While Jose Aldo reigns as king, many suitable contenders are looking to dethrone the UFC featherweight champion.Hatsu Hioki has long been recognized as one of the best at 145 pounds, though the Japanese star’s initial foray inside the Octagon was not i…
While Jose Aldo reigns as king, many suitable contenders are looking to dethrone the UFC featherweight champion.
Hatsu Hioki has long been recognized as one of the best at 145 pounds, though the Japanese star’s initial foray inside the Octagon was not indicative of his skills.
Now, Hioki has turned in a noteworthy performance, a decision victory over the always tough Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144.
The impressive win has now put Hioki on the short list of would-be contenders for Aldo’s belt. Here, we will take a look at the best of the rest and depict all of the top-10 opposition that exists in the MMA world today.
*These rankings are the combined efforts of some of Bleacher Report MMA’s best writers, as we continue to try and provide you with the best content on the web.*
(To be fair, DW also thought the Conan remake was going to TOTALLY RULE.)
In what might become known as the most difficult rebound match in the history of combat sports, UFC President Dana White has suggested that former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar drop down to 145 lbs, whereupon he would be given an immediate title shot against Jose Aldo. When questioned on the possibility of Edgar receiving a rematch against Ben Henderson following his…close, I guess, decision loss at UFC 144, White didn’t come right out and say yes or no, but rather suggested an alternate route for Edgar:
I think everybody is pretty clear on what I’d like to see him do, I’d like to see him go down to his natural weight of 145 pounds. There’s no doubt, again, when you talk about respecting a guy, I have so much respect for Frankie Edgar and what he’s been able to do at 155 pounds – because he had to, because there wasn’t a 145 pound division…
…if I’m gonna deny him the rematch for the 155 pound title, I’m gonna make him move to 145 and say, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna have to fight a couple fights first to get the title.’ Does that sound right? No.
When asked for comment, Urijah Faber exclaimed, “That makes perfect sense to me. Absolutely perfect sense.” OK, we made that last part up.
(To be fair, DW also thought the Conan remake was going to TOTALLY RULE.)
In what might become known as the most difficult rebound match in the history of combat sports, UFC President Dana White has suggested that former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar drop down to 145 lbs, whereupon he would be given an immediate title shot against Jose Aldo. When questioned on the possibility of Edgar receiving a rematch against Ben Henderson following his…close, I guess, decision loss at UFC 144, White didn’t come right out and say yes or no, but rather suggested an alternate route for Edgar:
I think everybody is pretty clear on what I’d like to see him do, I’d like to see him go down to his natural weight of 145 pounds. There’s no doubt, again, when you talk about respecting a guy, I have so much respect for Frankie Edgar and what he’s been able to do at 155 pounds – because he had to, because there wasn’t a 145 pound division…
…if I’m gonna deny him the rematch for the 155 pound title, I’m gonna make him move to 145 and say, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna have to fight a couple fights first to get the title.’ Does that sound right? No.
When asked for comment, Urijah Faber exclaimed, “That makes perfect sense to me. Absolutely perfect sense.” OK, we made that last part up.
Although it is a well known fact that Edgar fights at his natural weight, a rarity which for reasons I do not understand is frowned upon in MMA, Edgar has stated before that he isn’t exactly interested in dropping to 145 lbs. And considering DW apparently scored Edgar’s title losing effort in the New Jersian’s favor, why would moving down to featherweight be Frankie’s best move? According to White, it’s out of respect for the former champ, and a desire for his career to last as long as it possibly can, which isn’t that long to begin with:
I really like and respect Frankie Edgar as a human being — take the whole fighting thing out of it. This guy belongs at 145 pounds. When you are a professional fighter, you have a small window of opportunity to compete and be a professional athlete. There are only so many wars you have in you. You can’t have this long, amazing career fighting wars all the time.
Personally, I felt the Edgar/Henderson decision was pretty clear cut, and was surprised to say the least when I heard that White had scored it in favor of Edgar. But the man makes a good point in that, despite Edgar’s incredible heart, chin, and work ethic, he will never size up to the Ben Henderson’s of the world. The fact that a man who fights at his natural weight shouldn’t be competing at said weight says more about the mentality of the sport than it does about Edgar himself. However, that’s simply the way the game is played nowadays, so you might as well get in line.
