The WEC Fighters Making Their Move to the UFC…

·         Chael Sonnen – Chael Sonnen is coming off of a win over WEC middleweight champ Paulo Filho, but he never got the official title because Filho failed to make weight.  Sonnen looks very good lately and will certainly challenge for the belt right away.  He could be in consideration for the TUF 9 coaching gig as well alongside Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt and Demian Maia.

·         Jake Rosholt – Rosholt won his WEC debut against Nissen Osterneck, but he looked very vulnerable standing.  Rosholt will certainly get a shot in the UFC and many think Rosholt could be a champ some day.  He is training now out of Xtreme Couture, so his striking should improve.  I would say it won’t be long and he will have his first opponent in the octagon.

·         Nissen Osterneck – This is somewhat of a surprise, but it is being reported that despite losing his WEC debut to Rosholt that Osterneck will get a chance in the UFC.  His loss to Rosholt was his first professional loss, but he did look pretty good in that fight. 

Light Heavyweight

·         Steve Cantwell – Cantwell will be the first WEC fighter to make the move over.  He is the champ.  A rubber match was slated for him and Brian Stann, but Stann withdrew due to injury.  Cantwell will make his UFC debut against Razak Al-Hussan at UFC Fight Night 17: Fight For the Troops on December 10^th. “The Robot” is a very young fighter with great striking and kickboxing and is sure to improve.

·         Brian Stann – Stann made a move to Team Jackson and sustained an injury, but he should be recovered soon and may have an opponent sooner than later.  We still could see Cantwell vs. Stann III if Cantwell wins next week.

·         Steve Steinbeiss – Steinbeiss is coming off of a split decision loss to Carmello Marrero at WEC 36, but it is being reported he will fight in the UFC anyways.  

·         Mark Munoz – He fights December 3^rd in the WEC and then is expected to make his move to the UFC.  He is a solid prospect who may be competitive in the UFC. 

Note: Paulo Filho has been dropped from his Zuffa contract and will not make the move to the UFC.  Also, I am note sure what the contract status is of Carmello Marrero.  It looks like Doug Marshall will not be with Zuffa.  Danillo Vilefort looks to be dropping to 170 lbs. 

 

 

 

 

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)

Poll of the Week: Which WEC Fighter Will Be Most Successful in the UFC?

UFC News: Brian Stann vs. Steve Cantwell at UFC Fight Night 16

A source close to UFC Blogger has revealed that Brian Stann will take on WEC light heavyweight champion Steve Cantwell at UFC Fight Night 16.  This will be the rubber match between the two fighters.  Brian Stann won the WEC light heavyweight title by defeating Doug Marshall in a vicious KO.  Brian Stann is a relative newcomer to MMA and should be an exciting add to this card and to the UFC.  He has a lot to learn, but he has shown he has a tough chin and great potential, not to mention the fact that he is incrediblly popular.  I knew that Brian Stann would appear on this card and predicted it when the first mention was made of this event.  It was just reported today that the WEC would fold their light heavyweight and middleweight divisons, and that the December 3rd event would be the last one promoting those weight classes.  They didn’t waster any time.  What better headliner to have for this event than the All-American, Marine veteran Brian Stann.  Not to mention it should be an exciting fight.  Steven Cantwell, the current champion.  He had an impressive TKO of Stann to take his belt.

The rematch had already been discussed internally at the WEC, and according to Stann, as happy as he was to get another shot at Cantwell, he was a little sad that a week later a fight would take place in front of the military and he wouldn’t be involved. This from Brian Stann via MMAweekly.com

