Top 10 Fighters Who Could Jump Up in Weight Class (And How They'd Fare)

When Randy Couture moved back up to heavyweight to challenge Tim Sylvia, he did not because it was tough, but because it was easier than trying to win the light-heavyweight belt again.

Chuck Liddell and Quinton Jackson are relatively bad stylistic matchups for "The Natural," while Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga are a lot easier.

The case of Randy Couture is not completely unique in that regard. Georges St. Pierre's style would be poison for Jake Shields at welterweight, but Shields can do very well against any middleweights who can't stop his takedowns.

Here's a list of elite fighters who could probably make a successful jump up in weight class, with a breakdown of what would happen if they did.

10. Chuck Liddell

Chuck Liddell's best fighting days are behind him, but I think he might have better chances for success at heavyweight, a shallower division where there are fewer fighters who can take advantage of his slowing reflexes.

Predictions: The division is shallow enough that Liddell would be a top 15 heavyweight practically by default, and he might just be able to beat a few of the guys above him.

9. Muhammed Lawal

With true world-class wrestling credentials, Lawal would have a grappling advantage over most of the competitors in the division.

After seeing the way he gassed against Mousasi, I have a hard time picking him against a cardio machine like Cain Velasquez, but there are plenty of other guys he could beat in that division on the back of his wrestling.

Predictions: He'd be a top 10 heavyweight easily (he already beats Brett Rogers with wrestling, I think), but could potentially go much higher if he can patch up some of the holes in his game.

8. Jose Aldo

At 5'7", Aldo wouldn't be big for a lightweight, but he'd be taller than the current champ, Frank Edgar.

Aldo could do well because he would be one of the better kickboxers in the division.

Add that on to some pretty decent takedown defense and an elite ground game, and he's a difficult style matchup for a division that's filled with wrestlers trying to be boxers.

Predictions: He could be a top five lightweight, but a potential champion depending on who is holding the belt if he got a title shot.  I'd give him a good shot against Frank Edgar and I'd favor him outright over Gilbert Melendez.

7. Anthony Johnson

Johnson is 6'2" and completely ripped. He's absolutely monstrous at welterweight, but the problem for him there is that he's still in trouble if he gets taken down by the great wrestlers like Josh Koscheck, Georges St. Pierre, and Jon Fitch.

Also, Johnson has to make a gigantic weight cut to make 170 pounds that probably costs him some conditioning in the later rounds.

If Johnson moved to 185 pounds there are fewer elite wrestlers at the top of the division, and he could still be huge for that weight class if he added maybe 10 pounds of bulk, decreasing his usual cut by five pounds.

Predictions: Johnson could be a top five middleweight, which isn't bad, considering he's not even a top 10 welterweight right now.

6. Quinton Jackson

Jackson is a big light-heavyweight, and he wouldn't really be that small if he moved up to heavyweight.

He has the wrestling to keep the fight on the feet against most of the division, and he should have a boxing advantage over almost every heavyweight in the UFC.

Predictions: Jackson is easily a top 10 heavyweight, and could threaten for a top five spot.

5. Lyoto Machida

Machida isn't even a big light-heavyweight, but size has rarely been an issue for him in the past.

Machida's elite takedown defense could allow him to keep the fight standing, where he'd have an advantage over almost anybody.

If he hypothetically faced training partner Junior Dos Santos, he should be able to take the fight to the ground if he can't win the standup outright.

He'd have some problems on the ground against the big wrestling heavyweights, but he'd have a huge advantage on the feet, and he's quick enough that he'd be difficult to take down.

He's one of the few fighters who presents a stylistic threat to Fedor Emelianenko.

Predictions: He'd be a borderline top five heavyweight in the UFC, but is an interesting possible opponent for Cain Velasquez or Fedor Emelianenko.

4. Jon Jones

They call him Bones because of his skinny legs, but if he filled out, he'd be pretty huge, and has the biggest reach in the UFC.

Right now, he doesn't really have any big advantages at heavyweight, but in a few years he could be a top contender in the division if he wanted to move up.

Predictions: A future heavyweight title contender.

3. BJ Penn

The welterweight division was a different world when Penn won the title over Matt Hughes.

The division is a lot more hostile today, but Penn could still do really well at welterweight IF he comes fully prepared and implements effective game plans.

Unfortunately, that seems a big "if" at this time.

One thing that helps Penn is that at 5'9", he's really not that short for the division.

He matches up very well against Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck because he's a better boxer and is hard to take down.

Penn is a better striker than a lot of the strikers in the division, but he might just be better off taking a lot of those guys like Paul Daley to the ground.

Thiago Alves is perhaps the most interesting matchup because he has good takedown defense, and might just kick Penn's lead leg into the upper deck.

Predictions: If he put in the effort, he could be a top five welterweight, but some people think he could be champion if it wasn't for Georges St. Pierre.

2. Georges St. Pierre

St. Pierre isn't tall for welterweight, and he'd be short for a middleweight, which would affect what he can do with his jab and leg kicks. That said, there isn't a matchup at middleweight where he couldn't have at least some way to win.

He could out-strike Chael Sonnen and Yushin Okami if he couldn't take them down.

He could put Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, and Nate Marquardt on their backs, where these fighters tend to struggle.

Demian Maia, Jake Shields, and Ronaldo Souza would get picked apart on the feet.

Even Anderson Silva would be in some trouble if he couldn't stop St. Pierre's knee tap or single leg.

Predictions: St. Pierre would be an instant title contender, and I give him a better shot against Anderson Silva than anybody else currently at middleweight.

1. Anderson Silva

At 6'2, Silva wouldn't even be particularly small as a light heavyweight, and he'd be the best striker in the division.

Silva's only issue would be with guys who could put him on his back and do something from there.

Predictions: He's a top five light heavyweight already, and he can beat Mauricio Rua, if Rua gets by Machida.

Machida and Silva won't fight, but hypothetically, I favor Machida slightly because he's got much better wrestling than Silva and is extremely underrated as a submission grappler.