(Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
They say that if you hit anyone just right, they'll go down. For the most part, they're correct, but there are some exceptions to the rule.
This is a list of the most iron, granite, and diamond-chinned competitors in MMA, people who will fight through face-disfiguring punishment to continue fighting in the face of defeat.
This is a modern list, so previous top names like Mark Hunt and Kazuyuki Fujita are omitted from this list, with both of them being KO'd recently and looking horrendous while being so.
10. Anderson "The Spider" Silva
"Rich's punches come from weird angles—like you see that?"
Another case that maybe isn't as easy to judge as the others, due to the fact that he's never really been on the wrong end of a beating. Credit goes to his supreme footwork and masterful head movement for this; they allow him to avoid shots and minimise their impact when they land.
But any time he's been hit, he's shaken it off like nothing. Never KO'd or TKO'd, Silva's only losses come from submission, decision or disqualification.
When he got hit by Franklin, he started dancing like Neo in The Matrix (Neo=Mr. Anderson, get it?), and when he got hit by a right hook from Henderson he only beckoned for more.
In clips of him sparring against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, he does not wear headgear, and is none the worse for wear for it. Currently sporting a nine fight winning streak in UFC's middleweight division—the highest ever in UFC history—and holding the middleweight belt, my guess is we won't see Silva rocked in his MMA career. But we may if he gets to box Roy Jones Junior.
9. Dan "Hendo" Henderson
"Rich Franklin is pouring it on, here."
With not a single KO or TKO loss of any kind to mar his record, no list of great chins could ever omit Dan Henderson. Even against the calibre of opponents like Rampage Jackson, Wanderlei Silva x2, Anderson Silva, and Vitor Belfort, Henderson's chin held up when going toe to toe.
At 39 years old this August, Henderson is still one of the toughest men there is, and he is poised to get another UFC middleweight title shot should he defeat Michael Bisping at UFC 100.
The only reason he isn't higher on the list is because he has been dropped, notably against Anderson Silva and very badly by Wanderlei Silva early on in his career.
8. Jon Fitch
"Oh, big right hand!"
What Fitch endured against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 87 was not a one-sided fight, or even a one-sided beatdown, it was a massacre, plain and simple, up there with Fedor/Herring or Sakuraba/Arona.
St. Pierre said Fitch reminded him of the Terminator, and it's easy to see why; every time GSP knocked him down, he kept getting back up, and kept pushing forward, unafraid and never giving up.
After suffering that loss, fans often forget that this is still the number two or three welterweight in the world, as often happens when a good fighter meets a great one.
People forget that Fitch had been on an eight fight win streak in UFC before meeting St. Pierre, the joint largest before Anderson Silva defeated Thales Leites last April.
Fitch will look to get back in action at UFC 100 against newcomer and heavy underdog Paulo Thiago.
Having only been stopped once by a knee from Wilson Gouveia seven years ago, Fitch has been finished only once.
7. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira
"Beautiful step in, with the uppercut."
Some might wonder why Nogueira is not higher, but after being dropped five times in his last three fights, he can no longer absorb the damage he once could.
Even still, he was pretty much a punching bag for two rounds before getting the guillotine when he fought Sylvia, the kick by Herring was bang on the jaw, and he did get up both times when he was knocked down by Mir and was struggling to his feet when Herb Dean called TKO.
We probably won't ever again see Nogueira come from behind from things like the Sapp piledriver or Cro Cop's left high kicks to get the submission win, but even still, he will be one of the most difficult people in the heavyweight division to finish.
He will face Randy Couture at UFC 102, where if he wins he could be in line for another title shot against whoever the heavyweight champion is at the time.
6. Patrick "The Predator" Coté
"And here we see the laser beam precision of Anderson Silva's punches and the terrific chin of Patrick Coté."
One of the most underrated chins in the sport, Coté took some humongous shots from Anderson without going down once, including a flush head-kick, and brutal jumping knee and a flying punch. His response was a smile or applause.
He's never been KO'd, or knocked down, and has gone toe to toe with heavy hitters like fellow iron jawed competitor Chris Leben and Drew McFedries.
The only time he stopped was when his knee blew against Anderson Silva, an injury that kept him sidelined until this September when he will face Yushin Okami at UFC 103—at least if their verbal agreement is anything to go by.
43 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete