The Rockhold Redemption Arc is one of my favorite stories to have organically occurred within this sport. We've graduated from "Andy Wang is a warrior" to "Luke Rockhold is a samurai"
Korean Zombie. His career was severely stunted due to his military obligations. Many people forget he was more or less forced to walk away from the sport in the middle of his prime. The 4 year layoff definitely robbed him of man of his healthy years, and honestly would have been a death sentence to the career of most other fighters. Despite this he was able to come back and climb himself back to the top of the division from the ground up, and go on a tear. Shame that his second shot at the belt only came to him as an older, slower, injury ridden version of himself, and now how many casuals will remember him. Definitely MMA royalty and one of the best to do it without a belt.
100% agree. He's one whom I always wished would have been able to win a title. Unfortunately after seeing him face Volkanovski, I just don't see it happening now.
Agreed. Although I respect the hell out of him sticking to it and completing his service. I spent 13 months in South Korea, and can tell you they are the NICEST most respectful, awesome people. Im cheering for him
Massive respect to Rockhold after his last fight. The man was exhausted to the point of collapse, yet kept throwing punches and kicks that connected with a prejudice. Then he took top control, and rubbed his bloody nose all over Costa. What a moment to remember
Another cool notch to add to Rashad's belt post-fighting career: As an analyst, he predicted that Holly would beat Ronda, Dillashaw would beat Barao (in the first fight), RDA over Pettis (Pettis was -400), and Diaz over McGregor. Predictions don't mean much, but picking some huge upsets like that is a fun fact at the least.
El Cucuy is a top tier fighter who only lost to the very best after over a decade. He was the greatest when he was on top. He should have held the undisputed belt and I hope more people recognize it
Carlos Condit is my favorite fighter of all time. He's marketable, exciting, and he BRINGS IT. I'll never forget that Lawler fight. Imagine what his career would look like if he didn't destroy his knee in his prime?
@@ziahamm1603 If he beat Woodley that night in 2014, he would've been back in the title picture once again. It's the biggest what-if in UFC that no one talks about.
If you had asked me way back in the old days of UFC, which heavyweight I thought would still be fighting today, I don't think I would have guessed Arlovski. Not sure who I would have guessed, but if someone told me he would still be competitive in the 2020s, I would have laughed in their face.
I will remember Tony as the undisputed champion from when McGregor went boxing till when Khabib won the belt. If Robert Whittaker was promoted to undisputed champion, Tony should have been too
I know Hendricks probably does deserve the love and respect But.... He went from being jacked as hell flinging literal cinderblocks at peoples heads to a flabby tired mess punching with pillows post USADA, while he may not have ever been caught the eye test on him is REALLY bad.
I have to consider... It seems to be well established that losing a fight on the card that you actually won can take a lot out of you, mentally. It happened to Reyes, too. Getting robbed of a title must really fuckin suck. It's probably damn hard to keep up the very high level of training motivation needed when it seems that, even with everything done right, you aren't going to get the prize.
Before Saturday Rockhold only had losses to TRTor, Bisping, Romero and Blachowicz, all champs or extremely close to it. Casuals who didn't see his rise through Strikeforce and the UFC memed him unfairly.
Not sure if I ever bought that narrative that 'Rockhold has no chin'. How many out there could take full power shots from Blachowicz or Romero, or a maximally roided headkick from Vitor? I think his issue was more poor defense, but his offensive skillset was second to none in the division.
They also forget that his loss to Bisping was a lucky-shot-loss and it was their second encounter. The first time, Bisping got owned. Now, all of a sudden, the UFC only talks about their second encounter and prides Michael Bisping..? Had they met a third time (like Ruckhold kept demanding yet being denied so that Bisping could fight the aged Henderson), he likely would have gotten the W and his title back.
I think Alistair Overeem is very under appreciated as a fighter. He's been around longer and fought more than almost any modern fighter. He has some classic wars against legends of the fight game!
Legendary fighter but man he was so frustrating to watch at times. Reem had a reputation for choking and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. That loss to Miocic is still so infuriating because as much as Miocic fans refuse to admit it, Reem was SO CLOSE to winning UFC gold and he would have won had he not went for that guillotine. What's more, had Reem won that fight it would have created a butterfly effect in the Heavyweight division and the perception of Miocic's legacy would be completely different. Another thing, Reem's knockout losses are also unforgettably brutal. Two words; Francis Ngannou.
Damn I honestly thought Alexander Gustafson was going to be on this list ..Gustafson's last fight was horrible but Gustafson almost beat DC and Jon Jones ..I think he has a place on this list
Gus is one of my fave all time fighters and it breaks my heart he came so close twice and it just never happened. One of the all time best LHW surely to have never won the title?
@@ziahamm1603 he has to be one of the greatest fighters to never win a Title ...he almost beat prime Jon Jones and DC ...they were both very close fights ...he has also beat so many legends
Many others deserve this as well, Sudo Genki and Mark Hall were two of them. Not to put them in the same category but both of them fought well and, in Hall's case, were there weight classes at the time...
That clip of Rockhold landing that 'F*CK YOU!' left hand on Costa's face is instantly iconic. One of the most badass moments in UFC history. Thank you, Luke 🙏🏻
Last few times we’ve had legends such as Tony, Dom, Aldo and even Usman lately have all been receiving crazy pops. I was at 263 when Leon faced Nate and it was the loudest pop of the night for sure maybe aside from Moreno winning the belt. My point is I think legends are getting their roses these days while we have them. And it makes me very happy to see.
