Ryan LaFlare and the 9 Best Undefeated Fighters in the UFC
Well-rounded welterweight Ryan LaFlare will put his undefeated record on the line opposite crafty veteran Demian Maia this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 62.
It will be his toughest test to date and a chance to prove he's a real title threat.
Unlike many fighters currently competing in the UFC, including guys like Jon Jones and Demetrious Johnson, LaFlare has never tasted professional defeat.
Instead, he has won by any and all means necessary to preserve an untarnished track record.
But the New Yorker is not alone. There are a select few who possess the same distinguishable zero in their loss column.
Here are the nine best of those aforementioned perfectionists.
9. Holly Holm
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Holly Holm has finally arrived.
On the heels of a victorious yet underwhelming Octagon debut against the tough Raquel Pennington at UFC 184, the touted 33-year-old is now on the track to a title shot.
With the best technical striking in women's MMA today, the former three-division boxing champion has not even reached her professional pinnacle.
That's scary to think considering Holm has already showcased worthy takedown defense, grappling skills and grit through just eight fights.
As long as she can stay healthy and aggressive on offense, the Preacher's Daughter will one day meet Ronda Rousey.
8. Henry Cejudo
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If you like world-class wrestling and ground-and-pound, Henry Cejudo is your best friend.
As an Olympic gold medalist sporting new skills and techniques every time we see him step inside of the cage, Cejudo offers unheralded potential at 125 pounds.
Surrounded by beaten contenders and unpolished title threats, the flyweight division is seemingly at his fingertips.
But with weight issues tarnishing his overall stock, the Messenger needs to prove he can pass inspection.
If transforming his body into a 126-pound wrecking machine becomes second nature, the sky is the limit for the 28-year-old.
7. Ryan LaFlare
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Even with a record of 11-0 (4-0 in the UFC), rising welterweight LaFlare has yet to earn undivided respect.
Due in part to his inability to capture a Octagon finish thus far, the wrestling-based 31-year-old needs to show a little flair to make noise in a talent-rich division.
But with an excellent ground game and budding striking skills, the New Yorker resembles a less accomplished Chris Weidman.
If he can dominate Maia in front of a hostile Brazilian crowd this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 62, then he'll certainly deserve a Top 5 opponent.
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6. Bethe Correia
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It's unlikely that Bethe Correia has what it takes to defeat champion Rousey.
Even with the best power punching in the women's bantamweight division, the confident Brazilian has struggled to maintain the composure and patience it would take to win the title.
Her resume certainly commands respect, but it only took Rousey 14 seconds in a recent title defense opposite Cat Zingano to beat a contender with the same 9-0 slash.
With all of that said, it's unfair to gauge her potential solely on her chances of defeating the best female fighter ever.
That's why Correia resides at No. 6 ahead of other unbeaten entities dressed to impress.
5. Paul Felder
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Like a bird flying through a Randy Johnson strike zone, UFC lightweight Paul Felder has come out of nowhere.
Unranked and undefeated, The Irish Dragon is quietly flying under the radar coming into his fight with Jim Miller at UFC on Fox 15.
But with versatile striking, knockout power and budding grappling skills, Felder will ultimately force his way into the limelight.
If he can finish Miller early and violently, the 30-year-old may warrant serious title consideration by the end of 2015.
4. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
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New champs rise, and old champs fall.
But there's something about current UFC women's strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk that suggests she'll be the division's titleholder for a very long time.
She's young, lean, athletic and cocky enough to keep even the most casual of fight fans interested in a 115-pound female roster.
Undefeated at 9-0, the Polish Princess has dissected her opponents with unparalleled striking consisting of perfectly timed combinations, body strikes and suffocating pressure.
Chalk that up to her experience as a six-time muay thai world champion.
She may not be Rousey, but Jedrzejczyk sports enough promise to carry an uncharted division.
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
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Khabib Nurmagomedov, aka The Eagle, aka Mr. Funny Hat, aka Last Guy to Beat Rafael Dos Anjos, is MMA's Red Star.
Equipped with some of the best wrestling the lightweight division has ever seen, the 26-year-old combines power and tenacity to pulverize his opponents.
With victories over current divisional champ Dos Anjos, veterans Gleison Tibau and Pat Healy and the hard-hitting Abel Trujillo, the Russian's 26-0 record is gaining quite the accolades.
He has also secured a total of 36 takedowns in just six Octagon appearances.
At the end of the day, Nurmagomedov has the potential to walk down Donald Cerrone at UFC 187, earn his shot for the 155-pound belt and challenge a man he defeated nearly one year ago.
2. Chris Weidman
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At this point in his career, having capped off two victories over Anderson Silva with an impeccable title defense over Lyoto Machida at UFC 175, there's no denying how good UFC middleweight kingpin Chris Weidman truly is.
While his longevity and ability to stay active remain an unfortunate mystery, the 30-year-old New Yorker remains young enough to shake off his bad luck.
When healthy, Weidman is a pound-for-pound force who is arguably the most complete champion in the sport today.
Vitor Belfort, Luke Rockhold, the winner of Ronaldo Souza vs. Yoel Romero and possibly Machida stand in Weidman's way from securing one of the most impressive Octagon runs of all time.
1. Ronda Rousey
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It's difficult to imagine a world where Rousey is not undefeated.
It would most likely resemble something out of Mad Max.
In other words, Rousey's acclaimed rise to superstardom feels right as rain.
So long as the champ's focus remains on MMA and not becoming the next Audrey Hepburn, her Octagon success should only continue to flourish.
And yes, that includes a potential showdown with Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino's heavy artillery.
For more UFC news and coverage, follow @DHiergesell.
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