| There's no better way to stick your neck out | | | | who likes to watch Tim Silvia fight. He keeps on |
| that coming up with a top 10 "anything" list. It just | | | | winning, but I'm never impressed with his |
| gets worse when you talk about combat sports | | | | performances. Sorry Tim, that's the way it is, you |
| like boxing, kickboxing or mixed martial arts. | | | | sit at number seven and if you don't start winning |
| However, here it is, my top 10 list of | | | | fights in a more crowd pleasing manner, I'm afraid |
| heavyweight MMA fighters on the planet. | | | | you'll drop off the top 10 entirely. |
| I need to tell you that when I decided to write | | | | The 6th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the |
| down my top 10 list, I didn't think it would take | | | | world |
| too long. I believed that I could easily pick 10 | | | | It might surprise you that I put former K-1 fighter |
| fighters that were heads and shoulders above the | | | | Mark Hunt in the top 10. It should surprise you |
| pack. It wasn't that easy. I'm sure that there will | | | | that I put him above Tim Silvia, but I have my |
| be a lot of people who disagree with my picks, | | | | reasons. Last year Mark Hunt beat Mirko Cro Cop |
| but isn't that the point, to start a discussion of | | | | (by a very close decision) and he also held strong |
| who's the best and who is just there for a | | | | with Fedor Emelianenko, even on the ground, in |
| paycheck? | | | | the most recent Pride event. |
| The 10th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the | | | | The 5th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the |
| world. | | | | world |
| This was the toughest position to choose, really | | | | Josh Barnett is my pick for the 5th best MMA |
| there could be 4 or 5 guys tied for this position, | | | | heavyweight fighter in the world. Josh says his |
| but I needed to choose one and it was Mark "The | | | | style is "pro wrestling", but don't mistake his |
| Hammer" Coleman. Mark Coleman was one of | | | | performances as fake. Barnett combines general |
| MMA's pioneers, he established ground and pound | | | | toughness and strength with much improved |
| as a valid MMA skill. In fact, Mark is still one of the | | | | stand up and a stellar ground game. His fights are |
| most intense fighters in the game. Unfortunately | | | | always exciting and often bloody. Josh is a former |
| his submission skills (both offensive and defensive) | | | | UFC heavyweight champion with victories over |
| have not improved enough to be competitive with | | | | the likes of Randy Couture. |
| the top fighters in the world. | | | | The 4th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the |
| The 9th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the | | | | world |
| world | | | | A year ago I would have put Andrei Arlovski in |
| Rashad Evans is my pick for fighter number 9. | | | | the top 3, maybe even top 2, but his losses to |
| Rashad is still relatively new to the fight game and | | | | Tim Silvia have me wondering. I don't question |
| his natural athletic ability is as good as it gets. With | | | | Andrei's skills, he's an excellent stand up fighter |
| time Rashad will move much closer to the head | | | | with a strong ground game, I do question |
| of the pack, but for now, congratulations Rashad | | | | whether he is afraid of getting hit after loosing to |
| on your success and making it to the list! | | | | Tim Silvia's by knockout. By the way, that is a |
| The 8th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the | | | | fight he should have won, in my opinion Silvia got |
| world | | | | lucky (but he seems to do that a lot). I'm looking |
| Brandon "The Truth" Vera is certainly one of the | | | | forward to seeing what 2007 has in store for |
| most exciting heavyweight fighters in the UFC | | | | Andrei. |
| right now and I was tempted to put him in the | | | | The 3rd best heavyweight MMA fighter in the |
| top 5. However, he needs to beat a more | | | | world |
| substantial fighter than Frank Mir. While I have the | | | | Who in their right mind would argue that Mirko |
| utmost respect for Frank Mir, it's apparent to me | | | | Cro Cop belongs in the top 3 heavyweight |
| that he's not the same fighter that he was | | | | fighters in the world? Now that Mirko has joined |
| before his accident. I believe that Brandon will be | | | | the UFC it's clear that Tim Silvia's days as |
| top 5 on next years list. He's one quality win | | | | champion are numbered. Mirko will hold the UFC |
| away from that (in my eyes). | | | | heavyweight title in 2007, I'd put money on that |
| The 7th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the | | | | one. Mirko's strength is most certainly his striking, |
| world | | | | including the best high kicks in the business. |
| Tim Silvia is the UFC's heavyweight champion. | | | | Victim's of Cro Cop's left high kick is a list of MMA |
| Why is he only ranked #7, the only explanation I | | | | royalty...I wonder if he can get that kick 6 foot 7 |
| have is that I've never personally met anyone | | | | (Tim Silvia's height). |