# MMA Forums Top Ten Strikers In The UFC.



## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

I will compile these later into one official list, I figured since the list Davisty posted seemed so wrong we could compare them to out own.

Everyone must post 1-10 in order, no ties, no posting 9, has to be 10.


I will start.

1. BJ Penn - His accuracy is scary and his power when you consider how small he is every bit as intimidating.

2. GSP - Everyone always talks about GSP's wrestling but his striking is every bit as good and he is a master at picking his opponents apart and setting up the takedown.

3. Vitor Belfort - Speed, accuracy one hell of a menace especially at MW.

4. Shogun - Hate to admit it but I wrote him off after the Coleman fight but he has looked great in his last two times out even finding the mark on the seemingly impossible to hit Lyoto Machida.

5. Lyoto Machida - Pin point accuracy and has shown some big power.

6. Anderson Silva - Probably the best counter puncher on the list, huge power, scary accuracy but looks to uncomfortable as the aggressor for me to put him any higher much better at being the mouse than the cat.

7. Junior Dos Santos - One scary man, hits like a ton of bricks and picking apart strikers the caliber of Cro Cop and Gilbert Yvel is no easy task.

8. Paul Daley - Coming into the UFC I wrote Daley off as another overated Brit, boy did I eat crow, he has looked even better since stepping into the octagon and is probably the hardest hitting fighter in the WW division.

9. Little Nog - One of the best boxers in all of MMA and also one of the easiest to forget.

10. Kenny Florian - alot of people have been writing him off but that is just because being #10 is a far cry from #1, Kenny has crisp striking and works great angles, there is no shame in not being BJ Penn.


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## enceledus (Jul 8, 2007)

wow... I'm really surprised that is your order. Good picks, but you put gsp and bj penn over Lyoto and Anderson?


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

I have said often said that I think Anderson Silva is the most over rated striker in the UFC, he is viscous against aggressive strikers but lacks the ability to really attack and look comfortable, all his highlight real knock outs and highlight fights in general are against people who were aggressive and went after him wrecklessly, Hendo, Forrest, Irvin.


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## Ground'N'Pound5 (Aug 7, 2009)

^^good point 

not bad list dude!


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## Davisty69 (May 24, 2007)

Hey now... You make it sound as if that was my list  Don't shot the messenger.

1. A. Silva - Say what you want about him being a counterstriker, his accuracy evasiveness is off the charts compared to pretty much everyone on this list.

2. Penn - Not much in the way of anything besides punching, but his boxing is by and far the best at 155, if not the the whole UFC. 

3. Shogun - Great MT, and almost  used it to win the LHW title. Quick and crisp. I liked it.

4. Machida - Nice striking, but mainly earns this spot due to his elusiveness and ability to avoid being hit. 

5. Belfort - Speed, accuracy, and power. Not much else to ask for in the striking game. Lets see if he can keep it consitent.

6. GSP - I want to rate him higher but he simply doesn't show it enough anymore to earn that spot for me. He's too much wrestling, and not enough striking for me to rate his striking.

7. Lil Nog - Destroying Louis Cane was thoroughly impressive. His striking is solid and deserves a place on this list.

8. Junior Dos Santos - You simply can't dismiss his destruction of CC and Yvel. They are both fantastic strikers (even an off the map CC is still dangerous) and JDS wrecked them... Especially Yvel. Hell, he beat Yvel so bad that he made me rethink how good Yvel is 

9. Paul Daley - He has clearly shown that his standup is nothing to be trifled with. It is crisp, accurate, and powerful. He is a force at 170.

10. Florian - Yeah, BJ crushed him. BJ crushes everyone at 155 so get over it. Florian looked absolutely great against everyone else he fought at 155 because his striking is so solid. His use of elbows are what gets him on my list. He uses them better than most people in the UFC today.


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## js1316 (Jun 17, 2007)

*1. BJ Penn* - he is easily the best striker in the UFC when he is fighting in his weightclass, he has wicked jabs and head movement, and even showed in his last fight with Diego Sanchez that he can throw some mean kicks. :thumbsup:

*2. Shogun* - some of the best leg kicks in the UFC, along with some great clinch striking and good boxing he comes in very close behind BJ Penn. He outstruck a mean standup fighter in Lyoto Machida, and has showed numerous times what kind of power he has in his hands and legs. 

*3. Junior dos Santos* - he has absolutely tooled everyone he has fought in the UFC with his hands. He destroyed 3 strikers and one very good grappler, Werdum, who isn't a slouch either when it comes to striking. He definitely deserves his place in the top 3 in the UFC best strikers.

*4. Vitor Belfort* - very quick, sick power, absolutely brutal striking and showed some of this in his previous fight against well decorated striker Rich Franklin. Made Rich look more like Ace Ventura than an MMA fighter...oh wait..?

*5. Lyoto Machida *- whether you like him or not, you have to admit that his striking is almost always precisely on point. He has very strong kicks and good punches, and wherever he wants to hit you he usually does.

*6. Anderson Silva* - very good clinch striking if not the best in the UFC, his leg kicks are powerful and he has good hands..he is also very versatile.

*7. GSP* - he outstruck a phenominal boxer in BJ Penn, but the reason for not being top 5 is because he is a great striker, bust most of the time only when he has you on your back. Still, deserves the top 10 for best strikers as I am sure has can hold his own against anyone standing up. 

*8. Paul Daley* - his hands are heavy, and he will drop you quick with them, thats really all that needs to be said about this choice.

*9. Rampage Jackson* - the power in his right hand is unbelievable, and this is not only opinion but proven fact, i.e. Sports Science, lol.

*10. Kenny Florian* - very good striking, well rounded with it and sick, nasty, disgusting elbows. Not the best striker, but definitely deserves a spot in the top 10.


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## Siikk (Jan 25, 2010)

1 - Cheick Kongo
2 - Anderson Silva
3 - Bj Penn
4 - Lyoto Mschida
5 - Shogun Rua
6 - Vitor Belfort
7 - Brandon Vera
8 - Rampage
9 - Thiago Alves
10 - JDS


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## Xerxes (Aug 14, 2008)

Here's mine (again):


1- Anderson
2- Daley
3- Shogun
4- Machida
5- JDS
6- GSP
7- Alves
8- BJ
9- Vitor
10- Rampage

Honorable mentions: Lil Nog, Kongo, Kenflo, Hardy, T Silva, Gomi, Marquardt, Jon Jones Fischer, Yvel, Mir..

I put GSP above BJ and Alves because he out-struck both of them. 

Same deal with Machida and Shogun.


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## Siikk (Jan 25, 2010)

Stokes said:


> *1. BJ Penn* - he is easily the best striker in the UFC when he is fighting in his weightclass, he has wicked jabs and head movement, and even showed in his last fight with Diego Sanchez that he can throw some mean kicks. :thumbsup:
> 
> *2. Shogun* - some of the best leg kicks in the UFC, along with some great clinch striking and good boxing he comes in very close behind BJ Penn. He outstruck a mean standup fighter in Lyoto Machida, and has showed numerous times what kind of power he has in his hands and legs.
> 
> ...


JDS over Lyoto and Anderson = not cool. Think of it this way, if they had a K1 fight who would win?


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## js1316 (Jun 17, 2007)

Siikk said:


> JDS over Lyoto and Anderson = not cool. Think of it this way, if they had a K1 fight who would win?


JDS and Lyoto would BOTH beat Anderson in a K1 fight. Again, that is just my opinion. Try creating your own list though, thats what this thread is meant for anyway. :thumbsup:


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## Davisty69 (May 24, 2007)

It is? I thought it was here to judge you Stokes  j/k


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## alizio (May 27, 2009)

pure striking alot of ppl are leaving out belcher and barry imo


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## js1316 (Jun 17, 2007)

Davisty69 said:


> It is? I thought it was here to judge you Stokes  j/k


No, that has its own thread, and there is a really long list of people ahead of him. :laugh:



Belcher has very underrated striking, if this were the Top 15 he would have definitely been on my list. I just don't think he has better striking than anyone I put in my top 10.


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## 6toes (Sep 9, 2007)

(Not Perfect by any means and if I put more time into it I would probably be much happier with it but this will have to do.)

1. Anderson Silva - Sorry but I have to disagree Toxic. You could be completely right but nothing I've seen would make me think that anybody on this list or in the UFC could outstrike Anderson (aside from massive weight disadvantage.)

