The Big Heavyweight Questions

Brock Lesnar’s recent sickness has raised more questions than you can shake a stick for the UFC and Dana White. Will Brock Lesnar ever fight again? What to do with the title? Who should be in the interim title fight? Who should fight Carwin next? There are clearly more questions than answers at this point, particularly when you consider Nog and Gonzaga have staph infection and Carwin is taking some time off to recover from minor surgery and see his child be born. UFC heavyweights are dropping like flies right now, leaving only two blue chip, up and comers and a slew of rebounding vets to vie for attention.

The biggest question the UFC HW division faces regards weather or not Brock Lesnar will ever fight again. This is the biggest and unfortunately least answerable question we have. My gut tells me that we will see Brock sometime after November 2010. The Ultimate 2010 could be primed for a unification fight or we could have to wait a bit longer. At the end of the day, its all a guess. Brock may or may not fight again and his influence on the sport will be a topic for discussion when we know more. In the mean time an interim title fight seem inevitable Unfortunately the two most marketable prospects are out injured. Shane Carwin was told he would get a title shot and it seems pretty reasonable to assume that he will either fight for the interim title or he will get the first crack after one is crowned. If the UFC doesn’t decide to crown a champion before Carwin and/or Nog are ready to return it seems pretty reasonable to expect them to fight when they are healthy. I for one hope to see the UFC crown a champion a bit sooner, say… January. Many rumors continue to fly that Velasquez and Nog will push their date back and Junior Dos Santos will act as welcoming committee for a former champion returning to the UFC (yet to be specified), but I think that if Dos Santos and Velasquez are read and willing they should be lined up for one another.

Being booked to fight at UFC 108 has seemed like n injury sentence for the big boys but Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez remain standing. The two unbeatens seem to be the last two HWs worth mentioning in line for a title shot and not on the shelf till March. However, only rumors circulate about the possibility of the two meeting one another at the first UFC show of 2010. The fight makes entirely too much sense for me to imagine them actually passing on it, leading me to presume the question of weather or not an interim title should be on the line is being discussed behind the scenes. The UFC needs champions and despite the lack of marketability that these two fighters bring to the table, they could put a title around a waist and set up a potential unification bout in the future. Neither man would bring a ton of credibility by themselves to a fight with Lesnar, even if they got a win or two under their belts. However, unification bouts always bring about interest. Considering how quickly the ear is coming to an end it would seem pretty certain that we will hear something regarding Dos Santos’ opponent for UFC 108 this week, which will tell us a great deal about the UFC’s plans for the division. His opponent will in one way or another implicate Velasquez’s next fight, which will in turn implicate Nog and Carwin’s next fights as well. Some clarity should come sooner rather than later but until then, The UFC needs to pull out all the stops to lift the recent injury curse placed upon them.

UFC 106: Ortiz vs Griffin - Preview

Just an hour before the main card airs I realized I never actually posted my preview of this show, so here it is. I remain utterly disappointed in the last minute demise of the Karo/Haz fight as Dustin Hazellet is one of my favorite fighters to watch, yet the card should still deliver all the same.

The UFC has been plagued with injuries recently and this card was one of the first victims of this recent run of bad luck. Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin will headline a card that was to originally feature the two biggest HWs in the UFC. Fortunately for the UFC one injury resulted in a more marketable match. Ortiz vs Coleman would not have stacked up to the rematch that is the current namesake of the event. It is also fortunate that the UFC had planned a really strong event from the get go, leaving UFC 106 at least interesting to the devoted MMA fan and headlined by two of the most widely popular fighters the sport has known.

Kendall Grove vs Jake Rosholt

Like many MMA fans I was ready to give up on Rosholt as an MMA contender but his most recent performance has made me think twice. Few fighters have the wrestling pedigree he posses, but that will mean little to his MMA career if he cannot continue to develop those skills and mold them. Kendall Grove is no cakewalk for anyone, let alone the much shorter, less experienced Rosholt. In some regards this fight looks like it has been designed as a test for Rosholt to see how he deals with a stand-up fighter with range. In others, it seems like it could be a rebound for Grove. Either way the fight seems like a must win for both fighters. If Grove can keep the distance he should be able to get back to winning, but he has had problems staying on his feet before. The time is now for both fighters to prove they were worth the hype.

Ben Saunders vs Marcus Davis

It is hard to believe that Marcus Davis only has three losses in the UFC and one of them came in his first UFC bout. It is also hard for me to conceptualize Davis as an TUF fighter. He will face a fellow Alum in Killa B, who at one time thought he could be Anderson Silva, and may still believe that to some extent. What Saunders has in confidence, he still must build in pure skill though. Davis should be able to test his chin, his heart, and his ability to adapt in a fight. Unfortunately for Davis, Saunders presents the one thing that Davis has struggled with in his UFC tenure, reach.

