The problem is, with no official rankings, it's anyone's guess who is next in line for a title shot.
We also have all of these fallen champions, and stars who just can't make it over that hump who have no where to go, and thus they become the gatekeepers.
A gatekeeper is one who separates the contenders from the pretenders.
There are gatekeepers in each division, so let's take a look at who they are:
Lightweight
Spencer Fisher- He's a great fighter, but he just always seems to lose the big fight.
Rich Clementi- Same as above, just not on the same caliber as Penn.
Melvin Guillard- Seems the same as above, but can't even beat Clementi.
Clay Guida- All the talent in the world, but can't seem to harness it into a good amount of consecutive wins.
Future Gatekeepers- Kenny Florian, Sean Sherk, Frank Edgar
Welterweight
Matt Hughes- This is the obvious one, with losses to GSP and Alves, it's shown he fits right into the position. If he was to fight a joke, he'd expose him in a second. But real contenders (GSP, Alves) have been able to stop this aging champ.
Karo Parisyan- Don't get me wrong, this article isn't to bash anyone, I'm a huge Parisyan fan, but he just can't get over that hump.
Marcus Davis- Another great fighter, but just doesn't seem to have what it takes to compete with the top guys like GSP and Fitch.
Future Gatekeepers- Mike Swick, Josh Koscheck, Ryo Chonan
Middleweight
Rich Franklin- He is THE gatekeeper of the UFC middleweight division. With no one wanting Franklin-Silva III, all he can do is sit back and separate the future heroes from the soon to be zeros. If they can't beat Franklin, they sure as hell can't beat Silva.
Ed Herman- He is one that just can't win the big fight, but will expose you faster than Silva took out Jardine.
Nate Quarry- With a knockout from Franklin, I don't think anyone sees him as a viable opponent for Silva, and this he sits in that middle ground.
Future Gatekeepers- Dan Henderson, Yushin Okami, Patrick Cote
Light Heavyweight
Keith Jardine- He can pull out a great win every now and then (Griffin, Liddell) but when it comes down to it, he seems to have a button on his chin that makes him drop (Alexander, Silva).
Houston Alexander- After jumping out of the gate with a knockout of Jardine, he went out to amaze, only to get beaten down by Thiago Silva, and then James Irvin.
Matt Hamill- I know this pick will be argued, but I just don't see him getting past guys like Liddell, Evans, Rua, or Jackson.
Future Gatekeepers- James Irvin, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Sokoudjou
Heavyweight
Gabriel Gonzaga- After getting taken out by Werdum and Couture, it was obvious he wasn't quite on that championship level.
Brandon Vera- Same as Gonzaga, but many see him going down to Light Heavyweight.
Cheick Kongo- He's a great fighter, but he just can't go over guys like Herring, Werdum, Nog.
Future Gatekeepers- Heath Herring, Antoni Hardonk
Oh, and one side note. Did anyone else think Jason Lambert looked like he just had a three day Fast Food-a thon before his fight at UFC 85?
Like always, feel free to comment, but be respectful, no point in arguing over what we can't control.
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4 months ago
I think Brandon Vera is staying in HW for a bit longer. Rich Franklin and Silva have already fought twice. I dont see Dan Henderson on his way to being a gate keeper yet. Agree with everything else mostly...
4 months ago
I dont think Matt Hughes is a gate keeper, I think he is done for period. He had his spotlight and it is now done with.
4 months ago
agree with most of these but i dont see nakamura getting to that level, the highest hell get is maybe a fight night main event against a newcomer
4 months ago
Good article, but I have to disagree with Koscheck as a future gatekeeper. I believe Koscheck is the only guy who can beat GSP right now, and will take the belt when they have a rematch. In a couple of years, Koscheck will be unstoppable.
I believe their are two tiers of gatekeepers: one for the entry to the title fight (Franklin, Hughes) and one for being a top 10 fighter in the division (Karo, Guida, Herring). Beating the former will probably ensure you a title fight, while beating the latter usually assures you of a deserving spot as a top fighter in the division, possibly en route to the next level of gatekeeper.
Who is the quintessential gatekeeper in my opinion? (besides Karo). It's Chris Leben. The guy might as well carry an actual set of keys to the gate of the division in his pocket. If you can't beat Leben, you're gonna have a hard time cutting it as a top middleweight. Many mid-level fighters have tried and failed. He's a great test for up-and-coming 185 lb. prospects (Bisping vs Leben should happen next).
4 months ago
Maybe I have a different definition of gate keeper, but it seems to me that if you're not the champ, then in your book you're a gatekeeper.
To me, a gate keeper is a guy who seperates good fighter who can contend at the upper levels from the guys who can't. A guy who comes to mind in that role to me is Stephan Bonnar. Think aobut it. Rashad Evans fights him and wins. Rashad has shown he can compete (I'm not say BEAT, I'm saying COMPETE) with the upper levels at 205. But then a guy like Eric Schafer fights him, and comes up short and we know he's not ready to step up. That is what a gate keeper is to me.
WHen you mention someone like Ritch Franklin as a gatekeeper, that's just odd. The only guy who's shown he can hand Franklin is Silva, which in my book makes Ritch the de facto #2 in the division. He's not a gatekeeper to me because losing to Ritch doesn't mean you're not ready to fight the elite, it just means you just lost to one of them.
from 4 months ago
Matt, were you talking to me or to Jason? Anyway, read my comment. I believe that there are two tiers of gatekeeper: one for the belt, and one for being a top fighter in the division. Franklin is the upper-tier gatekeeper at middlweight, while Leben would be at the lower tier (though I would love to see those two fight).
Franklin beat both Macdonald and Okami (after losing to Silva) who then had to work their way back up the ladder into contention. If they had beat Franklin, they most likely would have recieved a title shot right away. So Franklin, as the de facto #2 guy, holds the quick keys to a title shot (he's still a great fighter obviously). You don't need to beat Franklin to get a title shot of course, but if you can beat him, you are definitely a top 5 worthy fighter (he's only lost to Silva and Machida).
And Franklin may be #2 right now, but there are a whole bunch of middlweights he hasn't faced who could potentially beat him. Henderson, Marquardt, Leites, Palhares, Cote, Maia, Almeida, Kampmann, and Horn all have a great shot at beating Franklin, with some having a better chance than others.
Your definition of a gatekeeper Matt is the same as my lower-tier one. I just have a provision for an elite-level gatekeeper such as Franklin or Ortiz. Saying that an elite-level gatekeeper exists may sound paradoxical, but who says that paradoxes can't exist? All you need to do is slightly change the definition or emphasis, and then you can have a top-level gatekeeper for the belt.
4 months ago
All these fighters make for excellent fights no matter what you call them. They have their ups and downs but really bring a lot to their fights and have the potential to be on top.
3 months ago
lol karo parisyan as a gatekeeper?? lol Coming from dana white when he had karo on the line for title shot?? Karo lost a fight that was stoped a bit early and his last lose was back at 2005 with Diego that made the fight of the year and was a close fight..I dont think karo's a gate keeper not yet his still young and will turn things around.
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