Nick Diaz, Junior Dos Santos and the 10 Best Body Punchers in MMA
Heavyweight boxing legend Joe Frazier once said, "Kill the body and the head will die." This same philosophy applies to MMA, and some fighters follow it, but most don't, at least when it comes to punching.
Anyone who has ever taken a good shot to the body will probably say they would rather get hit in the head than to their body. If it doesn't knock the fighter down, it wears them down. The fighters who throw them know this, and they and we see it work time and time again.
There is also an exchange in MMA because fighters are allowed to use kicks and don't need to leave themselves open by throwing a punch to the body. Still, it is a strike that is overlooked and should be used to a fighters' advantage.
Notable Mention: Rick Story
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Rick Story is one of the best up-and-comers in the welterweight division. He is an aggressive, powerful wrestler with strong punches and a big heart.
If you want to see how good his body punches are, check out his fight with Dustin Hazelett. He brutalized the jiu-jitsu black belt with body shot after body shot before knocking him out in the second round.
No. 11 Nam Phan
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Nam Phan is 16-8 in MMA and has a professional boxing record of 3-1.
He competed in the The Ultimate Fighter 12 on Josh Koscheck's team and won his first fight versus Mike Budnik via Bas Rutten's liver shot.
He followed up on that victory to score a TKO win over Cody McKenzie after landing a body shot and following up with punches.
His latest fight was a controversial split-decision loss to Leonard Garcia, which he won "Fight of the Night" honors for.
No. 10 Jon Jones
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Current UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones scored the biggest win of his young MMA career when he defeated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the third round of their title fight.
With an 84.5" reach, which is four inches longer than Muhammad Ali's, Jones has the ability to out-jab and out-box most of his opponents.
Still young and improving as a fighter, he hasn't had the time to make it his most utilized weapon but he showed against Rua that he can land brutal body shots as was the case with the final punch he landed to finish off the Brazilian.
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No. 9 Quinton Jackson
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Former light-heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has great body shots, but he doesn't use them as much as he should.
In his fight with Lyoto Machida, Jackson attacked the Brazilian with a select few body shots in the first and second rounds and was awarded a controversial split decision in the end.
Against Machida, this game plan couldn't have been better planned. An attack to the body of an elusive fighter like Machida is a great idea. The head moves, but the body doesn't. A more consistent attack may have paid off better for Jackson.
No. 8 Brian Stann
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Former Marine and former WEC light-heavyweight champion Brian Stann showed why going to the body against an iron-chinned opponent like Chris Leben is a good idea.
It happens in boxing all the time, and Stann showed why he can also be used in MMA. After landing a right hand that rocked the TUF 1 contestant, Stann followed up with a series of body shots that only added to the damage that was already done.
There aren't too many reasons to waste energy on punching Leben in the head, and Stann used the body shots to set up the head shots and wear down his opponent en route to a first-round TKO.
No. 7 Mark Hominick
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WEC standout and UFC featherweight contender Mark Hominick will be fighting Jose Aldo at UFC 129 for the title.
Hominick possesses some of the most crisp and clean boxing in the sport. His combination of footwork, head movement and defense makes him a serious threat to anyone in the division. He builds upon these skills with his combinations to the head and the body.
He recently scored a first-round KO victory over George Roop in what was his most impressive performance to date.
No. 6 Junior Dos Santos
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Brazilian fighter Junior Dos Santos is one of the most feared stand-up fighters in the sport. His punching power and aggressive fighting style has earned him a shot against former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
Santos showed off his body attack in his fights with Mirko Cro Cop and Roy Nelson. In three rounds versus both heavyweights, Santos used the body shots to set up head shots and they wore down both opponents.
Plus, how could he ignore the body of Nelson? It was there for the taking and Santos fired away.
No. 5 Takanori Gomi
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With a 32-7 record, Japanese fighter Takanori Gomi has scored 12 knockouts and has produced some of the most vicious knockouts in Pride and the UFC.
What makes Gomi such a good body puncher is his commitment to his attack. Many body punchers don't commit to their punches and use them to wear down their opponents. Gomi is always looking for the knockout, and he shows this in the force he puts behind every punch he throws.
No. 4 Chris Lytle
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Chris Lytle is one of the most experienced fighters in the sport. With over 50 professional MMA bouts and 15 boxing matches under his belt, Lytle has enough experience to know how the body shot works.
He uses it in every one of his fights and isn't afraid to throw it, which can be attributed to his confidence in his chin. He has never been knocked out or finished, even with 18 losses.
Look at his fights with Paul Taylor, Matt Serra, Marcus Davis and Kevin Burns if you want to see the former fireman doing some body work.
No. 3 Eddie Alvarez
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Current Bellator lightweight champion and top 10 lightweight fighter Eddie Alvarez is 22-2 in MMA with 12 knockouts.
In his most recent fight versus Pat Curran, Alvarez out-boxed the 2010 Bellator lightweight grand-prix champion for five rounds and was awarded a unanimous decision.
The most impressive part of the fight: Alvarez' body shots. Curran was unable to get Alvarez down for the majority of the fight, and Alvarez punished his body whenever the two stood toe-to-toe. It paid off in the end, and Alvarez secured another victory and the title.
No. 2 Sergei Kharitonov
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This Russian fighter, boxer and kickboxer is currently competing in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. He scored a first-round knockout over former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski in the opening fight.
He competed in the Central Asian Games in 2003 and won the silver medal at the 2004 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships.
He later carried his success in boxing to the MMA ring where he competed in the Pride organization.
With all that experience in combat sports, Kharitonov is one of the best and most experienced fighters competing in the heavyweight division right now. His boxing and body shots have carried him throughout his combat sports career.
No. 1 Nick Diaz
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Current Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz is easily the best body puncher in MMA. He has used his relentless body attack to defeat his last 10 opponents and has stopped nine of them.
In his last fight versus Paul Daley, Diaz was stunned twice but was able to recover. When he did, he returned the favor but with body shots. They took their toll on the power-puncher Daley, who was unable to withstand the pressure and was finished with three seconds left in the first round.
Diaz has even expressed interest in competing in professional boxing. If he does so, his chances are slim against the elite, but at least he understands the most important parts of the sport.
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