Breaking Down the UFC Light Heavyweight Division

The Champion: Forrest Griffin

The Top Contender: Rashad Evans

The Next Tier:

·         Wanderlei Silva

·         Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

·         Lyoto Machida

·         Thiago Silva

·         Rich Franklin

·         Dan Henderson

·         Keith Jardine

·         Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

·         Chuck Liddell

·         Luis Arthur Cane

·         Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

 

On the Rise: 

·         Luis Arthur Cane

 

Other Notables:

·         Brandon Vera

·         Mat Hamill

·         Stephan Bonnar

·         Jon Jones

·         Tim Boetsch

·         Steve Cantwell

·         Brian Stann

·         James Irvin

·         Eric Schafer

 

Scheduled Fights:

·         Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hussan at UFC Fight Night 16 on December 10

·         Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans @ UFC 92 on December 28 (For Title)

·         Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva @ UFC 92 on December 28

·         Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy @ UFC 92 on December 28

·         Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson @ UFC 93 on January

·         Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Mark Coleman @ UFC 93 on January 17

·         Andre Gusmao vs. Antonio Mendes @ UFC 93 on January 17

·         Ivan Serati vs. Tomasz Drwal @ UFC 93 on January 17

·         Jon Jones vs. Stephan Bonnar @ UFC 93 on January 17

·         Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva @ UFC 94 on January 31

 

Match Ups I’d Like to See:

·         Luis Cane vs. Keith Jardine

·         Brandon Vera vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

 

Other Thoughts:

·         There are rumors of a Anderson Silva vs. Chuck Liddell match up at UFC 95

·         There are a lot of light heavyweight contenders and the match ups are being set.  The winner of Wanderlei vs. Rampage should get the next title shot, although the winner of Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva should be considered as well. 

·         We are waiting for the debut of rumored UFC signee Glover Teixeira who has been having visa troubles in Brazil. 

·         The UFC could sign former EliteXC light heavyweight Rafael Feijao, which would be a big time contender.

·         The UFC has a clear monopoly on the light heavyweight division.  There are only a few fighters worth a  dime in this division not in the UFC (Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Vladimir Matyushenko, Ricardo Arona, Tito Ortiz, and Renato “Babalu” Sobral)

·         I looks like two solid light heavyweights have dropped to middleweight in Goran Reljic and Wilson Gouveia

·         The Ultimate Fighter 8 which featured light heavyweights is sure to place a few good fighters in the divison, but it will take time for them to climb the ladder.  Watch out for guys like Ryan Bader, Vinny Magalhes, Kryztof Soszynski, and Eliot Marshall.

·         It is somewhat possible to see Randy Couture take a few fights at light heavyweight and also to see Anderson Silva fight at 205 more often in 2009

 

MMABlog’s Light Heavyweight MMA Rankings

 

Here are my 205’ers.  The UFC clearly has the deepest and best pool of 205 lb fighters.  I only see a couple of non-UFC fighters being top 25 material. 

Rank	Name	Organization	Next Fight
1	Forrest Griffin	UFC	Evans (#6), 12/27
2	Quinton Jackson	UFC	W. Silva (#4) 12/27
3	Lyoto Machida	UFC	T. Silva (#10) 1/31
4	Wanderlei Silva	UFC	Jackson (#2) 12/27
5	Mauricio “Shogun” Rua	UFC	Coleman (NR), 1/17
6	Rashad Evans	UFC	Griffin (#1), 12/27
7	Dan Henderson	UFC	Franklin (#12), 1/17
8	Keith Jardine	UFC
9	Chuck Liddell	UFC
10	Thiago Silva	UFC	Machida (#3), 1/31
11	Antonio Rogerio Nogueira	Affliction	Moisa (NR), 11/3
12	Rich Franklin	UFC	Henderson (#7), 1/17
13	Brandon Vera	UFC
14	Vladimir Matyushenko	Affliction
15	Luiz Cane	UFC
16	Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou	UFC
17	Ricardo Arona
18	Renato “Babalu” Sobral	Affliction	Southworth (NR), 11/21
19	Matt Hamill	UFC	Andy (NR), 12/27
20	Tito Ortiz
21	Rafael Feijao	EliteXC?
22	Steve Cantwell	UFC	Al-Hussan (NR), 12/10
23	Stephan Bonnar	UFC	Jones (NR), 1/31
24	James Irvin	UFC
25	Brian Stann	UFC

Also considered: Jon Jones, Tim Boetsch, Bobby Southworth, Mark Coleman (Didn’t include him because he hasn’t fought again.  He probably is top 25 material)

UFC News: Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson Official For UFC 93

I said I didn’t think this fight would happen and my speculation for that was first off that Dan Henderson would coach the Ultimate Fighter 9 and second that the fight would take place at middleweight.  I will say it…I was wrong.  UFC.com is reporting the event as the headliner of UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland.  This from Rich Franklin about the upcoming fight.

