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Greatest Combat Athletes
LEV PISARSKY JUN 26, 2023 COMMENTS
https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/1/Sherdogs-Top-10-Greatest-Combat-Athletes-190359
Welcome again folks, this time to Sherdog's list of the greatest MMA combat athletes. That's a mouthful, so let me explain. Many fighters come to MMA having already excelled in other combat sports, many more go on from MMA to do great things on the mats or in the ring, and some even manage to dominate in multiple disciplines at the same time. This list ranks MMA fighters based on their overall success across all combat sports. That includes MMA as well as anything else they were involved in, whether it be wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, judo, etc. This was compiled as an average of many different Sherdog contributors' lists, and I will note where my own views deviated considerably. Personally though, the appeal of any such list isn't the exact ordering, or who was included or excluded, but the actual discussion of each entry. Anyone can come up with a list with no further commentary and it's no more “right” than another. However, the best such lists have entertaining and informative explanations, which is a goal I hope to accomplish.
This was a unique list with many variables, especially how much to weigh accomplishments in each combat sport, MMA included. Also, since many of these fighters have had their MMA accomplishments discussed on past lists, I will focus on what they did in other sports. With that in mind, let us begin.
3. Holly Holm
Holm is the first, though not the last, fighter on this list who had great success in not just two combat sports, but three. A former UFC bantamweight champion and longtime top contender, Holm was No. 8 on Sherdog's list of the ten greatest female fighters pound-for-pound. That includes perhaps the greatest victory in WMMA history, knocking out the undefeated, seemingly peerless Ronda Rousey with a head kick in 2015. Even now at 41 years old, Holm is one of the best bantamweights in the world, dismantling Yana Santos just a few months ago. However, by the time she had made her MMA debut at the age of 29, she was already a multiple-time champion in both boxing and kickboxing. In kickboxing, she attained a record of 14-1-7 (Yes, 7 draws! I'm surprised, too) winning an amateur title. She had even more success in professional boxing, going 33-2-3. She won world titles in three different weight classes: junior welterweight (140 pounds), welterweight (147 pounds) and junior middleweight (154 pounds). Furthermore, she was the undisputed queen at welterweight for a while and held championships from December 2004 all the way to her last boxing fight in May 2013, a successful defense of her IBA and WBF titles at 140 pounds. Not only was Holm genuinely great in two different combat sports, MMA and boxing, but she was also good in a third one, kickboxing.
2. Fedor Emelianenko
Sherdog's greatest heavyweight ever and greatest fighter of the 2000s just barely misses out on another top spot, though he garnered a third of the first-place votes, mine included. Emelianenko is one of only two fighters on this list, the other being Holly Holm, with significant success in three different combat sports. Furthermore, he is the best mixed martial artist on this list. Widely considered one of the greatest of all time at any weight, he finished sixth on Sherdog's list of the greatest fighters pound-for-pound. He was also the undisputed best in combat sambo. He was undefeated for many years, winning six straight Russian championships from 2002 to 2012, a European championship in 1999 and three straight world championships in 2002, 2005 and 2007, being as unbeatable in that sport through most of the 2000s as he was in MMA. Emelianenko finally lost in the world championships in 2008 to Blagoy Ivanov, who ended up having a good career in MMA himself and is active to this day. Yes, combat sambo is less competitive and popular than most of the other combat sports discussed on this list. However, there's something to be said for being the very best at it for a long time. Lastly, let's talk about the third combat sport Emelianenko excelled at; judo. He wasn't great at it; he never made the Olympics or medaled at a world championship. However, he was still plenty good, attaining the highly prestigious Russian title of “Master of Sport,” competing on the national team, and winning bronze medals at the Russian championship in 1998 and 1999 in the 100 kilogram and open weight categories, respectively. Also, judo is an incredibly competitive, popular sport, and even that degree of success is impressive. Yet, while I personally had him No. 1, there is no wrong answer when deciding between Fedor and the man ahead of him.
SHERDOG’S TOP 10
1. Henry Cejudo
Cejudo frequently calls himself the greatest combat sports athlete ever, and while one may disagree, it's a credible claim. He secured two-thirds of the first-place votes and the lowest anyone had him was third. He has had the second greatest success in MMA of anyone on this list, becoming a UFC champ-champ at flyweight and bantamweight and finishing ninth on Sherdog's list of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters ever. That was prior to his return to MMA in 2023 against Aljamain Sterling, though losing by split decision to a great champion at the relatively advanced age of 36 shouldn't hurt his stock much, if at all. However, before all that Cejudo famously won Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling in 2008 at 55 kilograms. There are several interesting observations to make about this. Firstly, Cejudo's win was a huge upset. He was a four-time Pan American Games gold medalist but wasn't as successful when facing the best of Europe and Asia. He had managed a bronze medal at the 2007 World Cup but had lost in the very first round of the 2007 World Championships. Furthermore, Cejudo didn't even win gold at the 2008 US championships, being pinned in the finals. Thus, his triumph at the Olympics was a shocking, magical upset. Secondly, Cejudo was at the time the youngest American to ever win Olympic wrestling gold at just 21. There is a good chance that had he stuck with wrestling instead of taking a three-year break, there would have been more gold at either the World Championships or Olympics, if not both, in his future. On the flipside, he likely wouldn't have been as great of a martial artist. Thirdly, there is a tremendous degree of competition in Olympic wrestling, and 55 kilograms is a particularly high-skill division. Thus, Cejudo's gold occurred in a more competitive combat sport than those of any previous fighter apart from Romero. However, Romero won Olympic silver while Cejudo won gold. For achieving the highest pinnacles in MMA and one of the toughest, most competitive combat sports in freestyle wrestling, Cejudo is a worthy pick.
