The Defining Career Moment for the 50 Best Fighters in MMA Today

Every great fighter has that moment that best defines their career. 

Some veteran fighters may seem to have had multiple defining moments throughout their career and young fighters may have yet to receive the moment that will eventually best define their entire career.

Some careers are defined by victory while others are defined by a loss.

Did it set the tone for the rest of their career or did it symbolize a legacy retroactively? Did it make the cut because it was the pinnacle of their achievements or did it represent their struggles?   

You may disagree with some of the rankings, but the point is more to review career-defining moments for the best fighters currently competing.

For those top 50 fighters currently competing in MMA, here are their most defining moment as we understand it.

50. Fedor Emelianenko

Unanimous decision victory over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2003)

Fedor Emelianenko defeated Nogueira for the PRIDE heavyweight championship and became the top ranked heavyweight in the world.

He was aggressive yet in control the whole time, which is how you would describe his career as a whole.

Fedor received the spotlight from MMA press and fans around the world from that historic fight and would continue dominating and winning until more than six years later. 

49. Phil Davis

Unanimous decision victory over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (2011)

Phil Davis went from defeating the relatively unheralded Tim Boetsch to headlining a card against legend Rogerio Nogueira.

Still very young in his MMA career, Davis is sure to have many more defining moments, but as it is, his victory over Nogueira best represents his ascension in the sport.

48. Shane Carwin

Arm-triangle submission loss to Brock Lesnar (2010)

Undefeated interim champion Shane Carwin was an unstoppable force of nature before being dragged into the second round for the first time in his career against Brock Lesnar for the undisputed title.

Carwin dominated the first round, but his conditioning would not hold up in the second round and he was submitted.

Although Carwin lasted three rounds in his next fight, he was battered by a younger fighter and at 36 years old, Carwin may be slipping further and further away from the chance to ever become the undisputed champion.

47. Demetrious Johnson

Unanimous decision victory over Norifumi Yamamoto (2011)

Johnson is another young fighter sure to have many more defining moments in his career.

In his UFC debut Johnson faced world-class Japanese warrior "KID" Yamamoto and came away with a decisive decision victory.

46. Martin Kampmann

Split-decision victory over Carlos Condit (2009)

After acclimating to his new home at welterweight, Kampmann's second fight at 170 lbs came against former WEC champion Carlos Condit.

In a brilliant display of MMA, the two fighters went back and forth for the whole three rounds.

Kampmann walked away with the split-decision but the competitive battle would foreshadow controversial decisions in his future. 

45. Anthony Pettis

Unanimous decision victory over Ben Henderson (2010)

Capped off with the ridiculously awesome "showtime kick" off the wall, Anthony Pettis earned the WEC lightweight championship title with a decision victory over Ben Henderson.

Although Pettis would falter in his UFC debut against Clay Guida, his performance against Henderson is iconic for his emergence into the sport's upper echelons.

44. Mark Hominick

Triangle/Armbar submission victory over Yves Edwards (2006)

In 2006 Hominick got called up to the big leagues to fight in a higher weight class against revered fighter Yves Edwards.

Despite being a large underdog, the young unheralded Hominick proved that he is a fighter never to be overlooked.

43. Diego Sanchez

Unanimous decision victory over Karo Parisyan (2006)

The original Ultimate Fighter winner from Season 1, Diego Sanchez showed what kind of fighter he was when he stepped up to take on highly regarded Karo Parisyan in 2006.

Sanchez showed an indomitable will that would define his career and earned the victory that entrenched him as one of the sport's best fighters. 

42. Dan Henderson

Knockout victory over Wanderlei Silva (2007)

Already a living legend and long-time staple of the international and Japanese scene, Dan Henderson elevated his name to new levels when he knocked out PRIDE champion Wanderlei Silva.

With the emphatic victory Dan Henderson became the only man to ever concurrently hold major championship titles in two weight divisions.

41. Kenny Florian

Unanimous decision loss to Sean Sherk (2006)

It was Florian's first chance to claim championship gold and Florian came up short against tenacious wrestler Sean Sherk.

