This was meant to be done shortly after the Best of 2013 series but delays pushed it back until now. Also in a MMA Freak first this list was made by votes from the MMA Forum website. This will probably be the first but not last of these lists. So with that here we go with the lists:
10. Top 10 scariest fighters in MMA
This list was meant to be the capstone of the 2013 Halloween series. The original criteria was that the fighters had to be physically and psychologically intimidating in some way. While there were some big names on the list such as Brock Lesnar, Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, and Diego Sanchez just to name a few, I don’t think I was clear in the criteria or message. Plus if I had to do it over again I would probably include names such as Wanderlei Silva. However, it was nominated for the Top 10 Articles of 2013 in the Best of 2013 series.
9. Top 10 Olympians who gave MMA a try
At the time I wrote this list, Olympic wrestling had it’s back against the wall. This list was meant to help support the campaign to save Olympic wrestling. While non-wrestlers were on this list such as Ronda Rousey, Ray Mercer, and Mohammed Ali just to name a few, the list was meant to show that Olympians overall could benefit from MMA. Ultimately the International Olympic Committee chose to keep wrestling over Baseball/Softball and Squash but on the condition that two weight classes be added to women’s Olympic freestyle. Overall I think it was a good list and it was fun listing legends such as Randy Couture and Don Frye and well as wrestlers like Alexander Karelin.
8. Top 10 Boxers to Crossover into MMA
This list was written to recognize the elite in boxing who gave MMA a try. There were big name fighters on the list such as Mohammed Ali, Ray Mercer, and James Toney. Also on the list are those who have actually done well in MMA such as Holly Holm and surprisingly Eric “Butterbean” Esch. However, I did leave out some notables such as Jessica Rakoczy. It would look different with a do over.
7. Top 10 MMA promotions that could be on Showtime soon
There was hope at the time that I wrote this list that Showtime would pick up another MMA promotion as a broadcast partner. Since then the prospects have dwindled and in all likelihood MMA will probably never return to the premium cable network anytime soon. However, it was good to look over several of the at the time top second tier promotions. Some of the promotions listed have made big deals like Invicta FC’s deal with UFC Fight Pass, and Titan FC’s deal with CBS Sports Network. Supposedly XFC will be making a television deal soon.
6. Top 10 overrated fighters in MMA
The 2013 Halloween series lists was definitely a fun one to do and this was one of the better lists in that series. In every sport there will always be overrated fighters and without a doubt MMA is no exception. Included in this list were some of the classics such as Joe Son, Thomas Ramirez, and John Matua who all made appearances during the UFC’s early no holds barred tournaments. Then there were also the contemporaries on the list such as Houston Alexander and James Irvin. However, the man who topped the cake was Kimbo Slice.
5. Top 10 MMA fighters turned Hollywood actors
Any of the lists from this point on are some of the more higher viewed lists of 2013 and there is a reason why this one was in that group. This list covered those fighters who’s crossing into some big screen appearances. At the time names such as Georges St.-Pierre and Ronda Rousey were only mentioned as having upcoming roles which is still the case with Rousey. However, there were names on the list such as Gina Carano, Randy Couture, and Bas Rutten that are more recognizable. Watching these their flicks is also fun.
4. Top 10 scariest MMA injuries
Another installment of the 2013 Halloween series, this list was all about shock factor. Injuries in any sport can be brutal and ugly (literally), but in MMA it has a whole different meaning. Among the injuries were Randy Couture‘s flying tooth, Miesha Tate‘s dislocated elbow, and Rich Franklin‘s smashed nose just to name a few. Then there are the broken bones like Tim Sylvia‘s forearm and Corey Hill‘s leg. A lot of these injuries are brutal but since then there have been some more brutal injuries such as Anderson Silva‘s leg that could be added.
3. Top 10 worst weight cutters in MMA
This was only my second list and as such I’m proud that it’s so highly viewed. However, the topic is one that is rather serious in that it covers those who failed to make weight at the weigh-ins. In some cases the said fighters shouldn’t have been fighting at that weight like Anthony Johnson who after missing weight at both welterweight and middleweight is now fighting at light heavyweight. Then there are those who had no excuse to making weight like Gina Carano and Thiago Santos. In a revision Ricardo Mayorga would make the list.
2. Top 10 over-hyped MMA reality show fighters who went bust
So this was my very first list and it was also my first big success. I had always been fascinated by participants on The Ultimate Fighter who had potential but then faltered at some point in their career. However, because Fight Master had just come out at the time I made it a reality list so I could include those who participated in that show. Some notable names on the list included that of Uriah Hall, Jesse Taylor, and Kendall Grove just to name a few. Since then however, people like Hall and Taylor have been making career comebacks.
1. Top 10 men who influenced MMA-Including Sherlock Holmes
Being a history buff I wrote this list to reflect the long history of MMA. Included in this list were some familiar men like Dana White and Rorion Gracie who took part in the UFC in some way. Then you had those legends like Helio Gracie, Antonio Inoki, and Bruce Lee who all had a part in influencing MMA in the technique part. I am very proud of this list even though it isn’t one of my most viewed. I’m not the only one who thought it was well written as it was ranked number four on the Top 10 Articles of 2013 list in January.
If you would like the opportunity to participate in another one of these voting lists register at the MMA Forum. Leave a comment!