“They were talking to me about a rematch right after I lost that fight, so I was already excited about that and I thought it was going to be Dec. 3 in Vegas, so I’d be fighting Steve (Cantwell) in his hometown for the third time,” Stann said in an exclusive interview with MMAWeekly.com.  “It was kind of like a tear in my heart because all of a sudden I was watching Spike TV and watching the Fight Night and they announced this special featuring the Fallen Heroes Fund and it’s going to benefit TBI (traumatic brain injury) patients. “I have so much experience with my guys that suffer from TBI and to get to fight on a military base.  I was in Iraq when they fought on the marine base last time so I didn’t get a chance to fight or even be there, and I just thought this is a dream come true.”  “Most people go to fights to watch their heroes or their role model fight. For me, to fight in Fort Bragg, and Fort Bragg is only an hour and 15 minutes away from my old Marine corps base, so a ton of my marines are going to be up there, plus all the young soldiers.  That’s like a dream come true to me.  Now, I’m fighting in front of my heroes, the people who inspire me. I’ll fight till I’m dead in front of those guys.  It’s a lifetime experience right there.  I’m really excited.  I was already calling a bunch of my Marines.  One in particular, a guy by the name of Robert Gas, who when we were hit by a suicide vehicle during my first tour and he took some severe shrapnel damage to the head and he had several brain surgeries since then and obviously suffers from severe TBI, and I’m going to be contacting him and getting him cage side seats and flying him up for that.”

 I can tell you who will be the crowd favorite and the sentimental favorite at this event.  Reading that quote caused me to jump on the Stann bandwagon for this one.  I like Cantwell and hope he has a UFC future, but I want Stann to win in front of his fellow soldiers.  This very well could be the main event.  MMAweekly also is reporting that Brian Stann will also move his training camp to New Mexico and work with Greg Jackson and his camp to prepare.

 What a card this is shaping up to be:

Brian Stann vs. Steven Cantwell

Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet

Matt Wiman vs. Frank Edgar

 

 

 

UFC/WEC News: The WEC to Fold Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Divisons in 2009

This from the WEC website today:

The WEC also announced that, starting in 2009, the organization will focus on four weight classes: welterweight (170 pounds), lightweight (155 pounds), featherweight (145 pounds), and bantamweight (135 pounds). The WEC will no longer actively promote light heavyweight and middleweight fights after the Dec. 3rd event. This increased attention to the sport’s lighter divisions makes the WEC the undisputed home of the most exciting lighter weight fighters in mixed martial arts.

I guess that means that the December 3rd card could feature some of the prominent WEC light heavyweight or middleweight fighters, but I look for several of them to move over to the UFC.  The names that will land in the UFC: Paulo Filho, Chael Sonnen, Jake Rosholt, Danillo Vilefort, Mark Munoz, Steve Cantwell, Steve Steinbeiss, Alex Schoenauer, and Brian Stann. 

The WEC will focus on the lighter weight classes and should free them to strengthen theier 155 and 170 lb divisons.

UFC News: A December 10th Military Event Possible

MMAjunkie is reporting that a military event is possible December 10th is possible.  However, the UFC has not officially announced such an event.  On top of that the UFC is expected to have the Ultimate Fighter Finale on December 13th.  That would exciting to see another event as there are many fighters that could be used.  It is expected that a fight between TUF 5 alum Corey Hill and U.S. Navy veteran Dale Hartt could take place at the December 10th event. I hope the event takes place.  I would suspect the UFC to utilize several fighters with military backgrounds.  We could see Luigi Fiorvanti fight here.  Also, this may be a good time for the UFC debut of former WEC champ Brian Stann.  If the WEC plans to fold their light heavyweight and middleweight divisons, what better time then for that event to use Brian Stann?  More on this as it develops

MMA News: Some WEC Weight Classes To Fold Into UFC

It appears that more information is coming soon about the possible merger of the WEC lightheavyweight and middleweight divisons into the UFC. Here is a portion of the report from MMAJunkie:

“We’re working on that now,” White said of the merger.  Ever since Zuffa LLC (the UFC’s parent company) purchased the organization in December 2006, White has maintained that the WEC would be run as a separate entity — not a feeder system for the UFC — with a focus on the sport’s lighter weight classes.

Although some fighters — including current WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner, former UFC title-holder Jens Pulver and featherweight prospect Leonard Garcia — went from the UFC to the WEC, they weren’t necessarily demotions. In fact, Pulver and Garcia made the moves so they could fight at 145 pounds (a weight class not offered in the UFC), and Varner joined the WEC with the promise of a title shot.