LEV PISARSKY JUN 26, 2023 COMMENTS
https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/1/Sherdogs-Top-10-Greatest-Combat-Athletes-190359
Welcome again folks, this time to Sherdog's list of the greatest MMA combat athletes. That's a mouthful, so let me explain. Many fighters come to MMA having already excelled in other combat sports, many more go on from MMA to do great things on the mats or in the ring, and some even manage to dominate in multiple disciplines at the same time. This list ranks MMA fighters based on their overall success across all combat sports. That includes MMA as well as anything else they were involved in, whether it be wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, judo, etc. This was compiled as an average of many different Sherdog contributors' lists, and I will note where my own views deviated considerably. Personally though, the appeal of any such list isn't the exact ordering, or who was included or excluded, but the actual discussion of each entry. Anyone can come up with a list with no further commentary and it's no more “right” than another. However, the best such lists have entertaining and informative explanations, which is a goal I hope to accomplish.
This was a unique list with many variables, especially how much to weigh accomplishments in each combat sport, MMA included. Also, since many of these fighters have had their MMA accomplishments discussed on past lists, I will focus on what they did in other sports. With that in mind, let us begin.
3. Holly Holm
Holm is the first, though not the last, fighter on this list who had great success in not just two combat sports, but three. A former UFC bantamweight champion and longtime top contender, Holm was No. 8 on Sherdog's list of the ten greatest female fighters pound-for-pound. That includes perhaps the greatest victory in WMMA history, knocking out the undefeated, seemingly peerless Ronda Rousey with a head kick in 2015. Even now at 41 years old, Holm is one of the best bantamweights in the world, dismantling Yana Santos just a few months ago. However, by the time she had made her MMA debut at the age of 29, she was already a multiple-time champion in both boxing and kickboxing. In kickboxing, she attained a record of 14-1-7 (Yes, 7 draws! I'm surprised, too) winning an amateur title. She had even more success in professional boxing, going 33-2-3. She won world titles in three different weight classes: junior welterweight (140 pounds), welterweight (147 pounds) and junior middleweight (154 pounds). Furthermore, she was the undisputed queen at welterweight for a while and held championships from December 2004 all the way to her last boxing fight in May 2013, a successful defense of her IBA and WBF titles at 140 pounds. Not only was Holm genuinely great in two different combat sports, MMA and boxing, but she was also good in a third one, kickboxing.
2. Fedor Emelianenko
Sherdog's greatest heavyweight ever and greatest fighter of the 2000s just barely misses out on another top spot, though he garnered a third of the first-place votes, mine included. Emelianenko is one of only two fighters on this list, the other being Holly Holm, with significant success in three different combat sports. Furthermore, he is the best mixed martial artist on this list. Widely considered one of the greatest of all time at any weight, he finished sixth on Sherdog's list of the greatest fighters pound-for-pound. He was also the undisputed best in combat sambo. He was undefeated for many years, winning six straight Russian championships from 2002 to 2012, a European championship in 1999 and three straight world championships in 2002, 2005 and 2007, being as unbeatable in that sport through most of the 2000s as he was in MMA. Emelianenko finally lost in the world championships in 2008 to Blagoy Ivanov, who ended up having a good career in MMA himself and is active to this day. Yes, combat sambo is less competitive and popular than most of the other combat sports discussed on this list. However, there's something to be said for being the very best at it for a long time. Lastly, let's talk about the third combat sport Emelianenko excelled at; judo. He wasn't great at it; he never made the Olympics or medaled at a world championship. However, he was still plenty good, attaining the highly prestigious Russian title of “Master of Sport,” competing on the national team, and winning bronze medals at the Russian championship in 1998 and 1999 in the 100 kilogram and open weight categories, respectively. Also, judo is an incredibly competitive, popular sport, and even that degree of success is impressive. Yet, while I personally had him No. 1, there is no wrong answer when deciding between Fedor and the man ahead of him.
SHERDOG’S TOP 101. Henry Cejudo
Cejudo frequently calls himself the greatest combat sports athlete ever, and while one may disagree, it's a credible claim. He secured two-thirds of the first-place votes and the lowest anyone had him was third. He has had the second greatest success in MMA of anyone on this list, becoming a UFC champ-champ at flyweight and bantamweight and finishing ninth on Sherdog's list of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters ever. That was prior to his return to MMA in 2023 against Aljamain Sterling, though losing by split decision to a great champion at the relatively advanced age of 36 shouldn't hurt his stock much, if at all. However, before all that Cejudo famously won Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling in 2008 at 55 kilograms. There are several interesting observations to make about this. Firstly, Cejudo's win was a huge upset. He was a four-time Pan American Games gold medalist but wasn't as successful when facing the best of Europe and Asia. He had managed a bronze medal at the 2007 World Cup but had lost in the very first round of the 2007 World Championships. Furthermore, Cejudo didn't even win gold at the 2008 US championships, being pinned in the finals. Thus, his triumph at the Olympics was a shocking, magical upset. Secondly, Cejudo was at the time the youngest American to ever win Olympic wrestling gold at just 21. There is a good chance that had he stuck with wrestling instead of taking a three-year break, there would have been more gold at either the World Championships or Olympics, if not both, in his future. On the flipside, he likely wouldn't have been as great of a martial artist. Thirdly, there is a tremendous degree of competition in Olympic wrestling, and 55 kilograms is a particularly high-skill division. Thus, Cejudo's gold occurred in a more competitive combat sport than those of any previous fighter apart from Romero. However, Romero won Olympic silver while Cejudo won gold. For achieving the highest pinnacles in MMA and one of the toughest, most competitive combat sports in freestyle wrestling, Cejudo is a worthy pick.
