You Call Yourself an MMA Fan?

Why a photo of Michael Clarke Duncan?

In addition to being a monster of a man who I can see posing the titular question in his grumpiest bass, MCD has been a regular presence cageside for the UFC for quite some time.

So when the idea struck me to discuss the complex layers of ridiculousness that is MMA fandom, I figured I'd lead with a guy no one would call a "UFC nuthugger" or mock his level of overall knowledge.

Hey look - a soapbox. Since no one is using it, I might as well climb up here...

Consider yourself warned.

Why in the name of all things holy do we have to be such a competitive, argumentative group riddled with superiority complexes and always in search of the next pissing contest?

(Note: Me very-much included...)

While it would be perfectly fine to be one happy collection of Mixed Martial Arts fans, there are segments of our overall population who just can't let that happen.

Why? Beats the hell out of me...

I consider myself a pretty hardcore fan when it comes to MMA; my spare time is spent playing Six Degrees of Separation using the Sherdog Fighter Finder, watching obscure fight videos on YouTube and becoming friends with just about anyone remotely related to the sport via Facebook and Twitter.

On top of that, my brain is wired so that I can remember useless information like fighter records, affiliations and hometowns with alarming speed and accuracy. While it comes in handy now, it certainly didn't help when I needed to recall formulas for Stats or how to conjugate the verb avoir in French class.

The reason I'm telling you all this is because I think I could go head-to-head with just about anyone on the topic of Mixed Martial Arts and come out okay... but what would be the point?

You see things one way and I see them another.

Last time I checked, there is nothing wrong with that.

No one is handing out awards for being the most knowledgeable fan or having the correct opinion.

Except that some MMA fans act like they are.

My belief that Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre are currently better Pound-for-Pound fighters is unacceptable to the legions of Fedor Emelianenko loyalists who will argue to the death making the same three points to "prove" that "The Last Emperor" is the be-all and end-all of MMA.

Of course, that response will elicit the usual round of "Fedor hasn't fought anyone / Pride was a joke" rhetoric that comes from the demographic who believe that the UFC is the only organization that matters.

Those who were planted in Pride's corner during their glory days will immediately take up the fight for their organization and this will go on and on and on and on until someone calls someone a "nuthugger" and tells them that their opinion is wrong.

The same type of scenario can play out between long-time fans and "newbies" as well, with some of those who rented UFC 1 on VHS not accepting "when Anderson Silva knocked out Forrest Griffin" as an adequate answer to the question "What's your favorite fight of all-time?"

And let's not forget the purists versus the pragmatists.

Most recently, that battle has focuses on whether or not Brock Lesnar simply forces the air from his opponents by using his astronomical - and wholly unfair and therefore necessitating a change - weigh advantage or if he wrestles them to the ground and then punches the daylights out of them while still making weight and holding no greater an advantage over a guy like Frank Mir than Tim Sylvia held over Randy Couture.

Debates are part of the foundation of sports, being a fan and actively enjoying your athletic endeavor of choice, but it seems like is a portion of the MMA fan population who just refuse to accept that people might think differently than they do and it makes absolutely no sense to me.

No matter how many times you tell me that Fedor hasn't lost in eight years and his loss isn't really a loss (all things I'm acutely aware of and can be spared in future Fedor Debates), I'm still going to hold to my belief that Silva and St-Pierre have faced stiffer competition as of late and are better right now.

Trying to convince me otherwise is like trying to convince a Catholic that Buddhism is the best religion...

Saying that Pride was a lesser organization than the UFC during the time both were operating is like saying the National League is a lesser caliber of baseball than the American League.

Following the analogy, that would make Albert Pujols the Fedor Emelianenko of Baseball, as he's clearly facing sub-standard pitching playing on the Senior Circuit...

New fans to the sport shouldn't be ostracized for not offering up one of the countless epic battles that have gone down in MMA history as their favorite all-time fight; they should get a High Five for enjoying Anderson Silva's beatdown of Forrest Griffin.

Now that you're friends, you, the long-term encyclopedia of MMA knowledge, can impart a list of other fights for the "newbie" to go check out and enjoy. Don't hate... educate.

And what the hell is with calling people a nuthugger?

While I certainly understand the connotation, when did being an ardent supporter of a fighter or organization become akin to wrapping your arms around a man's testicles?

I love the Detroit Red Wings, so whose nuts am I theoretically hugging there?

Part of my aim as a writer is to create pieces that stimulate conversations and start debates.

Unfortunately, for some in the MMA community, the definition of debate has become bastardized to mean things like slandering, insulting, beating a dead horse and/or ignoring facts.

We don't have to always agree and we don't have to be void of emotion and commitment to what we feel, but just because we're fans of a combat sport doesn't mean we have to be so combative with each other when we don't see eye-to-eye.

Yes these are broad strokes and many fall outside of this segment of the fan populous, but everyone needs to be reminded to play nice from time to time, right?

A fan is a fan is a fan... no one "type" is greater than the other.


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November Pound-for-Pound Rankings: Classic David Bowie

The November installment of the Pound-for-Pound rankings deliver a whole lot of ch-ch-changes...

Injury and illness has bumped Brock Lesnar from the list for the time being, much to the adulation of his anti-fan club, while a number of entertaining events since the last time we rolled out these rankings have shuffled the remaining fighters.

Jose Aldo makes his debut after his still-a-little-surprising-how-dominant-it-was performance against Mike Thomas Brown at WEC 44.

I know that when Brian Bowles beat Miguel Torres I said one win isn't enough to vault you over the champ in my books. For Bowles, it wasn't. For Aldo, after the performance he put on, it most certainly is, double standard or not.

November Pound-for-Pound Rankings

1. Anderson Silva - UFC Middleweight Champion (Last Month: #1)

Outside of the ring, questions surround the middleweight champ: will he fight Belfort? Is his elbow healing properly? I thought he didn't need surgery? Will he move to 205 permanently at some point?

Inside the ring, however, no questions remain. Anderson Silva is one of the most dangerous strikers in the game and the best Pound-for-Pound fighter in the sport.

2. Georges St-Pierre - UFC Welterweight Champion (Last Month: #2)

We now know that Dan Hardy will be the next fighter to be thrown around the cage by the Canadian superstar, we just don't know when.

Regardless, St-Pierre has spent his last 70 minutes inside the cage having his way with Jon Fitch, BJ Penn and Thiago Alves, all of whom are more complete fighters than "The Outlaw."

More interesting the upcoming dismantling of Dan Hardy is the fact that St-Pierre has been adding muscle to his already muscled physique. Let the Anderson Silva Super Fight speculation commence...

