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In the sport that has accumulated some incredible records and some even more fearsome reputations, B.J. Penn is one of the key fighters. B.J. Penn stands at a mere 5 feet and 9 inches and weighs in around 155 and he is also known as “the prodigy”.

In Hilo Hawaii, Penn was born on December 13, 1978 and he specializes in Boxing and Jiu-Jitsu. At the age of 17, he began the Brazilian style of Jiu-Jitsu. He began training under Ralph Gracie in 1997 and ended up getting his black belt in 2000. He was the winner of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship as well.

B.J. Penn then went looking for better and bigger venues. He caught the attention of President Dana White and the UFC and they were able to persuade him to switch to Mixed Martial Arts. In 2001 on May 24 was Penn’s first fight and he got a victory over Joey Gilbert.

He won an MMA championship at UFC 46 in 2004. In a higher weight class, he beat the defending champion Matt Hughes. Penn did a short stint in the FEG from there. His welterweight title was rescinded by the UFC saying he breached contract. Penn agreed to a settlement with the UFC in 2006, that he would return back the league. He lost to Georges St. Pierre in a split decision, in his return fight.

His rematch with Matt Hughes where he lost the fight was the next big fight in the league. In 2007, he then went on to be a coach for The Ultimate Fighter and even got to rematch Jens Pulver where he won the fight with another rear naked choke.

On Dec. 31, 2009, Penn challenged for the Welterweight title against Georges St. Pierre but he was defeated. In the UFC, Penn has been a great fighter and he continues to show his great Jiu-Jitsu.

In 1981, New Jersey, Frankie Edgar was born. As a wrestler, Edgar started his fighting career. In high school, he was a solid wrestler and he managed to qualify for the state tournament three different times.

At Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Edgar attended college. Edgar found a good deal of success while he was at that university and he was qualified for the national tournament ever y year that he competed.

Interestingly, in Jiu-Jitsu, Edgar is only a purple belt, despite the fact that he isn’t in the highest level of that form of martial arts he is an extremely successful fighter.

He has fought 13 professional fights and he has only suffered one defeat, to this point in his career. By way of decision, came that defeat.

Edgar has risen to the top of the lightweight world, with all of this success. In the lightweight division out of any fighter in the world, many rankings have Edgar ranked as the top fighter.

He fought some lower level fights to start his career. He sought to bring his talents to “The Ultimate Fighter” and he managed to win his first five fights. He took on an undefeated fighter named Tyson Griffin in his first fight. In order to win by decision, he fought tough and lasted the distance. In the UFC, that fight has gone down in history, as one of the best fights to ever take place.

Edgar eventually managed to get a chance to challenge BJ Penn for the UFC Lightweight Championship, although he lost one fight along the way. Edgar became the new champion of the division and he managed to take the victory. He will take on Penn in a rematch to retain his belt and he is now at the top of the game.

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Born May 30, 1978 Lyoto Carvalho Machida is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. This Japanese Brazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Salvador, Brazil is 6ft 1 inch with a 74 inch reach and is known as “The Dragon”.

At age twelve he started training in the art of Sumo and earned a black belt at age 13 and went on to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at age fifteen. In 2001 he won the Pan American Karate Tournament and other amateur karate tournaments.

In the 2000 Machida was the runner up for the Brazilian Sumo Championships. Machida made his MMA debut in Inoki’s New Japan Pro Wrestling. He then fought runner-up Stephan Bonner in The Ultimate Fighter 1.

With a 3-0 record Machida fought Michael McDonald and Sam Greco then beat B.J. Penn in K-1 Hero’s. Signing with the World Fighting Alliance he began to compete in the U.S. and in his debut fight he defeated Vernon White. After the WFA went out of business the UFC then acquired Machida’s contract.

Winning his UFC debut fighting Sam Hoger and he also beat David Heath and then he also beat Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 76 and was nominated for the 2009 ESPYS “Best Fighter” category. Machida fought Rashad Evans at UFC 98 and was crowned the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Machida’s first title defense came in 2009 when Mauricia “Shogun” Rua fought him. Machida fought Rua in a rematch for the title for UFC 113 on May 8th in Canada. This match had been postponed for several months and Lyoto Machida eventually lost this rematch to Mauricio Rua by knock-out at the 3:35 mark of round 1.

Russian heavyweight MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko was born September 28, 1976. World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts Heavyweight Champion and previously the winner of Pride Heavyweight Championship and also won in Pride 2004 Grand Prix, World Combat Sambo championship and is a Russian National Judo Championship medalist.

Trained by Vasiliy Ivanovich Gavrilov and Vladimir Mihailovich Voronov he started learning Sambo and Judo techniques when he began fighting. A strong will power and perseverance are his greatest strengths.

Receiving his “Master of Sports” title in Sambo and Judo back in 1997 he also earned his bronze medal in Russian Judo Championship. Coach Alexander Vasilievich Michkov coached his study of strike and he debuted in MMA for Japanese RINGS organization but was not allowed to make head strikes. At age 25 in 2000 he started Sambo mixed martial arts in spite of money being tight at the time.

Fedor Emelianenko has trained with sport specific training in kickboxing, grappling and boxing and is working to improve his strength and skills by training two or three times a day. Covering 7 to 9 miles twice a day he also works pull ups, crunches and dips. Travelling once or twice a year to Kisovodsk for high altitude training has improved his stamina. For more on his intense work out you should check out his recently published book on these and other unique techniques.

Muay Thai coach Ruslan Nagnibeda, Doctor Oleg Neustroev, grappling coach Voronov, boxing coach Michkiv, his training partners Roman Zentsov, and his brother Aleksander round out his team members.

With a default victory Fedor defended his World Championship title with opponent failing to show up in semis, by checking out the Bulgarian fighter in just 40 seconds of the start of the fight and finalist declining to fight. Finishing third In Nov 16, 2008 he lost to 23 year old Blagoi Ivanov at Combat Sambo World Championships.

Winning gold at the Tussian Combat Sambo Championship, February 21, 2009. So once again don’t forget to check out his new book Fedor: The Fighting System of the World’s undisputed King of MMA.