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By: Brad Walker, MMATorch Columnist
I took a long time compiling this list, weeding out the fighters I felt were underrated as opposed to the fighters who are treated as if they are underrated. So I started with a list of about 30 and broke it down to 10 before I figured it was a small enough list to keep your attention while reading. Some fighters are more underrated than the others, but the order I put them in is simply the order in which I wrote them down – so there's no rhyme or reason to the numbering. It is based heavily on personal opinion but as always there is truth and an argument to be made for how each one could be better utilized. So here are ten fighters I feel are constantly and criminally underrated:
Cheick Kongo - MMA Record: 17-7-1 - UFC Record: 10-5-1
Kongo came into the UFC with a bang, scoring his first two wins by TKO before losing his first fight. His striking is extremely well honed and he has shown a rounding out of his skills in the last couple of years. The reason he winds up being underrated is that he is content to stand and bang with fighters he should never stand in front of. He has a couple of brutal knockouts on his loss record, but has still shown the ability to go out and win fights in exciting fashion. Kongo was nearly a top 10 heavyweight before his loss to Mark Hunt, but with a good opponent in his next outing and a strong win he can make his way back up the rankings with ease. He may not have a mind boggling ground game, but if he continues to work on his BJJ and wrestling he could make a title run before his time in the cage is up.
Scott Jorgensen - MMA Record: 13-5 - UFC Record: 2-1
Jorgensen may be the least underrated fighter on this list, but still people constantly second guess his capabilities. In his UFC debut he knocked out Ken Stone and followed that up by taking home a decision win against Jeff Curran. He has beating a number of top tier fighters, but his inability to be consistently threatening when he makes it to the top has always been his downfall. Most people recognize him simply by his tattoos and his skin condition vitiligo - but others recognize him as someone who is a perennial top 10 fighter with the ability to finish a fight in any position. In his most recent fight he managed to make it from bell to bell against Renan Barao in a decision loss, but I expect to see Scott bounce back and move up in the rankings.
Jeff Curran - MMA Record: 33-14 - UFC Record: 0-2
Jeff is kind of an enigmatic fighter in that when he reaches the top of the food chain, he tends to fall harder than most. He has fought in numerous organizations including XFO, Strikeforce, WEC, Pride, UFC, WFA, KOTC and Bellator – so he has always fought top flight talent, most often defeating them. On the flip side of the coin Jeff has been unable to muster up a win in the UFC as of yet. He lost a decision to Scott Jorgensen at UFC 137, now he will face Johnny Eduardo at UFC on Fuel next week. His striking is extremely technical and his BJJ is absolutely the most dangerous aspect of his game – so the question becomes when will he hit his stride?
Stefan Struve - MMA Record: 23-5 - UFC Record: 7-3
Struve had the unlucky draw of debuting in the UFC against now-champion Junior dos Santos, which is not a good way to make your first impression. However since then he has become an extremely well rounded fighter who uses every inch of his length to be a killer in the cage. His 6'11 frame allows him to do things that other fighters will never be capable of doing – and he has become a threat to anyone he fights on any given day. He is the top finish or be finished fighter in the UFC's heavyweight division, and if he continues his rise will be in the top 10 and title picture in the not too distant future. His setbacks have always come against heavy handed fighters with one punch power – but now that he's learned to use his length he is a powerful threat to any fighter at 265.
Derek Brunson is the embodiment of what every fighter wishes they were – a wrestler who can impose their will and also throw bombs on their feet. His BJJ game hasn't been shown off yet, but Brunson is a force to be reckoned with at middleweight. His opponents can expect to be taken down and brutalized at any given time – but somehow Derek hasn't climbed up the card thus far. He was set to fight Jacare in his last fight but was not licensed due to an eye issue, so he now awaits his next fight. Derek is a monster at 185 and I hope he is not too far from joining the ranks of UFC's middleweight division.
Yuri is an entirely different type of threat than most of the fighters on this list – he hasn't lost a fight since 2009 and is on course to become a title contender in fast fashion. His extremely well rounded game has made him a force to be reckoned with in the division as well as a fighter you don't want to get booked against. He has an evenly balanced record with 11 knockouts and 12 submissions – so he's dangerous no matter where you go inside the cage. His winning streak puts him amongst the best in the game right now, and he's either just inside or barely outside the top 10 rankings depending on who you ask. He will be back in action at UFC 147 and with a win there he puts himself on the brink of title contention.
Needless to say when Vinny was in the UFC he had not nearly reached his potential - and he got smashed big time. Ever since however he has turned over a new leaf and become a dangerous fighter for M-1 Global, a company which he hopes to exit in quick fashion. He added to his already large amount of skills and became a big time finisher inside of the cage. Sure, his record is less than impressive but with his determination and ability to evolve so quickly if he returns to the UFC he could become a top tier fighter in a flash. He's not exactly throwing around the best guys in the world in M-1, so if and when he returns to Zuffa his true ability will be decided.
Travis Browne has become the new man to beat in the heavyweight division, and nobody can just yet. He has pulled off wins over numerous talented opponents, and has shown the pride of a true warrior in each and every fight. His knockout power is absolutely incredible and he showed in his last fight with Chad Griggs that he can submit fighters as well. I don't know who is going to beat a monster of this caliber right now; he seems to be untouchable right now. He is an extremely agile fighter for his size, and he can put a hell of a fight down for anyone they book him against.
Alan Belcher - MMA Record: 18-6 - UFC Record: 9-4
Belcher is coming off of the most impressive win of his career right now after taking apart Rousimar Palhares in the first round of their bout. Eight of his UFC wins have come by stoppage, whether it is submissions or knockouts, and his current four fight win streak puts him in the top half of the division. He was counted out against Palhares from the beginning, and yet came in and showed us all how talented he truly is actually grappling on the ground and taking the fight to him. Belcher may be the owner of the ugliest tattoo in UFC history – but he also will be a title challenger within 18 months if he doesn't get injured again. Alan has all the talent that he needs to be a championship contender, if not the belt holder himself.
Lavar Johnson - MMA Record: 17-5 - UFC Record: 2-0
Lavar Johnson has come about in a big way this year, knocking out two very talented fighters and making it look easy. In January he dominated Joey Beltran and this past weekend tore apart Pat Barry. The strength in his hands is like dynamite, and every time he hits somebody they are immediately in trouble. He has shown a lack of ability to avoid submissions, but if the fight is standing - chances are he's winning. With two consecutive knockout of the night awards, I expect to see big things from Johnson in the future - a fight with Travis Browne could be the perfect way to decide if he's legit or just another big guy with power in his hands who needs to round out his game.
Follow me on twitter - @BradMMATorch - Questions and comments are always welcome!
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