3. Fedor Emelianenko - WAMMA Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: #3)

Another fight, another win and another impressive knockout of a much bigger opponent. This is the way it goes with Fedor.

Like him or not, there is something to be said about going nine years without a loss and arguably being undefeated through 33 professional bouts.

People can question his level of competition all they want; the bottom line is that Fedor has beaten everyone that has been placed before him and that is something that cannot be said of Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre or just about any other championship caliber fighter in the sport today.

At some point, everyone loses... except Fedor.

4. Lyoto Machida - UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: #4)

Controversy or not, Lyoto Machida is still undefeated, still the UFC Light Heavyweight champion and still remains one of the most talented fighters on the planet.

Yes, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua fought a great fight and challenged Machida like no one had challenged him before, but that isn't a detriment to Machida; it's a compliment to Rua and his return to the upper echelon of the light heavyweight division.

While the rematch won't satisfy everyone regardless of who comes away victorious, until someone actually puts a "one" in Lyoto Machida's loss column, he'll remain in the Top 5.

5. B.J. Penn - UFC Lightweight Champion (Last Month: #5)

Next up is Diego Sanchez, a stern challenger and a guy who will certainly push the pace more than anyone Penn has fought as of late.

It seems that every time Penn is set to step into the cage, people line up to discuss what attributes his opponent possesses that will spell doom for the lightweight champ.

In the end, Penn emerges victorious and I don't see this upcoming bout being any different.

6. Jose Aldo - WEC Featherweight Champion (Last Month: Unranked)

Normally, I don't jump a new champion into the rankings immediately after the claim the belt. Part of that is because I subscribe to the "to be a true champion you have to defend the belt" theory, but the other part is that on occasion, one great punch can put a belt around your waist.

That isn't the case with Aldo and that's why he skyrockets into the #6 spot. He flat out dominated Mike Brown last week, stuffing takedowns, sticking jabs and pounding out a title-earning win.

What is most scary about Aldo is that as dominant as he's been thus far in his WEC career, we've yet to see him utilize his Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt inside the cage...

7. Gegard Mousasi - Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: #8)

Normally, beating Sokoudjou wouldn't get you a bump in the rankings, but with all the shuffling that has taken place since the September rankings came out, Mousasi climbs a notch.

While some will say it's too early for the young phenom to be a P4P contender and that Soko won the first round, I would counter that there is no time restriction on making a P4P list and the mark of a truly great fighter is someone who can be losing a fight right up until the point that they win it.

Besides, find me another fighter with 14 straight wins over a number of Top 20 contenders across two divisions.

8. Miguel Torres - Former WEC Bantamweight Champion (Last Month: #7)

Honestly, I would hate to be Miguel Torres' next opponent.

Chances are that the former champ is going to be on a mission whenever he steps into the cage next, after losing his title and having his 17-fight winning streak snapped.

Perhaps Brian Bowles deserves this place over Torres; the argument could certainly be made and a number would easily agree.

For me, one loss in five years isn't enough to drop you out of the rankings.

9. Mike Brown - Former WEC Featherweight Champion (Last Month: #6)

The American Top Team fighter was dominated in his fight against Jose Aldo, and drops three spots in the rankings as a result.

It will be interesting to see where Brown goes from here; whether he moves back to 155 as he's talked of before, who he fights next if he remains at 145 and how far down the ladder he slips after losing his belt are all questions that need to be answered.

The WEC has been pretty good about getting their former champions back into the mix quickly, so if Brown remains at '45, expect no more than two fights before he's back vying for the belt.

10. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua - #1 Contender UFC Light Heavyweight Title (Last Month: Unranked)

Regardless of your thoughts on the decision from UFC 104, there is no denying that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua looked better than he has before in the UFC and that he is finally healthy and ready to once again challenge for the title of "Best Light Heavyweight in the World."

Despite an excellent performance against Lyoto Machida last time, Rua faces the daunting task of having to perform even better the second time around, as Machida will undoubtedly adapt to the gameplan Rua utilized in their first meeting.

While it's a tall order, few gave Rua much of a chance heading into the first fight, so don't be surprised if he comes out with another impressive performance when they meet again.

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Strikeforce: 10 Things I Learned Last Night

1. This Picture Might Be Accurate

Anyone else would have been finished.

Broken nose on the very first punch, from a jab no less, before taking some serious ground and pound from a guy known explicitly for his big hands? We've seen talented fighters succumb to less.

But Fedor? The increasingly mythical entity that is "The Last Emperor" stood tall and remained calm, weathered the storm, landed some shots of his own and put an exclamation point on the evening with a precision knockout of Brett Rogers less than two minutes into Round 2.

More and more, Fedor is looking like an unbeatable fighting machine.

2. Brett Rogers is a Top 5 Heavyweight

After defeating Andrei Arlovski back in the June, Rogers' trainer Mike Reilly proclaimed his fighter to be a Top 5 Heavyweight, prompting a certain someone (read: we're talking about me here) to counter on Watch Kalib Run. Now, five months and a fight with Fedor later, let me assure you that Brett Rogers is a Top 5 heavyweight.

Results aside, Rogers busted up Fedor and showed the hands to put just about anyone into some serious trouble. What impresses me most about "The Grim" is where he can go from here.

Right now, he's still a brawler, but there is potential there to harness those hands and build a serious striker. Add in some semblance of a ground game - because there isn't one yet - and Brett Rogers could be deadly, and that's saying something, because he's already pretty damn dangerous.

3. 30 More Seconds and Mayhem is Champ

For all the talk about Jake Shields' phenomenal submission game, he was the one in the most danger last night.

While the Cesar Gracie student earned a Unanimous Decision and the Strikeforce Middleweight title, Jason "Mayhem" Miller came closest to finishing the fight with a very deep Rear Naked Choke at the close of the third round.

Had there been any more time in the round, we're talking about an upset and Mayhem is rolling with some new gold around his waist. Instead, we're talking about something we already knew: Jake Shields has zero - REPEAT ZERO - stand-up, no matter what he tries to tell everyone.

4. The Fans Booed a Grappling Match? Didn't Someone Say That Would Happen?

I remember, it was me, yesterday, when I was talking about The Jorge Gurgel Theory.

As if on cue, the action in the Shields - Mayhem match went to the ground and the chorus of complaints started ringing through the Sears Center. Admittedly, there were points in the action where it certainly was boring, but there were also some terrific scrambles and reversals and still the boos came crashing down.

