Tyson Fury wants to fight UFC champ with 4-ounce gloves, but under boxing rules

“I don’t want to go into an MMA fight, like rolling around on the floor and all that.”

Over the past few months, heavyweight boxing star [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] has expressed interest in competing in MMA. He’s even engaged in back-and-forth exchanges with top UFC heavyweights [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] and [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] on social media.

On Saturday, however, Fury set the record straight. While he wants to compete inside a cage with four-ounce MMA gloves, he’d want to do so under boxing rules.

“I don’t want to go into an MMA fight, like rolling around on the floor and all that,” Fury told ESPN Radio. “I would fight one of their champions in small gloves. Maybe in a cage, but with boxing rules … with UFC gloves. With the four-ounce gloves, that would be good for me.”

Fury is currently atop the boxing world. His Feb. 22 rematch against Deontay Wilder is expected to be a huge combat sports success. However, Fury reiterated success isn’t a reason not to venture outside of the norm.

“You don’t want to be unsuccessful at what you do to want to have a go at something else, do you?” said Fury, who late last year took part in a WWE match. “You don’t have to be on a losing streak or something to want to venture into something else. I’m one of those type of person – adventurous and willing to try other things.

“I’m doing very well. I’m making a lot of money out of boxing. I’m at the top of my game, but I’d still love to go in the cage and have a fight with somebody with little gloves on. Let’s see what it’s like to get punched in the face with the four ouncers on rather than 10.”

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So who would Fury like to face in his cage debut? Whoever holds the UFC heavyweight title, he indicated. At the moment, the man with UFC heavyweight gold is Miocic. Fury said he’ll meet with UFC president Dana White after Feb. 22 and discuss the logistics of a potential matchup.

“Yeah, I think it would be (Miocic),” Fury said. “After I beat Deontay Wilder next month, I’m going to have a sit-down with Dana. We’re going to run some numbers and see if this fight makes sense. Whoever is available from that side and whoever is willing to get their ass kicked by the heavyweight champion of the world, he’s the one I want.”

Check out a clip of Fury’s interview below:

Ahead of #UFC246, @Tyson_Fury joined @arielhelwani to talk about his potential future in the MMA world. pic.twitter.com/oimkCF2wp3

— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) January 19, 2020

2020 vision: Bold predictions in MMA for the new year

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn looks into his crystal ball to make 10 bold predictions for 2020 in UFC, Bellator and PFL.

The past decade was a time of great evolution and change in MMA, much of which even the most diehard fight fans couldn’t have seen coming. What will the first year of the next decade bring? Here are 10 bold predictions as the 2020 schedule gets set to kick off.

Without further ado …

* * * *

Khabib Nurmagomedov retires 30-0

UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] has made no secret that he doesn’t intend to have an extended career. His body has gone through the ringer due to various injuries over the years.

Moreover, Nurmagomedov already has etched out an undeniable legacy. If he can add a few more layers to that, he honestly doesn’t have much reason to keep going. If Nurmagomedov can get through what many believe to be his biggest obstacle in Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in April, then there really aren’t many true challenges left for “The Eagle.” Another win after that would bring his career record to 30-0, and if that fight is a massive one, like his long-desired Georges St-Pierre superfight – or perhaps a Conor McGregor rematch – he pretty much will have done it all.

The only reason for Nurmagomedov to stick around beyond that would be to reap the benefits of being a massive star (far bigger than now), and that money is hard to walk away from. Everyone around Nurmagomedov has long said financial security is of no concern to him, though. If that’s true, it elevates the chances of this happening.

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Four current UFC title reigns end prior to a successful defense

Of the UFC’s current crop of champions, the following have yet to register a successful title defense during their current reign: [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] (heavyweight), [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (middleweight), [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (featherweight), [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (bantamweight), [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (women’s featherweight), and [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (strawweight).

More than half of those title reigns will go down as a flash in the pan.

Jon Jones’ UFC title record gets broken

For more than eight years, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]’ record for youngest champion in UFC history has gone largely unchallenged. Rose Namajunas had an opportunity to break his mark back in December 2014, but she fell short of winning the inaugural strawweight title.

2020, however, is the year Jones will be bumped from the history books. 21-year-old [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] (women’s flyweight or strawweight), 22-year-old [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] (middleweight) and 22-year-old [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (bantamweight) are all on the rise, and have already secured ranked positions in their respective weight classes.

