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As you look at this list of the best-built badasses in the universe, you’ll find four current or past UFC world champions along with a few guys who are a long way from visions of a title shot. Is there a connection between physique superiority and octagon success? Simply put, no.

On the other hand, the combined mixed-martial arts fight record of the men on our list is 198 wins against only 35 losses and five draws. With those odds, a betting man might take the more muscular fighter in most matchups. Remember when your mother told you not to judge a book by its cover? Forget that advice in the UFC, and you’re likely to find yourself tappin’ or nappin’! Are you ready for the top 10? Let’s get it on!

10 Rich “Ace” Franklin

Strengths – Excellent striker, great conditioning

High school teacher turned world-class mixed martial artist, Franklin got his nickname because of a facial similarity to actor Jim Carrey. Franklin’s physique is more reminiscent of a MEN’S FITNESS cover model. But don’t be fooled by his mainstream look–the former UFC World middleweight champion has great standup skills coupled with powerful striking that has led to six of his nine wins by knockout and TKO.

9 Roger Huerta “El Matador”

Strengths – High-energy, well-rounded fighter with good standup skills and a solid ground game

Being selected as one of the UFC’s best physiques isn’t Huerta’s first walk in the mainstream spotlight. The incredible lightweight appeared on the May 28, 2007, cover of Sports Illustrated and has amassed an incredible set of accomplishments, especially for someone who grew up surrounded by gangs and drugs. Add in the fact that he is the UFC’s most marketable Spanish-speaking fighter with a lean, clean, crowd-pleasing physique and you have a company’s dream. But make no mistake about it, El Matador can fight at a level of intensity and skill that has left every Octagon opponent watching Huerta have his hand raised.

8 Thiago “Pitbull” Alves

Strengths – Powerful striker, strong jiu jitsu, very atheletic

There are three guys rolling with The Pitbull moniker in the UFC, but the only one with a body to live up to the name is welterweight Alves. With five of his seven wins coming by way of technical knockout or TKO stoppage, the strong, shredded physique Alves brings to the cage isn’t just for show.

7 Marvin “Beastman” Eastman

Strengths – Muay Thai strikes, strength

The full-time corrections officer has two distinctions on our list. At 37, he is the oldest UFC’er to make the grade, which is an amazing accomplishment, one of which he should be proud. On the other hand, The Beastman has the worst UFC record of any of our winners. But this is about physiques, not necessarily win loss records, and Eastman is well-deserving of his selection. His fight career just might be getting muscled up, as well, with his recent move down to middleweight and his convincing February 2 win over highly touted Terry Martin. Eastman says he isn’t going to lose any more fights. You want to argue with him?

6 Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

Strengths – Powerful striker, strong slams, good wrestling

Jackson scored a highlight-reel knockout against mega-star Chuck Liddell at UFC 71 in May 2007 to become the champion, and he finally unified the UFC and Pride championships with a five-round unanimous decision over Dan Henderson on September 8, 2007. Rampage’s muscularity conveys power and aggression, two qualities that match his fighting style. Just ask anyone who has been hoisted in the air by the champ and then slammed into the ground with extreme prejudice.

5 Cheick Kongo

Strengths – Muay Thai, phenomenal striker with excellent kicks

His physique is long, lean and ripped, elegant and graceful. Then he hits you, and the word overpowering rapidly comes to mind, assuming you’re still awake. With his stunning and dominant victory over heavily favored superstar Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic on September 8, 2007, at UFC 75, Kongo established himself as one of the most dangerous strikers in the heavyweight division. For us, he established himself among the best-built heavy weights in the UFC when he debuted at UFC 61 two years ago, beating Gilbert Aldana with a TKO in the first round.

4 Houston Alexander “The Nebraskan Assassin” Alexander

Strengths – Vicious striker with one-shot knockout power in his hands and knees

Perhaps more than any other fighter on our list, Alexander’s physique emits a feeling of raw, ferocious, brutal power, an exact match to his qualities as a fighter. As a virtual unknown, he accepted his UFC debut fight on May 26, 2007, at UFC 71 with rising light-heavyweight star Keith Jardine on short notice and needed only 48 seconds to overpower and TKO him. In his next fight in September 2007, it took Alexander an additional 13 seconds to leave former professional boxer Alessio Sakara wondering where the hell he was. If there’s a guy on this list you’d take one look at and not want to fight, The Nebraskan Assassin is that guy.

3 James Irvin “The Sandman”

Strengths – Powerful striker, athleticism and MuayThai

Possibly the most ripped, striated fighter in the UFC, Irvin pays strict attention to his diet when prepping for a fight, and he weight trains three times per week. Ask anyone who has traded blows with the ultramuscular Irvin and they’ll tell you he hits as hard as most top heavyweights. When preparing for his April 2, 2008, fight with Houston Alexander, his trainer employed an interesting technique: Irvin had to dig a six-foot grave every Sunday while being timed. Alexander’s height? Six feet, on the button. Irvin TKO’d Alexander in eight seconds, tying the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history.

UFC Fight Night James Irvin Vs. Houston Alexander

2 Georegs St. Pierre “Rush” St. Pierre

Strengths – Everything!

What do you call a guy who has it all… phenomenal wrestling, supreme conditioning and athleticism, incredible standup skills, brutal ground and pound and sick submission skills? You call him UFC Interim Welter weight Champion Georges St. Pierre. With a shredded, balanced physique that screams hard work blended with genetics, Canada’s favorite fighter may be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. (UFC lightweight and middleweight champs B.J. Penn and Anderson Silva are surely in that conversation, but GSP clearly wins the weigh-in posedown.)

GSP PhotoShoot

GSP Shredded!

GSP Interview

1 Sean “Muscle Shark” Sherk

Phenomenal wrestler. incredible conditioning, very strong

One look at Spike TV’s UFC All Access episode of Sean Sherk’s off-the-chart training intensity and nutritional discipline left no questions about where his success comes from. And they don’t call him Muscle Shark for nothing. Sean has a rugged, dense muscularity that would make plenty of bodybuilders in his weight range jealous His strength and conditioning are as good as any lightweight in the world… and his physical appearance lets you know that right away.

Sean Sherk Workout

Machine!

Author: Larry Pepe
References:
COPYRIGHT 2008 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
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