Mixed martial arts (MMA) is arguably the fastest growing sport in the world and continues to attract new fans every day. Despite the fact that this sport is only 25 years old, during this time there were many great champions who became known all over the world. It is possible that such a list will look very different in another 25 years, but it is still interesting enough to consider and pay tribute to the 10 greatest fighters of the moment.
10. Georges St. Pierre
Following the recent defeat of Anderson Silva, Saint-Pierre has become the most undefeated MMA champion. Georges is still in his prime and it seems that no one can stop him in the near future. He is without a doubt the best welterweight fighter and he fights like no other - he overwhelms his opponents with great physical fitness and fighting skills. For many years he has been participating in the most difficult tournaments of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and has 24 wins and only 2 losses on his account, and for those he subsequently took revenge. He has won the UFC welterweight tournament twice and currently holds the record for most decision wins with 11. He is also on par with Matt Hughes in total wins in UFC history with 18.
Both of these records are likely to be broken soon by Georges himself, and most fans are eagerly awaiting this moment. Considering how strong Georges looks and his young age, it is difficult to even imagine what other records he will set.
Important victories: Sean Sherk, BJ Penn (x2), Matt Hughes (x2), Josh Koscheck (x2), Matt Serra, Jon Fitch, Dan Hardy (Dan Hardy), Jake Shields, Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz.
9. Anderson Silva
Spider recently lost his title to younger and stronger Chris Weidman, but he remains one of the best fighters into the octagonal ring. The Brazilian fighter holds the record for the number of fights in which he defended his championship - 10 fights in a row. For every fan that Silva has won, there is someone to remind him that the fighter lost five fights to lesser-known opponents and blame Anderson for actually starving to stay in one of the UFC's weakest divisions, middleweight. Despite all his opponents, the facts speak for themselves - this is a really good fighter.
Important victories: Rich Franklin (x2), Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Chael Sonnen (x2), Vitor Belfort.
8. Randy Couture
No wonder Randy Couture is called "Captain America" and "Natural". If anyone can compete with Chuck Liddell for the title of the most popular fighter in the history of the UFC, then it is Randy. During his illustrious career, he became a three-time heavyweight champion weight category UFC. Randy also became the first fighter to be a champion in two different UFC categories when he won the light heavyweight division. He is also the most decorated fighter in UFC history - five times champion. Despite all his amazing achievements, he will forever be remembered for winning a fight with boxer James Toney, who said that he would show everyone that Couture and MMA in general is a sport for soft, mediocre boys. If anyone looked mediocre and bland after their fight, it was James Toney.
Important victories: Vitor Belfort (x2), Maurice Smith, Kevin Randleman, Pedro Rizzo (x2), Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Tim Sylvia, Gabriel Gonzaga ( Gabriel Gonzaga), Mark Coleman, James Toney.
7. Chuck Liddell
MMA Chuck was Babe Ruth for baseball, Michael Jordan for basketball, Tom Brady for American football and David Beckham(David Beckham) for football - MEGA STAR. It is no exaggeration to say that at the moment he is the most popular UFC fighter of all time and, perhaps, one of the best fighters in general. He became a champion in the floor heavyweight, defeating Tito Ortiz, and defended his title four times in 2 years. Unfortunately, his prime was short-lived, and towards the end of his career he suffered several disappointing defeats. However, Liddell's heyday was one of the most impressive periods for MMA. According to some, he was the most famous fighter in the history of the UFC and helped bring the attention of the American public to MMA.
Important victories: Jeff Monson, Kevin Randleman, Guy Mezger, Vitor Belfort, Renato Sobral (x2), Alistair Overeem, Tito Ortiz (x2), Randy Couture (x2), Vernon White (Vernon White), Wanderlei Silva (Wanderlei Silva).
6. Bas Rutten
"Handsome" is another fighter who made his invaluable contribution to the development of sports at the time of its inception. Dutchman Bass was a black belt in karate and was a professional kickboxer who successfully moved into the world of MMA. He was the right size, appearance and possessed good style- all this helped him become one of the most formidable champions of all time. He became the UFC Heavyweight Champion and ended his career with an impressive record of 22 unbeaten fights. During his time in the UFC, he became widely known for his favorite tactic, the liver attack, which usually paralyzed his opponents. Rutten's charisma, both in and out of the ring, helped him become one of the earliest stars of the sport. Although he still takes part in sports (albeit now as a commentator), he also starred in several films and became a character in the game.
