Only Jon Fitch managed to avoid a post-fight drug test at UFC 141. The only explanation that NSAC executive director Keith Kizer gave for this omission was that “he lost” Which begs the question — why were those nine other losers tested, then? Do you think Brock Lesnar and Nam Phan felt like pissing into cups after the beatings they took?
Only Jon Fitch managed to avoid a post-fight drug test at UFC 141. The only explanation that NSAC executive director Keith Kizer gave for this omission was that “he lost” Which begs the question — why were those nine other losers tested, then? Do you think Brock Lesnar and Nam Phan felt like pissing into cups after the beatings they took?
With fighters like Gilbert Melendez, Luke Rockhold, and King Mo Lawal, Strikeforce has some legitimate talent. The problem is, their talent pool is so limited that unless the organization wants to keep trotting out the same 5 fights as main events over…
With fighters like Gilbert Melendez, Luke Rockhold, and King Mo Lawal, Strikeforce has some legitimate talent.
The problem is, their talent pool is so limited that unless the organization wants to keep trotting out the same 5 fights as main events over and over again, they need to either add some talent or create some of their own.
While Strikeforce has valiantly been trying to create stars through their Challengers series over the past few years, the number of marketable fighters they have gained has been minimal and with the Challengers events now defunct, they’ll need to find talent from another source.
Obviously this is alluding to the UFC.
The biggest organization has plenty of fighters who are stuck in the middle of their respective divisions, and while they are far away from title fights in the UFC, they would be instant title contenders in Strikeforce.
At Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine, a welterweight fight took place between undefeated prospect Tyron Woodley and the relatively unknown 21-year-old Jordan Mein. “T-Wood,” who was calling himself the uncrowned Strikeforce welterweight champion c…
At Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine, a welterweight fight took place between undefeated prospect Tyron Woodley and the relatively unknown 21-year-old Jordan Mein.
“T-Wood,” who was calling himself the uncrowned Strikeforce welterweight champion coming in, looked as poor as a fighter could possibly look in a winning performance.
Woodley made Jon Fitch look like Jon Jones as far as being an exciting fighter goes.
As expected, the former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler controlled the fight with his takedowns and top control, which is to be expected and makes for part of a completely logical game plan.
However, Woodley did absolutely nothing from the top position. Not once did he attempt to pass guard or improve his position in anyway and Mein actually landed more strikes from the bottom position than Woodley did from the top.
Not every wrestler can have vicious Mark Munoz style ground and pound, but for whatever reason, Woodley just had absolutely no interest in throwing strikes from inside Mein’s guard.
Woodley instead was content to just hold his opponent down and watch the time tick away on the clock rather than look to inflict any serious damage and try to finish the fight.
Although he improved his professional MMA record to 10-0, the former Missouri Tiger only earned a split decision from the judges.
One judge actually thought that Mein looked better off his back than Woodley did controlling from the top position and awarded the fight to Mein: a very rare evaluation in MMA.
How often is it that a fighter is 8-0 in a respected promotion and is still yet to receive a title shot? The answer is not very often, although UFC lightweight Jim Miller comes to mind.
The bottom line is that with Strikeforce being in shambles, as it is right now, to crown a boring champion that fans do not want to see in the cage would only bring the brand down even further.
To his credit, Woodley, who was clamoring for a fight with Nick Diaz when he was still the Strikeforce welterweight champion, has five submission wins and one knockout through 10 professional fights.
So while Woodley may not have reached Jon Fitch territory yet, we know how this story ends if the Strikeforce welterweight continues to wrestle his way to decision victories.
And Hendricks didn’t just finish Fitch, he obliterated Fitch with a knockout punch that completely shakes up the welterweight division in mixed martial arts. Fitch no longer even has a claim for the No. 2 spot in the Top 10, where he has resided for years on many lists (though not on mine), and Hendricks has a strong claim not just to be in the Top 10, but to be towards the top.
So how high does Hendricks go? And how far does Fitch drop? And how does the rest of the welterweight division look at a time when Georges St. Pierre is in the midst of an extended layoff? We rank the Top 10 below.
Top 10 welterweights in MMA (Editor’s note: The individual fighter’s ranking the last time we did welterweights is in parentheses.)
1. Georges St. Pierre (1): GSP had demonstrated his dominance over the division so completely that even with a long layoff, he deserves to stay on the top. Unless he has a setback in his recovery from ACL surgery he’s expected to face the winner of the upcoming Nick Diaz–Carlos Condit fight in the summer or fall of 2012.
2. Nick Diaz (2): Condit will be the best opponent Diaz has ever faced, but I like Diaz to win the interim welterweight title fight in February. The big question after that will be how long Diaz has to wait for his shot at GSP.
3. Josh Koscheck (4): With two losses to St. Pierre, Koscheck won’t get another title shot any time soon, so he’s in more of a gatekeeper role in the UFC right now. Koscheck draws Mike Pierce at UFC 143.
4. Johny Hendricks (NR): The quick knockout of Fitch moves Hendricks all the way up to No. 4 in the welterweight Top 10. As an NCAA champion wrestler who hits hard, Hendricks has the right skill set to beat St. Pierre, although he probably won’t get the chance to do that any time soon. The UFC should keep Hendricks active against good competition, and if he keeps winning he’ll be ready for a title shot once the Diaz-Condit winner has faced GSP.
5. Carlos Condit (5): Condit likes to stay active, so it’s disappointing for him that circumstances outside his control led to him fighting just once (and for only half of one round) in 2011. He’ll be chomping at the bit for Diaz.
