Who's your favourite Mixed Martial Artist and why?

[Dave]

This may seem like a point that is covered generally in other threads but I have never seen a thread dedicated to who your favourite star of MMA is. In this thread, I was hoping to get to know why some of your favourites hold that position and what first made you a fan. I had a quick look for threads of this nature before creating this one and all I could find was one for your top 5 pound for pound best fighters. I didn't want to bump a really old thread though, so I just created this one.

Anyway, the world of MMA is an ever-expanding sport that is becoming more and more prevalent in mainstream trends and habits. Over the last few years, the UFC has really been given an injection that has seen it's popularity rise all over the world and even here in the UK, where MMA is not big news, people are starting to talk about it and how interesting it can be. Of course, not everyone is going to see eye to eye on all things UFC and one of the main differences I have come across is who is their favourite Mixed Martial Artist and why. Now, different strokes for different folks is definitely in effect here but I feel that a consensus is generally reached on here. Brock Lesnar is generally most people's favourite because he was a wrestler too and that is why we all came here, to be honest.

However, in this section, people tend to go a little deeper than the heavyweight champion and will probably have differing opinions and I am curious to see who they back constantly. For me, I have not been a big fan of MMA all my life. In fact, I only started to really get into it two or three years ago when the UFC started to make waves all over the world. It might come across as ignorant or following a recent trend but Mauricio Rua is probably my favourite Mixed Martial Artist and it came around in a strange fashion. Having really got on board with the UFC a couple of years ago, I decided to get the demo of UFC Undisputed and Shogun was one of two playable characters. Since then, I have seen every one of his fights and fins myself loving the way he composes himself and acts like a consummate professional every time I have seen him.

The moment I knew I was a fan was after the initial match with Lyoto Machida. I thought Shogun had done enough to win the match and found myself getting angry when he wasn't declared the winner. That being said, I was ecstatic when he finally righted that wrong a couple of weeks ago. It may have came from humble means but Shogun has always impressed me.

 

[jmt225]

You know, I first watched MMA way, way back in the day. I remember this one weekend I went to my dad's best friend's house and his kids and I went to the video store (I was probably 11 or 12 year's old at this point). They ended up renting a couple of UFC videos and as we watched them that night, we all became fans of Tank Abbott. We fucking thought he was awesome; however, past that weekend, I didn't get back into MMA years later when I first saw Tito Ortiz.

Tito Ortiz was my real first favorite MMArtist. It all really started at UFC 40, when he absolutely dominated Ken Shamrock. After seeing/hearing the hype for the fight, I got my mom to order it for me that weekend and absolutely fell in love with the sport, and became a huge fan of Tito Ortiz during it. After that, I found some cheap MMA videos on the net, got every one that had a Tito Ortiz fight, and my love for the dude went from there.

And for years Tito Ortiz was my favorite fighter. However, today, that is not the case. I still am a HUGE Tito Ortiz fan, but he's #3 on my all time favorite list (BJ Penn is #2, for the record). It was the fight below that finally got someone to surpass Tito as my favorite fighter. It's to this day my favorite fight of all time.

[YOUTUBE]1v29meWabRc[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]JvZATQO8c8A[/YOUTUBE]​

I had knew and liked Nick Diaz before then, but when I saw that fight... man, I was just blown away by the guy's toughness, originality, and all around ability as a fighter.

Much like with Tito, after seeing Pride 33, I sought after every Nick Diaz fight available since then and my fandom for the guy grew and grew with each passing fight. I honestly, not one time, can recall seeing a boring Nick Diaz fight. He's always active in that cage/ring. If he's on the feet, he's repeatedly throwing punches and stalking his opponent (sometimes even taunting, which I love), and if the fight makes its way to the ground, he's always looking to pass his opponent's guard and looking for submissions if he's on top, and throwing punches/up kicks if he's on the bottom. Non-stop. Never, ever is this guy not looking to finish a fight. How could anyone not love that?

Moreover, he's a true warrior; he'll fight anyone at any given time. If Strikeforce told him to get his weight up to 206 pounds so he could fight Overeem, Nick Diaz would do it. Also, there's not a more entertaining interview in the sport. The guy's fucking hilarious, even if it's unintentional. And he's also an interesting person, too. He's views on fighting and many other things are very unique.

