Joanna, Author at SportsBettingMaverick

10 Best MMA Fighters of All Time – Ranking the Greatest

#10 – Conor Mcgregor

Record: 22 – 6

Striking overall: ★★★★★

Grappling overall: ★★★★☆

Signature move: Left-hand strikes

Conor McGregor, also known as the” Notorious,” is one of the best MMA fighters who skyrocketed the popularity of this sport over the last decade. Besides his love for theatrics and trash talk, McGregor is known for his impressive striking stills and a wide karate-like stance. Being a southpaw, all his opponents knew they were one strike away from getting knocked out.

Certainly, one of his most impressive career feats was his way to the top of the featherweight division when he knocked out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds. Then, he set his eyes on the lightweight division. Ultimately, he won the title of the best lightweight in the UFC by scoring a TKO against Eddie Alvarez.

He was the first UFC champion who held two belts.

Unfortunately, Conor didn’t hold onto the belts for long, having no title defenses. Nevertheless, he is the sole factor of why the MMA community has become a global phenomenon.

#9 – Stipe Miočić

Record: 20 – 4

Striking overall: ★★★★★

Grappling overall: ★★★★☆

Signature move: Power punching

Stipe Miocic is considered the Heavyweight Goat in the UFC and is known for being a consistent and injury-free champion. He has fought numerous battles with great MMA fighters in the octagon, defeating the likes of Cormier, Ngannou, Overeem, and many others. He defended his UFC Heavyweight title four times.

Known in the octagon for his impressive boxing skills, power punching style, and great wrestling moves, Stipe is recognized as an exciting fighter. The fact that he also has a 64% KO ratio means that MMA fans are always interested in seeing him fight.

Stipe is now a 41-year-old veteran, and the end of his career is right around the corner. Nevertheless, he still has the desire to fight. Stipe was supposed to fight Jon Jones in November 2023 to cement his status as the best MMA fighter in the heavyweight division, but Jones got injured. Stipe is still keen to fight when Jones recovers.

Despite being a fighter in the octagon, Stipe is also a firefighter in his hometown in Ohio.

#8 – Daniel “DC “Cormier

Record: 22 – 3, 1 NC

Striking overall: ★★★★☆

Grappling overall: ★★★★★

Signature move: Body slamming

Daniel Cormier is one of the best MMA fighters ever to grace the octagon. Before he went to the UFC, he started his MMA career in StrikeForce.

Just like Conor McGregor, he held two belts simultaneously, but in the UFC heavyweight division, as well as the light heavyweight division. He successfully defended his titles four times, three light-heavy and one heavyweight. He has impressive wins over high-level fighters such as Stipe Miocic, Anthony Johnson, Alexander Gustafsson, Anderson Silva, Frank Mir, etc.

Daniel Cormier definitely had the tools and wins to be recognized as the best MMA light heavyweight on the planet if it weren’t for Jon Jones. He fought Jones twice, lost one fight, and the other was ruled a no contest because Jon failed the drug test. Ultimately, “DC” retired after two consecutive losses against Stipe Miocic. These losses didn’t affect his reputation as one of the best MMA fighters in history.

Today, he is a successful commentator at many UFC events.

#7 – Jose Aldo

Record: 31- 8

Striking overall: ★★★★★

Grappling overall: ★★★★☆

Signature move: Brutal leg kicking

Jose Aldo had a prosperous MMA career, and many consider him to be the best MMA fighter in the featherweight division. He started his career in WEC, where he became a featherweight champ and even defended the belt two times.

Eventually, this organization merged with the UFC, where Aldo dominated the featherweight division for eight years, from 2006 to 2014. He won 18 fights in a row during that period. Regarding his fighting style, he mostly used Muay Thai and gave devastating leg kicks to his opponents. Brazilian jiujitsu was also his strong side.

Viewers were mostly in awe after watching his matches, whether he won or lost. He got the best of elite MMA fighters like Mendes, Edgar, and Faber. He lost to Mcgregor in 2015 and mostly lost to champions in the upcoming years like Volkanovski and Holloway.

He won three consecutive fights, then lost against Merab Dvalishvili. After the match against Dvalishvili, he retired. Jose Aldo became a part of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023.

#6 – Demetrious Johnson

Record: 27 – 3 – 1

Striking overall: ★★★★★

Grappling overall: ★★★★★

Signature move: Submission artist

The MMA world has yet to see a better flyweight fighter than the “Mighty Mouse” – Demetrious Johnson. At his time in the UFC, he was also one of the best pound-for-pound fighters. He is fast and efficient at using his takedown skills to transition into submissions. Johnson is also good in the ground and pound department.

