Who are your Top Fighters of the Decade?

[HPC]

I think a unanimous #1 is awarded to Fedor, but other than that, who would you rank as the top of the decade of MMA (2000-2010)?

(Based on everything from wins, titles, recognition, etc)

Mine would look like:

1) Fedor Emelianenko
2) Chuck Liddell
3) Randy Couture
4) Anderson Silva
5) Tito Ortiz
6) Georges St. Pierre
7) Antonio Noguiera
8) Matt Hughes
9) Gegard Mousasi
10) Rich Franklin
11) Wanderlei Silva
12) Rampage Jackson
13) BJ Penn
14) Dan Henderson
15) Urijah Faber
16) Lyoto Machida
17) Forrest Griffin
18) Vitor Belfort
19) Rashad Evans
20) Jake Shields / Andrei Arlvoski

...I felt either Shields or Andrei could hold a spot on the list, due to Andrei's significance mid-decade.

Also Shields as being one of the most underrated middleweight fighters around with wins against: Mayhem, Conduit, Cung Le, Okami, and Robbie Lawler- not to mention a 13 fight win streak

 

[bigredmachine]

No love for Matt Hughes?

 

[HPC]

No love for Matt Hughes?

Wow.

Knew I overlooked somebody.

::facepalm::

 

[kdailey4315]

Hendo needs to be higher. The only fighter in history to hold 2 Pride belts at once. Tito at 5 is a stretch. Sure he was LHW champ but he ducked Liddell for years.

 

[Jastermereel]

Hughes, Wanderlei, & Penn should be higher IMO.

 

[bigredmachine]

Penn needs to be higher. Titles in different weight divisions. A lot depends if your basing this on wins, belts or just popularity. Liddell would be #1 just for popularity and bring so much money and fans to the sport.

 

[HPC]

I can see moving Penn up to #5 and possibly Wanderlei ahead of Mousasi at #9, but, Hughes is solid where he is (and I really like Matt) and it's hard to put him much farther when the others are in front of him.

In terms of who had the better decade wins wise, of course Hughes did, but all-in-all, it's hard to rank him above GSP--close, but I wouldnt.

Nog is good where he is because he had never been finished in a fight until this year. He was not the most dominating, but the hardest HW to fight for 10 years because you could beat his ass all night and he wouldnt quit--Fedor couldnt even do it.

As for Ortiz... him and Liddell dominated the LHW divison for nearly half the decade. It's hard to dispute that he is a staple of that division and if he didnt duck Chuck out, he could be higher. Could he be moved down a bit, yes, but not by much

 

[JzWand]

Wanderlei
BJ
Gegard Mousasi
Robbie Lawler
Frank Shamrock
Tito Ortiz
Dan Henderson
Jon Fitch
Sean Sherk
Rampage
Fedor
Nogueira
Sakuraba

I am sure I am leaving some guys off.

 

[Jastermereel]

Oh, yeah, Sakuraba definitely deserves to be there above several of those guys (Rashad).

Matt Hughes should be #3 or #4 IMO. Definitely above Tito, Anderson Silva, & St. Pierre.

 

[Ty Hope]

Fedor
Sakuraba
Wanderlei
Gomi
Nog
Penn
GSP

 

[Super Mario]

Shonie Carter and Krazy Horse Bennett.

 

[VictoryTradingCards]

Here's my list:

1. Fedor (not even disputable IMO)
2. Matt Hughes (not a fan at all, but have to give him credit)
3. Wanderlei Silva (ring age has caught up with him, but had an incredible 6 year run)
4. Big Nog (Was recovering from staph when he fought Mir - would LOVE a rematch)
5. Chuck Liddell (I'd put him higher if the UFC didn't give him stylistically favorable opponents)
6. Dan Henderson (just look at all the names on his record. Stacked.)
7. GSP (would be higher but he didn't start making waves until the middle of the decade)
8. BJ Penn (sick BJJ aside, also probably the best boxer in MMA)
9. Anderson Silva (can anybody beat this guy at 185?)
10. Rampage Jackson (Griffin loss was BS, virtually undefeated since April 2005 - though you could argue Lindland beat him in the WFA)

Anyway, it's highly subjective and if you wanted to shuffle these guys around a bit (outside of Fedor) I really wouldn't have any gripes.

 

[Super Mario]

Murilo Ninja beat Rampage too, but I don't recall what year that fight took place in Pride. But even Rampage knows he lost.