15 Most Entertaining UFC Fighters Today

The No. 1 responsibility in MMA, other than winning your fight, is to sell your fight. Promoters want guys who can make people care about what they're watching.

The men on this list make us tune in every time because they're either involved in exciting bouts, or they're gifted with a silver tongue. Here are the 15 most exciting fighters in the UFC today.

15. Thiago Alves

The Pitbull starts us off with his exciting Muay Thai style. When opponents find themselves up against Thiago Alves, they know they're in for a fight.

Something that makes Thiago Alves stand out, at least in my mind, is he's one of the few Brazilians who've attempted to cross the language barrier by speaking for himself instead of through an interpreter.

There are many people that believe not being able to speak English inhibits some Brazilians from being the stars they should be. Alves has made a clear effort to make sure what he says are put out as his words only.

That, along with his vicious offense make him one of the more exciting welterweights in the UFC.

14. Carlos Condit

Carlos Condit's nickname, the Natural Born Killer, is fitting given his track record. The amount of finishes in his career has made Condit one of the more exciting fighters to watch.

Condit doesn't necessarily do a lot of talking, but his "go for broke" style makes him a fan favorite. The third round against Rory McDonald still qualifies for one of the greatest comebacks of 2010.

Condit will look to kill the reign of welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre when GSP returns from injury.

13. Cain Velasquez

The UFC Heavyweight champ, Cain Velasquez possesses a "silent but deadly" style of fighting.

Velasquez isn't known as a talker, as evident by his time on the UFC Countdown shows. He won't sell a fight by going on ESPN and leaving a trail of quotable material, but once the cage door closes, Velasquez turns into a monster of a man.

His record speaks for itself which includes a number of first-round finishes and the domination of former champion Brock Lesnar.

12. Clay Guida

Everyone's favorite Geico salesman, Clary Guida has been a mainstay fan favorite for years.

He has one of the most intense "mean faces" and has one of the most exciting styles in the UFC. Every minute of his fights see Guida either bouncing around the Octagon or working over his opponent.

Guida's going to make a good fight out of anyone he faces because he's going to be in their faces for every minute of every round. Fans definitely appreciate "The Carpenter's" energetic fighting style.

11. Frank Mir

Frank Mir may be one of the best promo men in UFC history.

He could sell fans on a fight between him and a pillow. Mir is one of the more articulate fighters in the industry and it allows him to make fans tune in to his fights.

Unfortunately for Mir, the majority of the fans tune in to watch him lose. His brash personality has made him one of the UFC "bad boys" and he seems content to play that role.

Mir's fighting style continues to evolve but he will need to finish opponents in more convincing fashion if he wants to move his way up the UFC ladder.

10. Brock Lesnar

"The result of Vikings interloping with other vikings. If he was on the battlefield, he'd be riding the biggest horse with the biggest axe."

If that description doesn't get you excited to see Brock Lesnar maybe his pre-fight hype will. He's gotten relatively quiet with the trash talk, but I attribute that more to the fact he hasn't faced any trash talkers since Frank Mir, and we all loved their back-and-forth.

Lesnar could truly be "the next big thing" in the UFC heavyweight division if Velasquez isn't the same from his shoulder surgery, and if he can get used to being hit.

His next bout against Alistair Overeem should provide him with plenty of opportunities to get over his fears.

9. Anthony Pettis

The kick seen 'round the world.

Anthony Pettis owns probably one of the top five greatest highlights in MMA history with his kick off the cage against Ben Henderson.

While that move is his most memorable, there are multiple times in every one of his fights that could be the next great highlight.

Pettis is willing to go outside the box with his style. With Pettis I wouldn't be surprised if he jumped off the side of the cage and did a frog splash to his opponent.

That's what makes Pettis exciting to watch; fans know any second could be a highlight reel material.

8. BJ Penn

The Prodigy from Hawaii knows how to talk and how to throw leather inside the Octagon.

BJ Penn is one of the most accomplished athletes to step foot in the cage and he reigned supreme over the 155-division until Frankie Edgar came along.

Penn has never been known to stall or avoid a fight and he looks for the finish whenever he can.