Friend this comment wins the internet today. That is so true and part of why as a fan since the early days I acknowledge that today's era is special in that regard.
Aldo's pop for his last was amazing - for someone who was so undervalued for his entire career, seeing him get cheers like that in fucking UTAH was amazing.
Renan Barao, Went from arguably the greatest Bantamweight of all time, Dana’s #1 PFP when Aldo, Jones and many others were on their prime, to being ranked outside of the top 5 of great bantamweight of all time, being remembered as the guy that TJ beat to become champ.
@@MR-wp5dz that’s outright the most wrong thing said Barao lost his title months before Usada being involved in the UFC, he lost his in July Usada didn’t start partnering until October, Silva lost his title two years before the Usada partnership begin in 2013, they partnered in Oct of 2015, and Aldo losing his title had nothing to do with Usada and he still stayed a top contender until now.
@@nonamemma Also there have been numerous Brazilian champs since USADA came around. Figgy, Amanda Nunes and the most entertaining champ since Robbie Lawler in Charles Oliveira. The only reason there aren’t as many is the same reason the US isn’t quite as dominant anymore. The sport has just gotten bigger and is drawing in way more international talent.
@@MR-wp5dz Not only did Barao lose his title pre-USADA but TJ pissed hot shortly after getting it. Who really needed to be worried about USADA? The evidence does not lean towards the Brazilians seeing as they have won more titles post-USADA.
I read somewhere that before Ronda and Connor, Rashad Evans was the fighter with the highest PPV numbers. Even when he was the "B" side, he brought eyeballs.
I honestly thought that Jose Aldo would be on this list because although he’s an amazing fighter, he is only seen by some people as the guy Connor knocked out in 13 seconds
He had an epic Anderson/GSP style run at the top of the FW division in my book. An all time legend for sure, regardless of what happened against Conor.
I'd say Aldo is given plenty of credit for his body of work, sure some will only know him for the Conor KO but most fans who watch MMA, even casual fans, recognize how great Aldo was.
Love the love for Condit! One of the best ever, one of the reasons I got into the sport, and one of the biggest title robberies in UFC history. Thank you Tommy, Luke, & Benoff the great video! NBK never dies!!!
I must say, his fight against Hendricks is one of my favourites. I also would've given him the win; true, he was taken down about 2 dozen times but what good were those takedowns as H. had no control while Carlos was always busy, scrambling for subs, always aggressively got back to his feet AND did what he really did best, put on CONSTANT pressure and exciting combinations even as he straight up ate some heavy shots(pre knee injury- he became more calculated when be came back- see Alves fight and that fantastic title fight!) In fact, I'm going to rewatch that Hendricks fight right now.
@@hellaciousj6059 yes he beat everyone in Wec and it was 🔥 and his fight jake ellenberger was awesome fight back in the day still can't believe he retired
don't forget about my boy rashad evans that head kick on sean salmon/Ko Chuck liddell biggest Ko I remember watching it that was 🔥🔥🔥af and he won the Ufc light heavyweight championship
Johnny Hendricks’ weight cutting at Okie State was the stuff of legends. He wrestled at 165 and would walk around campus in the off season at ~210. There are stories of him pulling 10+ the night before tournaments and dual meets. The IV ban was basically the death knell to his ability to cut weight effectively and I think cutting a lot of weight from probably Jr High until he was 34 wore him down mentally and he’d just blow up between fights
yea he did johnny hendricks almost beat gsp and Carlos Condit was one of my favorite fighter's in the Wec nobody was able to beat him and he almost beat gsp
@@willdallas53 ya know Anthony Johnson lost muscle because of how much weight he'd cut so yeah believe it or not buddy water affects the ability to retain muscle and ya know everything else
Excellent video, guys! Condit is also one my favorite fighters of all time. The man is an absolute legend. Should have won that Lawler fight on the scorecards.
His fight against Hendricks is one of my favourites of all time. I had him edging it out. If it were 5 rounds I believe he would've taken it. That fight showed Condit's tenacity: eating shots yet bringing an unrelenting attack, even off of his back.
Rashad Evans fought in the most talented LHW era ever and won the title, stayed relevant after losing it and was competitive for damn near a decade. Thank you for giving his flowers.
Human nature :Everybody praises Rockhold now.... If he would've lost his last fight with a 1.round KO, now 99% of fans would mock him (all comment sections on UFC Embedded were like ohh he is building the best "trashtalk goes wrong " fight)
Nothing brings a bigger smile on my face than seeing my boy Carlos get the respect he deserves. He was the first fighter I ever got to watch during that epic GSP fight and I’ve been a fan of the sport ever since and I have Carlos to thank for that.
Other than a couple of entries on this list, I found myself agreeing. Maybe there are others we could add in the future, but fully appreciate you making this list and hope that you keep up the good work.
If you don't fight somebody because of something that happened years ago you deserve all the disrespect you get especially if you only won that belt due to controversy
Love love love you guys showing that respect and appreciation for two of my all time favorites, Yoel and Condit. I must throw some respect out there for Chris Weidman too. Like a lot these guys, he had some really rough late career stuff post title reign, but he was as unbeatable as anybody during his reign and legitimately never had one easy fight in the UFC. I hope we get to see him in the octagon one more time before he hangs them up.
The man who edits these videos is incredible at his job. He's got such an in depth knowledge of the sport and it's controversy he knows the absolute best clips to jump cut to. 8:42 *ChefsKiss absolutely brilliant.
