When Anderson Silva started his career in 1997, it began humbly in his home country of Brazil. When it ends, it will no doubt be on the biggest stage, in front of one of the biggest audiences the sport has ever seen. Silva isn’t just a fighter an…
When Anderson Silva started his career in 1997, it began humbly in his home country of Brazil.
When it ends, it will no doubt be on the biggest stage, in front of one of the biggest audiences the sport has ever seen.
Silva isn’t just a fighter anymore; he’s a legend with a very impressive list of victims: Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, Vitor Belfort, Hayato Sakurai, Nate Marquardt and so many others.
And it’s not just the names on the list, it’s how he disposed of many of them: easily.
But no matter how many men a champion fights, there’s always one more waiting.
When Anderson Silva retires, he can say he was the best of his time, even if he is defeated by Chael Sonnen in their upcoming rematch, or anyone else. He’s been that good.
As the road begins to narrow, there are still great fights to be had, both for himself and the fans. For the sake of argument, I’ve made a list of six opponents I’d like to see Silva face before he retires.
Granted, when watching a true superstar do his thing, “one more time” is never enough, but still, a fight with any one of these men would be a nice finishing touch to his career.
When many people think of boxing, they think of the golden era of the welterweight division, and four names are quickly and fondly recalled: Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.In the 80’s it was a great…
When many people think of boxing, they think of the golden era of the welterweight division, and four names are quickly and fondly recalled: Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.
In the 80’s it was a great time to be a boxing fan because huge fights were always lurking around the corner, and when they came to pass, they lived up to the hype.
The same can be said for the lightweight division in the UFC.
Thus far, we have enjoyed some incredible fights to cap off this “new” era, ushered in when Frankie Edgar dethroned the great BJ Penn.
Frankie Edgar had two fantastic wars with Gray Maynard, Nate Diaz had damn good scrap with Donald Cerrone, Edgar lost his title in another great fight against Benson Henderson—and that’s really just the beginning.
Consider the names in the division; all men who could fight for the title and take the belt: Frankie Edgar, Anthony Pettis, Gray Maynard, Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone and current champion Benson Henderson.
Then, further imagine how the division would be impacted if Penn returned, which is, in all honestly, the division that suits him best. And of course, it might just be a matter of time before Gilbert Melendez is in the UFC, fighting to prove his claim at being the best lightweight in the world.
Thinking about all the possible matchups—each one with clear divisional ramifications—makes the mouth water.
We have the rematch between Edgar and Henderson for the title, and then we have Diaz waiting in line for the winner.
After, we have Pettis as a clear threat and probably next in rotation for title contention. If Henderson still holds the belt, we will get to see a rematch of these two men. Who can forget their last fight that saw Pettis land perhaps the greatest head kick in MMA history?
And all of these men have the skills and the styles to defeat almost anyone else on any given night.
Unlike other divisions where the top of the class is so far over the top of the rest of the division that there is only three or four names of note, the lightweight division is brimming with true contenders.
When looking at the top ten at lightweight, speculating as to who’s the best is many times like splitting hairs.
And the bigger the sport grows, the more new talent emerges.
The lighter weight classes have always been exciting, but now almost anyone in the top ten can take the title.
By the end of 2013, we may see many champions crowned and dethroned, but for sure, the best interests of the title will be served.
As a boy, my grandmother always used to blast me with this or that Biblical saying, and one of her favorites was “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” As I think about Nick Diaz and what this year long suspension holds for him, I can…
As a boy, my grandmother always used to blast me with this or that Biblical saying, and one of her favorites was “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”
As I think about Nick Diaz and what this year long suspension holds for him, I can’t help thinking that my grandmother’s sayings—pearls of wisdom, one and all, to be sure—simply don’t apply.
That’s why the elder Diaz is an interesting study in human nature.
The same trait that would get most other fighters in trouble may keep Diaz out of trouble, and even see him grow during his time off.
Most fighters who have established their name enjoy the money that comes with being a proven commodity, but they fall into error if they have too much time on their hands.
When there is no master to directly serve, they begin to serve themselves, and a self-serving man is almost always feeding his desires instead of mastering them.
Nick Diaz has never really seen anyone or anything as his master, and he’s always done whatever he wanted. Now with a year off, things may actually become more peaceful for the man.
Not everyone handles fame and pressure the same way. Some internalize it, others rebel against it.
Nick is a rebel.
He’s always served himself, and he’s notably gotten into more trouble when on an active fight schedule than when not.
