8. Kevin Randleman
A three-time NCAA All-American and two-time national champion wrestler at Ohio State University, Randleman relied on his power and athleticism while competing in the UFC’s heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions in the late 1990s and early 2000s. “The Monster,” who was part of Mark Coleman’s Hammer House team, won the promotion’s heavyweight crown by defeating Pete Williams at UFC 23. Randleman successfully defended the belt against Pedro Rizzo before losing the crown to Randy Couture at UFC 28. He exited the UFC following a 205-pound triumph against Renato Sobral in 2002. During a 10-fight stint with Pride Fighting Championships, Randleman fought a who’s who of MMA royalty, squaring off with the likes of Murilo Rua, Mirko Filipovic, Quinton Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba and Fedor Emelianenko, to name a few; his 2004 knockout of Filipovic in the 2004 heavyweight grand prix was his most memorable win with the Japanese organization.
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