2. Mauricio Shogun Rua - I would have Lyoto in this spot but I for one believe Rua outstruck Lyoto in their championship bout in almost every round (some were dead even.) I also counted out Rua after his first two UFC fights and despite his KO on Chuck didn't think he had a shot at Lyoto, but in that fight I think we learned a lot about the current Shogun. To go out and (arguably) outpoint a fighter like Lyoto who appeared to have no visible weakness prior to that evening said a lot about Rua.

3. Lyoto - What's there to say? Guy was a clear number 2 and arguably number 1 before his bout with Rua. I think most people will list the karate master higher on their lists but until we see Machida - Rua 2 he's number 3 on my list.

4. BJ Penn - Probably the hardest choice on this list for me. While I think Georges definitely beat BJ in the standup in their second fight, I felt that it wasn't entirely due to standup skill. Size and relentless takedowns may have had an influence on the exchanges in that fight and after seeing BJ utterly tool Diego in their fight I have to give BJ the nod. Not that Diego is a master of standup but BJ has a more vicious standup record at this point than GSP who seems content more often than not to grind his opponents down with his wrestling.

5. GSP - I think he has the potential to be much higher on this list and probably would be if it weren't for that KO from Matt Serra. GSP seems a bit gunshy since that encounter but the man has a way of making "superior strikers" look...not so superior. If GSP starts utilizing his standup more I see him moving up a few notches on this list.

6. Vitor Belfort - Dude has hands for days. Blazingly fast striking. Managed to drop Franklin in a matter of a few strikes in their fight. I had originally picked Franklin to win as I saw him being the more "technical striker"...

7. Junior Dos Santos - Proof is in the pudding. Stupid saying but its true. I had my doubts, especially when this forum started raving over the guy. I admit my immense wrongness.

8. Little Nog - KO over Cane was madly impressive. Could be moving up after he's shown us a bit more in the UFC.

9. Brandon Vera - May be a controversial call because he hasn't been uber impressive lately but Brandon has textbook muay thai and a lot of potential. If he just fights a little smarter I can easily see him being at the top (or near the top)of this list one day.

10. Thiago Alves - This guy is pure standup. Fits nicely at number 10 I think, and is probably the best striker in his weight-class with the exception of Georges(#5)


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## Davisty69 (May 24, 2007)

Damn it... I forgot Thiago Alves again. He seriously needs to fight again so I can refresh my memory


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## TraMaI (Dec 10, 2007)

Anderson (Undisputed IMO)

JDS (say what you want, but every KO he's had is a thing of beauty. Great timing, angles, everything)

Lyoto (looked bad Vs Shogun)

Shogun (Looked fantastic against Lyoto and Chuck)

BJ (Awesome, awesome boxing)

GSP (well rounded, great timing and footwork, lacks the power of the rest)

Vitor (still has great hands and power)

Daley (Great power, fantastic timing... could use some movement though)

Jon Jones (May not be the most technical, but the wild, unpredictable and somehow accurate strikes he throws make him serious business. Kids Got power, too)

Alan Belcher (Clean, Crisp, great footwork, greatly timed Muay Thai. Highly underrated)


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## Ruckus (Oct 2, 2009)

*1. Anderson Silva- *Until I see otherwise, whether he is a counter puncher or not, his accuracy is pinpoint and deadly. Looking forward to the Belfort match up.

*2. BJ Penn-* The destruction of Sanchez should exactly what a focused Penn can do, there is no hope for anyone in the LW division.

*3. Lyoto Machida-* As a whole, his striking is just a notch above Shogun's. Since there are no ties, I had to give the nod to Machida. I also think that against Rua, his counter punching was just as accurate, if not more. I believe the question is who is a better striker, not who is more aggressive.

*4. Shogun Rua-* Honestly I was a bit concerned with his first few showings in the Octagon. IMO even against Chuck he was even with the striking until he caught him for the KO.

*5. Vitor Belfort-* IMO he will provide Silva with the toughest stand up to date in the UFC. The so called Phenom is done so for a reason; the combination of speed, power and accuracy is top tier.

*6. GSP- *Going up against him, you know what he is gonna do- double leg take down, mount, ground and pound. This is all set up by his striking ability. I would like to see him stand up for a while against Hardy.

*7. Junior dos Santos-* Gonzaga is going to find out real quick that he is no where in the same league of striking ability when these two meet. 

*8. Paul Daley-* I hope that Kos bites and tries to stand up with him.
*
9. Lil Nog-* DAMN. Luis Cane was supposed to be in the mix of the LHW division and Nog squashed that real quick and in impressive fashion. Forrest will definitely have his hands full.
*
10. Rampage Jackson-* If he could only learn how to check some leg kicks. Even with the lay off, IMO Evans is gonna find out that he should not have ran his mouth so much.


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## Life B Ez (Jan 23, 2010)

The Spider, easily, just ask, Leben, Marquadrt, Franklin again, Irvin, Cote and of course Forrest "The missing link" Griffin, that is if any of those guys can even remember when they fought Anderson. I think Franklin is still wandering around wondering where he left his title belt. 

Than Vitor on a good day, than BJ. After that, I'm not making a list.


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## pipe (Jun 15, 2008)

Anderson Silva - matrix style death laser punches

BJ Penn - the best striker at 155

Vitor Belfort - quick, very accurate

Daley

Shogun

Machida

Rampage 

Little Nog - very impressed in his last few performances

Frankie Edgar - small for a 155er but moves in and out the pocket well and has nice boxing

Rashaad


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## JWP (Jun 4, 2007)

1 Anderson Silva
2 Machida
3 Dos santos
4 Shogun
5 Daley
6 GSP
7 BJ Penn
8 Rampage
9 Belfort
10 Lil nog


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## Johnni G (Dec 2, 2009)

You judge on how hard they hit or tecnhique?


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## BobbyCooper (Oct 26, 2009)

1.Anderson Silva
2.Lyoto Machida
3.BJ Penn
4.Shogun
5.JDS
6.Vitor Belfort
7.GSP
8.Patrick Cote
9.LiL Nog
10.Paul Daley


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## K R Y (Nov 19, 2007)

1 - *BJ Penn* - Incredibly fast, techinical boxing with great head movement and striking defense. Showed he can throw some nice head kicks also. Has insane power also.

2 - *Anderson Silva* - Looks most like a fighter from a movie when he's going. Excellent headmovement and very precise. If he looked as comfortable attacking as he did countering he'd be my number 1 for sure.

3 - *Lyoto Machida*- Until he met Shogun he was near impossible to hit. Patient, technical, powerful. I'm sure he'll make the adjustments needed to avoid leg kicks next time around

4 - *Mauricio Shogun Rua* - Showed patience in the Machida fight which is new, can be very aggressive also, has phenomenal Muay Thai. Isn't leaving himself as wide open as before.

5 - *Paul Dayley* - Best striker at 170. Brutal power, very technical Muay Thai.

6 - *Vitor Belfort* - Incredible hand speed. His boxing is just amazing. Crisp and fast.

7 - *JDS* - Absolutely tooling anyone who decides to stand with him at HW.

8 - *Lil Nog* - Some of the best boxing at 205, or in MMA in general. Big power in his left hand which Cane found out quite soon into their recent fight.

9 - *GSP* - Mixes everything together very well. Has great spin kicks and superman punches. I think his incredible flow from going from striking to take down, puts other strikers on edge when they fight him, not letting everything go for fear of the takedown. So i don't think his pure striking is top 5.

10 - *Rampage Jackson* - Throws that left hook with the power of a truck. Mixes strikes together. His lack of kicks or really anything other than boxing (in hi latest fights) keeps him out of the higher spots.


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## Cptmats (Dec 27, 2009)

Johnni G said:


> You judge on how hard they hit or tecnhique?


I would assume he means overall.



KryOnicle said:


> 1 - *BJ Penn* - Incredibly fast, techinical boxing with great head movement and striking defense. Showed he can throw some nice head kicks also. Has insane power also.
> 
> 2 - *Anderson Silva* - Looks most like a fighter from a movie when he's going. Excellent headmovement and very precise. If he looked as comfortable attacking as he did countering he'd be my number 1 for sure.
> 
> ...


Nice work, a much better list. I would put silva #1 Machida #2 and BJ #3 because we seen him get taken apart at 170lbs. but just my opinion though. very acurate !


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## Danm2501 (Jun 22, 2009)

1. Anderson Silva
2. BJ Penn
3. Lyoto Machida
4. Junior Dos Santos
5. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
6. Paul Daley
7. Vitor Belfort
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Kenny Florian
10. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson

Others that I'd liked to have mentioned include Georges St-Pierre, Brandon Vera, Thiago Alves, Jon Jones, Amir Sadollah (think his Muay Thai is massively under-rated), Cheick Kongo, Dan Hardy and Thiago Silva.