They all have challenging paths, but one will claim UFC gold in the next 12 months.

A.J. McKee becomes champion and Bellator’s biggest star

A.J. McKee at Bellator 236. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Bellator has received criticism for the way its slow-played many of its prospects, but going into 2020, it’s difficult to look at [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] and argue Scott Coker mishandled the development of a young man who will soon be the face of the organization.

At just 24, McKee already holds a plethora of Bellator records. He’s validated himself in a big way over his past few fights, advancing to the semifinals of the ongoing Bellator featherweight grand prix. In order to win that tournament (and the featherweight belt), he’s going to have to go through some real tough competition, but if he comes out the other end on top – watch out.

McKee has spent his entire career with Bellator. His fighting style is tremendously entertaining to watch, and he has personality for days. If adds a belt to all that, there’s no reason Bellator shouldn’t push him to the moon.

UFC disbands at least one weight class

The UFC flyweight division and women’s featherweight division have been on shaky ground essentially since their inceptions, and 2020 could be the year one – or both of them – finally go.

Yes, Henry Cejudo “saved” the flyweight division, and there is a vacant title fight between Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo lined up for Feb. 29, but what comes next? As fun as the weight class can be, there’s just not a lot of money-making fights at 125 pounds.

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In comparison to the women’s featherweight division, though, flyweight is a thriving wonderland. Champion Amanda Nunes hasn’t defended her belt since winning it in December 2018, and although the promotion has signed a few new fighters to the weight class, there’s still not much going on. Nunes really wants to defend that 145 title for her legacy, but once that happens, the UFC could finally decide to pull the plug.

(Next page: PFL’s future, UFC vs. Bellator, and more)

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MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Comeback Fighter of the Year’: Stipe Miocic reclaims UFC heavyweight title

Stipe Miocic entered 2019 with doubts of him getting another crack at the title, but finished the year as UFC heavyweight champion.

[autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] played his cards well in 2019.

Despite many criticizing and questioning his approach to campaign for an immediate title shot rematch against then-champ Daniel Cormier, Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) stuck to his guns and left 2019 with a belt around his waist.

Having broken the record for most UFC title defenses at heavyweight, the 37-year-old Cleveland native entered his UFC 226 main event bout with Cormier as the most dominant and successful heavyweight champion in the company’s history. On that 2018 summer night in Anaheim, Calif., things couldn’t have gone much worse for the baddest man on the planet.

Miocic was knocked out by Cormier in the first round. It was a monumental win for Cormier, who became a dual champion in the promotion, having already held the UFC light heavyweight title going into the fight.

What filed in the history books was a short, clean right hand off the clinch by Cormier (and some follow-up ground-and-pound for assurance). There was an illegal eye poke from Cormier’s part early in the contest, but not much was made from it – even Miocic downplayed its effect.

Miocic remained on the sideline for the rest of year and entered 2019 not in the ideal circumstances to ask for another shot at Cormier. It was safe to assume that starting 2019, Miocic had many things going against him for a rematch.

He had inactivity accumulating. Champ Cormier had already defended the belt against Derrick Lewis following the fight with Miocic in July. Also, performance-based merit was not a thing in many people’s eyes because Miocic had lost cleanly in a decisive first-round knockout to Cormier

On top of that, Miocic’s chances of fighting for gold again were also being threatened by outside forces.

Within the UFC ranks, Francis Ngannou was quickly reminding people he was still a force to be reckoned with at heavyweight. The Cameroonian picked up devastating finishes in early 2019, stopping former champions Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. Ngannou was building a convincing case to skip Miocic and get the next title shot.

Also, a giant presence who had the fewest rights to demand a title fight with Cormier perhaps had the best odds of getting it. WWE superstar and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar had shown interest in returning to MMA and Cormier was more than happy to give him a welcome.

The potential return of Lesnar looked to be a lucrative option for the UFC and all the parties involved. There seemed to be growing fan interest surrounding the matchup.

The odds looked slim for a Cormier-Miocic rematch.

Many said Miocic was not going to be next in line and advised him to take a non-title bout to work his way back to title contention. Yet, Miocic remained firm on his rematch aspirations and his patience ended up paying off.

