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- Namajunas explained why the four former UFC champions stand out from the rest.
- “Thug Rose'' paid tribute to “a special warrior'' Anderson Silva.
- Namajunas also acknowledged Ronda Rousey's role in helping establish women's MMA.
To earn his place on the MMA Mount Rushmore list of UFC champions, a fighter must have done something very special that puts him head and shoulders above many other athletes wearing 4-ounce gloves. Since the UFC's first year in 1993, there have been countless champions and stars, but only a handful have gone on to transcend the sport.
In an exclusive interview with GIVEMESPORT, two-time UFC strawweight champion “Thug” Rose Namajunas reveals his top four fighters who are better than others, along with why they deserve that spot. Ta.
anderson silva
MMA record: 34 wins, 11 losses (23 KOs, 3 SUB), UFC wins: 17, Best wins: Chael Sonnen x2
YouTube Forget boxing, forget the bad fights that ended his UFC career, Anderson Silva should be remembered for his incredible 16-fight win streak in the promotion's middleweight division . During this string of victories, the Brazilian sensation did not play it safe and refused to coast to victory. Instead, he leaned into the fire, lowered his hands and jutted his chin, looking for a counter shot to end the fight. His victory over Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 was a perfect demonstration of Silva's skills. He lured his opponent in and attacked like a cobra to wipe them out. An underrated fight in Silva's career was his monumental come-from-behind victory over the trash-mouthed, wrestling-savvy bully Chel Sonnen at UFC 117. This proved that Silva was more than just a pretty boy kickboxer. It showed he could dig deep and pull his victory out of the fire, and lo and behold, he did. After being dominated for over four rounds, the Brazilian champion pulled off a triangle choke submission with less than three minutes left in the bout. This was truly a martial arts legend.
Namajunas on Silva:
“Anderson Silva had a certain aura about him. In any era, people get excited about the moment, but they're just rolling along. To be on that Mount Rushmore. I feel like I need that,' and that special, something special. ”
Daniel Cormier
MMA record: 22 wins, 3 losses (10 KOs, 5 SUBs), UFC wins: 10, Best win: Stipe Miocic
Daniel Cormier, better known as “DC,” is a fan-favorite martial artist due to his endearing personality, but the former Olympian is also a straight-up killer on fight night. “If Cormier wasn't pummeling his opponents like rag dolls with elite grappling techniques, it would appear that he was knocking them out with underrated power. He is also one of nine UFC fighters to win a title in the division. Some may see his loss to Jon Jones as a reason to downplay Cormier's greatness, but he is still one of only nine UFC fighters to win a title in the division. And what he accomplished in the heavyweight division is nothing short of legendary. He toppled fighters like Alexander Gustafsson and Josh Barnett, and defeated all-time UFC heavyweight great Stipe Miocic to become a double champion. Daniel Cormier did it all to the best of his ability. Cormier was still competing at the highest level in the world well into his late 30s. Unfortunately for him, the final fight against Miocic was the last of his career to stop him from working. Although he didn't accomplish it, true fans of the game will always remember how great his career was.
Namajunas of Cormier:
“DC, he was a two-division champion. You have to get all the two-division champions there, right? Yeah, that's like a big accomplishment. So maybe it has to be a qualifier. . I don't know, because very few people can be champions, and even fewer can be double champions.”
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ronda rousey
MMA record: 12 wins, 2 losses (3 KOs, 9 SUBs), UFC wins: 6, Best win: Miesha Tate
Surprisingly, Ronda Rousey doesn't get the respect she deserves for her MMA career from some quarters. From Strikeforce to her fights in the UFC, Ronda was a force of nature, and many compared her to Mike Tyson in his prime. Like “Iron Mike,” Rousey had her opponent defeated before her cage door closed. Her career began with her incredible 12-fight shutout streak, one of the best in MMA history. To this day, “Rowdy” holds the record for six consecutive UFC title defenses by a female fighter. During this run, the former Olympic bronze medalist cut through the competition like a hot knife through butter. Rhonda will utilize her background in world-class judo to defeat her opponent in less than a minute. Many will focus on how her MMA career ended as a reason to downplay her greatness, but what she accomplished at her peak in the UFC echoes through history. right. Rousey claimed in her recent interview that she still believes in herself. Women Should Be Considered MMA Goats – And Namajunas agrees:
“Ronda, I feel like she was the first one to get us into the UFC. It's like she's the reason we have women in the UFC right now. You know. Maybe in an alternate reality, as if it were someone else. Maybe if it was, maybe it would have been me. I don't know. But she was in that place at that time, and all she could do was Because it was about being in a movie and doing everything. Yeah, when she came in, just like the sound she made, it was special.”
Georges Saint Pierre
MMA record: 26 wins, 2 losses (8 KOs, 6 SUBs), UFC wins: 21 Highest wins: Matt Hughes x 2
Georges St-Pierre ticked all the boxes that any serious fight fan needs to be on Mount Rushmore. The all-time great fought his contemporaries, rose through the weight classes, and avenged both losses in his career. It goes without saying how great St-Pierre's personality is, but his fierce competitive spirit and will to win made him an incredibly consistent performer. The Canadian martial artist has a classy, statesmanlike presence and aura, but once the cage door closes, his brains excel at the mixed martial art of chess. When St-Pierre was a promising player early in his career, he ran into his first obstacle: Matt Hughes in his prime. After readjusting his game plan and adding to his skill set, GSP knocked out Hughes in a rematch and submitted Hughes in a subsequent trilogy fight. His classic performances against Nick Diaz and Josh Kocheck were another perfect example of GSP successfully exploiting his opponent's weaknesses and getting around his opponent's strengths.
St. Pierre's Namajunas:
“GSP. I just feel like, I don't know. He was just like, Mr. Perfect, you know what I mean? Even though he probably didn't have it. , like exactly the same aura, I just was like, “I always respected his career. Everything just felt, you know, everything he did was always like Mr. Perfect.''
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