5. Mirko Filipovic
The 2012 K-1 World Grand Prix winner rose to power inside Pride Fighting Championships, where he scored countless highlight-reel knockouts, often with his patented left high kick. Wins over Kazushi Sakuraba, Igor Vovchanchyn, Josh Barnett (three times), Mark Coleman and Wanderlei Silva marked his run of dominance in the Japanese organization. At his best, “Cro Cop” was difficult to beat. His crowning achievement came in the 2006 Pride open weight grand prix. There may never again be a greater concentration of talent in one tournament, and the list of names remains as startling today as it was then: Barnett, Silva, Mark Hunt, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Hidehiko Yoshida. Filipovic was the last man standing. By the time “Cro Cop” reached the UFC, his best days were behind him and he never quite lived up to the expectations that preceded his arrival. However, Filipovic has enjoyed a late-career resurgence at age 42. Currently on a seven-fight winning streak, he won the 2016 Rizin Fighting Federation open weight grand prix with consecutive victories over Hyun Man Myung, Muhammed Lawal, Kaido Hoovelson and Amir Aliakbari.
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