However, the organization has struggled to stock its middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, and rather than pull talent from the UFC, White said the WEC’s 205-pound and 185-pound divisions will be folded into the UFC.  “The answer is yes, and we’re working on that right now,” White said. Although the light-heavyweight division offers some decent prospects in current WEC title-holder Steve Cantwell and former champ Brian Stann, neither is likely to make much of an immediate impact in the UFC’s stacked 205-pound division. However, a couple of WEC 185-pounders could make some waves in the UFC. Current WEC middleweight champ Paulo Filho is generally considered one of the world’s top three 185-pounders, and his upcoming Sept. 10 opponent, Chael Sonnen, gave Filho all he could handle in their previous match-up. UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Filho are friends and, in the past, said they’re unlikely to fight each other. However, Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt, Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson all provide intriguing match-ups for the undefeated Brazilian. In any manner, White didn’t mention a timetable for the merger but confirmed the wheels are in motion.

I believe there are only a few guys that will make it into the UFC and be effective.

1. Paulo Filho

2. Chael Sonnen

3. Bryan Baker

4. Jake Rosholt

5. Steve Cantwell

6. Brian Stann

It would be assumed that Filho will be the most effective in the UFC.  This should be a good move and it should really bolster the UFC’s middleweight divison.  I’d have to say I’d also like to see Carlos Condit in the UFC, but the welterweight divison is likely to stay put in the WEC.  It is likely to happen following WEC 36 where Filho will re-match Chael Sonnen.

Best Non-UFC Fighters

Here are the best non-UFC fighters.  This shows where the UFC is stacked and where they lack.  There competition is mainly in Affliction at heavyweight and DREAM at lightweight.  Here are the best non-UFC guys that the UFC should look to sign if possible. 

Rank	Heavyweight	Light Heavy	Middleweight	Welterweight	Lightweight
1	Fedor Emelianenko	Antonio Rogerio Nogueira	Paulo Filho	Jake Shields	Takanori Gomi
2	Andrei Arlovski	Ricardo Arona	Matt Lindland	Carlos Condit	Shinya Aoki
3	Josh Barnett	Rafael Feijao	Robbie Lawler	Jay Hieron	JZ Calvancante
4	Tim Sylvia	Vladimir Matyushenko	Kazuo Misaki	Nick Thompson	Eddie Alvarez
5	Ben Rothwell	Babalu Sobral	Gegard Mousasi	Mach Sakurai	Mitsuhiro Ishida
6	Mirko Cro Cop	Tito Ortiz	Vitor Belfort	Mike Pyle	Joachim Hansen
7	Roy Nelson	Steve Cantwell	“Jacare” de Sousa		Tatsuya Kawajiri
8	Aleks Emelianenko	Brian Stann	Jason Miller		Josh Thomson
9	Antonio Silva		Melvin Manhoef		Gilbert Melendez
10	Alistair Overeem		Murilio Rua		Vitor Ribeiro
11			Cung Le		Jamie Varner
12			Denis Kang		Ryan Schultz
13			Joey Villasenor		KJ Noons
14			Frank Shamrock		Nick Diaz
15			Yoshihiro Akiyama		Caol Uno
16			Jorge Santiago
17			Chael Sonnen

What’s Next For Carlos Condit?

Carlos Condit is coming off of a great win over a tough challenger in Hirumitsu Miura at WEC 35.  Most people cosndier Condit a top ten welterweight in the world and some rank him as a top 5.  He has the distinction, along with Jake Shields of being the best welterweights outside the UFC.  The UFC clearly has a monopoly of fighters in the welterweight divison and the light heavyweight divison.  If someone wants to fight the best guys and prove themselves in that way, the UFC is the place for 170 and 205 lb fighters.  Kevin Iole at Yahoo! Sports poses the interesting thought in his blog about what is next for Condit.  Here is what Condit had to say:

There are a lot of tough guys – a lot of them, believe me – but you just have to fight whoever they tell you to fight, I’m proud to be the WEC champion and whoever I fight, whenever I fight, wherever I fight, I’ll do it as the WEC champion.

