Over the past week, I've had the honor to engage another writer here at The Bleacher Report in an interesting debate: who is the best fighter in the world right now? It's my belief that Anderson Silva holds that crown at the moment, the result of a breathtaking series of dominating performances. My debate partner contends that Fedor Emelianenko is still the best fighter on the planet and that my contention that he hasn't faced enough top competition should actually serve as a bonus in his favor, since certain fighters have avoided him.
This debate went on for several days, with neither of us convincing the other, but it brought to light an interesting question: what would happen if Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko fought each other?
One of the beautiful things about being a mixed martial arts (or any other combat sport, really) fan is the ability to play the "what if" game. What would happen if we matched a legend from the past against one of the new generation of fighters? What would happen if Anderson Silva faced Fedor Emelianenko?
The beauty of these debates is that there's rarely a right or wrong answer. You might consider BJ Penn to be the best fighter in the world, and you think he'd destroy any lightweight or welterweight you matched him up against. Another fan might consider Takanori Gomi to be the best lightweight in the world.
These are valid arguments with no real correct answer, but that's what makes the discussion so much fun.
While thinking about these fantasy matchups, I started thinking about potential UFC fights, match-ups between superstars that would be highly anticipated by most of the UFC audience. I came up with a list of ten potential fights or rematches, and I've whittled that list down to the five you'll find below.
When trimming my list to these five bouts, I tried to factor in several criteria: the popularity of the fighters involved, the skill of the fighters involved, and the ability each of them have to sell a pay per view main event either alone or with another fighter of equal or slightly lesser popularity.
I believe all five of these fights would amass gigantic numbers on pay per view and, if promoted correctly, could bring millions of new fans into the fold. These are fights that Zuffa has the ability to make, meaning every fighter on the list is under a Zuffa contract.
ANDERSON SILVA VS. CHUCK LIDDELL
Regardless of his losing record over the past 16 months, it's a fact that Chuck Liddell is still one of the biggest pay per view draws in the UFC today. MMA is an interesting sport in that being a huge star and a mainstream draw can cause fans to overlook your failings.
Losing fights doesn't matter if you're a star, because people will overlook those losses, but only to a certain extent. If Liddell continues to get knocked out, there will come a time where his drawing power is hurt, but it would take a few more dramatic losses to turn Liddell into anything other than a money-making machine.
This fight would be an absolute monster. The Couture/Lesnar fight will get more PPV buys, but a Silva/Liddell fight at 205 would do 800,000 buys at minimum. It's a classic battle between two of the most feared strikers in the history of the UFC.
25 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment
Flyin' Hawaiian 9 months ago
I don't think Penn/Faber would be one of the best fights of all time. I don't even think it would be that exciting, really. Faber is a great fighter, but as a lightweight, I'd rank him lower than Sherk, Griffin, Florian, Stevenson, etc. All those guys would beat him. Faber couldn't even finish Jens Pulver in 5 rounds. I think BJ would spank his a$$.
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Mike Leanza 9 months ago
I think Penn?Faber would be a very good fight. I personally would not rank Urijah lower than Kenflo as I think Urijah could ultimatley beat him. I dont think Urijah would beat Penn however. Penns submissions are too good for Urijah. In a 5 round fight though, I might give Urijah a slight advantage because Penn has nowhere near the cardio of Faber, who would push the action all the way to the bell. I usually don't like fights that push a guy up an entire weight class, but I would make an exception for this one. Urijah has nobody else to beat as a featherweight. His biggest competition was supposed to be Jens Pulver but now that he's given Jens his first loss as a featherweight, theres no reason for Urijah not to think about gaining 10 pounds and making even more money with the UFC
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Nick Colon 9 months ago
I certainly respect your comment Flyin Hawaiian, but I respectfully disagree. BJ vs Faber would be an epic match....and would certainly draw. I think Faber first needs his rematch with Griffin though...win or loss to Sherk...but I respect your comment. Faber wouldn't stand out as much in this heavy division.