He has also broken a couple of UFC records. One of them is the most takedown in his division. The second is having more than ten takedowns on three different occasions.

He was the first champion in his division and successfully defended his belt 11 times. Johnson defended his UFC flyweight title against MMA fighters such as Joseph Benavidez, Henry Cejudo, and John Dodson.

After a split decision loss to Cejudo in 2018, where many fans thought he won the match, he said goodbye to UFC and went to One Championship. Today, he is successful in that MMA organization where he won multiple grand prix tournaments.

#5 – Khabib Nurmagomedov

Record: 29 – 0

Striking overall: ★★★★☆

Grappling overall: ★★★★★

Signature move: Dagestani Handcuff

In MMA, Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov is mostly recognized for his incredible grappling skills that tired his opponents. Then, he either finished his opponents by submission or a TKO. Some fans think his fights weren’t so enjoyable because of that style. The one thing that was always fascinating about Khabib was his stamina and his relentlessness to dominate his opponents. He had the longest reign in the lightweight division champion in UFC’s history and is considered to be one of te best MMA fighters in this division. He was a champion for almost three years.

During his time in the UFC, he dominated in all of his matches and pulled off wins against fighters like Poirier, Gaehtje, Barboza, Dos Anjos, and McGregor.

The fight against McGregor had the best pay-per-view night in the UFC, with 2.4 million buys. After this fight, he only stepped into the octagon two times. He went undefeated in the UFC with 29 impressive wins and retired at the peak of his fighting abilities. He honored the wish of his mother not to fight anymore after the death of his father.

Now, he is a mentor to Islam Makhachev, the reigning champion of the UFC’s lightweight division.

#4 – Fedor Emelianenko

Record: 40 – 7, 1 NC

Striking overall: ★★★★★

Grappling overall: ★★★★★

Signature move: Ground and pound

Another heavyweight on the list of the best MMA fighters of all time is Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko. He was a hard hitter with a vicious ground-and-pound game during his fighting days. During his prime, he was an all-around mixed martial artist and an unstoppable force in the ring.

Fedor is the only fighter in this ranking of the best MMA fighters of all time who wasn’t a part of the UFC. He fought in a lot of MMA organizations, such as Pride, Bellator, and Strikeforce. His undefeated spell as the Pride Heavyweight champion lasted eight years, from 2001 to 2009. He won an incredible number of 27 fights in a row. He beat many MMA legends like Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Nogueira, Mark Hunt, and Mark Coleman.

No one can deny that Fedor has a legacy that is worthy of him being recognized as the GOAT of the MMA world.

#3 – Anderson Silva

Record: 34 -11, 1 NC

Striking overall: ★★★★★

Grappling overall: ★★★★☆

Signature move: Super sharp striker

Anderson “The Spider” Silva, a striking phenom, could easily be declared as the best MMA fighter ever. Silva is a UFC legend who broke many records in this fighting promotion.

He holds the record of ten title defenses and a massive 16-win streak in the UFC. Also, he had his UFC Middleweight titles for 2,457 days between 2006 and 2012. Besides the middleweight division, he also fought as a light heavyweight, knocking out Irvin, Bonnar, and Griffin.

He possessed a fighting style like no other fighter on the planet. His unique movements in the octagon got him to win fights with impressive knockouts. “The Spider” beat big names in the MMA middleweight world like Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, and others.

“The Spider” retired in 2020 after three losses in a row, but that didn’t hurt his legacy as being one of the best MMA fighters in history.

#2 – Jon Jones

Record: 27 – 1, NC

Striking overall: ★★★★★

Grappling overall: ★★★★★

Signature move: Elbows and oblique kicks

If you start debating who’s the MMA GOAT, Jon Jones must be a part of the “best fighters of all time” conversation. Jones is, without a doubt, the top MMA fighter in light heavyweight history.

Jones always makes calculated moves in the octagon and uses his long reach to his advantage. His style is composed of his elite wrestling and unorthodox striking techniques.

All of his wins were just a display of high-level skills and dominance. He became the youngest champion in UFC history at 23 years old when he brutally TKO’d Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Besides Rua, he defeated many MMA greats like Cormier, Machida, Gustafsson, Belfort, “Rampage” Jackson, etc.

He also set the record for most UFC title defenses (11) and has the biggest win streak (26) in the light heavyweight division.

After a 2-year break, Jones set his eyes on the heavyweight division and submitted Cyril Gane to become the heavyweight champion. He should’ve fought Stipe in November 2023, but he got a shoulder injury. Nevertheless, he will Stipe upon his recovery. Even though he had his titles stripped because of using illegal substances, he has achieved his status as one of the best MMA fighters ever.

