10 Fighters That Can Win No Matter Where the Fight Goes

The new breed of MMA fighters possess talents in nearly every facet of the game. There still are some one-dimensional stars that have found success, but for the most part, being good in all areas of the game is a must for any fighter hoping to endure a long career.

MMA's evolution resembles a roller coaster ride with the focus of different disciplines each having their moment to shine. In today's competitive world, a fighter must be potent in some form of standup and a number of different forms of grappling.

The fact that many fighters on this list are current or past champions is no coincidence. Being able to win no matter where the fight goes is a key ingredient to success, and these fighters have both the talent and success to back up that claim.

Rashad Evans

When Rashad Evans entered the UFC, he was a pure wrestler who just happened to have the athletic ability to stand with his opponents.

Evans, over the course of his career, has grown into a fairly prolific striker in his own right. His KO of Chuck Liddell remains one of the most violent KOs I've ever seen. Evans also owns an impressive KO of Sean Salmon and Tito Ortiz.

The former champion also has a black belt in gaidojutsu, a grappling art formed by his former coach, Greg Jackson. He's shown to have the ability to fight off his back as he managed to scramble back to his feet against "Rampage" Jackson in their bout.

With solid striking to go with a top-notch grappling background, Evans will look to derail the Jon Jones hype train at UFC 145.

Benson Henderson

When Benson Henderson entered the sport of MMA, he had solid wrestling with slick submission skills. As his career has progressed, so too have his skills.

During his tenure with WEC, the former two-time NAIA All-American submitted two former champions in back-to-back bouts against Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone. When Henderson moved into the ranks of the UFC lightweights, he knew he had to evolve his game.

Henderson's bout with Jim Miller showed how far he had come, as he showed off impressive striking, clinch work and takedowns en route to a dominant decision victory. The Arizona native confirmed his new-found skill set when he defeated Clay Guida in a title eliminator bout.

His biggest display of ability to win on the feet, as well as on the ground, came in his title match against Frankie Edgar. Able to bounce back from takedowns by the champion, Henderson landed powerful strikes that caused quite a bit of visual damage on the champion's face; no doubt influencing the judges' decision.

Urijah Faber

The man who put the featherweight division on the map, Urijah Faber, also is one of the most well-versed fighters on the planet.

His blend of explosive wrestling with crushing chokes has made Faber into one of the best at both 145 and 135 pounds. Faber has defeated top stars like Dominick Cruz, Jeff Curran, Bibiano Fernandes and Jens Pulver, among others.

Faber's last fight against former champion Brian Bowles showcased Faber's striking prowess and submission game, as he rocked Bowles and then slapped on a tight guillotine to secure a rubber match with Cruz.

Jon Jones

The current UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones has shown to be prolific in a number of areas in MMA.

Besides owning one of the more unorthodox but successful striking attacks, Jones also is an accomplished wrestler in his own right. He won a junior college national championship while competing at Iowa Central Community College.

With a dominant top game, Jones has been able to rain down some powerful strikes on his opponents. He broke the orbital bone of Brandon Vera with an elbow strike and unleashed a flurry against Vladimir Matyushenko and Matt Hamill (albeit a DQ-causing flurry).

We have yet to see Jones fight off his back, but given the fact he submitted both Ryan Bader and Lyoto Machida, was able to stifle Mauricio Rua's jiu-jitsu game and has the confidence to go for a flying triangle against "Rampage" Jackson, I'd be willing to claim it's fairly good.

Cain Velasquez

The former UFC heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez has blended his dominant wrestling with a vast array of strikes to become one of the most well-rounded fighters in all of MMA.

A former JUCO champion (also at Iowa Central) and Division I standout at Arizona State University, Velasquez used his wrestling to amass a 9-0 record to being his professional career. Of Velasquez's nine wins, all but one of his opponents have been knocked out.

Velasquez's insane conditioning allows him to maintain a pace that very few can match. This more than anything contributes to his success on the feet, as most heavyweights simply can't go punch-for-punch with the former champion.

He has yet to show a desire to look for submissions, but he also hasn't had the need to given how dominant Velasquez has been on top. Brock Lesnar was able to secure a takedown, but Velasquez shot right back up, showing he doesn't panic like most wrestlers after being put on their back.

Dominick Cruz

Dominick Cruz, the reigning bantamweight champion, has defeated nearly every opponent put in front of him thus far in his career.

More renowned for his in-and-out striking techniques, Cruz also has shown impressive wrestling skills to boot. His victories over Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez showcased Cruz's strength in wrestling. Cruz is also a blue belt under the distinguished grappling coach Lloyd Irvin Jr.

Cruz's next bout will come against his rival, Urijah Faber, when the three meet for a final time to decide the winner of their rivalry and the bantamweight championship.

Carlos Condit

Carlos Condit validated his title shot after defeating Nick Diaz using a great game plan to win the UFC welterweight interim title. Besides having some new hardware, "the Natural Born Killer" also has one of the most well-rounded skill sets in MMA.

Condit has been on a tear through the UFC since his arrival, with three KOs in six bouts. Prior to joining the UFC's ranks, Condit had won eight straight bouts, with all coming via KO or submission.

With the ability to not only succeed in each area of the fight but also having the ability to finish his opponent at any moment's notice, Condit will make his bout with Georges St-Pierre entertaining to say the least.

Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo is not only one of the most dominant champions of today, but he also has one of the best all-around games in the sport.

Possessing powerful muay Thai techniques, Aldo ran through the featherweight division in the WEC, which includes his highlight-reel wins over Cub Swanson and Manny Gamburyan, along with his dominant showing against Urijah Faber.

As Aldo transitioned to the UFC, he's shown to be one of the hardest, if not the hardest fighter to take down. Should a fighter manage to drag Aldo down, they're in for a rough night, as the champion is a black belt in BJJ from the prestigious Nova Uniao camp.

Lyoto Machida

Lyoto Machida's MMA credentials come from a wide array of traditional martial arts. His karate background is well-documented, but Machida is also proficient in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and sumo.

Machida has faced a number of high-level opponents throughout his career, fighting the legendary BJ Penn in only his sixth professional bout. The Brazilian has also beaten former champions like Tito Ortiz, Rich Franklin and Rashad Evans, among others.

Although he had some initial success against Jon Jones at UFC 141, Machida was ultimately beaten, but will look to rebound after taking most of 2011 off from fighting to hone his skills and physical attributes.

Georges St-Pierre

Georges St-Pierre is an example of how a fighter can transform into one of the most well-rounded stars in MMA.

Despite not competing in wrestling prior to MMA, GSP has become one of the most dominant wrestlers in the sport. Being able to take down high-level opponents like BJ Penn and Josh Koscheck, among others, is no easy feat.

As St-Pierre has continued to evolve as a fighter, he's enlisted help from some of the best coaches in the sport. GSP trains muay Thai with Phil Nurse, works on his boxing with Freddie Roach and has worked on Brazilian jiu-jitsu with Renzo Gracie.

An All-Star cast of coaches have made GSP into one of the most well-rounded fighters today and have helped make him the most dominant welterweight in history.