They say that it isn’t how many beat, it’s who you beat. This little slice of wisdom is perhaps nowhere more applicable than to MMA.After all, who is the better fighter: B.J. Penn (16-8-2) or Nick Thompson (38-14-1)?With all due respect to the Goa…
They say that it isn’t how many beat, it’s who you beat. This little slice of wisdom is perhaps nowhere more applicable than to MMA.
After all, who is the better fighter: B.J. Penn (16-8-2) or Nick Thompson (38-14-1)?
With all due respect to the Goat, I rest my case.
Here, we will take a look at 20 mixed martial artists whose professional records do no justice to what they have accomplished, or how skilled they are.
Some criteria for the list:
First, to be included a fighter must have a sub-.750 winning percentage.
Second, the fighter must be active.
Third, draws are not factored into a fighter’s winning percentage for the purpose of this list.
Fourth, and this is a bit of a gray area, the fighter must not have accumulated most of his losses near the end of his career when he was/is a husk of his former self (you won’t find Wanderlei Silva here).
There are currently seven UFC champions in the world. Soon, when the flyweight division is settled, there will be eight.That’s some pretty exclusive company.The UFC is currently enjoying an era of dominant champions that includes Jon Jones, Anderson Si…
There are currently seven UFC champions in the world. Soon, when the flyweight division is settled, there will be eight.
That’s some pretty exclusive company.
The UFC is currently enjoying an era of dominant champions that includes Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz. Even Junior Dos Santos, one of the promotion’s newer champions, has looked dominant in his two title fights.
Sitting outside this group of champions, but not so far away that they blend into the pack, is a group of UFC title contenders. This group of fighters who occupy the fringe of MMA supremacy consist of many elite competitors chomping at the bit, awaiting their time to adorn UFC gold.
Here, we will take a look at the top 10 fighters in this group. The ranking of each title contender will be determined by a combination of their skill, accomplishments and chances of capturing a UFC title.
To be considered a title contender, a fighter’s next projected fight must be a title shot. If it is unclear which fighter of a division is next in line, a de facto front-runner will be crowned the contender.
Carlos Condit is not included on this list because of his status as interim welterweight champion.
Originally slated to face off against Cung Le at UFC 148, middleweight, light heavyweight and catchweight UFC veteran Rich Franklin has agreed to slide into UFC 147’s main event and have a rematch with Brazilian legend Wanderlei Silva, according to ESP…
Originally slated to face off against Cung Le at UFC 148, middleweight, light heavyweight and catchweight UFC veteran Rich Franklin has agreed to slide into UFC 147’s main event and have a rematch with Brazilian legend Wanderlei Silva, according to ESPN.
Franklin and Silva first faced off back in June of 2009 when Franklin earned the nod from all three judges in a relatively close contest.
Since that time, both guys have amassed just three fights each with Silva going 2-1 and Franklin going 1-2.
Franklin supplants an injured Vitor Belfort as half of the night’s main attraction and will look to successfully return to the 185-pound division after mixing it up at 205, most recently with Forrest Griffin.
Though ready to return to the division that he once ruled over, Franklin is less than certain a second tussle with Silva is the best thing for him.
“Initially, I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to fill in this spot. I was in Singapore on the complete opposite side of the earth preparing for a specific kind of opponent. My prep was cut 2 weeks, and I had to get on a plane IMMEDIATELY to come home and make adjustments necessary.
“I’ve been home a day and a half, and we have yet to do a tape breakdown on Wand again. That’s like night and day. Southpaw to Conventional, aggressive vs. passive, and their styles are completely different.”
The logistical complications Franklin faces in returning to the United States in order to properly prep for Silva are doubly troublesome when you consider that his purpose for being in Singapore in the first place was to train against sparring partners capable of replicating Cung Le’s style.
While the opponent swap is understandably frustrating for Franklin, the UFC veteran is taking it in stride.
“I’ve learned not to try to predict my future opponents in this sport,” he told BJPenn.com.
On the bright side, the move to main event only heightens the importance of the fight for Rich, and a win in a main event is never a bad thing to put on a resume.
