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MMA Top 10 Light Heavyweights: A Tough Call at No. 2

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, Rankings, Light HeavyweightsJon Jones is the undisputed champion of the light heavyweight division, but figuring out who deserves to be No. 2 at 205 pounds is tough.

Is it Rampage Jackson, who gets the next crack at Jone…

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, Rankings, Light Heavyweights

Jon Jones is the undisputed champion of the light heavyweight division, but figuring out who deserves to be No. 2 at 205 pounds is tough.

Is it Rampage Jackson, who gets the next crack at Jones’ title? Is it Shogun Rua, the previous champion? Is it Rashad Evans, who beat Jackson? Is it Lyoto Machida, who beat Evans? Is it Dan Henderson, who ran through the Strikeforce light heavyweight division and then beat an opponent who outweighed him by 16 pounds in Fedor Emelianenko?

Good arguments can be made for any of them. So who do I have at No. 2? Find out below.

Top 10 Light Heavyweights in MMA
(Editor’s note: The fighter’s ranking the last time we did light heavyweights are in parentheses).

1. Jon Jones (1): Jones was in Denver on July 19, his 24th birthday, for a press conference promoting his upcoming fight with Rampage Jackson. Jones said several times that now that he’s 24 he doesn’t think anyone should call him young anymore, but the reality is that Jones is both the best fighter in the division and the youngest in the Top 10. His age is an important part of why people are so excited about what he can do: He could be a long-reigning champion in a division that has seen a great deal of turnover at the top.

2. Rashad Evans (4): Evans’ impressive victory over Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 moves him back up to No. 2 in my book. Evans looked as good as he’s ever looked, and it was especially noteworthy that he looked physically stronger than he ever had before. The way he picked Ortiz up and slammed him down with a minute left in the first round was particularly impressive. Whether Jones or Jackson is the light heavyweight champion after their UFC 135 fight, Evans will be a very worthy opponent.

3. Shogun Rua (2): We’ll learn a lot about Shogun when he takes on Forrest Griffin at UFC 134. If Rua can avenge the loss to Griffin from four years ago and come out of the fight healthy, he’ll be in the mix (as Dana White likes to say) for a shot at the light heavyweight title some time in 2012. But Rua’s knees have given him so many problems that it’s hard not to wonder, even though he’s only 29, if he’s on the down side of his career.

4. Lyoto Machida (3): Machida’s decision to turn down a fight with Evans was a surprise, because Machida thoroughly whipped Evans when they fought two years ago. If Machida had accepted that fight and won, he’d probably be next in line for a title shot. Now he may be sidelined for an extended period of time, as most of the other top light heavyweights already have fights lined up.

5. Rampage Jackson (5): Jackson looked sluggish in his UFC 130 victory over Matt Hamill, and at age 33 he doesn’t seem to have the punching power he once had: In the last four years, Rampage has fought 23 rounds inside the Octagon, and other than his knockout of Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92, he’s never been particularly close to finishing anybody. If we’re going to see an upset of Jon Jones at UFC 135, we’re going to have to see a much better Rampage than we’ve seen recently.

6. Dan Henderson (6): Henderson is the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, but his impressive win over Fedor Emelianenko was probably his last fight in Strikeforce: His return to the Octagon is likely coming soon. Machida would be a good opponent for him in his UFC return.

7. Forrest Griffin (7): Griffin will have a great chance to move up in the rankings when he takes on Shogun Rua at UFC 134. A win over Rua, whom Griffin has already beaten once, would vault Griffin into the Top 5 and probably put him only another win away from another shot at the light heavyweight title.

8. Phil Davis (8): A knee injury forced the 9-0 Davis to pull out of his scheduled UFC 133 fight with Evans, and there’s no word yet on when he’ll return to the Octagon. With five UFC wins in less than 14 months from February of 2010 to March of 2011, Davis had been building up a lot of momentum that this injury slowed down. But he’ll be back and quite likely fighting for the light heavyweight title by the end of 2012.

