The 10 Best MMA fighters from the 2000s

The 10 Best MMA fighters from the 2000s.

The UFC and the sport of MMA as a whole were in a relative decline throughout the 1990s, but the stars who blossomed during the 2000s changed the fight game forever.

The decade kicked off when Dana White, along with Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, purchased the UFC in an attempt to save it from a financial disaster. The move would culminate in one of the greatest organizational turnarounds in history.

The Zuffa era, as it would be known, featured a struggle for survival at the beginning of its tenure. It was difficult for the sport of MMA to be sanctioned across the United States, as politicians labeled it as ‘human cockfighting’ and other derogatory labels. Eventually, the unified rules would come into effect, ending most skepticism about the sport’s prolonged success.

The start of the decade featured UFC stars such as Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock, and Chuck Liddell. WWE star Brock Lesnar also made his presence felt in the octagon late in the 2000s, eventually earning the heavyweight title and adding a ‘heel’ to the roster.

The start of the decade also featured the emergence of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality television show which would help jumpstart the organization into the new millennium. The first season of TUF kicked off in 2005, featuring eventual stars such as Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian, along with a back-and-forth slugfest in the finale between Stephen Bonnar and Forrest Griffin.

Light heavyweights Liddell and Randy Couture were the coaches and helped establish themselves as household names in MMA.

UFC would go on to make several game-changing moves, such as the merge with Pride back in 2007. Several big stars on this list would go on to have successful tenures in the UFC.

Let’s take a look at the top ten MMA fighters who competed in the 2000s.