The X-Factor That Makes Every UFC Champion Great

What makes a champion a champion? Traditionally, being better than everyone else helps.

But is it so simple? Are champions faster, stronger, more technically sound than the lot they are faced with competing against?

Logic suggests that an affirmative answer be supplied to this question, and it is difficult to argue that superior skill-sets do not set champions apart. However, beyond the obvious—the tangible and quantifiable—champions are keepers of superiority, owners of undefined abilities and masters of untaught skills. 

Sure, UFC champions are men no different than you (unless you are female, then they have a Y chromosome that you do not), I or the trail of defeated rivals left in their wake.

They are not superheroes.

But, each UFC champion shares a common trait with one another—the possession of a defining characteristic that sets them apart from their competitors. 

Each champion possesses a unique quality, skill or ability that defines them as a fighter and differentiates them from even the most elite of competitors. 

Dominick Cruz: The Water Bug Effect

To say that Cruz's fighting style is unique would be an understatement. Sure, lots of fighters, especially in the lower weight classes employ an uppity, effervescent pace, but the Dominator has taken things to an entirely new level.

In addition to fighting in fast forward, Cruz utilizes a laundry list of idiosyncratic prerogatives that make him one of a kind. 

First, the amount of feints Cruz puts into each and every one of his fights is remarkable. He throws countless half punches and kicks every time out, regularly scurries in half way for a shot before retreating and keeps every limb in perpetual motion to keep his opponents off guard.

He also yelled "Feint!" an average of 37 times per minute as a coach on last season's installment of The Ultimate Fighter.

In addition to keeping his competitors guessing as to where his next strike will originate from, Cruz changes directions in the Octagon like it's going out of style. First he goes right, then left, then charges like a maniac, only to follow it up by retreating like he is Clay Guida's mentor.

The erratic style of Cruz may seem indicative of an indecisive or incapable fighter, but nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, the depiction of chaos and unpredictability embodied in Cruz is a carefully measured tactic that has proven effective time and time again.

Have you ever tried to catch a water bug as it scurried along the surface of a pond? Me neither. But I imagine it would be a lot like trying to catch Cruz inside the Octagon.

Jose Aldo: A Bottomless Pit of Power

Aldo is a stereotypical featherweight fighter in that he is a very quick striker, though he is certainly much quicker than most. In fact, he may be the quickest of any.

Speed, however, is not the X-factor that makes Aldo a truly special champion. While he may possess more of it than his competitors, the 145-pound weight landscape is in fact rich with speed deposits littered throughout its top-10 rankings.

So when looking for a talent more specific to Aldo, we turn from speed to power, an asset that is far more rare at featherweight.

At times, Aldo seems to have human-like power. He hits his opponents and they survive, enduring the damage wrought by a strike from a hard-hitting featherweight. At other times, Aldo seems capable of slinging shots with the power of a bear on steroids.

Let me break it down like this. An average featherweight hits with the power of 50 points on the bear-steroid spectrum. The division's hardest hitters may reach about 60. Aldo defies logic by ranging from 60 to 100.

The disparity in power from strike to strike may be a product of Aldo's inclination to feel his opponents out before going in for the kill, but even his idea of testing the waters is something like throwing dynamite into a pool. 

While there is no shortage of answers when explaining Aldo's success to date, one reason worth pointing to is his ability to change the power of his strikes from 110 mph fastball to 95 mph changeup. 

Benson Henderson: Gills

If we take a look back at Henderson's most recent fight—a win over Frankie Edgar—then we may eagerly identify size as Henderson's defining championship characteristic.

But, size makes for an ugly X-factor. It is measurable, quantifiable and overtly visible. Everything an X-factor should not be.

So instead, we'll look beyond the fight against Edgar to Henderson's WEC days where in contests with Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone, Henderson proved that he could breathe just fine without air.

Despite frequently finding himself in tight, deep guillotine chokes, Henderson continually yanked his head free or simply waited for his opponents to let go of the choke out of sheer frustration.

While he hasn't needed to bust this carnival talent as of late, Henderson can keep it in his back pocket for the next time he finds himself in a position where any human requiring oxygen to breathe would fall unconscious.

A nice little ace up the sleeve.

Georges St-Pierre: Human Dynamite

St-Pierre is often defined as one of the most "explosive" athletes in mixed martial arts, a moniker fitting a fighter capable of summoning incredible sums of speed and power for the purpose of brief, singular actions.

GSP trains with the intended purpose of becoming more explosive, relying on short expulsions of energy to move significant resistance. He is also an advocate of plyometric training, an exercise regiment designed to promote power in the lower body.

