Friday, November 28, 2008
RANT: UFC'S Light Heavy Weight Division
Hello readers and MMA lovers of the world. I have come to realize another unique, but interesting way the UFC is running things. I do see that they have a stacked 205 pound division. I'm not sure what it is, but they do realize they have massive amounts of talent yet they are able to hold on to these fighters.
When you come to think about your elites (for the moment, because MMA can change THAT fast unfortunately in the UFC), you see that you are stacked with a talent pool of fighters. From the likes of Forrest Griffin, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Wanderlei "Axe Murderer" Silva, Chuck "Ice Man" Liddell, Rashad Evans. Besides these elites, which are my own choices just on how popular most of these fighters appear to be on the internet and through my network of friends, I do believe that the Light Heavyweight division in the UFC is an interesting division to have a broad spectrum of great talent.
Now that I've named some elites, I will name the "household" names for the 205lbs division. By any means, I feel these are all fighters who are great, could be on a slump "right now" and give heavy depth and promise for any elite against these fighters. Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida, Dan "Hendo" Henderson, Keith "The Dean Of Mean" Jardine, Stephen "American Psycho" Bonner, Thiago Silva, James "The Sandman" Irvin, Matt "The Hammer" Hamil and the newly added Rich Franklin.
Then of course, you got who's not really causing any hype, or not making enough noise in the Light Heavyweight Division. Though, I feel all these fighters are great fighters who help me plead my case. These fighters would be Brandon Vera, Andy Reese, Houston "The Assassin" Alexander, Tim Boetsch, Razak Al-Hassan, and Luiz Crane.
My main point is I feel the UFC has a stacked Light Heavyweight division. The way they are having fights picked, as well as rotating these fighters into their cards, I'm not sure I understand what they are doing with utilizing all this talent for one division. With all these fighters in the Light Heavyweight division, I can't imagine you not having some always interesting matches each month. The thought of having this many GOOD fighters in one division only makes me hope that the UFC can market these fighters as having UFC's twice a month. Not the same as if it was WWE because by no means that is possible with the injuries endured and training time they have to prepare for each fight. However, I feel the UFC has a chance to start really branching out past this division because you're set. By the amount of good quality fighters (which I mentioned previous) I just wonder why and how the UFC plans to expand. I feel they're on the brink of creating something grand and more consistent than a monthly pay-per-view.
I feel every division is pretty much there and I just wonder, what's the UFC/Zuffa going to do with a stacked division. The problem I see with all the coaches being fired in professional sports is only what I can see the future of the UFC adhering to. These fighters deserve longer contracts and if they're losing they should fight more often to work to the top of the heap. I feel if you're the champ, then yes.... you don't fight as often. You get to relax, enjoy the life on the top which I would hope is used for getting better. But at the same time, you have to know whoever is the #1 competitor has gone through hell and back to get a chance at the top. With so much talent, it's no wonder these fighters get lazy.
I am a huge Rampage fan, but I feel that's just what happens most often (with the exception of anderson silva) with all champs in the UFC. You fight with no schedule, and no structure for these people to know where they stand. When Rampage was looking fat in TUF 7, I knew he was sitting pretty. I knew from then on he was "chillin" and enjoying. He is no different than anyone else, I feel that people worked twice as hard to get a chance and it's no wonder they whooped the guy at the tops ass. Forrest worked his ass off to beat shogun and did it. Do you really think he needed as long as he did to do what he did to Rampage? I don't. But at the same time, it's only as if we're testing the champ.
But why? Why do we give someone the belt and then just make them sit and wait? Everyone in the Light Heavyweight Division wants the belt. The belt is up for grabs once a year. Do you think atleast if you have to wait a whole year to find a contenteder for the belt, everyone else should be working their way up to get it? How about working harder than the champ?
Another thing I noticed was depending upon the person holding the belt, it could be more often the champ is tested. Forrest is fighting for the 2nd time this year, but GSP/Hughes would only be fighting once a year. I feel the welterweight division is pretty stacked, but nothing like the Light Heavyweight Division in the UFC.
What is the next step? More fighting? Less fighting? How about the fighers fight more often, and just get a smaller check more often. This is just a rant and opinion, but I feel the UFC needs to find direction because a lot of the worlds best talent wants to head their way, but if there's nothing but an unpredictable dead-end, then in the long run, fighters will not want to go where they have no clue on how to become great/hall of fame/the champ/etc.
