The UFC has finalized its schedule for the remainder of 2013 and, should the injury bug stay away, it promises to be an impressively prolific spell.
From now until the end of the year, all nine of the UFC's active champions will defend their belts. This remarkable period of MMA will begin at UFC on Fox 8 on July 27 with Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga and climax at UFC 168 on Dec. 28 when Anderson Silva rematches Chris Weidman. Two of the events in this time, UFC 165 and UFC 168, will even feature two title fights, the only other event in UFC history to do so was UFC 100 in 2009. During this time, there will also be some very fine UFC on Fox Sports 1 events. Examples being, Chael Sonnen vs. Shogun Rua, Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann and Michael Bisping vs. Mark Munoz.
Interestingly, Johnson vs. Moraga will be the only title bout to not headline a pay-per-view event, it will instead be shown on Fox. Johnson holds the reluctant honour of being the only champion in the UFC to have never headlined a pay-per-view event. It is, however, an understandable decision, the flyweight division is still relatively unknown and Johnson has little name recognition. At this point in his career he would struggle to carry a pay-per-view, appearances on Fox, with more viewers, should help boost his celebrity.
It has occurred purely by coincidence but as the year moves closer towards its end, the events ascend in both size and star power. Like a good opera, this period of events in the UFC appears to form a rising crescendo until it hits a peak and finishes with a big finale.
Seven events from now until the end of the year will feature title fights. The first three of these will be headlined by title fights in three of the lighter weight classes, flyweight, featherweight and lightweight. First, it will be Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga at UFC on Fox 8 on July 27. Then, José Aldo vs. Jung Chan-Sung at UFC 163 on Aug. 3 and Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis at UFC 164 on Aug. 31.
The concluding four events will be headlined by light-heavyweight, heavyweight, welterweight and middleweight title bouts. In chronological order, these fights will be Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson and Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland at UFC 165 on Sept. 21, Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos at UFC 166 on Oct. 19, Georges St-Pierre vs Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 on Nov. 16 and Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva and Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate at UFC 168 on Dec. 28.
Historically, events headlined by the lighter fighters are not as financially and commercially successful as their heavier counterparts. So this crescendo begins with events headlined by three of the lighter champions, it then ascends onto the two heaviest and climaxes with events headlined by the two biggest pay-per-view stars in the sport. The final event of the year, UFC 168, the big finale, even has the possibility of being the biggest in UFC history. The rest of 2013 should be a blockbuster period for both the UFC and its fans.
For the past seven years, Anderson Silva has been king of the middleweight division. On Saturday night at UFC 162, he will attempt to defend his title for the eleventh time.
Since he acquired the belt by defeating Rich Franklin in 2006, Silva has defeated every single challenger that has been put in front of him. However, Saturday night may very well be the night that he finally runs out of worthy contenders for his middleweight crown. If Silva defeats Chris Weidman, he may have finally cleared out the division. After all, Weidman only became the number one contender by default. After a number of top middleweights suffered losses, he was basically the only viable man left standing.
Trying to pick Silva's next title defense is no easy task, in terms of contenders, it is slim pickings in the middleweight division. Ignoring Weidman, who is the number one ranked fighter in the division, and moving down the list we reach number two and three ranked fighters (Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami), both of whom were knocked out by Silva in 2011. So barring fighting the same guys again, there isn't much left to do for Silva at middleweight if he beats Weidman.
Outside of those top three ranked guys, there just isn't anybody else who deserves a title shot. Michael Bisping is probably the best of the rest but he has consistently fallen at the last hurdle. He has participated in three title eliminator fights in the UFC, against Henderson, Sonnen and Belfort, and lost all three. This is a shame because Silva vs. Bisping could actually be a big event for the UFC if it was to be held in England. It would have the potential to be the sport's breakthrough moment in the UK, a market that Dana White has been desperate to crack for years.
