8 Fighters with the Most Fan-Friendly Styles
Whether youโre of the brand who only tunes in when Anderson Silva steps into the cage or the type that watches every single MMA event regardless of the shape of the cage, one thing is almost certain: most fight fans prefer their cage wars to be the standup kind.
Most fans donโt want to see the Lyoto Machida who picked his spots during the first three rounds in his title fight against Chris Weidman at UFC 175; they want to see the guy who threw caution to the wind in Rounds 4 and 5. They want the Machida who knew the only manner in which he could possibly walk out of the Octagon with Weidmanโs gold would not come by way of an officialโs objectivity, but by the most subjective method any ultimate fighter knows: the finish.
Really, thereโs a reason most casual fans would rather watch any of the following fighters than sit through Demetrious Johnsonโs next bout. For as undeniably skilled as Johnson is in every facet of the MMA game, he simply doesnโt have what it takes to captivate fans on a consistent basis.
Scroll on to see what fighters prefer to bite down on their mouthpiece and move forward than sit back and pick opponents apart.
Chan Sung Jung
1 of 8
Professional Record: 13-4 (3 TKO, 8 Submission)
Last Fight: TKO loss to Jose Aldo at UFC 163
Itโs been a little under a year since the last time we were graced with watching The Korean Zombie from entering the Octagon.
He may not have an unblemished record full of spectacular knockout finishes, but anybody doubting this guy would have a difficult time stating their caseโChan Sung Jung steps into the cage to entertain.ย
Do yourself a favor and find a way to watch his first bout with Leonard Garcia from WEC 48. Just make sure nobody is sleeping within 100 feet from youโtheyโll be pretty upset when they hear you cheering from how excited you get from watching these dudes scrap.
Mark Hunt
2 of 8
Professional Record: 9-8 (6 TKO)
Last Fight: No Contest against Antonio Silva at UFC Fight Night 33
Mark Hunt is probably the best fighter in the world with a 9-8 record.
Think about it; four of his eight losses came at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett in 2006, Alistair Overeem in 2008 and Junior dos Santos in 2013โanybody would have had a tough time defeating those guys during their prime.ย
After a six-fight losing streak that lasted four long years, Hunt got back to his winning ways, knocking out Chris Tuchscherer, Cheick Kongo and Stefan Struve before locking horns with dos Santos at UFC 160. Although dos Santos managed to dominate most of the bout, Hunt never strayed too far from his original game plan: knock dos Santos senseless.ย
After being the recipient of a spinning heel kick to the head, Hunt went on to challenge Antonio โBig Footโ Silva in what is widely considered one of the best heavyweight bouts in UFC history.
Roy Nelson
3 of 8
Professional Record: 20-9 (13 TKO, 5 Submission)
Last Fight: KO victory against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC Fight Night 39
Most of us were worried about Big Nog when he stepped into the cage with Roy Nelson. We had good reason: at 38 years old, Nogueira simply didnโt have the same skill set, let alone the same chin, that he used to.
It was only a matter of minutes and several crushing blows before we realized Nelsonโs fan-friendly knockout style would supplant any plans Nogueira had in moving up the heavyweight ladder.ย
Sure, it may not always pan out for Big Countryโlike his unanimous decision losses to faster, more athletic fighters like Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormierโbut at least heโs fully aware any sort of success he may have is ultimately contingent on whether the overhand right lands on his opponent.
Junior Dos Santos
4 of 8
Professional Record: 16-3 (12 TKO, 2 Submission)
Last Fight: KO loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 166ย
Itโs safe to say Junior dos Santos has never walked into the cage to just winโhe wants to knock his opponent out. Luckily for us, his above-average MMA boxing skills accompanied by undeniable power in both of his hands make it easy for him to achieve his goals.ย
Since joining the UFC, dos Santos has only let the fight go to the judges three times: twice in victory against Shane Carwin and Roy Nelsonโtwo heavyweight fighters who have only been knocked out a combined one time in 43 boutsโand once in his first loss to Cain Velasquez.ย
Thanks to his second and most recent loss to Velasquez, it might be a while before we see Cigano challenge for the heavyweight crown. Fans shouldnโt worry, thoughโthey should rejoice at seeing the Brazilian heavyweight enter the cage, title implications or not.
Gilbert Melendez
5 of 8
Professional Record: 22-3 (11 TKO, 1 Submission)
Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory against Diego Sanchez at UFC 166
At 32 years old, Gilbert Melendez certainly hasnโt established himself as a finisher at 155 pounds. But, much to the pleasure of the casual MMA fan, Melendez has established himself as something more valuable: a scrapper.
El Niรฑoโs only managed to make his way into the Octagon twice. His first appearance came against Benson Henderson in a closely contested title tilt. Even after turning it into the type of scrap Melendez is comfortable participating in, the judges saw enough to reward the incumbent champion with the nod.
Almost six months later, Melendez stepped into the cage with Diego Sanchez in what is arguably the best fight to ever take place inside of the Octagon.
Anthony Pettis
6 of 8
Professional Record: 17-2 (7 TKO, 7 Submission)
Last Fight: Submission victory against Benson Henderson at UFC 164
Anthony Pettis is the only UFC champion to make it onto this list. Although heโs got the skills necessary to become a champion, Pettis isnโt afraid to compromise his position and utilize them enough to capture a spectacular finish.
Whether itโs all the off-the-cage attacks or the cartwheel kicks he attempts to land during each of his bouts, one thing is certain: you donโt want to miss this guy when he steps in to the cage.
Be thankful, MMA fansโPettis and Melendez are set to duke it out soon enough. Fingers crossed itโs just as good as we think itโs going to be.
Robbie Lawler
7 of 8
Professional Record: 24-10 (19 TKO, 1 Submission)
Last Fight: Unanimous decision victory against Matt Brown at UFC on Fox 12ย
Even Rory MacDonald couldnโt stop Robbie Lawler from making their UFC 167 bout any less exciting than Lawler had intended.
Lawler has long since established himself as one of the premier brawlers in MMA. It wasnโt until he returned to the UFC as a welterweight after a nine-year absence that Lawler managed to showcase his ability to complement his brawling skills with success inside the cage.
He knocked out Josh Koscheck and Bobby Voelker before a split decision victory secured his shot at the vacant welterweight title against Johny Hendricks. A back-and-forth battle at UFC 171 further cemented Lawlerโs status as the premier contender in the UFCโs 170-pound division.
Anderson Silva
8 of 8
Professional Record: 33-6 (20 TKO, 6 Submission)
Last Fight: TKO loss to Chris Weidman at UFC 168
Thereโs a reason so many people still consider Anderson Silva as the greatest to ever be, despite back-to-back TKO losses to UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman.
Sixteen straight times Silva stepped into the Octagon and showed us why. Sixteen straight times Silva made some of the worldโs most dangerous fighters look like theyโd never thrown a punch. Sixteen straight times Silva used his head movement and elite striking to caution the best strikers from unloading.
He managed to captivate the entire MMA world by taking a sport built for savages and creating a beautiful representation of his hard work and dedication. It wasnโt just fighting, it was an artโand nobody did it better than Silva.
Comment below on who else you think should have made this list.
Kristianย Ibarraย is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University's student-run newspaper,ย The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter atย @Kristian_Ibarraย for all thingsย MMA.
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