In the mid '90s, the UFC emerged as the first popularized mixed martial arts events in the United States. It was bloody, messy, and uncoordinated. Bruce Lee versus Jackie Chan it wasn’t. There was a lot of criticism of the sport and the organization in terms of brutality.
Eventually, legislation spearheaded by Senator John McCain fought to ban MMA, as it was known (few if any rules or regulations). After a hiatus, change of ownership, and increased rules, the UFC returned with a vengeance and began their climb to the top of the popularity charts for professional sports.
There were many factors that have contributed to the UFC as we know it and the popularity it holds (how many people think that MMA and UFC are the same thing?). Forgetting the pain and effort that was needed in conference rooms and over the telephone, in the end, it is the fighters that make the UFC what it is.
Here is a list of the Top 10 fighters that have most influenced what the UFC is today:
10. Don Frye
Often forgotten in recent times thanks to his standoffish attitude and belligerent behavior, Don Frye took on some of the best fighters the UFC had to offer and ground them into the mat. Most memorable of all was his enduring and eventually tapping out Tank Abbott when Abbott was at his best.
He was the first and best wrestler the UFC showcased by combining solid strikes to his grappling skills. He set the stage for future champions like Randy Couture, Matt Hughes, and even Brock Lesnar to show how dominate wrestling can be in MMA competition.
9. Ken Shamrock
Love him or hate him (probably the latter), Ken Shamrock was there from the beginning and brought Pancrase fighting to the UFC. With dangerous ankle locks and a tenacity that was enough to stop the previously unstoppable Royce Gracie (unofficial Super Fight), Ken Shamrock was, at one point, at the top of the UFC food chain.
(Of course, then he fell apart and is yet to realize that he needs to retire)
8. Marco Ruas
Marco Ruas brought Vale Tudo style fighting to the UFC back in 1995. His dismantling of the giant Paul Varelans at UFC Seven exemplified that Brazilian fighters brought more than just BJJ to the mixed martial arts table.
He is the first example of a truly complete fighter to compete in the UFC. All the while showing, before its time, what the future of MMA would become.
7. Frank Shamrock
The UFC’s first middleweight champion, Frank Shamrock was so successful that he left the UFC, retiring, claiming that there was no one left that was any competition. At the time, he was right.
A combination of formidable striking, incredible cardio (one of the first fighters to truly show a high level of conditioning), and top-notch submissions, Frank Shamrock tends to be forgotten in the history of the UFC but still stands as one of the most dominant and complete champions that the UFC has ever seen.
6. (tie) Forrest Griffin/Stephen Bonnar
On Apr. 9, 2005, American’s were treated with a free viewing of one of the most intense mixed martial arts fights of all time. Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar entered the octagon to fight for the first TUF championship.
What they left in the octagon was a higher standard in competition. Now, when most fans think about how they want a fight to go, they think of Griffin/Bonnar. Two fighters that left it all out there.
This event served to launch the popularity of the UFC to new levels with a new, younger fanbase who reveled in the fact that they didn’t have to pay $50 to see a good fight.
5. Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes was the UFC’s first long-time champ. Hughes’ long lasting career and welterweight title run lasted until current champ Georges St. Pierre took his rightful place on the throne, usurping the aging Hughes.
Hughes represented the good-old farm boy with the hardcore work ethic. He was, and still is, as American as apple pie and poorly built cars. He is at the end of his MMA career, but his impact and long tenure in the UFC showed that fighters could last and truly make a career out of being a mixed martial artist...or at least a wrestler that competes in mixed martial arts.
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