Silva is widely considered to be the pound-for-pound king and the greatest of all time but he is aging and, although he shows no signs of slowing down, he has a limited amount of time left in the sport. He has firmly established himself as the greatest middleweight of all time, there is nothing left to prove in the division and with no real challengers left now would be the time to turn his attention toward super fights before father time catches up to him.
Silva's rhetoric leading up to UFC 162 would suggest that his focus is intensifying on the super fights. I cannot recall a single word being said regarding his next fight at middleweight. Apart from Weidman, the two names to come out of Silva's mouth the most have been Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones. Quite the contrary to his past behaviour on the subject, Silva has actually been fairly vocal on the subject of super fights.
However, his attitude toward his two potential adversaries has been night and day. When asked about GSP, Silva has been unusually mischievous in his answers. On Monday in an interview with ESPN, Silva made the comment that GSP was "no good" and also insinuated that Pierre was scared to fight him. This is in complete contrast to his answers about Jones, in which Silva has been nothing but respectful and courteous. At a press lunch on the same day, he even went as far as saying "If I fight Jon Jones, I don't think I'm going to win".
It is always difficult to second guess Silva, notorious for having fun with the media, he seems to enjoy misleading them wherever possible. So it is wise to take what he says, in public, with a pinch of salt. Nevertheless, he seems to have his sights set firmly on a super fight. Which is probably the right move, he is 38 and his accomplishments at middleweight are indisputable, he has a finite amount of time left in the sport and it would be more effectively spent on pursuing fights that would enhance his legacy.
Super fight is a term that gets thrown around a lot in combat sports. It is also a term that is tricky to define.
In my last post, I discussed super fights in the UFC. I, personally, used the term 'super fights' to describe potential bouts involving the top three pound for pound fighters in the sport. However, a lot of the time it is simply used as a promotional tool to hype up fights that are not really deserving of the label.
Maybe the term has been bastardized over time. Words are often overused to the point where they lose their true meaning. Love, hate and literally hit their saturation points a long time ago, the significance behind them has been diminished greatly. One could argue that this is what is happening with the term 'super fight'.
The truth is there is no real definition. We just need to decide how we are going to use it.
So which fights do we brand as a super fight? Is it simply champion vs. champion or is it more complicated than that? Maybe legend vs. legend is deserving of the title? What about pound for pound great vs. pound for pound great?
I think the answer is much more subjective.
A true super fight is, in part, determined by the fans. The desire to see those two particular individuals face off must be intense. It is the kind of fight that your mum will know is happening. The kind of fight the mainstream media take notice of. Usually, these fights seem destined not to take place. And that’s why we are fascinated by them, if shooting stars were witnessed every night they wouldn't be as special. A true super fight is generally years in the making, it's the teasing and anticipation that makes it that much more enticing.
On that basis, I would determine that there are only two true super fights to be made in the UFC, George St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva and Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones.
There, does however, seem to be an awkward no man’s land when it comes to super fights. They occupy the area between a run of the mill title fight and a contest that decides who is the pound for pound king. The fights that operate in this space are fights I like to call the ‘not quite’ super fights.
A recent example of what I’m talking about was the Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar fight. This was even talked about as a super fight, but almost half-heartedly. The anticipation and excitement for this fight was higher than that of Aldo’s previous title defenses yet was distinctly lower than what could be expected if GSP was to fight Silva. Maybe this was because Edgar was no longer a champion and was riding a two-fight losing streak. Nevertheless, these were two of the top ten pound for pound fighters in the world doing battle, the featherweight king versus the former lightweight king. There was just a certain something missing, they were not fighting for the right to be known as the greatest fighter on Earth.
There are more of these ‘not quite’ super fights to be made in the UFC. As my previous post discussed, they are plenty of obstacles to overcome in order for a true super fight to go down. The fun part about the ‘not quite’ super fights is that they are much more likely to take place.
