It’s no secret that the UFC has descended on the MMA landscape and obtained the services of virtually every top flight fighter alive. Notice I said virtually every fighter. There are still some amazing talents competing outside of the octagon, an…
It’s no secret that the UFC has descended on the MMA landscape and obtained the services of virtually every top flight fighter alive. Notice I said virtually every fighter.
There are still some amazing talents competing outside of the octagon, and while it seems inevitable that these men may one day find themselves active competitors on the UFC’s expansive roster, it hasn’t happened yet.
You can bet your pocket books that Dana White and Joe Silva (as well as their scouts) have an eye on the contenders competing outside of the UFC. Whether or not they’ll manage to ever see the pen meet the promotion’s paper, remains to be seen.
But for the sake of good discussion, and perhaps even a little advice, it’s time to examine 10 fighters competing outside of the UFC ranks who should definitely be afforded their chance to prove their value on the world’s most competitive platform.
NOTE: I’ve excluded Daniel Cormier from this list as he looks to be just about a shoo-in for the promotion. Expect a UFC debut from DC before long. Also, take a mental memo that everyone on this list possesses an aesthetically pleasing style, which could go a long way if the proper money is invested in the marketing machine.
Ryan Bader’s ascension in the light heavyweight division was met by a brick wall in Jones, who grounded, pounded and choked Bader out in just under 10 minutes. Former divisional kingpin Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was brutalized—in em…
Ryan Bader’s ascension in the light heavyweight division was met by a brick wall in Jones, who grounded, pounded and choked Bader out in just under 10 minutes.
Former divisional kingpin Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was brutalized—in embarrassingly one-sided fashion—for nearly 13 minutes, which prompted an extremely rare response from Rua—a tap.
Jones again disposed of an iconic fighter—who’s accomplished far more than his contemporaries—and left an unforgettable mark on the landscape of MMA.
Six months later, Jones humiliated another former champion in Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. A bout that ended early in the fourth frame—by submission, I might add—was contested on the feet for a solid 90 percent of the bout, where “Bones” used fantastic range and well-calculated assaults to outstrike the heavy-handed Rampage.
LyotoMachida would next meet Jones in the headlining bout of UFC 140. Machida mounted a very spirited attack in the first frame, but fell victim to the Jackson representative’s deep bag of goodies. A takedown, an elbow and a tremendous left hand left Machida on wobbly legs, and Jones shortly thereafter submitted his third consecutive former champion.
Jones needed less than 10 minutes to hand “The Dragon” his most damning defeat in professional combat.
After a four-month respite, Jones returned to face his fourth consecutive former champ of the division, Rashad Evans. Evans, perhaps due in part to his experience training with Jones, gave the champion his toughest test to date. This one amounted to little more than a kickboxing match but, ultimately, it was Jones who controlled pace, delivered nice shots and responded well to the surprising stingers delivered by Evans.
He exited the cage with a clear-cut unanimous decision.
In a simply baffling schedule, Jon Jones would meet his fifth (yes, fifth!) consecutive former UFC champion, VitorBelfort. After an early scare that saw Jones entangled in a precariously tight armbar, the champion escaped and prevailed in shocking manner.
Vitor, known for his near-unparalleled hand speed, wanted nothing to do with a striking match with “Bones.” That’s too bad: It may have at least produced a chance at victory. Rather, what we saw was more Jon Jones dominance and a sound thrashing of another upper-tier opponent.
There are very few challengers left in the UFC ranks who could conceivably defeat the champion.
When I say a few, I mean perhaps Dan Henderson (should he find a home for the “H-Bomb”), Alexander Gustafsson (should he continue to develop at an accelerated rate) and Glover Teixeira (if he can improve his defense in a major way and somehow solve the riddle of getting close to Jones).
I don’t have much faith in any of the aforementioned foes wrangling the title strap from Jones’ waist in the near future. In fact, he should rightfully be viewed as a massive favorite (though I’d love to see “Hendo” shock the world) against every name I’ve listed.
All that said, I think many of us are examining the wrong division entirely.