Important victories: Vernon White, Maurice Smith (x2), Frank Shamrock (x2), Guy Mezger, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, Kevin Randleman.
5. Royce Gracie
Could the "Submission King" compete with modern UFC fighters? Probably not, but that doesn't change the fact that Royce was a real beast in his day, when MMA was just taking its first timid steps towards the fans, and Gracie will forever remain one of the sports pioneers. Fans will never forget the endless hypothetical questions and dialogues in which Royce has always been one of the options: "Royce Gracie vs. Mike Tyson" or "Royce Gracie vs. Alexander Karelin."
In fact, since Royce was at the peak of his career, and now he would hardly have succeeded, but this does not mean that it is worth belittling his role in sports history. Royce is the first on the UFC Hall of Fame list and winner of the first, second and fourth UFC tournaments and it was he who popularized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the United States and Europe. It will forever remain in the annals of sports history.
Important victories: Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Kazushi Sakuraba.
4. Matt Hughes
Hughes was one of the sport's earliest superstars and the strongest welterweight champion until Georges St-Pierre came along. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and has won the UFC welterweight title twice. He successfully defended his title seven times, which was a record at the time, and he still holds the record for the most UFC wins, along with WSP.
At the height of his career, Matt was considered the best fighter regardless of weight class, and he was literally unbeatable. Along with ZSP and Anderson Silva, he is one of the most best champions in UFC history.
Important victories: Carlos Newton (x2), Sean Sherk, Royce Gracie, BJ Penn, Georges Saint-Pierre
3. Dan Henderson
It is impossible to describe in words the greatness of Dan Henderson. He is, without a doubt, one of the best and most resilient fighters of all time and even more impressive - he still participates in battles with modern, younger fighters.
Henderson is one of the few men to become superstars in both the UFC and Pride. Fighting Championship s). The former Olympic wrestler has fought in the welterweight and middleweight divisions for most of his career, but has won titles in three different categories. He won 17 UFC middleweight championships and became the first fighter to win the Pride Championship in two weight classes (welterweight and middleweight). He also has a Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship and a 1999 RINGS King of Kings title. He has won more organization titles than any other fighter in the world.
Important victories: Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Renato Sobral, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Maurício Rua and Fedor Emelianenko.
2.Igor Vovchanchin
Igor is the best example of the word “underappreciated”. He is the man with the longest winning streak in history (37) and at the height of his career he was one of the best fighters ever. Igor was also one of the shortest heavyweight champions (174 cm), which makes his records and achievements even more impressive.
Important victories: Kazushi Sakuraba, Mark Kerr, Valentijn Overeem, Adilson Lima (x2).
1. Fedor Emelianenko
"The Last Emperor", "Terminator", "Russian Experiment": simply put, Emelianenko is the best fighter mixed fights of the 20th century in history. The peak of Fedor Emelianenko's career cannot be compared with anyone else, and if anyone who has participated in combat sports can compare with him, then this is only another Russian - Alexander Karelin.
Fedor remained undefeated for ten years and 32 battles, and was defeated only when he became relatively old and was not in his prime, and the opponents to whom he was losing would surely have suffered crushing defeats if the battle had taken place a couple of years earlier. He has been the heavyweight champion for 10 amazing years and nearly killed several Pride and UFC champions along the way. He has arguably won more champions than anyone else in the world and is considered by most experts to be the king of MMA.
Important victories: Renato Sobral, Semmy Schilt, Heath Herring, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (x2), Gary Goodridge, Mark Coleman (x2), Kevin Randleman, Mirko Filipovic, Mark Hunt ( Mark Hunt), Matt Lindland, Tim Sylvia, Andrey Orlovsky, Choi Hong-man, Jeff Monson, Pedro Rizzu.
The names of these fighters will be remembered forever, because no one has yet earned their merits in the history of sports.
Georges Saint-Pierre
Georges Saint-Pierre - Canadian mixed rules fighter (MMA), former UFC champion welterweight. Saint-Pierre is widely recognized as one of the best MMA fighters in the world: the largest MMA publications unanimously recognize him as the best welterweight and among the best fighters regardless of weight category.
Watch a promo video with the best fights of Georges:
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is an Irish mixed martial artist and UFC featherweight champion. The shorty impresses with his tattoos and arrogance, and the ability to skillfully fight.
Mohammed Ali
This is the most recognizable fighter in history. American boxing... His name has almost become a household name today. Merits of Ali (real name - Cassius Clay):
- absolute world heavyweight champion (1964-1966, 1974-1978);
- holder of the title "Boxer of the Year" (five times - 1963, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978);
- The Boxer of the Decade (1970s) by The Ring;
- 2nd ever boxer to win the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award (1974);
- was recognized as the "Sportsman of the Century" by several sports publications.