Working from bottom to top let’s start with Jose Aldo vs. Benson Henderson. Earlier this year, it was revealed that if Aldo beats Anthony Pettis in August he will move up and face Henderson for the lightweight title.
Next up there is Henderson vs. GSP. In February, Henderson called out the long-time welterweight champ. This was days after Pettis decided to move down to featherweight and fight Aldo instead of fighting Henderson for the lightweight title, for which he was the number one contender. They have previous and Henderson was upset Pettis moved down so maybe his call out of GSP was just a bit posturing. Nonetheless, if Henderson continues winning there could be big paydays for him down the line.
Finally, to complete our list, there is Jon Jones vs. Cain Velasquez. It was pretty much inevitable that Jones will move up to heavyweight at some point, he has even stated that it could be as early as the end of this year. Which means a bout between Jones and Velasquez could conceivably take place in 2014.
These are all big fights. They are fantasy fights. They are champion vs. champion fights. Yet they still fall within that no man’s land. They are more special than typical title fights but not quite as epic as the GSP vs. Silva or Silva vs. Jones super fights would be. They are the ‘not quite’ super fights.
Super fights, especially lately, have been a much discussed topic in the UFC. Ever since Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva embarked upon their dominant championship reigns, there has been talk of a super fight between the two. A fight to determine the pound for pound king. For the longest time though, this seemed to be a pipe dream.
The emergence of Jon Jones, however, seems to have reignited life into the subject. It has now become MMA's version of a love triangle.
Lately we have begun to be teased more and more by the UFC. Dana White, in particular, has been very vocal about making super fights between the big three.
So why does the UFC seem to be pushing the super fights with vigor lately? Maybe it is because they need to strike while the iron is hot. There appears to be a vast number of reasons why the fights won't happen. So why not try to make them as quickly as possible while all the pieces are still in place.
It looks as if we are oh so close to witnessing a combination of the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world do battle inside the octagon. Despite it feeling like a very real possibility, there are a number of potential roadblocks.
So. What are the obstacles that could prevent a potential super fight involving Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and Jon Jones?
Well, for starters, Anderson Silva is the linchpin to this whole concept. As he is in the middle of the trio, any hopes of a super fight rest on him. We have three fighters and two possible fights, both of which Silva is a participant. Luckily, it seems that out of three, Silva is the one most fond of the idea.
Silva is set to defend his middleweight title against Chris Weidman at UFC 162 in July. Now, if he was to lose, would the super fights fall part? The whole reason these super fights are enticing is because they are pitting three, seemingly unbeatable, world champions against each other. The allure would be somewhat lost if Silva is coming of a loss and is no longer a champion. The odds are unquestionably in Silva's favour but it would be foolish to count Weidman. He is a world class grappler who many are tipping for the upset. According to Dana White, Weidman has already apologized for ruining the super fights.
"I talked to Chris Weidman myself. Guy looks me right in the eye and says, 'I'm telling you, I apologize that I'm going to f**k up all your super-fights and I'm gonna be your next champion. What I will do for you is I'll give him (Silva) an immediate rematch in Madison Square Garden as soon as he loses."
Next up is Georges St-Pierre. Who, of the three, seems least keen to engage in a super fight. As he is at the bottom end of this trio, he can only fight one man, Anderson Silva. Now, whenever he is asked a question regarding Anderson Silva and a possible fight, his demeanor visibly changes and he avoids the question like a seasoned politician. It wouldn't be completely unjustified if one was to opine that St-Pierre doesn't want to fight Silva. Which is, ultimately, what matters.
It has been all but confirmed that St-Pierre will fight Johny Hendricks. Which many are predicting will be his toughest test to date. However, it is important to note that this isn't set in stone. Dana White has said on multiple occasions that he hopes to put on a super fight by the end of the year, ideally at Madison Square Garden to celebrate the UFC's 20th anniversary in November. Which is approximately the time that the St-Pierre-Hendricks would take place. So either Hendricks gets his title shot or we have to wait to see St-Pierre-Silva. If we do see St-Pierre-Hendricks before a super fight, which seems the most likely option, then there is the distinct possibility that he gets beat. Which would obviously dampen the desire for a St-Pierre-Silva super fight.
