Sherdog’s Top 10: Inside Fighters
Number 9
9. Ronda Rousey
Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a minute. Is ninth not a bit low for an undefeated champion who also holds an Olympic bronze medal in judo? It might be, but despite her dominance, Rousey has not faced anywhere near the strength of competition of the other entries on this list; she is much earlier in her career; and aside from a knee against Sara McMann and a few punches against Alexis Davis, she has yet to show off a real arsenal of strikes at close range.
With that out of the way, we can talk about the sheer awesomeness of Rousey’s inside game. She owns a ridiculous variety of takedowns, from hip tosses to foot sweeps to trips and everything in between; her control is impeccable; and she is intimately familiar with the nuances of balance and pressure in the tie-ups. The knee to the liver she landed on McMann may mark the appearance of a devastating arsenal of strikes to complement her unreal takedowns and ground game, too.
The best part is that Rousey is still a young and drastically improving fighter, and there is little question that we have yet to see the best from her.
Number 8 » He is best known for his technical footwork at range, lightning-fast double-leg takedown and blistering speed, but over the last two years, he has also become one of the very best in-fighters in the sport.
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