Sports Illustrated has revealed its Fittest 50 list for 2016, ranking the fittest 50 male and the fittest 50 female athletes in the world. In all, 11 figures from martial arts and combat sports made the list, including 7 from mixed martial arts, split between four women and three men.
MEET THE WOMEN
Athletes were assessed on six criteria, including strength: the pushing-off power of a pole vaulter or the ballistic backhand of a Grand Slam champion; speed: the top-end velocity of a sprinter or the quick-cut burst of a point guard; endurance: a cyclist’s ceaseless drive or a boxer’s ability to absorb punishment and keep punching; and agility: the fluid movements of a gymnast or the knife-edge balance of a downhill skier.
50. Elena Delle Donne / CHICAGO SKY
49. Darya Klishina / TRACK AND FIELD, LONG JUMP
48. Ireen Wüst / SPEED SKATING
47. Genzebe Dibaba / TRACK AND FIELD, DISTANCE
46. Kacy Catanzaro / AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR
45. Jessi Stensland / ADVENTURE, ENDURANCE AND PARKOUR
44. Christie Rampone / SKY BLUE FC
43. Mariana Pajon / BMX CYCLIST
42. Lindsey Vonn / ALPINE SKIER
41. Danica Patrick / NASCAR DRIVER
40. Skylar Diggins / DALLAS WINGS
39. Mattie Rogers / WEIGHTLIFTING
38. Sloane Stephens / WTA TENNIS
37. Lolo Jones / HURDLER AND BOBSLEDDER
36. Kristin Armstrong / CYCLING
35. Christmas Abbott / CROSSFIT
Please note: Not David ‘Tank’ Abbott’s daughter 🙂
34. Dafne Schippers / TRACK AND FIELD, HEPTATHLON
33. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet / CROSSFIT
32. Katarina Johnson-Thompson / TRACK AND FIELD, HEPTATHLON
31. Kayla Harrison / JUDO
Harrison began judo at the age of six and was a strong junior player, but she secured her spot in history in 2012 at the Olympics in London by winning the first gold medal by any American (man or woman) in the sport’s history. As she eyes Rio 2016, Harrison trains using circuit-based workouts featuring running, lifting, rope climbs and, of course, judo.
30. Miesha Tate / UFC
Tate officially joined the UFC in 2013 and is the current UFC women’s bantamweight champion after defeating former titleholder Holly Holm at UFC 196 in March. The 29-year-old is training for her first title defense against Amanda Nunes, at UFC 200 which, if anything like her last pre-fight camp, will feature sparring sessions, footwork drills with a ladder and more.
29. Candace Parker / LOS ANGELES SPARKS
28. Hannah Teter / HALFPIPE SNOWBOARDER
27. Sally Fitzgibbons / WSL SURFER
26. Michelle Waterson / UFC
Mixed martial arts artist Waterson trains with Team Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., and has also trained in WuShu, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Boxing and wrestling. Waterson fits in her workouts—a mix of MMA sparring, kickboxing and cardiovascular work—between caring for her daughter as a self-described full-time mommy.
25. Talayna Fortunato / CROSSFIT
24. Charlotte / WWE
23. Misty Copeland / AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE
22. Brianne Theisen-Eaton / TRACK AND FIELD, HEPTATHLON
21. Amelia Boone / OBSTACLE RACER AND ULTRARUNNER
20. Missy Franklin / USA SWIMMING
19. Ronda Rousey / UFC
Even after her shocking defeat vs. Holly Holm, Rousey is still in fighting form and vows to return to reclaim her UFC women’s bantamweight champion belt. As she recovers from injuries she sustained against Holm, Rousey is training to get back in the ring by lifting weights, swimming, and working with her coach, Edmond Tarverdyan, at Glendale Fighting Club in California.
18. Maya Moore / MINNESOTA LYNX
17. Ali Krieger / WASHINGTON SPIRIT
16. Gabby Douglas / USA GYMNASTICS
15. Samantha Briggs / CROSSFIT
14. Ashima Shiraishi / ROCK CLIMBER
13. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce / TRACK AND FIELD, SPRINT
12. Meghan Duggan / ICE HOCKEY
11. Jenn Suhr / POLE VAULTER
10. Kerri Walsh Jennings / BEACH VOLLEYBALL
9. Holly Holm / UFC
Known as The Preacher’s Daughter, Holm is the first person, female or male, to win titles in both boxing and mixed martial arts. The 5’8, 135-lb southpaw, twice Ring’s Female Fighter of the Year, has devoted countless hours of training to transforming herself into a UFC champion, producing a fearsome blend of power, speed, endurance and agility.
8. Maggie Steffens / USA WATER POLO
7. Claressa Shields / BOXING
Shields began boxing at age 11. Four years ago she became the first U.S. woman ever to win a boxing gold medal, taking the middleweight title. Rugged, powerful and utterly committed, Shields put off turning pro in order to go for a second gold in Rio. Her training days include boxing specific drills and sparring as well as lifting and running—often capped with pushups and situps before bed, just because, she says, it makes me feel stronger.