If this is the way casual fans are going to react when a fight goes to the floor (and it is), pushing Jake Shields is going to be a tough task, 13-fight winning streak and shiny, gold belt or not.

5. Sokoudjou Added to the Dictionary

Sokoudjou (verb): the act where a person routinely looks good in their chosen profession before pulling a complete 180 and getting their ass handed to them.

Example: Mark Sanchez was on a roll in New York before he sokoudjoued against the Bills.

What makes it even harder to stomach is that Soko won the first round and looked good doing it; great balance, a couple nice throws, kept Mousasi from doing much damage, but then it was done.

My new question is whether it is a cardio issue or a "Sokoudjou simply quits" issue?

6. Mousasi is the Next Fedor

You can see it in his demeanor; both just look so calm and almost disinterested before the fight begins and once it's underway, nothing seems to phase them.

There are going to be those who jump all over this idea, citing Mousasi's lack of Top 10 opponents and that's fine. Renato Sobral is better than a lot of people give him credit for and the kid can only beat up whoever they put in front of him.

As stated earlier in the week: Gegard Mousasi will be considered the best MMA fighter on the planet inside the next three years.

7. Nothing Like Talking About the UFC

Here's an idea for the next Strikeforce card: have the announcers try even harder to advertise for the competition, and by "the announcers" I mean "the two guys who aren't Mauro Ranallo."

When you add up the GSP reference and talking about Sokoudjou losing to Machida with Johnson calling him something like "the emerging UFC superstar," the only thing missing was Brock Lesnar and some reference to Fedor avoiding the UFC like the plague.

Strikeforce presents: the prime-time UFC info-mercial with your host, Gus Johnson.

8. While We're on the Topic of Announcers...

Frank Shamrock has got to go.

Repeatedly saying he couldn't score rounds whenever Ranallo gave him the lead in was bad enough, but not quite as bad as calling Sokoudjou "Sujoku" all night.

Frank, he's a fighter, not a tricky little numbers game in the Sunday morning paper. That's called Sudoku. You'll have time to attempt one next time Strikeforce is on CBS because you shouldn't be at the announce table.

9. Fights Good, Production Bad

You can't control the outcome of fights (sorry DMX...), but you can control the timing of the event and Strikeforce failed in my books last night.

Everything felt really slowed down and while I understand that being on network TV and needing to mix in commercial breaks and such plays a part, things just looked amateurish.

On a night where Strikeforce could have entrenched themselves as a legitimate opponent to the UFC, the fighters came through in spades, but the production crew seriously dropped the ball.

Did I mention an entire fight was just scrapped for no real reason? To quote Ron Burgundy, "that's just Bush. It's Bush League! Audrey!"

10. EA Sports MMA Looks Gooooooooood!

Two words: Me Likey





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Strikeforce Fight Week Previews: Fedor vs. Rogers

Now it's time for the big dance. Before breaking down the fight, here is my one shout out to the rest of the MMA community:

We're getting a chance to see one of the greatest fighters to ever grace our sport for free tomorrow night. This is like Ali fighting on ABC's Wide World of Sports back in the day.

Tell your friends, tell your enemies and tell all the people you talk to today, because I don't want to spend Monday writing about the sad state of affairs this sport really is when Fedor Emelianenko can't draw as many fans to a fight on FREE TV as Kimbo Slice.

There... onto the breakdown.

"The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (30-1-0, 1 NC) vs. Brett "The Grim" Rogers (10-0-0)

Chances are you're going to see a trend develop throughout this preview. It's going to involve Fedor and some variant of the word "win" and be used to for every category, starting with where these two train.

Fedor trains with his brother Aleks, Amar Suloev and Gegard Mousasi at Red Devil Sport Club. The second most prominent member of Ambition MMA where Rogers trains? Kelly Kobald.

Here it is: Fedor wins.

Experience doesn't even really need to be dissected, as even the biggest Fedor bashers can admit that the Russian superstar has three-times as many wins as his opponent with wins over Minotauro Nogueira, Cro Cop and Mark Coleman in their primes to his credit.

Again, Fedor wins.

The one area some will argue in favor of Rogers is their shared opponent, Andrei Arlovski.

For three minutes, Arlovski had Fedor backed into a corner and on the defensive, pushing the pace and bringing the fight to the WAMMA Heavyweight champ. Though that is very much the case, the end result for both fighters against Arlovski are the same: big punch, down goes Arlovski.

Rogers was quicker, but you could even argue that Fedor was more lethal as he needed just one well-placed punch to drop the former UFC champ. Then again, some might call me the always charming "nuthugger" for backing Fedor so strongly.

Call it a push and let's move on.

There is no question that Brett Rogers has the power to change the course of a fight with one punch and sometimes, one punch is all you need.

Without question, the youngster who will be fighting in his own backyard is going to be a force to be reckoned with moving forward in the heavyweight division, especially if he adds some ground skills to the lethal leather he already throws.

But therein lies the rub: while Rogers brings big punching and not much else, Emelianenko has shown over the last eight years that he's got more tools to work with than Bob Villa.

He can knock you out, submit you or go the distance and perhaps more incredibly, you can't beat him.

Kaz Fujita had him wobbled with a well-placed power shot to the head. Kaz Fujita tapped out at 4:17 of the first round.

For everyone who is impressed - and rightfully so - with Lyoto Machida's undefeated run prior to the controversial finish of UFC 104, Fedor has doubled that in the eyes of some, myself included, as his one "loss" should rightfully be a DQ or No Contest.

Imagine, the guy has gone almost ten years without a loss in a sport where everyone loses.

Perhaps now you know why the theme of this preview has been Fedor wins.




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Strikeforce on CBS: A Tremendous Opportunity for the Growth of Mixed Martial Arts

Early next month, the men featured in this terrific photo by Esther Lin will take part in two of the four stellar match-ups schedule for the debut of Strikeforce on CBS.

Light heavyweight champion Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi (left) will face Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in a non-title match, one that was originally slated to take place in the DREAM Super Hulk Tournament.

In the main event, consensus #1 heavyweight and MMA legend Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko (right) will step inside the cage for the first time to face undefeated challenger Brett "The Grim" Rogers.

In addition to being arguably the best televised fight card of the year, this is an incredible opportunity for Strikeforce to showcase their brand, their stars and the sports of Mixed Martial Arts as a whole.

Over six million viewers tuned into Spike TV two weeks ago to watch what amounts to an amateur bout between Kimbo Slice and "Big Country" Roy Nelson. Now, mixed martial arts fans across the country will be given a chance to watch one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen and three additional outstanding bouts live on network television.

