Best of The Best: The UFC Champions Vs. The Strikeforce Champions

Both Strikeforce and the UFC have Champions in 5 different weight classes.  The Champions in both organizations are certainly elite fighters, but who is truly the best?  There can only be one champion, so what would happen if the UFC Champions took on the Strikeforce Champions in their weight class?  The best fighters in each weight class vying for one belt... Here's how I think the fights would go.

(Oh yeah, and if your wondering why I used an old Pride Poster on a slideshow about the UFC and Strikeforce, its because the poster represents everyone fighting for one belt, so I thought it would make sense because the slideshow is about the  UFC champs and Strikeforce Champs fighting for one belt)

5. Lightweights: Gilbert Melendez Vs. Frank Edgar

Melendez vs. Edgar would be a great fight between two of the best lightweights in the world.  Melendez became the Strikeforce lightweight champion last year, and is currently on a four-fight win streak, including a win over Shinya Aoki.   He has an impressive 18-2 record, and he has avenged both of his losses. 

Frank Edgar holds a 13-1 record, and has wins over Tyson Griffin, Spencer Fisher, Hermes Franca, and he beat BJ Penn twice.  Edgar’s great boxing, and wrestling was on display in his last win over Penn.  Melendez vs. Edgar would be a fast paced, and explosive fight that I think would go the distance.

Winner: Frank Edgar by Unanimous Decision

4. Welterweights: Nick Diaz vs. George St. Pierre

Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 14: MMA Fighter Georges St-Pierre arrives at the 2010 ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on July 14, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images for ESPY)

GSP and Nick Diaz are great welterweights, with very different skill sets.  GSP is primarily a wrestler, with great takedowns, and a crushing top game.  Diaz is a very good boxer, with excellent submissions off his back. 

Diaz and GSP are both good strikers, and it’s hard to tell who would have the edge in the stand-up department.  I see the fight playing out with GSP taking Diaz down as soon as he gets the opportunity, and trying to inflict ground and pound.  Diaz would be working to create space off his back, and attempt a submission.  Diaz has a better guard game than the majority of GSP’s opponents, and it would be interesting to see if he could give GSP and trouble off his back.  I see this fight going the distance.

Winner: George St. Pierre by Unanimous Decision

3. Middleweights: Jacare Vs Anderson Silva

            Probably one of the most interesting match-ups in the middleweight division, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza would very likely be one of Silva’s biggest challenges to date.  Silva and Jacare are training partners, so it’s likely that they already know who would win if they fought. 

Clearly, Jacare would have the grappling advantage, and Silva is the better striker.  It’s easy to make the argument that a fight between these two would play out like Silva’s fights between other great BJJ fighters like Maia and Leites, but Jacare’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is better than anyone else Silva has faced, and he also has much better takedowns than Maia or Leites. 

After watching Silva vs. Sonnen, it has become obvious that Silva’s takedown defense is suspect, and there’s a pretty good chance Jacare would be able to take him down.  However, if Jacare is unable to get the takedown, Silva would have little problem finishing him on his feet.  With Silva’s great striking and Jacare’s great grappling, there’s little chance that this fight would go all five rounds.  I think Silva would be able to keep the fight standing, and out strike Jacare.

Winner: Silva by round 2 or 3 TKO.

2. Light-Heavyweight: Feijão Vs. Shogun

Two great strikers, a fight between Rafael "Feijão" Cavalcante and Maurício “Shogun” Rua would be almost certainly a stand-up war.  Although only 28 years old, Shogun is already very experienced with wins over Rampage, Gono, Mark Coleman, Little Nog, Ricardo Arona, Alistair Overeem (twice), Kevin Randelman, Cyrille Diabaté, Chuck Liddel, and Lyoto Machida.  With such a wealth of experience, and his aggressive, overwhelming fighting style, I think Shogun would be too much for Feijão to handle.

Winner: Shogun by round 2 TKO

1. Heavyweight: Alistair Overeem Vs. Cain Velasquez

Damn it, I just finished writing a whole slide on Overeem vs. Lesnar, and now I have to completely re-due it because Cain is now the champion.  Alistair Overeem vs. Cain Velasquez could definitely be a great fight.  Both are great strikers, but Alistair has the advantage in that department, Cain on the other hand, is a much better wrestler than Overeem. 

Overeem is comparable in to Lesnar in size and strength, but he certainly does not have the wrestling pedigree of the former champ.  What Alistair does have however, is K-1 level striking, and for that reason, this would be a fight that Cain would have to rely heavily on takedowns, and ground and pound in order to win.  Overeem would try to keep the fights standing, and explode on Cain, and try to finish him as quickly as possible. 

It seemed like Cain got rocked a couple of times in his fight with Kongo, and if Kongo can rock him, the bigger, stronger, and better Overeem certainly has a good chance of rocking him, or knocking him out.  If Overeem came swinging, and exploded on Cain in the first round, I think Overeem would get the win, however if Cain dragged it in into the later rounds, I think Cain would come out with a late TKO or a decision win. 

Winner: Overeem by round 1 TKO