When you come to think about your elites (for the moment, because MMA can change THAT fast unfortunately in the UFC), you see that you are stacked with a talent pool of fighters. From the likes of Forrest Griffin, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Wanderlei "Axe Murderer" Silva, Chuck "Ice Man" Liddell, Rashad Evans. Besides these elites, which are my own choices just on how popular most of these fighters appear to be on the internet and through my network of friends, I do believe that the Light Heavyweight division in the UFC is an interesting division to have a broad spectrum of great talent.
Now that I've named some elites, I will name the "household" names for the 205lbs division. By any means, I feel these are all fighters who are great, could be on a slump "right now" and give heavy depth and promise for any elite against these fighters. Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida, Dan "Hendo" Henderson, Keith "The Dean Of Mean" Jardine, Stephen "American Psycho" Bonner, Thiago Silva, James "The Sandman" Irvin, Matt "The Hammer" Hamil and the newly added Rich Franklin.
Then of course, you got who's not really causing any hype, or not making enough noise in the Light Heavyweight Division. Though, I feel all these fighters are great fighters who help me plead my case. These fighters would be Brandon Vera, Andy Reese, Houston "The Assassin" Alexander, Tim Boetsch, Razak Al-Hassan, and Luiz Crane.
My main point is I feel the UFC has a stacked Light Heavyweight division. The way they are having fights picked, as well as rotating these fighters into their cards, I'm not sure I understand what they are doing with utilizing all this talent for one division. With all these fighters in the Light Heavyweight division, I can't imagine you not having some always interesting matches each month. The thought of having this many GOOD fighters in one division only makes me hope that the UFC can market these fighters as having UFC's twice a month. Not the same as if it was WWE because by no means that is possible with the injuries endured and training time they have to prepare for each fight. However, I feel the UFC has a chance to start really branching out past this division because you're set. By the amount of good quality fighters (which I mentioned previous) I just wonder why and how the UFC plans to expand. I feel they're on the brink of creating something grand and more consistent than a monthly pay-per-view.
I feel every division is pretty much there and I just wonder, what's the UFC/Zuffa going to do with a stacked division. The problem I see with all the coaches being fired in professional sports is only what I can see the future of the UFC adhering to. These fighters deserve longer contracts and if they're losing they should fight more often to work to the top of the heap. I feel if you're the champ, then yes.... you don't fight as often. You get to relax, enjoy the life on the top which I would hope is used for getting better. But at the same time, you have to know whoever is the #1 competitor has gone through hell and back to get a chance at the top. With so much talent, it's no wonder these fighters get lazy.
I am a huge Rampage fan, but I feel that's just what happens most often (with the exception of anderson silva) with all champs in the UFC. You fight with no schedule, and no structure for these people to know where they stand. When Rampage was looking fat in TUF 7, I knew he was sitting pretty. I knew from then on he was "chillin" and enjoying. He is no different than anyone else, I feel that people worked twice as hard to get a chance and it's no wonder they whooped the guy at the tops ass. Forrest worked his ass off to beat shogun and did it. Do you really think he needed as long as he did to do what he did to Rampage? I don't. But at the same time, it's only as if we're testing the champ.
But why? Why do we give someone the belt and then just make them sit and wait? Everyone in the Light Heavyweight Division wants the belt. The belt is up for grabs once a year. Do you think atleast if you have to wait a whole year to find a contenteder for the belt, everyone else should be working their way up to get it? How about working harder than the champ?
Another thing I noticed was depending upon the person holding the belt, it could be more often the champ is tested. Forrest is fighting for the 2nd time this year, but GSP/Hughes would only be fighting once a year. I feel the welterweight division is pretty stacked, but nothing like the Light Heavyweight Division in the UFC.
What is the next step? More fighting? Less fighting? How about the fighers fight more often, and just get a smaller check more often. This is just a rant and opinion, but I feel the UFC needs to find direction because a lot of the worlds best talent wants to head their way, but if there's nothing but an unpredictable dead-end, then in the long run, fighters will not want to go where they have no clue on how to become great/hall of fame/the champ/etc.
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