I appreciate GDRs skill set but I can’t bang with a fighter that chose to vacate their title over defending it against a fighter they knew they’d have to defend against if they won
This exactly. 100%. She did herself in. I basically posted the same thing and if you compare her 10-4 record to most of the fighters on this list it also isn't close. I didn't know kickboxing matches count for mma now ???
Especially since Cyborg vs GDR was low-key an excellent fight on paper. GDR would have been the best striker Cyborg ever fought and Cyborg would not be able to just run through her like she did to so many other girls. Had GDR beaten Cyborg, it would have redeemed her performance against Holly and made her a legend.
No he doesn't. Frank (and I like the guy) is a hipsters answer to MMA greats. He was supremely skilled at a time when most weren't but he didn't beat the best of the best of his generation, and definitely couldn't hang with the next.
I remember when Condit and a few other fighters did a USO tour in the Middle East (USO Shows are like FIFA World Cup for Active Duty Military in War Zones).. A lot of Marines and Special Forces BADASSES were talking shit **especially** to Condit because he wasn’t very intimidating and kinda looked like a nerd, so he bore the absolute brunt of all their shit… Until he went Round Robin with a whole bunch of ‘em and was passing out free body shots/leg kicks to anybody calling him out/calling him weak… Needless to say, he won EVERYBODY’S respect after whipping ALL of their asses, BACK TO BACK… A lot of them even said he was the baddest, hardest hitting motherfucker out of ALL of the fighters there (including LHW & HWs, iirc)… And I absolutely loved it, as he was one of my favs waayyy back in his WEC days. *MAN I MISS THE WEC, THAT WAS MY SHIT, GLAD WE GOT TO SEE LEGENDARY SHOWDOWNS ONCE THE ROSTERS WERE COMBINED THO!!!*
@@madgavin7568 I honestly do not remember this being an issue with Fitch. I know he had that reputation, I guess I liked fighting so it didn't bother me. I feel like this reputation was invented by Dana because he didn't like Fitch.
@@codychickadee5095 I mean it wasn't entirely unwarranted. Many of Fitch's fights were textbook lay and pray, with most going the distance with few finishes. Fitch had a few fun fights, but most of them were nothing to write home about.
HELL YES! HELL YES! HELL YES! Back in the day we'd break down he techniques and her fights after Judo or BJJ class via handheld cam (That tiny screen ☺) that one of us had recorded from off their TV.
Carlos Condit is one of my favorite fighters ever too. My entire fighting style Is modelled after his. Those elbows and his ability off his back and lethal standup is absolutely amazing. Love that dude.
Luke is a LEGEND, hes a phenom in fighting, Ive been saying this since before the fight, ill admit I thought he would win, but thats fair, Luke is, sorry, so much more technically sound than paulo. He would have won a good chunk of the time out of 10 under more noraml circumstances.
A lot of people forget just how good Rashad was early in his career. He was elite. Sure his personality was annoying at times. lol But inside the cage, he was as lethal as any during his prime. I didn't like him during that time. But I've come to like and respect him lately.
Tyron Woodley deserves this list as much as anyone. To so many people now he's become the guy that Jake Paul knocked out, but he's actually a top 5 ufc welterweight of all time.
It's a shame how most fighters from that era are largely forgotten. UFC needs to do a much better job of honoring their past and the legends that help build the sport.
5:50 MMA On Point is so biased against Colby that even when recognizing him they have to take pot-shots they wouldn’t take at any other fighter. We get it. Your channel is left leaning (you hint at it repeatedly) and Colby likes Trump. In this video and many others you talk about his politics being too central, his douche baggery, etc. yet his exact opposite (an obnoxiously liberal fighter) Tyron Woodley spent an ENTIRE PRESS CONFERENCE saying only “black lives matter” and how many times has MMA On Point talked about his hyper focus on politics? Zero. Then you have fighters like Connor who attacked buses, elderly men, and other antics and yet Colby is the one who has “extreme douche baggery”. Please. Not only that, but even the way you talk about Colby vs Usman. Let’s be real. Many people have Colby winning the second fight, and the first fight saw Usman repeatedly cheat and openly fake a nut shot for a break. This channel talks about cheaters, bad calls, and botched wins all the time - but never for Colby. Honestly it’s just annoying.
Totally agree with every single person on this list. Hendricks vs Lawler is one of my favorite mini rivalries in MMA. Both of those fights are spectacular
Was there for carlos, rockhold, rory mac, tim Kennedy, johnny and so many others. Im so nostalgic at being able to see these greats fight. I feel like an encyclopaedia that gets dusted off when we talk about the early 2000s in MMA. great times, thanks gents 👊
Condit in the WEC was one of my favorite fighters to watch. And his nickname was the best “The Natural Born Killer”. That’s where the reference comes from in the video.
Tommy and Luke Taylor are awesome to put some respect on these fighters names! Condit was my favorite welterweight back in the day I was always bummed he wasn't champ.
The Rockhold Redemption Arc is one of my favorite stories to have organically occurred within this sport. We've graduated from "Andy Wang is a warrior" to "Luke Rockhold is a samurai"
Fuckin Andy Wang lol what a throw back 😂
I'm not gonna forget that dude Wang he was such a warrior
Is “redemption” being cocky af and still losing the fight? Sounds like Late Career Luke to me
eh? Samurai believe in "death before dishonor"...not deliberately spilling your bloody nose in your opponent mouth because you are losing fight..
