Criticizing The Best: Shortcomings at the Top

In mixed martial arts, getting to the top of the ladder is not an easy feat and remaining there is even harder; but, the biggest obstacle for the world's greatest fighters to overcome is the harsh criticisms of fans and fellow fighters. In this article, we will go over some of the criticisms of the greatest fighters in the world. From current champions to legends of the sport, both with and without merit, this is....Criticizing the best.

Georges St. Pierre: Welterweight Champion of the World and Slacker

Georges St. Pierre is the UFC Welterweight Champion and arguably the greatest fighter on the planet, pound-for-pound. GSP has held the UFC Championship since 2007 and has successfully defended the title seven times against the greatest fighters in the world.

Why that's not enough:

Five out of St. Pierre's last 6 fights have gone to the judge's scorecards. This has been interpreted by fans as either an inability to finish or an inability to pull the trigger. GSP has recently recieved the label of a boring fighter. He uses a specific gameplan to put his opponent out of their comfort zone. Whether it's striking with Jake Shields and Josh Koscheck, or putting Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy on their backs; GSP has used his abilities to dictate the location of the fight.

Is it warranted?

No, ultimately, St. Pierre is fighting the toughest and most talented fighters the UFC has to offer. The fighters he is competing against have been notoriously difficult to finish. Take Jake Shields for example: before fighting St. Pierre, Shields had won 15 straight fights and was only finished once in his long career.

Anderson Silva: Middleweight Champion of the World and Bored Employee

Anderson Silva is the world's greatest fighter. He is undefeated in the world's premier mixed martial arts organization and has provided some of the best highlight reel moments in mma history.

Why that's not enough:

Anderson Silva seems bored. Barring his recent performance against Brazilian Vitor Belfort, the Spider was nearly defeated by Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 and put on the most bizarre performance in UFC Championship history at UFC 112 against Demian Maia. The Spider seems unwilling to engage opponents and attempt finishes (again, barring UFC 126 performance against Vitor Belfort). Does Silva not see a challenge in his current weight class?

Is it warranted?

Yes and no. On one hand the Spider will have a handful when the rematch with Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen comes around, but, until that time maybe a move to Light Heavyweight is in order for the UFC's most elusive Champion. In his two bouts at 205 lbs, Silva has finished both opponents (a former Champion: Forrest Griffin) in devastating and frankly embarassing fashion.

Fedor Emelianenko: World's Greatest Heavyweight and Aging Relic

For the greatest Heavyweight in the history of combat sports, Fedor Emelianenko isn't the fighter a casual fan would look at. The Last Emperor is undersized and has never trained at a major MMA gym. He looks more like a plumber than the most dangerous man in the world, but with a record that went untouched for nearly ten years, his legacy has built itself

Why that's not enough:

Until losing to Fabricio Werdum, Fedor looked like an unstoppable force. But, now that the loss to Werdum and subsequent defeat at the hands of Antonio Silva have come to Emelianenko, his stock has significantly decreased in the minds of many fans. He has been called a "can-crusher" and "overrated" by many in the MMA community.

Is it warranted?

No, in his time fighting for Pride, Emelianenko fought the greatest fighters to ever live (at the time). Some of these names include Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman, Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Andre Arlovski, Tim Sylvia and the list goes on. Though many of these fighters have declined in recent years, so does the human condition as battles are had, and injuries are fought through. Fedor's legacy should not rely on the legacies of his victims.