#1 – Georges St-Pierre

Record: 26 – 2

Striking overall: ★★★★★

Grappling overall: ★★★★★

Signature move: Superman punch

Georges “Rush “ St-Pierre was surely the best MMA fighter ever to enter the octagon. St-Pierre was an all-around fighter and basically had no weaknesses.

He got into karate after being bullied, and that’s how he started his journey as a fighter.

He was a two-division champion by winning titles as a welterweight and a middleweight. He dominated the welterweight division by destroying superb fighters like B.J. Penn, Matt Hughes, Carlos Condit, and Nick Diaz. He won 13 consecutive fights and defended his UFC welterweight title 9 times.

He avenged his two losses against Matt Serra and Matt Hughes in great fashion.

He retired on two occasions. The first time, was after his controversial win against Hendricks. After a 4-year hiatus, he returned to the octagon and became the middleweight champion after he submitted Michael Bisping. He vacated his title because of his health issues. Only a few fighters retired at their peak, but Georges thought that was the right decision.

Many accomplishments earned him the right to be called the best MMA fighter of all time.

Honorable Mentions

Chuck Liddell – with four title defenses in the UFC as a light heavyweight champ, Liddell was the real deal in his prime.
Matt Hughes – was a middleweight superstar with 7 title defenses and wins against great fighters like Georges St-Pierre, B.J. Penn, Matt Serra, and Renzo Gracie. This impressive resume undoubtedly garners him consideration as one of the best MMA fighters of all time.
Kamaru Usman – defended his UFC middleweight title five times and had a fascinating 20-fight win streak.
B.J. Penn – a Brazilian jiujitsu expert, Penn ran through opponents with ease in his prime, beating fighters such as Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, both Renzo and Rodrigo Gracie, and Takanori Gomi. He was a champ in two divisions, welterweight and lightweight.
Max Holloway – fights in the featherweight division, where he was a champion and defended his title three times. He holds the record for most significant strikes landed in the UFC – 3,366.

Everything You Should Know About Sports Betting Bonuses

Types of Sports Betting Bonuses

There are a plethora of sports betting bonuses that provide a thrilling experience to bettors, but each in its own kind of way. Bonuses are great when it comes to increasing your bankroll, and each type of bonus can give you a nice cash boost.

In this lengthy list of types of bonuses, we’ll explain them to you in detail so you can use them with ease once you start gambling on your favorite sport. We’ll throw in some examples so you’ll understand them even better.

Welcome Bonus

The welcome bonus is the first one that you’ll get when you start sports betting. You can claim this bonus by making an account at a sportsbook and transferring some funds to it. Some sportsbooks will demand that you enter a promo code as well to redeem the bonus.

The welcome bonus also goes by the term “match-up bonus” because the sportsbook will reward you with an extra 100% of the money you invested when you’ve made your account.

To make this clearer, we will give you an example. If the sportsbook offers a 100% welcome bonus and you put $100 on your account, you will receive another $100 as your welcome bonus. This is an excellent offer for both novices and more experienced bettors because it is an efficient incentive that will entice you to place more bets.

Eventually, you can make some big wins just because you made that initial deposit and got the sign-up or welcome bonus. The welcome bonus percentage can typically go from 50% up to 400%.

Bear in mind that there’s a wagering requirement. That means that you have to wager the money you got from your bonus a particular number of times before you can withdraw the money made from the bonus. The wager requirement often ranges from 5x to 20x.

No Deposit Bonus

The type of bonus that is one of the most universal ones offered by sports betting sites is the no-deposit bonus. In order to get this bonus, you only have to make an account at a sportsbook. So, you don’t have to deposit any kind of money.

This bonus is on the house as long as you create an account. The no-deposit bonus will generally be smaller, and fund you from $5 up to $100. We always recommend betting enthusiasts to read the terms of the bonus.

For example, the welcome bonus commonly has a promo period of 7 to 30 days. Which means you have to use it in that timeline. Also, you have to use the full amount of the bonus and divide it into more than one bet.

Free Bets

A universal promotional offer at a sportsbook is “free bets.”This bonus will award you with a certain amount of “free money” that you have the freedom to use for bets. The money from free bets will, of course, be lost if you lose a bet.

On the other hand, if you can pull off a win, you will get the amount of money from the bet.

We’ll explain this through a simple example. If you place a $50 bet with free bet money and profit $50 from the bet, you can keep the profits. Also, you can later withdraw that money from your account.

Keep in mind that sportsbooks set a limited amount for payouts, so you can’t make some big bets. Also, a wager requirement is set for free bets, which we explained earlier.