While Spike is a niche network geared towards the core demographic of the sport itself, Strikeforce will be shown on CBS, the home of some of the best and most-watched programs on television today and the hands-down king of televised sports, the NFL.

Never before has the sport been given an opportunity to promote itself in a manner like this; though EliteXC was previously featured on CBS, the organization was promoted on the back of the aforementioned Kimbo Slice, a backyard brawler of Internet fame.

Now, we have arguably the greatest fighter of the modern era of mixed martial arts, a young fighter who some believe could be the next to carry that torch and well-known opponents Jake Shields and Jason "Mayhem" Miller to use as selling points and showcases for what top level MMA really looks like.

It's not as if we're asking people to find a channel some don't even have like Versus; even if you don't have cable, chances are you have CBS and instead of presenting the street certified Slice, we have the 30-1 Fedor Emelianenko to top the marquee.

We have been talking for months about the sport's push to break into the mainstream and this could be the watershed moment. Four outstanding fights, eight talented fighters and one major network with the ability to promote the event to an entirely new audience, as well as the millions of current fans of the sport and those who tune into AFC action every Sunday afternoon.

Additionally, this is a chance to expand the horizons of those who believe that MMA and UFC are synonymous. While the UFC is certainly the biggest name in the business, they are not the one and only organization worthy of attention in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts and this event proves it.

For the low, low cost of zero dollars, fans and curious onlookers alike are going to have the opportunity to watch one of the most anticipated and stacked fight cards of the year without a single glimpse of Dana White. As blasphemous as that may seem to some, it is a more than welcomed opportunity to many, this writer included.

The sport will only grow through the flourishing of numerous organization, Strikeforce included, and this is a grand opportunity to move closer to that end.

Should CBS decide to put their considerable marketing muscle behind this event, and Strikeforce do everything they can to promote these well-known combatants, new ratings records won't be the only result.

We could have an incredible night of fights that helps break down the barriers preventing mixed martial arts from entering the mainstream, a display of talent, skill and respect that showcases the beauty and artistry of the sport and not the bloodshed.

Hardcore fans are sure to tune in, regardless of any marketing or promotion. You needn't say more than "free Fedor" to entice many MMA fans to choose CBS on November 7.

But if done correctly, this event could draw entirely new fans and those trapped in the UFC vacuum to an emerging organization and outstanding collection of fights, helping push MMA closer to crashing the mainstream media party.

And if we're really lucky, maybe some of the critics of "human cockfighting" will sit down and see what mixed martial arts is really about, seeing as they won't have to spend a dime or search for some channel buried in the upper regions of their satellite or cable service.

Whether all or none of these dreams come true is yet to be determined. One thing that is certainly already is that Strikeforce on CBS is a tremendous opportunity for growth knocking on the door.

Let's just hope someone answers.





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Do You Really Think Brett Rogers is Going to Beat Fedor?

We're roughly a month away from the Strikeforce debut of Fedor Emelianenko on CBS and the spectator speculation is already underway.

On November 7, the consensus top heavyweight in the sport today and one of the greatest fighters in the history of Mixed Martial Arts will set foot inside a cage for the first time against undefeated rising star Brett "The Grim" Rogers.

While I certainly still maintain my contention that this is a bad match-up for Strikeforce to have put together for the debut of the multi-million dollar acquisition, only one question really matters:

Do You Really Think Brett Rogers is Going to Beat Fedor?

If you answer yes to this question, you obviously haven't been paying attention for the last, let's see, nine and a half years.

While Rogers certainly has the power to drop anyone he faces, we're talking about Fedor Emelianenko.

For my money, the guy has never lost. Even taking his 2001 "defeat" against Tsuyoshi Kohsaka into account, "The Last Emperor" is riding a ridiculous eight year undefeated streak, during which time he has amassed 25 wins and one No Contest.

The last time Fedor suffered a loss, the Red Sox were still under the Curse of the Bambino, the New England Patriots "dynasty" hadn't even started and Angelina Jolie was just starting to get noticed as a talented actress after winning an Oscar and sucking face with her brother.

Not to take anything away from Brett Rogers; the guy has been awful impressive in his brief career and his 22 second destruction of Andrei Arlovski was certainly impressive, but do you really think that a guy who has been fighting professionally for all of three years and change is going to dethrone the reigning king of the heavyweight division?

There is nothing Rogers brings to the cage that Fedor hasn't faced before. He's defeated bigger men, faster men and men who are equally as strong as "The Grim," in addition to having built his name handing out losses to the best in the business during his time as Pride Heavyweight Champion.

Rogers has one noteworthy win, his upset of Arlovski back in June. Now check the list of fighters who have fallen to Fedor:

Andrei Arlovski
Tim Sylvia
Matt Lindland
Mark Hunt
Mark Coleman (twice)
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice, with one No Contest)
Kevin Randleman
Kazuyuki Fujita
Heath Herring
Semmy Schilt
Renato "Babalu" Sobral

Despite the many times I have questioned Emelianenko's marginal wins over the last few years, defeating "fighters" like Hong Man Choi and Zuluzinho, there is no question that during his heyday in Pride, "The Last Emperor" ruled with an iron fist, underrated ground game and aura of domination that left many opponents defeated before they stepped in the ring.

Many times when I'm breaking down fights and comparing competitors, the bigger, stronger, faster and younger of the two gets the edge in my books; this is not one of those times.

Despite all those adjectives applying directly to Rogers, save for maybe faster, I once again remind you that we're talking about Fedor Emelianenko here. He hasn't gone undefeated over the last eight years through luck and weak opponents.

While it will be interesting to see how Fedor operates in his first foray into a cage after years spent working in a ring, the guy has put together a record of 30-1 by being unable to adapt.

Brett Rogers has an exceptionally bright future in this sport and would shock the world if he manages to come away from Chicago with a victory.

But we're talking about Fedor Emelianenko here people.

Plain and simple: the guy does not lose.

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Strikeforce Stupidity: Fedor Needs to Fight for the Title, Period.

Scott Coker has had himself a pretty impressive week, and it's only Wednesday.

He scooped up the consensus top heavyweight in the business and agreed to a partnership with Japanese organization DREAM that could lead to some outstanding inter-promotional fights. Add in the signing of Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and it's be a busy couple days for the San Jose-based organization.

And how does Scott Coker plan to capitalize on all this momentum?

By sticking Fedor in a showcase fight with some schlub in the Fall!

Um, what?

