Fighters who most influenced the sport of MMA:
Royce Gracie (jiu jitsu fighter): Nulified the whole stand up game with submission grappling. Was eventually succeeded by high level wrestlers with ground and pound.
Matt Hughes (athletic wrestler): Used wrestling and athletisism to dictate the pace and location of the fight. Was able to Nuetralize not only stand up, but submission grappling as well. Was replaced by fighters who were experts in multiple disciplines.
BJ Penn (mixed martial artist): Brought the first "complete" game, possessing good stand up, great jiu jitsu, and great defensive wrestling. Used take down defense to be able to keep wrestlers at bay. Will eventually be replaced by super athletic fighters who have been training many disciplines from a very young age.
4th place will be a combination of Jon Jones type reflexes and athleticism, Fedor mentality and instincts, and GSP trainability and work ethic.
Fighters who most influenced MMA culture and exposure:
Ken Shamrock: Was in multiple super fights at key moments in MMA history. His fights with Royce lit the first spark that became the UFC. Later revitalized the UFC with fight against Tito Ortiz.
Sakuraba: Was one of the most popular and best fighters in Pride early on. Helped spread MMA across Asia.
Chuck Lidell: Really brought MMA mainstream in the western world. Had a tough stand up style that appealed to a lot of americans and boxing fans who didn't understand the ground game. Was able to transcend the sport into mainstream media and spread the word on this amazing sport.
Royce Gracie (jiu jitsu fighter): Nulified the whole stand up game with submission grappling. Was eventually succeeded by high level wrestlers with ground and pound.
Matt Hughes (athletic wrestler): Used wrestling and athletisism to dictate the pace and location of the fight. Was able to Nuetralize not only stand up, but submission grappling as well. Was replaced by fighters who were experts in multiple disciplines.
BJ Penn (mixed martial artist): Brought the first "complete" game, possessing good stand up, great jiu jitsu, and great defensive wrestling. Used take down defense to be able to keep wrestlers at bay. Will eventually be replaced by super athletic fighters who have been training many disciplines from a very young age.
4th place will be a combination of Jon Jones type reflexes and athleticism, Fedor mentality and instincts, and GSP trainability and work ethic.
Fighters who most influenced MMA culture and exposure:
Ken Shamrock: Was in multiple super fights at key moments in MMA history. His fights with Royce lit the first spark that became the UFC. Later revitalized the UFC with fight against Tito Ortiz.
Sakuraba: Was one of the most popular and best fighters in Pride early on. Helped spread MMA across Asia.
Chuck Lidell: Really brought MMA mainstream in the western world. Had a tough stand up style that appealed to a lot of americans and boxing fans who didn't understand the ground game. Was able to transcend the sport into mainstream media and spread the word on this amazing sport.
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