Some men don’t need solitude. When left to their own devices, they self-destruct, one vice at a time. Diaz will thrive in solitude.
Diaz may have many faults, but being unfaithful to himself is not one of them.
It’s hard to imagine Diaz doing anything different in a long layoff than he would normally, because he’s his own man. He’s always done what he wanted, and always will.
What is more probable is that he comes back with a renewed fire, refreshed and ready to fight for a legion of devoted fans who are always ravenous for his toe-to-toe style.
In the downtime, he’ll probably stick to some kind of daily routine of leisure: enjoying a cool two mile swim, take a four mile run to clear his head, ride his bike, teach, be taught, corner his little brother, and smoke a great deal of weed, stress free for many a month.
Who knows, we might even find out he’s been working on his wrestling.
It might sound like a suspension, but there are many who would look at it as well deserved vacation.
Of course, his name will be missed, but not forgotten, especially with his younger brother near the top of the lightweight division.
Yes, a year off means missed monies and more importantly, missed opportunities to cement his claim at being the best welterweight in the world, but the division will be waiting for him when he gets back.
And with the excitement Diaz always brings to the cage, it will no doubt welcome him back with open arms.
While the UFC continues to spread The Ultimate Fighter franchise throughout the world, one can’t help but wonder why they haven’t made Mexico a main priority—second to Brazil. If any other country would be a natural for the TUF franch…
While the UFC continues to spread The Ultimate Fighter franchise throughout the world, one can’t help but wonder why they haven’t made Mexico a main priority—second to Brazil.
If any other country would be a natural for the TUF franchise, it’s Mexico.
More than Australia, China, the UK or Canada, Mexico has fighting in its blood. Plain and simple.
While other countries need the idea of combative sport sold to them, Mexico and the fight game are so deeply entrenched in each other that it’s hard to tell where one stops and the other starts.
Still, it looks like Mexico is nowhere on the radar for the UFC anytime soon—not even for any kind of event
No doubt there are logistical problems to be accounted. But, given the prize at the end of the line, it seems a given that any effort and price is worth it for admission into a country where combative sport and national pride walk hand-in-hand.
Here are five reasons why the UFC should make TUF: Mexico, above all over countries.
Junior dos Santos sits atop the heavyweight division, having made his first successful title defense, and already people are fighting the urge to claim that the dos Santos era has arrived. One reason why is because of number one contender Cain Vel…
Junior dos Santos sits atop the heavyweight division, having made his first successful title defense, and already people are fighting the urge to claim that the dos Santos era has arrived.
One reason why is because of number one contender Cain Velasquez, who annihilated Antonio “Big Foot” Silva at UFC 146 with such ease it looked like child’s play.
The second reason is Daniel Cormier, a fantastic wrestler who just won the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix by dominating Josh Barnett in every aspect of the match.
That gives us three incredible fighters at the top of the division, with one Alistair Overeem out on suspension but still in the picture.
And that’s about it.
All of those fighters are excellent, without a doubt. But they are not legion, just four men who can’t keep fighting each other forever.
Believe it or not, the picking is getting pretty slim in the heavyweight division.
For the sake of argument, let’s look at dos Santos vs. Velasquez II, as odds are that’s the next title fight.
Should dos Santos defeat Velasquez again (and chances are good that he will), then what happens to Velasquez?
He will have fought and lost to dos Santos twice, straining his marketability in the division. Sure, he can stay at heavyweight, and given how shallow the division is of true talent, he’d probably get yet another crack at the title in about a year’s time, or sooner should someone get injured.
But, it wouldn’t be compelling anymore.
To keep the division alive and thriving, it looks as if Velasquez must defeat dos Santos.
The same can be said of Cormier and Overeem. Any one of those fighters dominating creates a rapid recycling of the top contenders, which quickly bleeds the drama out of the division.
It’s not that the UFC doesn’t have some damn good fighters in the heavyweight division, it’s that they have three or four great fighters that loom above the rest by several levels.
And god forbid one of the top four decides to go south, because the one thing the heavyweight division doesn’t need is to lose any more talent.
Yes, getting Brock Lesnar back in the mix would be good, as would getting Josh Barnett; the more the merrier in the fight game. But who knows if Brock could get his competitive spirit back to the place it needs to be after being routed by both Velasquez and Overeem.
And everyone knows the questions surrounding Barnett.
