Now, I know many people think the P4P list is useless, because it's 100% subjective and we'll never have an official P4P champion. But the fact of the matter is it is the most important list of all. Because determining who is the best and best fighter on the planet is what this sport should be about.
Having said all of that, here is my list. I will love to hear what you think and find out what your P4P list. Also you may notice some cool art throughout this article. Just click on the names of the talented artists below each title if you want to find some more. They have some great stuff.
1. Anderson Silva
This should be the consensus number 1 P4P fighter among anybody who knows anything about MMA. We can all agree on the sheer dominant brilliance that this man has shown throughout his reign as UFC middleweight champion. There's really nothing more that needs to be said about Anderson Silva. This highlight reel says it all.
2. Jon Jones
By dize13579
Picks 2-4 can really be any combination of the next 3 fighters. I put Jon Jones at #2 because he has made his run with the UFC's most prestigious title look so easy against fierce competition. Only Rashad Evans has the tools and a legitimate shot at derailing him (I guess you can argue that Dan Henderson is 1 H-bomb away from beating him but I wouldn't make that a realistic argument). If Jon Jones runs through Rashad, then there is no one on the horizon that can stop him. The only thing that would be abe to derail him would be boredom.
3. Jose Aldo
By ~G00NEYT00NS
Deciding between GSP and Jose was difficult for the #3 spot. I go with Jose because he made that win against Chad Mendes, his most dangerous wrestling threat to date look so easy. He stuffed those takedowns effortlessly, as if he was just testing himself for personal enjoyment. If Jose cannot be taken down and kept down by the UFCs best, then how is he going to be beat? I also think if he moved up to the Lightweight division, he would have no trouble winning there either.
4. GSP
GSP has been a consensus # 2 P4P fighter for a long time. But his last performance against Jake Shields, someone who, at least on paper, he should have smashed, left a lot to be desired from someone who is ranked so high. Granted, he got injured that fight and had to play it safe to squeak out that win, but Jose and Jon have been too awesome lately to deny them the ability to leap frog his spot. Having said that, GSP is the type of fighter who seems to comeback stronger after adversity. I expect this time to be no different and his dominance over the Welterweight division to continue.
5. Junior Dos Santos
by ~XxEXODUSxX77
Now here is where I think my list will start to differ from others. Junior Dos Santos has established himself as the best striker in the Heavyweight (HW) division, that's not saying much because HW isn't really a striking rich division. But what impresses me the most about JDS is his ability to stuff takedowns and get back to his feet on the rare occasion he is taken down. It must be a scary thought for every fighter to know that they will HAVE to stand with JDS. They will get hurt that night without a doubt.
6. Rashad Evans
Rashad has had flashes of being an amazing wrestler in MMA. He's also had a stretch where he showed that he could be a powerful striker in MMA. But it wasn't until the Tito fight where he masterfully put the two together to become one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet and the last line of defense to an indefinitely long Jon 'Bones' Jones reign at the top of the division. If he continues to mix his skills up, he could rise even higher on this list.
7. Dominick Cruz
by ~Coley-sXe
The Bantamweight Champion with arguably the most unique style in the UFC, had two competitors coming very close to figuring it out in Demetrious Johnson (their fight was much closer to me than the scorecards would tell), and his arch nemesis Urijah Faber. But until someone does figure it out, he will have a place in the P4P top ten. But until he starts finishing people more consistently, he probably won't move up much further either.
8. Ben Henderson
by ~ShomanArt
The new lightweight champion had a monster year last year beating everybody put in front of him not named Anthony Pettis. He just happens to be in the most shark infested, talent rich division in the UFC. So how does he stack up? With his grappling skills, aggressive style and inhuman pain threshold, he is going to be hard to beat. I don't think Frankie is going to be the one to do it in their rematch.
9. Cain Velazquez
by ~X9J
Cain wants to get back into the title picture to redeem himself. I believe he still has the skill to warrant a top ten mention (I don't think getting blasted by Junior Dos Santos took all of that away). Cain has a ridiculous amount of cardio for a heavyweight fighter, and is arguably the most complete fighter in the division. He'll have to have a dominant win in his next fight to prove that he deserves this spot and earn a shot at Junior again to get his title back.
10. Anthony Pettis
In what I feel may be my most controversial pick on the list, the lightweight division's most dynamic striker is someone that has a bright future ahead of him. Some may say it is too soon to even think of putting him here and that his competition doesn't add up. Here's how I look at it. First off, he beat the champ recently. Secondly, I think he would beat Frankie Edgar. He has worked on his wrestling enough to at least get back to his feet against an elite wrestler, a lesson he learned the hard way against Clay Guida. That Clay Guida fight was extremely close, and with a different strategy from his lesson learned, I believe he would win a rematch. And in a potential match with Frankie Edgar, I believe he would use his superior striking and beat him in convincing fashion. I'm confident in his next fight he will give more evidence that he is deserving of this spot much like he did to Joe Lauzon.
And there you have it. So please give me all the feedback you can. I would love to hear from you and maybe turn Vexed MMA into a thriving MMA community. Check back here often as I will be constantly updating the blog with my random rants, things I find funny or interesting, and maybe some in depth articles too and much more as we grow.
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