Lesnar, who might’ve been the biggest factor in the title picture at the time, never came close to a return to MMA and opted out from resuming his UFC career, staying with the WWE. Ngannou was snubbed and had a bit of a layoff himself. He later was given Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC on ESPN 8 this March.

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A little more than a year after losing his belt to Cormier, Miocic was given the chance to right the wrong in the UFC 241 main event this past August. It was one of the greatest heavyweight championship bouts in recent memory.

Miocic took on who many considered to be a pound-for-pound great at the time and withstood hell for almost a good 15 minutes. Cormier had one of his best performances that night, battering and landing clean, hard shots on Miocic. It was impressive to see. However, Cormier’s success only lasted for three rounds.

In the fourth round, Miocic began to up his offense, especially to the body. Cormier began to slow down and looked to be hindered by Miocic’s body work. There was a clear turn of the tide. The Ohio firefighter turned up the pressure on Cormier and eventually stunned him with a big straight right. Miocic followed up with a more punches to put Cormier away.

Miocic only fought once in 2019, and it was enough to set him once again as a UFC champion. It’s clear he’s one of the best fighters to ever compete at his weight and he strengthened his claim of being the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time.

There have been 16 heavyweight champions in UFC history and only four of them were able to win back their titles after losing them. Miocic is part of that short list.

From a fairly unlikely title shot candidate to heavyweight champion, Miocic is MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Comeback Fighter of the Year.”

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Honorable Mentions

Jorge Masvidal

Miami’s Jorge Masvidal gave Miocic a run for his money for MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Comeback Fighter of the Year” award. Masvidal went 3-0 in 2019 after not fighting in 2018 and going 1-2 in 2017. In the process of his comeback, Masvidal picked up the fastest knockout in UFC history, fought in the biggest fight of the year, and turned himself into a star and a top welterweight contender all at once.

Masvidal has a solid case for the award, but at the end of the day Miocic closed the year as an undisputed champion.

Chan Sung Jung

“The Korean Zombie” went 2-0 in 2019, coming back from a vicious knockout loss to Yair Rodriguez and establishing himself as top contender in the UFC’s featherweight division.

Dan Hooker

The last picture of Dan Hooker in 2018 wasn’t pretty.

Hooker’s final UFC bout prior to 2019 was a TKO loss to Edson Barboza. It was a fight many wished would’ve been stopped sooner, since Hooker took an historic beating at UFC on FOX 31.

Hooker rebounded in 2019 with two impressive wins. He stopped James Vick in July and outpointed Al Iaquinta in October. Once again, he’s becoming a top threat at 155 pounds.

Douglas Lima

Douglas Lima didn’t enter 2019 on a losing skid, but he didn’t enter hot, either. The Bellator staple went 1-1 in 2018 – a stretch that saw him lose the welterweight title to Rory MacDonald and then win the opening round of Bellator’s welterweight grand prix. In 2019, Lima went 2-0. He scored one of the most memorable knockouts of the year, handing Michael Page his first professional loss, and gained his title back from MacDonald to win the Bellator welterweight grand prix. Welcome back, champ.

Also see:

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UFC in 2019: A ridiculously robust look at the stats, streaks, skids and record-setters

A full recap of 2019’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.

Now that the year has come to a close, and with a major assist from UFC research analyst and live statistics producers Michael Carroll, here are some of 2019’s most significant milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.

* * * *

EVENTS

The UFC held 42 events in 39 different cities across 15 countries and five continents.

Within those events, there were 516 fights across 13 different weight classes (including catchweight bouts).

Those 516 fights combined for a total cage time of 94:59:04.

The longest event of the year was “UFC on ESPN+ 19: Joanna vs. Waterson” in Tampa, Fla., at 2:57:27. It was the second longest in company history behind “UFC Fight Night 121: Werdum vs. Tybura” (3:04:18).

The shortest event of the year was “UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos” in Minneapolis at 1:38:12.

“UFC on ESPN+ 13: de Randamie vs. Ladd” featured 62 seconds of total fight time in the main and co-main event, the single-event record in company history.

At those events, the UFC drew an announced total attendance of 548,023 for a live gate total of $61,050,133.74 (Note: Live gate was not announced for 11 events; no attendance was revealed for one event).

The highest reported attended event of the year was “UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya” in Melbourne (57,127), which was the all-time company record, while the lowest attended event was “UFC on ESPN+ 20: Maia vs. Askren” in Singapore (7,155).