Dan Henderson has great credentials, and he is going to be one of the toughest fights of my career. That being said, I’m planning on winning the fight, and I’m looking forward to fighting in the main event and fighting in Ireland. I love the fans, and the way they react by singing and chanting makes it a unique experience for me.

The light heavyweight divison is stacked, and I guess Dan Henderson is not done with 205.  The fight will be huge in terms of battling for position for a title.

In addition to the Franklin vs. Henderson super fight, the Shogun vs. Mark Coleman fight was announced as well.  Stay tuned, there could be more as some have speculated that we will see Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra on one of the January cards.  This UFC 93 card is important,  First, because it very well could compete against the Affliction/Golden Boy card.  Also, because the UFC will have 3 pay per views in a short span; one being December 27, another January 17, and the super bowl card on January 31.  In a tight economy it will take a great card to sell 3 pay per views.  If the 3 cards are enough of a draw people may elect to not order the Affliction fights even if they occur in between UFC 93 and 94 on January 24th.  The UFC 93 card is not going to be able to compete with the mega fight between Penn and St. Pierre set for January 31, but with these names already announced it could be a huge draw.

UFC News: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Mark Coleman at UFC 93

We had heard all sorts of swirling rumors about who Shogun would face next.  Many thought it would be a re-match with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, others speculated that it could be Chuck Liddell.  Shogun is coming off of a knee injury that has kept him out for a year.  He was last in action against Forrest Griffin, when he lost be a submission.  Mark Coleman is coming out of retirment to face Shogun.  Coleman was initally scheduled to come back and fight Brock Lesnar at heavyweight, but it now appears he will indeed fight Shogun at 205 on January 17 at UFC 93. Coleman owns a victory over Shogun, but it come due to Shogun breaking his elbow in the fight at PRIDE 31 in 2006.

This card is shaping up nicely.  MMAMania.com is reporting that the fight between Rich Franklin is more than a rumor, but that it is going to happen and that is is going to happen on the UFC 93 card in Dublin, Ireland on January 17.  Also, they are saying the fight will not be at 185, but rather at 205.

Future UFC Hall of Famers

So, which UFC fighters are future hall of famers?  Currently, there are 5 hall of famers which include: Randy Couture, Dan Severn, Mark Coleman, Royce Gracie, and Ken Shamrock.  So as you pan through current UFC fighters which guys are hall of fame calibur.  Let me tell you…

1. Chuck Liddell – Despite his recent struggles in the octagon, Liddell is the face of the UFC.  Not only that he has faired well in his career.  He was a very feared fighter and a dominant champion.  He boasts some big wins over the likes of Tito Ortiz, Babalu, Wanderlei Silva, and Randy Couture.  This is a no-brainer.  This is what baseball fans would call a first ballot hall of famer.

2. Matt Hughes-  Hughes is called the most dominant welterweight champion of all time.  He was dominant, and he may not be totally done yet.  He has coaches TUF two times.  He has been a force in the divison for years and held the belt it seems like forever.  Another first ballot guy. 

3. Tito Ortiz –  Let me begin by saying I despise Tito Ortiz.  I do not like him Sam I am.  However, no one can deny his dominance for a time.  I think he is done now, but he defended his belt a record number of times.  I don’t know if he will ever make it to the UFC Hall of Fame, but he should based on his in the octagon performance and popularity.  He lifted the sport when it was struggling.  He should be in, but like Pete Rose there are all sorts of other factors.

4. Rich Franklin –  The second best middleweight in the world.  People forget how good he is because of his losses to Anderson Silva.  He has been dominant otherwise.  He has a phenomenal record, he has been champ, he is incredibly popular, and he keeps getting better.  I love Rich Franklin and think he is surely hall of fame worthy no doubt.

