(“…and I’m just saying, in this new 163-pound division, maybe motherf*ckers shouldn’t be allowed to kick you in your damn neck so much.” / Photo via Esther Lin @ MMAFighting)
Even before he lost his second consecutive lightweight fight to Josh Thomson at UFC on FOX 7, Nate Diaz was eyeing a return to welterweight — a division he’d already bounced out of in 2011, following back-to-back losses to Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. So what’s a guy supposed to do if he’s not powerful enough to deal with the beasts at 170, and cutting to 155 is no longer worth the misery? Call it sour grapes if you will, but Nate floated the following suggestion on twitter yesterday:
@ufc more weight classes ASAP?? 163,178,193 More super fights more champion vs champion, closer to weight better fights more potential …
Obviously, that 163-pound division would be tailor-made for the younger Diaz brother, so it makes sense that he’d support it. But self-interest aside, there’s some logic to the idea. While UFC president Dana White has been looking to smaller and smaller fighters as the future of the promotion — 115-pound dudes? seriously? — the UFC already has a deep roster of talented, popular contenders who have suffered from being “in between” weight classes, either ruining their bodies through massive weight cuts to stay competitive, or giving up tremendous size disadvantages to compete at a more “natural” division.
(“…and I’m just saying, in this new 163-pound division, maybe motherf*ckers shouldn’t be allowed to kick you in your damn neck so much.” / Photo via Esther Lin @ MMAFighting)
Even before he lost his second consecutive lightweight fight to Josh Thomson at UFC on FOX 7, Nate Diaz was eyeing a return to welterweight — a division he’d already bounced out of in 2011, following back-to-back losses to Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. So what’s a guy supposed to do if he’s not powerful enough to deal with the beasts at 170, and cutting to 155 is no longer worth the misery? Call it sour grapes if you will, but Nate floated the following suggestion on twitter yesterday:
@ufc more weight classes ASAP?? 163,178,193 More super fights more champion vs champion, closer to weight better fights more potential …
Obviously, that 163-pound division would be tailor-made for the younger Diaz brother, so it makes sense that he’d support it. But self-interest aside, there’s some logic to the idea. While UFC president Dana White has been looking to smaller and smaller fighters as the future of the promotion — 115-pound dudes? seriously? — the UFC already has a deep roster of talented, popular contenders who have suffered from being “in between” weight classes, either ruining their bodies through massive weight cuts to stay competitive, or giving up tremendous size disadvantages to compete at a more “natural” division.
The UFC turns 20 years old this year, and despite all the evolution that the sport has seen along the way, we’re still at the point where there are 15- and 20-pound gaps between the lightweight and light-heavyweight classes. There’s something primitive about that, and Diaz’s tweet highlights it. Instead of creating more divisions that are ten pounds lower than the last one, intermediate weight-classes might be the best next step as the sport progresses. It would create more champions — always a good thing in terms of promotional value — and many of those champions would already be established stars with some name recognition.
Maybe Lyoto Machida is a future champ at 193? Maybe Hector Lombard could make something of himself at 178? And maybe Nate Diaz could make a run at the 163-pound title? Isn’t that a better idea than letting good fighters fade into irrelevance, and trying to sell your audience on brand-new strawweight talent that they never asked for?
(“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein, clearly foreshadowing the career of Nate Diaz.)
You remember how we previously discussed the wolfpack-like sense of loyalty that seems to exist between the members of Team Cesar Gracie? Or how they would rather retire than face another member of their loyal platoon in glorious mixed martial arts competition? Well, since Nate Diaz’s training partner/homeboy Gil Melendez is fighting Ben Henderson at UFC on FOX 7this weekend and is going to win the fight with 100% certainty (and the fight after that, and the fight after that…), the former #1 contender might as well get to steppin’. That’s according to him, at least:
I’m not huntin’ (the title) right now, honestly. My boy is about to put it down and hold the belt for the next … I don’t even know how long. I’m probably gonna bail up outta this weight division as soon as this fight is done. I fought everybody at lightweight already.
That’s right, despite compiling an 9-4 UFC record at lightweight that included a(n unsuccessful) title shot against Ben Henderson last December, Diaz is presumably headed back to the division that saw him score wins over a couple of guys who have since been fired and get absolutely manhandled by Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. Pardon my language, but boy, you have smoked yourself retarded.
(“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein, clearly foreshadowing the career of Nate Diaz.)
You remember how we previously discussed the wolfpack-like sense of loyalty that seems to exist between the members of Team Cesar Gracie? Or how they would rather retire than face another member of their loyal platoon in glorious mixed martial arts competition? Well, since Nate Diaz’s training partner/homeboy Gil Melendez is fighting Ben Henderson at UFC on FOX 7this weekend and is going to win the fight with 100% certainty (and the fight after that, and the fight after that…), the former #1 contender might as well get to steppin’. That’s according to him, at least:
I’m not huntin’ (the title) right now, honestly. My boy is about to put it down and hold the belt for the next … I don’t even know how long. I’m probably gonna bail up outta this weight division as soon as this fight is done. I fought everybody at lightweight already.