Florian consistently proves to be one of the sport's best pound-for-pound fighters but so far has always come up short in his quest to become champion. 

40. Forrest Griffin

Rear-naked choke submission victory over Mauricio Rua (2007)

Forrest had already proven to the world that he could compete against top fighters, but still many were skeptical that he could truly compete at the championship level.

Griffin proved his mettle by submitting Rua, who was considered by most to be the No.1 light heavyweight in the world.

With the victory, Griffin would go on to challenge champion Quinton Jackson and take away a close decision victory and the belt.

39. Ronaldo Souza

Unanimous decision victory over Tim Kennedy (2010)

Souza proved he was not just a grappling expert but indeed an elite MMA fighter when he defeated Tim Kennedy for the Strikeforce middleweight championship.

In a close battle, Souza showed surprising competence in the standing aspects.

38. Mark Munoz

Unanimous decision victory over Demian Maia (2011)

It was far from easy, but Mark Munoz solidified himself as one of the top middleweights in the world with his hard fought decision victory over Demian Maia.

Proving to be more than just a heavy handed wrestler, Munoz was able to nullify and overcome Maia's grappling wizardry.

37. Vitor Belfort

Technical Knockout over Wanderlei Silva (1998)

Vitor Belfort has been around MMA for a long time, exchanging wins and losses with the best fighters in the world.

The fight that best defined his career was a 44-second blitzing of fellow rising Brazilian Wanderlei Silva.

It was a quick victory that illustrated Vitor's place in MMA as one of the most dangerous punchers the sport will ever see.

36. Hatsu Hioki

Unanimous decision victory over Marlon Sandro (2010)

Hatsu Hioki catapulted up the rankings with his upset victory over highly ranked Brazilian and World Victory Road featherweight champion, Marlon Sandro.

The grappling expert confounded the Brazilian's revered striking and solidified himself as one of the world's best featherweights with the championship victory.

35. Chad Mendes

Unanimous decision victory over Michihiro Omigawa (2011)

Undefeated Chad Mendes made the most of his opportunity when he was given top 10 featherweight Michihiro Omigawa at UFC 126.

Mendes shut Omigawa out all three rounds and solidified himself as one of the world's premiere featherweight fighters.

34. Clay Guida

Guillotine choke submission victory over Takanori Gomi (2011)

Clay Guida has been battling top fighters for a long time, but it was his domination over Takanori Gomi that entrenched Guida as one of the best lightweights of his generation.

Formerly the No. 1 lightweight in the world, Gomi was befuddled by Guida's movement and intensity. The disparity in competition was confirmed when Guida ended the fight in the second round via guillotine.

33. Nick Diaz

Technical Knockout over Paul Daley (2011)

Nick Diaz had brought his name into the pound-for-pound discussion as the reigning Strikeforce welterweight champion, but it was not until his defense against Paul Daley that Diaz actually overcame a current top-ranked fighter.

The fight was an exhilarating back-and-forth war that saw Diaz rally from the brink of defeat to stop Daley just a moment before the end of the first round.

The victory also lined Diaz up as the next challenger to Georges St-Pierre's prestigious crown for the UFC welterweight championship. 

32. Jim Miller

Kneebar submission victory over Charles Oliveira (2010)

Since his loss to Gray Maynard, Jim Miller had quietly racked up five consecutive victories in the stacked UFC lightweight division.

Miller's winning ways would no longer go under the radar as he submitted young phenom Charles Oliveira in the first round.

31. Nate Marquardt

Guillotine choke submission loss to Ricardo Almeida (2003)

Consistently one of the top ranked middleweights throughout the past decade, Nate "The Great" Marquardt often times comes up short when taking a step up in opposition.

The former multiple time King of Pancrase can compete with anybody in the world but has been unable to reach championship gold within the UFC.

Marquardt will be looking to reinvent himself and his career as he moves down to the welterweight division.