5. B.J. Penn –  B.J. is really a prodigy.  He has been welterweight and lightweight champion.  He may be both at the same time come January.  He has cleaned out the lightweights and has fought the best welterweights.  He is one of the most popular fighters in the world and he is growing in talent and popularity.  He may not be a hall of famer today, but one more big win and he is a lock. 

6.  Anderson Silva – He may be the most dominant fighter ever.  He is the pound for pound best in the world.  He has changed the sport.  He is all around talented.  He can beat anyone and the scray thing is I don’t know if he will ever lose.  He is in.

7.  Georges St. Pierre–  He is not in yet, but he will be.  He has some work to do.  He has to keep the belt for a while to be hall of fame in my book.  He has hall of fame talent though.  He has the popualrity.   I have no doubts that by the time all is said and done St. Pierre will be a UFC Hall of famer.

8. Forrest Griffin – Overrated? I think so.  Popular? Undeniable.  Hard working? No one works harder.  The reason I would give Forrest the nod is what he did in the Ultimate Fighter.  He is one of the most popular UFC fighters, but mainly because he is considered the savior of the UFC.  Dana White has said that the Griffin-Bonnar fight saved the UFC.  Now he is a champ and is getting quite the resume with wins over Shogun and Rampage.  He is still growing too as a fighter.  He will be a hall of famer.

9. Evan Tanner– With his recent death I began to think about his hall of fame potential.  His popularity was huge.  However, Tanner had a lot of baggage outside the octagon which may have caused him to not reach his full potential in the octagon.  I think he could be a hall of famer.  In his prime he was beating a lot of guys.  He is a former champ, which is a must.  He very well could be a hall of famer if people can look past his struggles.

10. Tim Sylvia – I know, I know another guy I don’t like.  Tim is very polarizing.  He doesn’t have the popularity for some reason, but he was good in the UFC.  He beat tons of guys.  He held the title a couple times.  He could be, but may not be because he is not in the best standing in the UFC now that he left for Affliction. 

Other Candidates: Andrei Arlovski, Quinton Jackson, Frank Mir

Note: Many of the current UFC guys who were stars in PRIDE were left out such as Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Shogun Rua, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Who did I leave out?  Weigh in below in the comments section.

The Title Picture in the UFC Light Heavweight Divison

In my previous post about the title picture in the UFC heavyweight divison I mentioned how the UFC’s match making has caused problems in the title picture.  The same is true of the light heavyweight divison.  Okay, Forrest Griffin is now the light heavyweight champion.  The question should be who gets the next title shot and what is the order of contenders.  The UFC made clear that if Chuck Liddell beat Rashad Evans at UFC 88 then he would fight Forrest Griffin in December for the title.  However, Rashad Evans played spolier and ruined the potential blockbuster fight.  Very quickly, the UFC gave Rashad the title shot for December.  Kudos to rashad for a big win, but most people would agree that even with the win over Liddell he was not the number one contender.  I believe that distinction has to go to Lyoto Machida who has notable UFC victories over Sokoudjou and Tito Ortiz.  I have no problem with saying Machida needs one more win, but he better not be ignored.  I have heard that he isn’t getting the shot first because guys don’t want to fight him and secondly because he has limited marketability.  So, what other options are there?  Here are my rankings in order of who I feel the contenders are right now.  I see 4 guys right now at the top of the heap that could get a title shot without much complaint from me.  Some like Rich Franklin may need one more win…

1. Lyoto Machida

2. Quinton Jackson

3. Wanderlei Silva

4. Rich Franklin

Needs one more win…

4. Rashad Evans

5. Thiago Silva

6. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

7. Chuck Liddell

Guys who could earn their way into contention soon…

8. Brandon Vera

9. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

10. Keith Jardine

The problem is booking.  Several of these guys are booked for fights.  It seems Quinton Jackson and Wanderlei Silva will square off November 15th, surely the winner of that fight will get a title shot.  Lyoto Machida was to face Thiago Silva, with the winner surely getting a title shot soon, however Silva pulled out leaving Machida opponent-less.  Shogun is waiting for a December opponent…possibly Chuck Liddell.  Keith Jardine is fighting Brandon Vera and Sokoudjou is fighting Luiz Cane at UFC 89.  That leaves Rich Franklin, Lyoto Machida, and Rashad Evans available for the title shot in December.  The UFC chose Evans, the weakest of the possible opponents for Griffin.  The heap is big and growing.  Contenders need to keep winning.  It looked like 2009 will see Machida get his title shot, but he may need two more wins.  Wanderlei or Jackson may get the next shot in the spring of ’09.  Rich Franklin could work his way in the mix too.  The picture won’t clear up either with a lot of solid guys in the top 15.