That’s right, despite compiling an 9-4 UFC record at lightweight that included a(n unsuccessful) title shot against Ben Henderson last December, Diaz is presumably headed back to the division that saw him score wins over a couple of guys who have since been fired and get absolutely manhandled by Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. Pardon my language, but boy, you have smoked yourself retarded.
Although this statement not only lowers the stakes of Diaz’s clash with Josh Thomson on Saturday, but drowns them in a tub and throws them out with the trash, it does kind of make you wonder who the UFC will throw him next in either case. Since the organization has recently established that a win is a win regardless of what weight class it comes in, should Nate defeat a former Strikeforce title challenger like Thompson impressively, you’d think they’d match him up against a mid-to-upper level welterweight — the winner of the Brown/Mein fight, perhaps. But if Diaz loses…what’s Papy Abedi up to these days?
Jeff Curran is living proof that dropping a weight class in MMA often has a negligible effect on your level of success. After kicking off his career as a lightweight — and losing a decision to Matt Serra in his Octagon debut way back at UFC 46 in 2004 — the BJJ black belt eventually transitioned to featherweight to pursue a championship belt in the WEC. Unfortunately, Curran took back-to-back losses against Urijah Faber and Mike Brown, which inspired him to drop another ten pounds. He didn’t fare any better at 135 either, losing decisions to Joseph Benavidez and Takeya Mizugaki in 2009 before exiting the promotion.
After two years of purgatory — in which he went 4-1 competing for the XFO and on Strikeforce and Bellator preliminary cards — the UFC brought Curran back for another run at bantamweight. And after two more losses to Scott Jorgensen and Johnny Eduardo, Big Frog was back at square one. And now there’s this:
Veteran fighter Jeff Curran (33-15-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC), whom the UFC released following back-to-back losses to bantamweights Johnny Eduardo and Scott Jorgensen, is headed to the flyweight division. That’s according to his cousin and training partner, Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran.
“I don’t know how he’s going to make it, but he’s going to find a way,” Pat recently told MMAjunkie.com…Pat, who defeated Joe Warren for the Bellator belt earlier this year, took up the sport at his cousin’s urging. He said his mentor figure now is planning to regroup on the regional scene in the new weight class.
Jeff Curran is living proof that dropping a weight class in MMA often has a negligible effect on your level of success. After kicking off his career as a lightweight — and losing a decision to Matt Serra in his Octagon debut way back at UFC 46 in 2004 — the BJJ black belt eventually transitioned to featherweight to pursue a championship belt in the WEC. Unfortunately, Curran took back-to-back losses against Urijah Faber and Mike Brown, which inspired him to drop another ten pounds. He didn’t fare any better at 135 either, losing decisions to Joseph Benavidez and Takeya Mizugaki in 2009 before exiting the promotion.
After two years of purgatory — in which he went 4-1 competing for the XFO and on Strikeforce and Bellator preliminary cards — the UFC brought Curran back for another run at bantamweight. And after two more losses to Scott Jorgensen and Johnny Eduardo, Big Frog was back at square one. And now there’s this:
Veteran fighter Jeff Curran (33-15-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC), whom the UFC released following back-to-back losses to bantamweights Johnny Eduardo and Scott Jorgensen, is headed to the flyweight division. That’s according to his cousin and training partner, Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran.
“I don’t know how he’s going to make it, but he’s going to find a way,” Pat recently told MMAjunkie.com…Pat, who defeated Joe Warren for the Bellator belt earlier this year, took up the sport at his cousin’s urging. He said his mentor figure now is planning to regroup on the regional scene in the new weight class.
“I think he’s going to have a couple of fights outside the UFC and then (UFC officials will) possibly bring him back in,” Pat said. “I don’t know the whole details, but I think he’s going to fight at…the end of August in the XFO, possibly fight at another show, and try to get an offer in the UFC.”
The UFC launched its flyweight division earlier this year. Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson’s rematch headlines Friday’s UFC on FX 3 event, and the winner fights Joseph Benavidez later this year to determine the UFC’s inaugural flyweight champion. The new 125-pound weight class has provided new life for former bantamweight-title challengers such as Benavidez and Johnson, as well as vets such John Dodson, Louis Gaudinot and Darren Uyenoyama. Jeff Curran now looks to join that group.
Looking at the above photo of Curran’s last bantamweight weigh-in, you have to wonder where that next ten pounds is going to come from. If you compare it to this earlier photo of Curran at 145, you’ll see that he had to shed his hair and a noticeable amount of muscle to make 135 in the first place. Is competing in the UFC really worth jeopardizing your kidneys and turning yourself into a living skeleton, just so you can get out-wrestled by Demetrious Johnson and fired again? It seems like a decision born more out of desperation than logic.
Far be it from me to tell a fighter how to run his career, but…damn, Jeff Curran is going to look rough at 125.