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Jeremy Botter 9 months ago
Even if Faber didn't stand a chance against Penn (and I think Faber would at least make it interesting), it still makes no sense to keep him in the WEC and in a weight class where he's far ahead in terms of skills than even his closest challenger. By moving him up a class and into the UFC, you're able to create a bunch of fresh fights and perhaps develop some challengers.
The lightweight championship scene is going to be very stale by midway through 2009 if they don't create some new superstars who can actually challenge Penn. If Faber beats Penn, then you have all sorts of new challengers for Faber to fight. If Penn beats Faber, you still have the no-brainer fight with Faber seeking revenge on Tyson Griffin for the only loss of his career. You'd also have plenty of fresh fights with the other top division contenders, and I'd also be willing to bet that Faber vs. Roger Huerta would do very well on the undercard of another event or as the main event on a Fight Night card.
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Brad 9 months ago
Lest we forget, Pulver owns a win over B.J. Penn. It may be have been a while back, but they are 1-1. Just because Pulver went the distance with Faber (Pulver recently coming down a weight class) doesn't mean Uriah didn't beat him in every single round of that fight. Pulver has a chin on him, there's no arguing that.
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Flyin' Hawaiian 9 months ago
Pulver was also less than one second away from being finished in that fight. Both Penn and Pulver are much different fighters now than they were back then. I'd say Faber could beat the BJ Penn of 2002, or at the very least, go the distance. But this is 2008, and I believe Penn would finish Faber in 2 or 3 rounds. Keep in mind, Faber is like 5'6" and he's a lot smaller than BJ. I hope this fight happens.
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Michael Comeau 9 months ago
I agree - I dont' think Faber/Penn would be that great a match. Faber would have a very hard time taking BJ to the ground.
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Brian Oswald 9 months ago
I am glad to see you are back with another article. Your writing and analysis is top notch, regardless of of whether someone agrees with it or not.
In regards to the Brock/Mir 2 I was intrigued that you pick that one. There are obviously four possible outcomes with this mini-tournament.
Couture vs. Mir
Couture vs. Nog
Lesnar vs. Mir
Lesnar vs. Nog
I think Couture vs. Mir would be the least marketable. I am very intrigued by a Couture vs. Nog fight. Let Couture fight the man who lost to Fedor twice. If he can beat Nog and be the undisputed UFC champ the cries for a fight with Fedor will be at an all time high. A Lesnar vs. Nog fight could also be intriguing, perhaps less marketable then Lesnar/Mir.
In the end I think the Couture/Nog fight would be the most marketable. It would help clear the way to Couture/Fedor. While is the complete opposite of the fight you picked your arguments were spot on and convincing.
In Regards to Forrest vs Wanderlei I do think that fight would be more marketable and exciting fight then Forrest/Rampage 2. Although you cant go wrong with either one.
Keep up the great work.
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Jeremy Botter 9 months ago
There is no doubt that Couture vs. Nogueira is an intriguing fight. No doubt whatsoever. I think Couture disrespected Nog in a big way by claiming last year that a fight against Nog wasn't interesting enough to keep him in the UFC. It would be a battle of two legendary fighters, both with a ton of heart and both with a tendency to overcome the odds.
There is a tangible difference, however, between an intriguing fight and one that will draw massive amounts of PPV buyers. Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira would do very well on pay per view and there's no question it would be a much better fight, but it would pale in comparison to the kind of business a Lesnar/Mir rematch would do, especially if Lesnar beats Couture, Mir beats Nog and both guys come into the fight with belts.
Brock Lesnar is already a star and a PPV draw, and I think this season of The Ultimate Fighter will turn Frank Mir into a star and a PPV draw as well. If he comes out of the show with a victory over Nogueira, he'll be ready to anchor his half of a PPV main event rematch with Lesnar. In the first fight, it was a seemingly washed up former champion taking on a hyped newcomer. In this rematch, it would be the UFC Heavyweight Champion taking on the Interim Heavyweight Champion and the man who caught him in a rookie mistake in his UFC debut. It'll make a ton of money.