In the WEC Condit holds wins over Miura, Carlo Prater, John Alessio, Brock Larson and Kyle Jensen.  Who else is there to fight in the WEC?  Larson probably regained number 1 contender status with his defeat of Carlo Prater, but why give him the re-match?  Condit admitetd he would like to avenge loses to Jake Shields, Pat Healy, and Satoru Kitaoka.  Perhaps the WEC could work one of those fights out.  The Jake Shields fight is unlikely because he is locked up the EliteXC, although I have to believe Shields would like to be the UFC fighting tougher talent.  They could sign one of the other guys for Condit to avenge, but what else is there?  Nothing.  No one thinks Healy or Kitaoka is an overall better fighter than Condit.  I do not know what Condit wants, but if he wants to prove himself as a top welterweight Zuffa is going to have to move him over to the UFC.  It looks like a fight between some of the WEC guys and UFC guys could take place some time.  It also had been said by Dana White that he’d like to make the WEC devoted to lighter weights and would move the WEC 185 and 205 divisons over the the UFC.  All that would give the UFC would be Brian Stann, Steven Cantwell, Mark Munoz, Paulo Filho, Chael Sonnen and Brian Bowles and maybe Steve Steinbeiss, Jake Rosholt and Shane Roller. The bottom line is that Condit should be in the big leagues and not the minors.  He should be fighting against the St. Pierres and Fitchs of the world and not the Larsons.  He can keep amassing wins in the WEC a la Urijah Faber, but until he fights St. Pierre, Fitch or Penn we will never know how good he really is.  Here is what I suspect.  I suspect Condit needs 2 or 3 more wins before he has to be moved.  I suspect a re-match with Brock Larson and I also suspect that with one more win Shane Roller could challenge him.  I guess time will tell, but I’d like to see him in the UFC.  He deserves it.  He would get more money there.  He would get better and bigegr name fights there.  He would get more focus there.  I am sure if he pushed it he could get it.  He is a star and Zuffa will give him what he wants if he asks in the right way.

WEC 35 Thoughts and Recap

Quick Results

Carlos Condit def. Hiromitsu Miura via TKO (strikes) in Round 4

Steve Cantwell def. Brian Stann via TKO (punches) in Round 2

Jamie Varner def. Marcus Hicks via TKO (strikes) in Round 1

Brian Bowles def. Damacio Page via submission (guillotine choke) in Round 1

Josh Grispi def. Micah Miller via TKO (strikes) in Round 1

Brock Larson def. Carlo Prater via TKO (strikes) in Round 1

Blas Avena def. Dave Terrel via TKO (strikes) in Round 1

Shane Roller def. Todd Moore via submission (guillotine choke) in Round 1

Mike Budnik def. Greg McIntyre via submission (triangle choke) in Round 3 

Scott Jorgensen def. Kenji Osawa via unanimous decision

• I thought WEC put on another outstanding card
• Jamie Varner looked impressive and perhaps I underestimated his talent.  He looked dominant against a very game Marcus Hicks.  It appears he will fight the winner of the McCullough/Cerrone fight in Septmeber. 
• Josh Grispi may be a good challenge for Urijah Faber, but Faber must get through Brown first
• Brian Stann showed he is one dimensional and Steve Cantwell showed he has a vast array of striking skills.  I think Stann will get a rubber match soon though.
• Brian Stann though he losses showed that he was a class act.  He put the belt around Cantwell and he did nothing but show humility in defeat.  I like Brian Stann for that.
• Carlos Condit vs. Hirumitsu Miura was the fight of the night and one of the best I have seen.  I underestimated Miura.  He showed good ground game in reversing Condit numerous times and excellent Judo skills.  He also showed very tough striking.  I enjoyed the chess match here.
• Condit showed why he is the champ.  His conditioning is what proved to be the difference.  I have no problem with the stoppage as Mirua laid there for a while after the fight.  The question for Carlos Condit is where does he go now?
• The WEC showcased some newer and upcoming talent like Josh Grispi, Brian Bowles, Mike Budnik and Shane Roller

MY WEC 35 Predictions

Brian Stann vs. Steve Cantwell

Some people say that this fight will have a different outcome than their last fight and I agree.  I think the fight will last a little longer, but I don’t see Brian Stann losing.  Brian Stann is a star in the making.  I think he has all the goods to be a great fighter.  I like Brian Stann.  I think he will come off victorious in this fight by KO late in round 1.

