The 25 Most Well-Rounded Fighters in MMA Today

In the early days of MMA, the best fighters were considered specialists in a particular area of fighting. Royce Gracie brought Brazilian jiu-jitsu to audiences everywhere, Mark Coleman and Dan Severn proved wrestling still reigned supreme, and Maurice Smith showed kickboxers can still knock anyone out.

As the sport has evolved, so too have the participants. Instead of being a specialist in only one are, the best fighters in the world are well-rounded in all aspects of MMA.

Of course each fighter has a particular area that they choose to seek victory with but they all have other talents that enable them to win no matter where the bout goes.

Junior Dos Santos

Junior dos Santos has some of the best boxing in the heavyweight division but don't consider him a one trick pony.

The UFC heavyweight champion has proven to be difficult to take down and also has shown some nice takedowns of his own in the Shane Carwin fight. Dos Santos is also a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

You'd like to see dos Santos mix some kicks into his devastating stand-up but you can't complain about the results thus far in his career.

Roy Nelson

No Roy Nelson isn't making it on this list due to his robust midsection. If you move past all the jokes about Nelson's figure, you realize he's actually a fairly decent fighter.

He's a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has turned into quite a knockout artist during the past few years of his MMA career. Nelson is also incredibly durable, having been only finished once in his career.

Nelson doesn't have the physical tools to achieve great success in the UFC's heavyweight division, but opponents know he's dangerous both on the feet and on the ground as well.

Fabricio Werdum

Fabricio Werdum is one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners in the entire sport of MMA. He's also taken his stand-up game to new heights as evident by his last few fights.

Against Alistair Overem, Werdum was getting the better of the K-1 champion and showed impressive muay-thai techniques against Roy Nelson in his last fight.

Werdum has also only been finished once in his career and there's no shame in losing to current UFC champion, Junior dos Santos.

If Werdum can keep improving his stand-up game to match his ground skills, Werdum could be in the title picture very soon.

Johny Hendricks

Although Johny Hendricks has a NCAA Division I wrestling title to his credit, don't expect him to be grinding out ugly decisions.

Hendricks has won seven of his 13 bouts via knockout which includes his one-punch KO of Jon Fitch in his last bout.

He will next take on another title contender in Josh Koscheck at the UFC on Fox 3 event.

Alistair Overeem

Although Alistair Overeem is widely considered to be one of the best strikers in MMA, a lot of fans forget that Overeem possesses a dangerous submission game. Just ask the 19 men who've fallen to the K-1 champion via submission.

He's also only been tapped out once in his career and has only lost once since moving up to the heavyweight division.

Overeem may have the striking tools to dethrone Junior dos Santos but their bout may be on hold pending Overeem's legal issues.

Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping is the MMA version of a utility player in baseball. He's not great at any particular area but he's well-versed in all aspects of MMA.

He doesn't have the knockout power to fully capitalize on his striking abilities and doesn't have the offensive wrestling to utilize his grappling game.

With that said, Bisping is still one of the most well-rounded fighters in MMA and his record backs up that claim. Even though he came out on the losing end against Chael Sonnen, you could argue Sonnen is 2a. and Bisping is 2b. as far as middleweight rankings go.

Cain Velasquez

Cain Velasquez dropped his heavyweight title in his last bout but he still should be considered one of the most well-rounded fighters in MMA today.

Velasquez possesses a vast array of striking techniques and produces some of the best looking combinations in the heavyweight division. He also has a NCAA Division I wrestling background to go along with his striking.

He will need to work on his striking defense but that will come in time and certainly doen't prevent Velasquez from being one of the best fighters in the world.

Rashad Evans

Having a NCAA Division I wrestling background helped Rashad Evans win The Ultimate Fighter. Having knockout power with impressive speed and agility have made Evans into a world champion.

Evans is at a physical disadvantage against nearly everyone he has faced at 205-pounds but that hasn't stopped "Suga" from rising to the top of the light heavyweight rankings. He's done a great job of utilizing his strengths in speed and agility to counter-balance his size disadvantage.

Despite fighting "safe" in some fans' eyes, Evans always manages to find a way to get his hand raised at the end of the day. He will have his biggest challenge to date against former teammate, Jon Jones at UFC 145.

Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz not only has one of the biggest mouths in MMA, he also has some of the best skill sets in the sport.

Diaz, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt also has some of the best boxing in MMA. His stand-up skills have taken a hit with the loss to Carlos Condit but he's still among the elite as far as boxing in MMA is concerned.

After retiring from MMA after UFC 143, Diaz was expected to rematch against Condit until a failed drug test derailed his fighting career.

Carlos Condit

The best word to describe Carlos Condit is "finisher." The guy has finished an astounding 26 of his 28 professional bouts. His 26 finishes are split in half via knockout and submission.

Condit's impressive stand-up pairs well with his purple belt in jiu-jitsu. Some people have been quick to question the belt system from Jackson's MMA but submission wins over Carlo Prater and Brock Larson are nothing to scoff at.

After winning the interim welterweight title, Condit will look to unify the titles against a returning Georges St-Pierre.

Dan Henderson

Dan Henderson owns one of the most devastating right hands in MMA but he also has elite-level wrestling to compliment his knockout power.

Henderson has used his "H-Bomb" to pile up most of the victories in his MMA career but his fight with Rafael Cavalcante showed he's still able to use his wrestling to win.

After competing in one of the best fights in MMA history, Henderson will be recovering and hoping that a title shot comes his way in 2012.

Alan Belcher

Although Alan Belcher has showcased some impressive striking techniques, Belcher has nearly split his victories between knockouts and submissions.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Belcher has submitted former UFC fighters Patrick Cote, Sean Salmon, and Denis Kang throughout his career. He also has a submission victory by toe hold.