UFC News: Rampage Jackson vs. Shogun Rua in December

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, who many at one time considered one of the bets all around fighters in the world has been out with an injury since his loss to Forrest Griffin last year.  Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has been in the news for his legal troubles since losing the title to Forrest Griffin in July.  Reports have been swirling that a fight is in the works between Rampage and Shogun for December.  The source is Shogun.  I am not sure how definite those plans are.  Shogun also said he was fighting Mark Coleman of which Coleman said he knew of no such thing.  A Shogun vs. Rampage fight would be a re-match of a PRIDE fight where Shogun literally destroyed Quinton.  I just re-watched that fight and was super impressed with Shogun.  I bet Rampage ate over 20 hard knees to the face in that fight.  I am sure part of him wants a re-match, but part of him does not.  I was hoping for Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva, but I will settle for Rampage vs. Shogun.  This fight would have huge implications in the light heavyweight divison and is a fight Shogun needs to win and a fight Jackson needs to win.  Right now there is a host of contenders with fighters in serious title contention and another several in the mix.  As we speak the top contenders in the UFC 205 lb divison are: Lyoto Machida, Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, Rampage Jackson and Shogun Rua.  A win for Lyoto in October would nearly cement his title shot.  A win for Chuck in September would be hard to skip over him for a shot.  Both Wanderlei, Shogun and Rampage could earn shots with one win.  I look forward to this re-march between Rua and Jackson.  The question will be: how is Shogun’s physical health and how is Rampage’s mental health. Wow, what a card the December 27th card could be. It could possibly look like this:

Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

B.J. Penn vs. Georges St. Pierre

Rampage Jackson vs. Shogun Rua

Wanderlei Silva vs. ?

UFC News: Wanderlei Silva to Return in December

According to MMA Junkie, Wanderlei Silva has been told by UFC officials to prepare for a December return.  It appears he will be on the December 27 card which will feature a heavyweight title match between Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira as well as a possible match between B.J. Penn and Georges St. Pierre.  This is what Wandy had to say:

“I’m talking with (UFC co-owner) Lorenzo (Fertitta), they’re talking about December because it is the best event of the year. (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira is going to fight (Frank) Mir for the belt for the heavyweights. This is the best event. It’s much more promotion. They told me to be ready to fight in December. They gave me 10 (possible) names. My division is the best division in the world. They have so many names. I think they’re going to give a good opponent to me. I wanted to fight [Jackson] again and I think it’s a very good match. For me, I have time to fight for the belt in the future, no problem, I’m going to wait for my opportunity. I’m going to give my best on every fight. After I win my fights, I’m going to have an opportunity to fight for the belt. For me, no problem, I’ll fight with everybody.”

So, the question is who will he fight in December.  Process of elimination may help.  We would figure he would get a top 10-15 opponent seeing as how he just beat a top guy in Jardine.

• Lyoto Machida is booked for a fight with Thiago Silva
• Rameau Theirry Sokoudjou is booked for a fight with Luis Cane
• Brandon Vera is booked for a fight with Keith Jardine
• Chuck Liddell is booked for a fight with Rashad Evans
• Shogun should return in December, but Wanderlei won’t fight him
• Dan Henderson is booked for a fight at UFC 88
• Rich Franklin is booked to fight Matt Hamill at UFC 88

That leaves Forrest Griffin, Quinton Jackson, Stephan Bonnar and Goran Reljic

• I wouldn’t object to Wanderlei getting the title shot, but it isn’t likely yet.  They train together also, but I am sure they would fight if the price is right, but I doubt they can push aside Machida for Silva.
• Stephan Bonnar may be a good option as he should return by that date, but I don’t know if he is the calibur that Silva wants to fight.  He wants someone to get him into contention
• Goran Reljic os good and also possible, but not likely because he isn’t ranked high enough
• Quinton Jackson has to be the most likely but seeing as how he has all sorts of legal problems, I don’t know if it will happen.
• The other option is a quick turn around for someone fighting in Semptember like Chuck Liddell, Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin or Matt Hamill, or even Andre Gusmao.  Any of those would be interesting and UFC 88 may dictate Silva’s opponent. 
• The final option is some new to the UFC guy.  A new signing could be possible, but it is unlikely it would be someone that could jump right in and be cosndiered Silva level.  Someone like Vladimir Matyushenko is possible, but not likely.

