The Hit List: Who Stays, Who Goes?
Mike Sloan Jan 8, 2008
As the embryonic cells of the New Year move into their fetal
stages, the landscape of mixed martial arts is littered with dozens
of champions, both legitimate and imposturous. Though the number of
organizations within the sport are quite numerous, only a select
few can lay claim to sporting "true" titles -- the countless minor
league titles are just plain meaningless.
Big boys like UFC, Shooto, K-1 HERO'S, WEC, Strikeforce and EliteXC are a handful of companies whose gold-plated plastic belts actually mean a hill of beans to the sport. A few fighters who have those titles find themselves in precarious situations, and it's a mystery whether they'll hold onto their prized straps throughout the 2008 campaign.
In the following paragraphs, you'll take a gander at a collection
of fighters that have been gathered for this column. These men are
all "world" champions of a major MMA organization, and this Hit
List will determine who will remain a champion by the end of ‘08
and who will not.
Quinton Jackson (Pictures)
Jackson won't be fighting anytime soon, though. His next scheduled contest isn't until June, some six months away. In that duel, "Rampage" is slotted to defend his 205-pound title against the very popular and always entertaining Forrest Griffin (Pictures).
Though Griffin is about as tough and gritty as they come and his last bout was an epic drubbing of the highly rated Mauricio Rua (Pictures), it's unlikely that Jackson will lose to "The Ultimate Fighter" season one champ. Jackson's skillset is much more solid than Griffin's. Griffin might have the edge in striking power, but everything else is Rampage's advantage, including wrestling, striking technique, power and level of opposition.
The fight will probably end via late stoppage with Jackson holding onto his belt. Griffin has never gone a full five rounds in his life, and it's unclear if his lungs will withstand going into the deep waters he's never swam in.
Look beyond the Griffin fight and you'll see a foggy haze, as it's uncertain whom Zuffa would throw Jackson's way next. It could be a third fight with Liddell, a third fight with Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) or even a rematch with Rua. But with the way Jackson's 2008 schedule looks so far, he might not fight until next January.
With that said, Jackson will definitely still be the UFC's light heavyweight champion by this time next year.
Anderson Silva
The Brazilian is arguably the greatest all-around striker this sport has ever seen. His surgical precision with how he delivers his concussive punches, thunderous knees and vicious kicks are a thing of beauty. His jabs are lethal, his hooks are deadly and everything else is just icing on the cake. Also, his masterful Thai clinch wasn't even mentioned until now.
When people tune into MMA to watch brilliant standup, there is no equal to Anderson Silva. Not Liddell, not Mirko "Cro Cop," not vintage Bas Rutten (Pictures) -- nobody.
He's flattened every single man he's faced inside the Octagon and he's done so in such spectacular fashion. Chris Leben (Pictures), Rich Franklin (Pictures), Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) and Travis Lutter (Pictures) have all crumbled against him, and that's not even counting the numerous highlight-reel knockouts he's responsible for in PRIDE, Cage Rage and Meca.
Oh, yeah. He's also a black belt in jiu-jitsu, so good luck trying to submit him once the fight goes to the mat.
With all the accolades and admiration thrown his way, and with how destructive he has looked over the past 18 months, there are two people that I've claimed have enough talent to topple the seemingly invincible "Spider": Dan Henderson (Pictures) and Paulo Filho (Pictures).
Silva's next title defense will come against Henderson, the former PRIDE king who is dropping back to his natural weight at 185.
For those who don't know anything about "Hendo" other than the fact he lost his last fight against Rampage, he fights just like Randy Couture (Pictures) but better in several aspects. He's meaner, punches much harder, has a much more reliable chin and many sparring partners have claimed he's stronger. He also has fought the crème de le crème of MMA and won't be intimidated by Silva's aura.
On March 1 in Ohio, Silva's stellar title reign will come to an end, and he won't get the belt back until sometime after New Year's. Henderson is too smart to stand and trade with someone the caliber of Silva, and he's too brutal on the ground to get caught in submissions at this stage in his career. Also, Hendo needs to bounce back from the loss to Jackson. He'll do it by snatching away the middleweight title from Silva via decision.
Robbie Lawler (Pictures)
"Ruthless" Robbie is EliteXC's middleweight champ. He was supposed to fight unheralded brawler Kala Kolohe Hose (Pictures) in an ICON Sport title fight, but the Miletich-trained fighter had to pull out due to an injury to his arm.
It's not 100-percent clear when the fierce striker will be able to defend his title, but ICON seems adamant that it'll be against Hose.
With that said, it seems unlikely that the constantly improving Lawler will drop a fight against someone as unproven in MMA as Hose. Lawler used to be a free-swinging wild man inside the Octagon, but after he left the UFC and ventured off into smaller shows, he refined his murderous style and became a more relaxed and accurate striker.
Lawler is one of the rare fighters who absolutely loves to gun for the KO and doesn't mind getting tagged in the process. He's a very marketable fighter considering that most American fight fans covet the brutal knockout, and EliteXC would be stupid to pit a supremely dangerous opponent against him. The promotion needs as many "unbeatable" superstars it can get if it is to compete with the UFC. As a result, Lawler likely won't be squaring off against the Anderson Silvas, Dan Hendersons or Matt Lindlands of the world until the fledgling organization can bolster its bank account and roster.
