In all sports, you have your pantomime villains who don’t care about their reputation and use a dirty playbook and the dark arts to get their way, much to the disgust of opposition supporters.
Athletes can be badasses for other reasons too, such as their fear factor and dominance within their sport, or a combination of the two.
So with that in mind, fans have voted on their top 20 most badass athletes of all time, including footballers, fighters and more.
Who is the most badass athlete?
20. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
19. Sergio Ramos
18. Bill Laimbeer
17. Charles Barkley
16. Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar returned to WWE in 2012
15. Dennis Rodman
14. Romario
13. Ayrton Senna
12. John McEnroe
11. Jack Johnson
The top 10 most badass athletes
10. Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona's famous hand of god goal
Diego Maradona was the king of the dark arts, with his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the World Cup arguably his most memorable moment despite his immense talent with a ball at his feet.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 11: Gold medalist Michael Phelps of the United States celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 200m Individual Medley Final on Day 6 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 11, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
The biggest show on the planet, the Olympics, has been dominated by Michael Phelps. The swimmer is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 28 medals which includes a staggering 23 golds.
8. Ted Williams
Ted Williams makes the list due to his lethal hitting in the MLB. He is widely considered as the best hitter in the history of the sport, playing across four separate decades.
7. Larry Bird
Larry Bird was an incredibly talented all-rounder on the basketball court, personifying hustle, consistency and excellence, becoming an incredibly clutch performer for the Boston Celtics.
6. Joe Louis
The late great Joe Louis firmly deserves a spot on this list, ruling the heavyweight division in boxing from 1937 until 1949, defending his title 25 times with 21 knockouts.
5. Jim Thorpe
Achievements from Jim Thorpe rightly see him high up on this list, with the Olympian being the first Native American to win a gold medal for the USA.
4. Michael Jordan
Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan dominated the sport and has cemented himself as a household name across the globe.
3. Mike Tyson
28 Jun 1997: Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson lock heads during their heavyweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. Holyfield won the fight when Tyson was disqualified in the third round for biting Holyfield twice. Mandatory Cr
Where do you start with Mike Tyson? Iron Mike goes down as one of the toughest heavyweight boxers of all time with an abundance of talent, becoming undisputed champion in the sport. Infamously, he bit Evander Holyfield in the ear, taking a chunk out during a fight, badass is an understatement!
2. Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens is probably unfortunate to not take top spot given what he achieved and the importance of said achievements. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Nazis had taken control of Germany, with Hitler on his way to destruction. Owens won four gold medals in front of the dictator, putting a huge end to his Aryan race supremacy.
1. Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is widely regarded as the best boxer of all time
Muhammad Ali is one of the most renowned athletes of all time, with few around the world not knowing who he is, even if they’re not into boxing. He was one of the dominant forces in the sporting world in the 20th century, and is seen as the most badass according to fans.