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 10 best fighters regardless of weight category.
No. 10 VOLKAN OZDEMIR (14-1)
Suddenly, he was in the top ten 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 was due to the fact that he did not go through a full training camp. At the same time, the judges gave him a victory.
Ozdemir got a fight with a light heavyweight prospect in May 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, the main battle of life for Ozdemir took place, in which he is. Such victories made experts turn their eyes to Volkan, who became the discovery of the year, as a fighter who achieved a title fight in fewer fights.
# 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 rematch with the famous Thai boxing master 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 tekdown. 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 category, fought against the middle peasants in 2017 Wilson Reisand Ray Borg... Second, Johnson was offered a duel with the former bantamweight champion T. Jay Dillashawwho was ready to go down in weight. However, Demetrius refused such a test and took an easier path.
This situation has made the UFC management very angry, 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, the ranking includes a 33-year-old "interim" lightweight champion Tony Ferguson... El-Cucuy also played only one match in 2017, but due to circumstances beyond its control. The main irritant for the American was the Russian Khabib Nurmagomedovwho ripped off their mega-fight due to 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 Conor McGregor... This meeting can take place in spring or summer 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 remained in what state Saint Pierre would be after a lay-off and how he would be able to compete in middleweight. 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 relinquished the title because he fell ill with intestinal colitis.
# 3 TYRON WOODLEY (18-3-1)
UFC Featherweight Champion American Tyrone Woodley 2017 year, 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. In the rack is the champion.
# 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 missed 5 rounds and was forced to play the episodes that 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 champion title in featherweight. 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 due 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 endurance were not enough to withstand an opponent who constantly attacks. 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
The UFC has gained wide popularity. The most ferocious warriors of the planet fight against each other, hoping to find out whose martial art is the best and who is the strongest. Best UFC fighters for 2017, according to the magazine "Big Rating":
Robert Whittaker
Robert John Whittaker, born 1990. He is an Australian fighter with New Zealand roots. Known by the nickname "The Reaper".
The fighter performs in the middle weight (his own weight is 84 kg).
What we know about Robert is that he was taught to sport from early childhood. Robert's father John sent the boy to karate as a kid. After eight years of training, Robert changed his qualifications to Hapkido, and in 2003 he began to study MMA.
Robert began his professional career in 2009 with the Xtreme Fight Championships in Australia.
His first fight took place on March 14, 2009 against Chris Tallowin. A devastating victory in the first round gave Robert an incredible impetus for further studies.
Then Whittaker signed up for the Cage Fighting Championships, in which he won 6 victories.
With a 9-2 record, Whittaker took part in The Ultimate Fighter. There the Australian team faced off against their opponents from England.
The first fight lasted only 19 seconds. Robert knocked out Luke Newman in the first round. Moreover - for this knockout he received a bonus in the form of $ 25,000 for "Knockout of the Season".
At the moment, the fighter 19 wins and 4 losses.
Jose Aldo
Brazilian fighter, nicknamed "Scarface". He competes in the featherweight division (own weight 65 kg), under the auspices of the UFC.
Notably, Aldo was the fourth and final WEC Featherweight Champion and became the first UFC Featherweight Champion following the UFC / WEC merger.
Surprisingly, until 2015, Aldo was the leader of the list of the best fighters regardless of weight class.
Jose Aldom is a two-time featherweight champion and has 26 wins, and 2 defeats.
Michael Bisping
A fighter from England, with the aristocratic nickname "Count". He competes in the middleweight division (own weight 84 kg) in the UFC league. At the moment he is the champion of his weight category. Also on his roster are the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Championship and Ultimate Fighter 3.
June 4, 2016 was a landmark for Michael, because he won the UFC champion belt.
At the moment, the athlete has 30 wins and 7 losses.
Dominic Cruz
An American fighter of Mexican descent who has the formidable nickname "Dominator". Performs in the lightest weight category (dead weight 61 kg).
In the past, Dominic is a two-time UFC champion and a former WEC champion in his own weight class.
Currently Dominic Cruz has 22 wins and 2 defeat.
Tyrone Woodley
American mixed martial arts fighter and freestyle wrestler. Tyrone has the nickname "The Chosen One" and competes in the welterweight division (own weight 77 kg). Since 2013, he has been playing in the UFC and is the champion in his weight category.