Amir Sadollah vs Phil Baroni

How can I put this nicely? I don’t care about this fight in the least. I haven’t been impressed with Amir Sadollah past upsetting another fighter I didn’t care much for on TUF and I haven’t found Phil Baroni interesting in years. Maybe one of them will impress me but I am not holding my breath.

Luiz Cane vs Angonio Rogerio Nogueira

This might as well be the main event for me. Little Nog was arguably the best Light-Heavyweight not under Zuffa contract. Finally he comes to the biggest company in the sport and the cake-walks are over. Luiz Cane is one of the most underrated fighters in any organization. His stand-up has been scary precise and he might as well be 4-0, given his DQ loss came in a fight he was dominating. Both of these men are well rounded future contenders. In terms of skill, this fight could headline a lot of cards, particularly this one but both fighters will really be looking to take a step towards one of the most coveted titles in all of MMA.

Josh Koscheck vs Anthony Johnson

This last minute addition adds some excitement and some name value to the card for sure, but in reality it could be a front runner to steal fight of the night. Both Johnson and Koscheck have been headhunting lately, constantly looking for the big KO. Josh Koscheck may be better off returning to his roots though as skillful wrestling may be a little too much control on the ground for Rumble to deal with. Johnson’s reach and power might be an issue for Koscheck, although his fight with Alvez may just give Kos the confidence he needs to stand in the pocket and bang. To me this fight is going to hinge on strategy as much as anything else. We are dealing with two of the most athletic guys in the sport. Kos’ experience will certainly play to his advantage but it wont be enough to leave Kos free reign to take the fight wherever he wants and impose his will.

Tito Ortiz vs Forrest Griffin

Tito Ortiz has received a lot of flack for the precieved downturn in his career as of late but upon review things haven’t been that bad. Tito lost to Machida (later to become champion), tied Rashad Evans (later to become champion) after being penalized a point, lost to Chuck Liddell (champion at the time), and earned a controversial victory over Forrest Griffin (later to become champion). Notice a pattern here? All this while Tito was apparently fighting an injury. It should come as no surprise that now the “old Tito” is back according to Zuffa, but that is what we heard before his last three fights. Forrest Griffin is in the closest thing to a must win that he has seen in the UFC. Sure, his popularity would buy him 2-3 more fights and it would be highly unlikely that we would ever see him cut from a Zuffa contract but a loss here would really move him back a few paces. Coming off the most devastating loss I think I have ever seen anyone take, a good showing will not be enough. Tito on the other hand really has to back up the talk this time. In reality it’s the perfect storm for this fight to put butts in seats and actually deliver, despite its lack of relevance on the title picture at 205. Lets hope its also enough to bring some attention to the card as it’s filled with talent and strong match-making.

UFC 105: Couture vs Vera - Review

UFC 106 was a strange event. On one hand I enjoyed watching it and was pretty content with the results as a whole. On the other, I had a hard time getting excited for the card both as it approached and as it faded into the background of my weekend. When I ran into some friends later and was asked about UFC 106 it was hard for me to care to explain any more than the basic results. I don’t know if this is because it followed a very entertaining Strikeforce card and has been overwhelmed by disappointing news about injuries and mysterious diseases or if it was because the card just lacked a certain zest both on paper and in reality. When it boils down to it, this card was free and few could complain about what it had to offer for the price.

Ross Pearson looked really good fighting a game opponent in Aaron Riley. I think Riley has been a bit underrated for quite some time but Pearson may have proven me wrong. Give credit where credit is due, Pearson came in and put on a show that outdid anything we saw from his season on The Ultimate Fighter (from ANY fighter), but this definitely changes where I conceptualize both fighters in the Light-Heavyweight division. Pearson is all the sudden an interesting prospect and Riley is a guy I might be more interested in seeing in the WEC (where I think he could win a lot of fights).

Speaking of putting on a show, there are few fighters I enjoy watching more than Matt Brown. James Wilks put up a better fight than I expected but Brown willed out another win. To be honest, I didn’t think The Immortal looked as good in this fight as his last few but it was enough to get another win. I think this was also the finish of the night. It certainly wasn’t going to win any awards but the way in which Brown rolled his way out of the submission and into mount (intentional or not) had the folks at my house stunned. Matt Brown has a long long way to go before he is championship material but I don’t think he would give anyone in the division an easy night.

