Historical figures who could make it in MMA

Over the years history has given us individuals who were known for their great strength, resiliency, and indomitable will.   Here are some figures, who if they were alive today, may have had a good career in the world of mixed martial arts.

 

Abraham “The Rail Splitter” Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

Middleweight

Lincoln, who was the 16th president of the United States, was known for standing over six feet with an average weight of 18o lbs.  Although he was depicted as a boxer in a political cartoon, there was no record of him actually being in the ring. 

Despite not officially being recognized as a boxer, Lincoln would have a long reach and a height advantage over most of the opponents in his weight class.  He could have also used his honesty with his trash talk.  If his opponent had a weakness, Lincoln could call his opponent on it, and use it against him.  If he were alive today, he may be training with America’s Top Team. 

Possible opponents

Wanderlei Silva
Chael Sonnen
George Washington
 

Jesus “The Messiah” Christ (5 BC - 30 CE)

Lightweight/Welterweight

Many fighters have sported the slogan “Jesus didn’t tap”, referring to his crucifixion, where he endured agonizing torment until his death.  Although the crucifixion is a testament to how much pain he can endure, he also fasted for forty days in the desert, where he resisted temptation.  He was also raised as a carpenter’s son and walked everywhere, which may have given him muscle.

Christ was very charismatic and popular with the populous.  People would flock to see him and he was known for being around the best and the worst people (prostitutes, lepers, and tax collectors just to name a few).  While he may not make his announcement to join the sport at the Second Coming, The Lamb would definitely travel to different events and gyms.  If we were to fight, Christ would be someone who want to give the fans everything in the ring and the cage.

Possible Opponents for Jesus

Georges St. Pierre (great fight for the fans)
Jason Miller
Dana White
Satan

 

 “The Maid of Orleans” Joan of Arc (1412 - 1431)

Women’s Welterweight

Joan of Arc was many things, including a saint, a heroine, and a strong, and a martyr.  crime was said to be heresy.  She also gained criticism due to her heresy and wearing men’s clothes.  It was later said that she wore men’s clothes to keep herself from being molested, according to clergy reports years after her death.

However, Joan was also known for her military success.  She had gained many victories for the French during the 100 Year War, and ended the siege of Orleans.  Today, Joan would find her competition not only in the women‘s part of the sport, but also may with the men,

Possible Opponents for Joan

Cris Santos
Megumi Fujii
Marloes Coenen
Urijah Faber

“The Scourge of God” Attila the Hun (406-453)

Middleweight/Light Heavyweight

Hun was a ruler who commanded armies of North Eastern Europe and Western Asia, his empire only second to the Roman Empire.  Despite having a smaller empire, Attila still battled the Romans.  Despite being a mighty warrior, Attila did not have a warrior’s death.  Possible causes of his  include internal bleeding or a hemorrhage.

Attila and his armies were known to be very dominating on the battle fields, which could transition to his in ring abilities.  The huns’ ability to survive in the wild could also help with Attila’s resilience.  In addition to being a good fighter in the ring, Attila would most likely open his own gym to train his fighters.

Possible Opponents for Attila

Alistair Overeem
Phil Baroni
Matt Serra (Catchweight)
Alexander the Great

Ghengis “Temujin” Khan (1162 - 1227)

Middleweight/Light Heavyweight

Like Attila, Khan was a ruler who known for having a massive army.  He was respected by his subjects and developed many concepts that were later used by Western and Chinese civilization.  Although he was loved by his subjects, he did not trust many due to his father being poisoned when Khan was just a small boy.

In addition to his strength, Khan was also a tactician, who developed many strategies for his army.  His tactical mind may give him an advantage over his opponents who step into the cage with him.

Possible Opponents for Khan

Kazushi Sakruaba
Rashad Evans
Lyoto Machida

Jack “Gavleston Giant” Johnson (1878 - 1946)

Heavyweight

An accomplished boxer, Johnson was known for many achievements, including being the first African American Heavyweight champion.  He has over 90 fights on his professional record and is a member of  the National Boxing Hall, the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.  Johnson was also known for being sentenced to prison 1912, for violating the Mann act which was “transporting a white woman across state lines for immoral purposes”.