Without question, Lawler will remain EliteXC's middleweight champion into next year.
Matt Serra (Pictures)
It's still shocking to hear the "Matt Serra (Pictures)" and "UFC welterweight champ" in the same sentence, but it's true. The popular New Yorker finally hit it big against then-champ Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) to win the UFC's 170-pound title.
But a stint on SpikeTV's "The Ultimate Fighter" and a painful back injury have kept "The Terror" out of the Octagon for months. Luckily he'll be able to bounce back in a few months when Zuffa travels up to Canada, where Serra will get a chance to prove his TKO over GSP was no fluke.
Serra seems the least likely to hold onto his crown considering how many people believe he got lucky against "Rush" and also how superb St. Pierre looked when he steamrolled Matt Hughes (Pictures) for a second time.
Serra's first official title defense will come in Montreal -- St. Pierre's hometown -- in an event GSP has been begging for for too long. The cards are going to be stacked against Serra, and it seems almost impossible for him to replicate what he did on April 7, 2007.
When he does climb back into the cage on April 19, more than a full year since he last competed, he'll lose his belt to the Canadian. GSP has remained fresh and has improved. I see no way that he loses to Serra again.
Urijah Faber (Pictures)
WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber (Pictures) is simply too good to be losing any fights within the next 12 months. It seems as though every time Zuffa throws dangerous opponents his way, he dispatches of them like dirty shirts.
Faber's next foe could be former UFC lightweight king Jens Pulver (Pictures), and it appears unlikely that "The California Kid" will lose to "Little Evil." Pulver has had a topsy-turvy career since he bolted from the UFC's roster several years ago, and he's lost fights to men he should have pounded into smithereens. He looks like he's on his way out, while Faber has been tearing through everything in sight.
Faber will pummel Pulver, and it's unclear whom he'd fight next. He desperately wants to fight Japanese sensation Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto, but that mega fight won't happen for a long time, if ever. In order for Faber to lose his title in '08, he'll either have to stop training altogether or have the WEC sign someone the caliber of "Kid."
Both possibilities are absolute rubbish. Faber will remain the champ throughout this year.
Quick Strikes:
IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson (Pictures): No
Shooto middleweight champion Shinya Aoki (Pictures): Yes
WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit (Pictures): No
Shooto featherweight champion Akitoshi Tamura (Pictures): Yes
Shooto bantamweight champion Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures): No
Hit me up at www.myspace.com/sherdogsloan
Big boys like UFC, Shooto, K-1 HERO'S, WEC, Strikeforce and EliteXC are a handful of companies whose gold-plated plastic belts actually mean a hill of beans to the sport. A few fighters who have those titles find themselves in precarious situations, and it's a mystery whether they'll hold onto their prized straps throughout the 2008 campaign.
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Quinton Jackson (Pictures)
"Rampage," the UFC's light heavyweight titleholder, appears to be
the one on this Hit List who holds his title the longest. He has
rekindled the warrior spirit and has been absolutely lights out
since he joined forces with Zuffa. He squashed rival Marvin Eastman (Pictures) in his Octagon debut, flattened
then-champ Chuck Liddell
(Pictures) in less than two minutes
and closed out '07 with a sizzling decision over PRIDE multiple
champ Dan Henderson
(Pictures).
Jackson won't be fighting anytime soon, though. His next scheduled contest isn't until June, some six months away. In that duel, "Rampage" is slotted to defend his 205-pound title against the very popular and always entertaining Forrest Griffin (Pictures).
Though Griffin is about as tough and gritty as they come and his last bout was an epic drubbing of the highly rated Mauricio Rua (Pictures), it's unlikely that Jackson will lose to "The Ultimate Fighter" season one champ. Jackson's skillset is much more solid than Griffin's. Griffin might have the edge in striking power, but everything else is Rampage's advantage, including wrestling, striking technique, power and level of opposition.
The fight will probably end via late stoppage with Jackson holding onto his belt. Griffin has never gone a full five rounds in his life, and it's unclear if his lungs will withstand going into the deep waters he's never swam in.
Look beyond the Griffin fight and you'll see a foggy haze, as it's uncertain whom Zuffa would throw Jackson's way next. It could be a third fight with Liddell, a third fight with Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) or even a rematch with Rua. But with the way Jackson's 2008 schedule looks so far, he might not fight until next January.
With that said, Jackson will definitely still be the UFC's light heavyweight champion by this time next year.
Anderson Silva
The Brazilian is arguably the greatest all-around striker this sport has ever seen. His surgical precision with how he delivers his concussive punches, thunderous knees and vicious kicks are a thing of beauty. His jabs are lethal, his hooks are deadly and everything else is just icing on the cake. Also, his masterful Thai clinch wasn't even mentioned until now.
When people tune into MMA to watch brilliant standup, there is no equal to Anderson Silva. Not Liddell, not Mirko "Cro Cop," not vintage Bas Rutten (Pictures) -- nobody.