Another issue with St-Pierre is that it was recently announced that he will play Batroc the Leaper in Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It is unclear, at this stage, how this will impact his immediate future. But it is safe to assume that he will be taking some time away from the sport. He is famous for his preparation so it is unlikely he would do it alongside a fight camp. So will St-Pierre even fight again in 2013? Who knows.
Lastly, we have the final piece of this puzzle, Jon Jones. Now, Jones can only fight Anderson Silva and this fight can only happen at 205 pounds. Which is interesting as it is the only common ground we have in super fight territory because Silva has fought at 205 before in the UFC. He has fought three times in the light-heavyweight division, winning all three bouts via first round knockout. Granted, they were against limited opposition but nevertheless it is the only overlap there is in the Venn diagram of UFC super fights.
The only issue with a Jones-Silva super fight at 205 is that it doesn't seem like Jones is going to be sticking around at 205 for much longer. A move to heavyweight has been a much touted option for Jones, he is still young and filling out his 6'4" frame. However, this could be happening much sooner than was previously anticipated. In January, Jones suggested that his inevitable move to heavyweight could be happening as early as this year. It seems the window of opportunity for Jones and Silva to face off could be narrowing.
Another potential obstacle in the way of Jones's involvement in a super fight, is his upcoming fight with Chael Sonnen. Even though this fight is somewhat controversial and many believe that Sonnen doesn't stand a chance, this is MMA and that means that anything can happen. In my opinion, there are a couple of things that Sonnen brings to the table that Jones hasn't experienced in his title reign so far. One is world class wrestling, and the other is the likelihood that he will not be intimidated or in awe of the unconventional champion. Jones possesses the ability to stump world class fighters, his unique style has caused his opponents to almost freeze. I doubt that will happen to Sonnen, he will come to fight. Fighting Chael Sonnen is never an easy task and it is one that Jones shouldn't overlook.
There we have it, the three men in this super fight triangle and the obstacles they face in order to compete against one another.
So who knows if the stars will ever align. One thing is for certain, for them to do so, an awful lot has to fall into place.
UFC 158 was all about the 170 pounders. For all intents and purposes it was a welterweight tournament. The main and co-main event featured the top four ranked welterweights in the world and the outcome of these match-ups would decide the immediate future of the division.
As previously discussed, this event held the future of the division in the palm of its hand. The simplest way forward seemed to be if both Johny Hendricks and Georges St-Pierre were victorious. Luckily, that is exactly what happened.
Despite Carlos Condit's best efforts to throw a spanner in the works, the UFC was presented with a ready-made title fight. Hendricks was already the number 1 contender and he merely cemented that position with his win over Condit. He has been waiting for his shot and now, finally, he is going to get it.
Since Saturday night, Dana White has said a number of times that Hendricks will get the next shot. This, however, could all change if a certain super-fight finally gets made.
We know that the UFC has its 20th anniversary in November. We know that the UFC has been trying to get into New York for years. We know that the UFC has been trying to make Georges St-Pierre vs Anderson Silva for years. And we know that the UFC would love to put on a big show in New York to celebrate their 20th anniversary. So...
Anderson Silva seems to be keen. St-Pierre, on the other hand, seems to want to avoid all discussion on the matter. He has given no indication whatsoever that this is a fight he is actively pursuing, so i guess we will have to forget about that. For now.
So St-Pierre vs Hendricks it is. In regards to the welterweight division, it is the best possible match-up. Hendricks finally gets his long overdue shot, the best two welterweights in the world will fight for the title and the division will be moved along nicely.
