MMA's 25 Most Intense Fighters

I've been watching MMA for quite a while now, and during that time, I'd like to think I've made a few rather trenchant observations, if I do say so myself.

For example, I've noticed that mixed martial arts, as a sport, is fairly intense. And to do it well, sometimes a little intensity can be a good thing.

(As Royce Gracie would say...you're welcome.)

There's certainly no shortage of intensity inside the cage or in several fighter personalities outside the cage. But like looks, luck or, I don't know, hair, some guys have a little more than others.

Here are the 25 MMA fighters from across the history of recorded time who have displayed the highest levels of intensity while plying their craft, promoting their bout or just being themselves.

25. Alex Stiebling

What hardcore fan can forget Anderson Silva splitting open Stiebling’s cranium with a high kick, then watching incredulously as Stiebling rushed back for more?

It was a well-established pattern with "The Brazilian Killa" (who, as far as I can gather, is not even remotely Brazilian; did he get that name because he wanted to kill Brazilians?).

He stopped fighting in 2009 and is not exactly a huge name, but he embodied that warrior spirit we're always reading so much about in the MMA section of the newspaper.

24. Forrest Griffin

Griffin seems pretty laid back away from the Octagon. But inside, he’s as wild a wild man as they come.

And it's not just because of his high-energy pub-brawl approach to the sport, either (though that is certainly part of it). Griffin carries no qualms about venting his emotions full bore, whether it's pure exaltation (Shogun-Griffin I) or tears of anguish (Keith Jardine).

23. Dan Quinn

Inside the cage, Quinn's biggest claim to fame is fighting (and losing badly to) a young Frank Mir.

Quinn's true calling seemed to blossom when this little thing called YouTube came along. Suddenly, Quinn had a vehicle through which we could share his rather intense ravings with the world.

And don't kid yourself: we're a richer world for it.

That's why I say cheers to Dan Quinn. Water smoothies all around (you have to watch the vid).

22. Aleksander Emelianenko

In-cage intensity? Check.

Out-of-cage combativeness? Check.

Beady-eyed glare? Check.

Huge, abundant tattoos? Check.

Sweating for no apparent reason? Check.

Older brother who apparently soaked up all the calm genes from Mom n' Dad? Check.

21. Damacio Page

When your nickname is "The Angel of Death," there's no doubt about it—you're a pretty intense dude.

20. Chris Lytle

After he defeated Kyle Bradley at UFC 81, Chris Lytle truly became "Lights Out."

As Lytle tells it, after UFC 81, he would never go back to the mindframe of fighting not to lose.

And he never did.

The 10 fight bonuses he received in his career—eight of which came after the Bradley fight, or the final 10 contests of his 54-fight career—cemented his status as one of the most intense MMA competitors ever.

19. Kimo Leopoldo

For my money, the cross-carrying Hawaiian is MMA's original, eh, super-intense guy.

18. Robbie Lawler

His nickname says it all: "Ruthless."

This knockout artist only has one speed in the cage, and that speed is "kill."

The fact that 15 of his 18 professional wins have come by striking-related stoppage is a testament to that.

17. Houston Alexander

Four words: "That...dude...is...VIOLENT!"


(Photo credit: MMAJunkie)

16. B.J. Penn

It's true that Penn has something of a Hawaiian-inspired mellow streak.

It is also true that he has something of a blood-licking streak. Not sure where that one comes from.

15. Melvin Manhoef

The high-energy striker can knock you out, or he can stare you out. Your choice.

14. Michael Bisping

A little like The Incredible Hulk, if the Hulk had a suspect chin.

Bisping seems mellow enough at times: a family man. A business man.

But if you throw any sort of cheeky remark his way—about his his fighting style, his Britishness, the way he dresses, his mama, the weather, his choice of kitchen cleanser—he tears off his shirt and becomes a foaming maniac.

It’s almost too easy to do. No, wait—it is entirely too easy to do; nothing "almost" about it.

He has skin like wet tissue paper. It’s thin, is what I’m saying.

Just ask Jorge Rivera how easy it is to get The Count back in his cage once you've let him out.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  Michael Bisping needs a sports psychologist.

13. Ken Shamrock

One of the most intense old-school UFC fighters, it seemed Shamrock's superheated beefs with one fighter or another helped fuel the UFC through its "dark" period.

12. Don Frye

In (and out of) his heyday, it seems Frye was always locked in an intense staredown with someone.

One time, the grocery cashier asked him if he wanted paper or plastic with a "tone" in her voice and found herself with a seething face full of Frye. And she was only two days away from retirement!

11. Brock Lesnar

The guy gets pretty pumped up sometimes.

Though there are plenty of examples, Lesnar-Mir II and its immediate aftermath are probably all the evidence I need.

10. Jayson “Mayhem” Miller

Intentionally, unintentionally or a bit of both, Miller has arguably incorporated intensity into his "character" more successfully than anyone else in MMA history. 

Miller undoubtedly has a sense of playfulness about him and, as such, doesn't really come off in the same malevolent way as a lot of the other fighters on this list.

Nevertheless, the man is extremely intense.

(Photo credit:  MMACore)

9. Chris Leben

Very few fighters in history are more go-for-broke than The Crippler. He embodies that "I just want to put on a show" mentality that will keep him popular for as long as he wishes to be.

And, of course, it must also be said that his widely reported, fast-lane lifestyle away from the cage only seems to fuel his intense persona.

8. "Lightning" Lee Murray

All right—now it's really getting good.

Murray once knocked out Tito Ortiz (allegedly) with one punch at an UFC after-party.

But that’s not intense. You want intense?

Murray masterminded one of the largest bank heists in British history.

Then he went to jail. Then he tried to escape, but got caught. He's still in prison. But not just any prison—a Moroccan prison.

Apparently, a long time ago, someone changed Lee Murray’s switch from "good" to "evil," then turned it up to 11. Then the switch broke.

7. Renato “Babalu” Sobral

One of three guys who comes to mind as someone who sometimes seems to try and actually, physically kill his opponent in the cage.

6. Thiago Silva

This is the second guy.

5. Gilbert Yvel

This is the third guy.

DQ’d for biting. DQ'd for eye-gouging. DQ'd for knocking out a ref.

And he wasn’t exactly tame in the matches where he didn’t break the rules in an animalistic fashion.

4. Nick Diaz

W.C. Fields famously said, "I'm not prejudiced. I hate everyone equally."

That’s Nick Diaz. MMA’s preeminent F-bomb-dropper is always on the bleeding edge.

And that goes for in the cage, too, where he is equally explosive in the submission phase as he is with his hands.

You have to work pretty darn hard to be that intense all the time.

Either way, whenever Nick Diaz is involved, I know it’s not going to be a slow news day.

3. Clay Guida

His other body is a Tasmanian devil.

2. Diego Sanchez

Watching a Diego Sanchez fight is like watching the orca show at the water park: The first five rows WILL get wet.

I heard he can’t even go to the store without a froth mix of sweat, blood and spittle flying onto his fellow customers at any given moment.

1. Wanderlei Silva

Was there ever any doubt?

Intense staredowns, intense rivalries, intense training and, of course, intense fights. The most intense fights.

Basically, "The Axe Murderer" (as people like to call him) gets mad at everybody, then stomps them into the ground. He’s like a movie character with no conscience.

Coffee too cold? You get stomps.  Insulted Chute Boxe? Stomps. Called him old? A concession that you might be right, followed by an extended staredown, followed by stomps.

Pay your respects to the master. Or else.