Denis Kang’s best years might be behind him. I really believed that he was going to put on a great show here. The first round completely belonged to Kang, but that didn’t last. Michael Bisping got back to his winning ways and that is all that really matters in this fight. We learned that Bisping has the ability to bounce back from a tough loss. In fact, getting beat down for the better part of the first round only makes his bounce back more impressive.

Dan Hardy is going to get a shot at the Welterweight Title. I really never thought I would type those words after Hardy’s first few fights but he has worked his way up the ranks and now sits in exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. This was more like the Swick I have expected we would see eventually; facing a game opponent, but that doesn’t mean that Swick is a pushover. The fight wasn’t stunning, it wasn’t amazing, and it was a little closer than the scorecards indicated. However, it was enough to get us a number one contender for GSP’s title. Now Hardy will take about 10 steps up in competition and fight a pound-for-pound great. I hope his trash-talk is up to par for this one.

I really don’t remember the last time I heard so many people down on Randy Couture after a fight. He had almost become one of those untouchable fighters, impervious to criticism by the masses. However, 15 minutes of holding Brandon Vera against the cage and grinding out a win will do some strange things to the MMA world. The Truth clearly got the best of Couture when there was any distance between the two but once Randy got him clinched against the cage things changed. Unfortunately for Vera, that was were about 85% of the fight took place. I haven’t been high on Vera for quite some time. In fact, I have found him to be a bit overrated, but he showed me a lot in this fight, much more than Randy did. Vera’s stand-up is looking sharper every day. He took the disappointing and somewhat controversial loss with a lot of class and made an all time great work real real hard for a win. Some people, Joe Rogan most notably, were convinced that Vera should and would get the nod for this effort but I am not particularly upset when Couture’s hand was raised. He dictated the pace and pushed Vera around. I scored it 29-28 Couture but if I watched it again in another context I could have gone the other direction. It was that close to me. For the first time in quite a while I will be looking forward to seeing Brandon Vera’s next fight and for the first time in even longer I haven’t given much thought at all to who will fight Randy Couture. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think Randy is done. I just think he is going to have some serious trouble with the most stacked division in MMA and his performance didn’t leave me wanting more.

Strikeforce: Fedor vs Rogers - Review

I honestly can’t remember an event that seemed to go so smoothly for both the promotion putting on the show and the fans watching. UFC 100 might have come close but there was less on the line and less to truly gain. Strikeforce needed to score big with this event and they needed certain fighters to put their best foot forward. I think all those fighters did just that, but Strikeforce got a few bonuses. They got a 5 round title fight that was not as boring as some people say it was. They 4 HWs that people will legitimately want to see again. Finally, they got a LHW champion that continues to build his case as a top ranked fighter in the class and truly dangerous champion.

Fabricio Werdum vs Antonio Silva

This fight had an odd appeal at the end of the night for me. I came into it really stumped on who would come out on top and the two ended up being as evenly matched in the cage as they were in my head. The amount of effort that Werdum had to put forth to grind out that win almost became the narrative of the fight. He seemed to gain control as time went by but Silva made absolutely no part of that fight easy for him. Both fighters came out in good graces I think. Silva still looked good and Werdum get a solid, hard earned, and most importantly public win.

Gegard Mousasi vs Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

It was unfortunate that Strikeforce didn’t want to put the title on the line here but it is hard to blaim them. Sokodjou is likely going to win the Super-Hulk Tournament, which has become the trendiest punch-line in MMA since Ken Shamrock’s fall from grace, and surely no one in the organization wanted to chance seeing their champion associated with such a spectacle. Mousasi is one of the most impressive and interesting young fighters in my book. Outside of Fedor, there is likely no fighter I would be more excited to see against Zuffa contracted talent. He really showed that he has the skills and the mental prowess to be a top competitor. Despite having trouble dealing with the speed and power of Soko early, Mousasi leveled the playing-field with his technique, conditioning, and calm. Hopefully we will see Mousasi defend his title against a top talent sooner rather than later, although he is quickly knocking off the biggest names outside the UFC. On the other hand Sokoudjou proved that he is dangerous. There is no doubt that we will see him again in Strikeforce sooner rather than later.

Jason Miller vs Jake Shields

It was a foregone conclusion that Jake Shields would be the new MW champion of Strikeforce, but I don’t think many people really expected him to be challenged. No one told Miller who was suppose to win and he refused to die. Many seem to be quick to criticize Shields for winning a boring fight and Miller for not being able to do more. However, I tend to think this is was simply a classic case of a scrap that pitted will vs skill. Miller was outclassed but he made it a rough night for Shields. If round three would have been 20 seconds longer the outcome would have likely been quite different. I thought the result was a solid title fight, leaving me wanting to see both guys fight again.