The man to defeat Jon Jones won’t be named Dan Henderson or Alexander Gustafsson. Hell, the man to beat Jones will not even typically campaign at 205 pounds, but 185 pounds.
You see where I’m going with this?
Anderson Silva is the only man who can, and will, dethrone Jon Jones. I recently spoke about the ways in which Anderson might find success against Jones, and after even more thorough examination of each man’s career, their feats and their strengths and weaknesses, I’ve reach a very, very certain decision.
You may not like it, but I believe it wholeheartedly.
Anderson Silva will defeat Jon Jones when this fantasy match is made (which I believe is inevitable) and he won’t look to draw this affair into the latter rounds. He won’t aim to produce a pronounced level of taunting in the process, he won’t be foolish enough to mistime his attacks and he will have absolutely no mercy.
Anderson Silva will crush the significantly less-polished practitioner who is Jon Jones.
Jones, while amazing with his versatile attack, lacks the fluidity of a lifelong martial artist and that’s what has guided me to this ultimate declaration.
Anderson Silva’s near inhuman ability to absorb punishment (the guy’s been rocked what: two, three times in his entire career?), identify his opponents’ attacks before they have actually launched them and uncork pinpoint accurate counterstrikes, will prove the Kryponite to Jon’s thus-far perceived invincibility.
Silva will not be caught by range-finding kicks and he won’t be caught off-guard by the risky offensive that Jones loves to deliver. Furthermore, Jones will not find the takedown, which has been an integral part of his success. Silva is too slippery, and his mobility will keep him from being ensnared in the grip of Jones.
I’m going to build upon my bold claims and guarantee that Anderson Silva—today’s most refined, polished, flawless fighter—will dispose of Jon Jones inside of two rounds.
It’s time to stop the conjecture and tell it how it is.
Anderson can and will take the championship belt (if Jones is willing to risk that title in a championship fight) from Jon Jones.
Having recently approached the heavyweight division, it’s time to take the striking rating down a weight class and examine the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Unlike the big boys of the UFC, ranking the promotion’s 205-pounders is g…
Having recently approached the heavyweight division, it’s time to take the striking rating down a weight class and examine the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Unlike the big boys of the UFC, ranking the promotion’s 205-pounders is going to produce an extremely daunting challenge.
There are some remarkably skilled strikers taking up residence at 205, and with nearly 40 fighters clogging the division, isolating and accurately ranking the absolute best of the best isn’t a feat to scoff at. It’s tough, and a few fans will likely feel as though “their” fighter was slighted.
That’s just the nature of the ranking beast.
Before I launch into this list, allow me to issue a note to you—the reader—and outline, to the best of my abilities, the criteria being dealt with. First, expect the obvious factors to come into play: speed, mobility, defense, power, and durability. Common opponents and subsequent outcomes will be mulled over, as will the deterioration of a fighter, the ascension of one’s skills and the level at which each man has competed.
Developing a list of this nature is no exact science, mind you, so try to avoid flying into an uncontrollable rage if you’re under the impression I’ve got this all wrong. I’m human, and this is an opinion piece.
Long gone are the days of one-dimensional fighters finding noteworthy success within the UFC’s Octagon. These days, to showcase a level of incompetence or deficiency in any single facet of physical combat is practically a guaranteed career death …
Long gone are the days of one-dimensional fighters finding noteworthy success within the UFC’s Octagon. These days, to showcase a level of incompetence or deficiency in any single facet of physical combat is practically a guaranteed career death sentence. To compete on the grandest stage requires a sound understanding of wrestling, the submission game and the ever crowd-pleasing art of striking. Miss a beat, and you’re behind the curve.
Keep in mind that being subpar in any one area doesn’t automatically condemn a fighter to inevitable failure. It does, however, drastically decrease the chances of reaching the upper echelon of the sport. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule; Jon Fitch, while a competent striker, has never displayed an overtly fluent or impressive pugilistic arsenal, but his wrestling has enabled him to amass an impressive 14-2-1 record inside the Octagon. But exceptions are just that, exceptions: Guys like Jon Fitch are anything but typical.
