9. Nate Marquardt
He has been a model of consistency throughout a career that spans three different decades. Marquardt won 12 of his first 14 bouts as a professional, a loss to Genki Sudo and a draw with Kiuma Kunioku the only blemishes. A former Pancrase and Strikeforce champion, the Lander, Wyoming, native made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut in August 2005 and rattled off consecutive victories against Ivan Salaverry, Joe Doerksen, Crafton Wallace and Dean Lister before challenging the incomparable Anderson Silva for the middleweight title at UFC 73. A decisive defeat to Silva slowed his momentum, but Marquardt went on to enjoy considerable success over the next five years, including wins over Jeremy Horn, Martin Kampmann, Wilson Gouveia, Demian Maia, Rousimar Palhares, Dan Miller and Tyron Woodley. While he has not aged particularly well, as evidenced by a 3-7 record across his past 10 appearances, Marquardt’s resume speaks for itself.
Continue Reading » Number 8