Who's going to be the next American champ?

[scytheavatar]

When Jon Jones retires and if Belai loses his belt to Shakat we could find ourselves with no American champ in the UFC outside of the sham division that is Women's 135. So who's the next American that is likely to become champ?

 

[don't ask]

Kayla.

 

[HHJ]

Kayla.

Yes, it COULD be Muscle Mommy, but she needs to find a better way to cut weight, and also diversify her striking attacks

 

[Leonard Haid]

Great question. Every American near the top seems to either be over-the-hill or not quite good enough.Some might say Bo Nickal, but his striking seems pretty bad....I'm hoping that the UFC signs Aaron Pico. To me anyway, he still is showing tremendous promise.

I've left out any WMMA hopefuls as I'm not a WMMA fan (I do enjoy watching Weili fight though), but could also be a woman in a non-135 division.....you said leave out the WMMA 135 division, so I did.

 

[don't ask]

Great question. Every American near the top seems to either be over-the-hill or not quite good enough.Some might say Bo Nickal, but his striking seems pretty bad....I'm hoping that the UFC signs Aaron Pico. To me anyway, he still is showing tremendous promise.

THIS!. Pico still has all the potential in the world.

 

[HHJ]

Great question. Every American near the top seems to either be over-the-hill or not quite good enough.Some might say Bo Nickal, but his striking seems pretty bad....I'm hoping that the UFC signs Aaron Pico. To me anyway, he still is showing tremendous promise.

I dont see Bo as ever being champ. Not to say he cant have a good career though.

 

[don't ask]

Yes, it COULD be Muscle Mommy, but she needs to find a better way to cut weight, and also diversify her striking attacks

Yeah, pissing blood isn't good for her long-term prospects at that weight, but I think she can manage to take the belt.

 

[joy2day]

There aren't a lot of good American fighters these days. Rose would lose to Zhang in a rematch. Maybe Kayla, but I don't see her as a sustainable champ with her weight cutting issue.

Bo will never be a champion. He just doesn't have what it takes to be a great MMA fighter. We would have started seeing improvements by now; he looked even worse in his recent fight, like he had actually regressed.

 

[Koala]

Merab by naturalization

 

[Bork Neslar]

Randy Couture.

 

[HHJ]

he looked even worse in his recent fight, like he had actually regressed.

I honestly thought his talent level was fine. It was more so that he was gunshy. So it's a mental hurdle.

 

[joy2day]

I honestly thought his talent level was fine. It was more so that he was gunshy. So it's a mental hurdle.

He doesn't look like he has any knack for putting his skills together to win as an MMA fighter. His last opponent has lost 5 out of his last 6; Bo has not only looked mediocre but looked that way against dismal competition. He's closing in on 3 years of full MMA training after all of his wrestling competition, and he doesn't have much to show for it.

 

[HHJ]

He doesn't look like he has any knack for putting his skills together to win as an MMA fighter. His last opponent has lost 5 out of his last 6; Bo has not only looked mediocre but looked that way against dismal competition. He's closing in on 3 years of full MMA training after all of his wrestling competition, and he doesn't have much to show for it.

The thing is he could have destroyed Bear Jew. He just didnt pull the trigger. That was very dissapointing and frustrating to watch.

 

[joy2day]

The thing is he could have destroyed Bear Jew. He just didnt pull the trigger. That was very dissapointing and frustrating to watch.

Yeah, it's not a sport anyone can do. Fighters who come from other sports tend to start showing it by now if they have potential, having my doubts.

 

[jooohnmatrix]

One of the best things about mma is that it’s an international sport. I couldn’t give a f whether there’s any Americans even competing.

 

[HHJ]

One of the best things about mma is that it’s an international sport. I couldn’t give a f whether there’s any Americans even competing.

As long as you are an exciting fighter thats all that matters

 

[RockyLockridge]

Royval

 

[TheMadHatter]

Long shot here, but I am going with Gable Steveson, super strong, has been training with Jones and I feel that he would maul just about any Heavyweight on the planet once he gets a hold of them. With his size and strength I would be stunned if he had pillow fists.

 

[wolffanghameha]

If Poatan moves up to HW this year, I can see Rountree winning a title fight against Jiri or Ankalaev.

More outside chances are Sandhagen and Holloway (at LW, if he's fighting Charles next).

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

no one, there's no good american contender that can get a belt in the male weight classes.