The 10 Most Dominant Athletes Playing Right Now

What makes athletes dominant?

Is it the way they take command of a team? Is it the way they create havoc or fill up the stat sheets?

In our books, a dominant athlete is one who does a little bit of both. He or she has to win, perform at a crazy-high level and do it all for an extended period of time.

By that criteria, we've assembled a list of the 10 most dominant athletes in sports right now. Get your arguments ready, because, as UFC announcer Mike Goldberg would say, "Here we go."

Honorable Mentions

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Here are a few people who just barely missed the cut. All of them are dominant in their own right, which earned them a place on our honorable mentions slide. Again, these names are not ranked in any sort of order.

1. Darrelle Revis
2. Usain Bolt
3. Sidney Crosby
4. Bryce Harper
5. Stephen Curry

Serena Williams

Pavel Golovkin/Associated Press

Serena Williams' career in tennis has been filled with triumphs and victories. The 33-year-old has won 21 majors since 1999 and shows no signs of slowing down.

Across the wide spectrum of sports, you could argue that Williams has been the most dominant athlete for the longest period of time. And her sixth Wimbledon title in 2015 signifies that she isn't even close to done.

Barring something shocking, there's going to be plenty more Williams victories in the near future.

J.J. Watt

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

There are only a handful of players in the history of the NFL who have been considered once-in-a-generation talents. Houston Texans defensive machine J.J. Watt is one of those guys.

Watt has done freakish things since joining the league in 2011. He's put up 20.5 sacks in two separate campaigns, won NFL Defensive Player of the Year during both of those seasons and in the process has become a darling of the advanced-metrics community.

His Pro Football Focus 107.5-overall ranking was so astronomically high that the second-best 3-4 defensive end, Sheldon Richardson, was ranked a whole 67.6 points lower.

Controlling a defensive line is one thing. Taking over every game you play is a whole other way of doing business.

LeBron James

Jason Miller/Getty Images

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers may have lost the 2014-15 NBA Finals, but King James' performance was unforgettable.

We try to find reasons to doubt James. "He will never win as many rings as Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan," is one excuse that rolls off people's tongues the most.

But we haven't seen anyone quite like James. He's a physical marvel of epic proportions. Standing at 6'8", the King has enough height and power to be deemed "unstoppable."

Against the Golden State Warriors, he averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists a contest. The fact that he carried what at the time was a semi-lottery team on his back proved he's a force with which to be reckoned.

Long live the King and all of his brilliant basketball escapades.

Floyd Mayweather

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

He may not entertain the masses with shattering knockouts or slugfests, but that doesn't matter. Floyd Mayweather is the best boxer on the planet, and it's not even close.

The undefeated Mayweather's most recent victory over Manny Pacquiao kept his command over the sport alive and well.

Mayweather's style is defensive and focuses on the art of counterpunching. He's a crisp, efficient fighter in a world driven by stats, which helps his cause.

It's tough—and unfair—to compare him to any past fighter. But his unbeaten record—assuming it stays intact—will give him historical bragging rights.

Ronda Rousey

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Ronda Rousey is to the UFC what Floyd Mayweather is to boxing. The only difference is that Rousey is a closer.

In her 11 professional fights, Rousey has won nine by submission and two by knockout. She's a beast in the cage who has destroyed every single person put in her way.

You don't want to mess with Ronda Rousey. Based on all we've seen her do, odds are no person—male or female—can stop her right now.

Novak Djokovic

Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

Novak Djokovic's triumph as 2015 Wimbledon champion is a dangerous sign of things to come for the rest of the tennis world.

The 28-year-old Serbian star has risen through the ranks at a powerful pace. Right now, he's the No. 1 player in the world, and to be honest, it's not very close.

Djokovic has always been a dominant figure in tennis. He has nine Grand Slam titles under his belt, and he's still two years away from turning 30.

With legends like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both taking a step back at times, Djokovic has conquered the tennis world.

The scariest part is that 2015 is still a long way from over. That means Djokovic has more time to dominate.

Lionel Messi

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

There's only one true tatted-up, rambunctious Barcelona star: His name is Lionel Messi.

Another season meant another campaign filled with joy for the 5'7" terminator. His voodoo and wizardry helped Barcelona claim the UEFA Champions League title over Juventus.

Continuing his epic run in the 2014 World Cup, Messi dazzled, leading a revamped Barcelona team to the crown.

It blows the mind to see a guy who barely puts a dent in the scales destroy people like Messi does. According to his ESPN FC profile, he's been named the best player in the world on four separate occasions. That's short work for the stunner from Argentina.

Mike Trout

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

He hits home runs, he bats for average, he can steal bases and he's only 23 years of age. Simply put, Mike Trout is really good at baseball.

There's levels to this, and Trout's level is lodged somewhere far off in another galaxy. He's become one the game's most lethal hitters and has done it in a variety of ways. Plus, Trout is second in the MLB in the coveted WAR category—wins above replacement—behind Bryce Harper, according to ESPN.com.

Trout is always in full-on beast mode. He swings his bat with a vengeance. Just look at the dude's 26 home runs leading up to the 2015 All-Star break.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Arguing between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is not even worth your breath. Both men are phenomenally talented soccer players, and when they get it rolling, they can't be stopped.

Cristiano is the bigger, more physically blessed of the two. His 6'1" frame makes him an obliterator of worlds on the pitch.

For all of his efforts, the Real Madrid star has a trophy closet that runs deep. In fact, it's filled with so much hardware that you could probably rent a mansion on the outskirts of Madrid and stuff it with all of his gold. Don't take my word for it; just peep the man's career achievements via his own personal website.

The fact that we get to watch guys like Messi and Ronaldo do battle in their primes is a joy. Probability isn't my thing, but the odds of a duo like that coming along at the same time again have to be slim.

Aaron Rodgers

Morry Gash/Associated Press

We're lucky to be living in an era with such good quarterback play. Andrew Luck, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning—minus the tail end of last year—have set the bar for the position.

However, there's one signal-caller who sits comfortably above the rest: Aaron Rodgers. No. 12 is the prototypical NFL quarterback.

He has an obnoxiously strong arm, can move around the field and has the understanding and wherewithal to create points every time he touches the pigskin.

The Green Bay Packers revolve around Rodgers. He's their franchise player. He also happens to be the most dominant offensive weapon in football right now. Minus his injury-ridden 2013 campaign, he's thrown for over 4,000 yards on five separate occasions and 30 touchdowns four times.

All stats and information provided by Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.