 

Best Pound for Pound Fighter

Following July 19th the debate began as to who is the best pound for pound fighter in the world in Mixed Martial Arts.  Before July 19th two people were really thought of as perhaps the top guy: Fedor Emelianenko and Anderson Silva.  Following July 19th the debate gets tougher with both guys winning.  Let me begin by defining the term best pound for pound.  The best pound for pound fighter does not necessarily mean that he could beat any fighter in the world.  For example at 145 lbs, Urijah Faber would stand little chance against most heavier opponents.  The pound for pound title is for the best fighter in the world, size and weight has nothing to do with it and a fight between #1 and #2 wouldn’t necessarily settle the debate.  That is why the title best pound for pound fighter is difficult to determine and is very subjective.  Here is my list of the best pound for pound fighters. 

1. Anderson Silva –  Anderson is number one to me for a few reasons.  First, he has cleaned out the middleweight divison of the UFC.  There is not a middleweight that I think can beat him.  Second, he has beaten top fighters constantly.  He beat a top notch fighter in Dan Henderson and another in Rich Franklin, and he destryoed Franklin.  He beat a solid guy in Nate Marquardt.  Third, he challenges himself.  He moved up to 205 to fight James Irvin.  Irvin is not a stud a 205, but he has serious KO power.  He could have KO’d Silva, but Silva destroyed him quickly.  Fourth, Anderson is so well rounded.  His striking is legendary.  His Muay Thai is deadly.  His jiu jitsu is incredible although we don’t see much of it.  I don’t see him getting beat any time soon at 185 or 205. 

2. Fedor Emelianenko –  I am tempted to rank Fedor 1b.  Someone could make a solid argument to him being number 1.  Fedor always impresses.  He really impressed against Sylvia.  Not just that he won, but that he won in 36 seconds.  He is no doubt the best heavyweight, but I put him second to Anderson because I do not feel he has cleaned out the divison like Anderson has.  Fedor still has several guys to beat that are top level.  I’d like to see him fight Couture, Arlovski and Barnett.  Don’t get me wrong Fedor has a great resume and has beaten great guys like Nogueira and Cro Cop.  Fedor is incredible.  As for now he is numebr 2 pound for pound and I think he has to win another and Silva has to lose to change that.

3. B.J. Penn –  Pure talent B.J. may be up there with Anderson and Fedor.  I believe B.J. may be the guy to challenge the two above guys.  He has looked dominant since his return against Pulver, Stevenson, and Sherk.  He wants to fight St. Pierre in what would be a dream match.  B.J. is one of those guys that can fight at several divisons and he has made clear he wants the welterweight belt.  If he beats St. Pierre he has to be in the talk for number 1.  He has beaten solid welterweights before and can fight well at 170.  He has even talked about going up to 185 to challenge Anderson.  B.J.’s knock has always been his drive.  That has changed lately it seems and when on his game he can beat anyone at any weight.  B.J. made very good fighters in Sean Sherk and Joe Stevenson look bad.  I am on the Penn bandwagon right now and think that right now he can beat anyone at 155 and maybe anyone at 170. 

4. Urijah Faber – Some people may want St. Pierre in this spot, but I have Faber.  Faber is an awesome featherweight.  He may be the best featherweight ever.  I and many still want the Yamamoto fight, but the Pulver fight was great.  Faber impressed there and moved up my rankings because of that.  I don’t see any 145 lb guy beating Faber.  His boxing is great and he is so innovative on the ground.  The category is best pound for pound fighter and I think Urijah is one of the best. 

