Anderson Silva and the Most Consecutive UFC Wins Inside the Octagon

Winning fights in the UFC is no easy task. That's pretty much a given. How often do we come across fighters who have put a four-fight win streak together? Not often. And that's not even in the UFC. The competition is such a step up, asking for a large amount of wins in a row is almost wishful thinking.

But every so often, a fighter comes along who has the ability to win many consecutive fights. Some fighters do it in dominating fashion, while others prefer to take the safe route and grind out decisions. (Not pointing any fingers Jon Fitch)

Here following are fighters who have managed to put together long UFC win streaks. Due to a lot of fighters winning seven UFC fights in a row, I've decided to alert you when we finally get to eight wins. Enjoy.

Rich Franklin (2003-2006)

Rich Franklin is quite possibly the most underrated fighter in the UFC. In retrospect, his UFC career has actually been one of the better campaigns we've ever seen.

He has notable wins over Matt Hamill, Chuck Liddell, Ken Shamrock, Evan Tanner (twice), David Louiseau, Wanderlei Silva, and Yushin Okami. With a resumé like that, I find it hard to believe he is as underrated as that. However, two highlight reel KOs courtesy of Anderson Silva don't improve the public image much.

The highlight of his win streak had to have been his two KOs over Evan Tanner, and his own highlight reel KO of Nate Quarry.

The guy who broke this winning streak? Anderson Silva.

Pat Miletich (1998-2000)

Pat Miletich is one of the best fighters to not be in the UFC Hall of Fame. With a UFC record of 8-2, including a seven-fight win streak and a welterweight title run with four defenses, it's hard to see why he has been denied entry into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Miletich is one of the more notable fighters that have coached, possibly due to three of his alumni winning UFC gold. Matt Hughes, Jens Pulver, and Tim Sylvia were all coached by Miletich, and all of them reigned over their divisions for a long time period.

The guy who broke his winning streak? Carlos Newton.

Georges St-Pierre (2007-2010)

Despite being the arguable pound-for-pound best in the world at welterweight, and dominating the UFC welterweight division, GSP lost a fight to Matt Serra, which shortened what would have been an insane win streak.

In his current win streak alone, GSP has wins over B.J Penn, Jon Fitch, Dan Hardy, Thiago Alves, Matt Serra, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck. While Matt Hughes and Matt Serra aren't what they once were, the other guys are all top 10 in the world.

What makes his current win streak so special, you ask? Well, going off name value alone, his win streak is outstanding. But he hasn't been squeaking off decisions either. Every fight he is in, GSP leaves no question as to who is the winner. When you factor in the dominance of his opponents (two of them are on this list ahead of him), that is no small feat.

Gray Maynard (2007-2010)

When it comes to grinding out decisions, GSP, Gray Maynard, and Jon Fitch all fall into the same boat. While it may not be pleasing on the eyes (depending on your life choices), it wins fights, and that's all anyone can ask for.

While Gray Maynard's last win may have actually been a loss, it is officially ruled as a win, so it counts. That win put him into a top contendership fight with Kenny Florian, who is the polar opposite of the decision grinder fights.

Although he isn't an exciting fighter by any means, Maynard has some pretty high profile wins over Dennis Siver, Jim Miller, Roger Huerta, and Nate Diaz. He is also the only person to have a win over current champ Frankie Edgar.

Thiago Alves (2006-2008)

As much of a grinder as Jon Fitch (Alves' upcoming opponent) may be, Thiago Alves is just as equally a fight finisher. Thiago Alves is quite possibly the best striker in the welterweight division, using a combination of kicks and knees to beat up his opponent. You want reference? Check out the way he finished Matt Hughes.

Not only can he strike with the best of them, Alves can also block takedowns like nobody's business. Although GSP put on a clinic against him, Alves was able to block Josh Koscheck's takedown attempts very easily.

Starting with his fight against John Alessio and ending with his win over Josh Koscheck, Thiago Alves finished every opponent. That list includes big names such as Chris Lytle, Karo Prisyan, and Matt Hughes.

The guy who broke it? Georges St-Pierre.

Chuck Liddell (2004-2006)

Lyoto Machida (2007-2009)

Lyoto Machida's mastery of Shotokan Karate is probably one of the biggest reasons that he has been so successful in the UFC Octagon. Perhaps having a gameplan that no sparring partner can physically emulate helps, or maybe it is just his speed or pinpoint accuracy with his strikes.

During his streak, Machida beat many good fighters, including Thiago Silva, Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua, Tito Ortiz, and Rameau Sokoudjiu.

The guy who broke it? Mauricio Rua, in a rematch of what may have been the most controversial decision of all time.

On a lighter note, Lyoto Machida is the first fighter on this list to have eight wins in a row.

Royce Gracie (1993-1994)

Royce Gracie, at the the time of MMA's birth, was one of the most dominant fighters in the sport. He fought with the sole purpose of submitting his opponents, often getting himself mauled in the process.

He won the UFC 1, 2, and 4 tournaments, all by submission, and all against larger opponents. His dominance over the larger opponents showed the mastery of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and also showed the world that the smaller man could beat the larger man.

Of course, his win streak doesn't extend past UFC 3, where Royce was injured to the point of not even knowing where he was.

The guy who broke it? Harold Howard, who never even stepped into the Octagon with Royce.

Jon Fitch (2005-2008)

Jon Fitch has been known for some time as the second best welterweight in the world. His dominance over the rest of the welterweight roster has been noted by all, and it was never more apparent than when he won eight fights in a row.

His win streak included wins over Thiago Alves, Diego Sanchez, Luigi Fioravanti, and even a title shot at the end.

Fitch's grinding nature has led to some people calling him a boring fighter. If anyone ever actually watches his fights, they can detect Jon's fighting mastery over every welterweight in the world, except Georges St-Pierre.

The guy who broke it? Georges St-Pierre, in a lopsided decision win.

Anderson Silva (2006-2010)