30. Eddie Alvarez

Unanimous decision victory over Joachim Hansen (2008)

Eddie Alvarez's war with Joachim Hansen in the DREAM lightweight Grand Prix quarterfinals was an instant classic and made Alvarez a star to watch.

It marked him as one of the premiere lightweights outside of the UFC and one of the most exciting to boot.

29. Antonio Silva

Technical knockout (doctor stoppage) over Fedor Emelianenko (2011)

It is no secret: If you are able to defeat Fedor Emelianenko, it will define your career.

Antonio Silva had long been regarded as a fighter who could make serious waves at heavyweight and decidedly lived up to that potential when he outworked and beat down the best heavyweight in MMA history.

28. Shinya Aoki

Armbar submission victory over Joachim Hansen (2009)

Aoki and Hansen had a rubber-match in 2009 for the DREAM lightweight championship.

Aoki settled the score in an exciting fight with a last-second armbar.  The victory sealed Aoki's fate as a true champion and as one of the greatest lightweights of his generation.

27. Brian Bowles

Knockout victory over Miguel Torres (2009)

Although he would lose his title in his first defense, Brian Bowles's brutal knockout over legendary bantamweight champion Miguel Torres stands tall as the defining moment in his career.

Since suffering a broken hand and a loss to reigning champ Dominick Cruz, Bowles has recovered and rebounded with a victory over Damacio Page to get him back into the title picture.

26. Fabricio Werdum

Triangle/Armbar submission victory over Fedor Emelianenko (2010)

Fabricio Werdum has fought, and beaten, many of the world's best heavyweights throughout his career.

The crowning achievement of his career, however, is by far the submission victory over legendary Russian Fedor Emelianenko.

In doing so, Werdum became the first man to legitimately stop, and defeat, Emelianenko.

25. Alistair Overeem

No Contest (Knees to the groin) with Mirko Filipovic

Although he is perpetually approaching a chance to change things, Alistair Overeem has yet to truly achieve iconic status in MMA's history books.

Despite having a number of ups and downs in his career, perhaps nothing better defines his proximity to all-time MMA greatness than a 2008 No Contest with legend Mirko Filipovic.

Overeem appeared to be out-classing "Cro Cop," but fell short of victory when he delivered a series of unintentional but illegal knees to Filipovic's groin which ended the fight.

His next fight against a legend would be almost three years later when he squeaked out an uninspired win over Fabricio Werdum.

24. Josh Koscheck

Unanimous decision loss to Georges St-Pierre (2010)

It was the second time that Koscheck lost a decision to St-Pierre, but this time it was for the championship.

Koscheck has been many things in his career: a boring wet blanket, an exciting knockout artist and heel and a trash talker, but the one thing that defines his career is that he is a top of the line welterweight competitor.

He could not defeat St-Pierre, but it seems that no welterweight can.

It was the biggest fight of Koscheck's career, especially coming off of coaching The Ultimate Fighter, and despite breaking his orbital bone in the first round, Koscheck fought valiantly for the entire five rounds.

23. Rick Story

Unanimous decision victory over Thiago Alves (2011)

Rick Story had been steadily working his way up the welterweight ladder with hard-work and tenacity, but many felt Alves would still be too much for him.

After all, men with talents similar to Story had failed before when facing Alves.

Instead, Story kept Alves on the defensive practically the entire fight. While Alves kept things interesting with his takedown defense and dangerous strikes, Story was able to successfully break through into the upper echelons of the stacked welterweight division.

22. Lyoto Machida

Unanimous decision victory over Mauricio Rua (2009)

Being able to decipher Machida's most defining moment is difficult because comprehension of his impact on MMA is almost as elusive as his fighting style.

His title defense against Mauricio Rua, however, is the most interesting so far in the story of his career.

In an entertaining battle between two of the sport's best strikers, Machida ended up walking away with a controversial decision and kept his title.

The controversy led to an immediate rematch where Machida suffered the only knockout loss of his career.

Machida would scramble to rediscover his authority over the division and that scramble continues to this day.

