Ranking the Greatest Pound For Pound Fighters Outside the UFC

The announcement that Shinya Aoki and Fedor Emelianenko signed on for a grappling match left me somewhat confused, yet very intrigued.

Unsure as to why this match up was set up considering the difference in weight, having two great grappling artists head—to—head left me very interested.

That being said, it was no surprise to me when Emelianenko stole the match through an Achilles lock, adding yet another victory to the record of arguably the best pound—for—pound fighter in MMA.

With every accomplishment Emelianenko gains in his already illustrious career, he is still unable to say he has fought in the most successful, competitive organization in Mixed Martial Arts.

Although Dana White has continuously attempted to sign Emelianenko, Fedor continues to evade fighting in the UFC—the organization with many of the best pound—for—pound fighters in the world.

When discussing the best fighters in MMA, two names are brought up more than any others: Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva.

However, the world of MMA is a broad one and a world much larger than just the UFC.

There are five fighters, specifically, that make up the list of best pound—for—pound fighters not in the UFC. Whether they fight out of the WEC, Affliction, or one of the many other organizations involved in MMA, they are some of the best fighters in the world, regardless of organization.

5. Jake Shields

Jake Shields has spent his career fighting in the welterweight division. What separates him from the rest of the welterweights is the size Shields brings to the octagon.

Rumor has it that Shields walks around at 190 lbs., but is able to make the weight cut, allowing him to fight in the welterweight division.

Shields is a wrestling phenom along with being an amazing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist, having trained under Cesar Gracie. Although the majority of his victories (10) have come down to a decision, nine of them have ended in submission with eight of them being chokes of some kind.

Shields holds an 11 fight win streak, having not tasted defeat since 2004. With 22 victories and only four losses, Shields has demonstrated how dominant he has become in the world of MMA.

4. Gegard Mousasi

Gegard Mousasi is a dominate middleweight fighting out of the Dream organization.

Mousasi has flown under the radar in the MMA world, but many of the MMA sites, including Sherdog.com, rank Mousasi in the top three best fighters of the middleweight division.

This knockout fighter has 22 wins to his names, followed by a mere two losses. The fact that he is on an 11 fight win streak does not hurt his chances of making a list such as this one.

If UFC fans would like an exciting fight for Anderson Silva, Gegard Mousasi is the guy to give it to them.

3. Mike Brown

At the 145 pound division, there is no fighter greater than Mike Brown. Brown holds a record of 21-4, along with being currently ranked as the No. 1 featherweight in MMA.

Brown successfully claimed the WEC featherweight title from Urijah Faber, after Faber had held it for almost three years.

Brown has fought in one UFC event, which resulted in a loss. While there is serious speculation as to whether or not Brown will make the weight gain to once again fight in the lightweight division, he is having a rather successful career in the WEC.

2. Miguel Torres

This Muy-Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace must have forgotten the feeling of defeat by now. Torres has not lost a fight since 2003, winning 17 fights since then.

Torres controls the Bantamweight division and, at this point, is seemingly unbeatable at the 135 pound class.

Almost 60 percent of his victories have ended via submission, with nine ending in knockout or TKO, and the remaining six going to the judges.

He has never been knocked out or submitted, with his lone loss having been decided by the judges.

No other fighter dominates his respective weight class as much as Torres controls Bantamweight. He has not lost in over five years and continues to reign victorious at the end of every one of his bouts.

Boasting a 37-1 record, this WEC star takes the second spot on this list.

1. Fedor Emelianenko

Many MMA fans love him, many hate him. Regardless of ones stance on Emelianenko, the respect due to him is undeniable and well deserved.

Emelianenko has won over 96 percent of his fights, over half of them by submission.

Fedor has also defeated several former UFC fighters, including Tim Sylvia and Andre Arlovski most recently. Other high profile wins include victories over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (two times) and Mirko Filipovic.

Although efforts have been made to bring him to the UFC, they have all failed, as he is now fighting in Affliction.

Emelianenko has already had a heroic and unforgettable career in MMA. With a record of 30-1, "The Last Emperor" takes the number one spot on this list.

This list features the best pound—for—pound fighters that are not in the WEC. However, there is one fighter on this list that is the best pound—for—pound fighter in the world: Fedor Emelianenko.

The fact that Emelianenko does not fight in the UFC leaves many people blinded to his level of skill.

The record Emelianenko holds is not only impressive, but unprecedented when compared to the records of Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre.

While I feel (and I realize that most will disagree with me) that Anderson Silva is a close second, regardless of his previous two fights (both title defenses, lest we forget), Emelianenko runs away with the title of the best fighter in the world.

"The Last Emperor" has done everything in his career, except fight for the UFC. However, that fact does not separate him from the title he rightfully deserves; the title of the "Best Pound—for—Pound Fighter in the World."