Under the Microscope: Analyzing Middleweight Greats

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Paulo Filho

* Middleweight Record: 14-2-1
* Opponent Winning Percentage: .636
* Longest Winning Streak: 16
* Record in Major Middleweight Title Fights: 2-0
* Finish Percentage: 64
* Finished Percentage: 0
* Notable Victories: Murilo Rua (twice), Melvin Manhoef, Chael Sonnen, Joe Doerkson, Kazuo Misaki
* Career Accomplishments: 2006 Pride Fighting Championships welterweight grand prix semifinalist; World Extreme Cagefighting middleweight champion, with one successful title defense

CASE FOR: At the height of his game, Filho was an absolute monster. With imposing physicality, stalwart wrestling and scary submissions, Filho embodied what it means to not just beat but to break opponents. For the first six years of his professional career, he looked nearly unbeatable, going 16-0 while competing in Deep, Pancrase, Pride and World Extreme Cagefighting. His run culminated in an armbar victory over Chael Sonnen for the WEC title, producing a truly unique soundbyte from the outspoken Oregonian as he screamed out in pain. As a would-be finalist in the 2006 Pride welterweight grand prix -- he was forced to withdraw due to injury -- and a onetime defending WEC champion, Filho no doubt has the hardware, and he is peerless when it comes to sheer toughness: To this day, he has yet to be finished in a fight. Though his career took a turn for the bizarre -- he battled anxiety, weight problems, substance abuse and even gunshot wounds -- his initial dominance in the sport made him arguably the greatest middleweight of his time.

CASE AGAINST: To say Filho fell off is an understatement on par with saying North Korea is a rough country in which to make a living; Filho's career face-planted off a cliff. After scrapping a championship rematch with Sonnen to check into rehab and showing up seven pounds overweight in his WEC swan song, Filho became the quintessential Jekyll and Hyde story of MMA. At times, he showed glimpses of his top-tier talent, only to later turn in head-scratching performances of unparalleled listlessness and utter confusion in the cage. Since then, his most pronounced accomplishments have been the horrific beatdowns he has managed to withstand. He is one of the most perplexing “what if” stories the sport has ever seen, but his actual achievements simply pale in comparison to others on this list. That makes him an interesting addition to the conversation, as well as an easy dismissal from it.

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