Saturday, November 9, 2013

Mixed Martial Arts Records

By Nolan Barias


Since the early 1990s, professional MMA fights have introduced us to a myriad of tough competitors. Along the way, many records have been set, for fastest knockout or longest win streak. As the years pass, new fighters will be coming along to break these records and make the competition even tougher.

While we have all seen fights that end quickly and suffered through dull bouts that went through the course of all three rounds, typically most fights end within a few minutes either by TKO or submission. However, once in a while, a fight is over so quickly that spectators probably aren't even really sure that the fight began.

The quickest recorded knockout at a major MMA fight occurred during the 2006 K-1 HERO event between Norifumi Yamamoto and Kazuyuki Miyata. Yamamoto delivered a flying kick just as the bell rang and the fight was over; the elapsed time was a mere four seconds. No doubt Miyata would like to forget about that one, but for Yamamoto it was one for the books. UFC's fastest recorded fight time is a matter of contention between fans and UFC against the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Due to a timekeeping error, the state lists the Christmas Eve, 2011, fight between Duane Ludwig and Jonathon Goulet as 11 seconds from start to finish. However, most fans and the UFC itself list the fight as ending in just six seconds. Either way, it was certainly Ludwig's fastest TKO.

While it is impressive to see guys fighting in their 40s, MMA legends such as Randy Couture, make it look pretty easy. Not to mention a guy like Dan Severn who just retired after his April, 2012, win against Alex Rozman, when he was just a few months shy of his 54th birthday. But those fighters pale in comparison to John Williams who made his pro MMA debut in 2010 at the age of 70. Williams not only holds the record for being the oldest MMA fighter, but also the oldest fighter to win an MMA fight when he defeated his opponent, a mere lad of 49 years.

Who is the greatest MMA fighter of all time? Well, some might argue that Anderson Silva is at the top of the list with his impressive 32-4 record or maybe it's Fedor Emelianenko with his solid 34-4 record. Despite their amazing MMA skills, they aren't even close to holding the record for the most wins. Travis Fulton, arguably the hardest working man in MMA has logged an amazing 307 pro fights, including a record number of submissions (150) and a record number of knockouts (91). Take a look at his record and you will find plenty of fights ending in under a minute, as well.

Of course, not all records are the ones you really want. Take, for instance, the records set by Shannon Ritch. He's a tough guy and has participated in more than 125 professional MMA fights. Unfortunately, most of them have been losses. He has recorded more than 70 losses, which is pretty much the worst pro record in the sport. Of course, that is not as bad as Kenneth Allen, who in 31 fights has one just a single bout. Still, you have to give him credit for trying.




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