Once panned as the thinnest division in mixed martial arts, the heavyweight category has developed quite well over the last half decade. The big men are learning to strike, and they’re learning to do so with a precision that comes with countless hours of work.
There was a time when labeling 10 truly refined strikers north of 205 pounds was a daunting task, particularly within the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Those days, however, have all but disappeared. There are a wealth of solid strikers signed to the world’s largest MMA promotion, and while not every man to prove lethal with his extremities from a vertical position is a star wrestler or feared submission specialist, the big boys have established the fact that their fists, feet, knees and elbows are weapons to be feared.
Longtime middleweight champion Anderson Silva recently told Brazilian TV network, SporTV, that his refusal to entertain the idea of a battle against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is wavering.Apparently, Silva, while not very intrigued by the bou…
Longtime middleweight champion Anderson Silva recently told Brazilian TV network, SporTV, that his refusal to entertain the idea of a battle against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is wavering.
Apparently, Silva, while not very intrigued by the bout, isn’t set in stone in his insistence to avoid a collision with the lethal Jon “Bones” Jones.
From a fan’s standpoint, that’s the kind of declaration that gets the salivary gland working overtime.
Outside of a collision with fellow top pound-for-pound considerate, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones is the opponent the MMA world wants to see “The Spider” tangle with.
Both men have looked virtually unstoppable during their UFC tenure, and both sit perched atop their respective divisions—with very few proven challengers lining up to challenge for their divisional gold.
Georges St-Pierre should certainly find himself in a more comfortable position in this debate, but given the rash of young welterweight prospects emerging, the Canadian champion could have his hands full for a few years to come.
Jones, on the other hand, has done a fair job of disposing all top threats at the 205-pound division, and the combat community has called for the high profile dream match of Bones versus the Spider.
Despite Silva’s record—collecting 16 victories against zero defeats inside the UFC octagon—a sizable portion of pundits have all but disregarded any chance of a Silva victory should he step into the cage opposite the lanky light heavyweight champion.
It’s no outlandish stretch to consider Jones a favorite in this fantasy matchup—his reach alone makes for a remarkably difficult target to find.
The fact that he’s superb at utilizing range and possesses a potent wrestling pedigree only magnifies the danger for Silva in this bout. However, to count Anderson out of any fight is ludicrous.
While Jones is indeed the larger man—and his staggering 84.5” reach is a measurement rivaled by few in any combat sport—there are holes in his overall game.
These are holes that few fighters could capitalize on, but Silva is always an exception to the rule.
Overcoming Jones’ reach would be a daunting task, but Anderson has precision, efficiency and uncanny timing on his side.
Jones, though extremely effective inside the cage, can be a bit wild. We’ve seen what happens when someone hurls a reckless spinning backfist at Silva—one miscalculation with Jon’s trademark spinning elbow and it could be a rough outing for the 25-year-old.
Should this matchup happen in the near future, Jones will also have speed to worry about.
Anderson is unquestionably the faster fighter, and when you couple his speed with his pinpoint accuracy, it’s not inconceivable that Anderson could time Jon flawlessly, and land the lone blow required to send the Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative crashing to the mat.
Insiders will point to Jones’ wrestling as the ultimate factor in this fight, as even a bold Bones probably wouldn’t favor a technical striking match with Anderson. However, Jones’ approach to wrestling within the confines of a mixed martial arts match aren’t exactly traditional.
The average wrestler favors single and double leg takedowns. The reason being is rather simple: it’s easier to close distance and snatch a leg or two than it is to secure a body lock, which is the position from which Jones’ wrestling truly shines.
The idea of Jones wrapping Silva up long enough to utilize his sneaky sweeps and powerful slams seems rather unlikely.
Now, if you eliminate wrestling from this proposed collision, you’re left with a talented striker who boasts an unfathomable reach against the most accurate striker in MMA (who never misses the chance to capitalize on even the smallest of errors).
I’m not an oddsmaker, and I admittedly lack in-cage time, but I’m confident in saying that Anderson has a very solid chance of emerging victorious should this fight be booked within the near future.
