Carlos Newton
Ok, so we said 12 top MMA fighters, but hey who’s counting? Here’s a bonus one – former UFC Welterweight champion Carlos Newton who was one of the top MMA fighters of the early 2000s.
Newton had a hiccup to start his MMA career though in the form of a loss in his first fight, succumbing to exhaustion in the first round of a fight with Jean Riviere back in 1996.
Despite the setback, Newton continued fighting and enjoyed a heralded career in both the UFC and Pride, fighting the likes of Dan Henderson, Renzo Gracie, Anderson Silva and Matt Hughes throughout his 30 fight career.