But yeah... to sum it up, there's no one in the sport like him. As a fighter, person... Nick Diaz is truly one of a kind, and I just really, really dig the guy. I always heavily look forward to his fights, and I'm always nervous as shit during them. There's no doubt in my mind that this guy will remain my favorite in the sport for the rest of his career.

 

[Fizzy]

This is a tough one seeing as I have a lot of fighters who I really like, and can watch all day. There's Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Tito Ortiz, GSP among others but one sticks to me like no other. Randy Couture.

Many people say Couture has a boring style, and he has been handed title shots blah blah blah, but you can't argue that the man has so much heart, and skill. What really sold me on Randy was when he came back and fought Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight title. I was a fan of him then, but had him as the underdog in that fight. He came in and completely dominated the much younger, and bigger fighter. He continues to be a force at 46 years old. Yes he is 46. The that most pro athletes of any sport are long retired. Hes still hanging in there and winning fights. Not to mention that hes still wanting to fight top competition. He expressed interest in fighting Fedor.

Randy is an inspiration. He fights guys much bigger than him, and much younger than him, and still hangs in there. I could watch Randy fight all day without getting bored. He is my favorite MMA fighter.

 

[TwistofRKO]

Rampage Jackson is number 1. I know he's not the most technically sound all around, but he's just a brute force. He's intense too. The first UFC match I've ever seen, he won me over. He made eye contact and never let it go, never cracked a smile. He's just a beast, and I love his competitiveness. I love the trash-talk, and how he backs it up too.

Second would be Nate Diaz. Completely different fighter, but I love submission fighters, and he provides that. He's cocky, and while he looks scrawny, he's tough. I liked him from the first match. Trash-talker, showboat, submission. Guy's cool.

 

[Big Sexy]

I have to go with Rashad Evans. I started getting into MMA during the second season of the Ultimate Fighter and he was my favorite fighter on the show. A lot of people didn't like his show boating but I love that kind of shit. He overcame the odds and some much bigger fighters on the show to win it. Since then he seems to improve with every fight. He started as just mainly a wrestler but has added some great striking skills to his repertoire.

I'm also a big fan of Rumble Johnson, Brock Lesnar, and Jon Jones but Rashad is my favorite.

 

[Avrusha92]

Id have to say Randy Couture, Randy has so much skill and talent its incredible, the man has so much heart.
i have to agree with someone who stated previously that people talk too much smack about couture, hes been given titles shots bla bla bla etc. there all just talking out of their ass cuz their jelous.
and yeah im with u Fizzy, i was sold when he won the heavyweight title coming out as the underdog in the fight.

 

[INDYjon22]

Andrei Arlovski will always be my favorite fighter ever. When I started watching and following UFC it was in the middle of the Tim Sylvia/Andrei Arlvoski trilogy. I was always amazed by the tenacity and ferocity that Arlovski showed in all of his fights. He would just go into the cage and let loose on his opponents, usually destroying them, but on occasion getting because of his careless style. Even today with Arlovski being a shell of his former self I am a huge fan of his because he is the reason I got into MMA. I still see glimpses of the old Pitbull and it really sucks to see the old AA in small doses instead of how he used to be all the time.

However, my current favorite fighter is probably Jon Fitch. I was a wrestler in high school and I actually really enjoy watching his fights because of his wrestling. He is a world glass wrestler and he shows in almost all of his fights. I was a big fan of his early UFC work because he reminded me of a younger and more well rounded Arlovski as well. He would go into his fights and just destroy his opponent until he could get a submission or something else. It also doesn't hurt that he is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, my home town.

 

[kingdirrtysouth1]

Rampage, check my avatar! I've been a fan since the first time I saw him back when FSN was airing the PRIDE events. It was like watching wrestling when he did his entrance. Then, he would deliver those massive power bombs to his opponents during the fights. He became my first ever favorite MMA fighter(Rashad is running a close second). I can't tell you how disappointed I was when his fight with Rashad was put off. Glad he came back, though! He would be a huge pro wrestling star if he wanted to that instead. He's a bad ass in the cage, and is charismatic and funny as hell outside of it! QUINTON RAMPAGE JACKSON is my favorite MMA fighter.