For the division to continue to thrive it must have serious title contenders, men who possess more than just a name and past glory, but the stuff to take the title by force.
Fighters like Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, Shane Carwin, etc., are entertaining, for sure, but they are honestly not title contenders, not when all roads lead to Cormier, Overeem, Velasquez and dos Santos.
Those four men could run roughshod over all of the above, which is why if even one of them loses, chances are they are but one fight away from another title shot.
So, what is the answer?
Well, in lieu of having (or acquiring) more A+ talent in the division, the powers that be might want to stay away from any more “all heavyweight” main cards in the future. Sure, it was fun, but like anything else, too much of a good thing is a bad thing.
They might also want to start making the top four men fight more than just one outer-limit top-10 opponent before being right back in line for a title shot.
Velasquez, as great as he is, was KO’d in Round 1 against dos Santos, no questions asked. To get back in the mix, he should have to do more than just dominate an overmatched Silva. He should be fighting at least two more times before taking on the champion again.
In short, they need to give the division some breathing room; widen that spotlight to the other fighters instead of each showcase becoming nothing more than another episode of “The Four Musketeers.”
Maybe giving Fedor Emelianenko a second look isn’t such a bad idea after all.
After UFC 146, a few things became very clear. The first is that Cain Velasquez is one very dangerous man; easily in the top three of his division. The second is that he may end up fighting teammate Daniel Cormier, who looks to be one fight away from a…
After UFC 146, a few things became very clear.
The first is that Cain Velasquez is one very dangerous man; easily in the top three of his division.
The second is that he may end up fighting teammate Daniel Cormier, who looks to be one fight away from a shot at the UFC heavyweight title.
The third thing that is also apparent is that this is no time for anyone to be picking and choosing whom they will or will not fight.
With Cormier dominating Josh Barnett so handily at the last Strikeforce show, it’s clear that he should be vying for the UFC title. The same can be said for Velasquez after he dismantled an overmatched and perhaps over-hyped Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.
Both of these men are so good that they stand head and shoulders above the rest of the division, save current champion Junior dos Santos.
These two great fighters are No 1 and 2 in line for a title shot. Should one of them dethrone Dos Santos, friendship-over-competition may rear its ugly head again.
Although it’s hard to say with any certainty if the subject of fighters not fighting friends/teammates has cost us any significant fights, it’s fairly clear that the issue is growing in all the wrong directions and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
I’ll save everyone the carefully crafted arguments as to why fighters should fight anyone put in front of them and instead I’ll keep it simple: If you’re a fighter, then your job is to fight, and you fight who you’re told because you’re a professional combatant on the biggest stage in the sport.
You fight for whatever reasons make you happy and compel you to engage in a sport so incredibly demanding that no fan will ever really know what you endure and sacrifice just to step into the cage two to three times a year.
But you also fight for a company that it the biggest in the sport and is only growing bigger and bigger, and this company has a match-maker who sets up the fights.
As the fans and the company trust him to do his job, he in turn (along with the demanding fans) trusts you to do yours, which is fight whoever he picks, based upon a criteria that rewards the best.
If you are unwilling to do this, you should be cut so you can pursue your dream in a lesser organization where you will not suffer any conflicts of interest.
I know, it sounds awful. But I believe this to be true, and I believe it to be in the best interests of the sport.
I think fighters should be multi-millionaires and their homes palaces. I think even the unknown fighters should be making much more money than they do, even though I know this is unrealistic.
I think MMA fighters should be recognized as some of the very best in the entire world of professional sport, and when it comes to professional sponsorship monies, should be rubbing shoulders with any football, baseball or basketball player in the world.
I think all other sports aside from combative sports are hollow and utterly pointless, except for women’s softball, which I find incredibly compelling for some reason.
I love the fight game and the fighters, but I think the UFC should make it clear to everyone who is in charge, just so they won’t stagger into the same dark room the sport of boxing can’t seem to get out of now.
The company should make it clear: you fight who we tell you to fight, or you fight somewhere else. Nothing personal, but we make the fights, you fight them.
An issue this deep and complex can’t be solved pleasantly or quietly, so it might as well be solved quickly.
Train hard and fight harder, enjoy the spoils, make as much money as you can, revel in the glory, but never forget to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.
You get to keep the rest—all the glory and fame, the huge spotlight, the big paydays and even bigger endorsements, the bragging rights; it’s all yours.
When many people think of boxing, they think of the golden era of the welterweight division, and four names are quickly and fondly recalled: Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.