Since its inception in the late eighties and early nineties MMA has seen thousands of true modern day warriors embrace the many shapely steel cages and bloodied ring canvases spanning continents to establish themselves in the penultimate proving ground that is mixed martial arts. However, in a sport where few truly make it to the top, most fall by the wayside, leaving only re-runs to remind fans that they ever truly existed in the MMA universe. In this edition of LWOS Top 5, we look at five MMA fighters that may not gone onto experience the fame and notoriety of, say, Royce Gracie or Ken Shamrock, yet still had an undeniable impact on the evolution of mixed martial arts.

LWOS MMA Top 5: Unsung Heroes of MMA

5. David “Tank” Abbott – Years Active- 1995-2009

Though never the most technically gifted or successful fighter, Tank Abbott was one of the true warriors to ever step foot in an MMA cage. A fighter that cared little about results, Abbott instead relished the opportunity to get inside of a steel cage, and simply put, brawl. Having participated in the no holds barred dark ages of MMA, Abbott made his debut at UFC 6, and would subsequently etch his name in the annals of MMA, not only for his legendary power and adoration for brawling, but his reputation for going to extremes to win a fight. Abbott alone is responsible for a slew of rules inducted into MMA including, Head-butting, fish-hooking, throwing people out of the cage and additionally boasts the distinction of being the first man to wear MMA gloves in the Octagon. Retiring in 2013 with an unsightly 10-15 record, Abbott has since relegated himself to that of a drunken misogynist. Still, albeit nefarious, his impact on the early evolution of MMA from “human cockfighting” to legitimate combat sport is undeniable.

4. Oleg Taktarov – Years Active – 1993-2008

Before Fedor Emelianenko emerged as the most dominant Russian fighter to ever step foot in the cage, Oleg Taktarov was the most feared Russian in MMA and the first to introduce a Sambo style into mixed martial arts. At 26, Taktarov held an undefeated record, and bereft of challengers in fighting, decided to move to America to try his hand at acting. As the legend goes, he was unable to break into Hollywood, and thus needed money to survive, so he entered the UFC 5 tournament and the rest as they say is history. Though his fortunes wouldn’t pan out at UFC 5, Taktarov would go onto win the UFC 6 tournament, and in doing so would log what is to this day still the fastest submission in UFC history, submitting Anythony Macias with a front choke in 0:09 seconds. Unlike many on our list, Taktarov retired from MMA in 2008 at the top of his game with a 17-5-2 record, and having won his previous five fights with his only loss since 1997 coming to Gary Goodridge at Pride 1. He has since rekindled his love for acting appearing in various TV shows and movies.

3. Mark “The Hammer” Coleman – Years Active – 1996-2010

In addition to winning UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournaments as well as the 2000 Pride Grand Prix, Mark “The Hammer” Coleman also holds the distinction of being the first ever UFC Heavyweight Champion. A former Olympian in freestyle wrestling, “The Hammer” was a dominant force in the cage with a hulking frame and showcased the ability in using wrestling to dominate opponents on the ground. Coleman can also lay claim to the appropriate moniker as the “The Godfather of Ground and Pound” both introducing the style of GNP while coining the term in a pre-fight interview. The Hammer was inducted into the UFC Hall of a Fame in 2008 and since retired from MMA in 2010 with a record of 16-10.

2. Dan “The Beast” Severn – Years Active – 1994-2013

Aside from owning one of the greatest mixed martial arts records in history, retiring at 101-19-7, Dan “The Beast” Severn was arguably the first elite, world class level wrestler to step foot in the cage. Boasting dozens of national and international wrestling championships, as well as being an alternate at the 84’ and 88’ Olympics, Severn burst onto the MMA scene in 1994 at UFC 4 making his way to the finals before losing in a legendary match against Royce Gracie. Severn, would however, redeem himself at UFC 5 defeating Paul Varelans, and the aforementioned Tank Abbott and Oleg Taktarov, in one night, to win the tournament. Subsequently, Severn would be chosen to enter and go on to win the UFC’s Ultimate Ultimate 95, regarded by many as one of the greatest UFC events in history to date. Though he would make his last appearance at UFC 12 in 1997, Severn would go on to fight over 100 more times for various promotions before retiring in 2013 to open his own training facility in Michigan.

1. Kazushi Sakuraba – Years Active – 1997-Present

Though he was never really able to cross over in North America, Kazushi Sakuraba is a legend to both Japanese, and hardcore MMA fans alike. Known as the Gracie Hunter, Sakuraba gained legendary status for being the only man to defeat four members of the famed Gracie family; Royler, Renzo, Royce and Ryan – in a time when Gracie Jiu-Jitsu was the most feared form of martial arts on the planet. Japan’s arguably greatest ever mixed martial artist stormed on to the MMA scene as a last minute replacement at UFC’s Ultimate Japan Tournament with his shoot/catch (pro) wrestling style, winning the heavyweight tournament whilst weighing in at a modest 183 lbs. It would, however, mark the only time Sakuraba would compete under the UFC banner, as he would subsequently go on to fight and become one of the biggest stars in Pride, defeating the likes of the aforementioned Gracie family, Ken Shamrock, Vitor Belfort and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Though he hasn’t officially retired, “The Gracie Hunter” hasn’t competed in MMA since 2011, and despite holding a 26-16-1 record, has lost six of his last eight fights, since returning to his roots competing for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

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