The highest reported income gate of the year was “UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz” in New York ($6,575,996.19) while the lowest reported income gate of the year went to “UFC on ESPN+ 4: Lewis vs. Dos Santos” in Wichita, Kan. ($636,417.26).

In 2019, 168 fight-night bonuses were given out for a sum of $8.4 million.

In 2019, athletes were paid $7,370,500 in Promotional Guidelines Compliance money.

The most knockouts at a single event went to “UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos,” “UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz” and “UFC 245: Usman vs. Covington” with seven each.

“UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes” featured a total of 1,818 significant strikes landed, a new single-event record. UFC 231 held the previous high with 1,647.

The most submissions at a single event went to “UFC on ESPN 5: Covington vs. Lawler” with five.

The most fights to go to a decision at a single event went to “UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” with 10.

“UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” featured nine consecutive decision results, tied for the single-event UFC record.

“UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” started with nine consecutive decision results, the single-event record.

“UFC on ESPN 7: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik” marked the third event in company history to feature two draws. UFC 22 and UFC 216 were the others.

Betting favorites went 319-182. Fifteen fights ended in a draw, no contest or had even odds.

Betting favorites went 22-18 in event headliners. Two fights ended in a no contest or had even odds.

“UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos” and “UFC on ESPN+ 22: Blachowicz vs. Jacare” had the most favorites come through victorious, with 10 each. On the flip side, seven underdogs won at three separate events.

A total of 30 fighters officially missed weight for their respective contests. The 28 fighters in that group to compete went 10-17-1 in their respective bouts.

A total of 135 fighters made their UFC debut in 2019. Those fighters went 57-74-2 with two no contests. Debuting fighters who faced an opponent with at least one bout of UFC experience went 43-58-2 with two no contests.

A variety of circumstances caused a total of 19 UFC main event or co-main event fights to be adjusted, postponed or canceled entirely.

One entire event was canceled (UFC 233 in January in Anaheim, Calif.)

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20 fight finishes that shaped the 2010s in MMA

This list is filled with shocking and sensational knockouts and submissions from the 2010s.

Given that my colleagues already have done a fantastic job of covering everything from the top fighters to the top moments of the decade, I figured I’d contribute to the retrospective content by examining some of the more memorable fight finishes from the last 10 years – parsing out technical trends and evolution while paying homage to performances that are worthy of the ole “Baba O’Riley” highlight reel.

As you’d hope with any maturing sport, the cultural fist-fighting phenomena that is MMA has improved from many perspectives.

Aside from the obvious growth of audience and accessibility, the quality of fighting, in general, has seen a sure-and-steady uptick since 2010 – particularly in the athleticism department. In fact, you could argue that one of the quiet benefits to the global expansion and corporate interest-era of this past decade is the increase in the level of athletes we’re seeing accumulate in MMA’s proverbial talent pools.

Not only have more Olympic medalists and collegiate athletes successfully made the jump to mixed martial arts, but we’ve also seen small countries like Surname or unassuming giants like China make their mark in regards to flexing their athletic powers. Coupled with the ever-growing index of techniques (from fighting to fight prep), and we’ve been privy to fighters – from all around the world – finding increasingly fun and explosive ways to finish fights.

Since it’s practically impossible to include all of the best fight finishes from the past 10 years, I decided to limit myself to 20 selections that I believe helped shape the state of fighting over the last 10 years.

Without further ado …

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‘Shogun Rua’ knocks out Lyoto Machida

‘Shogun’ Rua and Lyoto Machida at UFC 113. (Getty Images)

Date: May 6, 2010
Event: UFC 113

With Frankie Edgar dethroning B.J. Penn just one month prior, the decade starts off with what are the beginnings of a trend in regards to “auras of invincibility” being shattered, as well as stylistic conundrums being figured out. And sure enough, after finishing the previous decade off with a sour decision at UFC 104, [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] exacted his revenge in 2010 by emphatically ending the undefeated streak of then-light heavyweight champion [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] at UFC 113.

Not only did Rua build off of his previous successes of low kicks and right hands to eventually find the crashing counter, but he also provided a useful blueprint for future fighters when it comes to dealing with karate stylists in mixed martial arts (see Douglas Lima vs. Michael Page or Anthony Pettis vs. Stephen Thompson).