Fedor Emelianenko vs Bret Rogers

Much like Shogun in his most recent fight, Bret Rogers stock actually raised in a loss. I don’t remember the last time I saw a fighter lose definitively and gain as much respect as Grim. There is no shame in losing to the greatest fighter in the world but Rogers pushed him into the second round (no small feet) and had him in a good deal of trouble in round one. Not very many people can say the broke the nose of the baddest man on the planet, Rogers can. Additionally, we saw that Rogers is capable of holding his own on the ground, at least in terms of positioning and sweeps, much of that helped by his size. Fedor on the other hand proved again that no matter what you bring to the table, The Last Emperor has the answer. Should he have beaten Bret Rogers? Yes. However, every time Fedor wins his legend grows stronger. Eventually champions fall but Fedor just wins and wins and wins. He gave Strikeforce an early Christmas present, an entertaining fight with an exclamation point at the end. Fedor is the uncrowned champion of all MMA heavyweights, not just Strikeforce’s. Now who is next for The Last Emperor of MMA?

Strikeforce: Fedor vs Rogers - Preview

Nothing in the sport of MMA generates the big fight feel for dedicated fans like a Fedor fight. The Last Emperor has crafted a mystique that perplexes and intrigues fight fans like no other. Brock Lesnar may call up more PPV buys but Fedor Emelianenko is for all intent and purposes the undisputed heavyweight champion of MMA. The fact that he cannot be found in the most readily available organization in the sport only perpetuates the uniqueness of his persona and in turn the uniqueness of the cards he fights on. Seeing Fedor fight is like a treat. He has only spent 8 minutes and 42 seconds fighting in sanctioned MMA contests in the last two and a half years plus (34 months). Its not just that he is good, he is rare. Any card headed by Fedor is worth seeing but Strikeforce has pulled out all the stops to ensure that MMA fans flock to CBS Saturday night, hoping they can make a big mark in the MMA business and firmly establish themselves as the number two organization in the world.

Fabricio “Vaia Cavalo” Werdum vs Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva

Until recently I have been a bit surprised at how underhyped this fight has been, even among the MMA faithful. Werdum has proved inconsistent but dangerous if nothing else over the last 3 years or so. The improvements I saw him make the UFC before being dropped off the face of the earth by Dos Santos were quite staggering. His striking is more than serviceable and his ground game is capable of putting just about anyone away. However, on this night he meets a giant… a giant with a skill set very similar to his own. Bigfoot Silva will likely be a bit slower anywhere the fight goes, but his size and power could make up for those disadvantages, depending on his ability to dictate the pace and range of the fight. This fight will have significant bearing on the Strikeforce HW division. Although the winner will likely have to wait for a title shot as the winner of the event’s namesake should be on deck.

Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi vs Rameau Thierry “The Affrican Assassin” Sokodjou (Non-Title Fight)

The Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Mousasi will not be defending his title but he has a big opportunity to build on his growing reputation as the hottest MMA prospect on the plant. Mousasi is on a 13 fight win streak that has acted as his battering ram into the consciousness of the MMA world. That streak includes a win at the Dream Middleweight Tournament, an easy victory over a bigger Mark Hunt, and an absolute destruction of Babalu Sobral to claim the his LHW title. He went from little known fighter to top 10, likely top 5, light-heavyweight in the world. Sokodjou presents explosive power along with a knack for upsets and this fight was the legitimate MMA fight that everyone thought would cap off the Super-Hulk tournament. The only downside to this fight is that it is not for the LHW title, a move no one can really blame Strikeforce for. It’s a division that has heated up as of late with signings and rumors so Mousasi will be busy regardless of the outcome.

Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs Jake Shields (Middleweight Championship Fight)

This card was at one time supposed to boast 3 title fights but when the dust settled, the crowning of the vacant Middleweight champion was all that was left. Jason Miller has been all over the place in MMA, mostly fighting the good fight and strengthening MMA on all fronts. He was a key contributor to the first and only academic publication focusing on MMA title Fighting For Acceptance (which you should go buy and read if you are an MMA fan, even if you aren’t a fan of pointy-head books because this is not one of them). He hosts Bully Beat Down. He has retired and unretired and he is never short on words. Now he gets a shot at being the champion of the Strikeforce MW division, relevant considering who stands atop the MW world of MMA. Standing in his way is longtime EliteXC Welterweight champion Jake Shields. Shields has recently expressed his interest in running two divisions at once and setting his sights on the Strikeforce Welterweight championship after this fight. Looking very impressive in his last hand full of fights, he is likely the favorite coming into this. Lucky for fight fans, Miller has never cared who was suppose to win fights.

Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko vs Brett “The Grim” Rogers

Brett Rogers is bigger, stronger, undefeated, and has a wicked mohawk. Fedor Emelanenko is Fedor, the most devastating and dominating heavyweight in the history of MMA. There aren’t great metaphors for Fedor in other sports but Roger Federer might have worked when he was on his huge streak and people were calling him the greatest player of all time. Hype aside this is a dangerous fight. Rogers made shorter work of Andrei Arlovski than Fedor did and this is one fan that truly believes that was no fluke. If there was anything lucky about that fight, it was that AA may have been underestimating Grim. Be sure that Fedor should not make the same mistake. Rogers’ stand-up is game and his power is not to be taken lightly. As far as toughness goes, if anyone can match the Russian it is the guy who was working at a tire shop and fight on Elite XC main cards up until about a year ago. If you are looking for a fight, these two will bring it. Fedor will have the advantage in almost every measurable category except maybe (and that is a very serious maybe) power. The odds are stacked against The Grim but if your asking the who will beat Fedor question; he seems as reasonable an answer as any at this point. I for one think that Strikeforce chose Rogers because he is so inexperienced and presumably one-dimensional. They don’t REALLY want Fedor to lose but MMA fans know as well as anyone what happens when you assume someone will win. This is a dangerous fight for Fedor; however, I said that before the last two Fedor fights. When those fights were done I said I would never doubt Fedor again. I never said I wasn’t fickle.

Heavyweight Rankings (October 2009)

So I want to give a quick rundown of the divisions and the best way to do that is to jot down a quick top 10 and a few comments. It will sort of set the stage as I return to blogging regularly. As with MMA priorities in general… I start with the big guys and work my way down.

1. Fedor Emelianenko – No Surprise here as The Last Emperor gets on board with yet another number two organization in U.S. MMA and leaves us with more questions than answers. I truly hope that Fedor is not looking on second past the Brett Rogers fight in November because Rogers is a tough man who is as motivated and hungry as anyone in the sport. Fedor will get the chance to show the world just how good he is, now lets see if he gets it done.

2. Brock Lesnar – It almost hurts to put him here. Not that I have anything against him but his rise was so quick and his star is now shining so bright that I think it hasn’t fully registered with me. You can talk all you want about the advantageous match-ups that he has been given but the fact remains that he has three solid wins in a row and hasn’t looked to be in too much trouble at any point in any of them. He will have plenty more chances to show the world he is legit and plenty of time to learn and grow in the sport.

3. Big Nog – I will stand by it, the Big Nog we saw fight Randy Couture had almost nothing in common with the one we saw fight Frank Mir. The Nog we saw the last time out was stronger, faster, and much more confident in the cage. That is the Nog I want to see fight and the Nog that I surprisingly enough think would make Brock work hard for a win. His bounce back from disappointment and a big loss is almost as impressive to me as it would be if he had finished Mir. This pick is more based on skill than recent record but you get the point.

4. Josh Barnett – I declared that I no longer cared what happened to Barnett after his last Affliction debacle and I really don’t. I am just not that interested in seeing him fight right now. It doesn’t change the fact that he is one of the best HWs in the world.

5. Cain Velasquez – The lack of recognition for this guy and his skills is a headscratcher. He has looked nothing but impressive, even showing solid recovery time and resilience in his mauling of Kongo. Rothwell proved to be nothing but a speedbump and Velasquez is looking more and more like a top contender every day.

6. Brett Rogers – I had Arlovski quite high on my list before he fougth Grim and I think a young fighter can get a bit of a boost just for fighting Fedor these days. Many of Roger’s early performances were not that impressive to me but when he KOed AA and then talked us all through exactly how he did it, it couldn’t really be called a fluke. He looked sharper in his last few fights and I have been really impressed with him as of late.

7. Shane Carwin – I am not nearly as high on Carwin as I am Velasquez but you can’t deny that he has the wins. I really don’t think he is deserving of or ready for a title shot but we will find out about all that in January.

8. Frank Mir – Mir is another guy that I am not really that high on. I think he could enjoy marginal success in the UFC if he gets the right match-ups but his last two wins have a air of doubt surrounding them given the match-ups and circumstances of both. Wins are wins and he is still in my top 10, despite thinking the two fighters that follow him are flat out better then he is.

9. Junior Dos Santos – Dos Santos is a guy that I think could give Brock problems. He is also a blue chip prospect in my book. I am excited to see him fight Gonzaga in 2010 because I think it will be a good test for the Brazilian striker. I would like to put him at about 7 but his record just doesn’t support it.