Tyrone's first fight took place in 2013 with Jay Chiron. The fight lasted exactly 36 seconds and ended with a lightning knockout.
On November 16, 2013, Tyrone had another fight that took place in the same vein. Woodley received the Best Knockout of the Night award for this fight.
At the moment, the fighter 18 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw.
Daniel Cormier
The history of the ascent of the fighter with the nickname "DC" is quite fascinating. Initially, he took part in the Olympic Games from the United States.
In the UFC, Daniel began his heavyweight career, but then moved to light heavyweight. He argued that he did not want to compete with his friend Kane Velasquez.
Rising to the top of Olympus, Daniel defeated many famous opponents, which include fighters such as Frank Mir, Josh Barnett and others.
The only fighter that was beyond Cormier's strength was John Jones. The first fight ended in defeat on points, but the second still cannot take place, because the date has already been postponed twice.
The strengths of the fighter include the Olympic training: a high level of wrestling, pressure and boxing.
It's funny, but outside the octagon, Daniel is a friendly and pleasant person, and also a great friend.
At the moment, the fighter has 19 wins and 2 defeats.
Cody Garbrandt
American bantamweight fighter (weighs only 61 kg). Cody's professional career started just four years ago. Of course, then no one knew him yet, and the general public did not even suspect about him. However, the finest hour came in 2016. The audience saw 4 lightning victories, 3 of which came by knockout in the first round.
Now he has become the UFC bantamweight champion from an unknown upstart.
The strengths of Cody include high speed and accuracy, as well as endurance and developed fighting intelligence.
At the moment, Cody Garbrand has 11 wins and 0 losses.
Max Holloway
Jerome Max Holloway is a US Featherweight Fighter. Max's own weight is 65 kg. Nicknamed "Blessed", he moved through the UFC featherweight division to a championship in that weight class.
Now he is ranked as the fourth best fighter in the world, regardless of the weight category according to Sherdog.
Now Max has 17 wins and 3 losses
Stipe Miocic
American mixed martial artist, originally from Croatia. Now he is performing in the heavyweight division. Now his weight is 120 kg.
The fighter with the specific nickname "Stone Cold" began his career on October 8, 2011, in a fight against Joey Beltran. The victory was awarded unanimously.
At the moment, the fighter has 17 wins and 2 losses.
Conor McGregor
A unique fighter in the history of the UFC, because he is the only owner of two championship belts at once, in different weight categories. McGregor's nickname is "The Notorious".
He is currently the reigning lightweight champion and quite an extraordinary person in the UFC. Everyone knows McGregor for a very flamboyant manner of fighting, which includes various techniques and styles.
McGregor's unusual disposition is combined with a fierce character. He starts the fight long before its official start, because he always provokes his opponent in every possible way.
The daring Irishman is just making history. What is the fight of Jose Aldo, featherweight at UFC 194. Conor just smashed his opponent in 13 seconds and got the champion title.
At the moment, the fighter 21 wins and 3 losses.
Demetrius Johnson
The second place in our rating was taken by the famous American Demetrius Chrysna, who competes in the lightest weight category. Surprisingly, the fighter weighs only 56 kg. Now he is the reigning champion in his weight class, and he is also recognized as the most stable fighter.
A trained fighter can fight both in the standing position and in the ground. Differs in great speed and excellent reaction. Perfectly adapts to any opponent.
Demetrius now has 26 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw.
John jones
The winner of today's rating is the famous Jonathan Dwight Jones, nicknamed "Bones". He competes in the light heavyweight category at 93 kg.
He is one of the most talented and technical fighters in the whole world. What is the light heavyweight championship at just 23 years old. He became the youngest UFC champion in the history of the organization.
All his fights come to the end with undeniable victories. The only defeat has a not-so-good history, as he was disqualified for hitting elbows at forbidden angles. To be honest, John Jones has never been defeated.
However, like any talent, John found himself in an awkward situation when his dark side was revealed. It's sad to realize that the UFC legend has had legal problems with drug use. This led to the loss of belts, as well as the cancellation of some contracts with sponsors.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is arguably the fastest growing sport in the world. Every day the number of his fans is growing inexorably. Even though the sport is only about 25 years old, there have been many great champions in that short time. It is possible that this list of the best MMA fighters in another 25 years will look very different, but today it looks like this.