Fabricio Werdum submits Fedor Emelianenko

Fabricio Werdum and Fedor Emelianenko in 2010. (Getty Images)

Date: June 26, 2010
Event: Strikeforce/M-1 Global: “Fedor vs. Werdum”

As I mentioned, 2010 in MMA was essentially the first few seasons of “Game of Thrones” wrapped into one year in regards to watching our heroes fall.

[autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag], who finishes 2009 with a surprisingly competitive fight with Brett Rogers, starts off the decade with a rude reminder from [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] that the guard still works in mixed martial arts.

At this particular time in the sport, the jiu-jitsu guard was trending down both in popularity and proven application at the highest levels; therefore seeing someone like Fedor (of all people) falling into the grappling honeytrap was incredibly surprising. To Werdum’s credit, he masterfully played possum like an NBA player trying to draw an offensive foul, further placating Fedor’s strong sense of security from topside – something that ultimately cost the Russian his legendary winning streak.

Anderson Silva submits Chael Sonnen

Date: Aug. 7, 2010
Event: UFC 117

It’s hard to forget fights that happen on your birthday, especially when it comes to classics like this one.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag], who had surprised me with his brand of promotional candor since his WEC victory over Bryan Baker, ended up surprising us all by backing up his words when taking on the great [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] at UFC 117.

After four-plus rounds of domination from Sonnen, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Silva was going by the wayside like Fedor, Penn and Machida had done months before him. However, despite being down on the scorecards (as well as sporting an injured rib), Silva shows off elite, clutch-player sensibilities that would make the likes of Michael Jordan or Reggie Miller proud, as the then-UFC champ secured a triangle-armbar submission in the fifth round that reminded us all there are no safe spaces in MMA so long as there’s time on the clock.

Edson Barboza TKOs Mike Lullo

Date: Nov. 20, 2010
Event: UFC 123

Legend bashing wasn’t the only thing going on in MMA back in 2010, as there were fighters like [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] stepping onto the scene to help start/reinforce the trend of leg bashing.

Sure, the decade prior had a solid offering of leg kickers like Pedro Rizzo, Pat Barry and Antoni Hardonk, but it’s hard to ignore that those men were all heavyweights while Barboza – the only fighter to officially earn two leg-kick TKOs under the UFC banner – is a lightweight.

Of course, Jose Aldo’s domination over Urijah Faber at WEC 48 would’ve also been a great example to list if it fit the bill for a fight finish, but it’s ultimately hard to deny Barboza’s consistent commitment to killing his opposition with kicks, as well as his contributions toward this decade’s trend of attacking the legs.

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100 of the most fascinating UFC facts from the past decade

Some of the most significant in-fight moments and records in UFC history have occurred and been etched in stone over the past decade.

The past decade of UFC action has seen a lot unfold, and it is arguably the most important in the organization’s history from in terms of evolution.

Only within this era have statistics truly come to the forefront. After so many years of fights, the groundwork for what’s viewed as meaningful and the history attached has finally been laid out. The athletes and techniques have evolved, too, meaning new methods of causing damage and finishing fights are attempted and pulled off with a higher rate of frequency.

That evolution is apparent in the history books, because some of the most significant moments and records in UFC history have occurred over this past decade.

Let’s dig into the archives.

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EVENT FEATS

The UFC held 363 events in 159 difference venues across 26 countries over the past decade.

“UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya” in October 2019 had the highest announced attendance in company history at 57,127.

“UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor” in November 2016 sold a largest live gate in company history at $17.7 million.

“UFC Fight Night 121: Werdum vs. Tybura” in November 2017 had the most total fight time of any event in company history at 3 hours, 4 minutes and 18 seconds.

“UFC Fight Night 55:: Rockhold vs. Bisping” in November 2014 had the least total fight time of those events at 1 hour, 3 minutes and 51 seconds.

The UFC canceled four events over the decade: UFC 151 in September 2012; UFC 176 in August 2014; UFC Fight Night 97 in October 2016 and UFC 233 in January 2019.

Michael Bisping def. Luke Rockhold at UFC 199

“UFC Fight Night 55: Rockhold vs. Bisping” and “UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington” in May 2018 each featured 11 stoppage results, the most for any card in company history.

“UFC on FOX 7: Henderson vs. Melendez” in April 2013, “UFC Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Miller” in July 2014, “UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2,” in June 2016 and “UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2” in December 2017 each featured eight knockout results, the most of the decade.

“UFC on FUEL TV 10: Werdum vs. Nogueira” in June 2013 featured eight submission results, the most for any card in company history.

Seven events each featured 10 decision results, the most for any card in company history.

“UFC Fight Night 134: Shogun vs. Smith” in July 2018 and “UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” each featured nine consecutive decision results, the longest streak on a card in company history.

“UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal” in November 2015 and “UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya” in March 2018 each featured five split-decision results, the most for any card in company history.

Henry Cejudo def. Marlon Moraes at UFC 238

“UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes” in June 2019 featured a total of 1,818 significant strikes landed, a single-event record for the company.

“UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta” in April 2018 featured seven fighters who landed 100 or more significant strikes, a single-event record for the company.

“UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2” in June 2016 featured 15 knockdowns, a single-event record for the company.

“UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor” in July 2015 was the only event in company history to feature two knockouts stemming from flying knee strikes.

“UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till” in September 2018 was the only event in company history to feature two kneebar submission results.

“UFC 217: Bisping vs. St-Pierre” in November 2017 marked the only event in history to feature three title changes.

Next page: General feats

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Top fighters of the 2010s discussion: Who were the biggest snubs?

Some excellent fighters got left off our list of the decade’s 10 best.

Deciding on the top 10 fighters over an entire decade is an invitation for an open-ended debate.

Throw in a mandate from MMA Junkie managing editor Simon Samano that each person on the staff was free to set their own criteria on what qualifies as worthy of consideration for the decade’s best list, and a staff that pulls from a wide variety of ages stationed all around the globe, and you have plenty of leeway for a diverse variety of selections.

The end result was a vibrant list, one that demands more conversation. So we gathered MMA Junkie’s Las Vegas crew — MMA Junkie Radio personalities “Gorgeous” George and “Goze,” fight analyst Dan Tom, and lead reporter John Morgan — to debate the results of our top 10 fighters of the 2010s in a roundtable format.

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In this segment, the guys weigh in on those who didn’t make the cut, which brought out heated responses from MMA Junkie readers. Why did [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag], the only man ever to successfully defend the UFC heavyweight title three straight times, get skipped over? What about [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag], who ruled women’s MMA across multiple organizations for years until a stunning finish in 2018? Or someone like [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag], the first man to wear both UFC and Bellator gold, and defeated former UFC, Strikeforce, and WEC champs on his run to the UFC lightweight title?

Watch the video above to hear what the gang thanks about those who didn’t make the cut. And to watch the full roundtable, check out the video below.

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Top 10 MMA fighters of the 2010s: Discussion video, facts about our list

How did we reach our overall list, and did we get it right?

In pitching the MMA Junkie staff on coming up with a composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the 2010s, I had people asking me about the criteria. My answer was simple: There is no criteria. Whatever you think it means to be among the 10 greatest fighters of the last decade, that’s the criteria.

To me, it’s better this way. I could’ve emphasized in-cage results, in which case No. 1 ends up being [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] without question. Same for emphasizing impact on the sport: [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] comes out on top easily. But what fun would that have been? There’s so much more to consider when trying to pick the top 10 fighters of the last 10 years among a pool of talent that never has been better.

The beauty of our list is that all 14 MMA Junkie staff members, who’ve spent so many years covering the sport, submitted individual top 10 lists. No discussion, no debate, no one person’s bias determined our final rankings. We all had a say in this. From there, it was a matter of mathematics – add up points for each fighter ranked and divide by 14 to determine the final rankings.

Did we get it right? There’s no such thing with these lists. But I’d like to think ours is as official as it gets.

For reaction to our top 10, watch the roundtable discussion video above with MMA Junkie’s John Morgan and Dan Tom, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Below is a ranking of all 26 fighters included, as well as notes about our list.

COMPLETE RANKINGS

1. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]
2. [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag]
3. [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag]
4. [autotag]Georges St. Pierre[/autotag]
5. Conor McGregor
6. [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]
7. [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag]
8. Khabib Nurmagomedov
9. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]
10. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]
11. [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag]
12. [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag]
13. [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag]
14. [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]
15. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]
16. [autotag]Cain Velasquez[/autotag]
17. [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]
18. [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag]
19-t. [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag]
19-t. [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]
21. [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag]
22-t. [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag]
22-t. [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag]
24. [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag]
25. [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag]
26. [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag]

NOTES

26 different fighters were included in at least one staff member’s top 10
8 different fighters were included in only one ranking
Individual No. 1 rankings: Jon Jones (7), Demetrious Johnson (3), Georges St-Pierre (2), Daniel Cormier (1), Ronda Rousey (1)
Cormier was the only fighter to be included in each of the 14 rankings.
Jones and Conor McGregor each were excluded from one staff member’s list.
Of 8 fighters included in only one ranking, Cain Velasquez was highest (No. 3); Eddie Alvarez was lowest (No. 10).

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Mike Bohn, senior reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Jose Aldo
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Anderson Silva
6. Conor McGregor
7. Max Holloway
8. Tony Ferguson
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Daniel Cormier

Dave Doyle, senior editor
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Daniel Cormier
3, Jon Jones
4. Anderson Silva
5. Georges St-Pierre
6. Cris Cyborg
7. Jose Aldo
8. Khabib Nurmagomedov
9. Conor McGregor
10. Eddie Alvarez

Matt Erickson, assistant managing editor
1. Daniel Cormier
2. Demetrious Johnson
3. Amanda Nunes
4. Conor McGregor
5. Max Holloway
6. Patricio Freire
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Georges St-Pierre
9. Ryan Bader
10. Jose Aldo

Brian Garcia, MMA Junkie Radio host
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Jon Jones
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Henry Cejudo
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Khabib Nurmagomedov
7. Stipe Miocic
8. Amanda Nunes
9. Max Holloway
10. Ryan Bader

George Garcia, MMA Junkie Radio host
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Khabib Nurmagomedov
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Amanda Nunes
7. Cris Cyborg
8. Stipe Miocic
9. Conor McGregor
10. Henry Cejudo

Farah Hannoun, reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Ronda Rousey
3. Conor McGregor
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Amanda Nunes
8. Max Holloway
9. Stipe Miocic
10. Henry Cejudo

Ken Hathaway, senior video editor
1. Jon Jones
2. Amanda Nunes
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Max Holloway
5. Conor McGregor
6. Daniel Cormier
7. Georges St-Pierre
8. Anderson Silva
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Cris Cyborg

Simon Head, reporter
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Daniel Cormier
3. Jon Jones
4. Amanda Nunes
5. Donald Cerrone
6. Georges St-Pierre
7. Conor McGregor
8. Douglas Lima
9. Cris Cyborg
10. Michael Bisping

Nolan King, reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Daniel Cormier
3. Amanda Nunes
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Max Holloway
6. Stipe Miocic
7. Georges St. Pierre
8. Jose Aldo
9. Conor McGregor
10. Khabib Nurmagomedov

John Morgan, lead staff reporter
1. Jon Jones
2. Conor McGregor
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Georges St-Pierre
5. Daniel Cormier
6. Demetrious Johnson
7. Amanda Nunes
8. Jose Aldo
9. Michael Bisping
10. Donald Cerrone

Simon Samano, managing editor
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Jon Jones
4. Daniel Cormier
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Amanda Nunes
7. Tony Ferguson
8. Conor McGregor
9. Ronda Rousey
10. Max Holloway

Danny Segura, reporter
1. Ronda Rousey
2. Jon Jones
3. Cain Velasquez
4. Georges St-Pierre
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Jose Aldo
7. Cris Cyborg
8. Conor McGregor
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
10. Daniel Cormier

Abbey Subhan, video editor
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Conor McGregor
3. Jon Jones
4. Daniel Cormier
5. Amanda Nunes
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
7. Frankie Edgar
8. Anderson Silva
9. Carlos Condit
10. Ronda Rousey

Dan Tom, fight analyst
1. Jon Jones
2. Jose Aldo
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
4. Dominick Cruz
5. Demetrious Johnson
6. Conor McGregor
7. Ronda Rousey
8. Daniel Cormier
9. Max Holloway
10. Tony Ferguson

Jon Jones wanted Stipe Miocic fight; ‘strong possibility’ of heavyweight move after UFC 247

Could Jon Jones finally move to heavyweight after UFC 247? He said it’s “absolutely” a real possibility.

Could [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] finally be making his move to the heavyweight division following his next UFC light heavyweight title defense against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247?

Jones (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC) said he was ready to pull the trigger for his first fight of 2020, so he definitely sees it on the horizon.

“I think it’s a very strong possibility,” Jones told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Friday’s UFC 247 news conference in Las Vegas. “Absolutely. There’s always going to be someone next. I feel as though I’ve cleared the division and I’m not waiting around. I’m taking new challenges. I’m not sitting on the title. I’m not hiding from anybody. I chose Dominick because he appears to be the best out of all my contenders and I’m just ready to take over the world.”

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Jones will meet Reyes (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 247, which takes place Feb. 8 at Toyota Center in Houston with a main card set to air on pay-per-view. It will be the third defense in the latest title reign for “Bones,” and one that could give him the UFC record for most championship fight victories (14).

At that point, it would seem fair for Jones to pursue some unique challenges. He said he was ready to do following his win over Thiago Santos at UFC 239 in July, as he claims to have pushed for a showdown with heavyweight king [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] after Miocic took the belt from Daniel Cormier at UFC 241 in August.

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According to Jones it didn’t materialize because of the UFC’s intent to make a trilogy bout between Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) and Cormier, so that’s he he ended up fighting Reyes.

“I was trying to get a Stipe Miocic fight and I thought that maybe that would happen,” Jones said. “But instead we have Stipe vs. ‘DC’ 3. But at the moment I was so ready to go to heavyweight and stick my hands in some of those big fellas.”

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Daniel Cormier: Stipe Miocic misguided trying to get Tyson Fury fight

To Daniel Cormier, this isn’t like when he tried to get a fight with Brock Lesnar while Stipe Miocic waited patiently.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] was trying to return the favor by talking about a potential [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] fight.

When Cormier (22-2 MMA, 15-2 UFC) defeated Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) at UFC 226 to capture the UFC heavyweight title, he was immediately confronted by former titleholder Brock Lesnar, who was being set up to be his first title challenger.

Miocic, who’s the only fighter in UFC history to successfully defend the heavyweight belt three straight times, felt slighted, and demanded an immediate rematch. When the fight with Lesnar fell through, Cormier ended up facing popular Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC 230 at New York’s Madison Square Garden instead.

It was a dominant performance for Cormier, who submitted Lewis in the second round, retaining his title. He then shifted his attention back to Lesnar, but Lesnar ultimately chose to re-sign with WWE.

So Cormier eventually made good on his promise that he would face Miocic again should the Lesnar fight not materialize, and the two rematched at UFC 241 in August.

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However, Miocic was able to get his revenge, taking Cormier out in the fourth round and recapturing his heavyweight title. A trilogy seems inevitable, but Miocic took his turn in potentially delaying their fight, by saying that he’d rather face boxing world champion Fury next.

But Cormier thinks their situations were completely different.

“After all that was done last year when I was going to fight Brock Lesnar and I said, ‘I’ll wait for Lesnar, and if Lesnar can’t go I’ll fight Stipe’,” Cormier told MMA Junkie. “I think it’s kind of the same thing (with him trying to fight Tyson Fury). But reality is, it’s vastly different. I think it’s misguided. I had Lesnar in my face. He came into the octagon and all that. I’ve got to be honest with you: The moment they said Brock can’t fight, I said, ‘Then let’s give Stipe his fight.’

“The moment they said it, I said, ‘OK, find a date for Stipe and I to fight. He deserves his rematch.’ I think the idea of the way things happened may have been a little bit misunderstood, but it went exactly as I said. From the moment of the fight I said, ‘If Brock doesn’t fight, I’ll fight Stipe.’ When they said, ‘No Brock.’ I said, ‘OK, let’s do Stipe.'”

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Cormier, who said he expects to be facing Miocic in June, has said on numerous occasions that it will be his final fight of his career. One of the greatest fighters of all time, capturing two titles simultaneously, Cormier is confident that the UFC already has a plan set, for when he gets his title back.

“I have done a lot of good work in the UFC, and if them even thinking that it’s my last fight and allowing me to fight in that position (for the title), shows good faith,” Cormier said. “Obviously they have a plan in place of what happens after I win my belt back (and retire), because I’m going to. I’m going to win the last fight and then I’ll have the championship. But the reality is, they trust me enough and my decision-making to give me that opportunity, and trust enough of the good work I’ve done in and for this company to allow me to have this opportunity. So I feel great.”

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