Risk-free bets

The risk-free bet, or as they call it, the second chance bet, is like the free bet but quite different. It is a promo bonus used to encourage players to keep betting even if they lose. With the risk-free bet, you use your funds, and with the free bet, the sportsbook gives you funds.

Getting a risk-free bet means that you’ve made a deposit on a bet, and if you lose, you get your money back. Let’s say that you’ve made a bet of $100 on a sports game, and you lose the bet. The sportsbook will get you a refund of $100. But betting fans can’t withdraw that money. They have to make a couple of bets and start to make some wins before being eligible to cash out.

Enhanced odds or price boosts

Enhanced odds or price boosts are a sports betting bonus that is pretty self-explanatory. The sportsbook will increase the odds of a particular match or a tournament for a limited amount of time. Enhance odds are often capped to a lower increase in odds because the sports betting sites want to minimize the risk of having to make a big payout.

For example, regular odds for a potential winner of a specific match are 2.00. But, for some time, the sportsbook will offer enhanced odds 2.50 for the same match.

The majority of enhanced odds bonuses are meant to retain betting fans who already have a betting account or to reward the ones who are members of the VIP programs. Rarely this bonus is offered to newcomers. When it is, they must make their initial wager to get the bonus.

Cash Back

This type of bonus isn’t the most common offer that can be found in sportsbooks. Another name for the cashback bonus is the loss bonus. The basic premise of the cash bonus is that you’ll be reimbursed with a small percentage of what you’ve lost on a certain bet. In most cases, it will be around 5%.

Also, the cashback bonus can be rewarded to you only if you wager on some sports, such as horse racing. Remember that even a small token of appreciation, like a reimbursement of a few percentages of the total amount of your lost wagered money, is a positive thing. In addition, it is an excellent incentive to entice you to place more bets at your favorite sportsbook.

Reload bonus

Bookmakers will frequently reward you with a nice bonus when you place your initial wager. Some of them will be more rewarding and get a bonus to encourage you to place your second wager.

The betting site will give you the exact amount of money for your second bet that you set when you made your first bet. That bonus is called the reload bonus.

To explain this type of promo offer more clearly, we’ll provide you with an example. When you make an account at your preferred bookmaker and place a bet of $100, you’ll be rewarded with another $100 to make your next bet.

Like in most bonuses, wagering requirements should be read so you can see how much you have to play through in order to withdraw your winnings.

Referral bonus

One of the most straightforward bonuses savvy or novice bettors can get is the referral bonus. Sportsbooks always look to attract more players to join them, and one way to do that is through the referral bonus.

If you have a friend or someone in your family who is keen to start betting, suggest they open an account. Once you refer them to the betting site and they make their initial deposit, you will get your bonus.

How big of a bonus you’ll get solely depends on how much funds your referred person deposits at a sportsbook. Like with every bonus, there’s a limit on how much you can get. Nevertheless, getting a bonus is always something positive, no matter the size of it.

Loyalty or VIP Programs

Sportsbook rewards its most loyal customers by offering them a chance to become a member of their VIP or loyalty program. The condition of getting a membership is to bet and spend a certain amount of money regularly.

To clarify how it works, you collect points after every wager you make. When enough points are gathered, you can become a VIP Program member.

There are a couple of levels of the Loyalty program, and the bookmaker will rank your loyalty to them via collected points. After that, you can reach a specific VIP Program level. Each level of the program will give you different perks. For example, you can get special bonuses on holidays and your birthday, private 24/7 customer support, and many other exclusive offers.

Most Common Terms and Conditions Of Bonuses

Now, we’ll explain to you the most common restrictions when it comes to rollovers.

Minimum deposit — you can get a lot of bonuses if you make your first deposit. Usually, the minimum goes from $10 to $20.
Minimum odds — you can get bonuses only if you meet the minimum odds terms you have to place on a particular match (usually 2.00).
Specific sports and matches — bettors can bet on a wide range of matches and tournaments. But there are promo offers that can only be won if you bet on specific ones.
Limited time — the terms and conditions contain the info on how long a bonus lasts once you’ve got it.
Withdrawal limit — some bookmakers will have a withdrawal limit on their bonuses, so please check out the terms and conditions of each bonus when it comes to this.

What Is A Rollover?

Getting familiar with the bonus is as crucial as getting to know the basic terms of sports betting. One of them is the rollover or the play-through.

A rollover requires you to place a bet and spend a particular sum of money before you’re eligible to make a withdrawal of your bonus winnings. The goal of bookmakers is to encourage you to place a lot of bets, not to make fast withdrawals.

