5 Best MMA Fighters Ever - MMA Highlights

#2 Fedor Emelianenko (38-5-1)

The Last Emporer is still going strong at 42 years old.

Fedor Emelianenko is a synonym for intimidation, the epitome of dominance and simply put, the baddest man on the planet when in his element. Look at his mind-boggling statistics and achievements and you’d know what a beast he was in his prime.

The Last Emperor was unbeaten for 8 years in 28 fights from 2000 to 2008. The list of victims includes two Olympic medalists, four former UFC Champions, one former Pride FC Champion and three K1 Champions. It’s a testament to one’s ability when world-class fighters call you the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.

Mike Tyson, Chuck Norris, Junior Dos Santos, Jose Also and Fabricio Werdum have ranked Fedor as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in MMA. So what makes him special, you ask?

It’s simplicity at its ruthless best. The Russian juggernaut infused his exceptional Judo and Sambo techniques with the striking system of modern Mixed Martial Arts. He excelled with his heavy-handed boxing and came to be known for his merciless ground and pound, possibly his strongest facet. He moved flawlessly for a 240 lb heavyweight and wasn’t apprehensive to get into positions that were deemed unsafe.

His defense was solid which somehow complimented his relentless aggression that eventually broke his opponents. Despite his background, Emelianenko took to MMA like fish to water and fine-tuned every aspect of his game. “Very few men can claim to have Olympic alternate level judo and still able to out-strike the best kickboxer in MMA history,” said noted MMA analyst Jack Slack – a statement that says a lot about Emelianenko’s natural skill set.

However, despite being the all-conquering champion in every promotion he fought for, Emelianenko never fought in the UFC. That gives us no reason to doubt his greatness as he overcame the best heavyweights of his time outside the UFC. A watered down Emelianenko may have lost to the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva, Dan Henderson, and Matt Mitrione at the tail end of his career but that does not take away from the fact that he is the greatest Heavyweight in Mixed Martial History, period.

And guess what, you can still catch him in action for Bellator where he is one win away from becoming the Heavyweight Champion at the age of 42. Legend.

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Before we move onto to the last name on this list, here are a few Honorable Mentions:

Matt Hughes, Daniel Cormier, Jose Aldo, BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture