Winning the UFC championship is the ultimate prize in MMA. Being a UFC champion automatically places you among the elite fighters in the world and every fighter dreams of holding up the belt at some point in their career.For many, this is a dream that …
Winning the UFC championship is the ultimate prize in MMA. Being a UFC champion automatically places you among the elite fighters in the world and every fighter dreams of holding up the belt at some point in their career.
For many, this is a dream that never comes to fruition. Some of the best fighters in the UFC have failed to capture UFC gold in their careers and their legacy suffers because of it.
Here are 25 fighters on the UFC roster who will capture the elusive honor before they call it quits.
With an immediate rematch between newly-crowned interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz reportedly in the works, Dana White and company should take a step back and think about the precedent being set.Traditionally, immediate rematches…
With an immediate rematch between newly-crowned interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz reportedly in the works, Dana White and company should take a step back and think about the precedent being set.
Traditionally, immediate rematches have been rare in the UFC, especially for a title.
Why is Condit-Diaz any different?
The threat of Diaz’s retirement surely seems to set this instance apart. The polarizing fighter is certainly great for ratings. Whether you love Nick Diaz for his brash attitude and aggressive exciting style or you hate Diaz for his perceived thug image and potentially inflated record, you will tune in to watch him fight.
The UFC knows that they would lose a huge draw if Diaz is actually serious about his retirement.
However, while losing Diaz would be bad from a financial perspective, what message would an immediate rematch send?
There is no denying that Condit’s win over Diaz was considered controversial, but with Diaz’s inability to adjust within the fight, what did he do to deserve an immediate rematch?
A rematch down the road is an easy sell and definitely warranted, but giving Diaz a rematch just for the sake of keeping him in the UFC is akin to giving a spoiled child a lollipop just so he will stop crying.
One of the great things about the UFC has been their insistence on utilizing Joe Silva and company to create the matchups. By basically allowing Diaz to whine his way to a second title shot, the UFC is opening a door that could lead to more fighters threatening to retire to get their way.
Should the UFC make Diaz-Condit II happen right away, let’s hope that this does not become a trend.
UFC on Fuel TV features a welterweight clash between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez that is sure to entertain. The night will also feature a future force in the heavyweight division—Stipe Miocic.Miocic, a Cleveland-based fighter of Croatian d…
UFC on Fuel TV features a welterweight clash between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez that is sure to entertain. The night will also feature a future force in the heavyweight division—Stipe Miocic.
Miocic, a Cleveland-based fighter of Croatian decent, has more in common with Mirko Cro Cop than similar shorts and Croatian heritage. Miocic is a fearsome striker.
Sporting a perfect 7-0 record in MMA, Miocic has compiled five wins by knockout on the regional circuit. Miocic is a finisher and has only been to the third round once, in his UFC debut victory over iron-chinned Joey Beltran.
A former Division I wrestler, Golden Gloves boxing champion and collegiate baseball player, Miocic represents the new breed of MMA fighter. An overall athlete who is well-rounded and can win a fight anywhere the fight takes place.
At 6’4″ and 236 pounds, Miocic strikes a resemblance to current heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos in terms of build and style. A similar career arc may not be out of the question either.
At UFC on Fuel, Miocic will attempt to keep his unbeaten record intact when he takes on fellow heavyweight prospect Philip De Fries. De Fries, an English fighter, will most definitely attempt to take the fight to the ground and put his excellent submission skills to use.
De Fries is also undefeated with a record of 8-0 with seven submission victories.
In a division largely devoid of many new talented prospects, the winner of the De Fries-Miocic fight should emerge as the brightest prospect in the division, and Miocic should come out victorious.
In a grappler-heavy division, Miocic’s take-down defense will need to be on full display. With a decisive victory over De Fries, Miocic will show that he is going to be a force in the UFC heavyweight division.
At UFC on Fox 2, Lavar Johnson made a statement about the incoming Strikeforce heavyweights. At UFC 143, Fabricio Werdum put the exclamation point on that statement.The Strikeforce heavyweights are coming, and they are here to stay.Werdum, primarily kn…
At UFC on Fox 2, Lavar Johnson made a statement about the incoming Strikeforce heavyweights. At UFC 143, Fabricio Werdum put the exclamation point on that statement.
The Strikeforce heavyweights are coming, and they are here to stay.
Werdum, primarily known for his world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, used crisp striking and viscous Muay Thai to batter the always tough Roy Nelson for three solid rounds. While Nelson may not be among the elite in the heavyweight division, he is definitely a solid gatekeeper, and a dominating win over Nelson is nothing to take lightly.
Werdum was in control of the fight throughout and showed that he definitely belonged in the octagon.
The notoriously weak heavyweight division could definitely use an infusion of new talent, and if the trend continues, that is exactly what it is about to get.
Werdum has shown that he should immediately be considered a contender and could eventually get the opportunity to avenge his losses to Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem.
Will there be other contenders that come from the UFC’s sister promotion?
Daniel Cormier, Josh Barnett, Antonio Silva and Sergei Kharitnikov, among others, certainly think so. If their debuts are anything like Lavar Johnson’s or Werdum’s, the answer will certainly be a resounding yes.
With the recent retirement of long-time major draw Brock Lesnar and an overall lack of prospects in the division, the Strikeforce heavyweights certainly seem to be the shot in the arm that the UFC heavyweight division has so desperately needed.
After Roy Nelson’s lopsided and unanimous decision loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 143 on Saturday night, two things became clear about the man they call “Big Country.”1. His days of being a contender in the heavyweight division are over.2. He is easily…
After Roy Nelson’s lopsided and unanimous decision loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 143 on Saturday night, two things became clear about the man they call “Big Country.”
1. His days of being a contender in the heavyweight division are over.
2. He is easily one of the toughest guys in the sport.
Despite being completely blasted on more than one occasion by some vicious knees by Werdum, Nelson kept on swinging for the fences and moving forward. And despite a great display of heart, Nelson was simply outmatched by Werdum’s length and striking abilities.
However, if Nelson were able to make the cut down to 205 pounds, he could revitalize his career.
During the broadcast Joe Rogan brought up an interesting point. If Roy Nelson were to get really serious about his weight, he could fight at middleweight.
While that may be some hyperbole on Rogan‘s part, with Nelson’s build a cut to 205 is not out of the picture.
Lost in the fact that Nelson is extremely tough with decent power is the fact that he is actually an excellent grappler with a black belt in jiu-jitsu. Unfortunately the heavyweight division is not the best place for him to show that off as evidenced in recent fights with stronger men in the division Nelson was unable to bring down.
A more svelte Roy Nelson at 205 would pose an interesting challenge, as he would make for a big light heavyweight and would conceivably still be able to take just as much damage. After going 1-3 in his last four fights at heavyweight, he could at least try making the cut.
At 35 years old, a move to light heavyweight is the only option at this point if Nelson wishes to remain relevant in the UFC.
When Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz meet in the main event at UFC 143, it will be one of the most heavily anticipated fights of the young year. After both fighters were given title shots that were promptly taken away for different reasons, both fighters f…
When Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz meet in the main event at UFC 143, it will be one of the most heavily anticipated fights of the young year. After both fighters were given title shots that were promptly taken away for different reasons, both fighters find themselves pitted against each other for the interim belt and the first shot at returning champion Georges St. Pierre.
Given Diaz’s impressive return to the octagon against B.J. Penn, most of the hype for this fight has centered around Diaz. Diaz’s impressive combination of aggression, technical boxing, slick jiu-jitsu and cardio makes him a tough opponent for anyone.
However, Condit is only a slight underdog in the fight according to Vegas (+170) and could very well find himself as the interim champion when all is said and done. Here is what Condit must do if he wants to be wearing UFC gold by the end of the night.
With an immediate rematch between newly-crowned interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz reportedly in the works,