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## Mckeever (Apr 26, 2009)

I dont know why people are ranking lil nog so low. I mean, he did completely out strike Shogun on the feet in Pride. He easily makes top three. 

1. Anderson Silva
2. Bj Penn
3. Lil Nog (ya'll will see soon enough)
4. Shogun Rua
5. Lyoto Machida
6. Paul Daley
7. Vitor Belfort
8. GSP
9. Junior Dos Santos
10. Rampage


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## ZeroPRIDE (Apr 12, 2006)

alizio said:


> pure striking alot of ppl are leaving out belcher and barry imo


its been for ever since ive seen a Belcher fight so i wont comment on that one but Pat Barry is definitely being over looked.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Belcher is not that good, wait till he gets destroyed in Montreal then we'll talk.


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## TraMaI (Dec 10, 2007)

Hey, Toxic, your bias is showing.


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## ZeroPRIDE (Apr 12, 2006)

when it comes to Cote anything less than Toxic being bias just isnt right:thumb02:


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## HitOrGetHit (Jun 29, 2009)

I am having a hard time with my top 3 and I might get some crap for how it is ordered but if I had to pick it would go like this...

1. Anderson Silva- He hasnt fought top strikers, but he has beaten everyone standing up pretty handily. He is extremely elusiva, accurate, and powerful.

2. Vitor Belfort- His hand speed is arguably the fastest in mma. He is accurate and has plenty of KO power. His boxing is very crisp as well.

3. Lyoto Machida- He is extremely elusiva and an incredible counter puncher. He is very accurate and his timing is spot on.

4. GSP- His striking is extremely versatile and his wrestling really helps his standup. He throws fighters off of their game and has fast and fluid striking.

5. BJ Penn- His boxing is incredible. He has KO power in both hands and he is very accurate and elusive. 

6. Shogun Rua- Shogun has awesome standup. His hands are great and his kicks are a tremendous asset to his game! He definitely does not lack any KO power and his style forces people to commit.

7. Paul Daley- Devestating muy thai. He is a very technical striker.

8. Little Nog- He has extremely good boxing. He packs a big punch. He is very technically sound.

9. Thiago Alves- Very good muy thai striker with power in his hands as well as his feet.

10. Chiek Kongo- Besides the Mir fight Kongo has had very good standup. His kick boxing is very dangerous and he has very good power in his strikes.


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## Ricardinho (Jun 6, 2009)

Anderson Silva on the first spot, no doubt about it!


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## Servatose (Apr 21, 2008)

Interesting thread, but to make implications that GSP is above Anderson Silva in striking is just blatant fanboyism. Regardless whether or not you prefer Anderson's style of striking, he and Lyoto are by far the most accurate and elusive strikers in the UFC. There's simply no disputing that. Also let us be sure this thread simply discusses the best strikers, and should be absent of arguments based on one's ability to mix their striking with another art. That being said, my list would go something like this:

*1: Anderson Silva* - While some may argue that stylistically Anderson is not an aggressive striker, one can't argue that he gets in his opponent's face and forces them to attack him. So whether or not he's a counter-puncher, he forces his opponents into a range where they're forced to attack. Anderson's the only fighter in the UFC right now who has the body and head movement to be elusive within arm's reach of an opponent, and can counter-attack them without moving out of that reach. Anderson Silva is my #1 striker without a doubt.

*2: Lyoto Machida* - While he's not as seasoned as Anderson, and perhaps rides his bike a bit more, one can't argue that Lyoto has one of the more elusive games in the UFC. While he makes less effort to engage than Anderson does, thereby generally giving him less an opportunity to finish a fight, I still consider his striking very elusive and hard to counter. He's also one of the most accurate strikers, and rarely wastes movement.


*3: Marucio Rua* - Though I wouldn't give Shogun as much raw striking prowess as either Lyoto or Anderson, Shogun demonstrated in his fight with Lyoto how good he is at mixing things up with the clinch, transitioning to take down attempts and returning back to striking. I think Rua is very close to Lyoto in striking, and the order of #2 and #3 could easily change with their next fight. However, Lyoto has historically taken some of the least damage while proving he can mount an offense and K.O an aggressive foe. Lyoto also has the TDD to ensure a fight stays in the stand-up.

*4: BJ Penn* - Even though I've seen BJ get into some violent exchanges, I believe his elusiveness and accuracy has hit an all-time high in his most recent fights. It's hard for me to put BJ below Lyoto and Shogun after his previous fight against Diego, but simply due to the quality of opponents he's faced (Diego never having beaten a top 5 fighter in any weight class) I'm going to go out on a limb in the list and say that the LHW division is a far more versatile and stacked division right now than the LW. I'm quite aware it may not be an accurate statement, but I believe, at heavier weight classes where one punch can finish a fight, or severely rock a fighter -- striking is entirely different. So for now, until we see BJ against a talented striker I'm going to have to put him below Lyoto and Shogun.

*5: Rogério Nogueira* - It's doubtlessly difficult to make this list, and while I'm very aware putting Little Nog at #5 could be a huge under ranking for him, he hasn't really proven himself in the UFC yet. The reason I put him at number 5, however is his boxing. As a two-time winner of the Brazilian Championship, a winner of the South American Championship, and having placed 3rd in the Pan American Games, I feel as though it would be foolhardy not to bring him into at least the top #5. There's not really much to say about little Nog since he hasn't fought much yet, in the UFC. But it's my firm belief that we will see why he has been so successful at boxing, as he has already demonstrated in Pride.

*6: Vitor Belfort* - I think it's difficult to argue having Vitor on this list. I put him just outside the top 5, because I firmly believe that his striking is still unrefined and that he relies primarily on his speed and power as opposed to technique. But with his one-punch drop of Rich Franklin(someone who has proven to have had an iron chin in the past) I think anyone who is hit by Vitor is in danger of being dropped. That said, with his lightning speed, it seems like a very easy thing to be struck by. I'm excited to see more of Vitor in the UFC, and I hope he has matured not just as a fighter but as an individual.

*7: Georges St. Pierre* - If you're going to put any welter weight fighter on this list, GSP has to come first. To make arguments that Daley or Alves belong above him -- I view as ignorance. Daley has had two fights against unproven opponents whereas Georges has blatantly out struck the likes of Alves. I'm putting Georges up here for his ability to strike, which is what this thread is about. Not his ability to transition from striking to take downs, which I believe is what makes him as a fighter. The same reason I put Lyoto over Shogun.

*8: Junior Dos Santos* - His striking seems to just get better and better, and he's quickly reminding me of little Nog with his ability to cleanly stand with someone and just get the better of each exchange. I think his fights with Cro Cop and Yvel demonstrated just how crisp and a rapidly evolving striker Junior Dos Santos is. He has one punch knock out power, and hasn't lost a fight yet in the UFC. It'll be interesting to see how he progresses.

*9: Quinton Jackson* - Jackson has proven time and time again that he has the ability to stay inside the pocket against the most dangerous strikers in the business, and emerge with a K.O with his more refined technique. His wins against Wanderlei and Liddell demonstrate what I'm referring to. It wasn't until his complete and utter schooling of Wanderlei that I would have put Jackson in the discussion, especially after his loss to Forrest. But, I think Jackson is another one of those fighters who didn't necessarily have a good camp at one time in their career, and since moving to better camps, have simply gotten better and better with each fight. I'm almost positive Jackson will knock out Rashad, because Jackson has the ability to keep a fight standing. I think his fight against Hendo demonstrates how solid and underrated a wrestler Jackson actually is. He was getting the better of Hendo on the mat, which is no easy task. So, my number 9 is Page. I think he has the chin, power, and technique to knock out the best without ever backing off.

*10: Kenny Florian* - This was a hard pick for me. I think there are so many up and comers in the striking field of MMA. Fighters who have just begun to take striking arts very seriously and have begun to show promise in those fields, such as Frank Mir, who also deserve recognition for their increased ability to strike. However, one thing about Kenny Florian, something which also had to do with why I ranked BJ Penn lower than Machida and Shogun, was because he was actually able to stand with Penn for quite awhile without blatantly being out-classed. I think Florian is underrated, and a highly versatile fighter. I think if he mixed power into his style he'd be far better at striking. For example, many fighters will fight jab wars. Like what Diego did against Penn. I think if Florian used his Muay Thai like Junior Dos Santos does, that being moving in for clean, powerful strikes, using technique to land some crisp shots, then moving out ... I think such a style would be more complimentary to Florian, and I think he's begun to use that sort of style, as demonstrated in the Guida fight. So, the reason I ranked Florian at #10 in striking, is because I believe out of all the up and comers, he's going to evolve his striking the most.