21. Quinton Jackson

Knockout victory over Chuck Liddell (2007)

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson finally broke through as the light heavyweight division's best fighter when he ended the era of Chuck Liddell and won the UFC light heavyweight championship.

Jackson would confirm his status with a successful title defense against fellow legend Dan Henderson and he remains one of the sport's most highly skilled and high profile fighters. 

20. Yushin Okami

Disqualification victory over Anderson Silva (2006)

He nor anybody else knew it at the time, but Okami's DQ victory over Anderson Silva would come to define his career up to this point.

Silva went on to rule the UFC middleweight division, and also the whole sport, while Okami has gritted his way through 10 of 12 UFC fights of his own.

Okami now heads into the biggest fight of his life against the champion at UFC 134 with his DQ victory hanging over both of their heads.

19. Urijah Faber

Unanimous decision loss to Jose Aldo (2010)

The five-round decision loss to Aldo signaled the end of Faber's time in the featherweight division but proved that he is still made out of championship material.

Still high profile, Faber now has a chance to become a dominant champion at bantamweight, but he will never again be the dominant force that he used to be at featherweight.

18. Brock Lesnar

Arm triangle submission victory over Shane Carwin (2010)

While a title defense over Frank Mir had shut up a lot of his critics, many people still had concerns about Brock Lesnar being an MMA champion.

Coming back from a life-threatening case of diverticulitis, Lesnar answered the remaining questions about his toughness as he rallied for a come-from-behind submission victory over the undefeated Shane Carwin.

17. Rashad Evans

Knockout victory over Chuck Liddell (2008)

Everybody knew that Rashad Evans was a solid competitor, but his KO over Chuck Liddell showed that he was not just another face in the crowd.

The knockout was simply one of the best in the history of the sport and sent Evans on to fight for the coveted light heavyweight belt.

16. Mauricio Rua

Knockout victory over Ricardo Arona (2005)

By knocking out the highly regarded Ricardo Arona, Rua claimed the prestigious PRIDE 2005 middleweight Grand Prix championship and capped off what was arguably the greatest year had by any fighter in history—and all before the end of August.

Rua would eventually go on to claim UFC gold, but it was his glory from 2005 that helped carry that legacy of greatness.

15. Joseph Benavidez

Split-decision loss to Dominick Cruz (2010)

Benavidez has had amazing finishes over the likes of Miguel Torres and Rani Yahya, but unfortunately it is his championship loss to rival Dominick Cruz that looms over his career.

After losing a decision to Cruz in 2009, Benavidez was able to challenge him again, but this time for the title.

The fight was incredibly close and perhaps could have gone either way, but the loss keeps Benavidez short of championship gold for now.

14. Chael Sonnen

Triangle/Armbar submission loss to Anderson Silva (2010)

Chael Sonnen has had some amazing performances against top ranked fighters but unfortunately the story of his career is coming up short and a lack of submission defense.

He seemed to be making the most out of the biggest opportunity of his career as he was beating dominant champion Anderson Silva for almost their entire five-round championship fight.

With the clock winding down, however, Silva found the opening he needed and submitted Sonnen.

A chance to get back to the top has been shelved due to legal and political issues.

13. Junior Dos Santos

Knockout victory over Fabricio Werdum (2008)

Most thought that Junior Dos Santos was being fed to the wolves when he was matched up against Fabricio Werdum for his UFC debut.

Dos Santos emphatically stated his case as a UFC contender by brutally knocking Werdum out in the first round.

He has not looked back since. 

12. BJ Penn

Rear-naked choke over Matt Hughes (2004)

One of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport, "The Prodigy" announced himself as a true champion when he moved up in weight and dethroned the dominant welterweight champion Matt Hughes.

Much of Penn's legacy resides in the lightweight division, but what defines his greatness has been his eagerness to meet the greatest challenge he can find and overcome it. 

11. Jon Fitch

Unanimous decision loss to Georges St-Pierre (2008)

Since joining the UFC in 2005, Jon Fitch has gone 13-1-1.