St Pierre is known by the nickname "Vigor" and is one of the most promising fighters in the world of MMA. Canadian competitor, former UFC welterweight champion. He is still in his prime (born 1981) and looking at his superior athleticism and wrestling skills, this is far from the limit. During his participation in the UFC fights in the welterweight division, Georges Saint-Pierre fought 27 fights, of which he won 25 and only 2 defeats, for both he avenged. In 2008 and 2009 he was named the best athlete of the year in Canada, as well as the best fighter of 2009 according to the Wrestling Observer magazine.
Anderson Silva, also known by the nickname "Spider" (born in 1975) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He recently lost his title to the younger and stronger Chris Weidman. Still, Silva remains one of the best fighters to take part in mixed martial arts. The Brazilian master held the title for the longest in UFC history, defending it 10 straight bouts. UFC President Dane White has named Silva the strongest fighter in mixed martial arts history.
Five-time UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion (record three times). Randy (known by the nickname "Natural", "Captain America") became the first fighter to win two UFC championship belts in two different weight classes. Randy Couture (born 1963) is known not only as an American fighter in Greco-Roman wrestling and MMA, but also as an actor and showman.
Chuck Liddell for MMA, someone like Michael Jordan for basketball, David Beckham for football, in a word "SUPERSTAR". It's no exaggeration to say that he is considered the most popular UFC fighter of all time to this day, and probably one of the best. Charles David Liddell, nicknamed "Ice" was born in 1969 - a professional kickboxer, world champion in the light heavyweight division according to the UFC from 2005 to 2007.
The sixth place in the ranking of the best MMA fighters goes to Bas Rutten. This is a Dutch kickboxer who took part in mixed martial arts fights. UFC Heavyweight Champion. Bas Rutten (born in 1965) also known by the nickname "Handsome", ended his career without losing, he had 22 fights, of which 21 wins and 1 draw. Rutten's favorite tactic is to attack the liver with both his arm and leg. His charisma, in and out of the "Octagon", has helped the Dutch athlete become a celebrity. To date, the former champion is a television commentator and has also starred in several films and video games.
Royce Gracie (born December 12, 1966) is a Brazilian fighter, master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His name tops the list in the UFC Hall of Fame. Considered one of the most influential figures in MMA history. He gained his fame thanks to victories over larger opponents with the help of wrestling techniques, thereby drawing the attention of athletes participating in MMA to learn more about wrestling on the ground. During his career, which ended in 2007, Gracie fought 16 fights, in 14 of them he won.
Matt Hughes (born October 13, 1973) is an American mixed martial artist and former two-time UFC welterweight champion. He defended his title a total of seven times, a record for the welterweight division. In his prime, Matt Hughes was literally invincible. During his career, he spent 54 fights, of which he won 45.
Dan Henderson
Words aren't enough to describe the greatness of Dan Henderson. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest and toughest MMA fighters of all time. Even more impressive is the fact that he is still fighting younger athletes to this day. Dan Henderson (born August 24, 1970) nicknamed "Hendo" became the first fighter to win the Pride Championship in multiple weight divisions (welterweight and middleweight). Former Olympic wrestler. He has won more titles than any other fighter in MMA history.
Igor Vovchanchin (born June 8, 1973) is a former Ukrainian kickboxer and mixed martial arts fighter, winner and medalist of many mixed style tournaments. Igor (born 1973) is known by the nickname "Cold-blooded" was one of the most dominant fighters of all time, from 1995 to 2000 he fought 32 fights in a row, never losing. In total, the kickboxer fought 87 fights, of which he won 76 fights. Igor Vovchanchin was also one of the shortest (174 cm) heavyweight fighters in the history of mixed martial arts.
Fedor Emelianenko
"The Last Emperor", "Terminator", these are the nicknames, Fedor Emelianenko (born September 28, 1976), the greatest MMA fighter who ever walked on the "octagon". Four-time world champion in MMA in the heavy weight category, seven-time champion of Russia and four-time world champion in combat sambo. International Master of Sports in Judo and Honored Master of Sports in Sambo.
For almost 10 years, Fedor remained invincible, having spent a total of 32 fights in this period of time, which made him the best fighter in the history of MMA.
In the history of mixed martial arts, especially in the UFC, there have been many fighters who have demonstrated exemplary skill and technique. The scale of strength, endurance and physical strength of these people illustrates how diverse the sport is. However, among the many experienced fighters, only a few names are mentioned when it comes to "The Greatest of All Time".