9. Thiago Silva (9): Silva is currently serving a one-year suspension for using a banned substance and cheating on his UFC 125 drug test. Some will drop him from the rankings for that, but Silva’s record (14-2 with 11 wins by knockout, two wins by submission and losses only to Evans and Machida) is strong enough that I don’t think you can put together a list of the Top 10 light heavyweights without him.

10. Rafael Cavalcante (10): The former Strikeforce champion, Feijao will face a largely untested opponent, the 4-0 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Yoel Romero, in his return to the cage on September 10.

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Dana White said Marquardt Needed to “Man Up” Um…Wasn’t That What He Was Trying to Do?

Man, I’ve been waiting like four days to find out why Nate Marquardt was not medically cleared to fight in UFC on Versus 4 and was subsequently fired from the UFC. I even woke up.

Nate Marquardt and Chael Sonnen. What do these 2 men have in common?

Man, I’ve been waiting like four days to find out why Nate Marquardt was not medically cleared to fight in UFC on Versus 4 and was subsequently fired from the UFC. I even woke up early here on the west coast to make sure I didn’t miss anything or see if another media outlet got a jump on the story before Ariel Helwani today. And then there it was, Marquardt’s hour long explanation on The MMA Hour of how he had low testosterone levels and was under Hormone Replacement Therapy and blah blah blah… And I felt like Ralphie in A Christmas Story when he finally deciphered Little Orphan Annie’s decoder ring secret message: “Don’t forget to drink your Ovaltine.” I thought, “A crummy testosterone aid? Son-of-a-bitch!”

I mean surely, we were all expecting much more to be the case when Dana White exclaimed on Versus during the live fights:

“Nate Marquardt is going to have to man up and tell the world why he didn’t pass his medicals. When he does that, I think everyone will understand why he was cut from the UFC.”

And here we are…a vast majority of us, I think, that remain pretty unclear as to exactly why he was cut. I mean, Thiago Silva and Chael Sonnen are still listed as fighters in the UFC. Did I miss something? And is it pretty messed up that we’ve become kind of jaded to learning that these fighters are caught taking PEDs for whatever medical issues they have? I remember being so pissed when I learned Sonnen’s stellar performance against Anderson Silva was tainted by a failed piss test. Now, I’m just bored that Marquardt’s story wasn’t more intriguing. I was calculating the days it takes for marijuana to leave the body and thinking, “hey maybe he has a disease and requires medical marijuana usage. Poor fella! Yeah, that’s it. He doesn’t smoke for recreation.” Then I thought…”STD?” …Because that would have been a fun revelation. “Hey, is he pregnant?” I admit that one crossed my mind for a second, but more for my own amusement.

None-the-less, here we are facing another fighter who has failed his drug test due to elevated levels of testosterone in his system. I, for one am disappointed in Nate for taking a substance so close to his fight, because his wife couldn’t stand his mood swings, thereby risking how his pre-fight drug test would be determined. After all, he’s failed drug tests before, so of course you’re going to get tested beforehand. But I’m even more disappointed that this was the big story I’ve been waiting to hear. Thanks for wasting my time and eager anticipation, Nate. Dana White was right about one thing, Nate needed to “man up” and tell us why he failed. Maybe that was a hint from Dana and maybe we were made to wait because Marquardt’s “man up” levels had fallen too low.

UFC 130 Preview: Matt Hamill on Quinton Jackson: "I Love to Be the Underdog"

Since stepping in for Thiago Silva, Matt Hamill has been relishing the opportunity to face Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 131.Although Hamill is not the opponent that most fans or Jackson would have expected, he said he is just fine with being an und…

Since stepping in for Thiago Silva, Matt Hamill has been relishing the opportunity to face Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 131.

Although Hamill is not the opponent that most fans or Jackson would have expected, he said he is just fine with being an underdog.

“Everyone thinks I’m not ready for Rampage,” Hamill said during a UFC 130 interview, courtesy of YouTube.