Upon retirement, he was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame (1987) and the International Boxing Hall of Fame (1990). Watch the video with the top ten knockouts of Mohammed:
Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum - Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter, UFC World Heavyweight Champion, two-time champion World Heavyweight Champion in European Jiu-Jitsu. Has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a black belt in judo. With this, it's not scary to wander around unfamiliar areas late at night.
Watch a promo video of the best fights of Fabricio:
Sugar Ray Robinson
200 fights. 173 wins. This American professional boxer, who has competed in the lightweight, first welterweight, welterweight, first middle, middle, second middle and light heavyweight divisions, usually leaves no hope of victory for his rivals. Today Sugar is the World Champion in boxing welterweight and middleweight categories. Watch his best fights:
Rhonda Rosie
The young lady also entered the chart of the best fighters. Rhonda Rousey - American MMA fighter and judo wrestler, actress. The first UFC champion, former Strikeforce bantamweight champion (today the young lady weighs 61 kg).
See one of best fights Rhonda:
Anderson Silva
From October 14, 2006 to July 6, 2013, the Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter Anderson Silva was the champion of the largest MMA organization in the world. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title. He made 10 successful title defenses, which is an absolute record in UFC history. Silva also has a string of 16 victories in a row in this organization, which is also a record figure.
Martial arts, unarmed fights are deep historical roots... Also in antique times there was such a type of wrestling - pankration, a prototype of modern mixed fights. By the way, he was even included in the program. Olympic Games in 648 BC.
From the time of Ancient Greece to this day, watching the fight between the fighters attracts the relentless attention of the audience.
"Meal'n'Real!" - the audience demanded tens of centuries ago. Requires the same now.
The best fighter in the world in cinema
Films about fighting have always been and will be popular, if not cult. An interesting plot, chases, stunts - they capture you entirely. The heroes use in practice various systems of martial arts: boxing, sambo, karate, aikido, possession of melee weapons.
Pictures of this genre attract a lot of fans, who immediately create idols for themselves, for whom they are ready to wage their "fights without rules" in various forums and chats.
Therefore, it is simply impossible to single out the "best fighter" of the cinema. I will name only a few of the most, very, classics, so to speak, of the genre:
- Steven Seagal
- Bruce Lee
- Chuck Norris
- Jackie Chan
- Jean-Claude Van Damme
And also Billy Blanks, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mark Dacascos, Don "Dragon" Wilson, Tadeusz Kasyanov and others.
These actors were fighters on the screen and in real life. Films with their participation have played a huge role in the growth of the popularity of martial arts. In the eighties there was just a boom, even housewives loved them.
However, the fashion for action films will never pass. I would like to note the hits of recent years:
- Never Give Up (2008)
- "Fight without rules" (2009)
- Bouncer (2011)
- "Made in Mexico" (2012)
- "The Fighter" (2014)
What is so attractive about this genre? What qualities of heroes are so attractive, especially for men? Character, self-control, code of honor, brutality? Yes, sure. But the main thing is strength. Moral and physical. And the ability to take a punch.
Impact strength
One of the criteria for the skill of a fighter is the force of the blow, which for a man ranges from two hundred to a thousand kilograms. Although you can turn off a person with a 15-kilogram blow.
Considered to be the most powerful hit for heavyweight boxers, Mike Tyson held the record for this category. His blow reached eight hundred kilograms. You can kill like that, not only knock out.
By the way, Mike was not shy about using his abilities in his personal life. He himself admitted that his wife Robin received the most powerful blow. At the same time, she flew 8 meters and hit the wall. Such is the character of the boxer, for which he paid with three convictions. As they say, there is strength ... what else is needed?
Ernie Shavers, nicknamed "The Black Destroyer", was also famous for the crushing blow. On the set of Rocky III, he nearly killed Sylvester Stallone. True, he himself asked not to indulge him.
Comparing Tyson and Shaneey, they say that when Mike strikes, it seems that a Ferrari hit you, while Ernie's strike is like a truck that has run over.
But the impact force depends not only on the weight. According to Newton's second law, force is equal to the product of body mass and acceleration. And the acceleration is proportional to the difference in speeds, which, when applied to the impact technique, can be called its sharpness.
An example of proof that not everything depends on the mass can be considered Mike Zambidis, a fighter from Greece born in 1980, nicknamed “Iron” (kickboxing, Thai boxing).