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## Sekou (Oct 25, 2008)

1) *Anderson Silva*...nuff said

2) *Bj Penn*.....damn good striker, pin point accuracy. Best timing, IMO

3) *Machida*....not a hard puncher per se, but synchs timing and accuracy like none other

4) *Rashad Evans*...love him or hate him, best dirty boxer since Randy Couture and Jens Pulver. Manages to grab leg kicks and drop people consistently. Best fighter under 6 feet who closes the distance.

5) *Vitor Belfort* powerful and overwhelms people, a little wild with his punches at times, but manages to catch people

6) *Cheick Kongo*....always dismissed due to lack of wrestling, never respected for his striking. Most consistent HW striker. See Hardonk fight.

7) *Junior Dos Santos*....in the same vein as Belfort (#5) very powerful puncher that overwhelms

8) *Rampage*...boxing is like none other. Reach and power are insane

9) *Shogun Rua*....good all around striker, though more comfortable using his feet than hands. Rua is good at lay'n'pray, good timing and probably the best.

10) *Frankie Edgar*.....lets face is, Frankie has worked on his boxing in a major way (Sean Sherk's face can attest). Slowly becoming an A level fighter, but his striking combos are straight out of a Boxing 101 manual.


noteable mentions:

GSP.....good striker, just didnt make the list. Not really a "boxing" type of fighter, more all-around MMA

Thiago Alves...good striker, very powerful, put him in the same category as Diego Sanchez...good striker, but his striking probably wont take him to champion level.

Paul Daley....kinda early to judge, but so far has shown BIG KO power, lets see if he can keep it up and not become another Terry Martin.


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## K R Y (Nov 19, 2007)

Sekou said:


> 4) *Rashad Evans*...love him or hate him, best dirty boxer since Randy Couture and Jens Pulver. Manages to grab leg kicks and drop people consistently. Best fighter under 6 feet who closes the distance.
> 
> noteable mentions:
> 
> Paul Daley....kinda early to judge, but so far has shown BIG KO power, lets see if he can keep it up and not become another Terry Martin.


I could see a reason for Rashad at 10, but even then that'd be stretched. He has power in his right and speed and decent boxing but that's about it. He got outstruck by Chuck during r1, Machida completely outclassed him and Thiago won alot of the striking during the fight. And his dirty boxing imo isn't even comparable to Randy.

I don't see how it's too early to Judge Paul Dayleys striking. He holds european and world Muay Thai championships and is extremely experienced. He isn't new to MMA, just the UFC. If he had a ground game to match his stand up, he'd be in the top 5 P4P list imo.


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## Sekou (Oct 25, 2008)

KryOnicle said:


> I could see a reason for Rashad at 10, but even then that'd be stretched. He has power in his right and speed and decent boxing but that's about it. He got outstruck by Chuck during r1, Machida completely outclassed him and Thiago won alot of the striking during the fight. And his dirty boxing imo isn't even comparable to Randy.



NAH...I trained with Rashad in Brooklyn, 52 Blocks/Capoeira/Street fighting/dirty boxing systems....he is the only person under 6 feet Ive seen manage to consistently whoop people 3-9 inches taller than him.

His boxing style is more Marvin Hagler, street style...lotta bob'n'weave, lotta footwork. Most MMA fans dont see this.



KryOnicle said:


> I don't see how it's too early to Judge Paul Dayleys striking. He holds european and world Muay Thai championships and is extremely experienced. He isn't new to MMA, just the UFC. If he had a ground game to match his stand up, he'd be in the top 5 P4P list imo.


true...Daley has been around the block a couple times...but lets talk about this after his 4th/5th UFC fight. I pray he doesnt suffer the same fate as Terry Martin and Houston.


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## AlphaDawg (Nov 16, 2009)

1.) Lyoto Machida- Inflicts the most damage while taking the least. Until the Shogun fight, he seemed untouchable.

2.) BJ Penn- Best hands in ALL of the UFC. Punches are crisp and quick. The only reason he isn't number on is because he is limited to his hands. Rarely does anything involving his legs.

3.) Anderson Silva- Makes fighters look like they have no idea what they are doing. I've never seen anyone dodge as well as he does or be so accurate. 

4.) Rampage- Best "bob and weave" in the UFC. Not to mention he can KO people with his right, and his left. If only he could use or even just protect his legs.

5.) Mauricio Rua- He has power in most his hands and his kicks. He's incredibly versatile and aggressive.

6.) Brandon Vera- I'm probably going to get flamed for this but probably has the most versatile kicks in all of the UFC. If he went for head kicks more often, no doubt he'd be getting KOs left and right. His hands aren't amazing but his kicks definitely make up for that.

7.) Paul Daley- Has an unbelievable amount of power and can actually box. Bad combination for his opponents.

8.) Lil Nog

9.) Kenny Florian

10.) Thiago Alves


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## K R Y (Nov 19, 2007)

Sekou said:


> true...Daley has been around the block a couple times...but lets talk about this after his 4th/5th UFC fight. I pray he doesnt suffer the same fate as Terry Martin and Houston.


He won't. His stand up is light years beyond both of those guys and he does have good ground defense and a purple belt in BJJ. 

There is no way he'll ever be talked about along the lines of Houston or Martin. I didn't even think anyone could think that.


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

The top 5 strikers listed here are very versatile. They've exhibited great foot work, great hands, great striking game plans, very effective kicks, power and speed.

1. *Shogun Rua* - has faced and out-striked better strikers than anyone on this list, maybe more than anyone in MMA. Lil Nog, Liddell, Overeem (2x), Lyoto Machida, Rampage...

2. *Junior Dos Santos* - JDS' circling and foot movement is out of this world. He circles left, right, in, out, so fluidly it confused great strikers like Yvel and Cro Cop. He's got lightning fast hands, dynamite power, brutal and fast kicks. A HW with MW speed. He's never been outclassed on the feet or even rocked.

3. *Lyoto Machida* - Unusual style with questionable power but undeniable accuracy. His reflexes are probably #1 in MMA and it helps his style considerably.

4. *Anderson Silva* - Gets caught while being aggressive, but likely the best counter-striker in MMA. He's one of the slowest strikers on this list but his accuracy more than makes up for it. 

5. *Georges St. Pierre* - Some of the most underrated hands in the UFC. Outstruck Penn, Alves, Kos... lands almost all his unorthodox strikes. 

Everything after here is questionable because we're getting into one-dimensional strikers, guys shown to have only great hands but other elements could be missing or lacking.

6. *BJ Penn* - I know we're all still star-struck by his decimation of Diego Sanchez, but Diego doesn't have anything close to great striking. BJ has unreal hands but is slightly one dimensional standing.

7. *Vitor Belfort* - Has always had great hands and has improved dramatically, but his fights with Overeem leaves me wondering how far he's come. Probably the fastest hands in the UFC but we've yet to test him against a great striker.

8. *Lil Nog* - Has a gold medal for Brazil in boxing, has a lot of power and great accuracy. However, was thoroughly out-struck by Shogun and was KO'd (fluke or not) by Sokoudjou. 

9. *Thiago Alves* - Definitely overrated striking BUT, he's really coming into his own. His straight up tooling of Koscheck and Hughes shows just how far he's come. Somewhere during 2007 he became a Muay Thai force and he's improved ever since. He also has some of the hardest (and most technically blinding) kicks in the UFC.

10. *Kenny Florian* - His last fight against Clay Guida was the best Florian we've ever seen, and he was able to drop Guida - someone known for a great chin. He's got great elbows but his kicks are slow and he hasn't shown much of a clinch for being a MT fighter.


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## DahStoryTella (Jul 11, 2009)

Antoni Hardonk @ anyone?

Disgusting leg kicks.


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## michelangelo (Feb 1, 2009)

Rich "Ace" Franklin votes for Anderson Silva. Twice. So does Forrest Gump.


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## DahStoryTella (Jul 11, 2009)

Can't really make a ''who's the best'' list of strikers, but my favorites to watch would be:

Anderson Silva
Lyoto Machida
Paul Daley
Brandon Vera
Anthony Johnson
BJ Penn
Mauricio ''Shogun'' Rua
Cheick Kongo
Thiago Alves
Andre Winner

Probably not the ''best'' strikers in the UFC, but far as a fan's opinion this is it.

