Ranking the 5 toughest fighters in the UFC today
There are nearly 50 major MMA promotions globally, out of which the UFC is ranked the best with some of the toughest fighters on its roster. As of 2021, the UFC has listed a total of 724 MMA fighters who hail from about 70 different countries. With such a deep pool of talent signed with the UFC, it is no surprise that new legends are forged inside its octagon every few years.
While there are several champions, top-ranked and leading pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC, only a few could be described as the toughest. These fighters are known for having granite chins, inhuman cardio and endurance, and an unreal pain threshold.
In this piece, we rank the five toughest fighters in the UFC today:
#5 - Current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya
Before starting on his MMA journey, Israel Adesanya was a highly successful boxer and kickboxer. With records like 5-1 in boxing and 75-5 in kickboxing, 'Izzy' also destroyed his competition in MMA. In a period of six years since making his MMA debut, 'The Last Stylebender' secured a 12-fight KO/TKO streak which also included his UFC debut.
Israel Adesanya is considered one of the greatest middleweight fighters in UFC history and one of the craftiest mixed martial artists. He is largely undefeated in his MMA career, proving to be one of the toughest fighters in the UFC today.
His single loss in MMA came against UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz. However, the 205-pounder could only manage a decision win despite giving Israel Adesanya a taste of his renowned 'Polish Power'. Adesanya has had many encounters in the UFC, which have established him as one of the toughest fighters.
Be it against Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, or Anderson Silva, Israel Adesanya has always dived head-first into dangerous waters and come out unscathed. One of his most career-defining moments came at UFC 236 when he battled against Kelvin Gastelum for five full rounds. Adesanya himself ranked that fight as one of his toughest challenges, in which he proclaimed minutes before winning:
"I'm prepared to die."
Also Read: "I stole that off Sean" - Israel Adesanya reveals the move he took from Sean O'Malley's arsenal.