While Johnson’s knock out power would certainly help him in his stand up game against fighters who are prone to knock outs, he would also have to take extensive ground training, wrestling or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,  to have better chances in the cage.  Johnson was also known for being a celebrity who had his fans, as well as his critics, and was known for “chasing” prospective opponents to get them to fight him, particularly white opponents.

Possible Opponents for Johnson

Antonio Rodrgio Nogueria
Shane Carwin
Brock Lesnar
Mike Tyson

 

“King of Sparta” Leonidas I (540’s  B.C. - 480 B.C.)

Light Heavyweight

A king of Sparta, Leonidas is most well known for his role in the Battle of Thermopylae (which 300 is based on).  He was not originally the heir of his father, so he had to be sent to the agoge and endure harsh training before coming a full citizen of Sparta.  He became king after his brother Cleomenes went into exile in 490 B.C., and would remain king until his death at Thermopylae.

Leonidas was said to be a descendant of Heracles and that he had inherited the strength and bravery of the fabled Greek Hero.  Whether this was true or not, Leonidas’ fighting spirit and strength could be an asset inside of a ring or a cage.


Possible Opponents for Leonidas

Forrest Griffin
Michael Bisping
Xerses
Gerard Butler

 

 “Geronimo” Goyahkla (1829 - 1909)

Lightweight/Welterweight

Goyahkla was born of the Apache tribe, but was then taken to live with the Chihenne people by his mother, after the death of his father.  He would eventually marry and start a family, though they would later die after an attack by Meixcan soldiers.  He was mainly known for being an Apache warrior and got the nickname Geronimo after a battle in which he repeatedly attack Mexican soldiers with a knife while being shot at. 

Geronimo’s fearlessness in battle would be a help to him against any opponent he faced.  He would have a tough chin and resiliency after surviving gunshot wounds.  Being a military leader, he would also be an affective manager, perhaps painting the faces of his fighters, just like he did with the warriors who followed him.

Possible opponents for Geronimo

Jake Shields
B.J. Penn
Matt Hughes

Other figures who could break into MMA

George Washington - military general and a hero to many, including Lincoln.  Who would not love to see a match between Washington and Lincoln?

George S. Patton - Another well known military leader, although Patton would make just as a good of a coach as he would a fighter.

Alexander the Great - King who ruled Macedonia.  In a way, he kind of set the standard of how empires and kingdoms are built.

Hannibal, son of Hamilcar Barca - A very well talented commander who among other things was known for marching elephants across the alps and into rome.

Marco Polo - Although he was a merchant, he traveled throughout Asia, and is sometimes depicted with a bow and a sword.  He may have also learned some strategy from the Monguls.

If you can think of any historical figures who would be good fighters, let me know.

Black fighters who have excelled in MMA

In celebration of Black History Month, here are some notable African American (and Canadian American fighters).

Editorial Note: If there are some fighters who are not on here, my fullest apologies. I chose to leave out fighters like Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo and Paul Daley, mainly because Black History month is celebrated in Canada and the U.S.

Jon Jones (12-1)

Jon “Bones” Jones, who has a background in Muay Thai, Greco Roman Wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, has been labeled by many as the future of the UFC. Although the hype around him has reached new limits, Jones is still a formidable fighter.

Jones has only lost one of his 12 fights, (a DQ over Matt Hamil in December 2009). His most recent win came from a submission victory over Ryan Bader via a modified guillotine choke.

After his win over Bader, Jones will replace Rashad Evans in the Light Heavyweight title match against Mauricio Rua at UFC 128.

Quinton Jackson (31-8)

Perhaps one of most well known fighters around the world, “Rampage” Jackson is a man who talks a lot of smack, but can also back it up when it comes to a fight. He known for his wrestling background, as well as his power, which he can use to knock out his opponents, or slam them on the canvas.

During his career, Jackson has not only captured the UFC Light Heavyweight title and a runner up in the 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, but has also had rivalries with a who’s who list of fighters, including Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell, and Rashad Evans. Jackson would go on to coach against Evans during the Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights season, and eventually lose their fight via decision back in May 2010.