Jamie Varner vs. Marcus Hicks

The 155 divison in the WEC is very weak, and Jamie Varner is the most likely champion in display at this event to lose.  Marcus Hicks is a good fighter and he could very well beat Jamie Varner.  I still think Varner wins this fight.  I think Varner will win by decision.

Carlos Condit vs. Hirumitsu Miura

Carlos Condit is a great fighter.  I think he is up there with the top fighters at welterweight.  He should be mentioend in the same breath as St. Pierre, Fitch, Alves and Shields.  I cannot imagine Condit losing this fight.  Carlos Condit has great striking and awesome submissions.  He doesn’t have a weakness.  I think Condit wins this one in round 1 by submission.

Brian Bowles vs. Damacio Page

Brian Bowles is a talented fighter that can go a  long way in the UFC.  He is one of the ten guys in the WEC that I believe stack up well agaisnt UFC level talent.  I look for him to win here.

Micah Miller vs. Josh Grispi

Cole’s brother will pull out the unanimous deicison win here.

L.C. Davis vs. Hiroyuki Takaya

Carlo Prater vs. Brock Larsen

Blas Avena vs. Dave Terrell

Shane Roller vs. Todd Moore

Kenji Osawa vs. Scott Jorgensen

Mike Budnik vs. Greg McIntyre

Mid Year MMA Awards

Best Knockout

Honorable Mention: Luis Arthur Cane KO Jason Lambert, Shane Carwin KO Christian Wellish, Murilio Rua TKO Tony Bonello, Matt Wiman KO Thiago Tavares

5. Anthony Johnson KO Tommy Speer

4. Wilson Gouveia KO Jason Lambert

3. Brian Stann KO Doug Marshall

2. James Irvin KO Houston Alexander

1. Wanderlei Silva KO Keith Jardine

Best Submission

Honorable Mention: Antonio Nogueira submits Tim Sylvia by Guillotine, Yoshiyuki Yoshida submits Jon Koppenhaver by Anaconda choke, Nate Diaz submits Kurt Pellegrino, Cole Miller Submits Jorge Gurgel by Triangle Choke

5. Demian Mia Submits Ed Herman by Triangle Choke

4. Frank Mir Submits Brock Lesnar by Kneebar

3. Rousimar Palhares Submits Ivan Salaverry by Armbar

2. Dustin Hazelett Submits Josh Burkman by Armbar

1. Shinya Aoki Submits Katsuhiko Nagata by Aokiplata

Best Fight

Honorable Mention: Shinya Aoki vs. Gesias Calvancante, Cung Le vs. Frank Shamrock

5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia

4. Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver

3. Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith

2. Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin

1. Miguel Torres vs. Yoshiro Maeda

Best Fight Card

5. WEC 34: Faber vs. Pulver

4. UFC 80: Rapid Fire

3. UFC 81: Breaking Point

2. DREAM 4

1. UFC 84: Ill Will

Upset of The Year:

Honorable Mention: Jason Day over Alan Belcher,

5. Thiago Alves over Karo Parisyan

4. Kevin Burns over Roan Carneiro

3. Fabricio Werdum over Gabriel Gonzaga

2. Josh Thomson over Gilbert Melendez

1. Forrest Griffin over Quinton Jackson

Fighter Of The Year:

Honorable Mention: Anderson Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Michael Bisping, Georges St. Pierre, Diego Sanchez

5. Miguel Torres

4. Forrest Griffin

3. Thiago Alves

2. Shinya Aoki

1. B.J. Penn (2 Impressive wins over Sean Sherk and Joe Stevenson)

Best UFC Newcomer:

Honorable Mention: Shane Carwin, Brock Lesnar

5. Rousimar Palhares

4. Dong Hyun Kim

3. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

2. Goran Reljic

1. Cain Velasquez

Worst Calls By A Ref. or Judges

5. Forrest Griffin over Quinton Jackson –  Not just that Forrest got the win, but that it was unanimous.  Many, including me scored the fight either a draw or to Jackson

4. Brandon Vera vs. Fabricio Werdum- Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight in round 1 when Werdum was mounted on Vera throwing down punches.  There was just 10 seconds remaining and Vera seemed to be defending himself well. 