But he lost
Korean Zombie. His career was severely stunted due to his military obligations. Many people forget he was more or less forced to walk away from the sport in the middle of his prime. The 4 year layoff definitely robbed him of man of his healthy years, and honestly would have been a death sentence to the career of most other fighters.
Despite this he was able to come back and climb himself back to the top of the division from the ground up, and go on a tear. Shame that his second shot at the belt only came to him as an older, slower, injury ridden version of himself, and now how many casuals will remember him. Definitely MMA royalty and one of the best to do it without a belt.
100% agree. He's one whom I always wished would have been able to win a title. Unfortunately after seeing him face Volkanovski, I just don't see it happening now.
Jung is the man. Still one of my favorite fighters of all time.
Abso-frikkin-lutely man! I seriously hope he gets inducted into the UFC hall of fame. Man’s a legend.
He could've just done his service earlier... That's his fault too lol. Why would you not do it immediately after high school?
Agreed. Although I respect the hell out of him sticking to it and completing his service. I spent 13 months in South Korea, and can tell you they are the NICEST most respectful, awesome people. Im cheering for him
Massive respect to Rockhold after his last fight. The man was exhausted to the point of collapse, yet kept throwing punches and kicks that connected with a prejudice. Then he took top control, and rubbed his bloody nose all over Costa. What a moment to remember
Luke was losing, so he smeared his blood on his opponent... Disgrace
@@jopribashan8587 dood, have you ever seen an MMA fight? 🤣
JUST BLEED
@Zezzed deliberately smearing your blood in your opponents mouth and face is disgrace to combat sport..
@@jopribashan8587 seriously.
@@qjames0077 fight is fight, but DELIBERATELY smearing your blood in your opponent mouth is disgrace to sport
Another cool notch to add to Rashad's belt post-fighting career: As an analyst, he predicted that Holly would beat Ronda, Dillashaw would beat Barao (in the first fight), RDA over Pettis (Pettis was -400), and Diaz over McGregor. Predictions don't mean much, but picking some huge upsets like that is a fun fact at the least.
And he just won after a long lay off for khabibs promotion
Rashad has a great eye for talent and fighting in general. He was an amazing coach on TUF against rampage Jackson
@@danielcantu859 Ah, I forgot all about that. Good call!
@@jewmail5395 Definitely. I loved that season of TUF btw. I wish it was still as entertaining
@@CompleteProducer84 I agree. TUF has been watered down a little bit. Contender series has been fun recently though
El Cucuy is a top tier fighter who only lost to the very best after over a decade. He was the greatest when he was on top. He should have held the undisputed belt and I hope more people recognize it
The ufc did cucuy so dirty. IMO he was champ when Conor dipped
Khabib ducked him big time
@Old Hed Fights! You take a front kick to the face by chandler without getting slept that shit could knock anyone out
@Old Hed Fights! sure blackie chan
@@Eshaayyyyyy doesn't anyone find it strange how khabib never fought Tony and Kevin Lee or Is there s justifiable reason to why he didn't fight them?
Long live Luke, Genuinely was upset when he retired because of the good laughs/ memes he’s given me over the years. He really went out like a samurai
Don’t worry bro. Careers are temporary, memes are forever
@@namwarmaster6918 true bro 😔
He'll be in eagle fc or bkfc at least once you'll see him again
Carlos Condit is my favorite fighter of all time. He's marketable, exciting, and he BRINGS IT. I'll never forget that Lawler fight. Imagine what his career would look like if he didn't destroy his knee in his prime?
Destroyer in WEC, that knee thing messed up his UFC career. Always had a hell of a walkout and staredown, too 🤘🏻
Same. NBK was must see in his prime.
Honestly think he may have beat GSP if his knee was not so fucked up.
@@ziahamm1603 If he beat Woodley that night in 2014, he would've been back in the title picture once again. It's the biggest what-if in UFC that no one talks about.
@@ziahamm1603 He probably would’ve finished Hendricks if that fight was 5 rounds.
Carlos Condit and Andrei Arlovski were my two favorites when I first started watching mma. While newer mma fans don’t really even know who they are.
If you had asked me way back in the old days of UFC, which heavyweight I thought would still be fighting today, I don't think I would have guessed Arlovski. Not sure who I would have guessed, but if someone told me he would still be competitive in the 2020s, I would have laughed in their face.
I will remember Tony as the undisputed champion from when McGregor went boxing till when Khabib won the belt. If Robert Whittaker was promoted to undisputed champion, Tony should have been too
Is that mma math? 😂
I know Hendricks probably does deserve the love and respect
But....
He went from being jacked as hell flinging literal cinderblocks at peoples heads to a flabby tired mess punching with pillows post USADA, while he may not have ever been caught the eye test on him is REALLY bad.
I think tbh Hendricks was more of a IVs than steroids tbh because his use of IVs was well documented and they do alot for you
I have to consider...
It seems to be well established that losing a fight on the card that you actually won can take a lot out of you, mentally.
It happened to Reyes, too. Getting robbed of a title must really fuckin suck.
It's probably damn hard to keep up the very high level of training motivation needed when it seems that, even with everything done right, you aren't going to get the prize.
@@hhiippiittyy yeah it was so hard for him to come back after that. So hard that he won a world title 4 months pater
It's the timing of his body decline just when USADA steps in that tells the story BUT he never failed a test so can't be 100% sure.
