According to a Web site known as Fight Matrix, these are the current rankings for next Wednesday's premiere episode of the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Roy "Big Country" Nelson (14-4, 6 KOs), surprisingly, is the leader of the pack.
According the above credited source, Nelson is ranked No. 1 ahead of all others, which includes the man with the biggest hype, and possibly the best hands—Kimbo Slice.
The site is not alone in picking Nelson, however; on my last article, I received comments from two men—whom I respect as fellow scribes—informing me that they also will be going with "Big Country" as the man to eliminate all others.
Unfortunately, not unlike the aforementioned Web site, they also fail to give solid evidence or reasoning for their predictions.
I have a hunch that it's due to his level of competition, against former champion Andrei Arlovski and exiled UFC heavyweight contender Jeff "Snowman" Monson.
However, both matches were disappointing losses for Nelson; one occurred at the now-defunct EliteXC, and the other was at a hybrid boxing/MMA event promoted by the elite legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr., titled "March Madness."
Having experience in the game by fighting against and training with former champions is all well and good; however, being knocked out by Arlovski and going the distance in a losing effort to Monson is an entirely different animal.
Another popular reason for the fighter known as "Big Country"—who is a BJJ black belt under Renzo Gracie, to be ranked at the top above Slice, and who, by the way, is ranked at No. 5—could also be due to the 33-year-old Las Vegas native competing in the heavyweight division of the International Fight League, where he was the last IFL heavyweight champion, before its demise.
One thing I know for certain is that attempting to rate or rank fighters, in any of the combat sport's many diverse weight classes and divisions, is a daunting task, and one that can most times prove nothing.
What catapults this sport heads and shoulders above all others is that each man has an equal playing field in which to perform.
Each competitor is almost identical in weight to his opponent, and both carry equal weapons, which in cage fighting include knees, fists, elbows, feet, and legs.
In a 15- or 25-minute match, you can lose up to, and including, 99 percent of the fight and still be victorious by knocking out your opponent in the very last second.
For me, personally, I'm a writer, but also a true fanatic of the sport.
UFC, cage fighting, or MMA fanatics are passionate people; we feel bonded to and by the sport, and we sometimes live precariously through our favorite fighters.
Every one of us has a favorite pugilist, and we are stubborn folk who will stand by our preferences.
So who's right and who's wrong can only come to us after the fact, when the two fighters have faced each other and traded blows "mano-a-mano" in the ultimate proving ground, which in this case is the Octagon.
Maybe I will eat crow; maybe these words will come back to haunt me. So be it. My personal favorite in this season's competition is Kevin Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice.
I've done some research on the man in the last two years, and I can say, in all honesty, that his is a rags-to-riches story like no other.
From his birth in the Bahamas, all the way to his home in Cutler Ridge, Fla., Ferguson's life story has seen more ups and downs than a proverbial roller-coaster ride.
Slice has endured highs, such as a stint in pro football, to many lows, including a powerful hurricane which left him homeless, a job working as a bouncer in a strip club, and a limo driver for a porn company—and that's only the beginning.
In this writer's opinion, it's men like Slice, who know the true meaning of the word "hungry," who are able to put forth the self discipline, and dedication necessary to succeed in combat sports. And to a much further degree, life itself.
To this writer, it all spells champion—any way you wanna "slice" it.
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