Jackson‘s most recent win was against Lyoto Machida last November. He was originally scheduled to fight Thiago Silva at UFC 130, however he will now face Evans in a rematch.


Rashad Evans (15-1-1)

Fans were first treated to Rashad Evans during the Ultimate Fighter 2, where he won the heavyweight competition on that show. Prior to the UFC, Evans had won his first five fights, and even won the Gladiator Challenge Light Heavyweight tournament.

After the Ultimate Fighter, Evans would go on to defeat fighters such as Chuck Liddell, Michael Bisping, and even Forrest Griffin, who defeated for the UFC Light Heavyweight championship. After losing the title to Lyoto Machida, Evans would score a decision victory over Thiago Silva and coach against Quinton Jackson in The Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights. He would later go on to defeat Jackson in late May 2010.

Evans was expected to face Mauricio Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight title, but had to pull out of the fight due to injury. He will now face Quinton Jackson in a rematch, at UFC 130.

Antonio McKee (25-4-2)

McKee is a brown belt in Judo and has an extensive background in wrestling. Despite having many wins on his record, he was the subject of criticism due to having the majority of his fights (19 of them wins) going to decision. He is the current MFC Lightweight champion.

McKee signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC in September 2010. He would make his debut against Jacob Volkmann at UFC 125 where he would lose by decision. After the loss, he was cut by the promotion.

After being cut from the UFC, McKee returned to Maximum Fighting Championships where he will defend his title against Drew Fickett on the 25th.

Muhammed Lawal (7-1)

The fighter known as “King Mo” has been capturing the attention of MMA fans in Japan and in the United States with his flashy entrances and persona. In his first two years of MMA he had won seven fights and captured the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title. He would lose the title to Rafael Cavalcante in August 2010.

In addition to his MMA career, Lawal has an extensive amateur wrestling background. Prior to his MMA career, he was a Division I All American and a Big 12 champion.

Recently, Lawal has undergone knee surgery. He has stated that 2011 would be the year he gets his belt back.


Ben Henderson (12-2)

Henderon has a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and was an All American wrestler in college. In his MMA career, he is a former WEC lightweight champion and WEC interim lightweight champion.

At the last WEC event, Henderson put on a show with opponent Anthony Pettis. Despite putting on a valiant effort, he ended losing the match by decision.

Henderson will make his UFC debut at UFC 129.

Josh Koscheck (15-5)

Koshcheck has been a long time UFC fighter, since competition in the first season of the Ultimate Fighter back in 2005.  He has also become one of the sport's most notable trash talkers.

After earning victories over fighters like Frank Trigg, Chris Lytle, and Diego Sanchez, Koscheck’s biggest career moment to date would be defeating Paul Daley to become the number one contender for the UFC Welterweight title, and becoming a coach on the Ultimate Fighter 12.

After The Ultimate Fighter season 12, he lost to Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre back in December 2010. Despite not winning the belt from St. Pierre, Koscheck is still ranked one the top 10 welterweight fighters in MMA.

Yves Edwards (40-16-1)

Edwards is one of MMA’s more experienced fighters.

Since debuting in 1997, Edwards has fought in several organizations, including UFC, Pride FC, Bodogg Fight FC, Elite XC, and Strikeforce. Edwards practices a variety of martial arts, including a self created style he called “Thug-Jitsu.”

His most recent win was a submission victory, over up and comer Cody McKenzie.





Demetrious Johnson (9-1)

Known to the fans as “Mighty Mouse”, Johnson won his first six fights before debuting in the WEC. In his debut, he would lose to Brad Pickett by decision.

Despite the loss, Johnson would go on his next two fights in the WEC.

In his UFC debut, Johnson spoiled the hyped up debut of Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto.



Jason High (13-3)

From Kansas City, Jason High has fought in Canada, Japan, and the United States.  He gained notaritey in the Dream promotion where he made it to the finals of their Welterweight Grand Prix.  He lost in the finals to Marius Zaromskis.

Since the loss, he has won four out of his five last fights (the only loss coming from Charlie Brennerman in the UFC)

High recently signed with Strikeforce and will debut in 2011.