 

[Via Armbar]

Fedor without a doubt. I started following him when he was about halfway through his time in Rings. Actually I think the first fight I saw of his was his fight with Babalu. I had no idea what the man would go on to be. There is just an aura about him that is incomparable yet he doesn't look like a fighter at all. He was never the biggest or most muscular guy in the sport but he ran his way through an entire division that he really didn't even belong in. I saw destroy the top guys in the world at HW: Noguiera, Randleman, Herring, Crocop. His record isn't the reason he's my favorite though.

There's something very ''common man'' about Fedor Emelianenko. He has an average dudes body, isn't extremely good looking and talks like one of your friends. He's never been one to hype his fights with talk or even talk down on an opponent. He steps into the ring/cage and fights. That's it. For how little he hypes his own fights, there is plenty of hype to be had. Like I said; the man has an aura about him. Maybe it comes from his calm demeanor. He never makes a face in pain or anger or frusteration. Example:

Vintage Fedor. Another aspect of this man that makes him not only my personal favorite but also what many call the greatest mma fighter of all time is how well rounded he is. There are very few fighters who are dangerous as Fedor; there are even less that are as dangerous in any position you give them. There have been moments where Fedor was on the defensive and was taking some shots or slams. Those moments were short lived however. There is no position he can be in where he still isn't in control. He has submitted world class grapplers and knocked out the best strikers. Originally thought as a submission specialist, he has now cemented himself as one of the most brutal strikers in the sport. It doesn't matter where the fight ends up...he will beat your favorite fighter there.

 

[BOSS Productions]

Brock Lesnar 100 percent , mainly because I was his fan when he was in the WWE and Japan Wrestling , so when he made the jump to MMA , I became a fan immediately , he is the reason why I watch MMA. The guy has yet to prove himself to certain people but I ultimately think he is the face of UFC today and UFCs biggest draw , many hate him for his pro-wrestling past but will eventually have to accept that he is the real deal.

I am also a fan of Ken Shemrock, Fedor, Shane Carwin and Bobby Lashley.
I like Fedor because well the guy is amazing when it comes to MMA , I like Lashley because of his pro wrestling background. What can I say I enjoy my wrestling more then my MMA so when wrestlers jump to MMA , I immediately become there fan.

Don't watch MMA too often but I am still familiar with octagon and its MMA artists.

 

[xAsianRejectx]

Without a doubt, BJ Penn. I respect BJ in every aspect of his game. He's a true Mixed Martial Artists and amazingly skillfull. Say what you want about BJ, but he has never backed down from a fight. He didn't care if he was going to lose, he went out there to fight and kick some ass. MMA is in his blood. I find it funny that he's my favorite fighter because I usually hate the cocky fighters. And back in the day, BJ was as cocky as they come, however he backed up almost every word and I just grew into liking him. The time I got into MMA was back when he was coaching for TUF against Jens Pulver. My first thought of him was how boastful and bitter he was. He's definitely grown so much since then.

Now a days, the BJ we see is calm, peaceful, a lot less cocky. He's still got the warrior spirit in him and he uses his skills to do the talking for him. There is no aspect in him that is lacking. He's so well rounded and just dangerous to everyone. BJ is honest, skillfull and a fighter I will always cheer for.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

I haven't been an avid fan for to long, probably only the past two years. Before that I was just semi interested in MMA. People like Shamrock, Liddell, Arlovski were the ones who got me into it to begin with. But once Brock was making his UFC debut that is when I started to love the shit out of this sport. For the past two years now all I do is read about fighters, I get to know their records and styles and such. I spend alot of time reading results of past events between the promotions to further my knowledge on fighters and the sport. Also spend alot of time watching older fights on youtube.

As for my favorite fighter I would say the guy nicknamed The Axe Murderer, Wanderlei Silva. Having watched alot of his Pride fights either on youtube or the best of Pride show on Spike that has been on for the past few months, I got to see the majority of his fights, and I just love this guy for his brutal KO's. Also for him being coined the Axe Murderer the guy couldn't be more of a softer guy outside the ring. Win or lose people still love him. He's just a very humble person. I was real happy when he decided to drop down to middle weight cause this will only further his career and seemed to give him new life at extending it.

 

[TheLunatic]

When it comes to upbringing and training, Jet Li is my favorite, hands down.

LOL Wut? A glorified stunt man? He's not as bad as Jackie Chan, but, he's nothing special.


