The UFC has grown and evolved over a number of years into the behemoth of an organisation that we all know and love today. Speaking to a friend recently we both agreed that never in the history of the organisation have we seen such dominant (or potentially dominant champions across all the weight classes). It's a great position to be in, dominant champions become more marketable over time (Anderson Silva is sponsored by Nike and Burger King!), they also add value to the belts that they carry. A win over a dominant champion is something to behold, a seminal moment in the sport, the kind of thing that fans love to witness. It's really difficult to say which champion is most likely to lose their belt first. Based on my scores below it would seem to be either Edgar or Velasquez. What do you guys think? I've had loads of website hits but no comments as of yet, don't be shy. Let me know, who's the first to fall?
Let's look at the current champions and assess their longevity;
1. Dominick Cruz
Dominick has already pretty much cleaned out the division, he has only one loss (which he has avenged) in 20 fights, the best matches for him are re matches. He has defended his belt four times (merging WEC and UFC records) and has the potentially to remain champ for the foreseeable future. Despite being criticised for his lack of finishing power the UFC has been steadily building his profile and he is a high energy fighter with few holes in his game.
Domination score 7 (out of 10)
2. Jose Aldo
Another really dominant champion. Jose has defended his title on five occasions (if you merge his WEC and UFC) records, rarely looking like losing (except an unexpected final round "gas" against Mark Hominick). This guy is a machine feared for his devastating leg kicks and explosive all round game. His biggest challenge will most likely come if Frankie Edgar decides to step down and fight at 145, otherwise he looks really tough to beat.
Domination score 8 (out of 10)
3. Frankie Edgar
Frankie is an interesting one. Despite being a true champion he is also a perennial underdog, often written off, but possessing an unbelievable will to win. He's undersized for a light weight, not really needing to cut any weight, and we have seen him in serious trouble (twice) in epic fights against Gray Maynard. In every title fight he has there will be people ready to write him off but I think he is unbelievably tough to beat. Great boxing, footwork, wrestling and heart combine to make an all round excellent fighter. The light weight division is stacked and there is a queue of would be champions. It's gonna be tough but I have a feeling Frankie is gonna be around as champ for a while, and the UFC are doing a nice job of building his profile and status.
Domination score 6.5 (out of 10)
4. GSP
What can I say, the guy is a phenom, super athlete, good looking, 7 title defences in a row without ever remotely looking like losing. GSP is the ultimate dominant champion. He is criticised heavily for his safety first approach and lack of finishes but as I've said in a previous post it really is up to the guy he's fighting to do something about it. There is much talk of a superfight with Anderson Silva but I can't see it materialising, not with the extra bulk GSP would have to acquire to be competitive. Combined with that there are some fresh challengers emerging at WW. Think Condit , Diaz, Ellenberger and you may even have his next three fights. Hand on heart I can't see any of them really pushing him close.
Domination score 9 (out of 10)
5. Anderson Silva
Unbeaten for nearly 5 years and with 9 UFC title defences, Anderson Silva is a hugely dominant champion and in my opinion the number 1 pound for pound fighter in the world. It would not be stretching it to describe him as the greatest MMA fighter of all time. He's totally cleaned out the division. the one remaining hurdle is his rematch with Chael Sonnen, the fighter who has pushed him further than anyone else in the UFC. If he beats Chael I can see him staying undefeated at middle weight for a couple more years. Age is not on his side but he's rarely involved in gruelling fights and he doesn't seem to pick up too many injuries.
I'd love to see him move up and fight John Jones while he's still at his peak. That fight makes so much more sense to me than a match against an undersized GSP.
6. John Jones
A true phenom, and undoubtedly the future of the sport. 14 wins with one disqualification loss in a bout he was dominating. His record is starting to have a Fedor-esque look about it. He won the title in dominating fashion against an undercooked but still dangerous Shogun, and then dismantled Rampage on his way to a submission victory in his first and only defence. The light heavyweight division is stacked and his next two fights against Machida and presumably Rashad Evans could be tricky, but to be fair he has looked on a different level. The only thing I see stopping John Jones is him literally outgrowing the division. He has a big frame and there may well come a time when he simply has to move up.
7. Cain Velasquez
Cain is another interesting one. He's been out for a long time with injury in a weight class where champions tend to rise and fall at a faster pace. He seems to be the real deal. His dismantling of Brock Lesnar in particular was exceptional. Great wrestling, good stand up, Mexican fighting spirit, what more do you want? He did show slight weaknesses in the fight with Kongo who buckled the future champ twice, but it's the only time we've seen him really troubled. His next fight with Dos Santos is a real toughie, it's a 50/50 call in my mind especially after such a long lay off . If he gets through that I can see him defending the belt for a while.
Domination score 5.5 (out of 10) with the potential to be a 7 or 8
No comments:
Post a Comment