  Honorable and not so honorable mentions

Kevin Randleman (17-15) - one of MMA’s more seasoned fighters, this former UFC Heavyweight champion has come up against some of the best fighters, both in Pride and in the UFC. Although he turned 40, Randleman has said he will continue his career.

Carlos Newton (15-14) - Newton is a former UFC Welterweight champion and a UFC 17 tournament runner up. He was also a longtime fighter in Pride, and a coach in the International Fight League. He is expected to fight in May 2011.

Herchel Walker (2-0) At 48 years old, this former NFL player has already acquired two wins on his record, including a first-round knock out victory over Scott Carson. Walker said that he will continue his MMA career.

Gary Goodridge (23-23-1) - Goodridge has fought in several organizations. His earliest accomplishments include being a finalist in the UFC 8 tournament, and a quarterfinalist in the 2000 Pride Grand Prix.

Bobby Lashley (5-1) - was on a five-fight winning streak before losing to Chad Griggs back in August 2010. He was taken out on a stretcher and has not fought since the loss to Griggs.

Bob Sapp (11-6-1) - Although he has not had as much success as his peers, Sapp has been a kick boxer, pro wrestler, and a football player. Sapp was supposed to fight at the Dream Dynamite 2010 show, but did not due to contract issues.  He is scheduled to fight sometime in March 2011.

Kimbo Slice (4-2) - Had a brief stint in the Ultimate Fighter season 10, and a win in the UFC. Slice has been reported to pursue careers in boxing and pro wrestling.

James Toney (0-1) - former boxing champion James Toney decided he would pursue a career in MMA.  According to reports, he hounded UFC president Dana White for a fight with one of the UFC's top guys. Toney got his wish, but in his first MMA match he got schooled by Randy Couture at UFC 118, (this didn't stop the UFC from paying him $500,000). He most recently called out Quinton Jackson.

"My style is kneeing people in the face." - Wanderlei Silva

Battle of the Bulks

Strikeforce’s heavyweight tournament comes into fruition

The Strikeforce mixed martial arts promotion, will be holding an eight man heavyweight grand prix tournament throughout 2011.  

Scott Coker, CEO of Strikeforce, had announced the tournament in late 2010.  While there were skeptics of the announcement, due to Strikeforce’s prior announcement of a middleweight title tournament that actually never happened, the promotion is following through with their plans and have already announced the fighters competing in the tournament, and the dates for two of the four quarterfinal matches.

Who will be competing in the grand prix

The Strikeforce grand prix will feature former champions, as well as stars who are hoping to climb the ladder in the promotion’s heavyweight division.

According to the Strikeforce website, the first two quarter final matches will take place Feb. 12 at the Izon Center in Rutherford NJ.  One tournament match will feature Fedor Emelianenko, former Pride Heavyweight and 2004 Grand prix champion going up against Antonio Silva, former EliteXC heavyweight champion. 

Also featured on the Feb. 12 card will be Andrei Arlovski, former UFC heavyweight champion, versus Sergei Kharitonov.

The other two matches in the quarterfinals of the grand prix are Brett Rogers facing Josh Barnett, former UFC heavyweight champion. 

The date for this fight has yet to be announced.  Some speculate this match might not take place due to Barnett’s suspension for testing positive for Steroids back in 2009, as well as California Athletic State Commission’s denials of Barnett’s request for appeals, and Barnett’s no showing of the hearing of his application for a fight-license, according to MMA junkie.

The fourth match will be Fabricio Wedrum facing current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. 

Wedrum, who submitted Emelianenko back in June, defeated Overeem by submission at the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix back in 2006.

Special rules and positions implemented for tournament

Although Overeem is the promotion’s current heavyweight champion, according to an article in the Ringside report, his heavyweight championship will not be on the line during any point in the tournament. 

“To make it simple, the tournament champion will stand on his own,” Coker said.  “We will have our heavyweight champion, and our tournament champion.”

In addition to the main fights on the tournament bracket, Coker said that a fourth judge will be implemented for the grand prix, and a five-person fight committee who will select a reserve fighter in the case that a fighter who advances in the tournament gets injured before they can advance in the finals.

