Benson Henderson and the 10 Best Fighters with an Undefeated UFC Record

By (Featured Columnist) on August 8, 2012

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 11:  UFC fighter Anderson Silva arrives at the 2012 ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on July 11, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Holding an undefeated record in mixed martial arts is both a blessing and a curse. 

On one hand, it proves that you are an elite athlete capable of doing things other men simply cannot.  You fight for a living, and you are an expert in the field of elegant violence.  

On the other hand, you have a target on your back for all to see.  In a field of hungry wolves, you stand as a somehow untouchable sheep.  The wolves lunge, but you always counter brilliantly.

While being undefeated as a mixed martial artist is a feat to be proud of, being undefeated under the UFC banner is especially sweet for fighters.  The UFC is the big league, and only the best of the best show up to fight inside the historic Octagon.

To honor these invincible warriors, I present to you the top 10 fighters with an undefeated UFC record.  

Note: Losses under the WEC banner are not considered in the list, and the list is open only to current fighters.  

No. 10: Chan Sung Jung

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Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

UFC Record: 3-0

"The Korean Zombie" has really found his groove inside the Octagon.  After being an entertaining but inconsistent fighter in the WEC, Chan Sung Jung has rattled off three impressive victories in the UFC, including his latest masterpiece over Dustin Poirier. 

With the win, the Korean featherweight will have a huge matchup in his next trip to the Octagon, but an opponent is unnamed as of now.  

No. 9: Alistair Overeem

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Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

UFC Record: 1-0

"The Demolition Man" Alistair Overeem may only have one victory under the UFC banner, but it was a big one.  

With precise kicks and punches, Overeem took out Brock Lesnar at UFC 141, retiring Lesnar in the process.

Overeem is one of the most physically intimidating figures in the sport today, and when you add in his world-class kickboxing and underrated ground game, he is truly a tall task for any man in the world.  

The Dutch heavyweight is currently serving a suspension for banned substances, but look for him to vault into a championship matchup immediately upon his return.  

No. 8: Dominick Cruz

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Christian Petersen/Getty Images

UFC Record: 2-0

Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz finds himself at No. 8 on the list—not due to a lack of skill, but solely due to a lack of activity inside the Octagon.

A knee injury sidelined Cruz from a trilogy matchup with perennial fan favorite Urijah Faber, and a date has yet to be booked for the champ's return to the big stage.  

Nobody doubts Cruz's merit as an elite fighter, but, as he makes his money in the ultimate "what have you done for me lately" sport, Cruz finds himself as a bit of an under-appreciated gem at this point in his career. 

No. 7: Joseph Benavidez

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Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

UFC Record: 3-0

Joseph Benavidez has benefited from the UFC's absorption of the WEC more than any other fighter.  

Despite fighting hard battles and putting on impressive performances inside the WEC cage, Benavidez found himself constantly fighting guys outside his natural weight class, making each bout all the more difficult.

Now as the favorite to win the UFC's inaugural flyweight championship, the 125-pound Team Alpha Male product can say he has found where he belongs inside the UFC Octagon.  

No. 6: Chris Weidman

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Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

UFC Record: 5-0

Chris "All American" Weidman is the only fighter on this list who has a completely undefeated mixed martial arts record, a testament to his well-rounded skills.

With his stellar wrestling, polished jiu-jitsu and more-than-capable standup game, Weidman has the perfect skill set for MMA

After destroying Mark Munoz at UFC on FX 4, Weidman finds himself as one of a few fighters in line for a shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva.  

While it is looking as though Weidman will not be selected as Silva's next opponent, let me just say this: Anderson is lucky that is the case, because Weidman is the perfect foil to his perfection.  

Before you go to the comment bar to light me up for that statement, please finish the list.  

Moving on...

No. 5: Renan Barao

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Anne-Marie Sorvin-US PRESSWIRE

UFC Record: 4-0

Renan Barao is primed to become one of the breakout superstars in MMA.  

After decisively beating Urijah Faber at UFC 149 to earn the interim bantamweight championship, Barao finds himself next in line for current champion Dominick Cruz.  

Barao has not lost an MMA contest since he dropped his first professional bout, an accomplishment few other fighters can claim.

Oh, did I mention he has fought 30 times since that first fight?

Yeah, there's that.  

No. 4: Benson Henderson

CREDIT: mmamania.com
CREDIT: mmamania.com

UFC Record: 4-0

Benson Henderson, like Joseph Benavidez and Chan Sung Jung, really saw his career take off inside the Octagon.  

A former WEC champion and standout fighter for the organization, Bendo stepped into the Octagon and turned his intensity to 11, capturing the lightweight championship in the process.

A rematch with Frankie Edgar is just around the corner at UFC 150 and, should he defeat Edgar a second time, Bendo will cement himself as the best lightweight in the world.  

No. 3: Jose Aldo

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Ethan Miller/Getty Images

UFC Record: 3-0

Jose Aldo is disgustingly good.  

With a 21-1 record overall, Aldo is unquestionably the world's best featherweight.  He has decimated everyone put in his path and shows no signs of slowing down.  

At 25 years of age, Aldo finds himself on top of his division as he enters his prime, so it may be a long, long time before anybody can unseat the Brazilian standout.  

No. 2: Junior Dos Santos

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Jason Merritt/Getty Images

UFC Record: 9-0

Junior dos Santos is the arguably the most dominant heavyweight in UFC history, and he keeps looking better and better with each Octagon appearance.  

His spotless UFC record boasts victories over top heavyweights Cain Velasquez, Frank Mir and Roy Nelson, but the best is yet to come for "Cigano."  

A rematch with Cain Velasquez or a tangle with kickboxing extraordinaire Alistair Overeem awaits the champion in his next bout; either fight will be an intriguing battle.  

Should dos Santos defend the belt again in his next outing, there will be no question whatsoever as to who is the best UFC heavyweight of all time.  

No. 1: Anderson Silva

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Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Does going 15-0 while scarcely looking human or being challenged make you the best fighter in the UFC today?

No, it doesn't.

It makes you the best fighter of all time. 

Anderson Silva is without a doubt the most dominant fighter in MMA history, and his records and achievements only tell part of the story.  

The stats look incredible: 15-0 in the UFC, 13 finishes, 10 title defenses, but the real kicker for Silva is how he makes his opponents look silly en route to crushing them.

No fighter in promotional history has dominated like Silva has, and watching him fight is a true honor for fans of the sport.

Silva is simply on another planet when it comes to fighting prowess, and for that, he tops our list at No. 1.  

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