MMA’s best bang-for-your-buck fighters

We already touched on UFC 116 in our Lesnar/Carwin discussion. But the rest of the card deserves more attention. Chris Leben taking a beating and coming back to choke out Yoshihiro Akiyama from his back? Stephan Bonnar winning a bloody rematch with Krzysztof Soszynski? Chris Lytle pulling out another surprise submission? That was some entertaining MMA.

It got me thinking – Saturday’s tough winners are among the best value in MMA from a pay-per-view buy perspective. They give us back-and-forth wars every time out. Who are the top 10 bang-for-your-buck fighters in MMA?

10. Marcus Davis. The Irish Hand Grenade’s boxing is crisp and technical. He loves to stand and throw bombs for three straight rounds but he also has the ground skills to pull out surprise submissions once in a while.

9. Vitor Belfort. Vitor has only fought once since his return to the UFC – and it was a quick destruction of Rich Franklin. Don’t believe Belfort brings it every time? Watch a YouTube video of his career highlights. He’s a Wildman. His punching flurries will blow you away.

8. Ben Henderson. He’s not a household name just yet but the WEC’s top lightweight is a freakish athlete who brings a little bit of everything to each fight. He can kick with the best of ’em but his grappling and submission skills are also superb. His fights are almost always entertaining.

7. Stephan Bonnar. Bonnar’s best fights – the legendary first clash with Forrest Griffin and the two wars with Soszynski – stand out as his most entertaining bouts. The guy bleeds like a stuck pig and is impossible to knock out. But he’s relatively low on this list because he still has the odd dull fight.

6. Kenny Florian. Few if any lightweights finish fights as often as Kenny does. The cerebral former law student picks opponents apart with a wide arsenal of skills. His BJJ and submissions are excellent, his razor-sharp elbows from the mount are devastating and his boxing gets better every day.

5. Chris Leben. Leben isn’t as skilled as some of the guys on this list – but his two wins over the last month are changing the way some people view him. Either way, we know virtually every Leben fight will end in a wild knockout. He hits unbelievably hard and can take a punch like nobody else. It was just gravy when he tapped out Sexyama.

4. Mauricio Rua. Some people will whine about the Mark Coleman fight – but even that ended with a wild knockout. Every other Shogun fight has been breathtaking. We’ve seen him knock out legendary fighters like Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida and Chuck Liddell in spectacular fashion and he was also on the receiving end of one of MMA’s biggest upsets when Forrest Griffin submitted him. Shogun entertains every time.

3. Chris Lytle. It seems he wins UFC Fight of the Night honours every time out. Lytle can stand and trade or tap guys out on the ground. He’s particularly valuable on a PPV card because he comes from behind to win so often.

2. Rich Franklin. There’s a reason Rich Franklin keeps landing in main events without challenging for a title. He goes for the finish every time, loves the fans and leaves people talking about his fights for weeks afterwards, even if he loses. His last bout – in which he broke his arm but still knocked out Liddell – epitomizes this fan favourite’s game.

1. Wanderlei Silva. The Axe Murderer is still the people’s champ in my mind. He’s past his prime but you get the sense that he’ll keep fighting until he dies in the cage. He loves the fans and gives them an absolutely manic war every time out. Think about his UFC opponents to date: Franklin, Liddell, Rampage, Jardine, Bisping. Every one of those fights was a slugfest. Wandy’s consistent Muay Thai fury gives you the best return on your investment in MMA for entertainment.

About Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA CLUB: Located in the heart of North York, Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA Gym offers world-class Boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, Wrestling, MMA and UFC training at real-world prices.  Classes are taught by certified coaches with classes for men, women, children, adults, beginners and advanced.  Private lessons and boxercise classes are also available. Areas serviced include North York, Etobicoke, Toronto, Scarborough, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, Brampton and Mississauga.

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