“This fighter will be chosen from a pool of fighters that will include the previous opponent and the winners of reserve matches,” Coker said.


What the tournament could do for Strikeforce

One benefit of this grand prix is that it gives Strikeforce a chance to showcase the talent in their heavyweight division. 

In addition to having experienced fighters like Emelianenko, Barnett, and Arlovski in the tournament, it also allows rising stars like Rogers, Wedrum, and Kharitonov to showcase their talents to the audience and promoters.  Reserve matches for the tournament could also be successful for the promotion.

There are some still some preparations Strikeforce will need to make if they want to promote the tournament in the right way.   One is drawing fans into the watching the tournament broadcast. 

While Strikeforce cards on Showtime have helped the promotion during their initial years, it may hurt the promotion if the UFC were to show events on Spike TV, or the Versus Network during the same time as Strikeforce cards that were featuring tournament matches.

According to MMA Junkie, Strikeforce: Babalu vs. Henderson drew in 465,000 viewers during its broadcast on Showtime, while the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter 12 finale drew in over 2 million viewers.  The highest Strikeforce watched event was Carano vs. Cyborg back in August 2009, with 576,000 viewers.

Regardless of how successful the heavyweight grand prix becomes, Coker has hinted  that Strikeforce will hold more tournaments in the future.


History of tournaments in MMA

Grand Prixs and other tournament have been a stable in mixed martial arts since the sport’s inception.  Tournaments are still held in promotions such as DREAM and the Bellator Fighting championships.

While the UFC has the Ultimate Fighter competition in tournament format, several of their early events were comprised of one night tournaments.  While the earliest tournaments were open weight, the organization began holding four-man tournaments in different weight classes in 1997. 

Many of the winners of these tournaments would go on to have long careers in mixed martial arts.  Some of the tournament winners include Royce Gracie (UFC 1, 2, and 4), Mark Coleman (UFC 10 and 11), Randy Couture (UFC 14 heavyweight), Dan Henderson (UFC middleweight), and Kazushi Sakuraba (UFC Japan).

Pride FC was known for holding a grand prix each year.  Among the list of winners include Coleman (2000 openweight), Maurcio Rua (2005 middleweight), Wanderlei Silva (2003 middleweight, and Mirko Filipovic (2006 openweight).

Strikeforce has held tournaments in the past.  They held a middleweight tournament back in 2007, and a women’s welterweight tournament back in August that was won by Meisha Tate.

Quick facts about the Strikeforce grand prix

• Will take place during various Strikeforce events in 2011
• Each match will be three, five-minute rounds, with the exception of the final tournament match.  This match will be five, five-minute rounds.
• The eight fighters hold together a number of  13 mixed martial arts championships.

The tournament bracket, courtesy of the MMA news

Questions:


Who would you like to see compete in a tournament?  

What weight would it be at, or would it be open weight?  

How many fighters?

UFC 125: Edgar vs. Maynard

Preliminary Card


Lightweight bout: Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann (11-2) vs. Antonio “Mandingo” McKee (25-3-2)

Winner: McKee by decision

McKee is not only making his UFC debut, but he is also coming into the fight with a 13 fight winning streak..  He has also been the subject of criticism, being labeled as a boring fighter by various media sources, due to the majority of his wins being by submission. 

Although he was able to finish his last two fights, McKee’s debut match will likely go the distance.

Welterweight bout: Daniel “Ninja” Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1)

Winner: Roberts by submission

Roberts has more wins on his record, winning most of his fights by submission.  If he Roberts can take it to the ground, the match will be his.

Featherweight bout: Mike Brown (24-6)  vs. Diego “The Gun” Nunes (15-1)

Winner: Brown by submission

Brown, a former WEC featherweight champion, will be looking towards a UFC title.  He also has more experience than Nunes.  He also has two wins against former featherweight champion Urijah Faber.

Middleweight bout Phil “New York Badass” Baroni (13-12) vs. Brad Tavares (6-0)

Winner: Tarvares by decision

Despite not having as much experience as his opponent, Tavares was one of fighters to advance in the Ultimate Fighter 11 competition (losing to winner Court McGee in the semi finals).  He is undefeated and has overall good striking and ground game. 