5. Georges St. Pierre – St. Pierre is not ranked higher because he does have a recent loss to Matt Serra.  I know he avenged that loss since then, but Serra I consider far less talented than him.  St. Pierre is the total package.  When he is on he is unstoppable, and the key is when he is on.  I don’t suspect he will lose to Jon Fitch and a matcvh with B.J. Penn is on the horizon.  St. Pierre looked great against Serra, Hughes and Koscheck lately.  He is beating top level talent at the welterweight divison.  he is a few fights away from cleaning out the divison.  If he beats Fitch, Penn, Alves and Sanchez, he may move up to 185.  St. Pierre is an awesome fighter and he has room to climb up.  I think what is so impressive about him is his desire to learn more and grow as a fighter. 

6. Miguel Torres – A 135 pound fighter is hard to rank, however there is no doubt that Torres is the world’s best bantamweight.  His popularity is growing by leaps and bounds.  His last fight may be fight of the year.  He has sick jiu jitsu and showed he can stand and bang.  He has an incredible overall record and he sports a mullet unashamedly.  Torres is great at 135.  Many are calling for a Torres vs. Faber fight and that would be awesome as I believe Torres would be a challenge to Urijah.  I do not know if we know how good Miguel is and I do not know if we ever will.  He has to be one of the most underrated fighters in the world. 

7. Lyoto Machida – I do not know how many people consider Machida in their pound for pound rankings, but I think it must be considered.  He is undefeated.  He dominated Tito Ortiz.  I know many people are critical of him, but right now he may be the world’s best light heavyweight.  He certainly fits the bill of being underrated.  Many people do not like him because of his style, but he keeps winning.  Some accuse him of running in fights, but he strikes and moves.  He is very effective.  If he keeps winning he needs to move up lists.  His fight with Thiago Silva at UFC 89 will tell us a lot.  Don’t sleep on Lyoto as a pound for pound top fighter. 

8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – Big Nog is the UFC Heavyweight champion.  He has beaten great guys.  He takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’.  He has tons of talent and is very well rounded.  Most consider him the #2 or #3 heavyweight and in the midst of Couture’s desire to fight the best in Fedor he has overlooked fighting Nogueira.  In my opinion Randy should have challenged Nogueira for the belt before pulling this cry baby crap with the UFC and pouting because he wanted Fedor.  He could have foguht out his contract against Nogueira and one other guy and then left with no conflict to get the Fedor fight.  He could have fulfilled his contract with no controversy with the UFC.  His legacy is tarnished.  I think Nog would beat Randy.  He has proven himself over and over.  Nogueira is a solid fighter and I look forward to his fight with Mir and his TUF 8 coachind stint. 

Others: Kid Yamamoto, Takanori Gomi, Paulo Filho, Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

UFC News: Sokoudjou vs. Cane at UFC 89

More UFC 89 bouts are being confirmed.  One being a light heavyweight bout between contenders Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Luiz Arthur Cane.  The winner of that fight will clearly be bolstered to the top of a heavy and stacked divison. 

Sokoudjou gained fame for knocking out top light heavyweights Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in PRIDE.  He entered the UFC and lost his debut to Lyoto Machida.  His last fight was a convincing win over Kazuhiro Nakamura, who was unable to answer the bell for the second round.  Following the win Sokoudjou called out Shogun, and has numerous times tried to hype that fight saying Shogun was dodging him.  Shogun will be ready to go by year’s end and a bout between the two may be inevitable, but Sokoudjou has to prove himself against Cane. 

Cane was disqualified from his UFC debut, but he clearly was dominating James Irvin in that fight.  His last fight was at UFC 85, where he destroyed Jason Lambert.  Cane looks to have a well rounded game with great stand up and striking skills.  This should be a great fight, especially for the price.

What’s Next For Forrest Griffin?

The new UFC light heavyweight champion of the world is Forrest Griffin.  While Rampage is beloved and great for the UFC and for marketing, Forrest Griffin has been billed as perhaps one of the most beloved and popular mixed martial artists in the world.  Forrest’s win was great for the UFC.  It was great the The Ultimate Fighter.  And it brings up the question as to who will Griffin fight next?  I do not know how bad Griffin was hurt, but I would have to think the UFC would love to see him fight in September in Atlanta.  He is a Georgia native and it would be awesome.  I do not know if the timing is right and that card already has one huge main event fight with Chuck vs. Rashad.  I still look to see him fight again by year end.  In my opinion there are 4 fights that could happen for him at his next fight…

1. A Re-Match with Quinton.  Quinton is now the number one contender.  I am sure he would love the re-match and would love to get his belt back.  The question for him will be 2 things. 1. How is his leg?  2. Will the UFC want him to win a fight before he gets a title shot?  I would say a re-match would make tons of money and people would run to see it, but I’d kind of like to see it built up a while and see Quinton win a fight to earn it.  If you do that you make for 3 blockbuster fights rather than one because Forrest would get one title defense, Quinton would fight once and then ideally you woul follow up with the re-match. 