In an interview with TapouT radio following the Fedor signing, Coker had the following to say about a fight with Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem:

“[Fedor] and Alistair Overeem should be an amazing fight, and people that haven’t seen Alistair, you know, he’s an amazing fighter. I think we should do a couple of fights and build that one up, and then let their champion fight our champion, and let’s see what happens.

We’re hoping that Alistair will be ready to fight in the Fall, and we can put him on one of the cards with Fedor, and not fight against each other but fight against someone else, and let’s build that fight up”

Welcome to How to Potentially Ruin Your Organization 101.

First, spend a lot of money to sign Fedor Emelianenko and enter into a 50/50 profit-sharing agreement with his management / promotional organization M-1 Global.

Then, while everyone is talking about him and your company, instead of having him walk in and destroy your champion, thus adding to his mythic status, we'll have both of them fight on the same card against lesser opponents and see what happens.

Even if both fighters kick the snot out of their respective opponents, you've wasted a glorious opportunity.

There is never going to be more interest in Strikeforce MMA than right now and their first fight card following all this activity. Why in the name of everything sacred in this world would you not throw everything but the kitchen sink into the mix and get your hooks into the fight fans who are dying to see Fedor?

No one wants to see him knockout Paul Buentello, and there is no point in feeding him Brett Rogers at this stage either.

Bringing in Jeff Monson might be interesting, but no one except Jeff Monson thinks Jeff Monson is going to win that fight.

Heaven forbid something ridiculous happens like Fedor looking flat or even losing to one of these guys. Then what do you do?

As Jake Rossen of Sherdog and ESPN said in his blog about this same topic, "Let's Build That Fight Up" isn't a good business strategy in a sport where anything can happen and you're not going to convince anyone that there is a more deserving title challenger in the organization (if not the world) than Fedor.

Three days in and you're already making mistakes.

Not a good sign.

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Missed Opportunity: Should the UFC Have Gone After Gegard Mousasi?

You probably recognize the man on the right.

At the very least, you've heard of him. He goes by the name of Fedor.

During the week since the fall of Affliction, Dana White and the UFC spent hours on end trying to negotiate a deal that would bring the Russian heavyweight into the fold and set up a pay-per-view bonanza against Brock Lesnar.

But maybe some of that time should have been spent talking to the guy on the left.

His name is Gegard Mousasi.

Although focusing on Fedor was obviously the right move and one the UFC had to make, failure to land the biggest fish in the sea opens the door to speculation and second-guessing, two things I'm reasonably good at.

Fedor is the present; a massive star amongst the die-hard MMA community and a name thrown around enough by White to have stirred up interest within the casual and less-addicted set.

To me, Mousasi is the future; an incredibly talented fighter who just recently celebrated his 24th birthday and is riding a 12-fight winning streak.

While Fedor would certainly have been the best business decision for right now, perhaps his training partner from the Red Devil Sport Club would have been a better long-term addition?

It's hard not to be enamoured with "The Dreamcatcher."

Though he's spent most of his career competing at middleweight, Mousasi took part in the opening round of the DREAM Super Hulk Tournament, earning a submission win over Mark Hunt despite being considerably outweighed.

Also left in his wake en route to a sterling 28-2-1 record have been Bellator tournament winner Hector Lombard, Pride and UFC veteran Denis Kang and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, whom Mousasi defeated to capture the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix last year.

Frustrated by the demise of Affliction and the cancellation of his North American debut, the Dutch star voiced his frustrations on Fight Network Radio, giving the UFC a shout out in the process:

"Well, what can I say. It's ridiculous because one idiot we all have to pay for that. F*ck it. Maybe I ... I don't know. Every time ... Maybe I'll go to the UFC. It's ridiculous that this has to happen. I've been preparing for weeks now."

But in the midst of trying to land Fedor, a glorious opportunity to secure one of the best up-and-coming talents in the sport came and went in the blink of an eye.

Shortly after his frustrated comments, Mousasi's scheduled fight with Renato "Babalu" Sobral was picked up by Strikeforce and will now have Sobral's Light Heavyweight title on the line.

Additionally, MMA Junkie reported Mousasi inked a deal with the San Jose-based fight promotion and will not simply be taking part on loan from M-1 Global, meaning the UFC's chance has come and gone.

As I said off the top, I don't fault the UFC for focusing all their attention on trying to land Fedor. It's what the fans wanted, it's what they wanted and it would have been massive for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

But you had to know the negotiations where going to be a bitch; after all, this wasn't the first time Zuffa made a push for "The Last Emperor" to no avail.

And while bringing in Vitor Belfort and welcoming Tito Ortiz back into the fold are quality moves, landing a 24-year-old superstar-in-waiting who you could have groomed into the next face of the franchise would have been even better.

I know the UFC is way out in front, but mark this one down in the win column for Strikeforce.

Come back in two weeks when Mousasi takes Babalu's belt so that I can say, "I told you so" too.



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Where Does Fedor Go From Here?

During yesterday's conference call, the UFC announced the signing of two prominent names in the Mixed Martial Arts business.

Unfortunately, neither was the named Fedor.

Negotiations with Fedor's management and promotions company M-1 Global hit a major stumbling point in the area of co-promotion, leaving Dana White to all but declare the "Fedor to the UFC" situation done.

As a result, many have been left looking to assign blame. Instead of waxing philosophical about who to blame, my thoughts have wondered to the future and trying to answer the question, "Where does Fedor Go From Here?"

Accept this now, fight fans: A marriage between Fedor and the UFC is never going to happen, and a one night stand was never an option.

But with the collapse of Affliction, the MMA landscape has changed, leaving less options available to the consensus top heavyweight on the planet.

In terms of exposure and strength of competition, a move to Strikeforce certainly looks like the best destination out there, complete with the added bonus of giving Dana White and the UFC a symbolic middle finger by signing with their lone North American competitor.

Though not the deepest heavyweight roster in the business (we all know where that is, right?), Strikeforce would offer champion Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum and Brett Rogers, the fighter Emelianenko's camp apparently wanted most prior to the cancellation of Trilogy.

Additionally, I could certainly see Strikeforce adding Affliction refugee Paul Buentello to the mix as well, as it was "The Headhunter" who faced Overeem back in 2007 to decide the inaugural Heavyweight champion.

Furthermore, there are only two possible destinations for Bobby Lashley and I believe Strikeforce is the more likely of the two. Though focused on his fighting career, the former WWE superstar is also concerned with putting money in his pockets, leading to a return to the world of professional wrestling with TNA.

If the UFC isn't willing to co-promote events in order to secure a deal with Fedor, there is no way in hell they are letting Bobby Lashley take steel chair shots from Sting during his downtime.

