With the recent UFC 118 giving us a solidified lightweight champion, and with the next few event having no championship matches to speak of, I thought it'd be time to evaluate the current champions in every weight class. Some of this is personal opinion I will admit, but quite a bit of it is based on their skills, accomplishments, and general popularity. Granted, I feel all the guys have earned their championship reigns, but clearly some are far better than others. Let's roll on with this countdown:
#5- Light Heavyweight Champion: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
The newest of the recent champions, "Shogun" has an impressive record of 19-4. He had recently won his title with an unexpected round 1 TKO of then champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida. Machida had won their first fight with a razor-close decision, and although Machida was winning the one round in the rematch, Rua caught him, and became champion.
There's a couple of reasons why I rank Rua last out of the current champions. Since winning the title, he has not defended it, and with current injuries his first defense against contender Rashad Evans may not happen until next year. Also, his two wins prior to his first title match with Machida were his lackluster TKO of Mark Coleman, and his KO of Chuck Liddell who was not a real contender at the time. Also, Liddell had also been winning that fight, and again just got caught with one punch. I've given "Shogun" the nickname "Lucky Punch" for some of his KO wins.
Despite this, I do see Rua as a great striker since he became well known in the former organization PRIDE. I had even believed that he had won his first match against Machida. And at the age of 28, he's still got plenty of time to prove his worth. Here's hoping he is 100% when he faces Evans because I'll be rooting for him.
#4- Heavyweight Champion: Brock Lesnar
With a record of only 5-1, Lesnar earned his UFC title against Randy "The Natural" Couture in just his fourth fight. His two fights afterwards, however, were not really fights where he put his title on the line, but rather unification bouts against interim champions in Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. His fight with Mir (the second such bout after his embarassing submission loss in his debut) showed how powerful he really good be, and was probably the highlight of his career. His match with Carwin though saw him come from behind after taking a beating in the first round to submit a gassed Carwin in the second.
Lesnar is what I would still consider to be a rookie, and right now is probably coasting on his size to get him through his fights. Carwin was the same size as him, and showed that Lesnar can't really out-strike a great striker like him. Also, those who know Lesnar's experiences with profressional wrestling know that he's got quite an ego that purists of the sport don't take a liking to.
However, Lesnar entered the sport and proved that he has the tools to win a fight. His wrestling and ground-and-pound are off the charts, and for a guy his size he can move when he needs to. He's got a tough fight coming up against Cain Velasquez, and if he wins he'll be going up against my current favortie heavyweight Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos, one of the best strikers I've seen in the heavyweight division.
#3- Lightweight Champion: Frankie "The Answer" Edgar
My boy from good old New Jersey just solidified his position as champion with his second win in a row against the highly-regarded former champion B.J. Penn. Edgar's 8-1 record in the UFC (12-1 overall) is impressive, and on his way to his first title shot he had beaten former contender Hermes Franca and former champion Sean Sherk. His first fight with Penn was close, though I knew he had won that fight. And in the rematch, he dominated all five rounds and left no doubt that he really deserved to be a champion.
One of the only knocks on Edgar is that he's not what you would call a "finisher." Only two of his UFC fights he ended before the judge's score cards, so not too many fans think of him as a great fighter.
Me personally, his wrestling and improved boxing have shown him to be a great fighter. He has lived up to his nickname in every fight, and I'm hoping he continues that trend when he fights Gray "The Bully" Maynard in an attempt to avenge his first loss. With Gray being more of a "snoozer" than Edgar, I'll be cheering for "The Answer" all the way on this one.
#2- Middleweight Champion: Anderson "The Spider" Silva
How scary is this guy?!?! Silva has been a long-time establishment in the UFC since 2006, when he earned his title shot against Rich Franklin after only his first UFC fight. Since then, he's expanded his record to 26-4 overall, remaining undefeated in the UFC and holding the record for consecutive title defenses over 8 fights, as well as two more victories fighting at light heavyweight. His recent fight with Chael Sonnen gave him his hardest fight, where he was basically losing for four and a half rounds before sneaking in a submission and getting the win.
Silva's well-known rise has had its problems though. His three fights against Patrick Cote, Thales Leites, and Demian Maia were his most lackluster, as he showed less of the aggressive streak he had that made him so popular in the first place. After his fight with Maia, he was in hot water for his utter lack of engagement in a fight he could've finished.
However, I respect just how well-rounded Silva is, and he's shown it. Many of his wins have come from a very impressive KO or TKO, each highlighting how dangerous of a striker he is. And even when he's on the wrong end of a fight, he can win with a submission if he needs to. "Dangerous" is a word you could easily associate with him. He will be having a rematch with Sonnen in the future, and hopefully he can get a win that shows us the Silva of old.
#1- Welterweight Champion: Georges "Rush" St. Pierre
Probably the posterboy for the UFC and probably all of mixed martial arts, GSP is the man recognized worldwide when you mention the initials UFC. 20-2 record, five successful title defenses, and a sports award winner and nominee for the Espys, he has shown the true mettle of a champion. Gaining the title on his second try against legendary Matt Hughes, GSP had to overcome a lot after lossing the belt to underdog Matt Serra. But he got his rematch, took back his title, and has since then shown that no one can even come close to touching him. Dominating his last seven fights, he's shown that whether the fight goes to the ground or stays standing, he's damn good.
I enjoy the fighters who are good at everything. He's shown he can outstrike guys like Serra, Hughes, and Jon Fitch. He's shown he can outwrestle guys like Penn, Josh Koscheck, Thiago Alves, and Dan Hardy. He fought the best, and he's beaten them. And he's shown all the while that he's a humble guy who never underestimates any opponent. Not even Koscheck, who is getting his rematch at UFC 124. Still, I think it'll be a long time before someone appears who could step up to him.
All great champions, all good at what they do, but honestly some are just better than others. With it being very unlikely that any of these men might ever face eachother (yes, I'm aware everyone is clamboring for a GSP/Silva fight, but it's a long shot at best to put together), you have to go by your own opinions as to which guys you think are good. Me personally, not only do I like the fighters who are good at every skill seen in MMA, but I like the ones who have earned their title shots, and have proven themselves worthy of holding the title against all comers. Hence, the rankings you have seen above.
OK, definitely in the mood to put someone down with a right haymaker, and then choke him out with a guillotine choke (having the dream last night of fighting AND beating Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in my first UFC fight got me in this mood in the first place). But hey, the times will change, new champions will arrive, and I'll probably do another one of these lists. Hey, I could even do other lists about UFC stuff. Top Fighters Who Aren't Champions. Favorite Fights. Don't forget about the WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting), they're a great organization to watch too (what's that? Strikeforce? Who cares? Their greatest fighter just lost to a huge underdog. UFC will buy them out soon anyways and take the few good fighters they do have). But perhaps another time. I do gotta have some variety on this blog, so I'll come up with some other topics. I've got a mental list going..........what's that look for? Anyways, go find some good fights to watch right now. Or find the best martial arts movie you have and throw that in. Or some action-type show on TV. Or watch "Jersey Shore*" they show fist fights on that one. Don't like those ideas? There's plenty of entertainment out there, so you're on your own.
*The "Average Joe at the Movies" Blog does not condone the watching of "Jersey Shore" or any program that includes any member of that cast. We also do not condone the existance of "Snookie," and will receive no further mention on this blog.
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