Before Saturday Rockhold only had losses to TRTor, Bisping, Romero and Blachowicz, all champs or extremely close to it. Casuals who didn't see his rise through Strikeforce and the UFC memed him unfairly.
Not sure if I ever bought that narrative that 'Rockhold has no chin'. How many out there could take full power shots from Blachowicz or Romero, or a maximally roided headkick from Vitor? I think his issue was more poor defense, but his offensive skillset was second to none in the division.
Exactly. The title should just have "in the eyes of casuals" at the end
Only casuals call other people casuals
They also forget that his loss to Bisping was a lucky-shot-loss and it was their second encounter. The first time, Bisping got owned. Now, all of a sudden, the UFC only talks about their second encounter and prides Michael Bisping..? Had they met a third time (like Ruckhold kept demanding yet being denied so that Bisping could fight the aged Henderson), he likely would have gotten the W and his title back.
@@Leroyscaand your PFP shows you have no respect for legends like Frankie. You probably started watching when Conor came around.
I think Alistair Overeem is very under appreciated as a fighter. He's been around longer and fought more than almost any modern fighter. He has some classic wars against legends of the fight game!
Hes been around forever aswel
Legendary fighter but man he was so frustrating to watch at times. Reem had a reputation for choking and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. That loss to Miocic is still so infuriating because as much as Miocic fans refuse to admit it, Reem was SO CLOSE to winning UFC gold and he would have won had he not went for that guillotine. What's more, had Reem won that fight it would have created a butterfly effect in the Heavyweight division and the perception of Miocic's legacy would be completely different.
Another thing, Reem's knockout losses are also unforgettably brutal. Two words; Francis Ngannou.
Damn I honestly thought Alexander Gustafson was going to be on this list ..Gustafson's last fight was horrible but Gustafson almost beat DC and Jon Jones ..I think he has a place on this list
Gus is one of my fave all time fighters and it breaks my heart he came so close twice and it just never happened. One of the all time best LHW surely to have never won the title?
@@ziahamm1603 he has to be one of the greatest fighters to never win a Title ...he almost beat prime Jon Jones and DC ...they were both very close fights ...he has also beat so many legends
He's not really underrated or meme'd he's just not really a big name anymore. His moment in the limelight is over, sadly
Many others deserve this as well, Sudo Genki and Mark Hall were two of them. Not to put them in the same category but both of them fought well and, in Hall's case, were there weight classes at the time...
This is a good one and more deserving of being on this list than some.
That clip of Rockhold landing that 'F*CK YOU!' left hand on Costa's face is instantly iconic.
One of the most badass moments in UFC history. Thank you, Luke 🙏🏻
Would have liked to see Mousasi on here. Crazy resume
Doesn't have the UFC name recognition. These lists tend to gravitate that way. People just randomly forget about his UFC run for some reason.
Last few times we’ve had legends such as Tony, Dom, Aldo and even Usman lately have all been receiving crazy pops. I was at 263 when Leon faced Nate and it was the loudest pop of the night for sure maybe aside from Moreno winning the belt. My point is I think legends are getting their roses these days while we have them. And it makes me very happy to see.
Yes agreed, cult following. Nate, Tony, I'm a ride or die fan.
Friend this comment wins the internet today. That is so true and part of why as a fan since the early days I acknowledge that today's era is special in that regard.
Yeah, I don't know anyone who doesn't appreciate any of the fighters on this list.
Aldo's pop for his last was amazing - for someone who was so undervalued for his entire career, seeing him get cheers like that in fucking UTAH was amazing.
Pop, pop.
Luke while on top of Costa: “You don’t know where I’ve been Paulo!”.
Exactly what I was thinking 🤣
Luke disgraced the sport.. smearing your blood in your opponent mouth is not fighting at all....
Renan Barao, Went from arguably the greatest Bantamweight of all time, Dana’s #1 PFP when Aldo, Jones and many others were on their prime, to being ranked outside of the top 5 of great bantamweight of all time, being remembered as the guy that TJ beat to become champ.
USADA happened, and suddenly there were no more Brazilian champs
@@MR-wp5dz that’s outright the most wrong thing said Barao lost his title months before Usada being involved in the UFC, he lost his in July Usada didn’t start partnering until October, Silva lost his title two years before the Usada partnership begin in 2013, they partnered in Oct of 2015, and Aldo losing his title had nothing to do with Usada and he still stayed a top contender until now.
@@nonamemma Also there have been numerous Brazilian champs since USADA came around. Figgy, Amanda Nunes and the most entertaining champ since Robbie Lawler in Charles Oliveira. The only reason there aren’t as many is the same reason the US isn’t quite as dominant anymore. The sport has just gotten bigger and is drawing in way more international talent.
@@MR-wp5dz Not only did Barao lose his title pre-USADA but TJ pissed hot shortly after getting it. Who really needed to be worried about USADA? The evidence does not lean towards the Brazilians seeing as they have won more titles post-USADA.
I stand corrected, I'm gonna demote myself to "casual" as see myself out.
Luke is a very underrated fighter!
I read somewhere that before Ronda and Connor, Rashad Evans was the fighter with the highest PPV numbers. Even when he was the "B" side, he brought eyeballs.
He was! If you go back to watch any Evans fight watch Rashad vs Salmon . Crazy fight
Wasn't a big fan of Rockhold until his last fight when he proved how much of a badass warrior he really is. He earned a ton of respect that night.