The situation of Carlos Condit is an interesting one. The 'Natural Born Killer' is in a precarious position. Clearly, he is an elite mixed martial artist, he has beaten the likes of Nick Diaz, Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger. However, he has come up short when it has truly mattered.
What does the UFC do with him now?
He is on a two-fight losing streak so maybe Condit should begin to rebuild and work his way back up through top ten fighters. Although, those two fights were close decision losses to the two best welterweights in the world so it is clear that he belongs in the upper echelon of the division.
Perhaps he should fight Rory MacDonald. After all, that was his original opponent for UFC 158 until MacDonald dropped out due to injury and was replaced by Hendricks. This is an intriguing fight, a rematch, that the fans would like to see. The only problem is that this is a very tough fight and could conceivably result in Condit being on the wrong end of a three-fight losing streak.
Jake Ellenberger had a big night. A big win on the best possible stage. He re-announced himself as a legitimate contender by knocking out Nate Marquardt. Something only one other man has been able to achieve, a certain Anderson Silva. He should now face either Damian Maia or Tarec Saffeidine, fights in which an impressive win could lead him to becoming the next number one contender.
From a man who gained a lot, to a man who has possibly lost a lot. Nate Marquardt was fighting in the UFC for the first time since being cut in 2011. It was his opportunity to get back into Dana's good books and to prove he belongs. That didn't quite happen though. Instead he was knocked out in the first round. Unfortunately for him, Marquardt seems to be on the chopping block. He has been cut before, he has used TRT, he is on a two-fight losing streak, he lost his last fight by first-round KO and the UFC is trimming its roster. The odds of him keeping his job appear to be bleak.
On Saturday night Georges St-Pierre did what many expected him too. He beat Nick Diaz by unanimous decision. These days though, St-Pierre soundly beating an elite opponent doesn't seem to be enough.
After UFC 158, St-Pierre has now set the record for the most consecutive time inside the octagon without a finish, going six fights (150 minutes) without stopping an opponent. Beating Jon Fitch's previous record of 145 minutes.
This is what seems to be the issue with a large proportion of fans. St-Pierre now has a reputation of fighting with a safety first mentality. He has this reputation for a reason, because it is probably true.
But so what? Can we blame him for fighting this way?
St-Pierre may fight conservatively but he has been wildly successful doing so. He is 18-2 in the UFC, that is an incredible feat. He is also a 2-time Welterweight champion and in his current reign he has defended his title 8 times. So why change a winning formula.
Be that as it may, how will St-Pierre's so called boring style affect his legacy?
When picking our favourites, as fans, we tend to choose 'fighters' over 'mixed martial artists'. For example, Wanderlei Silva will always be adored more than Lyoto Machida. This would be very hard to justify on paper. Machida is a former UFC champion and has won a larger percentage of his fights. However, some of us, inherently love our occasional doses of violence. And that is precisely what Silva delivers, win or lose.
St-Pierre is certainly a mixed martial artist rather than a fighter. More of a thinker than a brawler. He lacks the intensity and violence that so many fan-favourites possess. It is for these reasons that St-Pierre will always lose out to the likes of Wanderlei Silva in a popularity contest.
He is almost the Floyd Mayweather of MMA. His fighting style isn't the most well received by fans but his talent and accomplishments are undeniable. His record will speak for itself, beating that many great fighters demands respect. Facts will always last longer than opinions.
Why should St-Pierre take unnecessary risks?
We sometimes forget that MMA is a sport. The fighters within it are competing to win and to ultimately be the best in the world. St-Pierre has found a winning formula that allows him to do so. Would a successful football team change a winning tactic because it wasn't the most exciting? I doubt it.
Plus, he is a human being in a dangerous sport. It is difficult to find fault, on that level, with his approach. His fighting style will allow him to go down as one of the greatest of all-time, amass great wealth and retire with his brain intact. To me, that seems like a smart move.
UFC 158 holds the welterweight division in the palm of its hand.