6. Gwen Jorgensen / TRIATHLETE
5. Serena Williams / WTA TENNIS
4. Katie Ledecky / USA SWIMMING
3. Simone Biles / USA GYMNASTICS
2. ALLYSON FELIX / TRACK AND FIELD, SPRINT
1. Jessica Ennis-Hill / TRACK AND FIELD, HEPTATHLON
MEET THE MEN
Athletes were assessed on six criteria, including strength: the pushing power of a lineman or the force of an ultimate fighter; speed: the top end of a sprinter or the burst of a running back; endurance: a runner’s bottomless reserve or a boxer’s ability to keep going in a bout; and agility: the balance of a downhill skier or a euro step at full speed on the break.
50. Blake Griffin / LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
49. Akani Simbine / TRACK AND FIELD, SPRINT.
48. Sergio Ramos / REAL MADRID
47. N’Golo Kante / LEICESTER CITY
46. Rob Gronkowski / NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
45. Rajon Rondo / SACRAMENTO KINGS
Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images
44. Steven Stamkos / TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
43. Connor Barwin / PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
42. Stephen Curry / GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
41. Sam Mikulak / USA GYMNASTICS
40. Galen Rupp / MARATHONER
39. Conor McGregor / UFC
The 27-year-old Irish MMA star may not follow a strict training schedule—Nothing, he says, is set by a clock.—but he packs each day with a withering array of exercises and fitness drills ranging from free weight work to core training to yoga—plus grueling hours of striking, grappling and jiu-jitsu—all designed to forge a body and a mind capable of championship-level combat.
38. Chris Hogan / NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
37. Bryce Harper / WASHINGTON NATIONALS
36. Russell Wilson / SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
35. Kendrick Farris / USA WEIGHTLIFTING
34. Odell Beckham Jr. / NEW YORK GIANTS
33. Scott Dixon / INDYCAR DRIVER
32. Cam Newton / CAROLINA PANTHERS
31. Michael Phelps / USA SWIMMING
30. Christian Taylor / TRACK AND FIELD, TRIPLE JUMP
29. Steve Langton / BOBSLEDDER
28. Dez Bryant / DALLAS COWBOYS
27. Zlatan Ibrahimovic / PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
26. Chris Sharma / ROCK CLIMBER
25. Michael Tinsley / TRACK AND FIELD, 400M HURDLES
24. Seth Rollins / WWE
23. Serge Ibaka / OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
22. Trayvon Bromell / TRACK AND FIELD, SPRINT
21. Mike Trout / LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
20. Vernon Davis / WASHINGTON REDSKINS
19. Donnell Whittenburg / USA GYMNASTICS
18. Marquise Goodwin / BUFFALO BILLS
17. Demetrious Johnson / UFC
Dubbed Mighty Mouse, the 5’3, 125-lb. Kentucky native won the UFC flyweight crown in 2012 and has successfully defended it eight times. He’s widely regarded as the quickest and most technically-proficient fighter in the sport, one who packs power in his small frame more reminiscent of another cartoon superhero—his personal favorite, Batman.
16. Kieran Read / NEW ZEALAND RUGBY PLAYER
15. Paul Rabil / NEW YORK LIZARDS LAX
14. Kam Chancellor / SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
13. J.J. Watt / HOUSTON TEXANS
12. Gennady Golovkin / BOXER
Considered by many boxing’s current best pound-for-pound fighter, the 30-year-old Kazakhstan-born middleweight champion has transformed himself from a boxing stylist into a 160-pound wrecking ball through hours of punching-specific training. In addition, his relentless stamina work has made him an unstoppable late-round force.
11. Dwyane Wade / MIAMI HEAT
10. Renaud Lavillenie / POLE VAULTER
9. Novak Djokovic / ATP TENNIS
8. Jordan Burroughs / USA WRESTLING
The reigning Olympic 74 kg freestyle wrestling champion (and three-time world champ) started wrestling at age five and, at 27, shows no sign of slowing down. Sure, when asked last month where he would go to celebrate making his second Olympic team, Burroughs replied, To a 24-hour doughnut place. But don’t let that fool you; he’s a workout monster whose combination of strength, speed and endurance make him a favorite for Rio.
7. Russell Westbrook / OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
6. Cristiano Ronaldo / REAL MADRID
5. Usain Bolt / TRACK AND FIELD, SPRINT
4. Jon Jones / UFC
The current interim UFC light heavyweight champion, Bones, as he’s known, is widely regarded as the best mixed martial arts fighter in the world. After an intense powerlifting regimen last year, the 6’4, 28-year-old Jones has packed on enough muscle to make his nickname seem ironic—while, he insists, maintaining his speed and endurance.
3. Ben Smith / CROSSFIT
2. LeBron James / CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
1. Ashton Eaton / TRACK AND FIELD, DECATHLETE
