After releasing their top 100 athletes since 2000, ESPN decided to put together separate top 10 lists for men and women mixed martial artists for the same time period.
As with any entirely subjective list, fans were quick to disagree.
When it came to the women’s list, ESPN’s methodology was murky and peppered with pandering statements.
The publication claimed the women on the list had “shattered stereotypes” and taken the sport to “unprecedented heights”.
ESPN provided a list of the “Top 10 Fighters in Women’s MMA History” without revealing the name of the list creator.
1. Amanda Nunes
2. Cris Cyborg
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Valentina Shevchenko
5. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
6. Rose Namajunas
7. Zhang Weili
8. Miesha Tate
9. Megumi Fujii
10. Holly Holm
ESPN Ambiguity List your requirements Fans wondered if the fighters were listed for their legend and popularity, or for pure talent. Rousey was certainly a great trailblazer in terms of popularity and bringing attention to the sport, but she was easily defeated by the No. 10 fighter on the list, Holm.
Similarly, Fujii is a legend in the sport, but she has had few notable wins in her career and would have a hard time competing with any of the women on this list, and many who aren’t.
UFC legend Conor McGregor was quick to criticize the rankings, pointing out that No. 2, Cris “Cyborg” Justino, has tested positive for banned substances multiple times.
“Let’s not forget that Cyborg was convicted of steroid misuse,” McGregor said in a post on X that has since been deleted. translation: report.
UFC president Dana White once described Cyborg as “nightmareHe was called a “dirty” fighter for bringing her to the UFC after using steroids.
Other fans disagreed with Rousey’s ranking, with one saying she was “unusually high on this list.”
ESPN was also vague in its description of the men’s division, describing it as “the top 10 best fighters in men’s mixed martial arts.”
The wording differs slightly from the women’s list, with the addition of the word “best” to the preamble.
The ranking of the list is as follows:
1. Jon Jones
2. Georges St-Pierre
3. Anderson Silva
4. Demetrious Johnson
5. Khabib Nurmagomedov
6. Fedor Emelianenko
7. Randy Couture
8. Chuck Liddell
9. BJ Penn
10. Kamaru Usman
Fans were far more critical of the men’s list, and while many agreed it wasn’t bad in terms of the fighters’ greatness or relevance to the sport, there remained confusion about how it was determined.
Typical”Where is Connor?The ” ” post omitted the names of some frequently mentioned notable figures, including UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and two-division champion Daniel Cormier.
Fan MMA Mania He made a compelling argument for why McGregor should be included on the list, arguing that his accomplishments would be worthy of recognition even if he didn’t defend the belt.
“It’s not surprising. McGregor can legitimately claim to be the most ‘successful’ MMA fighter, but not the best. [sic] Go back six years and he could have finished in the top 10. if He defended his belt,” the fan wrote.
“As conclusion [sic] Connor made the most of his opportunity. [sic] “He’s been incredibly successful, but he hasn’t been a serious competitor for some time. His best years are behind him, and he may be remembered more for his antics outside the cage than for his triumphs inside it.”
Other fans have pointed out that this list isn’t a “popularity contest,” but it’s certainly hard to judge.
ESPN’s previous top 100 list included many MMA fighters, and was understandably criticized for it as well.
The network’s host Pat McAfee called it a “shit show” and criticized ESPN for even trying to put together such a list.
“The ESPN guys put out a Top 100 list, and it’s a microcosm of everything people hate about ESPN,” McAfee says. stated“What a show it is with the choices they made to rank the top 100 athletes of the 21st century.”
The ranking was a clear attempt to pander to female athletes, with unknown athletes ranked higher than actual female sports legends such as Venus Williams and WNBA pioneers Candace Parker and Lisa Leslie.
All things considered, ESPN has done a decent job with its men’s MMA roster, but there still seems to be a desire to appear fully aware of its female audience, which severely limits ESPN’s ability to produce roster of all-around athletes or roster specifically for women.
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