UFC 147 is set for June 23 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Michael Bisping recently mentioned that he would not be opposed to reprising his role as coach on The Ultimate Fighter sometime soon, but it seems he is now setting his sights a bit higher.ESPN reported earlier today that the Count believes he may…
Michael Bisping recently mentioned that he would not be opposed to reprising his role as coach on The Ultimate Fighter sometime soon, but it seems he is now setting his sights a bit higher.
ESPN reported earlier today that the Count believes he may be on the precipice of fighting for UFC gold. That is, if Chael Sonnen defeats Anderson Silva this July at UFC 148.
Bisping recounts a conversation he had with UFC president Dana White after he lost a hotly contested decision to Sonnen earlier this year.
“I asked, ‘Where does this leave me for the title shot?’ And [White] never said you don’t get one. He said, ‘We need to figure it out’.”
The Brit goes on to mention a talk he had with Joe Silva on a similar subject matter.
“When speaking to Joe Silva, he said it all depends on what happens between Sonnen and Anderson. He said if Anderson wins, I might be sitting around for a while.”
So why is Bisping’s position on the the middleweight ladder so dependent on the outcome of the Sonnen-Silva match?
One possibility is that the UFC believes that a rematch between Bisping and Sonnen would be an easy sell, whereas an opponent for Silva could be drawn from one of Brian Stann, Mark Munoz, Vitor Belfort or Hector Lombard.
In that same vein, Bisping explains that Dana White told him that he believes the judges awarding Sonnen a win in the January contest between he and the Count made an error. Thus, a rematch could provide some measure of justice in the eyes of the promotion.
While the situation seems very uncertain at this point, we now know that Chael Sonnen will have at least one big supporter when he faces off with Anderson Silva this July.
They say that the third time is a charm, but for Michael “The Count” Bisping, it might just be showing off.That’s because the outspoken Brit has stated his willingness to act as a coach for the UFC’s feeder program once again, already having tutored th…
That’s because the outspoken Brit has stated his willingness to act as a coach for the UFC’s feeder program once again, already having tutored three fighters—James Wilks, Ross Pearson and Diego Brandao—to Ultimate Fighter supremacy.
I never say never, but the UFC hasn’t said anything to me, so maybe they’re saying never! I think maybe I’ve been rammed down people’s necks enough. But I’d certainly give it consideration. I’m a product of the Ultimate Fighter so I’m always open to it, and I’d like to be involved because of the UK v Australia thing – which is a really good concept. But I haven’t been asked yet!
Bisping, a former contestant and winner of the show himself, prevailed in the third installment of the TUF series taking home light heavyweight honors by defeating Josh Haynes by TKO in the tournament finale.
Since claiming his TUF title, The Count has gone on to be one of The Ultimate Fighter‘s most successful alums, posting a 12-4 UFC record and defeating some solid competitors along the way.
Bisping‘s next fight will come against Tim Boetsch this July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
In addition to his in-Octagon success, Bisping has become one of the sport’s biggest icons in the United Kingdom, and he seems like a natural fit to reprise his role as coach should a UK versus Australia format be rolled out.
In keeping with tradition, the UFC would have to provide an Australian middleweight to coach opposite Bisping for such a tournament. Hector Lombard, a Cuban born adopted son of the Land Down Under, seems to fit the bill.
Lombard’s first fight in the UFC is just a couple weeks after The Count’s upcoming contest, so the timing may just be right.
After debuting in the 145-pound weight division with smashing success, Charles Oliveira has his sights set on climbing the featherweight ladder.Next stop: Jonathan Brookins.The 22-year-old Brazilian will clash with the TUF champion June 1, as part of T…
After debuting in the 145-pound weight division with smashing success, Charles Oliveira has his sights set on climbing the featherweight ladder.
Next stop: Jonathan Brookins.
The 22-year-old Brazilian will clash with the TUF champion June 1, as part of The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale.
Heading into the event, the contest between Oliveira and Brookins stands as one of the night’s most intriguing matchups.
For starters, rarely are two highly regarded prospects pitted against one another so early in their careers. Additionally, the fight should tell a great deal about either participant, as both guys will have the opportunity to answer some questions surrounding them.
Here, we will look at the questions we have about Charles Oliveira and examine how Friday night’s fight will play a role in answering those questions.
Originally slated to face off against Cung Le at UFC 148, middleweight, light heavyweight and catchweight UFC veteran