5 Fittest UFC Fighters

The UFC is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the premier Mixed Martial Arts organization in the world today. Considering that, it'd come as no surprise that the company's roster boasts some of the fittest athletes on the planet.

Regardless, fitness is a rather subjective term in most cases, as different people have different scales of measuring one's fitness. For some, fitness may mean excellent cardiovascular skills -- for others, it may be characterized by formidable strength -- whereas most MMA competitors often aim for the optimum balance between the cardio and strength possessed by one's body.

Today, we take a special look at some of the fittest UFC fighters who are renowned the world over for their incredible physical skills. So, without further ado, let's get to the cream of the crop in the land of the fittest -- the Ultimate Fighting Championship!

#5 Stipe Miocic

The firefighter from Cleveland who became the man to finally break the UFC Heavyweight Title defense curse, unfortunately suffered an upset KO loss to current UFC Light-Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion Daniel "DC" Cormier at UFC 226 earlier this year.

Nevertheless, Miocic remains one of the most well-rounded fighters the sport of MMA has ever seen -- possessing excellent cardio, great strength as evidenced by his clinch-work as well as overall grappling, and also happens to be blessed with God-given Knockout power.

As noted, Miocic became the first man to successfully defend his UFC Heavyweight Championship on three separate occasions. It's indeed noteworthy that the proud Croatian-American who was raised in Cleveland, Ohio, often credits his top-notch fitness to the fact that he trains consistently -- be it putting in work in the skills department, or focusing on his strength and conditioning routines.

Miocic also notes that his head coach Marcus Marinelli is one of the most important people who've helped him scale such great heights of success in the MMA realm. Furthermore, Miocic is known to be highly disciplined when it comes to his cardio workout routines, as the man often cuts down on excessive muscle mass, in favor of a leaner, less-defined body...

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#4 Jon Jones

Jon Jones is one of the fittest fighters in the world today

Yes, Jon Jones' entire career is now under scrutiny, given that he's tested positive for illegal PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) on multiple occasions over the years. However, the fact remains that -- irrespective of whether the man is on prohibited substances or not -- Jones is indeed one of the fittest athletes to have ever graced a Mixed Martial Arts cage.

Firstly, Jones' cardio is great, as the man never seems to run out of gas, no matter how many strikes he throws or absorbs inside the UFC's famed Octagon. Secondly, the strength which Jones has been gifted with, is undoubtedly legendary. Even one of his biggest enemies outside the cage -- UFC Welterweight Colby Covington -- confirmed that during their days as roommates, when they were both amateur wrestlers, Jones once literally sent a few random troublemakers flying through the air.

Love him or hate him, Jon Jones is one of the fittest athletes in combat sports today...

#3 Tyron Woodley

Tyron Woodley is the reigning UFC Welterweight Champion of the world, and the fact that his run with the title has been so very dominant just goes to show how physically-gifted an individual "The Chosen One" truly is. Having defended his UFC 170-pound title against the likes of Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, Demian Maia and Darren "The Gorilla" Till, Woodley has established himself as one of the most consistent champions on the current UFC roster.

A rather intriguing facet of Woodley's arsenal is the fact that after having struggled a bit in the cardio department over the years -- particularly in his decision loss to Rory Macdonald -- Woodley eventually learned how to pace himself. That, in turn, has helped T-Wood tremendously, and the man is now terrific all through the championship rounds.

Woodley is one of the most explosive strikers and grapplers in the UFC today, and having learned how to be efficient with his energy, the future seems bright for this perspicacious MMA combatant...

#2 TJ Dillashaw

TJ Dillashaw is one of the most well-rounded fighters in MMA today

TJ Dillashaw is perhaps one of the most underrated fighters in all of Mixed Martial Arts today. Let's face it, the man can strike with the best strikers in the Bantamweight division, grapple with the slickest, and out-think the most knowledgeable fighters in the sport today.

What's paramount when talking about Dillashaw's brilliance, is that no matter how skillful the man may be, he's always cautious about not cruising on his martial arts skills alone. This is indeed a highly essential factor when it comes to MMA. I'd like to hark back to the time when combat sports legend Georges St-Pierre noted during the buildup to his fights against BJ Penn; that Penn -- an extremely skilled martial artist -- loses mainly because his fitness levels aren't up to the mark.

Conversely, Dillashaw -- who is just as, or perhaps even more, skilled than Penn -- never takes his fitness routines for granted. Dillashaw, much like Stipe Miocic, is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the world today...

#1 Cris Cyborg

Alright, granted that Cris Cyborg -- akin to Jon Jones -- has tested positive for illegal PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) in the past, however, Cyborg is simply too dominant a force to be left off the list. The terrifying UFC Women's Featherweight Champion possesses great cardio, unquestionable strength as well as legitimate one-punch KO power.

Cyborg often notes that her love for training not only the skills that are required to perform as a world-class fighter, but also the strength and conditioning routines; is what makes her such a well-rounded combatant. Cyborg, much like TJ Dillashaw, doesn't simply coast on her diverse skill-set, but instead trains on a consistent basis and never shies away from putting in that extra work.

Furthermore, Cyborg's energy management issues -- something that she experienced early in her MMA career -- now seem to have been phased out expertly. Irrespective of whether or not you condone her past steroid usage, the fact remains that Cyborg is indeed one of the fittest fighters in the UFC today.

Which fighter do you think is the fittest in the UFC? Sound off in the comments below!

Edited by Raunak J