I honestly thought that Jose Aldo would be on this list because although he’s an amazing fighter, he is only seen by some people as the guy Connor knocked out in 13 seconds
I think with his recent bantamweight run, people have started (or continued, for some) to see just how great he is.
@@almazingsk8er Yep....he's been roaring back as of late. If he had just faded after the Connor KO, he'd be on this list.
He had an epic Anderson/GSP style run at the top of the FW division in my book. An all time legend for sure, regardless of what happened against Conor.
Greatest fw of all time 💯🥊
I'd say Aldo is given plenty of credit for his body of work, sure some will only know him for the Conor KO but most fans who watch MMA, even casual fans, recognize how great Aldo was.
Love the love for Condit! One of the best ever, one of the reasons I got into the sport, and one of the biggest title robberies in UFC history. Thank you Tommy, Luke, & Benoff the great video! NBK never dies!!!
Dude was legit. He beat Lawler. Should have gotten an undisputed title but… ya know. Judges. Lol
I must say, his fight against Hendricks is one of my favourites. I also would've given him the win; true, he was taken down about 2 dozen times but what good were those takedowns as H. had no control while Carlos was always busy, scrambling for subs, always aggressively got back to his feet AND did what he really did best, put on CONSTANT pressure and exciting combinations even as he straight up ate some heavy shots(pre knee injury- he became more calculated when be came back- see Alves fight and that fantastic title fight!) In fact, I'm going to rewatch that Hendricks fight right now.
His fights in the WEC made me a big fan. Condit was crazy!
@@hellaciousj6059 yes he beat everyone in Wec and it was 🔥 and his fight jake ellenberger was awesome fight back in the day still can't believe he retired
don't forget about my boy rashad evans that head kick on sean salmon/Ko Chuck liddell biggest Ko I remember watching it that was 🔥🔥🔥af and he won the Ufc light heavyweight championship
Rockhold went out like a Gangster dude needs to be HoF
Johnny Hendricks’ weight cutting at Okie State was the stuff of legends. He wrestled at 165 and would walk around campus in the off season at ~210. There are stories of him pulling 10+ the night before tournaments and dual meets. The IV ban was basically the death knell to his ability to cut weight effectively and I think cutting a lot of weight from probably Jr High until he was 34 wore him down mentally and he’d just blow up between fights
So he couldn’t wrestle at his own weight and had to beat up on guys smaller then him. Stuff of legends
@@Scheboygan8767 no one wrestles at their own weight besides Heavyweights. And yes, a 2x NCAA Champion and 4x All-American is pretty legendary
The Johnny Hendricks bias on this channel never ceases to amaze me
13:55 I think one of the other downfalls of Hendricks was when they banned IVs for rehydration. He really struggled after that
Yes! It wasn't peds it just that instant rehydration
@@Heyitsallgoodman Did you mean, "It wasn't JUST peds, it was that instant rehydration as well?"
@@Heyitsallgoodman lol yea he lost all of his muscles because he couldn’t “hydrate”
yea he did johnny hendricks almost beat gsp and Carlos Condit was one of my favorite fighter's in the Wec nobody was able to beat him and he almost beat gsp
@@willdallas53 ya know Anthony Johnson lost muscle because of how much weight he'd cut so yeah believe it or not buddy water affects the ability to retain muscle and ya know everything else
"In the year of Our Lobov"
You threw that away so quickly that I almost didnt catch it. Genius.
What about Mighty Mouse? Honestly figured DJ would be #1
DJ gets the credit he deserves. He’s in the GOAT conversation.
Frank Mir is another one that deserves to be on this list
The fact that Gustafsson didn’t even make the most underrated list shows how underrated he is.
The only reason Yoel didn’t win the strap was bc Bisping was afraid of him and ducked him for over a year.
No. Bisping ducked him because he wanted that gsp money not because he was afraid.
@@willdallas53 Bisping could've fought Yoel instead of #13 ranked, 46 year old Dan Henderson.
@@alugificator I literally hate that fight with all my heart and also Dan almost beat him so imagine what yoel couldve done
@@willdallas53 bro Dan dropped bisping twice in that fight and arguably won and you think he wasn't afraid of yoel 💀
@@alugificator damn crazy how Yoel popped when bisping got the belt... it was a "Contaminated supplement" no wonder he didn't want to fight Romero
Excellent video, guys!
Condit is also one my favorite fighters of all time. The man is an absolute legend. Should have won that Lawler fight on the scorecards.
His fight against Hendricks is one of my favourites of all time. I had him edging it out. If it were 5 rounds I believe he would've taken it. That fight showed Condit's tenacity: eating shots yet bringing an unrelenting attack, even off of his back.
@@joshuakehl5891 absolutely! His chin is also is out of this world...
Rashad Evans fought in the most talented LHW era ever and won the title, stayed relevant after losing it and was competitive for damn near a decade. Thank you for giving his flowers.
I'm definitely going to start using "in the year of our Lobov" from now on. Thanks, Tommy!
Rashad's time as a coach on TUF gave me a whole new level of respect for him.
Man I miss Carlos one of my all time fav
Human nature :Everybody praises Rockhold now....
If he would've lost his last fight with a 1.round KO, now 99% of fans would mock him (all comment sections on UFC Embedded were like ohh he is building the best "trashtalk goes wrong " fight)
Honestly agree with every choice for this list. Great work guys.
“so we’re- so we’re throwing _spinning shit_ now?” is an underrated line that i say completely unprovoked at least once a day
Was hoping to see BJ Penn on here. That guy deserves more love from the community.