Haven't seen enough of GSP's striking, might re-watch a few recent fights. Only really saw Pat Barry in the Hardonk fight, might check a few more of his fights.

Steve Cantwell impressed me in the Luiz Cane fight too. Crisp, technical, quick combos.

Heard dude isn't even fighting ever again though?


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## BrianRClover (Jan 4, 2008)

1. Anderson Silva -Agression doens't equal great striker, being a pin point accurate and devestating striker does. IMO.

2. Penn

3. Machida

4. Junior Dos Santos

5. Thiago Alves

6. Kenny Florian

7. GSP

8. Belfort

9. Thiago Silva

10. Rampage


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## the ultimate (Mar 5, 2007)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Mauricio Rua
3. Lyoto Machida
4. BJ Penn
5. GSP
6. Pat Barry
7. Thiago Alves
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Paul Daley
10. Vitor Belfort


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## xeberus (Apr 23, 2007)

I'd go with

1. Anderson Silva
2. Bj Penn
3. Shogun
4. Vitor Belfort
5. Lyoto Machida
6. GSP
7. Paul Daley
8. JDS
9. antonio rogerio nog
10. Rampage

This was tough honorable mentions: kenny florian, rich franklin, marquardt, anthony johnson, chieck kongo, frank mir and pat barry


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## Cptmats (Dec 27, 2009)

TraMaI said:


> Hey, Toxic, your bias is showing.


It may be but i have to agree with him, Cote is one tough dude and i think hes gonna walk right through Belcher.........:fight02:


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Anyone who thinks Belcher is a better striker than Cote is clearly only basing it on his early fights in the UFC when he was brawling more, statistics don't like Cote is actually one of the most accurate strikers in the UFC and since Delegrotte has calmed him down he has became a hell of a good boxer.


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## js1316 (Jun 17, 2007)

Ever since Cote layed the smacketh down on my boy Drew Mcfedries I have been more aware of him...Belcher will definitely give a good fight though so it should be a war. 

I wouldnt necessarily say Cote has very accurate striking though, he has always seemed like more of a power puncher to me...


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## Bobby Creek (Jan 28, 2010)

1. Anderson Silva
2. Machida
3. Penn
4. Wanderlei
5. Shogun
6. GSP
7. Rich Franklin
8. Thiago Alves
9. Thiago Silva
10. Dan Hardy


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Stokes said:


> Ever since Cote layed the smacketh down on my boy Drew Mcfedries I have been more aware of him...Belcher will definitely give a good fight though so it should be a war.
> 
> I wouldnt necessarily say Cote has very accurate striking though, he has always seemed like more of a power puncher to me...


Honestly even I was shocked when they gave his career accuracy before the Silva fight it was something like 63%, that is insane, I mean BJ is 68% and the UFC average is like 37%. In all fairness he has had his share of brawls with less than elusive strikers though.


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## BrutalKO (Oct 5, 2006)

...Well there are well-rounded strikers (all 4 limbs) and one dimentional strikers (just hands). I suppose a top 10 would be the well-rounded ones...

My opinion- Anderson 1, Lyoto 2, Shogun 3, Wanderlei 4, GSP 5, Vera 6, Kongo 7, Florian 8, Franklin 9, Thiago Silva 10...


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## _CaptainRon (May 8, 2007)

Hands down #1 *Anderson Silva*, I think some of you may have missed his fight against Leben, he's filthy. Silva is dynamic, accurate, fast, and powerful on his feet.

#2 *Lyoto Machida*, he has the best defense on his feet, he doesn't have the most aggressive style so I can understand why some rate him toward the bottom of the 10.

#3 *BJ Penn*, who doesn't love to watch BJ fight? He's the best boxer in the UFC with a ton of power, he's got a granite chin, and excellent TDD.

#4 *Shogun*, absolutely no fear in the Machida fight, the first fighter to throw him off his game. PRIDE resume.

#5 *Thiago Alves*, his power at 170 is unreal, vicious clinch, and has a good chin.


The top five is clear cut for me, I could see arguments for about a dozen or so guys for the bottom 5 spots including the likes of: Belfort, Semtex, Rampage, KenFlo, Lil Nog, Thiago Silva, JDS, and Cote. Also, I believe GSP's striking is overrated, this is weakest aspect of his game, which looks good partly because he can take ANYONE down at will, which makes his opponents hesitant.


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## BrutalKO (Oct 5, 2006)

_CaptainRon said:


> Hands down #1 *Anderson Silva*, I think some of you may have missed his fight against Leben, he's filthy. Silva is dynamic, accurate, fast, and powerful on his feet.
> 
> #2 *Lyoto Machida*, he has the best defense on his feet, he doesn't have the most aggressive style so I can understand why some rate him toward the bottom of the 10.
> 
> ...


...Good list man. I was thinking Thiago Alves as well. Don't forget about Alves' nasty legkicks...


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Im gonna stop this here and compile a list, I may update it later.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Here is the list Points were awarded as 1st 10 points, 2nd 9 etc.

1. Anderson Silva - 183 points.
2. Lyoto Machida - 154 points
3. BJ Penn - 150 points.
4. Mauricio Shogun Rua - 138 points 
5. Vitor Belfort - 98 points
6.Junior Dos Santos - 81 points
7. GSP - 75 points
8. Paul Daley - 74 points
9. Little Nog - 45 points
10. Rampage - 29 points


Here is how the rest of the list looks.

11. Kongo - 19 points
12. Thiago Alves - 15 points
13. Brandon Vera - 11 points
14. Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian * Tie - 8 points
16 Wanderlei Silva - 7 points
17. Rich Franklin - 4 points
18. Patrick Cote and Frankie Edgar * Tie - 3 points
20. Thiago Silva 2 points
21. Alan Belcher and Dan Hardy * Tie 1 point.


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## Ansem (Oct 16, 2009)

what if you add Fedor into the mix, i would put him right under Lyoto ...


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## TheAxeMurderer (Oct 27, 2009)

Ansem said:


> what if you add Fedor into the mix, i would put him right under Lyoto ...


in terms of technical striking id say fedor would be low on the top 10..at least below BJ & shogun imo


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## Davisty69 (May 24, 2007)

I'm satisfied with that. Well done folks.



TheAxeMurderer said:


> in terms of technical striking id say fedor would be low on the top 10..at least below BJ & shogun imo


I don't know if "technical striking" is what this list is all about. IMO, it is completely about effective striking. I'm sure there are some guys out there that have extremely technical kickboxing, MT, and boxing, but if they don't win, they don't belong on the list. That is just my opinion though... Everyone made their list differently.


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## js1316 (Jun 17, 2007)

I still cant believe people have Anderson Silva as number 1. Honestly, what top notch striker has he beaten? Yeah, he makes well rounded guys and decent strikers look bad but what top notch striker has he destroyed with his own striking? I can't think of one..you say Leben? Errr no. Franklin??? Errr no. Just wondering where some of this logic is coming from. I agree about him being in the top 10 for the way he HAS dominated some of these fighters, but until he beats a top striker I just cant put him there. After the Vitor fight, everyone will know what I am talking about...


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## _CaptainRon (May 8, 2007)

Stokes said:


> I still cant believe people have Anderson Silva as number 1. Honestly, what top notch striker has he beaten? Yeah, he makes well rounded guys and decent strikers look bad but what top notch striker has he destroyed with his own striking? I can't think of one..you say Leben? Errr no. Franklin??? Errr no. Just wondering where some of this logic is coming from. I agree about him being in the top 10 for the way he HAS dominated some of these fighters, but until he beats a top striker I just cant put him there. After the Vitor fight, everyone will know what I am talking about...


Anderson Silva has made top notch strikers look foolish. Belfort is a badass, but his agressiveness will be his demise against the Spider. Silva has a unique grasp of the standup game, that no one else has... the Jordan of MMA striking?  

He's embarassed Franklin twice, poor Leben, KO'd Fryklund, dominated Okami (BS loss), clinched-out Jorge Rivera, TKO'd an absolute, well-rounded stud in Marquardt, along with sudden KO's of Carlos Newton, James Irvin, and Forrest Griffin. He does all that while dancing around like Bruce Lee.