As a consequence of St-Pierre's unrivaled explosiveness he is able to change the course of all of his fights with a singular power move. Most commonly, this is enacted by a double-leg take down.

Few fighters, even those with enviable wrestling credentials, are able to transition from a defensive boxing stance to firing off ground and pound in the blink of an eye like Georges can.

If life was a video game and GSP was a boss, his takedowns would be the precursor to countless slammed controllers and obscenities directed towards the fairness of life.

St-Pierre's explosiveness is one of his defining characteristics as a fighter and is what sets him apart from the rest of the welterweight jumble at 170 pounds. 

Anderson Silva: Superiority

Silva's X-factor is superiority. Is it possibly so simple? Is his intangible advantage over the field that he is better than they are?

Yes. Yes it is.

But without proper description that is a pretty lame X-factor, so let's delve a little deeper. 

Silva has posted a 14-0 record inside the UFC with performances that have run the gamut from inspired (Forrest Griffin) to lackluster (Thales Leites). He has shown thus far that he is better than his opponent on any given night, but to the extent that he is better has wavered.

While Silva has garnered criticism for appearing disinterested at times it is difficult to question his talent. Whether he sometimes turns in performances unworthy of his reputation may be a product of complacency, undisclosed injury or playing it safe, Silva just wins.

A theory could be proposed that if an uninspired Silva showed up against the wrong opponent, it could be bad news for the Brazilian. For instance, if the Silva who fought Demian Maia had instead fought Vitor Belfort, would Silva still be undefeated?

This is where the superiority X-factor jumps in. Regardless of how he fights, Silva is always better than his opponent.

Call it playing down to the level of his opponent, but the fact remains that Silva is the greatest UFC champion of all time for the simple reason that despite bouts with inconsistency of performance, he knows how good he needs to be to win each fight, and he invariably hits that mark.

That is Silva's superiority X-factor.

Jon Jones: Max Stats Cheat

Jon Jones is a bit of a ridiculous mixed martial artist. He is very tall, has the longest reach in the UFC and dwarfs any opponent who steps into the Octagon with him, yet he has exhibited a speed advantage over every single opponent to date.

In addition to the mixture of size and speed he possesses, Jones has rag-dolled several opponents, like Stephan Bonnar and Mauricio Rua, displaying a strength rarely witnessed at 205 pounds.

Beyond these physical attributes, Jones has shown off a very well-rounded game, which includes insane takedowns from the clinch, advanced striking and a developing submission game that looks more dangerous every time out.

Additionally, his striking defense has been pretty stingy thus far in his career. And on the occasions when incoming attacks have eluded him, Jones has proved capable of absorbing damage when need be.

This combination of factors begs the following question: When Jon Jones was going through the character creation process at UFC headquarters, did they use the max stats cheat to get his ranking up to 100 (or beyond 100 if you go by the UFC Undisputed series)?

There is seemingly nothing Jones is incapable of inside the Octagon. He maintains characteristics that are supposed to have a point of diminishing return (size limiting speed), but he exhibits none of the drawbacks.

To recognize Jones' ability to have it all, I hereby assign his champion's X-factor to be...using a cheat code.

Junior Dos Santos: The Legend of Ironfist

Every time Dos Santos steps into the Octagon fans know what is about to happen. He knows it too. And his opponents? Yep, they do as well.

A knockout is looming.

Dos Santos is not invulnerable as a mixed martial artist, but he has constructed a persona for himself that makes the very idea of him being outstruck laughable.

We have yet to see Dos Santos try his hand at grappling as a UFC fighter, so there is some uncertainty regarding his overall game. But for now, striking is all we have to go on for assessing his talents. That is also what his opponents have to go on. And that is downright scary.

No opponent in his right mind would approach a fight against Dos Santos with a plan to stay on the feet for a moment longer than necessary. Why would they? A precedent has been set for what happens when fighters tarry in that realm.

We have come to a point where standing with JDS is simply a non-option. The prevailing belief among fans (and presumably deep down in the hearts of all UFC heavyweights) is that standing + Dos Santos = loss.

The kind of psychological effect this equation has on fighters looking to dethrone Dos Santos is immeasurable.

For starters, one of the main aspects of MMA (striking) is closed off as an avenue to victory. Secondly, if an attempt to move the fight away from striking is foiled, then the only alternative route to victory is likewise closed off.

The X-factor that JDS maintains as a champion is a persona of striking dominance that severely limits the game plan of any opponent, and allows him to mentally break the competition simply by stuffing a takedown.