Maurice Smith

Maurice Smith held world heavyweight kickboxing titles and then became one of the first strikers to succeed in early mixed martial arts, beating a dominant grappling champion by defending takedowns long enough to make it a standing fight. That result was influential well beyond his own career — it was among the first demonstrations that striking could be a viable base in MMA rather than a liability.

As a kickboxer he was more complete than most of the American field, comfortable with leg kicks at a time when much of the domestic circuit still fought above the waist. That adaptability is why he transitioned successfully into codes his contemporaries could not.

He later became a respected striking coach, and his influence runs through a generation of American mixed martial artists.