3. Nate Marquardt vs. Thales Leites — Leites got the win, but lost the fight.  He lost the fight due to two points taken away from Marquardt.  One point was justified, but the other was due to elbow to the back of the ehad that wasn’t to the back of the head.  I will confess, that another point could have fairly been deducted for an illegal slam, but I hated to see Marquardt get a loss on his record that I feel he won

2. Phantom split decisions — How was Evan Tanner vs. Kendall Grove a split deicsion?  How was Heath Herring vs Cheick Kongo a split decision?  The right person got the decision, but how was it split?

1. Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson – Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight in the 3rd round while Thompson was still standing and failed to stop it when Thompson was mounted on Kimbo raining down elbows

If I Could…

Okay, let me play dreamer for a minute.  If I was employed by the UFC and I could sign 3 guys from each weight class, who would I sign…?

Heavyweight:

• Fedor Emelianenko
• Josh Barnett
• Randy Couture

Also Considered: Roy Nelson, Brett Rogers, and Ben Rothwell

Light Heavyweight:

• Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
• Ricardo Arona
• Valdimir Matyushenko

(Also Considered: Babalu and Brian Stann)

Middleweight:

• Ronaldo “Jacare” de Souza
• Paulo Filho
• Robbie Lawler

Also Considered: Lindland and Jason “Mayhem” Miller

Welterweights:

• Jay Hieron
• Jake Shields
• Carlos Condit

Also Considered: Hayato Sakurai and Nick Thompson

Lightweights

• Takanori Gomi
• Gilbert Melendez
• Gesias Calvancante

Also Considered: Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki and Urijah Faber if he would move up

Fighting Organizations Rankings

I have ranked the organizations before, but here is the updated rankings of who has the best product.

1. UFC – Still the best of the best.  Has more ranked fighters by far.  Has the most recognizable names in the likes of Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Shogun, Wanderlei Silva, Rampage Jackson, Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes and B.J. Penn.

2. Affliction – By far the best competitive heavyweight divison with Fedor, Tim Sylvia, Aleksander Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Ben Rothwell, Pedro Rizzo and maybe Arlovski.  Not to mention Lindland, Whitehead and Babalu. 

3. WEC –  The WEC has some star power, but is in the UFC’s shadow majorly.  The growing featherweight divison will help them as will the bantamweight with star Miguel Torres.  Guys like Condit, Stann, Filho and Faber give WEC the name recognition.  WEC still seems to be the minor league UFC.  Their success will not come with the bigger fighters, but with lightweights, featherweights and bantamweights. 

4. EliteXC –  Their CBS deal will help them.  Kimbo can be a star.  They do great partnering with other promotions like Strikeforce and allowing guys to fight in DREAM. 

5. DREAM – DREAM 1-3 have been solid with solid fighters especially lightweights and middleweights. Has guys like Aoki and Ishida as well as Caol Uno and Kwajiri. Has other guys fight for them like Alvarez, Gilbert Melendez, JZ Calvancante, Diaz, Cro Cop, Jason Mayhem Miller, Manhoef, Denis Kang, Mark Hunt, Jacare, Kid Yamamoto, Sakurai and Hansen. 

6. Strikeforce – They have a few good fighters which helps them greatly.  They have Thomson, Le and Melendez

7. World Victory Road –  They don’t have an American appeal, but they do have Gomi and some other solid Japanese fighters.  Also they have Kazuo Misaki, Kevin Randlemen, Jeff Monson, and Nick Thompson