After a career threatening eye injury put Belcher's career on hold, he came back to defeat Jason MacDonald in September of 2011.

Thiago Silva

Besides having one of the best "game faces" in MMA, Thiago Silva also has some of the best skills in MMA.

He's knocked out 11 of his 17 opponents and has also been finished just once in his career.

Silva may choose to stand and trade with his opponents but his victories against Houston Alexander and Brandon Vera showcased his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

Antonio Silva

Although coming off a loss, Antonio Silva is still one of the most well-rounded fighters in MMA. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Silva has used his grappling skills to reign down thunderous punches along with his submissions.

Silva has defeated the likes of Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski. "Bigfoot" Silva also owns a TKO victory over the notoriously hard to finish "Cabbage" Correira.

A UFC debut is still up in the air as the rumored bout with Cain Velasquez has fallen through.

Mauricio Rua

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua lives and dies with his stand-up game but can always fall back on his Brazilian jiu-jitsu game as well.

Rua may not have the best takedown defense in MMA but with his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Rua can finish the fight from any position.

He may not be the same fighter he was from his days in Pride, but Rua is still one of the top light heavyweights in the world. Once he recovers from one of the best fights in MMA history against Dan Henderson, look for Rua to make another run at the UFC title.

Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone is the best example of a purely offensive fighter. He has some of the best muay-thai credentials in the sport but the majority of his victories have come via submission.

Cerrone has also proven to be very durable as well, being finished only once in his MMA career.

If Cerrone can keep his emotions in check during his fights he has unlimited potential. We will get a chance to see Cerrone bounce back against Yves Edwards on the UFC on FX 3 card.

Benson Henderson

A black belt in Taekwondo and a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Benson Henderson has proven to be a very versatile fighter.

Although his record would initially have you believe he's a submission artist, many of those submissions were set up by his striking and wrestling ability.

Henderson will have a chance to prove the WEC fighters are on the same level as UFC fighters when he looks to take Frankie Edgar's title at UFC 144.

Urijah Faber

Urijah Faber is one of the fighters that helped put the featherweight division on the map in the MMA world. He has some of the most explosive grappling to go with his lightning quick (and strong) striking techniques.

Faber is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has submitted the likes of Takeya Mizugaki, Raphael Assuncao, Jens Pulver, Jeff Curran and current bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz among others.

"The California Kid" will have a chance to not only win the bantamweight title but also the opportunity to emerge victorious in his rivalry with Cruz when the two men meet for a third time.

Lyoto Machida

Lyoto Machida's achievements in karate are well documented. What many fans forget about the Brazilian fighter is that Machida also has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is a Sumo champion as well.

Machida has a background in so many martial arts that you could argue he is the most well-rounded fighter in MMA despite not having the most success in the sport.

He was last seen being the latest victim in the "Year of Jon Jones" but had arguably the most success against the champion to date.

Jose Aldo

The reigning featherweight kingpin, Jose Aldo has one of the most complete games in the sport of MMA. Aldo has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and trains at the much-heralded Nova Uniao camp.

Aldo has won most of his fights via knockout but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a one-dimensional fighter. He's shown an incredible ability to stop the takedown, evident by his last fight against Chad Mendes and against Kenny Florian at UFC 136.

His next title defense is up in the air after successfully defending his UFC title for the third time against Mendes at UFC 142.

Georges St-Pierre

Georges St-Pierre is one of the true ambassadors of MMA and is also one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

GSP's wrestling goes without question as he's reached the pinnacle of the sport despite not having a background in wrestling. He's also shown to have a well-versed stand-up game that can include kicks and punches.

An ACL injury will keep the champion on the sidelines for much of 2012 but expect to see GSP back in the Octagon in the fall of 2012 as he attempts to unify the UFC Welterweight title.

Jon Jones

Jon Jones burst into the forefront of MMA with one of the most successful years in MMA history. Jones not only took out one of the top prospects in MMA but also defeated three former champions.

Jones' unorthodox method of striking keeps his opponents off balance and he's also shown to have great wrestling as well. Fighters that find themselves in a clinch situation with Jones can bet they will be tripped or swept off their feet.

To compliment his powerful strikes and strong wrestling techniques, Jones has also shown great awareness with his submission game. Becoming the first fighter in the UFC to tap out "Rampage" Jackson and manhandle "Shogun" Rua are no easy feats.

Frankie Edgar

Frankie "The Answer" Edgar is more noted for his boxing as of late, but the UFC Lightweight champion has some serious grappling credentials.

Edgar qualified for the New Jersey state championship tournament three times and qualified for nationals in every year he attended college. Edgar is also a brown belt under jiu-jitsu trainers, Ricardo Almeida and Renzo Gracie.

He will finally defend his title against someone without the last name of Penn or Maynard when he takes on Benson Henderson at UFC 144.

Dominick Cruz

Dominick Cruz has held onto his title by using some impressive boxing but also has a strong wrestling background to compliment his striking.

He may prefer to keep the fight standing but Cruz isn't afraid to use his wrestling to achieve victory as evident by his bouts with Urijah Faber and Demetrious Johnson.

Cruz will have a chance to settle the score with Faber once and for all in their rubber match later this year.

Anderson Silva

What else can be said about Anderson Silva that hasn't already been said? He will probably go down as the best fighter in UFC history and will likely be one of the top five fighters of all time as well.

Silva's elite-level striking catches the eyes of many MMA fans, but we shouldn't forget his grappling skills. His submission wins against Chael Sonnen, Travis Lutter and Dan Henderson highlight his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills.

"The Spider" will look to vanquish his mortal enemy, Sonnen, in a rematch later in 2012.