Below are the names of five fighters who have long been considered some of the best in the world of mixed martial arts. These fighters displayed technique, prowess, and impressive stats that cemented them as the greatest MMA representatives, but the rankings also took into account their overall impact on the sport.
№1 Fedor Emelianenko
Fedor Emelianenko is a fighter who is considered a true MMA legend. The best athletes in the world respect him, and fans never stop admiring The Last Emperor.
Technics: Unlike many fighters who use various punches and kicks, Emelianenko always acted quite simply, focusing his attention on heavy punches. However, the ability to perfectly adapt to any situation and think strategically made Fedora a genius fighter. An experienced sambist and judoka fighter, he performed throws and takedowns at the most opportune moments. Emelianenko was one of the fighters who brought down everything he had in his arsenal on opponents, demonstrating mixed martial arts in their brightest manifestation.
Career overview: With 182 centimeters in height, the legendary Russian fighter won 36 fights with 5 defeats and has a 10-year winning streak behind him, an achievement that not everyone can boast of. In addition, in 2010, Emelianenko was named the fighter of the decade, defeating the best representatives of his era. "The Last Emperor" has not only won numerous awards, such as: Pride champion, four-time world champion and nine-time Russian champion in combat sambo, but is also recognized by fighters and fans as one of the "Greatest of All Time".
# 2 Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva is popular with both fans and fighters for his diverse style and ability to dodge punches like the great Muhammad Ali once did. Born and flying the Brazilian flag, Silva has a reach of 197 cm, with a height of 188.
Technics: Best known for his stance style, Silva used various elements of Taekwondo, Brazilian Muay Thai and boxing to dodge opponents' punches and hit them so hard that they remained shaken even after the fight ended. One of the reasons for the effectiveness of the legendary "Spider" was the inability of opponents to unravel the secrets of his style. This made Silva completely unpredictable.
Career overview: With 34 wins and 8 losses, Silva has brought flair and personality to the cage, showing today's fighters what a show is like. Of Spider's 34 victories, more than half are by knockout, suggesting that Anderson has a good punch. In addition, Silva is the fighter who held the title for 2,457 days, with 10 successful defenses in a row. Personally, UFC President Dana White calls Anderson Silva one of the greatest mixed fighters in history.
# 3 Georges Saint-Pierre
Quebec-born Georges Saint-Pierre is considered one of the best tactical fighters of all time. The Canadian received the nickname "Rush" because of his ability to fully surrender himself to combat and maintain an inexhaustible supply of energy throughout the fight. Saint-Pierre may not have put on a flashy show in a cage, but he certainly earned great respect for his strategic and tactical approach to business.
Technics: What made Georges Saint-Pierre really great was his diversity. The ability to change tactics depending on the opponent made him dangerous for any fighter. Whether it was swapping, grappling or wrestling, Georges was good at each of these aspects. The ability to read his opponent and apply the necessary technical elements, made the Canadian fighter deadly.
Career overview: Georges Saint-Pierre's track record includes 25 victories and 2 defeats. The Canadian became the champion of the UFC at a fairly young age and has long been considered the best welterweight fighter. Rush retired in 2013 in their second longest streak of successful title defenses. Last year, Saint-Pierre returned and became the middleweight champion, thus adding another achievement to his regalia. Due to health problems, “Rush” was forced to resign from the championship and retire from the sport. With his skill and incredible accomplishments, Georges Saint-Pierre has sparked a whole generation of Canadian fighters who are now playing in the world's leading promotions.
No. 4. John jones
At 193 centimeters tall, John Jones is an American fighter of the modern era who churned out victories one after another.
Technics: Jones showed amazing athleticism and courage, knocking out his opponents with unconventional and unpredictable punches. His versatility and ability to win on the ground have often been compared to the skills of Anderson Silva and Georges Saint-Pierre. From powerful knee strikes to lightning-fast backfists, John Jones has shown constant improvement in his striking technique from fight to fight. Thanks to his creative abilities to move around opponents outside the box, while delivering smashing punches, Jones has become one of the contenders for the title of the greatest MMA fighter of all time.