2. Chuck Liddell.  A Liddell vs. Griffin fight would be a huge blockbuster.  You could market it as the coach vs. the student of the Ultimate Fighter.  You could bill it as the two most popular light heavyweights.  That fight would be huge, and if I was Dana I would hope that somehow Rashad gets out of that UFC 88 fight and you could make a huge fight in Griffin’s backyard.  I doubt it will happen like that, but some have suspectd a Liddell vs. Griffin year end fight.  Chuck has to get through Rashad first. 

3. Lyoto Machida. He has earned a top 3 spot in the divison.  However, many people feel like his fights won’t sell.  He is an awesome fighter and is feared by many.  He deserves a shot, but Forrest is on record as saying he wants nothing to do with Machida.  I don’t look for this to happen, but I do look for Machida to be scheduled for a big fight soon.

4. Anderson Silva.  If and only if Anderson Silva steam rolls through James Irvin you could see this fight happening.  Silva wants to fight more and this could be his ticket.  His next fight is July 19th and after that he is expected to fight Yushin Okami at UFC 88 for the middleweight title defense.  A December fight between Silva and Griffin could happen, but I don’t look for it.  The reason: I doubt the UFC would sacrifice Forrest that readily even to Anderson Silva. 

The UFC could shock us and put Griffin against some other good contender.  I never expected Forrest to get the title shot and he did.  It won’t be Wanderlei Silva. They could pull out someone like Dan Henderson, Thiago Silva, or Sokoudjou, but I doubt it.  We could see someone like Keith Jardine come in and fight him for a re-match or Shogun, but I doubt it.  I think Forrest’s next fight will be between the four names I mentioned above (Jackson, Machida, Liddell, or Anderson Silva).

What’s Next For Quinton “Rampage” Jackson?

The question that many people have following Rampage jackson’s decision loss to Forrest Griffin is what is next for the outgoing UFC light heavyweight champion?  There are many people that feel that Griffin should not have won the fight and many people scored the fight either a draw or for Jackson.  However, that is not what happened, Griffin won and is now the champ.  Rampage vowed never to stay out of the octagon for as long as he has again.  So, we will probably see Quinton again by year’s end, but against who?  And where does he stand as a contender in a stacked divison?  First off, I believe that Quinton is the number one contender in the divison today.  As to who he will fight, the most likely candidate is that he will re-match Forrest Griffin.  A lot of what Rampage does next will depend on his leg and I think that there are several scenarios out there for Rampage and 3 fights that could take place for him before the end of the year.

1. The Re-Match.  Many people willc all for the re-match with Forrest.  I wouldn’t be against this as I thought Jackson won the fight anyways, however the light heavyweight strap has been on hold for a long time due to the Griffin/Jackson fight and the Ultimate Fighter stints.  I have a feeling that the UFC may look to market Griffin vs. Someone not named Jackon.  More on this later…  Both guys said they would like the re-match and Dana isn’t against it, and the fight could happen, but the question is will they make Rampage win a fight to get another title shot?

2. Wanderlei Silva.  This is the fight I want.  This has to be a fight Rampage wants.  Wanderlei is a top 5 light heavyweight, but he wasn’t next in line for the title, so if Jackson would have won the fight would have been hard pressed to take place as the next title defense.  With Jackson losing this fight could take place as the fight for the title shot.  The line is long in contention at 205.  You have Machida, Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva, and Rampage all in the mix for the next title shot with Thiago Silva, Brandon Vera, and Rashad Evans looking to get into contention.  I am sure the Wanderlei fight would be huge, and Rampage wants to avenge those losses to Silva.  This fight really could happen.

