Tag: Frankie Edgar (Page 4 of 5)

      Top 10 Lightweight Rankings

      May 4, 2011 /

      nullFor the most part, rankings fighters in each division starts easy and ends tough.

      That isn’t the case for my lightweight rankings.

      Of any division in MMA, the lightweights are the toughest to sort through. The group is very top-heavy and even the distant contenders are hard to decipher.

      Nonetheless, here is my top 10 list for the lightweights. Feel free to add your take on who should be in the top spots.

      (If you need to go back and find my pound-for-pound, heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, or welterweight rankings, click on the links)

      1. Frankie Edgar (13-1-1) – Edgar is the UFC Lightweight Champion and the lone lightweight in the world to clearly dominate the great B.J. Penn. Edgar will get his chance to put his stamp on the top spot when he faces Gray Maynard for the third time on May 28, but the fact that Edgar pulled out a draw at UFC 125 after that brutal first round is a testament to his abilities. Edgar’s speed, hands, and wrestling are a very impressive combination, especially for a man that could arguably fight at featherweight.

      2. Gray Maynard (10-0-1) – Maynard has yet to lose and if he didn’t put everything he had into knocking Edgar out in the first round of their UFC 125 bout, he would be the champion today. Maynard was once just a wrestler, but is now showing strong striking ability. If he can put forth a full 25 minutes in May, he will become the champion and take over the top spot in my rankings.

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      Bellator, Dream, Fighters, Strikeforce, UFC

      Pettis still No. 1 contender in UFC Lightweight Division

      May 4, 2011 /

      nullIn some news that was swept under the rug this past weekend due to all the excitement of UFC 129, UFC President Dana White confirmed that final WEC Lightweight Champion, Anthony Pettis, is still the No. 1 contender for the UFC title.

      The lightweight division in the UFC may be the most stacked of any and it is starting to get crowded at the top.

      Pettis was originally scheduled to get a crack at the title following Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard’s title fight at UFC 125, but a draw left the whole division wondering what was next.

      White scheduled a third bout between Edgar and Maynard, which takes place at UFC 130 on May 28. Following that contest, Pettis will be the new No. 1 contender according to MMAWeekly.com, who spoke with White.

      “It’s Pettis,” UFC President Dana White confirmed when asked who would be getting the next crack at the championship.

      The confirmation obviously gives Pettis extra motivation going into the June fight with Clay Guida. A win guarantees a title shot, likely towards the end of 2011.

      Pettis won’t focus on the title shot at this time though because the business at hand is beating Guida. Without that, White’s declaration of his title shot doesn’t even matter.

      Pettis meets Guida at the Ultimate Fighter Season 13 Finale on Saturday, June 4. It will be Pettis’ toughest test to date and his first bout in nearly six months.

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      Fighters, News, Strikeforce, UFC

      Best non-finishers in MMA

      May 3, 2011 /

      AP ImageGeorges St. Pierre is quickly losing favor with MMA fans.

      Saturday’s UFC 129 bout with Jake Shields brought St. Pierre brought another decision victory for the welterweight champion, which was his fourth straight decision win.

      St. Pierre has not won by stoppage since Jan. 31, 2009 when B.J. Penn failed to answer the bell for the fifth round.

      Fans are growing tired of St. Pierre’s decision wins and his lack of “killer instinct,” and want to see him be more aggressive and finish his opponents like he did on his first run to the UFC title.

      Now with 22 career wins, St. Pierre has had 9 decision victories and 13 wins by knockout or submission.

      With that in mind, here are some of the other top fighters in MMA that have a few too many decisions to their credit.

      Jon Fitch (23-3-1, 13 Decision victories) – Fitch has pretty much become the measuring stick of this category. He is one of the best in the world, but he just can’t seem to finish fights. Fitch is now on a run of 9-straight fights that have went to the judges. His last finish came back in June of 2007.