He's flattened every single man he's faced inside the Octagon and he's done so in such spectacular fashion. Chris Leben (Pictures), Rich Franklin (Pictures), Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) and Travis Lutter (Pictures) have all crumbled against him, and that's not even counting the numerous highlight-reel knockouts he's responsible for in PRIDE, Cage Rage and Meca.
Oh, yeah. He's also a black belt in jiu-jitsu, so good luck trying to submit him once the fight goes to the mat.
With all the accolades and admiration thrown his way, and with how destructive he has looked over the past 18 months, there are two people that I've claimed have enough talent to topple the seemingly invincible "Spider": Dan Henderson (Pictures) and Paulo Filho (Pictures).
Silva's next title defense will come against Henderson, the former PRIDE king who is dropping back to his natural weight at 185.
For those who don't know anything about "Hendo" other than the fact he lost his last fight against Rampage, he fights just like Randy Couture (Pictures) but better in several aspects. He's meaner, punches much harder, has a much more reliable chin and many sparring partners have claimed he's stronger. He also has fought the crème de le crème of MMA and won't be intimidated by Silva's aura.
On March 1 in Ohio, Silva's stellar title reign will come to an end, and he won't get the belt back until sometime after New Year's. Henderson is too smart to stand and trade with someone the caliber of Silva, and he's too brutal on the ground to get caught in submissions at this stage in his career. Also, Hendo needs to bounce back from the loss to Jackson. He'll do it by snatching away the middleweight title from Silva via decision.
Robbie Lawler (Pictures)
"Ruthless" Robbie is EliteXC's middleweight champ. He was supposed to fight unheralded brawler Kala Kolohe Hose (Pictures) in an ICON Sport title fight, but the Miletich-trained fighter had to pull out due to an injury to his arm.
It's not 100-percent clear when the fierce striker will be able to defend his title, but ICON seems adamant that it'll be against Hose.
With that said, it seems unlikely that the constantly improving Lawler will drop a fight against someone as unproven in MMA as Hose. Lawler used to be a free-swinging wild man inside the Octagon, but after he left the UFC and ventured off into smaller shows, he refined his murderous style and became a more relaxed and accurate striker.
Lawler is one of the rare fighters who absolutely loves to gun for the KO and doesn't mind getting tagged in the process. He's a very marketable fighter considering that most American fight fans covet the brutal knockout, and EliteXC would be stupid to pit a supremely dangerous opponent against him. The promotion needs as many "unbeatable" superstars it can get if it is to compete with the UFC. As a result, Lawler likely won't be squaring off against the Anderson Silvas, Dan Hendersons or Matt Lindlands of the world until the fledgling organization can bolster its bank account and roster.
Without question, Lawler will remain EliteXC's middleweight champion into next year.
Matt Serra (Pictures)
It's still shocking to hear the "Matt Serra (Pictures)" and "UFC welterweight champ" in the same sentence, but it's true. The popular New Yorker finally hit it big against then-champ Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) to win the UFC's 170-pound title.
But a stint on SpikeTV's "The Ultimate Fighter" and a painful back injury have kept "The Terror" out of the Octagon for months. Luckily he'll be able to bounce back in a few months when Zuffa travels up to Canada, where Serra will get a chance to prove his TKO over GSP was no fluke.
Serra seems the least likely to hold onto his crown considering how many people believe he got lucky against "Rush" and also how superb St. Pierre looked when he steamrolled Matt Hughes (Pictures) for a second time.
Serra's first official title defense will come in Montreal -- St. Pierre's hometown -- in an event GSP has been begging for for too long. The cards are going to be stacked against Serra, and it seems almost impossible for him to replicate what he did on April 7, 2007.
When he does climb back into the cage on April 19, more than a full year since he last competed, he'll lose his belt to the Canadian. GSP has remained fresh and has improved. I see no way that he loses to Serra again.
Urijah Faber (Pictures)
WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber (Pictures) is simply too good to be losing any fights within the next 12 months. It seems as though every time Zuffa throws dangerous opponents his way, he dispatches of them like dirty shirts.
Faber's next foe could be former UFC lightweight king Jens Pulver (Pictures), and it appears unlikely that "The California Kid" will lose to "Little Evil." Pulver has had a topsy-turvy career since he bolted from the UFC's roster several years ago, and he's lost fights to men he should have pounded into smithereens. He looks like he's on his way out, while Faber has been tearing through everything in sight.
Faber will pummel Pulver, and it's unclear whom he'd fight next. He desperately wants to fight Japanese sensation Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto, but that mega fight won't happen for a long time, if ever. In order for Faber to lose his title in '08, he'll either have to stop training altogether or have the WEC sign someone the caliber of "Kid."
Both possibilities are absolute rubbish. Faber will remain the champ throughout this year.
Quick Strikes:
IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson (Pictures): No
Shooto middleweight champion Shinya Aoki (Pictures): Yes
WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit (Pictures): No
Shooto featherweight champion Akitoshi Tamura (Pictures): Yes
Shooto bantamweight champion Akitoshi Hokazono (Pictures): No
Hit me up at www.myspace.com/sherdogsloan
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