However, Baroni, who is known for being one of the more vocal fighters in mixed martial arts, has been training to improve his striking as well. 

Lightweight bout Marcus ’The Irish Hand Granade” Davis (17-7) vs. Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens (18-6)

Winner: Davis by knock out

Although Davis has lost three of his four last fights, this will be his debut in the lightweight division, which could give him a power advantage.  Stephens has yet to be knocked out in his career, and Davis just be the man to do it.

Featherweight bout Josh “The Fluke” Grispi (14-1) vs. Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier (8-1)

Winner: Grispi by submission

Gispi was expected to face UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo, but the champion had to pull out of the match due to injury.  He has accumulated wins with knock outs as well as submissions.

Grispi may use this as motivation to submit Poirier early, and cement his contender ship for Aldo’s featherweight title.



Main card

Lightweight bout Clay “The Carpenter” Guida (27-11) vs. Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi (32-6 1NC)

Winner: Gomi by knock out

With the WEC lightweight fighters being absorbed into the UFC, Gomi (former Pride Lightweight champion) and Guida (former Strikeforce Lightweight champion) are two competitors who have the potential to put themselves in title contention.  Both of these men are aggressive strikers.

Gomi is coming into this fight with a knock out victory over Tyson Griffin.  However, Guida is a fighter who can stand toe to toe with the best strikers, even after getting hit with a barrage of punches.  Still, Gomi will be looking to establish himself in the UFC and by beating Guida, he will be one step closer to a title shot.

Welterweight bout Nate Diaz (13-5) vs. Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim (11-0-1 1NC)

Kim by knockout

Diaz, winner of the Ultimate Fighter 5 competition, is coming into this match with a submission victory over Marcus Davis, while Kim has yet to attain a loss in his career.  Kim is also coming into this bout with a win over Amir Sadollah, winner of the Ultimate Fighter 8.

Although Diaz has never been knocked out, Kim’s striking will prevail in this match up, handing the Kid from Stockholm a KO.

Light Heavyweight bout Brandon “The Truth” Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2)

Winner: Silva by knockout

While Vera has lost his last two fights, Silva has only two losses on his record (former light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida).  Both men have the same number of fights on their record, despite Vera debuting three years earlier than Silva.

Silva’s striking could help him finish Vera in the opening round.

Middleweight bout Chris “The Crippler” Leben (25-6) vs. Brian “All American” Stann (9-3)

Winner: Leben by decision

Leben is a long time UFC fighter, and one of the more exciting fighters, as well as one of the most vocal.  He is coming into this match with a three fight winning streak and more experience. 

Leben’s ground game could easily earn him points in all three rounds. 

Lightweight Championship bout Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (c) (13-1) vs. Gray “The Bully” Maynard (10-0 1 NC)

Winner: Maynard by decision

Maynard will be looking to enter 2011 as the UFC Lightweight champion.  In addition to having no losses, he is on an eight fight winning streak, and has already beaten Edgar in the past. 

However, things will be different as championship bouts have five rounds instead of three, and Edgar has already gone the distance in two separate title matches, giving him at least one advantage in this match.  Still, if Maynard, who like Edgar has won most of his fights by decision, can repeat his performance, he will leave the MGM Grand with the title.

One belt to rule them all

Champion vs. champion, just one of several titles matches set for 2011

Whoever walks out of the MGM Grand Arena with the UFC lightweight title this Saturday, will be one step closer to making history. 

One of the championship matches expected to take place in 2011 will be a title unification bout between the UFC lightweight champion and Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, the last WEC champion.

The Merger between WEC and UFC

UFC President Dana White had announced the merger between the WEC and UFC back in October.  The WEC had been bought by Zuffa back in 2006, according to MMA weekly.  According to White, all three weight divisions (bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight) would be absorbed into the UFC. 

Pettis had earned the right to face the UFC lightweight champion after defeating Ben Henderson to become the last WEC lightweight champion.

Jose Aldo, the then current WEC Featherweight champion, was immediately promoted to the UFC Featherweight champion. 

