1. Anderson Silva, UFC - Middleweight | 25 Toughest Fighters on the Planet

25 Toughest Fighters on the Planet

1. Anderson Silva, UFC - Middleweight

When you need less than five full rounds to walk through every major contender in the UFC’s middleweight division, you’re one bad dude. And what’s really scary, he looks twice as strong at 205. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

More from this Slideshow

0 of 0

25. Oscar De La ... Is De La Hoya still one of the best in the business? Many other fighters could have taken this slot. But even if “The Golden Boy” loses his farewell bout with Manny Pacquiao (and I suspect he will), he’s done more for the sport of boxing than Don King could do in three lifetimes. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
24. Joan Guzman,... Every list needs a sleeper. Guzman is mine. You don’t get the nickname “Little Tyson” for pitter-patter boxing. He’s undefeated at 28-0, with 17 of those wins coming by way of knockout. He recently vacated his titles and jumped scale to challenge defending WBA, WBO, and IBF lightweight champion Nate Campbell on September 13. (AP Photo/ Eric Jamison)
23. Rich Frankli... You can hate on “Ace” all you want to, but the guy is a solid fighter. He demolished Matt Hamill at UFC 88, and apart from his two losses to the reigning king of MMA, he dominated the UFC's middleweight division for nearly five years. (AP Photo/David Kohl)
22. Ricky Hatton... He may not be the flashiest or the cleanest puncher in the game, but “The Hitman” has heart a mile long. At his finest, he made one of the greatest junior welterweights in Kostya Tszyu quit on the stool. That’s enough to land him a spot on this list any day. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
21. Samuel Peter... “The Nigerian Nightmare” is 30-1, the reigning WBC champion, and one of the hardest-hitting heavyweights in the division. There’s no in between with Peter’s punching power. If he connects, you go to sleep; 23 of his bouts have ended by knockout. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
20. Israel Vazqu... Vazquez is a hard-hitting hombre with a devastating left hook and a solid chin. The current WBC champ is well known for his brutal wars with Rafael Márquez (No. 16’s kid brother)—a trilogy of fights widely considered the best in recent boxing history. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
19. Miguel Cotto... Don’t be fooled by Cotto’s first and only knockout loss to reigning WBA welterweight champ Antonio Margarito. Styles make fights; it was a bad matchup for Cotto. Margarito was just too big, too strong, and the better fighter...that night. (AP Photo/Tim Larsen)
18. Rashad Evans... When you knock the master of knockouts into next week, there’s no denying your potential. Evans’ second-round KO of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell was one of the hardest one-punch shots in UFC history. He’s on the cusp of MMA greatness. (Zuffa, LLC)
17. Forrest Grif... “I am not a super-talented guy; I'm just a dude who will fight you tooth and nail." That’s what Forrest Griffin said after stripping “Rampage” Jackson of his UFC lightweight title. Truth be told, it’s hard not to like a fighter who smiles, then fires right back at you after you’ve socked him in the eye. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch)
16. Juan Manuel ... What can’t be said about Juan Manuel Marquez? The guy has moxie. He’s the former WBA and IBF super featherweight champion. He’s only lost 4 of his 53 career bouts, and he’s one of only three men to have prevailed over rising star Manny Pacquiao. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)
15. Carlos Condi... The reigning champion is taking the WEC's welterweight division by storm. Condit has defeated tough opposition in Frank Trigg, Brock Larson, and Renato Verissimo. His war with Hiromitsu Miura was a dazzling fight. And what’s really frightening: he’s only 24. (Zuffa, LLC)
14. Wladimir Kli... The American public is hurting for a native heavyweight. Holyfield is a has-been, and James Toney is, well, James Toney. Until a bright big star shines (sorry Calvin Brock), heavyweight fans have “Dr. Hammer” to rally behind. Despite a questionable chin, he’s currently dominating the division, apart from No. 21. (AP Photo/Daniel Roland)
13. Chris John, ... At 41-0, there’s no questioning “The Indonesian Thin Man’s” belongs here. The reigning WBA featherweight champion is considered by some the best ever in his division, and his unanimous decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez backs the hype. (AP Photo/Kyodo News)
12. Paulo Fihlo,... If Anderson Silva says you’re the best middleweight in MMA, then you must be. Undefeated at 16-0, Fihlo is the reigning WEC middleweight champion, with wins over Kazuo Misaki, Amar Suloev, and Chael Sonnen. (Zuffa, LLC)
11. Kelly Pavlik... I used to wonder why they called Pavlik “The Ghost”? Then I saw him pass through every contender he’s faced, including young lion Jermain Taylor. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
10. Miguel Torre... Torres is the most dangerous Bantamweight fighter in combat sports, and his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is in a league of its own—over 60 percent of his fights end via submission. (Copyright: Zuffa, LLC)
9. Antonio Marga... If you don’t know Margarito’s name, it’s time you crawled out from beneath the rock you’ve been under. He’s coming off an impressive victory over former WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (an incredible fight), and he’s hungrier than ever. Finally, for the first time in his battle-tested career, he’s calling the shots. Fighters can dodge him no more. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)
8. Joe Calzaghe,... In boxing, records can be as meaningless as the Olympic scoring system. But there’s something to be said about a fighter who goes 45-0. Calzaghe is the real deal and has been for years. If the majority of his fights hadn’t gone down across seas, his marketability would be much higher. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)
7. Antonio Rodri... How can you not like a guy whose walk-in music is The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter”? “Big Nog” has taken flack for being a “one-dimensional” fighter, and maybe (big maybe) he is. But, being better than everyone else at one thing is hard to deny. (Zuffa, LLC)
6. Urijah Faber,... There are few fighters in MMA right now that can hang with Urijah Faber. “The California Kid” and WEC golden boy is easily the best pound-for-pound featherweight around. If the UFC had a featherweight division, he’d be an even bigger household name. (Zuffa, LLC)
5. Georges St-Pi... Currently ranked by many as the No. 1 welterweight in the world, GSP is at the top of his game. He’s young, fit, and in the prime of his career. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)
4. B.J. Penn, UF... If you live, eat, and breathe Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you’re familiar with the name B.J. Penn. He’s the No. 1 lightweight in MMA—hands down—and arguably the best pound-for-pound lightweight in the world. The dude can submit you from the warm-up room. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)
3. Fedor Emelian... The fact that Emelianeko made this list was a given. The man is an MMA legend. (Myspace Profile Pic)
2. Manny Pacquia... Pacquiao may be the most exciting fighter in the world to watch right now. He’s a torrent in the ring and he hits like a Mack truck. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)
1. Anderson Silv... When you need less than five full rounds to walk through every major contender in the UFC’s middleweight division, you’re one bad dude. And what’s really scary, he looks twice as strong at 205. (AP Photo/David Kohl)