2. Shogun.  Shogun should come off his injury and be ready to fight in November or December.  That would give Rampage plenty of time to recover and be ready.  Also, it would be a chance for Rampage to avenge a loss in his career.  I don’t look for this fight to happen although it would be great with both at their best.  It won’t happen because it is too dangerous for both of them.  Shogun is 0-1 in the UFC.  He needs a win and I have a feeling he may get a good, but beatable opponent next.  Rampage is very important to the UFC and him losing his next fight would drop him out of the top 3 and move him towards the back of the line for the title.

In my opinion, although a Rampage fan, I think he needs to win a fight to get another title shot.  I hope Dana gives someone else a shot at the belt as there are so many people who could be deserving.

UFC News: Rashad Evans to Face Chuck Liddell

It was recently announced that Chuck Liddell would in fact headline the UFC 88 card in September in Atlanta, Georgia.  When rumors began swirling about Anderson Silva jumping up to Light Heavyweight bloggers everywehre salivated, hoping for a super match between the two.  It looks like the two will not fight, but Chuck Liddell will fight Light Heavyweight up and comer Rashad Evans.  According to ESPN the Magazine:

Evans will have his chance to break through in September. According to a UFC source, he will be Chuck Liddell’s mystery opponent in the organization’s debut in Atlanta. The fight has been agreed to in principle—the only thing left is the paperwork. Any kind of win over the Iceman would probably vault Evans into light heavyweight title contention and be a defining moment for him and MMA fans. They’d have to embrace him, right? Right?

We knew that Liddell was fighting in September, but there were many rumors as to who he would fight.  Some people suggested that he would fight his original opponent in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.  Others expected a Liddell vs. Silva II fight.  I think both of those fights could eventually happen, but now it appears it is Rashad Evans.  I am not sure about this one.  Rashad is good and this may eb a dangerous fight for Chuck due to his hamstring injury.  However, a win here gets him into the title picture real quick.  The problem with this fight is that it does not remove the crowded top 5-6 of the divison.  Evans is a top ten guy and a win moves him into the heap.  If I was the UFC I would want to uncrowd that loaded top 5 or 6 of Jackson, Griffin, Wanderlei, Lyoto, Chuck, and Shogun.  I would guess they are looking to cement a few guys at the top. 

The UFC Light Heavyweight Possibilities

With rumors of Anderson Silva moving up to an already stacked light heavyweight divison this is what the divison could look like.  Anderson is not the only rumored guy to move to the divison. Not likely that this pans out like this, but it is possible.

1. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

2. Anderson Silva

3. Chuck Liddell

4. Lyoto Machida

5. Wanderlei Silva

6. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

7. Brandon Vera

8. Dan Henderson

9. Rich Franklin

10. Forrest Griffin

11. Thiago Silva

12. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

13. Keith Jardine

14. Rashad Evans

15. Matt Hamill

16. James Irvin

17. Goran Reljic

18. Wilson Gouveia

19. Stephan Bonnar

20. Andre Gusmao

21. Luis Arthur Cane

22. Jason Lambert

23. Houston Alexander

Talk about stacked full of contenders!

UFC News: Huge Announcement to Be Made Next Thursday

Dana White says:

You have no idea some of the stuff that we have planned. I’m going to make an announcement next week that is going to blow people’s minds. That deal is done, but my employees don’t even know yet. I’m renting out a place next Thursday and I’m going to tell them. Then we’ll make the announcement later that day. It’s an indicator of where this business is going over the next five years.

I have a feeling that the news to be revealed Thursday is linked to Liddell’s fight in Atlanta in September.  It is obviously on a big scale since the announcement will be made to all the UFC employees. I have a feeling that it is an announcement of a network deal.  The assumption has to be that it will either be Fox or ESPN.  I also have another prediction and is that the main event will be Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva II.  I say that because Dana White was critical of the CBS main event of Kimbo Slive vs. James Thompson and a Wanderlei vs. Chuck II fight would draw a HUGE crowd.  It is especailly marketable since their awesome fight in December and then following Wanderlei’s win at UFC 84.  Can you imagine the ratings that a UFC on Fox would get headlined by Chuck Liddell.  I would also expect if that was the case for several other big fights that night including a possibility of Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra as well as Rich Franklin vs. Dan Henderson.  One could also envision a Sokoudjou vs. Shogun match.  Can you imagine a card with those four fights and how the ratings would explode through the roof?!?