Dominick Cruz was promoted to the bantamweight champion after successfully defending the WEC bantamweight title against Scott Jorgensen. 

UFC 125 main event: Edgar vs. Maynard

The main event of UFC 125: Resolution, pits Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (12-1), current UFC Lightweight champion, against number one contender Gray Maynard (10-0-1). 

Maynard has wins over Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, and even the current champion.  He defeated Kenny Florian at UFC 118 to earn the title opportunity against Edgar. 

While Maynard has a chance of becoming a world champion and keeping his undefeated streak alive, Edgar has a chance to avenge his only loss in his MMA career.
 
Other title bouts for 2011

In addition to the UFC lightweight title matches, other title matches are already set in place for 2011.

UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva will be facing Vitor Belfort in their long awaited match up.  Belfort had earned the title shot after defeating former champion Rich Franklin back in 2009.  The match between Silva and Belfort has been pushed back due to injuries by both fighters.  The winner of this match is set to face Yushin Okami.

UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velazquez and UFC Light Heavyweight champion Maurcicio Rua are scheduled to make their first title defenses against Junior Dos Santos and Rashad Evans, respectively. 

Strikeforce fighter Dan Henderson is scheduled to face current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion Rafael Cavalcante. 

Other title match ups for Strikeforce include the middleweight title match Robbie Lawler vs. Rounaldo Souza, and the welterweight championship match between Nick Diaz and Evangelista Santos.  Both of these matches will take place January 29.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has also announced of a heavyweight grand prix.  Fighters rumored to participate include Josh Barnett, Fedor Emilienanko, and current Alistair Overeem, the current Strikeforce Heavyweight champion.

What lies ahead for Sonnen

Chael Sonnen, a UFC fighter in the middleweight division recently lost the appeal to his case about him failed a post-fight drug test, which revealed elevated levels of testosterone in his urine, after his fight with middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 117. 

The California Athletic State Commission had originally punished Sonnen with a $2,500 fine, and a years suspension.  After the appeal process, Sonnen’s suspension was reduced to six months.

Sonnen’s reason for using testosterone

According to an article in SI.com, Sonnen and his legal team explained that his reasons for taking the tesosterone injections was due to Sonnen suffering from hypogoanedism.  Hypogonadism is a condition that results from the inability of the testes to produce testosterone, according to the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine. 

Men who are diagnosed with the condition experience symptoms such that  include lack of muscle and bone mass, erectile dysfunction, decrease in body and facial hair growth, and decreases in size or firmness of testicles.  One of the treatments for hypogonadism is an injection of testosterone every two weeks.

During the appeal process, Sonnen had said that he had told various people about the testosterone treatments.  One of these men included Nevada State Athletic Commissioner  Keith Kizer.  Kizer denies hearing of such information.

According to Cagepotato.com, Sonnen’s counsel said that the fighter did not try to hide the fact he was using testosterone for treatments, as he had listed it on the pre-drug screening form.


Possible opponents for Sonnen’s return

Sonnen’s suspension will be up in March, just in time for the UFC 128 event.  Although the possibility of a rematch against Anderson, or a shot at the middleweight title, is not likely to happen at this point, there are still other opponents for him to choose from, such as Yushin Okami, that is the date of his title shot has not been determined.  There is a possible match with fellow middleweight like Michael Bisping, or a rematch with Nate Marquardt.

One fighter who may be eager to fight Sonnen could be Wanderlei Silva. 

Prior to his fight with Anderson, Sonnen had made comments about the champion’s background, mocking that he had received a black belt while training under the Nogueira brothers. 

“I think having a black belt under the Nogueira brothers is saying, like, I got a free toy in my happy meal,” Sonnen said.

According to mmafighting,com, there is a video of Wanderlei, who was riding in the same van with Sonnen, told him that he did not need to attack the Nogueria brothers.

“These guys are the history of the sport,” Wanderlei said.  “We need to have a good conduct about that.  In Brazil, we have a saying.  You have respect, you don’t lose your teeth.”

UFC President Dana White was quoted to saying that he had wanted to promote a rematch between Anderson and Sonnen, before the news of Sonnen’s failing the drug test. 

