Most underrated fighters in MMA history

Jerry Bohlander, Mikey Burnett Phone Post

Brian Rule - Guy Mezger

I agree, didn't think of him. Dude was legit!

Datsik, people underrate the mans craziness Phone Post

Seriously though, aleks emelianenko probably doesn't get the recognition he deserves, some of the best boxing we have seen in the heavyweight div, sort of let down by his own work ethic or attitude to fighting, but make no mistake if you sleep on aleks in the ring you are probably gunna get a rude awakening when he lands. Phone Post

Jamie Varner

Murilo Bustamante, Marco Ruas, Guy Mezger Phone Post

KevinMcAllister - 

Rich Franklin Phone Post


Agreed with many of these

Dan Severn, to throw another name in the mix

Cacophony - Murilo Bustamante.

Agreed 100% Phone Post

What about frank shamrock? He was ok in pancrase and his UFC run was as good as it gets. Yet he doesn't really get brought up when people talk about greats like ken for example. It could be cause he's a bit of an ass but that shouldn't take away from his professional accomplishments. Phone Post

Alexander Emelianenko. He beat some pretty tough dudes in pride. He never took fighting nearly as serious as Fedor and spent some time in person which took away from his fighting career

I would also make a case for Jeff Monson and Ricco Phone Post

Pedro Rizzo is also under rated in his prime he was a beast. He got robbed in his loss to Couturw Phone Post

neibs - What about frank shamrock? He was ok in pancrase and his UFC run was as good as it gets. Yet he doesn't really get brought up when people talk about greats like ken for example. It could be cause he's a bit of an ass but that shouldn't take away from his professional accomplishments. Phone Post

I agree . I think he was better than his brother.

He also was one of the first ppl to beat Tito Ortiz who was a monster when they fought Phone Post

Definitely agree with Mezger. If he didn't get robbed as many times as he did he would be recognized as one of the all time greats.

Also, no love for Josh "The Punk" Thomson? 34 years old and hasn't been injury free since he was 15 years old and still fighting evenly with El Nino, that's pretty damn impressive if you ask me. Yet he rarely gets mentioned as an elite LW.

Could you call carlos newton underrated? He had some losses to all time greats but was one of the most innovative grapplers of his fighting generation Phone Post

Kazuo Misaki
No one seems to care that much about Tatsuya Kawajiri at 145 even though he's been dusting people Phone Post

Ranger Stott, Steve Nelmark, Fred Ettish

Bisping Phone Post

There are a lot of fighters that get love and recognition here but are relatively unknown to newer fans like Vovchanchyn, Pele, Ruas, Bustamante, Sakurai, Sato, Uno, Zinoviev

 

Like many have mentioned Mezger's very underrated great stand up decent ground. fought some of the very best and was a threat to beat everyone of them

 

So many underatted / under appreciated, here's a few others that I think really deserve mention

 

Tyoshi Kohsaka = One of the best resume's ever (Fedor, Couture, Rutten, F Shamrock list goes on) - great grappler - was in almost every fight

Masakatsu Funaki = JMMA pioneer  - did more for the sport than most realise - great ground subbmission game - how good he could've done in prime really a ?

Kiyoshi Tamura = Great grappling - First to defeat a Gracie (Gracie's accepted) - drew prime F Shamrock

Mitsuhiro Kanehara = One of the best fighters with a losing record - - great grappler - some very legit wins in his prime - tremendous heart - left everything in the ring

Kazuo Takahashi = Great resume - could hang with the very best - always came for war

Mamoru Yamaguchi = Pioneer first ever shooto 125 & 135 champion - very well rounded could ko or submit

Daisuke Nakamura = Incredible ground skills - 15 + armlock/bars subs 3 flying = most in mma competition i believe

Kazuo Misaki = Been mentioned - great resume - could hang with the best - always comes to FIGHT

Allan Goes = Great ground skills - intense - arguably beat 3 of the GOAT 

'Macaco' Jorge Patino = Vale Tudo legend - won a title 18 yrs into career - came to fight

Johill de Oliveira = V/T, Luta Livre legend - 1st to beat Pele - won 4-5 v/t tournaments - only 3 losses (Wallid, Pele) before accident in Pride and eye injury

Vitor Ribeirio 'Shaolin' - Shooto champion - one of the best 155ers for years - incredible ground game

Marcus Aurelio = 21-10 w 18 finishes - one of the best 155ers at one point- half loses are arguable - never finshed in 30 + fights

Alexander Nogueira 'Pequeno' = Great resume - arguably the best 140lb in the world for years - arguably the best guillotine ever in 'mma'

Volk Han = Incredible grappling - proved he could hang with the best in mma at 40 yrs old

Mikhail Avetisyan = Russian mma pioneer - won 1st 32 man tourny - one of the best leg lockers ever

Amar Suloev = Great striking great throws - could hang with the very best

Mikhail Illoukhine = Great grappler - won 4-5 no rules tournaments

Dave Menne = UFC champion - great resume - could hang with the best - always came to fight - tremendous heart

Carlos Newton = Mentioned - UFC champion - great ground game - fought and beat some of the very best in his prime

Ronald Juhn - Stephan Palling - Ray Cooper - Falinko Vitale are some Hawaiians that deserve mention these guys all fought some of the best in the world and where all threats to beat anyone of them in their prime - all warriors

 

Didn't mean to go overboard, guys just keep coming to mind

Stephan Bonnar!