But who knows what kind of offer Strikeforce is willing to table to the Russian icon? There has been all kinds of speculation about what Scott Coker and company have put forward to Fedor and M-1 Global, but let's not forget that four days ago some were reporting a deal with the UFC was all but wrapped up.

Of course, fighting in North America isn't Emelianenko's only option. After all, his ascension to god-like status in the business came from fighting in Japan during the glory days of Pride and there is no doubt that World Victory Road would be glad to welcome him back to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Interestingly enough, a November Sengoku event is where Zach Arnold of Fight Opinion is reporting we will see Josh Barnett return to action.

Apparently, World Victory Road is where fighters who test positive in North America go to resume their careers, as former EliteXC heavyweight champ Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva is expected to return to the ring at Sengoku 10th Battle in September.

A third possibility is a spot on the M-1 Global Presents Breakthrough card scheduled for the end of August in Los Angeles.

Currently headlined by Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal facing UFC veteran Don Frye, Emelianenko is a shareholder in the organization and would certainly heighten the profile of the event.

Seeing as Jeff Monson won't be leaving the country any time soon, perhaps a call to the man who believes it's his destiny to beat Fedor for a spot opposite "The Last Emperor" in the Main Event would be in order.

For what it's worth, my money is on Fedor fighting on the M-1 card in August before deciding what to do next.

Regardless of the answer to the question at the heart of this piece, another question and one that is far more important arises:

Is Fedor's legacy tarnished by not fighting in the UFC?

That's another article for another day.

For now, I'll wait to see where he ends up.

One last thing: for the record, I blame Fedor in all this.

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St-Pierre Still Reigns Supreme

UFC 100 is done and has been analyzed to death, so instead of continuing to beat the dead horse by talking about MMA's ascent into the mainstream or Bob Ryan's ridiculous belief that soccer will be a bigger North American sport than Mixed Martial Arts, we're ready to tackle more important debates.

Like who is the best fighter on the planet?

It's the middle of the month, so that must mean it's time for another installment of the Pound-for-Pound Rankings... please enjoy responsibly and let the debating begin!

July Pound for Pound Rankings

10. Gegard Mousasi

There may not be a fighter on the planet who better illustrates the concept of pound for pound than Mousasi, as the Armenian-born, Dutch-raised fighter's stock rose last year by winning the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix. Since then, he's defeated Mark Hunt in the Super Hulk Tournament and is set to take on light heavyweight Renato "Babalu" Sobral at Affliction: Trilogy on August 1.

9. Urijah Faber

It's going to take more than a broken hand for me to bounce "The California Kid" from this list. Despite his seeming inability to get by Mike Thomas Brown, Faber is unquestionably one of the most skilled fighters in the game today, regardless of weight class. Hopefully, his hand heals better than Jamie Varner's ...

8. Rashad Evans

Similar to Faber, there is no real shame in losing to a guy who is higher up on this list than you are. Evans' loss at the hands of Lyoto Machida doesn't diminish his skill set in my books. In light of recent poor performance from fighters out of Wolfslair Academy, we could see Evans' full array on display when he squares off with Rampage later this year.

7. Mike Thomas Brown

Two defenses into his reign as WEC featherweight champ, Brown will look to make it three-in-a-row in November when he puts the belt on the line against dynamic striker Jose Aldo. Sure, the kid is dangerous and has been delivering impressive highlights, but so too was Urijah Faber before Brown planted him the first time around.

6. BJ Penn

When Penn shows up in shape and demolishes Kenny Florian in Philly next month, I promise to bump him up the charts. Until then, he stays outside the Top 5 as punishment for not devoting himself to achieving the greatness he is capable of and that he thinks he deserves.

5. Miguel Torres

He hasn't lost in over five years. For the last year and change, he's been taking on some of the best the world has to offer at 135 pounds and beaten them all, including his Fight of the Night candidate with Takeya Mizugaki. Torres puts his belt back on the line against Brian Bowles on August 9 at WEC 42.

4. Lyoto Machida

The big fish in the deepest pond, Machida now has the unenviable task of trying to hold onto a belt that has been on the move fairly frequently as of late. If Shogun Rua is back to being the same fighter many considered the best light heavyweight in the world, Machida could be the next man to have a brief encounter with the belt.

3. Anderson Silva

"The Spider" can climb higher with a dominating performance over Forrest Griffin. Another one of the performances that we've seen of late from Silva and he can enjoy the view from the three hole. Bring back the Anderson Silva from the Marquardt / Franklin / Henderson / Irvin run, not this guy who suddenly doesn't want to engage and looks bored.

2. Fedor Emelianenko

Maybe it's because I poured through his record in preparing yesterday's piece. Maybe it's because Anderson Silva has been facing lesser competition as of late. Maybe it's a combination of the two. Whatever the case, I've finally bumped Fedor up a notch in the rankings, thought many will surely be sour that he's only second best.

1. Georges St-Pierre

I know, I know: he lost to Matt Serra. What I also know is that since that time, GSP has defeated Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes, Serra, Jon Fitch, BJ Penn and Thiago Alves. There isn't anyone in the game right now who has fought as difficult a schedule as Georges St-Pierre and it's not like the guy is eeking out wins either. He's dominating everyone and continuing to be the king of the mountain in my books.




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Supremely Talented, Surprisingly Unknown

This is Fedor Emelianenko, the guy Dana White guaranteed would be in the UFC in the future and arguably the best fighter in the entire world.

Up until Saturday night, a huge portion of the fight fans out there had no idea who this man was. Then they Google'd him.

"The Last Emperor" hasn't lost a fight in eight years and some, myself included, would argue that he hasn't lost a fight ever. The one tick he has in the loss column came from a controversial stoppage way back in 2000 to UFC veteran Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.

Since then, pure dominance ... and shocking anonymity.

Hardcore fans know Fedor Emelianenko.

Guys like me who watch old fights on YouTube and think long and hard about buying the UFC DVDs that are for sale at the video store for $5. But I'm not the average fan.

To the average fan, Fedor Emelianenko is a name they have heard from their crazy, hardcore friends like me or the numerous times Dana White has mentioned him on his video blog. He's outside of the UFC and therefore, he's irrelevant.

I know that isn't the case, as do the large number of people who have probably stopped reading to go and tell me I'm a moron in the comments section before seeing where I'm going with this.

There is no question that Emelianenko is one of the three best fighters on the planet today and easily the best heavyweight. Again, he hasn't lost in eight years.