GSP for me. I personally think he could a robot. I met him when he wasn't in fight camp, and he was still ripped up like Rambo, and was easily 190lbs. He's an amazing wrestler, and I wish he was serious, and went for a gold medal at the 2012 olympics. His striking is underrated, because he hasn't knocked anyone out via strikes, but, his striking is very sound.


Final note: Fedor is a scrub. Good day.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

His striking is underrated, because he hasn't knocked anyone out via strikes, but, his striking is very sound
Final note: Fedor is a scrub. Good day.

Lol Fedor is a scrub! Sure whatever you say. But my main concern with your post is what you said about GSP. His striking is not underrated. His striking is respected by his opponents. I'm not sure If you know what your really talking about because GSP actually has 8 of his 20 wins by KO or TKO, the most recent one was against Penn which he just abused for 4 rounds and he couldnt answer the bell after the 4th so theres a TKO. Then look at what he did to Fitch, he may not have won by KO, but look at the damage he did to him,

And how bout when he won his first WW belt against Hughes? He won that by a headkick followed by an onslaught of punches and elbows. Another TKO!

Theres no way what you said about his striking makes sense, it is by far from underrated, at least you were right when you said its sound.

 

[JohnnyDrama]

i have a couple favorite fighters but my absolute fav has to be Rampage Jackson, overall he is a mad cool guy, i enjoy watching his fights, he is fucking funny as hell. cant wait for him to get back on top again. plus i will see the a-team only for him lol and he is hosting raw tomorrow....with those other guys but who cares rampage is gonna be on raw

 

[Rizza]

My favorite fighter is Big Nog. I love everything about the guy. The main thing that made me notice Nog was when I seen my first Nog fight it was against Bob Sapp. I was a complete noob at the time so I though this fight wasn't even going to be close. I thought Nog was going to get the shit beat out of him. Sure enough, the fight gets going, and Nog starts taking a ass whippin', nasty ground and pound, piledrivers, some really sick shit. He survived and strapped on a armbar on Sapp for the victory. I couldn't believe it. From that day forth I have proclaimed Nog as my favorite fighter and never looked back. That was in 05' when I got into MMA.

My other favorites are Rich Franklin, Demian Maia, Randy Couture, and Alistair Overeem. Franklin and Maia are both tied at number 2. Can't choose between them. Couture at 3 and Overeem at 4. I didn't really get into Overeem that much though until he KO'd Badr Hari. After that I have been on the band wagon ever since. Couture I have loved since he was on the first ever whole MMA card at watched which was UFC 54. Then after his fight with Sylvia I was a huge, huge fan. Maia's Jiu Jitsu, which is my favorite martial art, made me fan of him. A top level BJJ artist streamrolling everyone with Jiu Jitsu caught my eye real quick. Then to top it off he is a class act. Franklin was one of the first real fighters that I new by name, and I lived in Ohio before so I was rooting for the Ohio boy. His story of teacher to fighter was epic, he was well spoken in his interviews, and always entertained me when he fought.

There are a few fighters who could make it to my favorite list with a little more convincing. The Diaz bros, Patrick Cot'e, Jeremy Stephens, and Forrest Griffin are a few guys who I never root against. I am very, very big fans of them all, but wouldn't mention them with my very favorites.

 

[Cmpunk is wwe]

My fav ufc fighter is rashad evans i have been following his career since he won the ultimate fighter way back and i love the way he fights i think rashad is one of the main guys ufc fans pay to see. He always puts on great fights his recent fight vs rampage was great and hopefully he can beat shogun when ever they fight for the light hevy weight title.

 

[antfarm612]

Fedor without a doubt. I started following him when he was about halfway through his time in Rings. Actually I think the first fight I saw of his was his fight with Babalu. I had no idea what the man would go on to be. There is just an aura about him that is incomparable yet he doesn't look like a fighter at all. He was never the biggest or most muscular guy in the sport but he ran his way through an entire division that he really didn't even belong in. I saw destroy the top guys in the world at HW: Noguiera, Randleman, Herring, Crocop. His record isn't the reason he's my favorite though.

