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My personal picks are:
1. Randy- Say what you will about the whole title debacle, and knock his win/loss ratio all you want. No one has been counted out more than Randy Couture, and No one has proven his critics wrong more. He's a fighter that fans get behind even when he's up against their favorite fighter, and is arguably the most beloved champion in UFC history. Both on the first season of TUF, and as a commentator, he conducted himself with class and the UFC couldnt have asked for a better ambassador to mainstream audiences than him. Sure, Chuck may have been more "popular" but no one's ever commanded the respect Randy has (at least not in the states).
2. Royce- Should be obvious. First UFC champion. Introduced BJJ to the world, changed the way we look at martial arts, and proved emphatically technique can overcome size and power.
3. Saku- Pretty much everything i said about Randy's influence in the states, can be said about Saku in Japan. Perpetually outsized and an endlessly entertaining and charasmatic fighter. If you dont love Saku, you probably arent reading this because you're too busy stabbing puppies.
4. Fedor- He's on this list simply by being the best. No other reason. No other reason is needed.
5. Frank Shamrock- To me, he's the prototype of what mixed martial artists would become. He was the first guy to come in with great striking, and world class grappling, AND relentless athletic conditioning. He's probably also the only "old school" guy thats still around who has some relevance left in his MMA carreer.
Honorable mentions: Chuck, Big Nog, Wandy, Ken, Bas.
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