10. Andreia Arlovski – I know the guy is coming off two brutal knockouts but before that AA had really put together a nice string of victories. He is the kind of guy that can get back to his winning ways real quick. I hope that someone in the MMA world makes sure he is challenged by a legit HW in the not too distant future.

Light-Heavyweight Rankings (October 2009)

It is probably the most electrifying and stacked division in the world today. Recent fighter movement and activity has actually made the division outside of the UFC pick up a little ground against the sports powerhouse organization. There are enough great fighters that the retirement of Quinton Jackson actually leaves only a minor dent in the talent pool represented here by my top 10.

1. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida – Many people think Shogun Rua is the uncrowned king of this division but the only people who really matter saw Machida as the winner. Until they have their rematch, The Dragon is still the unbeaten champion of the most stacked division in all of MMA.

2. Maricio “Shogun” Rua – I actually moved Shogun up 2 spots after his loss to Machida. I honestly think it was his best fight to date, demonstrating a skill set similar to the one we had all grown to know and love and coupling that with a patience I am not sure we have ever seen from Shogun. Rua certainly deserves another crack at the champion and he will no doubt get just that before its all said and done.

3. Rashad Evans – With Rampage retiring I have to give the nod to Sugar Rashad who looked somewhat unbeatable before he met Machida. Rashad is well rounded enough to give almost anyone fits. Unfortunately for him the only step up on my list represents his only, yet crushing, defeat.

4. Gegard Mousasi – Mousasi claims this spot by process of elimination. He may only have one quality win at 205 but he was lighting up the competition at MW and Superhulk before that. Everyone else near the top of this list has suffered from either really poor performances or devastating loses as of late. Mousasi is the real deal.

5. Thiago Silva – Silva roared back with a vengence against Keith Jardine and looked to get right back on track for a title shot. He gets to be involved in one of the most interesting style match-ups I have seen in a long time with Rashad Evans, a fight that was suppose to happen over a year ago I believe. Silva could find himself right back in the mix at 205.

6. Forrest Griffin – He may be down two loses right now but this guy has proven his worth as a top MMA fighter. He will take any fight and he will give it everything he has. Unfortunately, he took fights against superior strikers and paid the price. I think Griffin will get back on track against Tito Ortiz come November.

7. Luis Arthur Cane – Talk about a guy who flies under the radar. Cain’s striking has been lethal and the precision scary. He is not a guy to be taken lightly in this division. His next fight is going to be his toughest challenge by far and I expect Little Nog to give him just a little more than he can handle.

8. Little Nog – Here is a guy that should have been in the UFC 2 years ago. He has the potential to make some huge waves in both Zuffa’s 205 pound division and any and all top 10 ranking lists. I just wonder if he would reject a fight with his friend Machida if their paths were to cross.

9. Renato “Babalu” Sobral – Since leaving the UFC he is 5-1, his only loss coming to the number three ranked fighter on this list. I expect Babalu to get back to his winning ways sooner rather than later. Consistency has always been the big issue but few can doubt the skill level of Sobral, skill enough to keep him in my top 10.

10. Rich Franklin – This is another process of elimination pick. I honestly think Franklin is looking at three losses in a row but the judges of the Franklin/Silva fight didn’t see it my way. No matter how you cut it, Franklin is a contender. He really needs to get himself some strait up LHW fights so that he can start establishing himself in this division as apposed to the 205 lbs. gatekeeper for Anderson Silva.

Middleweight Rankings (October 2009)

No division is more obviously dominated than the 185 lbs division in MMA. Fedor may have sit atop the big boys but Anderson Silva has been more active against the top crop of talent in his division and dominant when moving up in weight. The most interesting thing about the middleweight division has been the development of fighters outside the UFC over the last few years, despite Zuffa and company scooping a number of those fighters up. No matter how you cut it, this division is crowded and might represent the most difficult division to sort out after its king is addressed.

1. Anderson Silva – Was there ever really a question about who would be atop this list? Few athletes have ever dominated their field like Silva has dominated mixed martial artists that weigh in at 185 pounds. He has torn through some of the best MMA fighters in the world in his last 10 fights in the UFC and he has lost only one round. After putting away Forrest Griffin, its hard to imagine who can give him trouble.

2. Vitor Belfort – This is where I start to differ from many MMA fans and analysts. Vitor is only three fights into his return but they have been three relatively big fights, particularly his last two. It is also important to note that he has finished two top competitors this year, one of which went down in just 37 seconds. Also, the top three other contenders in the UFC are also riding three fight win streaks and one could easily argue that Vitor’s is the most impressive. I am not sure what that means for his chances against the likes of Anderson Silva, but I for one think that qualifies him as the number one contender.