There's something very ''common man'' about Fedor Emelianenko. He has an average dudes body, isn't extremely good looking and talks like one of your friends. He's never been one to hype his fights with talk or even talk down on an opponent. He steps into the ring/cage and fights. That's it. For how little he hypes his own fights, there is plenty of hype to be had. Like I said; the man has an aura about him. Maybe it comes from his calm demeanor. He never makes a face in pain or anger or frusteration. Example:

Vintage Fedor. Another aspect of this man that makes him not only my personal favorite but also what many call the greatest mma fighter of all time is how well rounded he is. There are very few fighters who are dangerous as Fedor; there are even less that are as dangerous in any position you give them. There have been moments where Fedor was on the defensive and was taking some shots or slams. Those moments were short lived however. There is no position he can be in where he still isn't in control. He has submitted world class grapplers and knocked out the best strikers. Originally thought as a submission specialist, he has now cemented himself as one of the most brutal strikers in the sport. It doesn't matter where the fight ends up...he will beat your favorite fighter there.

Everything he said.

Fedor is the epitome of what a fighter should be. He is completely humble and respectful, which contradicts the stereotype most people have of the sport. Rampage is good for a quick pay-per-view spike, but his 'black-on-black crime' comments do not help the sport at all in the main-stream. Fedor makes the sport respectable, he's a guy you could see on ESPN (if he could speak English).

Some say his appearance makes him less marketable, I say the opposite, the fact that he looks like a normal guy off the street is what MAKES him marketable. That, and his stone-cold demeanor.

I also love the fact that he can get rocked and come back. Fujita rocked him so hard he started dancing (it's actually pretty comical) and he came back for the win. Randleman literally dropped him on his head, no, DROVE him into the mat head-first, and Fedor swept and subbed him within a minute. The guy has serious self-discipline/determination.

 

[thepalaceprince]

i just recently got into MMA so i havent seen everyone and i havent seen alot of fights but so far the person that has impressed me the most who i find an absolute treat to watch is anderson silva. The man is an absolute monster who can put you out in any way he wants I had never seen anyone submitted by strikes before. His flash and power plus his deadly elbows and knees are incredible. honorable mention for me go to matt hughes and rich franklin. Both of them are class acts and are warriors in the octagon.

 

[RudeAwakening]

Kazushi Sakuraba is my all time favorite. He has the most heart ever. The guy very rarely fought someone his own size. He was always out weighed. He was a middleweight who could easily been a welterweight taking on heavyweights and light heavyweights. I also love him because he was a pro-wrestler before he did MMA. Best entrances and showmanship, even when he lost he was so respectful to his opponent. My others favorites are Nick Diaz and Mauricio Rua. Both those fighters bring it every time they fight.

 

[sd03]

GSP. I know a lot of you think he is a Lay and Prayer. But he has very good wrestling and his striking is very dynamic. He also he very explosive and runs through anybody they put infront of him at 170 pounds.

 

[One Punch Doug Crashin]

My favorite Mixed Martial Artist right now is George St.Pierre. I just love how nobody can stop his takedowns. He knows when to strike. I also love how everyone is knocking him down as a boring fighter but when your as dominate as GSP, you can be whatever the fuck you want.

 

[Henry Hill]

Man I'm gonna show some age here, but I remember the first couple UFC tournaments where there were no weight limits and t was a one night tournament featuring guys like Don Frye, Kimo, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn and the original UFC champion Royce Gracie. It was hard not to love that guy at the time. He was so dominant and so calm in the octagon. He stuck around longer than he should've, but I can't imagine MMA or UFC for that matter being what it is today without him. I've also got a lot of love for Josh Koscheck or as I like to call him, Captain Controversy. What I love about the guy is that he talks a lot but he damn sure shows up to back it. I hated him on TUF 1. He was so arrogant, but he continued to back up what he talked about. Also gotta send some love to a personal friend Carlos Condit. He's an exciting fighter and on his way up.

 

[Supernova]

I haven't watched a lot of MMA but from what I have seen I gotta say GSP, there's something about him, he's kinda cocky/French but that makes him owning everyone even more audacious which is cool.

 

[Tha Wolfpac]

My favourite MMArtist has to be without a doubt Wanderlei "the axe murderer" Silva, man i watched all this guy's stuff in Pride, i watched him live in Australia at UFC 110, and i just love the way he fights with the intensity and tempo that he fights with.
Not to mention that staredown and entrance friggen EPIC.

To me Wandy Silva is the defintion of a fighter, although his UFC run hasn't been the greatest but it has definetly been entertaining and he always and i mean always delivers and never puts on a dissappointing or boring performance.


So to wrap it up Wanderlei Silva is my main man.