6. Jake Ellenberger (6): The silver lining of the St. Pierre injury is that it has given new contenders in the welterweight division time to establish themselves. It used to be the case that St. Pierre was No. 1 and he had beaten all of the other elite 170-pounders. But now the division has sorted itself out to the point that Koscheck is the only one of the five best welterweights after St. Pierre has previously faced him. Diaz, Hendricks, Condit and Ellenberger would all be new opponents for St. Pierre.
7. Jon Fitch (3): Fitch fought twice in 2011, his draw with B.J. Penn and his loss to Hendricks. Once viewed as a guy who just wins and wins consistently, Fitch hasn’t won since he beat Thiago Alves in August of 2010.
8. Rory MacDonald (7): MacDonald should dispatch Che Mills in March, and after that he’d make a lot of sense as a future opponent for Hendricks or Ellenberger. Someone from that group will emerge as a welterweight title contender in late 2012 or early 2013.
9. B.J. Penn (8): Penn is taking some time off following his loss to Diaz, and there’s been talk that he just doesn’t have the desire to fight anymore. But when he’s on his game he’s still one of the elite mixed martial artists at either 155 or 170 pounds.
10. Jake Shields (9): With losses to St. Pierre and Ellenberger, Shields went 0-2 in 2011. He should get started with a much better 2012 by beating Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 144.
Well rather unexpectedly tonight, BJ Penn, who sort of but I guess not really retired after his UFC 137 hard fought defeat against Nick Diaz has taken to Twitter to both insult and call out.
Well rather unexpectedly tonight, BJ Penn, who sort of but I guess not really retired after his UFC 137 hard fought defeat against Nick Diaz has taken to Twitter to both insult and call out Diaz and the fresh off a devastating 12 second knock out loss, Jon Fitch. Penn tweeted:
It’s kind of a cheap shot to a recently wounded Jon Fitch and it’s a far cry from that comradely picture [above] snapped by Cesar Gracie after the battering he took from Nick Diaz. But Penn has always proved to have the true heart of a warrior, and if a few unkind words is what it takes to get him fired up and back in the cage, so be it. This guy puts on a show. Welcome back, BJ.
(I bet if that cameraman had been The Undertaker, Lesnar would have just let him do his job. Video props via MiddleEasy.)
OK, so maybe the above video was taken in the aftermath of Brock Lesnar’s first round TKO loss to Alistair Overeem, but we imagine he had a similar reaction when informed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that he must have an abdominal injury cleared by a doctor before he can compete in any physical activity for the next 6 months. Remember, given his recent retirement, the “physical activity” that Lesnar would be limited from would be his two favorite things, illegally tag-and-bagging mule deer and “getting on top of his wife.” Livestrong, Mr. Lesnar. BTW, that was kind of a dick move, shoving a poor cameraman like that. Way to go out with class.
But Lesnar was not the only fighter who walked out of UFC 141 facing a possible 6 month suspension. Nate Diaz, who, after out landing Donald Cerrone by over 150 strikes, somehow faces a longer suspension than that of “The Cowboy” — Diaz must have his right eye cleared by an ophthalmologist or will also be out of action until June 28th.
Join us after the jump for the full list.
(I bet if that cameraman had been The Undertaker, Lesnar would have just let him do his job. Video props via MiddleEasy.)
OK, so maybe the above video was taken in the aftermath of Brock Lesnar’s first round TKO loss to Alistair Overeem, but we imagine he had a similar reaction when informed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that he must have an abdominal injury cleared by a doctor before he can compete in any physical activity for the next 6 months. Remember, given his recent retirement, the “physical activity” that Lesnar would be limited from would be his two favorite things, illegally tag-and-bagging mule deer and “getting on top of his wife.” Livestrong, Mr. Lesnar. BTW, that was kind of a dick move, shoving a poor cameraman like that. Way to go out with class.
But Lesnar was not the only fighter who walked out of UFC 141 facing a possible 6 month suspension. Nate Diaz, who, after out landing Donald Cerrone by over 150 strikes, somehow faces a longer suspension than that of “The Cowboy” — Diaz must have his right eye cleared by an ophthalmologist or will also be out of action until June 28th.
UFC 141 medical suspensions:
Alistair Overeem: Suspended until Feb. 14; no contest until Jan. 30 for cuts on right eye
Brock Lesnar: Must have abdominal injury cleared by a doctor or no contest until June 28
Nate Diaz: Must be cleared by an ophthalmologist or no contest until June 28; minimum suspension, no contest until Jan. 30; no contact until Jan. 21 for right eye injury
Donald Cerrone: Suspended until Feb. 14; no contact until Jan. 30 for cut on lower lip
Jon Fitch: Suspended until Feb.29; no contest until Feb. 14
Alexander Gustafsson: Suspended until Jan. 30; no contact until Jan. 21 for right tibia contusion
Vladimir Matyushenko: Must have left knee cleared by an orthopedic doctor or no contest until June 28; minimum suspension, no contest until Feb. 14; no contact until Jan. 30
Nam Phan: Suspended until Feb. 29; no contact until Feb. 14 for cut on right eyebrow
Junior Assuncao: Suspended until Jan. 30; no contact until Jan. 21 for cut on right cheek
Dong Hyun Kim: Suspended until Jan. 30; no contact until Jan. 21 for left foot contusion
Diego Nunes: Suspended until Feb. 14; no contact until Jan. 30 for cut on left eye
Manny Gamburyan: Must have right shoulder x-rayed and cleared by an orthopedic doctor or no contest until June 28; minimum suspension, no contest until Jan. 30; no contact until Jan. 21
At Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine, a welterweight fight took place between undefeated prospect Tyron Woodley and the relatively unknown 21-year-old Jordan Mein. 
Johny Hendricks
