Will Someone Please Explain The UFC Middleweight Division!

Jason Foucha by Analyst Written on December 05, 2008
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Well guys, there is just something I have to get off my chest. How in the world can anyone make sense of the Middleweight division of the UFC.

Anderson Silva is God.....Anderson Silva is the no. 1 p4p in the world......yadda yadda yadda I've heard all of the arguments. Honestly I don't really care. Yes he is in fact an amazing fighter, and this article has nothing to do with him. We all know he's the king, I'm talking about No. 1 contender here.

Now don't get me wrong, I love the UFC. They are my first choice for MMA, and they have a lot of great fighters. But the UFC is dropping the ball as far as the Middleweight Division is concerned.

Here are the fighters people like to argue are the No. 1 contender:

Dan Henderson, Michael Bisping, Thales Leites, Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami, and Demian Maia

(Leben might have made the list if not for being out with a steroids charge and Cote is hurt)

 

We have also learned that the next Ultimate Fighter will feature Middleweight Coaches. Bisping is obviously in, as it is the UK vs the US, but there is much argument about the US coach.

For me the obvious choice is Marquardt. Henderson is trying to be Silva/Penn/whoever else likes to jump weights and is fighting Mr. Middleweight Gate Keeper Rich Franklin at Light Heavyweight? Does anyone think this is the weight they should be fighting at? A fight against Franklin at middleweight is basically a shot at the No. 1 contenders spot (well if they win anyway, they aren't giving Franklin another shot at Silva)

Back to Marquardt. He lost to Silva once, but I believe he has a legitimate choice, and obviously they have to put something on the line between the coaches of TUF, because that has become the norm now. (Its always an intense rivalry now, or a title shot, or for a title)

My idea of course is Bisping and Marquardt as the coaches of TUF with the winner getting his shot at Silva. Unfortunately this throws Leites and Maia under the bus, and even tho Maia is rumored to be the coach, how would it make sense to have the US team coached by a Brazilian?

Yushin Okami......has defeated Silva, it was by DQ but hey a loss is a loss people. Unfotunately it has to be that way. And he has been rather hot in his fights, but the fight won't generate as much heat as people think because the UFC is not marketing it here. Okami's last two fights have been on the UNDERCARD, with one coming up against Dean Lister on another UNDERCARD. (I want to see Lister/Okami, but I guess Dana White doesn't think we want to.) And someone is gonna try to tell me he is the No. 1 contender......I don't think so.

So to sum it up, the UFC needs to get on the ball here, because everybody wants Silva to fight again, and they don't seem to be setting it up for him to have a contender people want to watch.

Vote Now! - Author Poll

Who Should Be the Number 1 Contender Against Silva

  • Nate Marquardt
  • Thales Leites
  • Damian Maia
  • Michael Bisping
  • Yushin Okami
  • Dan Henderson
  • Other
  • Rich Franklin (Its not gonna happen people)
vote to see results
Results - Author Poll

Who Should Be the Number 1 Contender Against Silva

  • Nate Marquardt

    18.2%
  • Thales Leites

    0.0%
  • Damian Maia

    21.2%
  • Michael Bisping

    27.3%
  • Yushin Okami

    9.1%
  • Dan Henderson

    6.1%
  • Other

    6.1%
  • Rich Franklin (Its not gonna happen people)

    12.1%
  • Total votes: 33
(0)
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written on December 05, 2008 Opinion

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