We've covered a lot of the negatives when it comes to records in mixed martial arts, and more specifically the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This time, however, we thought it would be best to focus on the positives by praising some of the greatest fighters to ever walk into the octagon. Obviously, there's been quite a few of them, but these five have had some unbelievable winning streaks over the years.
You may not choose to include a few of these names in your "most exciting fighters" list, but regardless nobody can deny their talent as exampled by their ability to continually avoid defeat. Some of these legends are still fighting to this day, meanwhile, others have disappeared into the sunset - which may or may not be a good thing depending on how much you enjoy old guys stepping into the cage.
Maintaining winning streaks as long as these in a sport as unpredictable as mixed martial arts is something we see very rarely, and because of that it's important we appreciate these tenures as opposed to tearing them down at every possible opportunity. Then again, that's what the internet is for most of the time right?
With that being said, here at the five greatest UFC winning streaks in history.
#5 Demetrious Johnson - 11
Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson is arguably the greatest pound for pound fighter on the face of the planet right now. A lot of people argue against this notion because they believe there isn't enough talent within his division, but you can only beat what is put in front of you and Johnson has been able to accomplish that time and time again over the years.
June 2012 was when his long run began and he hasn't looked back since, dominating the Flyweight division with pinpoint accuracy and a sensational skill set. It seems likely that he'll add to this total as time goes on and who knows, perhaps he'll eventually surpass the number one spot on this list one day. If his current trajectory continues, then it's a given.
Onto a man who dominated the UFC in its early stages.
#4 Royce Gracie - 11
Royce Gracie is one of the most influential figures in the history of mixed martial arts. He played a huge hand in bringing the sport into the mainstream and in the process made himself one of the biggest names in the UFC - and rightly so. From 1993 until his loss to Matt Hughes in 2006 Gracie obtained a stunning 11 consecutive victories, however the last of those did come in 1994 so this may count as a bit of a cop out.
Regardless, he was a stunning performer and his victories from UFC 1 to UFC 4 were sensational. He fought at the openweight class alot of the time which is one of the reasons why people don't really put too much stock into his 11 wins, but in any sport that's an impressive feat and as such we should celebrate him for his outstanding accomplishments.
Now to a man who is looking to reclaim his throne.
#3 Georges St-Pierre - 12
As the Welterweight Champion of the world, nobody could touch Georges St-Pierre. The guy was a freak of nature and came back from two losses with a vengeance - going on to win 12 straight as one of the most dominant champions of all time. A lot of people may argue that he should've lost this streak against Johny Hendricks, but regardless you can't argue with the facts.
Also read: 5 reasons why Georges St-Pierre vs. Bisping will be amazing
It's been nearly ten years since this run began back in August 2007 and now that he's back, GSP is looking to add to this total when he faces off against Michael Bisping for the UFC Middleweight Championship. No matter what you may think of the bout, nobody can deny that it's the biggest money match-up on the table right now.
It's time for a man who desperately needs to get his act together.
#2 Jon Jones - 13
Jon Jones is such an incredible athlete, having proven his abilities time and time again in the Light Heavyweight division. Unfortunately his personal demons have gotten the better of him over the last few years, which has robbed us of watching the guy in his prime. Still, we can all dream of a return and when he finally steps back into the octagon we're expecting him to go straight after Daniel Cormier once again.
The run of 13 victories began back in March 2010 and has continued on to where we are today, however, much like GSP the record has been tarnished ever so slightly. With that being said, everyone is going to be gunning for Jones if he does decide to come back and because of that there are plenty of big time fights that he could take. So, essentially - we're excited.
We conclude with the greatest of all time - fact.
#1 Anderson Silva - 16
Nobody can deny this man's greatness. Ever. Anderson "The Spider" Silva is one of the most remarkable mixed martial artists to ever step foot on planet earth and his position atop this list solidifies that. Sixteen straight wins in the UFC doesn't happen by accident, and his legacy inside of the octagon will live on forever regardless of his future fights.
Many people feel as if he should retire, but every time we get to see Anderson fight is a blessing no matter how good or bad the performance is. A lot of people will be talking about his losses to Chris Weidman for a long time, but they'll be equally as happy to talk about what a phenomenal career this guy has had.
Bow down to the best of all time, ladies and gentlemen.
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