His trash talking has been relatively quiet, but that's due more to the fact that he's facing Nick Diaz, a friend. Ask Penn about GSP and see how willing he is to share his feelings.

7. Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo brings one of the most exciting and destructive fight styles to the Octagon we've ever seen.

The highlight-reel knockouts coupled with his devastating offense make him a fan favorite whenever he fights. His offense is predicated on crushing leg kicks along with some swift hands and knee attacks.

Aldo's one of those rare fighters that really doesn't have to say anything before a fight to get people amped; all he needs to do is play a highlight reel of his past fights.

6. Jason Miller

Jason "Mayhem" Miller is one of the most outspoken fighters to grace the sport of MMA. His entrances are legendary and his attitude makes people tune in to whatever he has to say.

Like Frank Mir, Miller is very educated in the fight game but his intelligence is called into question by most opponents given his "out there" personality.

To go along with his exciting personality, Mayhem actually can fight pretty well. He's been in the ring with a lot of great fighters, and more than held his own.

And the ability to make people tune into the The Ultimate Fighter these days really should be his top accomplishment to date.

5. Josh Koscheck

The attitude. The lack of respect. The hair.

Whatever it is, people just don't like Josh Koscheck. To his part, instead of trying to win fans over, Koscheck has taken his "bad guy" image and made a career of it.

Ever since his days on The Ultimate Fighter Season 1, Kos has been one of, if not the most hated man in the UFC. He just has a way of pissing off every opponent and challenger.

Kos' fight game is pretty good too. He has knockout power and has some the most explosive wrestling in MMA. Whether fans like him or hate him, everyone tunes in to watch.

4. Nick Diaz

Don't be scared homie.

Nick Diaz is one of the most controversial figures in MMA. He doesn't mind speaking his mind, which has made fans split down the middle as to whether they're against or for the last Strikeforce welterweight champion.

While Diaz has a loud bark, his bite may be even worse. Contrary to Frank Shamrock's ramblings of "Nick Diaz's punches don't hurt," Diaz is one of the most well-rounded games in MMA. He has excellent jiu-jitsu and has solid boxing for MMA.

Diaz will have another chance to make his mark in the UFC as he takes on fellow crowd favorite BJ Penn in the main event of UFC 137.

3. Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen is one of the most engaging figures in the MMA world. He has the ability to make people laugh and roll their eyes at the same time.

Right now, he is the best "promo" guy in the UFC. A mic to Chael Sonnen is officially a pipe bomb these days. Of course it may be "a guy with a Hispanic accent" that's doing the talking, but either way, Sonnen knows how to make waves with his mouth.

Inside the Octagon, Sonnen brings a lot of game with him. He has arguably some of the best wrestling MMA has seen and stays active for every second of the fight.

His match with Anderson Silva has to be one of the best fights in UFC history.

2. Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva will likely go down as the greatest fighter in MMA history. His reign of supremacy in the UFC will be hard to top.

That being said, we've seen Silva get bored with his fights at times. Silva needs someone to light a fire under his rear-end to keep him interested.

He may be bored at points in his career, but when Silva is on, he's the best in the world. You know you're something special when you stand in front of your opponent—hands at waist—and they're afraid to throw anything at you.

Silva has the ability to end the fight at a moment's notice. What's most impressive about his fighting style is his ability to adapt to his opponent.

He takes a few minutes to read what his opponent is trying to do and instinctively has the perfect counter.

1. Jon Jones

Jon Jones is one of the most electrifying individuals in the UFC.

He has the ability to make fans sit back in awe of his talents while making other fans absolutely despise him.

Jones has run through his competition recently with some flashy, yet effective striking and wrestling techniques. Whether it's a spinning elbow or a lightning fast takedown, Jones is must-see TV.

His career is just getting off the ground, which makes his success all the more impressive. What may be more impressive is that while Jones seems unbeatable at light heavyweight, he may finish his career as the heavyweight champion.

If you've seen this picture, don't worry if you're confused about who fights at 205. Jones may run through challengers at light heavyweight and be forced to move up to the heavyweight division before his career is over.

Jones' raw talent and physical ability make him the most exciting fighter in the UFC, because every second that goes by could be one second away from another Jon Jones highlight-reel moment.