That lone loss came during his title shot against dominant champion Georges St-Pierre.

Fitch has all but cleaned out the welterweight division except for the champion and that one loss still haunts him as he strives for revenge. 

10. Jake Shields

Unanimous decision victory over Dan Henderson (2010)

Jake Shields' epic undefeated five-year run outside of the UFC saw him claim multiple championships in different weight classes and culminated in a decisive victory over legendary fighter Dan Henderson.

The upset victory opened a lot of eyes as to what Shields was truly capable of and set him up as one of the most high profile acquisitions the UFC ever received.

9. Gilbert Melendez

Technical knockout victory over Tatsuya Kawajiri (2011)

In his previous two Strikeforce title defenses, Melendez earned decisions in avenging the last unavenged loss on his record and defeating a solid top 10 opponent.

Coming off of that considerable momentum, Melendez made the biggest statement of his career by finishing another top-ranked opponent in Kawajiri in the first round.

With the beatdown of Kawajiri, Melendez probably made the strongest case for a top-ranked fighter competing outside of the UFC since the era of PRIDE.

8. Dominick Cruz

Unanimous decision victory over Scott Jorgensen (2010)

Cruz won the bantamweight championship with a doctor stoppage over Brian Bowles and defended it with a close decision over Joseph Benavidez.

It was not until his complete and thorough dismantling of Scott Jorgensen that Cruz officially laid claim to dominance over the bantamweight division.

7. Gray Maynard

Split-draw with Frankie Edgar (2011)

With seven consecutive decision victories in the UFC, Gray Maynard's reputation was becoming increasingly based off of his propensity for going the distance and then not finishing.

After almost finishing the champion in the first round of their title fight, but then allowing Edgar to come back and salvage a draw, Maynard finds himself still unable to shake that reputation.

6. Frankie Edgar

Split-draw with Gray Maynard (2011)

By salvaging the draw after taking a horrific first-round beating, Edgar proved he has as much, or more, heart than any champion in MMA history.

Be that as it may, Maynard is scheduled for an immediate rematch and, being that he is the only man to hold a victory over Edgar, he remains the bane to Edgar's fighting career. 

5. Cain Velasquez

Technical knockout victory over Brock Lesnar (2010)

Undefeated Velasquez had mowed down everyone in his path, but champion Brock Lesnar was going to be a challenge unlike any he had faced before.

The upgrade in competition made no difference as Velasquez finished him off in the first round and claimed the UFC heavyweight championship.

After recovering from shoulder surgery, Valesquez now faces Junior dos Santos for his first title defense in what will be his most difficult fight to date.

4. Jon Jones

Technical knockout victory over Mauricio Rua (2011)

An argument can be made that the most defining moment in Jones' career was when he man-handled Stephan Bonnar in his second UFC fight and set forth a path of dominance and fulfilled expectations.

His championship victory over Rua gets the slight nod because Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history and materialized his role as a near limitless fighter. 

3. Jose Aldo

Technical knockout victory over Cub Swanson (2009)

Aldo would go on to prove his championship mettle but it was his ridiculous eight-second double-flying knee victory over Cub Swanson that would captivate audiences and propel him to those destined championship fights.

Because of that fight people knew who Aldo was, but more importantly, featherweights gained something to fear.

2. Georges St-Pierre

Technical knockout victory over Matt Hughes (2006)

By defeating Matt Hughes in their rematch, St. Pierre claimed the UFC welterweight championship and proved that he knows how to learn from his mistakes.

That would be important as he would lose in his first title defense.

Predictably, Georges St-Pierre fought back to reclaim the championship as the rightful heir to Matt Hughes' welterweight championship legacy. 

1. Anderson Silva

Knockout victory over Chris Leben (2006)

What best defines Anderson Silva's career? Every fight he has has some special significance or adds a unique element to his massively growing legacy.

For me, what best defines Anderson Silva's career was his UFC debut: a 49-second blowout of iron-chinned Chris Leben.

The fight left onlookers agasp—the trademark of an Anderson Silva fight.