UFC 137 Fight Card: BJ Penn and the Top 10 Post-Fight Celebrations in MMA

They're the touchdown dance of MMA.

After a brutal knockout or slick submission, many fighters have some type of unique way to celebrate their victory. For some, it may be a simple fist pump, while others may perform a backflip off the cage.

No matter how they go about doing it, post-fight celebrations are a great way for fighters to show their personalities inside the cage. Of course, some fighters simply have more personality than others, and those are the fighters you can expect to see on this list.

Here are the top 10 post-fight celebrations in MMA history.

10. Roy Nelson

Roy Nelson doesn't have the physique most people would associate with a professional fighter. Whether it has an adverse effect on his career or not, Nelson embraces his role as the pudgy kid of the MMA world.

It might not be the most intimidating post-fight celebration, but Nelson's belly rub is certainly good for a few laughs.

After having his physique called out by UFC president Dana White, Nelson has decided to drop some weight. Let's just hope that doesn't mean the end of this entertaining display.

9. Tank Abbott

Call it classless if you will, but don't try to tell me you didn't laugh when Tank Abbott mocked John Matua's stiff limbs after his knockout victory at UFC 6.

In today's MMA, Abbott's actions would probably cause an uproar. However, considering the state of the sport at the time of Abbott's debut, this post-fight "celebration" was pretty much par for the course.

8. Rashad Evans

At UFC 88, Rashad Evans met Chuck Liddell in what was the biggest fight of his career up to that point. 

Although he was an underdog in the matchup, Evans scored a second-round knockout against the all-time great, surprising most fans worldwide.

After the win, Evans feigned a heart attack in celebration. Not only was the celebration original, but it also captured the feeling of most people watching the fight at the time.

6T. Josh Barnett

It's not very original, but Josh Barnett's post-fight celebration is one of the most recognizable in MMA.

After every victory, Barnett makes a throat-slashing motion, which might not be great for the image of the sport, but it is entertaining.

6T. Thiago Silva

While Josh Barnett introduced the throat-slashing celebration to MMA, Thiago Silva took it to another level.

The level of intensity Silva shows as he walks to the cageside camera for his post-victory celebration might be unmatched.

5. Ronaldo Souza

In terms of originality, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza's post-fight submission may be the best in all of MMA.

Paying tribute to his nickname, which is a Portuguese name for a member of the crocodile family, Souza mimics a crocodile walking after submitting his opponents.

4. Chuck Liddell

There really isn't anything extraordinary about Chuck Liddell's post-fight celebration, yet it has become one of the most iconic images in the sport.

It is simply a man letting his emotions loose after knocking another man unconscious, and that raw enthusiasm is part of what MMA is all about.

3. Quinton Jackson

Quinton Jackson's trademark howl is downright goosebump-inducing. Before a fight, it simply means Jackson is about to walk out of the tunnel and toward the Octagon.

After a fight, it is the last thing Jackson's opponents want to see, since it would likely mean they are just regaining their senses from a temporary state of unconsciousness.

2. BJ Penn

Whoever said MMA fighters didn't have to be at least a little bit crazy?

Like a wild animal that just finished consuming its prey, BJ Penn licks his opponent's blood off his gloves.

It's part badass and part disgusting, but it's definitely one of the best celebrations in MMA.

1. Tito Ortiz

For years, Tito Ortiz dug the graves of many opponents as UFC light heavyweight champion.

However, a rough patch in his career meant that fans went nearly five years without seeing the most well-choreographed celebration in the sport.

Finally, an upset win over Ryan Bader at UFC 132 allowed Ortiz to show off MMA's best victory display at least one more time.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com, LowKick.com and TheMMACorner.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.