But while that certainly speaks to his dominance, it also greatly speaks to the inability of Affliction and M-1 Global to make this man a household name.

Take the most dominant athlete in any sport and that is who Fedor is to Mixed Martial Arts, minus the publicity.

Emelianenko's current 26-fight winning streak is the Joe DiMaggio 56-game hit streak of MMA. You read that right: I said it's the 56-Game Hitting Streak of Mixed Martial Arts.

But while even the most casual baseball fan and many that are completely uninterested in sports altogether know of DiMaggio's display, in a time where Mixed Martial Arts is (in your best Dana White voice people), "the fastest growing sport in the world," more people could pick out Kendall Grove from a police lineup than our version of "The Yankee Clipper."

While some of that falls on the fact that a great deal of "MMA fans" are actually "UFC fans," how Tom Atencio and company haven't jammed this man down the public's throats in the last year is beyond me.

If he was in the UFC, he'd be on the cover of every magazine and video game around. He'd be the Bo Jackson from Tecmo Bowl of UFC Undisputed - totally unstoppable.

Yet here we are, three weeks away from Affliction: Trilogy and the only advertising I've seen of the long-awaited fight between Emelianenko and his close friend and only remaining rival Josh Barnett has been on the tops of taxi cabs.

What makes it even better is that the ad campaign asks the question, "Do you know who I am?"

Here's a newsflash for Tom Atencio: the resounding answer outside of the hardcore MMA community is "No" and that doesn't bode well for your business!

You have the Tiger Woods of Mixed Martial Arts at your advertising disposal and the best you can do is this? Were are the interviews and video blogs and public appearances, especially in light of Dana bringing him up on the weekend?

Sure there has been the obligatory, "Fedor isn't going anywhere" comments, but that means little outside of the community that is already acutely aware of the situation.

Those stuck in the UFC vacuum only know that Emelianenko is on Dana White's radar, not that he's fighting in three weeks, has beaten the likes of Cro Cop, Randleman, Coleman and Nogueira and is the yin to Brock Lesnar's disrespectful yang.

In any other sport, whether we're talking football or basketball, hockey or tennis, the best of the best are put on the biggest stages imaginable. Their image is everywhere and their names are known in households from Alaska to Australia.

But not Mixed Martial Arts.

While every person in the world can identify the gentleman standing up in this picture, very few would recognize the guy sitting two rows back in the red shirt.

He's Fedor Emelianenko and he's one of the best the sport has ever seen.

Never heard of him? I hear that a lot.

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June Pound for Pound Rankings

There have been some great fights involving members of the May Pound for Pound rankings since we last put together our list of the best overall fighters on the planet.

No one new has joined the party, people have just switched seats, though the same might not hold true after the above pictured rematch.

While many people have him a step behind two gentlemen from Affliction, we're objective enough to give Frank Mir a much deserved spot in the Top 10. Come July 11th, Brock Lesnar might have something to say about that, but for now, Mir stays.


June Pound for Pound Rankings

10. Frank Mir
He might be the Rodney Dangerfield of MMA right now because Mir traditionally gets no respect. All he did last year was stop Brock Lesnar inside of two minutes and knockout "Minotauro" Nogueira for the first time in his life. Don't forget, Mir was a dominant looking champion before his accident and has looked even better as of late.

9. Urijah Faber
Going five rounds with the champ while having a broken hand is a pretty impressive display, not that anyone should be overly surprised by Faber's tenacity. The guy is legit and we've known that for some time. We wish "The California Kid" a speedy recovery.

8. Rashad Evans
Getting knocked out by Lyoto Machida doesn't bump you from the rankings, especially not when it's your first career loss. Evans still has a dynamic all-around skill set and will be heard from again in the LHW division soon. Like everyone else, he's just no match for "The Dragon," but right now, who is?

7. Mike Thomas Brown
I stated my thoughts on Mike Brown last week after his win over Urijah Faber and continued making the argument for a couple days on Yardbarker too. Bottom line, the guy is the best featherweight on the planet and has three solid wins inside of eight months.

6. B.J. Penn
"The Prodigy" slips simply because another man proved to be even more gifted, though he proved it to Penn some years ago. This is perhaps the most polarizing figure on this list, because a dominant win over Kenny Florian could vault him back up the rankings, but a sluggish performance or a loss could have him banished and no one - probably including Baby Jay himself - can tell you which one we'll see in Philly.

5. Miguel Torres
Torres is one of those fighters everyone should watch with regularity. He gives everything he has every time he steps into the cage and doesn't have any glaring deficiencies in his game. Brian Bowles will prove to be a stern test at WEC 42 in Vegas, but make no mistake - Torres will be ready.

4. Lyoto Machida
What can I say that hasn't already been said about "The Dragon?" He's undefeated and barely been touched inside the Octagon. He confuses the hell out of everyone he fights and has shown a new-found propensity for knocking people out. Are we in the Machida Era? Only time will tell.

3. Fedor Emelianenko
I know he's never really been beaten. I know everyone else thinks he is the best fighter on the planet. I know he'll probably beat Josh Barnett and leave himself without a challenger once again. Until that actually happens though, he's staying here at #3. Come fight the big boys, Fedor and then we can talk.

2. Anderson Silva
Call it a hunch, but I'm willing to wager that "The Old Anderson Silva" shows up to face Forrest Griffin and runs through him like a hot knife through butter. Something tells me "The Spider" has just been bored lately, but a fight like this will get him fired up to fight again.

1. Georges St-Pierre
July 11th could potentially knock St-Pierre from his perch atop these rankings, as Thiago Alves is a very formidable opponent. That being said, so too were Jon Fitch and BJ Penn. There are no holes in GSP's game and he's got the backing of a terrific training team. A win over "The Pitbull" leaves him without an immediate contender at 170.

Who'd we leave out? Who should move down? Who should move up?

Let us know your thoughts ...
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Undecided About Affliction

I am 100% torn on Affliction.

On one hand, Tom Atencio annoys the shit out of me wanting to fight Dana White and thinking getting in the ring later this month in Florida somehow makes him more committed to the sport than the guy who made it what it is in North America.

I hate that I have to wait six months between shows. Seriously, with the financial backers that are in place for this organization, you're telling me you can't run a show more than once every six months?


But at the same time, the six month gap means every Affliction card is loaded. I mean LOADED. Take the poorly named Affliction: Trilogy card set for August 1st at the Honda Center in Anaheim:

Fedor vs. Josh Barnett.
Sylvia vs. Buentello - admittedly not that awesome...
Babalu vs. Gegard Mousasi (pictured)
Vitor Belfort vs. Jorge Santiago
Jay Hieron vs. Paul Daley
Dan Lauzon vs. Chris Horodecki

Other than the Sylvia vs. Buentello bout, I'd pay to see the rest of the card.

