Nowadays a UFC fighter has to be versed in multiple disciplines, but not long back a good punch and basic wrestling would get it done. Take a look at successful guys who didn't exactly have a whole load of dimensions to the term 'MMA'. Today a "Mixed Martial Artist" is a master of several disciplines in a sport that is constantly evolving. They have to be athletes in addition to having the ability to implement techniques from several martial arts. However, not twenty years ago the majority of fighters in the UFC only knew one martial arts discipline. The point of the promotion at the time was to find the best fighting style and that is what drew the crowds to the sport. However, as time went on, fighters caught on that the more martial arts they knew, the bigger advantage they had on their opponents. Despite this there are many who are considered legends in the sport that had very basic fighting skills. They either specialized in striking or wrestling and were even able to survive into what could be considered the modern era. However, as the sport evolved they quickly found themselves outdated and irrelevant. That doesn't mean they still aren't legends, they just aren't great fighters in this current era. They are big names and they're varied but they are a part of history in the sport. Here are the top one dimensional UFC legends.
Matthew Salzer fell in love with Mixed Martial Arts when he watched Pride Fighting Championships on Japanese TV. He is a lifelong wrestler having earned a Bachelor of Science at Missouri Baptist University. Matthew is the Senior Editor at MMA Freak and has written for Funky Monkey MMA, H4 Entertainment, and MMA Fiends.