He gets a lot of respect IMO. There's a large number of people that even consider him to be GOAT
Luke went out like a f#$king samurai indeed! Recency bias nonetheless that fight was badass!!
Nothing brings a bigger smile on my face than seeing my boy Carlos get the respect he deserves. He was the first fighter I ever got to watch during that epic GSP fight and I’ve been a fan of the sport ever since and I have Carlos to thank for that.
he was one of my favorite fighter's In Wec he was beating everyone I thought he was going to beat Gsp to win the Welterweight championship
Other than a couple of entries on this list, I found myself agreeing. Maybe there are others we could add in the future, but fully appreciate you making this list and hope that you keep up the good work.
If you don't fight somebody because of something that happened years ago you deserve all the disrespect you get especially if you only won that belt due to controversy
Love love love you guys showing that respect and appreciation for two of my all time favorites, Yoel and Condit. I must throw some respect out there for Chris Weidman too. Like a lot these guys, he had some really rough late career stuff post title reign, but he was as unbeatable as anybody during his reign and legitimately never had one easy fight in the UFC. I hope we get to see him in the octagon one more time before he hangs them up.
The man who edits these videos is incredible at his job. He's got such an in depth knowledge of the sport and it's controversy he knows the absolute best clips to jump cut to. 8:42 *ChefsKiss absolutely brilliant.
I appreciate GDRs skill set but I can’t bang with a fighter that chose to vacate their title over defending it against a fighter they knew they’d have to defend against if they won
This exactly. 100%. She did herself in. I basically posted the same thing and if you compare her 10-4 record to most of the fighters on this list it also isn't close. I didn't know kickboxing matches count for mma now ???
Dope nickname tho
Especially since Cyborg vs GDR was low-key an excellent fight on paper. GDR would have been the best striker Cyborg ever fought and Cyborg would not be able to just run through her like she did to so many other girls. Had GDR beaten Cyborg, it would have redeemed her performance against Holly and made her a legend.
Homero and Hockhold are so freaking underappreciated
"much hespect for this.."
Anyone who steps into a cage or ring for any combat sport deserves respect.
Always like Rich Franklin and Evan Tanner. Not sure if their careers would be considered underrated, but I always loved watching those two!
Carlos was one of the most exciting to watch. Prob the best to never win ufc gold
Also glad to see Luke getting some love
Tony is and will always be a legend in my eyes and an uncrowned undisputed 155 champ. CSO love you Tony
This is the first video where I feel like I'm listening to a true mma fan. "He didn't win, but he won". I love it lmfao.
"Who won season 2 of American Idol? Fuck if I know, I had to look it up!" HAHAHA
Tommy needs to make stand-alone content sometimes. It's nice to hear him on this channel too, but I miss the impressions.
I miss Mr. TOEHOLD!
So true!!!
I was expecting Frank Shamrock! He definitely deserves a lot more credit for his career
No he doesn't. Frank (and I like the guy) is a hipsters answer to MMA greats. He was supremely skilled at a time when most weren't but he didn't beat the best of the best of his generation, and definitely couldn't hang with the next.
@@OFB_skates I feel Frank can be given some slack because he fought in a weight-class which he was undersized in.
I remember when Condit and a few other fighters did a USO tour in the Middle East (USO Shows are like FIFA World Cup for Active Duty Military in War Zones).. A lot of Marines and Special Forces BADASSES were talking shit **especially** to Condit because he wasn’t very intimidating and kinda looked like a nerd, so he bore the absolute brunt of all their shit… Until he went Round Robin with a whole bunch of ‘em and was passing out free body shots/leg kicks to anybody calling him out/calling him weak…
Needless to say, he won EVERYBODY’S respect after whipping ALL of their asses, BACK TO BACK… A lot of them even said he was the baddest, hardest hitting motherfucker out of ALL of the fighters there (including LHW & HWs, iirc)… And I absolutely loved it, as he was one of my favs waayyy back in his WEC days. *MAN I MISS THE WEC, THAT WAS MY SHIT, GLAD WE GOT TO SEE LEGENDARY SHOWDOWNS ONCE THE ROSTERS WERE COMBINED THO!!!*
Competenting at a professional level in any combat sport deserves respect in of itself
Jon Fitch also could have been on here.
Definitely.
Very good fighter, very boring to watch though.
@@madgavin7568 I honestly do not remember this being an issue with Fitch. I know he had that reputation, I guess I liked fighting so it didn't bother me. I feel like this reputation was invented by Dana because he didn't like Fitch.
@@codychickadee5095 I mean it wasn't entirely unwarranted. Many of Fitch's fights were textbook lay and pray, with most going the distance with few finishes. Fitch had a few fun fights, but most of them were nothing to write home about.
@@madgavin7568 fair enough I may have to go back and rewatch some of those fights. I was pretty young when all of this happened
Luke just got everyone’s respect back 💪🏻
After that, how could he not? It was an extremely gutsy performance. Went out like a warrior.
Certainly won mine. His stock was seriously damaged after the Bisping loss but he roared back and went out in a blaze of glory. Much respect.
Seeing everyone all of a sudden love Luke after talking shit about him for yrs is crazy lol
That Rueben Studdard like was hilarious. Great video as always 👍🏾
Rashad Evans is definitely one of my favorites! Always has been
I'm thinking of Megumi fujii the first greatest female fighter ever, and is one of the greatest female fighters who f all time.