But then you come to the issue of an immediate title shot at 145 lbs. Does Edgar deserve it? Let’s say he does, but taking on an arguably, no, assuredly more dangerous opponent than the one he just lost to seems like kind of a suicide mission. It would be like if we decided to go from Vietnam up into China back in 1975. And invaded Japan on the side. Jose Aldo is that dangerous. And being that Frankie has never had to cut weight before, you would imagine he’d maybe want a tune up fight ala Kenny Florian to get used to the weight. I could be wrong here, so what do you guys think, rematch or possible deathmatch?
If you could take away any size advantages and have fighters compete on a completely level playing field, you would then be able to determine who is the best in the world at their craft.
These competitors are the elite of today’s mixed martial art…
If you could take away any size advantages and have fighters compete on a completely level playing field, you would then be able to determine who is the best in the world at their craft.
These competitors are the elite of today’s mixed martial arts fighters whether they are current champions or rising championship contenders.
With a dominating performance against Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144, Hatsu Hioki added fuel to the debate as to when the Japanese star should receive a title shot. Widely regarded as the second-best featherweight in the world, Hioki could very well be ne…
With a dominating performance against Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144, Hatsu Hioki added fuel to the debate as to when the Japanese star should receive a title shot.
Widely regarded as the second-best featherweight in the world, Hioki could very well be next in line for champion Jose Aldo.
That is the exact reason the UFC brought Hioki in—to challenge for Aldo’s title. Does Hikoi have the skills to take the title to Japan? Or would Aldo keep the belt in Brazil?
At UFC 144, former WEC lightweight titlist Benson Henderson will attempt to achieve what B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard could not—upend Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and, in the process, capture (or recapture) UFC gold.
When t…
At UFC 144, former WEC lightweight titlist Benson Henderson will attempt to achieve what B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard could not—upend Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and, in the process, capture (or recapture) UFC gold.
When the UFC purchased World Extreme Cagefighting back in 2006, it also acquired the services of the organization’s combatants. Some of those fighters went on to scale the heights of the Zuffa-based company. Others have either not fared that well or just simply fallen by the wayside.
Here’s a look at the best that the WEC has had to offer the UFC.
As far as talk of UFC history is concerned, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) was the spark that started it all, with the unassuming and normal-sized Royce Gracie neutralizing his opponents on the ground en route to the titles in UFC I, II and IV. Since then, …
As far as talk of UFC history is concerned, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) was the spark that started it all, with the unassuming and normal-sized Royce Gracie neutralizing his opponents on the ground en route to the titles in UFC I, II and IV.
Since then, BJJ has been an integral weapon in the fighting arsenal of each and every serious MMA athlete—though some have had it longer and sharper than others.
But when Rickson Gracie talks and seemingly sounds the death knell of his very own family’s martial art in its role in MMA, lesser mortals can’t help but listen. With all due respect to BJJ’s most feared grappler and legendary MMA warrior, we try to perceive the “truths” in his gospel.
Sherdog.com: Do you believe jiu-jitsu fighters are having trouble getting the fight on the ground in today’s MMA?
Gracie: I see it as a new race of fighter developing, something that’s been invented. There are no more style matchups. Now, everyone knows everything. It’s about the strengths of the individual. The time of fights was shortened, the weights were equalized and technology was incorporated into training. There is no more romanticism in seeing a smaller guy fight a bigger guy for two hours. Thinking of that, I believe jiu-jitsu has lost the capacity to be put into practice in today’s MMA, because it’s an art you have to wait for the right moment with. Now, MMA is a sport for the better-prepared fighter, the guy who can absorb more punches and still win. There’s still an admiration for the art by those who practice it, but there’s a decline in how it’s working in MMA.
The gist of Gracie’s statement is this: “The time of fights was shortened…I believe [Brazilian] jiu-jitsu has lost the capacity…in today’s MMA, because you have to wait for the right moment with.”
What he expresses is part truth, and part nostalgia for an era not so long ago.
It’s true, gone are the days when a BJJ-based fighter had the luxury of an eternity to set up and finally sink in a fight-winning submission. Currently, in the UFC, a fighter only has three or five, five minute rounds to hopefully finish an opponent, by submission hold or otherwise.
Still, victories via submission hold still happen inside the Octagon in spite of the five-minute-per-round restriction, albeit with a lesser frequency.
Let’s now take a look at the last 10 fights of each of our seven current UFC champions to see when and where the ultimate goal of BJJ, which is none other than a tap out by submission hold, determined the final outcome.