Career overview: John Jones' record is 22 wins, one defeat and one fight declared invalid. Jones has defeated countless UFC legendary champions such as Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Quinton Jackson and more. In addition to being considered the best pound-for-pound fighter during his reign, "Bones" became the youngest UFC champion ever, trying on a gold belt at the age of 23. The American fighter made eight successful title defenses, after which he started having problems outside the Octagon. In July last year, Jones managed to make a phenomenal comeback, defeating reigning champion Daniel Cormier by technical knockout, however, later it turned out that his doping test gave a positive result and the fight was eventually declared invalid. At the moment, proceedings are underway and the great champion faces a four-year disqualification. Many well-known publicists call John Jones the best light heavyweight fighter in the world.
No. 5. Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie is considered the founding father of MMA. The legendary Brazilian fighter was born into a family that actually brought jiu-jitsu to the world of mixed martial arts. More than anyone else, Gracie remains one of the greatest fighters of all time for her contributions to the development of MMA. Royce not only proposed a simplified fighting technique, but in fact made the sport what it is today. Not only did Gracie popularize Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he also opened the eyes of fighters around the world that victory can be achieved not only with fists, but with grappling and wrestling on canvas. Royce Gracie is considered by many fans to be the most influential figure in MMA history.
Technics: Gracie was a fighter who cannot be resisted if you fell into his tenacious hands. While most of the fighters used exclusively striking techniques, Royce's grappling skills were so unrivaled that even the most experienced and strongest drummer had to give up in an instant. Regardless of who he fought with, be it a master of karate, taekwondo or boxing, Gracie won the victory as soon as he managed to get his opponent on the canvas. And the point is not that many fighters at that time were not familiar with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, one of the reasons for his success was the ability to skillfully maneuver against his opponent, regardless of the position he was in. His strength was patience, and whether it was submission through side control or transfer to guard from a clinch, Gracie knew exactly what to do.
Career overview: With a height of 185 centimeters, during his career, Royce Gracie won 15 victories, suffered two defeats and ended three fights in a draw. What's more impressive, however, is that after starting in the UFC, he won the first three of the organization's four tournaments with 11 wins and one draw. A member of the UFC Hall of Fame, Royce Gracie is the first tournament champion in promotional history, with the majority of victories being submissions. Gracie was also the longest fighter in both the UFC and Pride, which speaks volumes about his incredible stamina.
There are certainly plenty of fighters that deserve a spot on this list, but the aforementioned MMA representatives are the most talked about characters among fans and MMA professionals alike. Since each fighter has fought in different weight classes and for different periods of time, it is impossible to award any of them the title of "Greatest MMA Fighter of All Time". In the end, their example of domination in the world of mixed martial arts inspired and motivated many young guys who are still storming the heights of MMA to this day.
Modern mixed martial arts are increasingly taking the form of an entertaining show, which begins to prevail over the sports component of MMA. The leadership of large organizations is increasingly paying attention to the vivid image of the fighter and his charisma, rather than his fighting qualities. If you know how to speak beautifully, do not get lost in front of the camera and can offend your opponent lightly, then, other things being equal, your chance of getting a big fight or getting to the title doubles.
It is not surprising that in these realities, one of the important factors for the promotion of a fighter and the development of his career is the number of followers on social networks, no matter how funny it sounds. If millions of people are subscribed to you on the same instagram, they see you on the screens of their devices every day, flipping through the feed in the morning, which means they will be aware of when you have the next fight and, at least, will be interested in the result of this fight. In fact, in the age of information technology, subscribers are the most lively audience and their number directly affects the financial success of a fighter. As you may have guessed, today we are going to talk about the most popular fighters on the Internet.
10. Paige VanZant
Instagram: 1.9 million
Twitter : 300 thousand
Total coverage: 2.2 million
Our ranking is opened by the cutie from the lightest UFC division Paige VanZant. She is not read by many people on Twitter, but her Instagram audience is almost 2 million people, which is quite logical: most are interested in racy photos of VanZant than her tweets. Two million is not bad for a girl with a 4-3 UFC record. The charismatic 24-year-old gained the most popularity when she went on a streak of three consecutive victories in the UFC, but then lost to Rose Namajunas in a real bloodbath. However, Paige's popularity did not drop, quite the opposite. The reason for this is that after the first defeat, the athlete took part in the American television project "Dancing with the Stars", and not only took part, but won the final of the 22nd season. After a while, VanZant released an autobiographical book in which she admitted that she was the victim of a gang rape at school. Great PR. Since then, Paige's popularity on social media has increased, as has her breast size, following her silicone implant surgery.
