Although it has only been two decades since the birth of MMA, it has already been dubbed the fastest growing sport in the world and we’ve seen tremendous growth been made. This, subsequently, has turned the sport into a global attraction for fans and sponsors alike, trying to get a piece of the bone-crunching pie.
Today we delve into the world of Mixed Martial Arts and take a look at some of the most recognisable faces in the sporting code.
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Today we delve into the world of Mixed Martial Arts and take a look at some of the most recognisable faces in the sporting code.
Anderson Silva
Age: 44
DOB: 14 April 1975
Height: 1.88 m
Weight: 83,9 kg
Reach: 197 cm
Class: Middleweight
Anderson Silva, nicknamed The Spider, at his peak, was pound for pound, the best fighter in the world. For almost a decade, the Brazilian-American fighter held the middleweight division in a vice-like grip en-route to becoming the longest reigning champion in UFC history.
Some die-hard Andre Silva fans, and critics alike, believe he is the greatest fighter of all time however, that’s mostly from opinion and can be argued otherwise.
Silva held the UFC and Pride middleweight titles simultaneously and also held the record for the most successful title defenses with 16.
Conor McGregor
Age: 31
DOB: 14 July 1988
Height: 1.75 m
Weight: 70 kg
Reach: 188 cm
Class: Lightweight
Every once in a while, each sporting codes produces an athlete that transcends and goes beyond the glass ceiling limits. Golf has Tiger Woods, soccer has David Beckham, boxing has had a few such as Ali, Tyson and Mayweather and MMA has Conor McGregor.
McGregor has become an international superstar who can sell a fight just by using his words. In 2017, the Irishman took on Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match and went 10 rounds with boxing’s best fighter ever, this match went down as the second highest grossing paperview fight of all time.
Quinton Jackson
Age: 41
DOB: 20 June 1978
Height: 1.85 m
Weight: 92 kg
Reach: 185,4 cm
Class: Light Heavyweight
Quinton “The Rampage” Jackson became a favourite due to his explosive fighting style and idiosyncratic personality. Jackson will mostly be remembered for his fiery feud with Wanderlei Silva in the Pride promotion before heading over to the UFC.
He announced himself in style after defeating Chuck Liddell to win the UFC light heavyweight title in 2006.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
Age: 31
DOB: 20 September 1988
Height: 1.78 m
Weight: 70 kg
Reach: 177,8 cm
Class: Welterweight
Out of 28 professional Mixed Martial Arts fights, the Russian has never lost any of them, making it the longest active undefeated streak in the sport. This number may seem underwhelming to those who aren’t well-versed in the sport however to maintain this record is almost impossible.
A few years ago, a video surfaced of a 9-year-old Khabib wrestling a small bear on a leash. This shows how he was being groomed from an early age to become of the best MMA fighters we’ve seen so far.
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