3. Dan Henderson – Henderson edges Marquardt on my list not because I think he is a better fighter but because his wins are of a higher quality as of late. Henderson showed the world that he was still a few steps ahead of Michael Bisping and that he is ready for a rematch. I, for one, think Henderson vs Marquardt is a must at this point. Henderson is a long time great and should be near the top of this list for some time.

4. Nate Marquardt – The Nate Marquardt we have seen as of late was not the same fighter we say against Anderson Silva. He is more confidant, more capable, and much more explosive. He suffers so much from a few rules violations that broke up a solid win streak but he is back on track to a title shot.

5. Jorge Santiago – Santiago is riding a nine fight wining streak but don’t be fooled by the fact that he is not in the UFC, his resume is legit. I think he is getting forgotten about by a few too many fighter lists. Santiago has given us no reason to think he could not compete in the biggest organization in MMA and no reason to believe he should not be ranked among their best.

6. Demian Maia – This guy is nothing short of a wizard when it comes to submissions. His skill on the ground is second to none but he got brought back down to earth when he fought a bigger, stronger, more well rounded Marquardt. The result was being turned into a lawn dart that landed him at number 7 on my list.

7. Yoshihiro Akiyama – I tend to think he won’t last long in this division while under Zuffa contract. He is a bit small and had all he could handle with Belcher. The guys ahead of him on this list are a good bit ahead of him in my book.

8. Michael Bisping – Bisping was made to look a bit foolish by Dan Henderson but to be perfectly honest there is no shame in that. Henderson is a bad bad dude. I think Bisping has a chance to develop into quite the fighter but he needs time to grow. Dennis Kang is a much more reasonable test than Henderson was.

9. Jake Shields– It is hard to rank a fighter when they shift from one division to the other. Shields is making a move up, which makes it even harder but he has a nack for proving his doubters wrong. He will have the chance to be the Strikeforce MW champion and to do it on one of the biggest non-UFC cards of the year, a feet that could move up the ranks a bit.

10. Chael Sonnan – Sonnan gets another huge win over a hot UFC fighter. He is one of the most underrated fighters in the world right now and could make it a long day for just about anyone. Okami was at one time considered the number two MW in the world but Sonnan put his stamp on the division by eliminating him from contention and making the matchmaking of Zuffa brass look good.

A quick note: I will go on record right now saying that if/when Goran Reljic returns to the UFC he is going to be a MAJOR contender in this division. I have not been excited for a return like I am his in quite sometime.

Welterweight Rankings (October 2009)

Georges St. Pierre proves again that the cream seems to be rising to the top in MMA. No fighter may be as far ahead of the competition as GSP currently is, dispatching his four biggest challengers under Zuffa contract in his last four fights and making it look relatively easy. While few think there are a lot of stiff challenges awaiting Mr. GSP, the WW is still a tight one. Much like middleweight, the division has a clear cut champion and then a lot of contenders a few steps behind.

1. Georges St. Pierre – It is hard to complain about GSP and it is even harder to find faults in him. He is a world-class athlete, ambassador for the sport, and a smart business man when it comes to his career. Not too keen to jump up in weight, GSP knows that being the most dominant WW of all time is his first priority and superfights should not be taken lightly.

2. Jon Fitch – Fitch may have been beat up for 25 minutes against GSP but he showed grit in that fight that few fighters can claim. On top of that he appears to have gotten over the loss and continued to improve his game. I have this feeling that Fitch is going to be champion one of these days but I fear GSP might have to move on or slip up before it can really happen.

3. Thiago Alvez – Alvez didn’t have as much to offer GSP as many had hoped but he hung in there. This is a really dangerous fighter with tons of potential in the future. Fitch and Alvez will likely have to meet again one day and I think that is a whole new, completely different fight now.

4. Mike Swick – Swick has been fairly fortunate with his match-ups and that might continue until he gets a title shot. I don't buy the hype but as long as he keeps winning I can't deny him the spot.

5. Josh Koscheck – I can’t decide if I love or hate Kos. He rubs me the wrong way sometimes but his talent and potential are fascinating to me. He also seems to genuinely love the ride he is on, we should all be so lucky. I think head to head I would count him the 4^th or 5^th best WW in the world, which is why I am willing to overlook spotty year or two and put him in the middle of the pack.