With a height of 167 cm and a weight of only 70 kg, the force of his impact was:
- right hand - 1200 kg
- left - 987kg
- right foot - 1870 kg
- left - 750.
And the strongest kick in the world was recorded by Mirko Filipovic - Croatian mixed martial arts fighter, professional heavyweight kickboxer named Cro Cop. The impact force of his left leg was 2703 kg. 
So it's not just body weight that matters. The defining qualities of a fighter are speed, body control technique, the highest skill and perfect interaction of all muscles.
Fighters. The best of the best
It is difficult to name the absolute record holders in mixed martial arts. In this sport, stars come and go more often than in classic boxing. In addition, there are many organizations and many titles. But we can name the most popular fighters.
- The most strong fighter in the world is considered Anderson da Silva from Brazil, nicknamed "Spider". He lost only 4 fights out of 35. His fans adore him, as he turns every entry into the ring into a show.
- Brazilian heavyweight Junior Dos Santos owns jiu-jitsu, has a black belt, defeated the most legendary Mirko “Cro Cop”.
- American Luke Rockhold, world champion.
- American Robbie Lawler.
In Russia, the most successful fighter in 2014 is Khabib Nurmagomedov from Dagestan. He spent 22 fights, and in all he was undefeated.
And here are the ten most popular fighters following him:
- Ali Bagautinov
- Rustam Khabilov
- Alexey Oleinik
- Adlan Amagov
- Rashid Magomedov
- Zubayra Tukhugov
- Ruslan Magomedov
- Albert Tumenov
- Mayrbek Taysumov
- Omari Akhmedov
The popularity of martial arts among women is growing from year to year. Here are examples of world celebrities: Julianne Peña (USA), Isabella Badurek (Poland), Alexandra Albu (Moldova), Michelle Waterson (USA).
The star of Russia - Yulia Berezikova, originally from Siberia - is the champion of Russia in mixed martial arts. She is a master of sports in hand-to-hand fighting, jiu-jitsu, sambo.
Julia is an active fighter; she uses men as sparring partners in training. It is possible that she will become the star of the screen, she has already starred in two films.
Of course, the attitude of society towards mixed martial arts both in the world and in Russia is ambiguous. Some consider such competitions to be a bloody, primitive ritual that inflicts physical harm on its participants and arouses an unhealthy excitement of the audience.
Others, on the other hand, are ardent supporters, even fans of martial arts.
Natural selection has always existed in nature, and in human nature, one of the basic instincts will forever remain the desire to fight, fight, fighting for their survival. And the unfulfilled striving gives rise to this thirst for the SIGHT.
Yes, it's a cruel sight. But at the same time it is beautiful.
The fight demonstrates courage, endurance, courage, professionalism, effective mastery of the technique of martial arts and gives an answer to the age-old question: “Who is stronger? Which of us is the best fighter? "
2015-03-27Many fighters can frighten anyone with their terrifying appearance ..
1. Alistair Overeem- this is the one with whom you would not want to meet at night in the alley. His two-meter height, a scar on his face and a grin are far from all that makes him the most terrifying fighter. In addition, he is one of the toughest, which is immediately visible in battles - he destroys his rivals to dust, fully justifying his nickname "Destroyer".
2. Would you be scared if you saw the Hulk? What if you had to fight him? Antonio Bigfoot Silva one of those strong men. He is confident and cold-blooded, what is his roar after the fight and his behavior in general. His rivals are not to be envied.
3. Choi Hong Mana called the "Korean monster" or "Korean colossus". With a weight of 165 kg and a height of 2 meters 18 cm, he is one of the largest representatives of combat sports in the world. At the same time, he suffers from the disease acromegaly, which provokes constant growth and thickening of bones, especially in the face. Hong Man Choi is no longer involved in fights, but despite his illness, he won the 2006 K-1 Grand Prix in Seoul.
4. Emmanuelle Yarborough Is an American mixed martial arts fighter and sumo wrestler. Its main problem is excess weight... With a height of 2 meters, its weight is 320 kg. As MMA fighter he debuted in September 1994. The opponent was 180 kg lighter than Yarborough, but he could not win this fight, but he tore his opponent's tights and knocked out the door for them to enter the arena. In MMA, Yarborough fought in three fights, winning one.
5. Mariusz Pudzyanovsky all fans of power extreme know, because he is the only person who managed to win 5 times in the tournament "The Strongest Man in the World". He shocked the whole world with his records, but this was not enough for him and in 2009 at the age of 32 he decided to try his hand at MMA. All skeptics said that it was just for one time, but Mariusz is still speaking and showing impressive results.
