Sherdog’s Top 10: Fighters Worth the Price of Admission

9. Mauricio Rua

When Pride Fighting Championships was at the height of its power, there was nothing in the world quite like it. Fans of the Japanese promotion waged chatroom wars with their UFC counter parts, but the reality was Pride often delivered the more memorable and entertaining fights. The Pride roster was loaded with thrilling fighters, and “Shogun” Rua was among the best of the best.

The Chute Boxe superstar stormed into the ring and quickly seized control of the 205-pound division. He torched opponents like Akihiro Gono, Quinton Jackson, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona, a historic run in the 2005 Pride middleweight grand prix his crowning achievement. Though injuries have taken their toll as the miles have piled up, Rua captured the UFC light heavyweight championship with a first-round knockout of Lyoto Machida in May 2010 to cement his place as one of the all-time greats at 205 pounds.

Number 8 » Donald Cerrone