Donald Cerrone and the UFC's 10 Toughest Fighters Right Now
The fight game incorporates an uncanny mixture of talents and physical capabilities.
Driven by an innate sense of awareness and survival, mixed martial artists put their bodies through the ringer.
Some adapt and overcome better than others, but for the most part, the sport's collection of competitors possess the same natural ferocity.
However, when it boils down to brass tacks, the list of hard-nosed Octagon occupants who can produce elite results in the eyes of adversity shrinks.
So based on the ability to power through the pain and maintain a level head, here are the 10 toughest fighters in the UFC right now.
Matt Brown
1 of 10
Easily one of the craziest characters to ever enter the Octagon, welterweight banshee Matt Brown represents the carnal aggression in all of us.
As a fighter who draws comfort from getting punched in the face, The Immortal is one of the most feared strikers in the sport.
His level of toughness simply knows no bounds, whether he's swinging for the fence or wiping blood off his brow.
And even though his technicality and versatility often take a backseat to his iron grit, Brown's violent explosions and steel-plated cranium are more than enough to make him a perennial contender.
Nate Diaz
2 of 10
Blessed with some of the best boxing in the UFC's lightweight division, Nate Diaz is able to attack opponents from all angles.
He doesn't have knockout power, so in order to make up for this lack, the confident striker throws punches in bunches.
But beyond his offensive tendencies, Diaz possesses the unflappable soul of a fighter.
His is the sort of soul that can fuel unprecedented comebacks or help maintain focus even in the eyes of inevitable defeat.
Furthermore, Diaz is the type of fighter who continues to move forward even when his legs are smashed in like a stick of butter on Thanksgiving Day.
Johny Hendricks
3 of 10
Former UFC welterweight kingpin Johny Hendricks is known as Bigg Rigg for a reason.
Possessing exceptional power and mass, the bearded barbarian hits and absorbs damage like a Mack truck among boxcars.
While his hands often drop, leaving his chin exposed, Hendricks understands how to walk through his opponent's best shots while sticking to his own game plan.
Take one look at his recent title fights opposite current champion Robbie Lawler, and it's easy to see just how tough the Oklahoman can be.
If Hendricks can do himself a favor and cut weight with a little more ease, he'll reap more devastating benefits inside the cage.
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Chris Weidman
4 of 10
The Kingslayer may in fact be the most underrated champion in the UFC today.
Having defeated the almighty Anderson Silva on two separate occasions, undefeated middleweight phenom Chris Weidman is simply too good to be true in the eyes of many passionate MMA onlookers.
But is that a fair assessment of a dominant fighter who has won nearly every round throughout his promotional tenure?
Not at all, especially considering Weidman just wrapped up a fiery five-round championship war with the exceedingly stoic Lyoto Machida back at UFC 175.
The All-American showcased the hardy mettle and constant determination for 25 minutes needed to retain such a well-deserved title.
Cain Velasquez
5 of 10
Equipped with an engine incapable of losing steam, UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is rarely outworked, or outmuscled, inside of the cage.
By sticking to his opponents like a moth takes to a flame, The Mexican Masher suffocates opponents with elite wrestling and an unsatisfiable appetite to grind.
His style may not be the most flashy or versatile, but it's consistently good enough to turn some of the baddest dudes on the planet into playground sissies.
In other words, he's an unbreakable machine.
So if you're addicted to fighters who push the pace, maintain destruction and beat opponents into oblivion, Velasquez is your type of guy.
Ronda Rousey
6 of 10
Ronda Rousey is the Queen of Mean.
With easily the most well-rounded skill set in the history of women's MMA, the UFC bantamweight champ inflicts pain in the quickest and most devastating fashions possible.
From bone-crunching armbars to breath-snuffing body shots, Rousey knows how to attack opponents where and when they are most vulnerable.
Add in her confidence, and you have one of the toughest pound-for-pound outs in the sport today
The fact that she's quite beautiful makes her picture-perfect ascension that more noticeable.
Donald Cerrone
7 of 10
Whether the fight is contested under the bright lights of the Octagon or the dim glow of a back-alley flashlight, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone will come to brawl.
It's an infectious attitude that has separated the lightweight sensation from his peers during a time when fighters are lobbying for guaranteed title shots, undeserving shelf time or the perfect win-prolonging opponent.
In the midst of this newfound Octagon volunteer work, Cerrone has racked off an impressive six-fight win streak, defeating the likes of Eddie Alvarez, Jim Miller, Myles Jury and Edson Barboza in the process.
But beyond his public persona as a rough-and-tough cowboy who will fight at the drop of his Stetson, it has been the 31-year-old's ability to finish fights in fashion that make him such a tough guy.
One false move, and Cerrone will take a back or kick a head off its block.
Robbie Lawler
8 of 10
Robbie Lawler is a quintessential throwback.
From the way he approaches his opponents to the effort he exhausts inside of the Octagon, Ruthless lives up to his moniker in every sense of the word.
With savage power punches and a chin that has held up over 14 years of fighting a variety of assassins, Lawler's swing-for-the-fence mentality can stack up against any welterweight in the world.
As a guy who does most of his damage in close quarters, due mostly to his ability to land ill-willed combinations and uppercuts, the 32-year-old southpaw has a unique sense for violence.
He enjoys the back-and-forth exchanges and so do the fans.
Junior Dos Santos
9 of 10
While Junior Dos Santos does resemble an unbreakable crash test dummy at times, his elite boxing skills and dangerous precision help him overcome his willingness to absorb leather.
Widely considered one of the best fighters in the world without a UFC championship belt wrapped around his waist, the Brazilian powerhouse has devoured every heavyweight known to man except for his rival, divisional titleholder Cain Velasquez.
But even when matched up against the baddest man on the planet, JDS displays the fortitude and resilience to push through countless rounds of punishment.
This uncommon attribute often leaves the thick-headed knockout artist battered and bruised, but that's just a walk in the park for a fighter of Dos Santos' caliber.
Jon Jones
10 of 10
All naysayers please bow before the pound-for-pound king.
After years of ridicule suggesting that he would wilt under overwhelming pressure or repetitious fists to the face, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has left his doubters dumbfounded.
From his closely-knit striking expo opposite Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 to his bullying of Daniel Cormier at UFC 182, the polarizing superstar has shown that he can defend his title on the heels of a war.
Not to mention his refusal to tap to Vitor Belfort's arm-wrenching submission attempt back at UFC 152, despite nearly hyper-extending his limb.
People may still question whether his artistic versatility and perfected craft belongs on a list of tough guys (and girls), but the proof is in the pudding.
There just isn't a light heavyweight on this planet who can hurt Jones and gain a victory.
For more UFC news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell
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