HELL YES! HELL YES! HELL YES!
Back in the day we'd break down he techniques and her fights after Judo or BJJ class via handheld cam (That tiny screen ☺) that one of us had recorded from off their TV.
Wasn't expecting to see Tony mentioned, but thank you. People claim he was "okay" he was one of the best we'll ever see.
Carlos Condit is one of my favorite fighters ever too. My entire fighting style Is modelled after his. Those elbows and his ability off his back and lethal standup is absolutely amazing. Love that dude.
Luke is a LEGEND, hes a phenom in fighting, Ive been saying this since before the fight, ill admit I thought he would win, but thats fair, Luke is, sorry, so much more technically sound than paulo. He would have won a good chunk of the time out of 10 under more noraml circumstances.
Jeremy Horn is massively under rated. Finished Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, and Chael Sonnen (3 times).
Holy fuck this is a good one. He absolutely needs to be on this list!
Carlos Condit is my favourite fighter. His fight with Rory Macdonald is what turned me from a boxing fan to an mma fan who watches boxing
Happy retirement Luke. Hopefully Jiri can continue your proud samurai legacy
Colby is the PEOPLE'S CHAMP!
A lot of people forget just how good Rashad was early in his career. He was elite. Sure his personality was annoying at times. lol But inside the cage, he was as lethal as any during his prime. I didn't like him during that time. But I've come to like and respect him lately.
Invented the "fuck you punch" legend!
I'm glad I didn't know the answer to the question of who won the first American Idol.
Tyron Woodley deserves this list as much as anyone. To so many people now he's become the guy that Jake Paul knocked out, but he's actually a top 5 ufc welterweight of all time.
Big fax! Dude faced a murders row and was incredible.
I would put my money on prime luke rockhold against almost anyone in middleweight history
I don’t even think his chin is THAT bad. Most of the KO shots he took would’ve floored 90% of the division
Pedro Rizzo is my all time favorite fighter. He's the reason why I loved kicking so much. The dude is a legend.
It's a shame how most fighters from that era are largely forgotten. UFC needs to do a much better job of honoring their past and the legends that help build the sport.
@@PayMeInBitcoin88 completely agree but I highly doubt they ever will.
Love me some Benson Henderson, hope he’s on this list. He matches the lightweight title defense record just so you’re aware everyone.
5:50 MMA On Point is so biased against Colby that even when recognizing him they have to take pot-shots they wouldn’t take at any other fighter. We get it. Your channel is left leaning (you hint at it repeatedly) and Colby likes Trump.
In this video and many others you talk about his politics being too central, his douche baggery, etc. yet his exact opposite (an obnoxiously liberal fighter) Tyron Woodley spent an ENTIRE PRESS CONFERENCE saying only “black lives matter” and how many times has MMA On Point talked about his hyper focus on politics? Zero.
Then you have fighters like Connor who attacked buses, elderly men, and other antics and yet Colby is the one who has “extreme douche baggery”. Please.
Not only that, but even the way you talk about Colby vs Usman. Let’s be real. Many people have Colby winning the second fight, and the first fight saw Usman repeatedly cheat and openly fake a nut shot for a break. This channel talks about cheaters, bad calls, and botched wins all the time - but never for Colby.
Honestly it’s just annoying.
You have the freedom to not watch the show if you don't like it. Tough beans
Totally agree with every single person on this list. Hendricks vs Lawler is one of my favorite mini rivalries in MMA. Both of those fights are spectacular
Nice to hear someone say how much they liked Carlos Condit . Been a big fan of him since the WEC , was always a treat to watch
Was hoping to see Alexander “storm” Schlemenko on here dude is a MACHINE!
Caol Uno comes to mind. Absolutely a pioneer and was in the small handful of guys back in those days that was fighting with a modern level of skill.
Rockhold walking out to The Point Of No Return by Immortal Technique is a goated moment.
“Bang fueled, terminator!” 🤣🤣🤣
Was there for carlos, rockhold, rory mac, tim Kennedy, johnny and so many others. Im so nostalgic at being able to see these greats fight. I feel like an encyclopaedia that gets dusted off when we talk about the early 2000s in MMA.
great times, thanks gents 👊
Excellent list. I completely agree. Nicely done
Ferguson was a true constant in a division that was twisting every way but straight and I appreciate that
Wow man brilliant video and sweet shout out to the editor and musician at the end. I know you shout them out a lot but it’s cool to see
“Plant my own seed” huh…. okay mma on point I see you. For now tho ima keep my seeds to myself.
Gotta admit this is one of the first videos I fully agree with you particularly on Yoel, Good job good sir, well done and well said. 👏🏼 👏🏼
Condit in the WEC was one of my favorite fighters to watch. And his nickname was the best “The Natural Born Killer”. That’s where the reference comes from in the video.
The fact that you gave that "sorry for 2004" reference lets me know you're a low-key Ruben fan like me 😂🤣
Luke successfully reminded people that he ain't just an average bloke
Well played
Condit was always one of my favourites. Such a likeable guy, skilled and tough as hell.
Great video, it’s important to give credit to the true builders of this sport
Uncle Sonnen. Undefeated, Undisputed. Never lost a round. The toughest gangster from the mean streets of West Linn, Oregon!
Tommy and Luke Taylor are awesome to put some respect on these fighters names! Condit was my favorite welterweight back in the day I was always bummed he wasn't champ.
I can't believe that the feather weight strap was taken from Holly like that. She would have been the UFCs first women's two weight.