6. Once a giant Bob Sapp was a tough fighter, mainly due to his terrifying appearance, and his ability to show spectacular fights. But since 2009, his career suddenly began to decline. Sapp stopped hitting his opponents, surrendering after the first missed blow. As the fighter himself said, it became unprofitable for him to pay for expensive treatment after the fights, it was easier to enter the ring, give himself a kick and get money for it. So he earned $ 10 million and retired.
7. Stefan Struve is the tallest UFC fighter and one of the tallest guys in MMA history. His height is 211 cm. Many victories have brought him fighting techniques, which, undoubtedly, can be attributed to his main weapon. Now he actively continues to work on improving the technique and tactics of combat, trains hard and is in excellent physical shape.
8. The pot-bellied hero Alexandru Lungu or otherwise, the "angry Romanian hippopotamus" weighs 170 kg with a height of 183 cm. Out of 17 fights, in 13 he won a victory, in 4 he was defeated. What can you say, its gigantic size is clearly its advantage.
9. Brock Lesnar - five-time champion WWE World, UFC Heavyweight Champion, NJPW World Champion and NCAA Wrestling Champion; the only person in history to have won titles in each of these organizations. A huge killing machine, with a hair like a fur seal and brutal tattoos on an immense torso - this is what one of the most popular fighters in the history of sports looks like.
10. Eric Ash better known by his nickname "Butterbin" - American heavyweight boxer, kickboxer and mixed martial arts fighter. Eric weighs under 200 kg, but despite this he is very fast and incredibly strong! You can see him in many modern teenage boxing simulators, for example - in the famous "Knockout Kings 2001" in his famous boxing shorts in the color of the American flag, as well as in the cartoons "Despicable Me" and "Octopuses". He also played himself in the movie "Freaks".
Max Holloway / MMA Fighting
It's time to take stock of 2017 in mixed martial arts. For 12 months, MMA fans were able to observe defeats of dominant champions, scandals, emergence of new stars, shocking knockouts and much more. We present a ranking of the top 10 fighters regardless of weight category.
No. 10 VOLKAN OZDEMIR (14-1)
Suddenly in the top ten best fighters of the year Volkan Ozdemir... As of the beginning of 2017, the general MMA public knew absolutely nothing about the Swiss fighter of Turkish origin. He had several fights against strong opponents, but he did not differ in anything significant.
In February of this year, Ozdemir came out on short notice against the top middle peasant of the UFC Ovins Saint-Prue... Most experts considered Volkan an underdog. However, during the meeting, he was able to be faster than his opponent, more technical and more active in the first two rounds. By the third five minutes, the fighter's strength was exhausted and could have lost. This happened due to the fact that he did not go through a full training camp. At the same time, the judges gave him a victory.
In May, Ozdemir got a fight with a light heavyweight prospect Misha Tsirkunov, who was considered one of the most powerful young fighters. The Latvian could have played this duel well, but underestimated the opponent and went on the attack with a saber on a barefoot, forgetting about defense. In the first round, Ozdemir knocked out his opponent with several accurate hits.
In July took place main battle life for Ozdemir, in which he is. Such victories made the experts turn their eyes to Volkan, who became the discovery of the year, as a fighter who achieved title fight for fewer battles.
# 9 AMANDA NUNYES (15-4)
The most successful year for UFC women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunez was 2016. In 2017, the Brazilian had only one fight. As part of the second defense of the title, Amanda met in revenge with the famous master muay thai Valentina Shevchenko.
In their first confrontation, Nunez confidently won, busting her opponent on the ground. But by the second fight, Shevchenko came out more experienced in MMA and dangerous in a stance with the ability to defend herself against a teakdown. Therefore, Nunez did not risk the whole fight and it seemed that she had lost the fight. However, the judges.
The year was not the brightest for the Brazilian, but she was able to remove all questions, defeating the most dangerous rivals in the division.
# 8 DEMETRIUS JOHNSON (27-2-1)
The best fighter in the world, regardless of weight category Demetrius Johnson this year he defended his UFC flyweight title twice more, but for some reason cannot be at the top of our rankings.
Firstly, the “mighty mouse”, having beaten all the strongest opponents in his weight class, fought against the middle peasants in 2017 Wilson Reis and Ray Borg... Secondly, Johnson was offered a duel with the former bantamweight champion T. Jay Dillashaw who was ready to go down in weight. However, Demetrius refused such a test and took an easier path.