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## Inkdot (Jun 15, 2009)

Stokes said:


> I still cant believe people have Anderson Silva as number 1. Honestly, what top notch striker has he beaten? Yeah, he makes well rounded guys and decent strikers look bad but what top notch striker has he destroyed with his own striking? I can't think of one..you say Leben? Errr no. Franklin??? Errr no. Just wondering where some of this logic is coming from. I agree about him being in the top 10 for the way he HAS dominated some of these fighters, but until he beats a top striker I just cant put him there. After the Vitor fight, everyone will know what I am talking about...


Don't care about not having faced many "top strikers". It's blatantly obvious from watching his fights, how he fights and his record that he is -by far- the best striker in UFC. I mean come on guys, why are we even debating this?

The guy is a genious and a knock out artist, he fights like brazilian fotball (soccer) players play. With finesse, craftyness and style.


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## Danm2501 (Jun 22, 2009)

Stokes said:


> I still cant believe people have Anderson Silva as number 1. Honestly, what top notch striker has he beaten? Yeah, he makes well rounded guys and decent strikers look bad but what top notch striker has he destroyed with his own striking? I can't think of one..you say Leben? Errr no. Franklin??? Errr no. Just wondering where some of this logic is coming from. I agree about him being in the top 10 for the way he HAS dominated some of these fighters, but until he beats a top striker I just cant put him there. After the Vitor fight, everyone will know what I am talking about...


Disagree. I don't necessarily think he needs to have beaten an elite striker to be considered the best striker in the UFC. He's dismantled some top tier fighters and made them look amateur on the feet, most notably Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin. He's technically excellent with his hands, feet and also in the clinch, he's a brilliant counter striker, has ridiculous power and possesses incredible accuracy. Against Leben he landed 85% of his strikes, 85% again in the first Franklin fight, 89% against Lutter, 69% against Marquardt, 81% in the 2nd Franklin fight, 73% against Henderson, 100% against James Irvin, 62% against Cote, and then his 2 lowest accuracy ratings in his time in the UFC have come in his last 2 fights, with ratings of 52 and 53%. No-one in the UFC is putting up consistently impressive numbers like Anderson Silva. Not BJ Penn, not Lyoto Machida, not Mauricio Rua, not Georges St-Pierre; Anderson's an incredible striker. I think he'll prove that against Belfort as well. 2nd round KO/TKO for Silva I reckon.


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## jcal (Oct 15, 2006)

BrianRClover said:


> 1.* Anderson Silva -Agression doens't equal great striker, being a pin point accurate and devestating striker *does. IMO.
> 
> 2. Penn
> 
> ...


Exactly! And he is not only the most accurate with his hands, but knees , kicks and elbows too, something alot of the other guys cant use nearly as well. Plus nobody has as good a movement as Silva.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Danm2501 said:


> Disagree. I don't necessarily think he needs to have beaten an elite striker to be considered the best striker in the UFC. He's dismantled some top tier fighters and made them look amateur on the feet, most notably Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin. He's technically excellent with his hands, feet and also in the clinch, he's a brilliant counter striker, has ridiculous power and possesses incredible accuracy. Against Leben he landed 85% of his strikes, 85% again in the first Franklin fight, 89% against Lutter, 69% against Marquardt, 81% in the 2nd Franklin fight, 73% against Henderson, 100% against James Irvin, 62% against Cote, and then his 2 lowest accuracy ratings in his time in the UFC have come in his last 2 fights, with ratings of 52 and 53%. No-one in the UFC is putting up consistently impressive numbers like Anderson Silva. Not BJ Penn, not Lyoto Machida, not Mauricio Rua, not Georges St-Pierre; Anderson's an incredible striker. I think he'll prove that against Belfort as well. 2nd round KO/TKO for Silva I reckon.


Thanks for the statistics, they further prove my point that Anderson is not that good as the aggressor, in his last 2 fights his opponents have not been overly aggressive, Leites flopped like a fish out of water, but Cote never chased Anderson, Silva danced around trying to frustrate Cote into attacking wildly, he did the exact same thing against Forrest but Griffen took the bait. Strategy wise hell it works but as far as being the best striker it knocks him down a few pegs in my books.


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## UKRampage (Jan 28, 2009)

Wow cant believe not one person has mentioned Tyson Griffin! Not top 5 yet but damn his striking was insane against Hermes Franca. If he improves even further, I think BJ better watch out. 

My personal top 10 would be...

1: Anderson Silva 
2: GSP
3: Paul Daley
4: Shogun
5: Rampage
6: BJ
7: Machida
8: Tyson Griffin
9: Thiago Alves
10: Lil Nog


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## HitOrGetHit (Jun 29, 2009)

To be honest, from what I have seen from Silva, I have a hard time putting him anywhere but #1 right now. I agree that I am not 100% completely sold just yet. I think that his fight with Vitor will really show where his striking is at.


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## Sekou (Oct 25, 2008)

why is Lil Nog on this list after his first UFC fight???


I mean cmon now...lets not get carried away.:thumbsdown: He showed dominance in 1 fight. Is Gomi gonna be on the list after he wins his first UFC fight?

Lil Nog hasnt proved himself and fine tuned his strking prowess to be om this list. So are we jsut judging him from Pride days??


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## K R Y (Nov 19, 2007)

Sekou said:


> why is Lil Nog on this list after his first UFC fight???
> 
> 
> I mean cmon now...lets not get carried away.:thumbsdown: He showed dominance in 1 fight. Is Gomi gonna be on the list after he wins his first UFC fight?
> ...


Not soley on his Pride fights, but of course they count. The fact that he has great boxing is proven whether he'd had more than 1 UFC fight or not, it's a fact. Pan American Games bronze and South American Games Gold medals don't go to people who lack standup skills.

Luiz Cane was thought to be one of the biggest up and comers into the UFC LHW divison, based on his stand up. Nog made him look like he had less stand up than Tito.


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## HitOrGetHit (Jun 29, 2009)

Sekou said:


> why is Lil Nog on this list after his first UFC fight???
> 
> 
> I mean cmon now...lets not get carried away.:thumbsdown: He showed dominance in 1 fight. Is Gomi gonna be on the list after he wins his first UFC fight?
> ...


If this is the case then I would drop Shogun way down the list. He outstruck Liddell which isn't that hard for top fighters anymore and then took Machida to a decision. Other than that he looked awful in the UFC. But looking at what he has done lately combined with his Pride fights has him ranked high on my list.


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## Cptmats (Dec 27, 2009)

Sekou said:


> why is Lil Nog on this list after his first UFC fight???
> 
> 
> I mean cmon now...lets not get carried away.:thumbsdown: He showed dominance in 1 fight. Is Gomi gonna be on the list after he wins his first UFC fight?
> ...


Is this a joke, really man c'mon his triking is among the best in the world, not just LHW


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

TheAxeMurderer said:


> in terms of technical striking id say fedor would be low on the top 10..at least below BJ & shogun imo


Fedor is hit less than Lyoto and has an accuracy rating higher than Silva, except that he's KO'd way better strikers than either.



_CaptainRon said:


> Anderson Silva has made top notch strikers look foolish. Belfort is a badass, but his agressiveness will be his demise against the Spider. Silva has a unique grasp of the standup game, that no one else has... the Jordan of MMA striking?
> 
> He's embarassed Franklin twice, poor Leben, KO'd Fryklund, dominated Okami (BS loss), clinched-out Jorge Rivera, TKO'd an absolute, well-rounded stud in Marquardt, along with sudden KO's of Carlos Newton, James Irvin, and Forrest Griffin. He does all that while dancing around like Bruce Lee.


You have to understand, your ability looks completely different against a guy you're scared of. If I'm sparring with a dude who's never thrown a punch before, I look AMAZING. If I'm sparring with a guy who's better than me I look way less impressive. It's night and day and we haven't seen Silva against a great striker to prove it.

Shogun has beat Lil Nog, Overeem, Liddell, Rampage, and outstruck Lyoto. These are ALL top notch strikers and some of them are on the list or damn close to being on the list. Who on the list has Silva outstruck?


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## js1316 (Jun 17, 2007)

_CaptainRon said:


> *Anderson Silva has made top notch strikers look foolish.* Belfort is a badass, but his agressiveness will be his demise against the Spider. Silva has a unique grasp of the standup game, that no one else has... the Jordan of MMA striking?
> 
> He's embarassed *Franklin* twice, poor* Leben*, KO'd *Fryklund*, dominated *Okami* (BS loss), clinched-out *Jorge Rivera*, TKO'd an absolute, well-rounded stud in *Marquardt*, along with sudden KO's of *Carlos Newton*, *James Irvin*, and *Forrest Griffin*. _He does all that while dancing around like Bruce Lee_.


