian fighters breaking their way into the UFC's top ten rankings one by one.
4. GSP - His reign of success combined with how great of a PR guy he was for MMA makes this a no brainer for me.
5. Matt Hughes - A controversial choice, but he spent so many years as the hands down number one WW before GSP kicked him out of that spot in more ways than one. He had one of the most dominant reigns and was instrumental in showing collegiate wrestlers the kind of success they can have in this sport. Before Matt Hughes, many a college wrestler may have felt there were few viable options available for them other than finding a college somewhere that will take them as a coach. Hughes, I imagine, showed plenty of them this brand new professional door that was now wide open for them.
6. Anderson Silva - It seems the majority opinion among MMA fans, or at least close to a majority, is that he is the greatest MMA fighter ever. His highlight reel finishes alone and the attention he drew as fans wondered who would have anything for him are enough for me to give him his spot here.
7. Mark Coleman - Another MMA fighter who was instrumental in making American wrestling gameplans mainstream in MMA and in particular introduced American fans and fighters to the ground and pound that has become inseparable from this sport.
8. Don Frye - One of the most popular and marketable guys in MMA's earlier years, he gets a spot here for how he helped increase MMA's appeal in a time when it was still trying to earn a reputation, on a national scale, as something more than human cockfighting.
9. Forrest Griffin/Stephan Bonnar - Tied for this spot in recognition of how their performances in the very first Ultimate Fighter helped the UFC when they were pretty much betting everything on it.
10. Rampage Jackson - In his prime, he had the ability to appeal to both casuals with his persona and the most hardcore fans with his viciously effective brawling style. This combination of persona and raging fight spirit he had expanded MMA's appeal substantially during and after the PRIDE era.
Honorable Mentions: Jon Jones, Ken Shamrock, Lyoto Machida, Jose Aldo, Frank Mir,Chuck Liddell
So there it is, let's see how many Sherdoggers I alienated.
1. Royce Gracie - Went with one of the safest choices for the number one spot and went with the guy who was a key player in introducing BJJ to the US and indeed, the world and the guy who made the ground game so very vital to this sport.
2. Randy Couture - Perhaps the first UFC champ recognizable on any sort of public figure, he was also among the first major fighters to give MMA the sort of universal appeal to American audiences that baseball and football were known for and that the UFC needed at the time. Hardly the most consistent former UFC champ there was, but the success he had in two weight classes, the grit and grinding style he showed in the cage and his All American marketability were monumental in getting the UFC its popularity during the 2001-2005 time period.
3. Fedor - Going for a risky choice for the number 3 spot, but MMA, like other sports, benefited greatly from athletes who manage to rise above all others and for a decade very few if any did it better than Fedor. The guy did not have a single loss in that time that was considered legit; his dominance got established MMA fans excited as all hell and he was instrumental in helping PRIDE bring in new fans from both hemispheres. he is also very likely a key player in convincing numerous other fighters from across Europe and Russia that this sport could indeed be a viable career option. We see his legacy now with Russian fighters breaking their way into the UFC's top ten rankings one by one.
4. GSP - His reign of success combined with how great of a PR guy he was for MMA makes this a no brainer for me.
5. Matt Hughes - A controversial choice, but he spent so many years as the hands down number one WW before GSP kicked him out of that spot in more ways than one. He had one of the most dominant reigns and was instrumental in showing collegiate wrestlers the kind of success they can have in this sport. Before Matt Hughes, many a college wrestler may have felt there were few viable options available for them other than finding a college somewhere that will take them as a coach. Hughes, I imagine, showed plenty of them this brand new professional door that was now wide open for them.
6. Anderson Silva - It seems the majority opinion among MMA fans, or at least close to a majority, is that he is the greatest MMA fighter ever. His highlight reel finishes alone and the attention he drew as fans wondered who would have anything for him are enough for me to give him his spot here.
7. Mark Coleman - Another MMA fighter who was instrumental in making American wrestling gameplans mainstream in MMA and in particular introduced American fans and fighters to the ground and pound that has become inseparable from this sport.
8. Don Frye - One of the most popular and marketable guys in MMA's earlier years, he gets a spot here for how he helped increase MMA's appeal in a time when it was still trying to earn a reputation, on a national scale, as something more than human cockfighting.
9. Forrest Griffin/Stephan Bonnar - Tied for this spot in recognition of how their performances in the very first Ultimate Fighter helped the UFC when they were pretty much betting everything on it.
10. Rampage Jackson - In his prime, he had the ability to appeal to both casuals with his persona and the most hardcore fans with his viciously effective brawling style. This combination of persona and raging fight spirit he had expanded MMA's appeal substantially during and after the PRIDE era.
Honorable Mentions: Jon Jones, Ken Shamrock, Lyoto Machida, Jose Aldo, Frank Mir,Chuck Liddell
So there it is, let's see how many Sherdoggers I alienated.
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