This event is no doubt exciting due to the quality of the fights it possesses. However, the added intrigue with this card comes with the fact that the immediate future of the welterweight division will be decided. Also, that immediate future, even this close to the fight, is very much up in the air.
The possibilities resulting from this card, in regards to future match-ups, almost appear to be endless. It is so hard predict how everything will play out after UFC 158. So lets work our way through the potential outcomes of Saturday night.
We will start with the most likely event, according to the odds, Georges St-Pierre beats Nick Diaz and Johny Hendricks beats Carlos Condit. This would be the simplest outcome for the welterweight division and the UFC. Hendricks is already the universally recognized number 1 contender, and has been waiting for his shot patiently, so a fight with St-Pierre would be the logical move. Hendricks finally gets his shot and the welterweight division is kept moving. The cleanest outcome of Saturday night.
This is where things start to get a bit more complicated. Again according to the odds, the next most probable series of results is St-Pierre beats Diaz and Condit beats Hendricks. Now what does the UFC do? Condit has only just fought St-Pierre for the title and despite it being a relatively close fight, another fight would be very hard to market and therefore rather unlikely. Dana said as much in the pre-fight media scrum, so this fight seems very doubtful.
This is the situation that prompts certain wild card scenarios. Now the UFC has no clear title fight to make so it has to explore less conventional methods. There would be two saving graces for the UFC. One would be if St-Pierre vs Diaz was a close or controversial fight, that way they could arrange a rematch. Or this would be the perfect opportunity for the much talked about super-fight between St-Pierre and Anderson Silva to happen, probably later in the year at Madison Square Garden. Both would act as stop gaps whilst a new number 1 contender can be determined in the welterweight division.
Alternatively, the UFC would have to find another contender. This is a tricky task, because other than Condit or Hendricks there is no stand out. I see three different options in this case. Firstly, if the winner of the Jake Ellenberger vs Nate Marquardt fight does so in a very impressive fashion then they may be able to jump into a title tight. Secondly, Tarec Saffiedine may be awarded the opportunity. A champion vs champion fight would be very marketable. Lastly and least likely, Damian Maia could be called upon. He is on a three fight winning streak since his move to welterweight, all against solid fighters.
Now for the upset. What if GSP loses?
Despite what Dana White tells us, we can safely assume that this is not what he wants to happen. First of all, imagine Nick Diaz being world champion. He can barely handle his media responsibilities as they are now, I highly doubt his attitude to the publicity side of the business is going to change over night. I'm foreseeing many headaches for the top brass at the UFC. Then there is the super-fight. Would a St-Pierre vs Silva match-up be as anticipated or even make sense if St-Pierre has no belt? The allure of this fight is that they are both so dominant and seemingly unbeatable in their respective divisions, it is a fight to determine a pound-for-pound king. However, this wouldn't be the case if St-Pierre loses his title. This fight and the millions it would make the UFC would slip away.
Anyway, back to the potential match-ups a Diaz win brings about. The simplicity of a Diaz win is that it is almost irrelevant who is victorious in the Condit vs Hendricks fight. If Condit wins it makes sense to have the rematch they had for the interim belt, especially as Condit would that fight. It would be no problem to promote. As a Diaz vs Hendricks fight would not be. Hendricks is the number one contender, there would be no issue in granting him a title shot. Frankly, a Diaz win might the best way for Hendricks to get a title shot. This way there is no super-fight blocking his shot at St-Pierre.
If i was a betting man, which i can be on occasion, my guess would be that St-Pierre wins Saturday night. Then unfortunately for Hendricks, the UFC attempts to make the St-Pierre vs Silva super-fight at Madison Square Garden in November for their 20th anniversary. However, for one reason or another this fight doesn't take place. Maybe Silva chooses to fight Jon Jones while he can, before Jones's inevitable move to heavyweight, and therefore St-Pierre ends up fighting Hendricks at the end of year.
Whatever happens Saturday night, it is certainly going to be interesting.