9. Daniel Cormier
Instagram: 1.8 million
Twitter : 700 thousand
Total coverage: 2.5 million
In ninth place is the greatest UFC fighter, regardless of weight categories, light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. DC has fewer followers on Instagram than Paige VanZant, but he surpassed her in the number of followers on Twitter. The double-weight champion and his career, information about which often appears on Twitter, is followed by many people. Daniel Cormier's Instagram is about belts, belts, workouts, workouts and more workouts. Oh yeah, and some family photos. It is worth noting that Cormier gained the lion's share of popularity by winning the heavyweight champion belt in a fight with Stipe Miocic. Until that moment, Cormier was not among the top ten.
8. Jose Aldo
Instagram: 2 million
Twitter : 900 thousand
Total coverage: 2.9 million
José Aldo has an obscenely large Twitter audience. His tweets are read by more than 900,000 people, most of whom are probably Brazilians. He gained a significant part of this audience in 2015, during a fierce confrontation with Conor McGregor, which at that time was not heard only by the deaf. Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians subscribed to their compatriot out of patriotic convictions, in the hope that he would defend the honor of the country in a battle with the insolent Irishman. I did not defend. Now the popularity of the Brazilian ex-champion in the social. networks has significantly faded away, and in the UFC they no longer pay as much attention to him as before.
7. Nate Diaz
Instagram: 2.6 million
Twitter : 1.1 million
Total coverage: 3.7 million
In seventh place is the infamous Stockton UFC fighter Nate Diaz. And again, with the help of Conor McGregor. It's no secret that Diaz (quite deservedly) got the lion's share of his current popularity by strangling Conor McGregor in 2016, inflicting his first defeat in the UFC. Nevertheless, the Diaz brothers were popular in the states before. The younger Diaz's smoked tweets are read by over a million people. Nate, every now and then, will soak something that is then discussed by the whole world of MMA. Show up at a press conference for the upcoming fight and then tweet "I won't fight on this show. Fuck the UFC!" - it's in his style. In almost all of the photos on Instagram, Diaz flaunts with his workout comrades, and Diaz has practically no eyes in these photos.
6. Georges Saint-Pierre
Instagram: 2 million
Twitter : 1.95 million
Total coverage: 3.95 million
Georges St-Pierre is a true superstar in Canada. Even those who are not even close to the UFC know him there. Saint Pierre is one of the greatest fighters in the history of mixed martial arts, so it would be surprising if he was not in this rankings. While the former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion is one foot retired, he remains one of the most popular fighters in the world. His kindness, respect, and human simplicity appeal to many fans, so it's not surprising that two million people follow his instagram and almost as many follow his twitter. On Instagram, he has a lot of ordinary photos from training, but his legendary status also means that on his account you can find other, more interesting photos, with no less legendary people.
5. John Jones
Instagram: 3 million
Twitter : 2.05 million
Total coverage: 5.05 million
John "Bones" Jones has surpassed Daniel Cormier this time too. The ex-light heavyweight champion opens the top five. Jones' total following is twice that of Cormier. Jones is a controversial figure in the MMA world. On the one hand, this is a phenomenal fighter who destroyed all the opponents in the cage with whom he met and became the youngest champion in UFC history. The other side is overshadowed by Jones' legal troubles, failed drug tests and an addiction to noisy parties with seas of booze. Jones' Instagram is full of cool workout videos and motivating quotes, from Gandhi to the Bible, and at the same time is replete with "candid" messages to all of his haters.
4. Anderson Silva
Instagram: 2.9 million
Twitter : 7.9 million
Total coverage: 10.8 million
And in fourth place in the ranking is the first and only fighter whose Twitter audience exceeds the Instagram audience, and it is almost three times higher. What is the reason for such a gap is not clear. Last year, Spider failed a drug test for the second time, which was the reason for the cancellation of his fight against Calvin Gastelum. Silva's suspension ends this November, so the legendary ex-middleweight champion is set to return to the Octagon this year and is aiming to fight Conor McGregor in the process. Despite his troubles with anti-doping agency USADA, Anderson Silva remains one of the brightest, most prominent and memorable fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. Judging by his instagram, Spider just loves to train and play airsoft.