Silva still performs in top form at age 37. Book this fight inside the next 18 months, and Anderson enters this affair with more than a solid shot at victory.
It may not even be outrageous to consider Silva the favorite.
Stephan Bonnar will enter the cage tomorrow night to meet his most skilled opponent ever.Anderson Silva hasn’t tasted defeat in well over six years and brings more to the table than any individual in which Bonnar has ever tangled with. He will be…
Stephan Bonnar will enter the cage tomorrow night to meet his most skilled opponent ever.
Anderson Silvahasn’t tasted defeat in well over six years and brings more to the table than any individual in which Bonnar has ever tangled with. He will be forced to dig deep in order to pull off what would be considered one of the greatest upsets in UFC history.
With an impressive 32-4 professional record, Anderson Silva has looked all but invincible since joining the UFC ranks.
With an almost unimaginable UFC record of 15-0, Silva has held firm in his clutch of the middleweight title for (almost exactly) six years, and he’s mixed things up a bit in the process, dispatching light heavyweights James Irvin and former champion Forrest Griffin.
Bonnarhasn’t shown half that promise inside the last half decade.
I’ll support that claim by putting things in perspective: In the time frame in which Silva has amassed his gaudy 15-0 record, Bonnar has put together five wins against five losses. He was beaten once in that specific stretch by Forrest Griffin, the same man who succumbed to Silva’s strikes inside of four minutes.
So why would anyone possibly believe Bonnar has any chance in this fight? We’re about to learn a few things about Stephan Bonnar that should probably already seem apparent.
Bonnar’s been around the block as a professional, fighting a total of 22 times.
He’s tangled with some serious competition throughout his career, having collided with the aforementioned Griffin on two occasions (neither fight yielded a nod in Bonnar’s favor), coming up short (ultimately due to a cut) against LyotoMachida, taking current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones to a decision (in a losing bid) and toppling rising prospect Igor Pokrajac and the resurgent KrzysztofSoszynski.
He’s proven his worth as a professional athlete.
He’s proven he fears no man.
Bonnar has proven himself a diverse finisher, with 10 of his 15 wins coming via stoppage (seven of which ended in submission). But beyond that, he’s proven a profoundly durable competitor. Tomorrow night, Stephan Bonnar will teach some, and remind others, that he’s one of the most buoyant fighters in the 205-pound division.
The guy isn’t going anywhere, plain and simple. Regardless of whom he fights, he shows up to do just that: fight.
Anderson Silva isn’t likely to break Bonnar’s will.
He may tear his face to shreds, prompting intervention from the referee and cage-side physicians, but the chances of a Silva’s previous bouts.
Bonnar’s ability to take a punch has been tested time and again, and he’s passed every test with flying colors. Outside of two stoppages via cut, Bonnar has never been stopped. He’ll likely provide another spirited performance, so expect to learn a bit more about how big “The American Psycho’s” will and desire to win is.
Beyond the benefit of experience, a well-rounded attack and extreme pliability within the confines of the cage, expect to be schooled in the realm of pure strength.
Bonnar is a huge light heavyweight.
In fact, he could easily be considered one of the largest 205 pounders competing today. Strength could easily play a factor, and if Bonnar can utilize his size advantage, he pressure and wear down Silva. If anyone can impose a top-heavy game, or bully Silva against the cage, it’s likely Stephan Bonnar.
What will unfold tomorrow night remains a mystery at this point, but Stephan Bonnar is likely to teach a few naysayers a thing or two. Never count out the underdog, never underestimate a man’s will to win and always recognize Bonnar for what he is: a massive light heavyweight with the skill set to possibly (I stress the word possibly) hand Anderson Silva his first loss in more than half a decade.
This fight will ultimately determine whether or not Stephan Bonnar is as tough as he’s been billed. Past performances seem to be evidence enough, but the picture can be skewed when we’re talking about a confrontation with Anderson Silva.
My bet is that Stephan Bonnar proves a whole lot of naysayers wrong; even if Stephan comes up short, I expect a very spirited effort from Bonnar.
Ryan