NONE of those fighters you listed were top notch strikers. NONE of them. He dominates well rounded fighters, which I stated is why I put him on my list. But until he beats a top notch STRIKER in the STRIKING game, he definitely doesnt deserve Number 1.


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## TraMaI (Dec 10, 2007)

> Fedor is hit less than Lyoto and has an accuracy rating higher than Silva, except that he's KO'd way better strikers than either.


Calling BS on both of those until I see some stats homie. Sorry, but Fedor is known for having a great chin, not being elusive.


Stokes, why don't you consider Nate's striking top notch? I'd say he's pretty up there man.


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## BobbyCooper (Oct 26, 2009)

khoveraki said:


> Fedor is hit less than Lyoto and has an accuracy rating higher than Silva, except that he's KO'd way better strikers than either.


This is not true khov  and you know that^^

The fight against Shogun didn't changed that much that Fedor who nearly always gets his nose broken will take this away from Lyoto. No way but nice try :thumb02:

The numbers in edge of Machida must be enormous! It isn't even close.


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## KillerShark1985 (Jan 6, 2010)

Anderson Silva, best around, its the accuracy and creativeness of his striking thats makes him the No.1 pound for pound.


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## Sekou (Oct 25, 2008)

Cptmats said:


> Is this a joke, really man c'mon his triking is among the best in the world, not just LHW



WHAT??? after 1 UFC fight.....nah, yall are giving him FAAAAAAAR too much credit.


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## Sekou (Oct 25, 2008)

KryOnicle said:


> Not soley on his Pride fights, but of course they count. The fact that he has great boxing is proven whether he'd had more than 1 UFC fight or not, it's a fact. Pan American Games bronze and South American Games Gold medals don't go to people who lack standup skills.
> 
> Luiz Cane was thought to be one of the biggest up and comers into the UFC LHW divison, based on his stand up. Nog made him look like he had less stand up than Tito.


far too much credit for a man who has barely proven himself.....:thumbsdown:


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## Cptmats (Dec 27, 2009)

Sekou said:


> far too much credit for a man who has barely proven himself.....:thumbsdown:


You really need to learn a little more about a fighter before you start talking like this, because by the way you talk it sounds as though you dont even know who lil Nog is ! He was outstriking top strikers long before he came to the UFC and is prob. the best boxer in MMA..........barely proven himself ? your making yourself sound foolish....:sarcastic12:


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## Danm2501 (Jun 22, 2009)

khoveraki said:


> Fedor is hit less than Lyoto and has an accuracy rating higher than Silva, except that he's KO'd way better strikers than either.


Sure? Here's a quick stats burst for ya. Fedor landed 40% against Rogers, 29% against Arlovski, 88% against Sylvia, 41% against Hunt, 72% against Coleman, 67% against Zulzinho, 34% against Cro Cop, 41% against Kohsaka, 42% in the 3rd fight against Nogueira, 48% in the 2nd Nogueira fight, 64% against Ogawa, 100% against Randleman, 50% against Coleman in their 1st fight, 100% against Nagata, 67% against Goodridge, 80% against Fujita, 66% in the first Nog fight, 73% against Herring and 52% against Schilt. Giving him an average accuracy rating of 60.73%. This compares with Silva, who has an accuracy rating according to Fightmetric of 69.11%.


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## K R Y (Nov 19, 2007)

Sekou said:


> far too much credit for a man who has barely proven himself.....:thumbsdown:



Have you seen him fight anyone besides Luiz Cane? There's a reason he is on near everyone's list and you'd see it if you'd watched more of his fights.

Are you trying to say only fighters with a set limit of fights in the UFC can be regarded as good in a certain area? Because that is exactly how you are coming off.


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## Sekou (Oct 25, 2008)

KryOnicle said:


> Have you seen him fight anyone besides Luiz Cane? There's a reason he is on near everyone's list and you'd see it if you'd watched more of his fights.
> 
> Are you trying to say only fighters with a set limit of fights in the UFC can be regarded as good in a certain area? Because that is exactly how you are coming off.


NAH...iM SAYING THAT A HOST OF FIGHTERS HAV COME FROM OTHER ORGANIZATION TO THE UFC AND CAN A FLASH IN THE PAN....ONLY TO LOSE BRUTALLY AFTER THEIR 3RD-5TH FIGHT.

top notch striker after a Luiz Cane victory? I wonder what would be the case if he gets KO'ed by Forrest?


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## K R Y (Nov 19, 2007)

So no top notch strikers exist outside the UFC? What if Manny Pacquiao, or Semmy Schilt joined the UFC and won one fight by TKO over a great opponent. Would they still not be regarded as great strikers because of their lack of UFC fights?

You are disregarding his striking due to other fighters lackluster performances and his lack of UFC performances.

Your arguement isn't holding. Nogs striking credentials are genuine, and he has displayed it in every fight against good competition. 

If he gets KO'd by Forrest, I'd find that more surprising than Serra beating GSP.

Disclaimer - I am not saying his striking is on Pacmans level by any means


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## jcal (Oct 15, 2006)

I think when we are discussing the best mma strikers, we should look at punches,kicks, knees and elbows. Otherwise we would just be talking about boxing. I mean BJs boxing is great for mma but what about his kicks? How can anybody put him ahead of lets say A silva or shogun or machida if he dont use all the striking arsenal available in mma?


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## steveo412 (Sep 27, 2006)

jcal said:


> I think when we are discussing the best mma strikers, we should look at punches,kicks, knees and elbows. Otherwise we would just be talking about boxing. I mean BJs boxing is great for mma but what about his kicks? How can anybody put him ahead of lets say A silva or shogun or machida if he dont use all the striking arsenal available in mma?


Ummmm BJ blasted Diego with a lethal head kick that was the cause of the fight ending. He has kicks, his hands are just really good


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## jcal (Oct 15, 2006)

steveo412 said:


> Ummmm BJ blasted Diego with a lethal head kick that was the cause of the fight ending. He has kicks, his hands are just really good


Thats so funny cause I never saw that fight and after I posted about BJs kicks or lack of, I thought what if he used them against Sanchez and then find out he did. Ive hardly seen him throw anything above the knee. And Sanchez is the only BJ fight I couldnt watch. Whats the chance of that?


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## Mckeever (Apr 26, 2009)

Sekou is a prime example of some one that is completely bias to ufc fighters. You obviously have no clue who lil nog is and how lethal his striking is.


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

BobbyCooper said:


> This is not true khov  and you know that^^
> 
> The fight against Shogun didn't changed that much that Fedor who nearly always gets his nose broken will take this away from Lyoto. No way but nice try :thumb02:
> 
> The numbers in edge of Machida must be enormous! It isn't even close.


Fedor's never gotten his nose broken period, he stated that in the press conference after the Rogers fight.



Danm2501 said:


> Sure? Here's a quick stats burst for ya. Fedor landed 40% against Rogers, 29% against Arlovski, 88% against Sylvia, 41% against Hunt, 72% against Coleman, 67% against Zulzinho, 34% against Cro Cop, 41% against Kohsaka, 42% in the 3rd fight against Nogueira, 48% in the 2nd Nogueira fight, 64% against Ogawa, 100% against Randleman, 50% against Coleman in their 1st fight, 100% against Nagata, 67% against Goodridge, 80% against Fujita, 66% in the first Nog fight, 73% against Herring and 52% against Schilt. Giving him an average accuracy rating of 60.73%. This compares with Silva, who has an accuracy rating according to Fightmetric of 69.11%.


Damn, last I did the statistics Silva was 64~ and Fedor was closer to 70%. Must have been before the Arlovski fight, my bad. 

And the "least hit" statistic came from the UFC themselves, they stated it before Lyoto's fight against Rashad. Here's the breakdown:



> One of the best ways to measure effective defense and dominance is to look at the number of strikes a fighter absorbs. This gets a little tricky when making comparisons because not all fights are the same length. So instead of using a cumulative total, we use a ratio. The easiest way to consistently calculate this is to figure the number of strikes absorbed divided by the number of minutes fought. That gives you the number of strikes absorbed per minute of fighting, which we abbreviate as SApM. Here are some SApM figures for the current slate of UFC champions:
> 
> Anderson Silva: 0.71 SApM
> Georges St. Pierre: 1.01 SApM
> ...


