1. Michael Bisping
One of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most polarizing figures, Bisping burst on the global scene in 2006, when he carved through the competition to win Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He has been a consistent presence on the UFC roster ever since. An accurate volume puncher with superb conditioning and excellent defensive grappling skills, “The Count” has put together a hall-of-fame career.
Bisping’s 20 victories inside the Octagon rank first on the all-time list, ahead of fighters like Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes and Anderson Silva. He has only improved with age. Bisping, 37, chased down an elusive title shot at UFC 99 on June 4, when he filled in on short notice for the injured Chris Weidman. He made the most of his opportunity, as he knocked out Luke Rockhold in the first round to become the eighth middleweight champion in UFC history.
Currently on a five-fight winning streak, Bisping in his most recent appearance avenged the highest-profile defeat of his career at UFC 204, where he retained the 185-pound title with a unanimous decision over Dan Henderson.