Smakdem
Black Belt
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2009
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While Anderson "Fat Stacks" Silva enjoys the offseason and chows down on some Double Whoppers so he can balloon up his 268 lbs walk-around weight, the UFC has some tough choices to make as to who should be his next opponent.
I think we all agree that The Boss' next foe will likely come from the 185 talent pool, as GSP needs extra time to add lean muscle and to mentally prepare him self for a more challenging division, and Jones still needs more seasoning, considering that Anderson finished both Bonnar and Belfort in stylish first round finishes, whereas Jones needed 7 rounds to get the job done.
So which 185er ACTUALLY deserves the next shot?
The Candidates
Tim Boetsch
A couple years ago, if you beat Yushin Okami and Hector Lombard in back to back fights, people would have been going crazy to proclaim that guy as "The Guy" to beat Anderson Silva, add to that he's on a 4 fight winning streak and is 8-1 in his last 9. In 2012 however, The Barbarian's resume still isn't impressing too many people, and his next fight against Consantiniananceoplis Philllloppopolis is a lose-lose proposition. If he loses, he lost. If he wins, he beat some late replacement that nobody cares about.
Seems like Boetsch is at least two more fights away.
DESERVE-O-METER_______7/10
Alan Belcher
Finished his last four opponents, all impressively. Submitted Denis Kang, KO'd Jorge Santiago, could easily be on a 7 fight win streak with some luck in the Sexyama fight. Out of all the challengers, nobody has looked more impressive as of late, culminating in the BJJ chess match versus Paul Harris. If he beats Okami in a rematch, it's pretty hard to say he's not deserving.
DESERVE-O-METER_______9/10
Michael Bisping
Lot's of people like to dis-COUNT Bisping, but I'm not one of them. 23-4, could easily be 26-1 with a little luck. Only 1 no doubt about it loss in his career, and that was to one of the all-time greats in Dan "Hollywood" Henderson. And even then, Bisping lasted longer than Fedor against Hendo. The one thing about Bisping though, is that he doesn't have that signature win. Victories over Stann, Mayhem, Kang, Leben and Sexyama are nice, but they're not wins over elite comp like Evans, Sonnen, or Hendo.
DESERVE-O-METER_______8/10
Cung Le
Two finishes versus two former UFC champs. And um...he rocked Wandy a little in that fight, and...he probably could have gotten a stoppage in the first Smith fight with a more incompetent ref, so, you know he COULD be 11-0...although I suppose he wouldn't have fought Smith a second time if he won the first, so he COULD be 10-0. And he's flashy. Highschool wrestler...
DESERVE-O-METER_______3/10
Luke Rockhold
Current/Last Strikeforce champ. 9 fight win streak with wins over Tim Kennedy, Jacare, The Dean of Mean, and JT Money. He's a ginormous middleweight, and has a strong grappling background. Plus he looks like a younger version of the dad on the Wonder Years.
DESERVE-O-METER_______7/10
Chris Weedman
He's got the hype. He's got the looks. He's got the pedigree. Too bad he doesn't have the resume. His best win is a guy who got knocked out by MATT HAMMIL with a HEAD KICK. Not punches, not ground and pound...Matt Hammil knocked out Mark Munoz with a head kick. The same Mark Munoz who had a thrilling come from behind victory versus Kendal Grove. Yes, Munoz nearly got finished in the first round by Kendal "Da' Sppyyda'" Grove. Weedman's next best win, was a horrible kick-boxing match against a welterweight BJJ expert who took the fight on short notice. Weedman's third best win is...I dunno, Tom Lawler? Maybe Alessio Sakara? Weedman will get a title shot, but he probably should face a striker like Belfort, Bisping, or Belcher, hell, I'd even like to see him fight a guy like Robbie Lawler before taking on the greatest MMA fighter ever about two years too soon.
DESERVE-O-METER_______5/10
I think we all agree that The Boss' next foe will likely come from the 185 talent pool, as GSP needs extra time to add lean muscle and to mentally prepare him self for a more challenging division, and Jones still needs more seasoning, considering that Anderson finished both Bonnar and Belfort in stylish first round finishes, whereas Jones needed 7 rounds to get the job done.
So which 185er ACTUALLY deserves the next shot?
The Candidates
Tim Boetsch
A couple years ago, if you beat Yushin Okami and Hector Lombard in back to back fights, people would have been going crazy to proclaim that guy as "The Guy" to beat Anderson Silva, add to that he's on a 4 fight winning streak and is 8-1 in his last 9. In 2012 however, The Barbarian's resume still isn't impressing too many people, and his next fight against Consantiniananceoplis Philllloppopolis is a lose-lose proposition. If he loses, he lost. If he wins, he beat some late replacement that nobody cares about.
Seems like Boetsch is at least two more fights away.
DESERVE-O-METER_______7/10
Alan Belcher
Finished his last four opponents, all impressively. Submitted Denis Kang, KO'd Jorge Santiago, could easily be on a 7 fight win streak with some luck in the Sexyama fight. Out of all the challengers, nobody has looked more impressive as of late, culminating in the BJJ chess match versus Paul Harris. If he beats Okami in a rematch, it's pretty hard to say he's not deserving.
DESERVE-O-METER_______9/10
Michael Bisping
Lot's of people like to dis-COUNT Bisping, but I'm not one of them. 23-4, could easily be 26-1 with a little luck. Only 1 no doubt about it loss in his career, and that was to one of the all-time greats in Dan "Hollywood" Henderson. And even then, Bisping lasted longer than Fedor against Hendo. The one thing about Bisping though, is that he doesn't have that signature win. Victories over Stann, Mayhem, Kang, Leben and Sexyama are nice, but they're not wins over elite comp like Evans, Sonnen, or Hendo.
DESERVE-O-METER_______8/10
Cung Le
Two finishes versus two former UFC champs. And um...he rocked Wandy a little in that fight, and...he probably could have gotten a stoppage in the first Smith fight with a more incompetent ref, so, you know he COULD be 11-0...although I suppose he wouldn't have fought Smith a second time if he won the first, so he COULD be 10-0. And he's flashy. Highschool wrestler...
DESERVE-O-METER_______3/10
Luke Rockhold
Current/Last Strikeforce champ. 9 fight win streak with wins over Tim Kennedy, Jacare, The Dean of Mean, and JT Money. He's a ginormous middleweight, and has a strong grappling background. Plus he looks like a younger version of the dad on the Wonder Years.
DESERVE-O-METER_______7/10
Chris Weedman
He's got the hype. He's got the looks. He's got the pedigree. Too bad he doesn't have the resume. His best win is a guy who got knocked out by MATT HAMMIL with a HEAD KICK. Not punches, not ground and pound...Matt Hammil knocked out Mark Munoz with a head kick. The same Mark Munoz who had a thrilling come from behind victory versus Kendal Grove. Yes, Munoz nearly got finished in the first round by Kendal "Da' Sppyyda'" Grove. Weedman's next best win, was a horrible kick-boxing match against a welterweight BJJ expert who took the fight on short notice. Weedman's third best win is...I dunno, Tom Lawler? Maybe Alessio Sakara? Weedman will get a title shot, but he probably should face a striker like Belfort, Bisping, or Belcher, hell, I'd even like to see him fight a guy like Robbie Lawler before taking on the greatest MMA fighter ever about two years too soon.
DESERVE-O-METER_______5/10