Hamill has gone an impressive win streak as of late, picking up five of his last six wins over such fighters as Tito Ortiz, Mark Munoz and Keith Jardine.

After defeating Ortiz, Hamill was deserving of a formidable opponent in his next bout, and it just so happens that his next opponent is Jackson, one of the most durable figters in the UFC light heavyweight division.

No one said it would be easy, but then again no one is giving Hamill much of a chance against Jackson.

However, Hamill believes he has as good a chance as anybody, and said he will not play into his opponent’s strengths.

“Everyone knows his gameplan. He doesn’t change. He loves to strike,” Hamill said of Jackson’s style.

“I got my mind open and I’m going to go out there and fight real smart and I’m going to avoid his knockout power.”

Since holding notable victories over fighters like Ortiz and Jardine, if Hamill is able to pull off a victory over Jackson, he said he would be right in line to receive a title shot.

“He’s the one so close to being a contender. So I feel like I want to be ready to be the contender,” Hamill stated.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

American Top Team Offers a Great Opportunity to High Level Wrestlers

Along my travels in writing about mixed martial arts one thing that has really caught my attention was how many of these great athletes got started in MMA. Some of the stories I have heard range from inspiring to very emotional all the way down the lad…

Many of today’s fighters were high caliber collegiate wrestlers getting ready to graduate, but not ready to stop competing. The fire was still as hot and heavy as ever and these guys were not ready to jump into an everyday 9 to 5 job selling insurance or office supplies.

Keep in mind that many of these wrestlers were extremely intelligent and were getting ready to graduate with a four-year degree so it’s not as if they were desperate to find work, they were desperate to compete.

Randy Couture was inspired by watching Don Frye compete in MMA. After earning alternate status three times on the US Olympic team in 1998, 1992 and 1996, Couture knew he still had the itch to test himself against the best in the world. He competed in his first UFC event at 34 years old and the rest is history. He may have had a late start, but he certainly made up for it.

Before his bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110 in February of 2010, I had the pleasure of interviewing current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. He had wrestled alongside Ryan Bader and CB Dolloway at Arizona State, but was in a quandary about what he was going to do once he graduated.

He eventually hooked up with the guys over at American Kickboxing Academy and in a short time has become a dominant force in the sport.

Wrestling has always been a solid foundation for anyone looking to get into MMA, but just like any other discipline it needs to be supplemented by top notch training in striking, jiu-jitsu and being able to push your body to go beyond limits it is not normally accustomed to passing.

There are some really good gyms that can offer fighters a chance to learn from some great instructors in all of these areas, some fighters go where their friends are while others choose gyms near their home.

American Top Team has long been considered one of the best gyms in all of MMA. Their main home is in Coconut Creek, Fla and offers their fighters a place to train amongst a great group of instructors and trainers.

Led by Ricardo Liborio, ATT’s list of instructors is extremely impressive. Their boxing coach is 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist Howard Davis Jr. They also offer a host of amazing jiu-jitsu instructors including six black belts.

ATT is now offering an opportunity for high level wrestlers to come out to Florida and learn from the very best. They are looking for wrestlers to send them their information and a brief bio to Richie Guerriero ([email protected]) with Wrestling Opportunity in the subject title.

All emails will be evaluated and a select group will be chosen to go down to Florida for one week, all expenses paid including airfare, hotel stay and transportation from the hotel to the gym each and every day.

Once the week is over the coaches will offer contracts to those who they feel have what it takes to make it in MMA. If you are offered a contract you will be offered the following:

*The chance to train with a World Class professional fight team that has a proven track record of training and managing fighters in the biggest shows such as UFC, Strikeforce, WEC, DREAMS, K-1, and so on…

*A structured training regimen that includes full time coaches in; MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling, Strength and Conditioning and plenty of established high-level training partners to help you in the process of becoming a champion in the sport of MMA!