6. Dan Hardy – I am not a big Dan Hardy fan and I am not even sure I believe he is a true top 10 fighter but I am at least listening now. He gets counted out of about every fight he is in and he keeps coming up with the wins. He is now one more underdog win away from the ultimate mismatch.

7. Jay Hieron – I know his wins are of questionable quality but the guy is riding a solid win streak. There is no way in hell he should be out of the top ten, especially if you remove Shields from the equation. I for one look forward to him getting stiffer competition in the future but a move to the UFC might be the only way to make that happen.

8. Paul Daley – Daley made me a believer with his win over Kampmann. The stand-up explosiveness he posses might not really be matched in the division. Another great pick-up for the most powerful company in MMA, Daley should prove a stiff challenge to almost anyone in the division.

9. Martin Kampmann – Inconsistency has riddled Kampmann in his UFC run, despite what weight class he has fought at. As soon as people start to recognize him as a serious contender he drops a fight quickly. That said, he is still a well rounded fighter with a lot of room to grow. Kampmann is at a crossroads that could decide weather he is a middle of the road journeyman or a legit contender.

10. Carlos Condit – There is something to be said for losing in an entertaining fashion. Condit ran the show in the WEC before being matched up with Kampmann. After a match of the year candidate fight he edged out a decision over Jake Ellenberger to gain some momentum back. Condit now realizes that the UFC is not the WEC and he has to develop more skils if he is going to compete.

Lightweight Rankings (October 2009)

The lightweight division has more top ranked fighters outside of the UFC than any other division in the big five, but Dana White and company still have the top dog. The next few months hold a lot for the 155 pound division and many wonder what could possibly be next for BJ Penn if he gets past Diego Sanchez.

1. BJ Penn – Say what you will about BJ, his motivation, his actions in or out of the ring, and his seemingly constant desire to be physically bigger than he is, this is the best 155 pounder in the world. He isn’t just good, he is great and he has proven it by dispatching anyone in his weight class he steps in the cage with. After Sanchez it is tough to tell what is next for Penn but a win would further separate him from the pack.

2. Shinya Aoki – Aoki avenged his loss to Joachim Hansen and won the rubber match between the two, firmly planting him near the top of this list. It is a shame that he and Penn are not in the same organization because a second match between the two at this point in their careers is nothing short of a superfight for the lightweight division.

3. Eddie Alvarez – Alvarez is one of the hottest 155 pound prospects right now, looking more impressive by the day. If the UFC is serious about expanding to Latin markets in the future, this might be a huge ticket for them; however, Alvarez seems to be doing just fine without a Zuffa contract.

4. Gray Maynard – A drastically underrated fighter in my opinion, Maynard has literally bullied almost every fighter in his way. It is hard to imagine someone he doesn’t match up well against, but he seems to be a few wins away from a title shot for reasons unknown to me. Until someone proves me wrong, I am going to continue to believe he is a top contender.

5. Diego Sanchez – Sanchez has clearly been fast-tracked to a title shot with Penn because of his marketability, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve the shot. He has four strait wins, two of which are quality wins in the UFC lightweight division. When I think about Sanchez fighting the non-UFC fighters on this list, I like his chances of getting Ws over almost all of them.

6. Tatsuya Kawajiri – considered the top contender for the Dream LW title, Kawajiri definitely deserves to be in the top 10 but I tend to think he is rated kind of high on most lists, including my own. Inconsistency seems to be an issue and to go much higher he is going to need to put on more impressive performances.

7. Kenny Florian – It is hard to dispute that he deserved his title shot against BJ Penn. Before that fight, I might have had him number two on this list but Florian demonstrated that he was not really in BJ Penn’s league physically or mentally. A poor game plan and inability to exert any technical superiority was a big reality check for Florian. He now has the unenviable task of facing a guy that would make any fighter miserable, Clay Guida.

8. Franky Edgar – His only loss comes at the hands of the Bully and he recently scored the biggest win of his career against the former monster champion, Sean Sherk. Edgar is ready for the big time and he is ready to fight top flight competition. Unfortunately he is at least number three in line right now and the guy waiting already beat him.

9. Gilbert Melendez – Sure he is not the undisputed Strikeforce champion and he is still waiting to avenge a loss, but few fighters at this weight have been as impressive as he has over the past few years. He gets the nine spot from me because he has been showing improvement, demonstrating that he has learned from mistakes and losses.

10. Joachim Hansen – A lot of fans and pundits expected deep down to see Hansen get beat quickly by Aoki in their rubber match. Hansen may have been a bit outclassed but he proved he was as tough as anyone at this weight. This is truly a crossroads for this young man in his career. How will he bounce back from losing the biggest fight of his career.