Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: There are few men who possess the courage of “Big Nog”. And I don’t say that in context to mixed martial arts exclusively: that’s just a complete statement, in full regards to life in general. For well over a decade, Nogueira has met the best, and sans a few occasions, emerged victorious. He’s proven to have one the most lethal submission games from his back, and he’s a fairly refined puncher to boot. His accomplishments in Pride are nearly unrivaled, and his refuse-to-back down attitude has cemented him as a legitimate great. While wars with Fedor Emelianenko took their toll on Antonio’s body, a string of long overdue surgeries have seemed to breathed new life into an already fabulous career; I’d begin listing Nog’s victims, but I’d rather not spend a day crafting this article. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s professional record stands at 33-6-1-1.

Randy Couture: What is so amazing about Randy Couture is the fact that you can praise this man to high heaven for all he accomplished pre-MMA. The man has accomplished so much in his career it’s almost unreal. But that’s a completely different story, for a completely different time. What we’re talking about now is the greatest gameplanner in the history of the sport. Randy not only knew his strengths and weaknesses, he studied until the point he knew his opponents’ as well, and that’s a big part of what made Randy so amazing. A multi time champion in more than a single division, Randy faced the best at every turn. To see Couture battle an opponent significantly beneath his caliber was unbelievably infrequent. Randy won many, and lost many, but he always gave his all, he always conducted himself with complete class, and he, without a doubt, lived up to the fan-given moniker of “Captain America.” Randy retired with a professional record of 19-11.

Jose Aldo: It’s baffling to think of what this kid has accomplished in such a short time. Jose Aldo is the epitome of a well-rounded fighter. His striking is absolutely lethal and quite diverse, his ground game appears to be solid, and he’s got a chin and heart to match. He’s now proven this time and again, disposing a string of quality opponents like Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, Kenny Florian and Mark Hominick. His ability to adapt inside the cage is remarkable, and leaves him with the upper hand 95% of the time. His ceiling seems limitless; his track record proves he has already established himself as a great, even at the young age of 25. Where the future takes Aldo remains to be seen, but the legend already exists all the same. Aldo’s professional record now stands at 20-1.

Wanderlei Silva: “The Axe Murderer” carved a hole through the Pride 203 pound division for years. He toppled stellar opposition such as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Dan Henderson and Ricardo Arona. His success in Japan mirrored Liddell’s success stateside for a significant portion of the 2000’s, earning him a fan induced rivalry with the American: who was truly the greatest light heavyweight competing? The two would eventually settle the score, with Liddell emerging victorious, but that fight took place long after both men had passed their prime. Regardless, Wanderlei’s unbridled fury inside the ring made him the thing of legend, as foes faces bounced from the canvas, only to be met on the rebound by heel to the orbital bone, and when the show was over, everyone was talking. Wanderlei has run into rough times in the latter stages of his career, but that doesn’t diminish his golden days as an absolute monster. Silva’s professional record stands at 33-11-1-1.

While there are countless other greats of the sport, I wanted to cover a few of the names that we’ll undoubtedly be discussing in the next decade. These are the men who birth legends.

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