And you have to give Affliction credit for bringing in a guy like Mousasi and finding a quality opponent for him.

The reigning DREAM middleweight champ is riding a 12 fight winning streak and has done it over top tier competition in various weight classes. After earning the win in the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix, Mousasi stepped up to fight in the same Super Hulk tournament as Jose Canseco and came away with a first round submission of Mark Hunt.

Now, he comes to North America to spread his name and keep notching wins, something I believe he will do against the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Sobral. Nothing against Babalu, but Mousasi is on the cusp of making the Keyboard Kimura Pound for Pound Rankings.

While I love the UFC having competition - because competition makes everyone better - I can't help but wish deep down that the Trilogy card is exactly what the name implies: the third and final chapter of Affliction MMA.

Why?

No matter how stack the cards are, six months is a long time to wait and you have to know that the UFC would snap up a bunch of the Affliction talent - as well as make a monster push to sign Fedor - and having all the best talent in the world under one roof is far better than anything having a twice a year competitor could bring.
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Don't Go Building the Statues Just Yet

Yes, his win at UFC 98 was dominant and very impressive.

Yes, his style is very hard to attack and equally hard to defend.

Yes, he is undefeated and has beaten some great fighters.

But the last two of those were true before he put Rashad Evans to sleep on Saturday night and no one - literally no one - was putting Lyoto Machida in the rarefied air alongside Fedor and Anderson Silva before that fight, so why all the adoration now?

Simple - everyone wants to be backing the best horse. Now that Machida has proven to be "The Man" at 205 in the UFC and Dana White has commented that we might have just entered "The Machida Era," everyone wants to be Supporter #1 and put the Brazilian on a pedestal with some of the best ever... and it drives me insane!

This isn't sour grapes from a guy who picked Evans either; my first piece following the fight was full of high praise for "The Dragon" and I too believe he could go on a dominant run. But shouldn't we let him get through that first title defense before we go building monuments in his honour?

After all, that first defense has been a killer in recent memory.

It's the only successful defense Rampage made, Forrest Griffin couldn't get through it and neither could "Sugar" Rashad. It's a whole new world with a belt around your waist and everyone trains that much harder to take it away from you. That's why you'll hear everyone say you're not a true champion until you've defended your belt.

Not to take anything away from Griffin or Evans, but I stand by that 100%.

Machida hasn't even had enough time to fully comprehend the scope of what happened Saturday night - title, spotlight, fame, money, opportunities - and people have him going on an unbeaten run through the division.

The beauty of guys like Fedor and Anderson Silva is that we've witnessed seen them dominant in their divisions and nothing can change what happened. It's historical fact and extremely rare.

Why don't we let Lyoto Machida get a fight or two under his brand new belt before putting him in such illustrious company?

And if he does lose his first time out, be sure not to throw him under the bus unless you're going with him.
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May Pound for Pound Rankings

Let the arguing begin!

The beauty of Pound for Pound rankings is that they are entirely subjective; with the right reasoning, the most anyone can say is that they disagree with you.

Well, that's not the most they can say, but you know what I mean. They can call you all kinds of names and storm out of the room because you think Bull Durham is the best sports movie ever and they vehemently disagree, but that's just cloud cover for the fact that they have no logical argument to refute your claim.

See? Awesome.

May Pound-for-Pound Rankings

10. Frank Mir - UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion
I think the guy is a horrible announcer and possibly the most arrogant jackass on the Earth, but you can't knock his recent string of success. All he did last year was make Brock Lesnar tap and become the first man ever to KO Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Another win over Lesnar sends him skyrocketing up this chart.

9. Urijah Faber - #1 Contender, WEC Featherweight title
In three weeks time, we're going to find out if "The California Kid" was simply caught with a great punch while trying an unorthodox move or whether he simply is the Wes Mantooth of the WEC Featherweight division...

8. Mike Thomas Brown - WEC Featherweight Champion
Not that I doubted Brown's skills, but seeing him pummel Leonard Garcia in his first title defense cemented my belief that all that talk about Brown getting lucky was far from the truth. Plain and simple, the dude is the best there is at 145 right now and he deserves your respect.

7. Lyoto Machida - #1 Contender, UFC Light Heavyweight title
Watching the guy fight is agony for me, because he's just so damn good at not getting hit and surgically picking apart his opponent. Just because he bores the bejesus out of me doesn't mean I can recognize that "The Dragon" is one of the best on the planet at what he does.

6. Rashad Evans - UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
MMA is about evolution and since winning TUF 2 (at heavyweight), "Sugar" Rashad has been adding elements to his game that have elevated him from standout wrestler to dangerous striker and all-around stud. How he's the decided underdog in his upcoming bout with Machida is beyond me.

5. B.J. Penn - UFC Lightweight Champion
As much as I dislike Frank Mir, I dislike Baby Jay Penn even more, but I can't deny that he is a dominant force at 155 and could be one of the very best ever if he just set his mind to remaining in his weight class and winning fights. Instead of continuing to pursue his complaints over "Greasegate," Penn needs to get ready for Kenny Florian.

4. Miguel Torres - WEC Bantamweight Champion
He hasn't lost since November 2003. He's defended his WEC belt on three occasions against the best the sport has to offer and put on impressive displays of skill and heart in each. The scary part is that the 35-1 Torres is only 28.

3. Fedor Emelianenko - WAMMA Heavyweight Champion
If he fought more frequently and made a habit of always destroying the best competition around the way he did Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, Fedor would top this list. But he fights too infrequently and has wins over wrestlers, freakishly large Korean kickboxers and a guy who lost to Butterbean on his record, so...

2. Anderson Silva - UFC Middleweight Champion
I miss the Anderson Silva that steamrolled through the UFC Middleweight division. The guy who lit up Chris Leben and crushed Rich Franklin twice. Whoever this impostor is that has been fighting as Anderson Silva in his last two fights better not turn up against Forrest Griffin or else he's in serious trouble.

1. Georges St-Pierre - UFC Welterweight Champion
While Silva has had two lackluster performances in a row, GSP has put together five consecutive impressive outings since losing to Matt Serra. Vasoline or no Vasoline, "Rush" pounded the hell out of Penn for four rounds in January and a win over Thiago Alves at UFC 100 will leave him without a true challenger at 170.

What did we get wrong? Who did we miss? Let us know in the comments.
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