This situation has angered the UFC leadership, which understands that Johnson is unpopular and wants to organize competitive fights for him. Dana White even turned to threats, announcing that he would disband the lightest division. The parties managed to reconcile, but the company management remained reluctant.
No. 7 STIPE MIOCIC (17-2)
Many will wonder why the brightest heavyweight and champion is only in 7th position. The fact is that Stipe Miocic only once went to the octagon. American Croat. The Brazilian, although he has become an official contender, has not shone in the Octagon in the past few years and has played a lot of nondescript fights. The only consolation was the fact that the champion took revenge on the Brazilian, whom he had previously lost by a controversial decision.
At the beginning of 2018, Miocic will have a fight. In this fight, Stipe will resist youth, having overcome which he will be able to be much higher in the ranking.
# 6 TONY FERGUSON (23-3)
Unexpectedly, but deservedly, a 33-year-old "interim" champion in lightweight Tony Ferguson... El-Cucuy also had only one fight in 2017, but due to circumstances beyond his control. The main irritant for the American was the Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov who threw off their mega-fight because of the weight cut. This was the second time that a Dagestani had thwarted their planned battle.
However, in October, Tony managed to hold a title fight, in which he was opposed by an arrogant Kevin Lee... Ferguson during the fight was able to tire his opponent in the third round. Having received the "interim" title, "El-Cucuy" became the main contender for the championship belt, which is held by Conor McGregor... This meeting can take place in the spring or summer of 2018.
# 5 TJ DILLASHOW (15-3)
No. 4 GEORGES SAINT PIERRE (26-2)
Canadian mixed martial arts superstar Georges Saint-Pierre after a four-year absence, he returned to the UFC. In his first fight after a downtime, the veteran faced the British Michael Bisping as part of the fight for the middleweight title.
The Canadian's return was tied and less damage from Bisping, who is by far not the best fighter in the division. The British won the title thanks to the excessive self-confidence and laxity of the former belt holder Luke Rockhold... After that, he avoided really dangerous opponents.
The only intrigue was what the state of Saint Pierre would be after the downtime and how he would be able to compete in the middleweight division. During the fight, Georges showed that he had not lost anything from his technical arsenal. We saw both footwork and the famous superman punch. As a result, the fight ended with the victory of the Canadian sambishen in the third round.
After this fight, Saint-Pierre renounced the title because he fell ill with intestinal colitis.
# 3 TYRON WOODLEY (18-3-1)
UFC Featherweight Champion American Tyrone Woodley 2017, in the first match with which I could only count on a draw. In the rematch, Woodley and Thompson once again created a boring spectacle of cautious fighting. This time the champion turned out to be more active, to whom the judges gave the victory.
In the second bout, which took place in July, Woodley faced the best Brazilian jitser Damian Maya... The danger from the challenger on the ground should have come from Maya, despite the fact that Woodley is the base fighter. However, this did not happen and Tyrone stopped several dozen attempts to transfer the fight to the ground. The champion is in the rack.
# 2 ROBERT WHITTAKER (19-4)
In April, Whittaker, to the surprise of many experts,. In this fight, the Australian was considered a big underdog and had little chance of winning. However, Robert was able to destroy the "aligator".
In the second fight against Yoel Romero Whittaker was given even less chances of winning, since the opponent is very powerful physically and technically. However, Robert took advantage of the main disadvantage of the Cuban - weak endurance. Romero ran 5 rounds short and was forced to play the episodes that were allowed.
Note that there are Australians at UFC 221 in February 2018.
# 1 MAX HOLLOWAY (19-3)
The most successful 2017 was for a Hawaiian guy Max Holloway, who managed to win the featherweight champion title. In January, Max faced the best fighter in the history of the division. Jose Aldo... Despite all the regalia and experience of the Brazilian, "Blessed". In the third round, after good hits from the American, the referee stopped the fight and gave the victory to Max.
Holloway was scheduled to meet with Frankie Edgar, but the challenger was injured and withdrew from the fight. who was preparing to fight with Ricardo Lamas around the same time. The new confrontation with the Brazilian was tougher, as the veteran used his powerful low kicks more often. However, Jose's skills and stamina were not enough to withstand an opponent who is constantly advancing. In the end, again in the third round, Holloway.
In 2018, Holloway's most anticipated fight could be. Do not forget that it was Max who created the biggest problems for the Irishman at featherweight.
Karen AGABEKYAN, website