*Free housing for one year close to the gym. Including; electric, water & sewage.

This arrangement will be evaluated annually for renewal.
*$100 per week for food.

*A gear package of all you will need to get started; shirts, shorts, training gear, etc.

All they ask for in return is a multi-year training and management commitment to ATT, your hard work and a desire to become a champion. This is an excellent opportunity to be able to train full time alongside some of the best fighters in the world.

On any given day you could work alongside Thiago Alves, Mike Brown, Din Thomas, Cole Miller, Tyron Woodley, Thiago Silva, Jeff Monson and so many other great athletes.

If you have any questions email Richie Guerriero at [email protected]

Visit American Top Team’s website by clicking here.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Thiago Silva May Have Pissed Away More Than Just a Year of Fighting…

MMAMania provided the transcription of NSAC Executive Director, Keith Kizer explaining to Pro MMA Radio that reports of a year suspension may be inaccurate. Kizer explained:
“I heard some news sites saying it’s a one year suspension. That’s not the case. On a normal one year suspension, as long as you test clean, you’re back and […]

MMAMania provided the transcription of NSAC Executive Director, Keith Kizer explaining to Pro MMA Radio that reports of a year suspension may be inaccurate. Kizer explained:

“I heard some news sites saying it’s a one year suspension. That’s not the case. On a normal one year suspension, as long as you test clean, you’re back and you can fight again. We revoked [his fighter license]. On top of the PEDs(Performance Enhancing Drugs), he committed this fraudulent act.. You have to wait at least a year before you can apply again and once he applies again, everything is still on the table. The commissioner may or may not say yes.

Kizer did go on to commend Silva’s after the fact honesty.

“He was actually very forthcoming at the hearing. Even if some guys admit that they’ve done it, their stories don’t quite add up. This was definitely a situation where everything added up that he said.”

But it’s easy to be impressed by one fighter’s post admission of guilt when you also have to deal with Chael Sonnen. We should give some props to Sonnen for setting the bar really low on our expectations of honesty from a fighter who gets “caught”.

In addition to his current $33, 750 fine and year suspension, Silva’s UFC 125 win over Brandon Vera was overturned as a No Contest.

Thiago Silva Fined $33,750 with 1 Year Suspension

MMAJunkie reported today that Thiago Silva was fined $33,750 with a 1 year suspension, for his use of steroids and subsequently, giving NSAC a synthetic urine sample during his UFC 125 pre-fight drug testing. The monetary penalty is 25 percent of Silva’s fight purse (having received $13, 750 to fight) and $20,000 from his $55,000 […]

MMAJunkie reported today that Thiago Silva was fined $33,750 with a 1 year suspension, for his use of steroids and subsequently, giving NSAC a synthetic urine sample during his UFC 125 pre-fight drug testing. The monetary penalty is 25 percent of Silva’s fight purse (having received $13, 750 to fight) and $20,000 from his $55,000 win bonus. Silva apologized and made the following statement transcibed by MMAJunkie.com:

“I just want to apologize for what I did. I did what I did because my back was very, very bad a couple months (before the fight). I had not fought for one year. I was completely broke. I have a family. People depend on my money. I was desperate to do something.

I know what I did is wrong. Like I said, I’m so sorry. I had my reasons. People depend on my money, and I had to give them support.”

Yes, we at Fix know what Silva did kinda sucked, especially for Brandon Vera. It’s pretty f’ed up that he willingly turned his back on the commisioner and dumped fake urine in his piss cup. But don’t we speak for everyone, when we say, we still hate Chael Sonnen way more? I mean, that guy got a $2,500 fine and a six month vacation. And he likely isn’t doing an ounce of time for his mortgage fraud. But hopefully the NSAC gods will keep Sonnen from fighting in Las Vegas at least for a good period until he shapes up (*cough, will never happen). We feel way more for Silva here, even though he bitch-slapped Vera during the fight. So we all understand if Vera’s having a good chuckle right now, back in the UFC.