All that being said, I would much rather see Couture vs. Nogueira. :-)
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Jeremy Botter 9 months ago
Personally, I would put Faber higher than Sherk, Griffin and Stevenson. Kenny Florian is a different story altogether, as he's really become a complete and well rounded fighter. Out of all the UFC lightweights, I'd put him behind Penn...but it would be significantly behind Penn.
Not all of the five fights I listed would be classics, at least when it comes to the actual fight. These are simply the "biggest" fights I think they have available, the ones that will draw the most PPV buys and make the most money. Personally, I'd rather see Penn defending against Faber than anyone else in the division outside of Florian. But that's just me.
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Brian Oswald 9 months ago
Damn you Jeremy! Your logic can always make me 2nd guess myself. Convincing points. And I agree with your final statement: Couture vs Nog.
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Jeremy Botter 9 months ago
So many people don't take the realities of the business into account when writing about the UFC. I have to remind myself that I'm what would be considered a hardcore MMA fan, and I am not the UFC's target demographic.
The main demographic UFC reaches are the people who likely started watching the UFC either during or shortly after the first season of Ultimate Fighter. They've probably never seen a PRIDE show, and most of them have never heard of a fighter unless he's been in the UFC.
The kinds of fans in this demographic are the people who have lifted the UFC to the level of popularity it currently enjoys and turned them from a company 60 million in the red to a highly profitable pop culture phenom, so it only makes sense that they are the fans Joe Silva or Dana White have in mind when booking fights. I try to keep the average fan and that demographic in mind when I'm writing, mostly because they are the only people that are considered when the UFC makes decisions.
Thanks for the compliment and thanks for reading yet again!
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Jeff Wackerly 9 months ago
Great article. I just found this site and love it.
I'd really like to see a Penn/Faber fight. I've been talking about that for awhile.
I also thought it was disrespectful of Randy to say it wasn't enough to keep him in the UFC to fight Nog, but, I understand where he was coming from too. He has only a few fights left in him and he wants to be considered the greatest heavyweight of this era. If he fought Nog and won people would still say, "yeah but Fedor already beat him twice" so it proves nothing as far as Randy being better than Fedor.
At this point the only way for him to be considered better than Fedor is to beat Fedor. That's his goal.
I'd really like to see Barnett/Fedor but neither is a Zuffa fighter... What about Matt Linland/Anderson silva?? I know Matt's not known to casual UFC fans but he's still one of the top middle weights and he was doing pretty damn well against Fedor until Fedor grabbed the ropes and surprised Linland pulling off the armbar (I still hate how the refs handled that). I mean, we're talking Fedor and two weight classes!!
Lastly I think a fourth Randy/Chuck fight would do really well and I think Randy will take him this time. He just seems to have evolved so much where as chuck just does the same shit every time. It's to the point where everyone knows what he'll do. I was telling people a couple years ago that this would happen if chuck didn't start changing it up.
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Jeremy Botter 9 months ago
I understand what you're saying about Randy not wanting to fight Nogueira, but I respectfully disagree. In my mind, Randy is a great heavyweight who will go down as one of the legends of the sport.
But he's not better than Nogueira, and he's never been better than Nogueira.
I consider Minotauro to be the 2nd greatest heavyweight of all time, behind only Fedor Emelianenko. And just as there is a wide gap between Nogueira and Emelianenko, there is also a wide gap between Nogueira and the rest of the pack. Fighting Nogueira and winning would have not only been a natural progression at the time, but it would have cemented Randy's place in history as one of the greats of the division. Even if he never had the chance to fight Fedor, he would have beaten the 2nd greatest heavyweight of all time, and that means something.
Now, though, he has to fight a man who will outweigh him by 65 pounds when fight night comes, a man who is much stronger, faster and likely has better conditioning. Beating Brock Lesnar means nothing compared to a win over Nogueira. He's a rookie, and he's expected to lose. He's out of his element and doesn't have the experience yet to beat a legend like Couture.
Right?
But the truth is, there's a very good chance that Randy Couture can lose to Brock Lesnar in November. And unless Frank Mir somehow pulls off the upset against Nogueira, we'll be seeing Lesnar vs. Nogueira to unify the heavyweight title Couture broke apart by leaving the company, and Captain America could be left on the sidelines. And it's all because Randy didn't think Nogueira was an "interesting" fight for him.