SOME WEB FORUM LINK WAS HERE.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Khov, first off linking to other forums is not allowed, 

secondly that is possibly the worst attempt at backing up an argument ever, seriously I could make up an arguement that Chris Leben is the least hit, think about I could post that on another forum and use that as "proof".


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## Cptmats (Dec 27, 2009)

steveo412 said:


> Ummmm BJ blasted Diego with a lethal head kick that was the cause of the fight ending. He has kicks, his hands are just really good


Exactly, alot like GSP who has outstruck everyone hes has ever faced and has some of the best hands and kick in the game, yet no one ever take notice because they are so mezmerized by his incredible wrestling.


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

Toxic said:


> Khov, first off linking to other forums is not allowed,
> 
> secondly that is possibly the worst attempt at backing up an argument ever, seriously I could make up an arguement that Chris Leben is the least hit, think about I could post that on another forum and use that as "proof".


Wow seriously? 

It's a statistical breakdown. I don't understand what's wrong with it? 

Maybe that Cote isn't listed? 


edit:

http://www.fightmetric.com/blog/2009/01/fedor-emelianenko-vs-lyoto-machida.html



> Fedor Emelianenko vs. Lyoto Machida
> 
> First things first: We're still looking for volunteers for the Reach Data Project. It takes very little time to participate and it would help us a great deal.
> 
> ...


Worst argument ever indeed.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

I didn't say your argument was horrible I said your source was because it was just some guys post on a forum, that said FighterMetric is still only people opinions and is not "proof" of anything, how different are peoples opinions when watching a fight? We see contradictory opinions on this site all the time and despite the fact we see fightermetric given as a source frequently (an it has its purposes) its still just open to human error, prejudice and bias and should not be quoted as the be all end all of fight information.


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## js1316 (Jun 17, 2007)

Toxic said:


> I didn't say your argument was horrible I said your source was because it was just some guys post on a forum, that said FighterMetric is still only people opinions and is not "proof" of anything, how different are peoples opinions when watching a fight? We see contradictory opinions on this site all the time and despite the fact we see fightermetric given as a source frequently (an it has its purposes) its still just open to human error, prejudice and bias and should not be quoted as the be all end all of fight information.


We all know what happens when bias is involved. 

Patrick Cote could beat Fedor! :laugh:


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

Toxic said:


> I didn't say your argument was horrible I said your source was because it was just some guys post on a forum, that said FighterMetric is still only people opinions and is not "proof" of anything, how different are peoples opinions when watching a fight? We see contradictory opinions on this site all the time and despite the fact we see fightermetric given as a source frequently (an it has its purposes) its still just open to human error, prejudice and bias and should not be quoted as the be all end all of fight information.



Except in this case the argument has turned into Fedor is hit all the time vs Fedor is rarely hit. Obviously if he can legitimately be ranked, from a statistically viewpoint, as the LEAST HIT MMA FIGHTER, it's clear he's not hit all the time or "gets his nose broken" every fight.


And you can play the human error card but then we have to play that for every MMA statistic there is. Or, more reasonably, we can assume everything has the same human bias applied to it instead of picking and choosing to suit our arguments.

I've given my credible, fact based source of Fedor being the least hit fighter in MMA. Where's yours for Leben?


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Khov I was saying that because you quoted a dude on a forum, do you now see why I question the legitimacy of that as a source? It wasn't an attack on you but just because somebody posts in on a forum does not make it remotely true, Charlie Z said he was fighting MMA in Madison Square Garden in January I didn't use to prove MMA was gonna be legalized in New York by then. 

I do agree that there is some degree of truth to fightermetric, I think its probably safe based off that to say Fedor gets hit less than BJ Penn but IMO him and Machida are to close to really try and use the statistics as any kind of proof.


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

Toxic said:


> Khov I was saying that because you quoted a dude on a forum, do you now see why I question the legitimacy of that as a source? It wasn't an attack on you but just because somebody posts in on a forum does not make it remotely true, Charlie Z said he was fighting MMA in Madison Square Garden in January I didn't use to prove MMA was gonna be legalized in New York by then.
> 
> I do agree that there is some degree of truth to fightermetric, I think its probably safe based off that to say Fedor gets hit less than BJ Penn but IMO him and Machida are to close to really try and use the statistics as any kind of proof.



It sounded to me like you were fullheartedly disputing using statistics and the SApM ratio. I had just cited the forum as a source until I found where the statistics themselves came from.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

khoveraki said:


> It sounded to me like you were fullheartedly disputing using statistics and the SApM ratio. I had just cited the forum as a source until I found where the statistics themselves came from.


If you just give me a SAPM ratio from some nobody on an internet message board of course I'm gonna dispute its credibility, how would I know he didn't make the numbers up?


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## khoveraki (Jun 28, 2009)

Toxic said:


> If you just give me a SAPM ratio from some nobody on an internet message board of course I'm gonna dispute its credibility, how would I know he didn't make the numbers up?


A quick google search perhaps? Much better than quickly attacking and insulting a paid member.


Either way I've posted a reputable source, the Fedor-gets-hit-a-lot myth has been completely debunked, let's move on.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

khoveraki said:


> A quick google search perhaps? Much better than quickly attacking and insulting a paid member.
> 
> 
> Either way I've posted a reputable source, the Fedor-gets-hit-a-lot myth has been completely debunked, let's move on.


I'm truly sorry if your felt insulted butI'm not the one posting it why would I google to find a source when you have given yours and it isn't credible? Perhaps you should have googled before posting it?


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## Squirrelfighter (Oct 28, 2009)

Here's my assessment.

1. Anderson Silva-He's not the most aggressive, not by any measure of the term, but how many fighters have eaten his fist because they thought they could manipulate that meager weakness. 

2. Lyoto Machida-I know there was plenty of flak thrown his way after Rua 1, but he's proven through his career that he definitely has some serious knockout power and great accuracy

3. BJ Penn-He's a tiny tornado of pain with his fists. I honestly don't think there's a single light weight that can match his striking right now. 

4. GSP-He's an awesome wrestler, but sometimes that overshadows the real fact that he's one of the best strikers out there. 

5. Shogun Rua-Great, great, great Muay Thai. His aggression and tactics against Machida were crisp but his overall MMA record is lackluster at best compared to his fellow top fivers, pushing him this low on the list.

6. Junior Dos Santos-This SOB has some serious power and he's shown it more than once. He can pick apart opponents very nearly on a champion's level, though not quite yet. 

7. Florian-Sure he's not the best, BJ tore him apart and spat on his innards, but still, Florian's still fired off great stikes against most if not all of his other opponents. 

8. Brandon Vera-He's annoying as hell to me. He could cut to LHW IMO if he wanted to, but I once watched some UFC on Spike, and saw Vera crush five guys in the first round in one montage. If only he'd cut weight and be better, he'd climb the list. (Also grow some hair, he looked like an alien against Couture)

9. Patrick Cote-I know he's been out for a long time-a year and a half-but before then, his skills were great. His leg kicks were fast as hell, his striking wasn't perfect, but his iron chin proved his tenacity. A man who can take a full-force overhand left from Silva and keep coming is a king in my book.

10. Thiago Alves-Great striker for his weight class, second to GSP's greatness. He rounds out the pack nicely I think and has definitely earned it.


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## K R Y (Nov 19, 2007)

Squirrelfighter said:


> opponents.
> 8. Brandon Vera-He's annoying as hell to me. *He could cut to LHW* IMO if he wanted to, but I once watched some UFC on Spike, and saw Vera crush five guys in the first round in one montage. If only he'd cut weight and be better, he'd climb the list. (Also grow some hair, he looked like an alien against Couture)


Umm he can, and has been doing so since 2008 when he fought Reese Andy straight after losing to Werdum at HW.


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## Squirrelfighter (Oct 28, 2009)

KryOnicle said:


> Umm he can, and has been doing so since 2008 when he fought Reese Andy straight after losing to Werdum at HW.


Yeah I know...that's why I said COULD. He's just obviously not cut out for HW IMO.

Also: Toxic and Khov bicker like an old married couple.


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## K R Y (Nov 19, 2007)

Squirrelfighter said:


> Yeah I know...that's why I said COULD. He's just obviously not cut out for HW IMO.


He hasn't fought at HW in 5 fights(6 after Jon Jones)...You do realise he is a LHW now right?


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## Squirrelfighter (Oct 28, 2009)

KryOnicle said:


> He hasn't fought at HW in 5 fights(6 after Jon Jones)...You do realise he is a LHW now right?


...f*ck i had a retard moment. Still, it was just laziness that kept him at HW when he was there IMO.


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