Don't let size deter you on this Top 25 MMA list

Vote for your top 25

We had an idea here at CBSSports.com. We thought it was a good idea. Even a fun idea.

In his prime, Wanderlei Silva was the baddest man in MMA. (UFC)

So of course, you got pissed.

Because that's what you do.

So here's what I'm going to do, as it relates to our inflammatory summer special called MMA King's Quest: I'm going to seek your vote. Already we've told you our idea of the top fighters in MMA history. Now it's your turn. Tell us yours.

At the top of this story, find the thread that seeks your Top 25 MMA fighters of all time. Create any other threads you want -- I'm especially fond of the threads that call me stupid -- but leave your Top 25 in the appropriate thread, or it won't be counted. Names only, please. No need to explain each guy.

I'm giving you three days to vote, and then I'll release the readers' Top 25 -- your Top 25 -- Thursday.

Meantime, here's my Top 25. With a brief explanation for each guy in each spot. The only ground rules for me, as they are for you, are this: Don't let size be an issue. For the sake of this poll, a great 155-pounder beats an average heavyweight. Got it? Good.

On to the polls. I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

1. Georges St. Pierre: Has more tools in his tool kit than any fighter in history -- great striker, black belt-quality BJJ, world-class wrestler -- and is just entering his prime.

2. Anderson Silva: Pinpoint hand-and-foot striker could have been No. 1 on my list.

3. Randy Couture: Has owned titles in the UFC's two biggest weight classes, and defeated Ortiz, Sylvia, Liddell, Belfort and Rizzo in their primes.

4. B.J. Penn: I could have ranked this underrated striker and BJJ savant in the No. 1 spot.

5. Fedor Emelianenko: Could have ranked him No. 1, too, but unlike the top four guys on this list, Fedor hasn't fought the best of the best in years.

6. Bas Rutten: Almost mythical striker was 21-0-1 in his last 22 fights.

7. Wanderlei Silva: At his best, years ago in Pride, he was the baddest man on the planet.

8. Chuck Liddell: At his best, years ago in the UFC, he was no less scary than Wanderlei Silva.

9. Royce Gracie: Couldn't strike or wrestle, but if he got you onto the ground, you lost.

10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: Another one-dimensional fighter, but that one dimension -- BJJ -- is unbelievable.

11. Urijah Faber: If I had any guts, I'd have rated this 140-pounder a lot closer to the top.

12. Quinton Jackson: Just so you know, our rankings were done before Rampage's loss to Forrest Griffin, who is unranked despite having also beaten my No. 15 (Rua) and almost beaten my No. 16 (Ortiz).

13. Dan Henderson: Mastered the 1990s ground-and-pound but can't hang with today's best of the best.

14. Cung Le: Considering he has just six pro fights, maybe he's ranked too high -- maybe he shouldn't be ranked at all -- but he's 6-0 with six knockouts, including a thorough whipping of Frank Shamrock. He could emerge as the only challenger to Anderson Silva at 185 pounds.

15. Shogun Rua: Fights everybody, and destroys almost every one of them. In hindsight, he's not ranked high enough. I dropped the ball here. Which means Forrest Griffin absolutely should have been ranked, even if the voting was done before the Rampage fight.

16. Tito Ortiz: One-dimensional ground-and-pounder, but at his best, that dimension was frightening.

17. Matt Hughes: See Ortiz, Tito.

18. Frank Shamrock: King of Pancrase, Strikeforce and other outfits, but he never fought in Pride and has had just five fights in the UFC, none since 1999. So he never consistently had to fight the best of the best.

19. Matt Lindland: Gritty and fearless grinder, but has fought in the shadows for three years.

20. Melvin Manhoef: I was the only "expert" to rank this guy at all. He's 22-4-1 with 21 knockouts. Wow. Maybe I didn't rank him high enough, but he never fought in Pride or the UFC.

21. Mirko Cro Cop: The Cro Cop of Pride was a merciless, top five fighter. The Cro Cop since then -- and he's only 33 -- has been a bust. So this was my compromise ranking.

22. Takanori Gomi: Has a scary-good record (28-3) compiled mostly in Pride, but recent losses to Nick Diaz (vacated because Diaz was caught with pot) and Marcus Aurelio hurt.

23. Josh Barnett: Has 27 fights against all comers and has lost only to Nogueira, Cro Cop (three times) and Pedro Rizzo in his prime.

24. Rich Franklin: Outside of two losses to Anderson Silva, Franklin has owned the rest of the UFC's 185-pound weight class for five years.

25. Ken Shamrock: Hard guy to rank. Founding (and dominant) member of the young UFC deserves better than No. 25. But anyone who has lost seven of his last eight fights, as Shamrock has, deserves worse.