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Bryan Ford 9 months ago
Have to admit.. I would pay to see Faber fight Penn. Penn is a fantastic fighter who is so great on the ground. Faber is a bulldog who is relentless and doesn't take a second off. Yeah... that would be awesome to see.
Also... can we get Houston Alexander vs Gerry Cooney? They could see who could hit the ground faster.
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Caesar Mapalad 9 months ago
LMAO!!!
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Stoker Mac 9 months ago
GREAT ARTICLE...I AGREE THAT FABER PENN WOULD BE AFIGHT TO WATCH FOR...BOTH HAVE SIMILAR STYLES AND SPEED ETC...BJ..WOULD NEED TO COME BACK DOWN AND FABER WOULD NED TO GO UP IN WEIGHT ...I THINK THIS FIGHT WILL BE MADE IF BJ STICKS AROUND,,AND WEC FOLDS.(ID LOVE TO SEE FABER AND FILHO BOTH FIGHT IN THE UFC...PIPE DREAM MAYBE ..BUT WHO KNOWS!!.
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Stoker Mac 9 months ago
With the recent announcement that the WEC will be getting rid of the lightweight and middleweight classes it means that WEC middleweight champion and MMA superstar Paulo Filho will soon become a prominent member of the UFC middleweight division. (SOURCE BOLANDER)
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Jeremy Botter 9 months ago
It's no pipe dream to want to see Faber and Filho in the UFC. In fact, I'd say there is a very good chance that will end up happening.
The only issue with Filho is Anderson Silva's refusal to fight him. They are long-time training partners and Silva has already said he won't fight Filho. I believe both of them would be willing to fight each other if Zuffa threw a buge pay increase at them for that fight.
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RT 9 months ago
Dan Henderson vs. Chuck Liddell
Liddell vs. Silva II
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dave penrose 9 months ago
what about penn vs st. pierre that fight would be epic there is no way georgie would walk through penn i would even be willing to bet penn would take him out by the second round bj has a lot to prove to himself and the fans that doubt his ability. second would be couture vs fedor i will pay anything to see that fight i think fedor is the best fighter in the world but one wrong move against randy could easily spell a loss for anyone even fedor
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Jeremy Botter 9 months ago
St. Pierre vs Penn is happening in January.
This article listed the 5 biggest fights that UFC can make with the people they currently have under contract. Fedor isn't under contract.
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Sean Schimling 8 months ago
My top 5 biggest fights are as follows:
1. Anderson Silva V.S. GSP
2.Urijah Faber V.S. BJ Penn
3.Chuck Liddell V.S. Brock Lesnar (Could Happen)
4.Forrest Griffin V.S. Rampage 2 ( I think rampage won the first so i would love a rematch)
5.Paulo Filho V.S. Wanderlii Silva (Also Could Happen)
Honorable Mentions:
1. Anderson Silva V.S. Rampage
2.Randy Couture V.S. Fedor ( Only Honorable Mention Because it probably wont happen)
3.Chuck Liddell V.S. Dan Henderson
4.Tito Ortiz V.S. Rich Franklin ( Also Could Happen, But probably not)
5.Brock Lesnar V.S. Kimbo ( Wont Happen But Would Be HUGE PPV numbers)
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vinz c1ortho 8 months ago
Ya'll are raging newbs. Just for nobody mentioning Fedor v couture I will never return to this website.
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Jeremy Botter 8 months ago
You should read the articles thoroughly before commenting.
I clearly mentioned that these are the top five potential fights the UFC has available to them RIGHT NOW. These are only a listing of big fights that the UFC could technically make tomorrow morning, with the fighters they currently have under contract. Fedor Emelianenko is not under a UFC contract, so that's not a fight the company can currently make.
Thanks for the comment, though. It'll be tough for you to read this response if you never come back to the website, but perhaps it'll inform the next guy who comes along and decides to comment without reading the article first.
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