Ranking the 5 Best Blackzilians in the UFC Right Now
Between Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort challenging Chris Weidman at UFC 184 for the middleweight title and Anthony "Rumble" Johnson's recent thrashing of former top 205-pound contender Alexander Gustafsson, The Blackzilians ought to be feeling good about themselves.
The Blackzilians are a unique mixture of former champions and electric up-and-comers. Started by several former members of American Top Team in 2011, The Blackzilians began picking up world-class talent left and right including former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, Belfort and Johnson.
Notoriety gained through the camp's performances in the cage has led to reports of both The Blackzilians and ATT facing off on the next installment of The Ultimate Fighter, according to Greg Savage of Sherdog.
In a mixed martial arts landscape that has been dominated by fighter factories such as American Kickboxing Academy and Jackson's MMA for arguably a decade, the Blackzilians have earned their place among the world's most talented fight camps.
Here are the five best fighters that the gym has to offer, but before that, we list a couple of honorable mentions. Previous accolades, upside and skill are all taken into account in this ranking.
Honorable Mentions
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Ryan LaFlare
The 31-year-old New York native is one of the 170-pound division's most exciting prospects. LaFlare, who sports an unblemished 11-0 professional record, has run through his four UFC opponents.
Using a ferocious wrestling-heavy style, LaFlare takes the fight to his opponent, like he did most recently against veteran John Howard, and grinds out victories. He's also a gamer who defeated Court McGee on short notice.
The No. 15-ranked LaFlare will face a stiff test against former middleweight title challenger Demian Maia, who is arguably one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the Octagon, at UFC Fight Night 62 in March. It's an exciting matchup that would open up the eyes of many a MMA fan if LaFlare were to win.
Matt Mitrione
After making a name for himself on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, Meathead has seen the highs and lows of the sport of MMA. His early successes, which included knockout victories over Tim Hague and YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice, were coupled with disappointing showings against Cheick Kongo and Brendan Schaub.
It appears as if Mitrione had spoken to a genie because the 36-year-old lit up in 2014, producing three straight first-round knockouts. His performances over Shawn Jordan and Gabriel Gonzaga earned him hefty paychecks and inched him closer toward the Top 10 of the heavyweight division.
5. Eddie Alvarez
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The UFC had courted Alvarez prior to his signing in August, and for good reason.
The 31-year-old was considered one of the best lightweights in the world for the past five years, competing in Dream and Bellator before his move to the Octagon.
A former Bellator 155-pound champion, Alvarez rode into the UFC on the strength of his heavy hands and underrated ground game. However, Top Five lightweight Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone spoiled his debut in a three-round rout.
Alvarez was linked to a co-main event spot against former lightweight champion Benson Henderson at UFC Fight Night: Boston but had to bow out due to an illness.
One can say leaving him at this spot is a robbery, but I can't picture him advancing into the Top Five of the lightweight division, as stacked as it is. One man who would be an excellent measuring stick is former title challenger Gilbert Melendez.
4. Michael Johnson
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How can I rank a relative unknown in Johnson higher than a former champion (Alvarez) who has four fewer losses than him?
That argument is definitely valid. However, Johnson has tremendous upside. The 28-year-old seems to be rounding out his overall game, accumulating a 7-4 Octagon record, notching dominant victories over ATT fighters Gleison Tibau and Melvin Guillard.
His last, and only, appearance in 2014 was his decision victory over Guillard. In July, Johnson was arrested following a domestic dispute that occurred in April.
The arrest put him on the shelf for five months until he received a New Year's Eve present in the form of a fight with the No. 6-ranked Edson Barboza. The bout will test the growth in the striking department of Johnson, who also possesses an underutilized wrestling background.
The striking, kick-heavy style of the Brazilian can be overwhelming for most, and Johnson will need to be on his toes. A stand-up exchange may not be the best thing for him, despite Barboza having a tendency to crumble against top competition, but Johnson is capable of ending it with one punch.
He is destined for big things in 2015.
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3. Vitor Belfort
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Controversy aside, Belfort is one scary fellow.
The Brazilian, and once devout user of testosterone replacement therapy, visited the fountain of youth and came back with three straight knockouts of Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson.
Belfort sat out all of 2014, mostly due to sorting out licensing issues with the NSAC and an injury to the middleweight champion Weidman.
Weidman and Belfort will face off at UFC 184 on February 28. It will be the Brazilian's third title shot and second middleweight title bout.
The 37-year-old has only lost in title bouts since his latest UFC stint, which began in September 2009. Belfort, a notorious user of the head kick, has long possessed quick hands, something that Weidman is no stranger to.
The Phenom has defeated a who's-who of MMA legends, including Randy Couture and Wanderlei Silva. At UFC 184, he has a realistic chance of dethroning the two-time defending 185-pound titleholder Weidman.
2. Rashad Evans
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Evans, like Belfort, has competed in multiple UFC weight classes; a drop to 185 pounds is likely coming in the not-too-distant future.
The former light heavyweight champion didn't compete all of last year due to nagging knee injuries. Evans' most recent win was a first-round romp over Chael Sonnen at UFC 167 in November 2013.
This is the second lengthy layoff Evans has had to endure in his career. He waited more than seven months for a title fight against Shogun Rua in February 2011, only to injure his knee in training.
The 35-year-old first held the 205-pound strap after he defeated Forrest Griffin via third-round TKO in December 2008. He subsequently lost to Lyoto Machida the following May and has only lost twice since.
Evans is not a technically proficient striker by any means, but his power more than makes up for his lack of a game plan. Wrestling-wise, he's still one of the division's strongest grapplers.
His record in title fights may be 1-2, but it's up to Evans to find the drive he needs to pursue another run at a belt. He may have not fought in more than a year and was upstaged by his light heavyweight teammate Johnson, but make no mistake about it: Suga is one of the best fighters in the world.
1. Anthony Johnson
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If 2013 was Robbie Lawler's time for resurgence, then 2014 belonged to Rumble.
Johnson stormed into the Octagon as a winner of six straight fights, including a knockout win over Strikeforce veteran Mike Kyle and a decision victory against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. After dominating perennial 205-pound contender Phil Davis at UFC 172, Rumble floored Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in just 44 seconds at UFC on Fox 12.
Then, on January 24 at UFC on Fox 14, the unexpected happened. Johnson squared off against the man who gave champion Jon Jones everything he could handle for 25 minutes, Alexander Gustafsson, and destroyed him in flawless fashion.
The victory nets Johnson a shot at Jones on a soon-to-be determined date. Rumble's latest victory completes his storybook career revival after the UFC cut him in January 2012 for missing weight for the third time.
So far, Johnson has largely gone unchallenged at his most comfortable weight of 205 pounds. As Rumble so eloquently put it following his win over Gustafsson, keep your hands up, Jon.
Stats and records compiled are courtesy of Sherdog and FightMetric.
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