Whether it’s Jon Jones wanting to move up to heavyweight, or everyone wanting Frankie Edgar to cut to 145, weight-class-shifting is a hot topic for MMA fans and pundits alike. And while we’ve recently covered the perils and benefits of dropping to a lower weight class, the same can be said for moving up in weight. After jumping to heavier divisions, some fighters’ proverbial stars have shined brighter, some have dimmed, and some have gone God-damn-supernova — and it’s never easy to predict which fighters will have success. Check out some notable examples below, and tell us which other fighters you think would do well with some extra meat on their bones.
The Good
Alistair Overeem
(Same guy as above, same backdrop, and yet something is different…)
All insinuations aside, Overeem is a prime example of success at moving up a weight class. As I previously mentioned, Overeem has gone 12-1-1 since making a full commitment to heavyweight, and while the quality of opponents he faced was often questionable, that is still a hell of a good run. If you take a look back at his time at light-heavyweight, the stats are not nearly as impressive. Overeem’s losses usually came at the hands of the light-heavyweight division’s top guys, like Chuck Liddell, Antônio Rogério Nogueira, and Ricardo Arona. His run at light-heavyweight showed that he couldn’t hang with the elites of the respective weight class, and was vulnerable to being manhandled by stronger opponents.
After doing whatever it is he did to bulk up, he turned his fortunes around and achieved the greatest stardom of his career, becoming the poster child for successful jumps up the weight-class ladder. If it wasn’t for some bad decision-making, he would be fighting for the sport’s highest prize this weekend. Here’s to hoping he gets his shit together soon.
Whether it’s Jon Jones wanting to move up to heavyweight, or everyone wanting Frankie Edgar to cut to 145, weight-class-shifting is a hot topic for MMA fans and pundits alike. And while we’ve recently covered the perils and benefits of dropping to a lower weight class, the same can be said for moving up in weight. After jumping to heavier divisions, some fighters’ proverbial stars have shined brighter, some have dimmed, and some have gone God-damn-supernova — and it’s never easy to predict who will have success. Check out some notable examples below, and tell us which other fighters you think would do well with some extra meat on their bones.
The Good
Alistair Overeem
(Same guy as above, same backdrop, and yet something is different…)
All insinuations aside, Overeem is a prime example of success at moving up a weight class. As I previously mentioned, Overeem has gone 12-1-1 since making a full commitment to heavyweight, and while the quality of opponents he faced was often questionable, that is still a hell of a good run. If you take a look back at his time at light-heavyweight, the stats are not nearly as impressive. Overeem’s losses usually came at the hands of the light-heavyweight division’s top guys, like Chuck Liddell, Antônio Rogério Nogueira, and Ricardo Arona. His run at light-heavyweight showed that he couldn’t hang with the elites of the respective weight class, and was vulnerable to being manhandled by stronger opponents.
After doing whatever it is he did to bulk up, he turned his fortunes around and achieved the greatest stardom of his career, becoming the poster child for successful jumps up the weight-class ladder. If it wasn’t for some bad decision-making, he would be fighting for the sport’s highest prize this weekend. Here’s to hoping he gets his shit together soon.
What can be said that already hasn’t been about Captain America? (Sorry Stann, but there’s only room for one in my heart.) A man probably best known for his trilogy at light-heavyweight with Chuck Liddell — oh, and also for being a former interim light-heavyweight champ, and two-time unified light-heavyweight champ — Randy Couture also racked up accolades in the heavyweight division. Kicking off his MMA career by winning the UFC 13 heavyweight tournament in 1997, Randy went on to win the UFC’s heavyweight title three times.
Ten years later, after seven consecutive fights at light-heavyweight and a short lived “retirement,” the 43-year-old legend returned to take on then-heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia. (Note: a little piece of me dies every time I’m forced to mention “Tim Sylvia” and “champion” in the same sentence.) Couture’s dominant win over Sylvia and subsequent title defense against Gabriel Gonzaga were nothing short of inspiring. Randy managed to do what every man who’s experienced a mid-life crisis has only dreamed about. Besides, he also honorably represented the sport of MMA by making James Toney look as foolish as possible at UFC 118. For that alone, he gets a much deserved nod on our list.
Say what you will about Jake’s fighting style (boring as fuck, for the most part), but his move up to middleweight during his run in Strikeforce produced the best possible results. With wins over Robbie Lawler, Mayhem Miller, and Dan Henderson (!), Jake beat every top middleweight Strikeforce could throw at him. Since jumping to the UFC, Shields has dropped back down to 170, and hasn’t fared nearly as well, going 2-2, including a verrrrry questionable win over Martin Kampmann. Damn Jake, maybe you should think about moving back up in weight. Now that we’ve talked about that, can we all agree to never speak of Hendo vs. Shields again?
Motivated, unmotivated, whatever you want to call it, BJ’s career has seen its share of peaks and valleys. But the fact still remains that when the UFC decided to temporarily scrap its 155-pound division in 2003, the Prodigy jumped up to welterweight, and managed to beat five-time defending welterweight champion Matt Hughes in his welterweight debut at UFC 46. Penn then decided to leave the promotion, making short work of Duane Ludwig at K-1 Romanex four months later. This was, of course, before he decided to fight anyone regardless of weight. Hang on, we’ll get to that…
