By MATT MOLGAARD
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer

Throughout the short time that mixed martial arts has been recognized as a legitimate sport, we’ve seen many champions come and go; some more memorable than others; some one-shot wonders, and, here and there, a truly mesmerizing champ worthy of worlds acclaim.

I could likely list a solid 20 good champions, but only a small handful have earned the right to make this list. So, rather than rant, I’ll get right down to the five greatest champions this sport has ever seen.

#5: Matt Hughes:

Hughes wasn’t just known for frequent title defenses, he was known for the gruesome damage he fed any challenger to enter the cage with him. A potent mixture of elite wrestling and furious ground and pound often left his foes looking more like hamburger meat than human being. His slams are legendary, and his cardio ranks amongst the best in the business.

His one true deficiency? Rudimentary striking.

Had Hughes focused on his striking much earlier in his career, he may have held the title longer than was the case. A late career attempt to refine his striking did however pay off eventually, as he managed to badly hurt Renzo Gracie and Ricardo Almeida with his fists, post champion run of course.

#4: Chuck Liddell:

Back when fighters had the notion to flop to their back and wait for the chance at securing a submission, Chuck was standing in the pocket, firing bombs and sending opponents to the hospital. Chuck carried that mentality as the sport evolved, and by the early 2000’s Liddell found foes willing to try their luck in a striking match with the mohawked madman; it rarely paid off, and Chuck more often than not saw his hand raised.

By the time Liddell won the light heavyweight title in 2005, he’d made a name for himself as the hardest hitting 205 pound fighter in the world. He enjoyed one of the most impressive title runs in the history of the sport, and disposed of rivals Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture at the height of is success.

Sadly father time caught up with Chuck early, and by 40 years old, Liddell’s ability to absorb punishment went AWOL. Fighters who 9arguably) weren’t fit to share the cage with the legend were knocking out “The Iceman” unconscious.

Liddell retired after being rendered unconscious three consecutive times.