Let us walk you through how this works. For instance, your bookmaker offers you a 100% welcome bonus that has a 5x play-through, and you make a $100 deposit. Then, you’ll have $200 to use for placing bets. The catch is that you can withdraw your winnings until you place bets that sum up to $1000 in total.

This is how you calculate your rollover. You make your initial $100 deposit, and the welcome bonus gets you an extra $100. So, you take those $200 and multiply them with the 5x rollover. That will add up to $1000. As we’ve previously mentioned, check your terms and conditions for the bonuses.

Conclusion

In summary, bonuses guarantee making your sports betting experience more fun and enjoyable. We gave you some clear definitions of those bonuses and examples that can be of help when you start betting. Choose a sportsbook of your liking, limit how much money you’ll place on bets, and bet responsibly.

Make a wager with your first deposit, and redeem those bonuses!

Read Next: Best Sports Betting Systems

Flag Football Rules – How To Play Flag Football

Flag Football 101

Flag football is played between two teams of 5-8 players. Players carry the ball throughout the field, scoring the point when passing the goal line. You will win the match if you score more points than your opponent.

The flag football field is a rectangle, 70 yards long and 30 yards wide. The end zone, which comes after the goal line, is 10 yards wide.

There’s no need for fancy equipment since players only need flags and a football. One match lasts 40 minutes and starts with a coin toss. After half-time, both teams switch sides.

Basic Flag Football Rules

The player cannot guard their flag.
The carrier may pass the ball backward and use legal pitches behind the line of scrimmage.
Beyond the line of scrimmage, players must pass the ball forward. Pitches from this point are not permitted, only direct handoffs.
The “seven-second passing clock” – The quarterback must pass the ball in seven seconds.
Offense players must steer clear and cannot get in the rusher’s way.
The defense player off the line of scrimmage by seven yards may rush.
The ball is dead and not in the play when:
- The point is scored,
- The ball touches the ground,
- The carrier’s body (besides their hands or feet)touches the ground,
- The carrier’s flag is pulled from their belt or
- The carrier steps out of bounds.

For more clarity on the rules, keep reading.

Safety Above All Else

Safety is a priority in flag football. There is no physical contact between the players of both teams, and they’re not allowed to do the following maneuvers like in American football:

Tackling
Diving
Fumbling
Screening
Blocking

All players wear two flag football flags attached to the sides of their belts. Since there is no physical contact between the players, you “tackle” the ball carriers by pulling one or two flags from their belts.

Scoring

The team starts the match on their 5-yard line, and both teams have four downs to get across the midfield. When they successfully do that, they will have three downs to get a touchdown. To clarify, a “down” is a play in NFL flag football.

By getting a touchdown, you’ll get six points on the scoreboard. Flag football players also have the chance to gain an extra point or two by way of conversion. A team can get one point from the five-yard line, and from the 10-yard line, they will get two points. Safety earns you two points.

Passing

According to flag football rules, every pass has to go ahead, and players must receive those passes behind the scrimmage line. This rule also applies to shovels or short passes.

The quarterback must throw the ball in 7 seconds. Otherwise, the play will be dead. Other players can’t rush him, and the QB is forbidden from running the football.

Receiving

All players can receive the football. This unique rule allows the coaches to implement a wide range of flag football strategies and teach players to improve their offense.

Remember that one foot must be in bounds when you make a catch while playing flag football.

Defense

As a no-contact sport, players must learn to pull the flag or flags from the attacking player’s belt. The basic idea is to be in front of the attacking player all the time and quickly pull the flag from the top part of their belt.

Most teams use a defense strategy where you guard one player, but some teams will use a zone defense, where a player puts their focus on defending one part of the playing field.

Penalties

Even though there is no contact in flag football, players can make fouls, for which they will receive penalties. There is an extensive list of more than 20 penalties, and we will explain the most common ones players get.

One of them is flag guarding. To clarify, this happens when you either defend the flags on your belt or if you smack your opponent’s hand. You’ll get penalties for losing yards and getting an automatic first down if you hold your opponent or interfere with a pass.

Useful Tips and Tricks

In flag football, a good offense is crucial to winning games. Try implementing a well-balanced offense where some players can run the ball, and others can make good passes. Working on communication is also vital because it can help make moves faster and pull off impressive flag football plays.

Defense is just as important as offense. You should hone your flag-pulling skills and create a strategy for executing efficient flag football defensive plays.

Conclusion

Flag football is an equally entertaining and fun-packed alternative to American football. It relies on inclusivity, safety, and fair play.

We’ve provided you with all the essential flag football information so you can start playing it immediately.

Ready your flags and start playing!