There are many factors that go into making a successful MMA fighter, but being able to throw a mighty punch is right up there. Dig these cage warriors who can really throw smoke.
Shane Carwin
We can't wait for Shane Carwin to get over his neck injury -- even though he went down to Lesnar, the first round of their match showed Carwin in powerful form, battering the champ with brutal punches on the ground. We've known about his amazingly explosive punching power since his UFC debut, where he rocked Christian Wellisch with a knockout punch 44 seconds into the match that had Wellisch's mouthpiece tracing a drool-covered arc across the Octagon. This man has some seriously deadly hands.
Tank Abbott
Tank Abbott kind of represents the Wild West era of the UFC, when a portly barfighter from Huntington Beach with no formal training could climb in the Octagon and rack up wins with a unique combination of never-say-die attitude and insanely vicious punches. Abbott's natural strength was his greatest asset, and when he delivered with a clean hit on one of his trademark right hands it was disgusting to watch. As the sport developed, Abbott became less effective and suffered some humiliating losses, but he certainly had his time in the spotlight.
Even though Fedor's star seems to be on the wane, there's no denying that when he swung his fist, magic happened. The Russian heavyweight went undefeated for almost a decade using the wide variety of tools at his disposal, from traditional Judo and Sambo throw work to some absolutely staggering fisticuffs, including an overhand right against Andrei Arlovski that is painful poetry in motion to watch.
Brad Kohler
Brad Kohler hasn't had quite as storied an MMA career as some other entrants on this list, but his performances have been intense enough to earn him a spot. His most notable KO came when he rocked Steve Judson with a right cross that busted his chin open and had officials stretchering him off to the hospital. After a six year hiatus, Kohler's skills are a little rusty, but you never know if he has another punch like that in him.
Kimbo Slice
The Kimbo Slice seems pretty much over - the parking lot brawler has found himself significanty exposed on the big stage, with the massive flaws in his game glaringly obvious to just about every opponent. But when we first started watching the maniacal Slice fight all comers in backyards and desolate concrete expanses, it was awesome to see him deliver clubbering blows to the heads of poor dumb chumps and watch them crumple to the ground insensate.
Takanori Gomi
Many of the fighters on this list are classed as heavyweights - more weight, more muscle, more powerful punches. Takanori Gomi, however, was considered to be the top lightweight in the world during his time with Pride FC, and watching him in action will show you why. Gomi's strikes are absolutely explosive, rocking his opponents and often ending matches by KO. His loss to Clay Guida may have slowed his roll a bit, but I bet he still has good fights in him.
Igor Vovchanchyn
When Igor Vovchanchyn was starting his career in his native Ukraine, he would sometimes compete in three or four fights a day. That trial by fire forged him into one of the deadliest stand-up fighters on the scene. His relative lack of skill in fending off submissions rarely came into play, as he would obliterate his opponents with his fearsome fists before they could even close on him. He's happily retired now, which I'm sure is a relief to many, many people.
Chuck Liddell
Chuck Liddell is hopefully enjoying his retirement from the Octagon in style - the Iceman had a storied history in the cage, winning many of his matches with vicious KOs. Although he doesn't have the fear factor of some of the other names on this list, Chuck's punches were deceptive - when he connected with a solid hit, you were out for the night. His reliance on sprawl tactics irked some observers, but you can't argue with his record.
Andrei Arlovski
Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski won the interim UFC title with one of the most thunderous shots ever thrown in the Octagon, a clubbering overhand right to Tim Sylvia. Amazingly enough, it didn't knock Sylvia out, which is a surprise to anybody else who has ever been nailed by a shot from this guy. His hammering fists are absolutely nasty to witness, and although his career is just about over he's left plenty of carnage in his wake.
Strikeforce fighter Dan Henderson comes from a wrestling background, but that doesn't mean he can't throw down with his fists. He became the first man in history to KO Michael Bisping with a sick hook to the jaw, which came to be referred to as the "H-bomb" for its sheer destructive power. Henderson was supposed to face Fedor Emelianenko later this year, so we'll see how these two monoliths do against each other.
Eric "Butterbean" Esch
This certainly isn't a list of the best fighters in MMA - just because you can hit hard doesn't mean you can take fights home, there are a lot more factors in play. That's why Eric "Butterbean" Esch isn't on top of the game. But if we had to pick one guy in the world we wouldn't want to take a bare-knuckle punch from, it's Butterbean. Four hundred pounds of pistoning fists have won him a staggering 65 knockouts through his fight career, and watching him hit someone is terrifying.
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