Each year, it is good to take a step back and look at the sport of mixed martial arts as a whole. 2008 has been another exciting and unpredictable year and 2009 will likely be no different.
As a fan of the sport first and foremost, I see there are always things that can be changed, tweaked, or removed altogether.
The following, in no particular order, are 10 wishes I hope will be granted sometime during the upcoming year.
1) The UFC continues to acquire top-level talent.
If you examined the top 25 heavyweights and lightweights in the world, you would find that the majority are non-UFC fighters. Not only could those two divisions be bolstered but the UFC should continue to pursue fighters from all weight classes.
This means going after the likes of Fedor Emelianenko, Shinya Aoki, Jake Shields, Eddie Alvarez, Joachim Hansen, Robbie Lawler, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Kaz Misaki, and Gesias Calvancante (when they are no longer contractually obligated elsewhere).
It is a crime that UFC fans do not get to see these world class fighters up close and personal on a regular basis. Squaring off the best fighters in the world against one another not only is great for fans but it is also good for the sport in general.
2) Anderson Silva is challenged before he retires.
By challenging Silva, I do not mean throwing him the biggest names in the sport just to accumulate pay-per-view buys or pitting him against a fighter who does not pose more than a puncher’s chance at pulling off a victory. Give him a contender who actually poses a legitimate threat.
A rematch with Dan Henderson is intriguing. After all, he is the last man to win a round against Silva when he did so at UFC 82. A rematch with Nate Marquardt is also a possibility, but both matchups will likely end in similar fashion.
The ideal opponent in my eyes is arguably the best jiu-jitsu fighter in the UFC in Demian Maia. I’d even be mildly happy with Thales Leites. Just don’t give him Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Rich Franklin, Patrick Cote, or Michael Bisping.
3) Kimbo Slice fades into the abyss.
I have not heard a peep from Slice or his representatives since his embarrassing TKO loss to Seth Petruzzeli in October on national television.
Now that EliteXC has essentially gone under, will another organization take a shot on him? I certainly hope not. I would be completely happy if we never see him inside an octagon ever again.
He has been nothing short of a lightning rod for controversy and a sideshow circus that left a stain on the sport of MMA. His 15 minutes of unwarranted fame are up and he should stick to unsanctioned backyard barbecue brawls.
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