      Randy Couture (19-11, 8 Decision victories) – Though a Hall of Famer and a legend, finishing opponents wasn’t necessarily Couture’s forte either. Actually, some of “The Natural’s” biggest wins were decisions including his victories over Tito Ortiz and Tim Sylvia.

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      Fighters, News, UFC

      UFC looking to use monitors for judges at UFC 130

      April 26, 2011 /

      nullThe judging system in MMA has long been debated and criticized over the years.

      Now, with one of the most controversial bouts in UFC history set to have its rematch, the UFC is looking to avoid more controversy if at all possible

      Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting reports that the UFC is looking to have monitors present for each of the judges at UFC 130, which takes place May 28 in Las Vegas.

      The main event of UFC 130 is the third contest between UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard. Their last contest at UFC 125 ended in a draw after 25 minutes of action.

      Marc Ratner, the UFC’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, informed MMA Fighting that the organization has formally submitted a request to the Nevada State Athletic Commission to install monitors as a backup viewing option for the judges assigned to score the bouts at UFC 130.

      “I’ve emailed [NSAC Executive Director] Keith [Kizer] and asked him to put the request on the next agenda. We believe these monitors will be another look to help with the judges,” Ratner wrote via e-mail.

      According to the UFC, California is the only state to ever provide monitors for judges while scoring MMA bouts.

      I am all for helping judges make better decisions and if this will do it, sign me up.

      I think judging in general is a hard issue to tackle because everyone has a different view of a fight and the 10-point scoring system leaves the door open for questionable results.

      I for one also scored the Edgar-Maynard II bout at UFC 125 as a draw, with Maynard taking round one 10-8 and Edgar winning three of the remaining four rounds 10-9.

      Hopefully UFC 130 will bring some closure to this rivalry and allow the UFC to move on in its stacked lightweight division.

      Events, Fighters, News, UFC

      Going back in time: How the UFC has changed in 6 years

      April 23, 2011 /

      nullThe UFC, and MMA in general, has evolved a great deal in a short amount of time.

      If you need any proof of that, just take a short trip back to 2005.

      Six years ago today, the UFC was one week removed from UFC 52: Couture vs. Liddell II. It was a milestone event for the organization as it was the first PPV event following the debut season of the Ultimate Fighter.

      The card featured some of the best fighters in the UFC at the time, but when looking back, it represents just how much the sport has changed since then.

      Here is a look at all the champions as of six years ago today, and how their stock has dropped since then.

      Heavyweight Champion: Andrei Arlovski – Arlovski had won the interim heavyweight title from Tim Sylvia at UFC 51 and was eventually stripped of the interim label when then-champion Frank Mir couldn’t compete after a motorcycle accident. Arlovski had a dominant run, winning three-straight title fights in the first round. But, “The Pitbull” then suffered back-to-back losses to Sylvia and was never quite the same. At one time he was the most feared fighter in the UFC, but he now is currently on a four-fight losing streak, with three coming by first round knock out. Arlovski’s hands have gotten slower, his chin has gotten weaker, and he never evolved his grappling. That combo caused him to become nearly irrelevant in the MMA. In today’s world, Arlovski would get decimated by current champ, Cain Velasquez.

      Light Heavyweight Champion: Chuck Liddell – Liddell was on top of the world at this time six years ago. He just knocked out Randy Couture in 2:06 to win his first UFC Championship. Liddell followed that up with four successful title defenses, all by KO. He was considered an unbeatable champion for two years, but then ran into the powerful hand of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, who took the title from Liddell in May of 2007. That loss started the complete downfall of Liddell’s career. He would go on to lose five of his next six, four by KO, which forced his retirement. Liddell’s hands were great, but his style never evolved, and became too predictable. With that, his chin got weaker and he was an easy target for other light heavyweights. It is hard to imagine a scenario where Liddell would be able to contend with today’s champ, Jon Jones.

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      Events, Fighters, UFC

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