After Sonnen was suspended, Anderson’s next opponent was announced to be Vitor Belfort, who had originally earned the right to face Anderson for the title, after defeating Rich Franklin in September 2009. 

Belfort was taken off of the UFC 122 card and replaced by Nate Marquardt who faced Yushin Okami.  Okami won the match and is slated to face the winner of the Anderson vs. Belfort bout, which is rumored to take place at UFC 126.

Fighters who have used drugs and rose back to the occasion

While being suspended may hurt Sonnen’s career, it does not mean that he will never get a chance to become a champion.  There have been several fighters in mixed martial arts who have tested positive for having drugs in their system, have been dealt punishments, and yet are still fighting in the sport.

Sean Sherk, former UFC Lightweight champion had tested positive after successfully defending the title against Hermes Franca back in 2007.  Although he was stripped for the title, he would later return to the UFC, and still competes.

Tim Sylvia had been the UFC heavyweight champion when he failed a drug test in 2003.  After losses to Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski, Sylvia would regain the title in 2006, and keep the belt for almost a year.  According to USA Today, Sylvia became the inaugural heavyweight champion for the Powerhouse World Promotions organization.

Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu 2

Preliminary Card

Welterweight bout:
 
Fernando Bettega (6-4) vs. Wayne Phillips (4-3)

Winner: Bettega by submission


Lightweight bout:

Justin Lawrence (0-0) vs. Max “Payne” Martytniouk (0-0)

Winner: Martyniouk by decision


Light Heavyweight bout:

Terrell Brown (2-0) vs. Patrick Cummins (0-0)

Winner: Brown by decision


Middleweight bout:

Lucas Lopez (19-10) vs. Cortez Coleman (5-1)

Winner: Lopez by decision


Light Heavyweight bout:

Lee Brousseau (5-2) vs. Mike Glenn (4-5)

Winner: Glenn by decision


Lightweight bout:

Tom Aaron (8-2)vs. Matt Ricehouse (3-0)

Winner: Aaron by KO


Middleweight bout:

Booker DeRousse (3-4) vs. Coltin Cole (1-0)

Winner: Cole by KO


Catchweight (130 lbs) bout:

Ben Brown (1-0) vs. J.W. Wright (0-0)

Winner: Wright by decision


Main Card

Light Heavyweight bout:

Benji “Razor” Radach vs. Ovince St. Preux

Winner: Preux by TKO

Despite taking this fight at a two weeks notice, Preux will end up winning this fight.  He currently has a five fight winning streak, four of those coming from KO/TKO.


Heavyweight bout:

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (14-2) vs. Mike “Mak” Kyle (18-7-1)

Winner: Kyle by KO

Kyle is subbing for Valentjin Overeem.  Despite having more losses than Silva, Kyle has fought and won championships in different organizations.  This is his first heavyweight bout in over a year, and he will be sure to capture a win.


Welterweight bout:

Paul “Semtex” Daley (29-9-2) vs. Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (17-7 1NC)

Winner: Daley by KO

Daley is making his Strikeforce debut, against one of the organization’s veterans.  Although he is known for being controversial, Daley is also known for winning championships and getting it done in the cage.  Daley’s win could give a push towards a welterweight title shot.


Middleweight bout:

Robbie “Ruthless” Lawler (19-6 1NC) vs. Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7)

Winner: Lindland by decision

In addition to having more wins on his record, Lindland is coming into this fight with a win from Kevin Casey.  He is also a renowned grappler, and has faced off against various opponents such as Fedor Emelianenko, Vitor Belfort, Quinton Jackson, and Carlos Newton.  Having a win against Lawlor might put him into the middleweight title picture.


Light Heavyweight bout:

Dan Henderson (25-8) vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8)

Winner: Henderson by submission

This main event has many implications.  Not only will the winner get a shot at the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title, but it is a rematch that has been ten years in the making.  Henderson, who is looking to be a major star in Strikeforce, will take the fight and try and control it on the ground. 


Scott Coker, CEO of Strikeforce, has said in interviews that 2011 is going to be a big year for Strikeforce.  He plans to feature Heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in a bout, as well as looking over opponents for Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, and even the return of Gina Carano.