MMA: All I Want For Christmas Are These 10 Fighters in the UFC
With Christmas right around the corner, and the New Year soon after that, these are 10 fighters that the UFC needs to go out and get for 2011.
With the new unification of the WEC and UFC now, there are plenty more fighters, such as Urijah Faber, Jose Aldo, Donald Cerrone etc. Now these are some fighters in the other weight classes that the UFC needs to add to their roster.
Honorable Mention
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Rafael Cavalcante is the current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. He holds a professional MMA record of 10-2, and is set to defend his title against Dan Henderson some time in 2011.
Masakazu Imanari. If anyone is like me and hadn't heard of him, check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkM9psCL9ec
Special thanks to Danny Kommel for letting me know about him.
Hector Lombard
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Hector Lombard, currently the Bellator Middleweight Champion, and on 21 fight unbeaten streak, with an overall record of 27-2-1 needs to be high on the UFC's list of priorities.
Lombard fights at 185, and is one of the few middleweights left who may pose a threat to Anderson Silva. Signing Lombard would push back a superfight with GSP, but I think this fight would be pretty spectacular too.
Shinya Aoki
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Shinya Aoki is the 5th ranked lightweight according to sherdog.com.
He holds a professional MMA record of 26-5 (1 NC). He is 27 years old and still has more time to get to the UFC and win the belt. He would make a great addition to the UFC's lightweight division, but he is currently going to fight at Dynamite!! 2010. Maybe after that Dana White can get his hands on Aoki.
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Gegard Mousasi
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Gegard Mousasi is the current Dream Light Heavyweight Champion, and former Middleweight Champion.
He has a professional MMA record of 30-3-1, and he has finished 28 of his 30 wins, and one of the men he couldn't finish was Hector Lombard 4 years ago.
The UFC needs to get their hands on him, where he could challenge Anderson Silva in middleweight, or where he could break the upper echelon of Light Heavyweights.
King Mo
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Muhammed Lawal is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion.
He recently lost the title to Rafael Cavalcante after going 7-0 in his first 7 professional fights. Lawal is expected to be out until mid 2011 after surgery to repair a knee injury, and although I can't find specifics, he is under a "multi-fight" contract with Strikeforce.
Maybe when that expires the UFC can snatch him and bring him into the already stacked Light Heavyweight division.
Jacare
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Ronaldo Souza, better known as Jacare, is the current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.
After Jake Shields left for the UFC, the title was vacated, and Jacare beat Tim Kennedy via unanimous decision to win it. Jacare is 13-2 (1 NC) and he would be a great addition to the UFC Middleweight division.
Gilbert Melendez
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Gilbert Melendez is the current Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and he has a professional MMA record of 18-2.
He has also avenged both of his losses to Josh Thomson and Mitsuhiro Ishida.
He also holds notable victories over Shinya Aoki and Clay Guida. He is also the number 2 ranked lightweight according to sherdog.com. As if the lightweight divison wasn't deep enough, Melendez would just add to that.
Eddie Alvarez
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Eddie Alvarez is the current Bellator Lightweight Champion, and he has a professional MMA record of 21-2.
Alvarez last defeated Roger Huerta via doctor stoppage between the second and third rounds.
After that win he called out Gilbert Melendez, which would be a fantastic fight. And again, he would just deepen the UFC lightweight division.
Nick Diaz
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Nick Diaz holds a professional MMA record of 23-7 (1 NC).
Diaz has fought in the UFC in the past, where he went 6-3, but Dana White has said that he will not resign Nick Diaz, due to Diaz being unable to handle being in the UFC, or something to that nature. Diaz would certainly be fun to have in the UFC, but I don't see him being able to compete with GSP, or Jon Fitch, or BJ Penn or any of them.
He would be good to have in the UFC, but for his sake, he should stay in Strikeforce.
Alistair Overeem
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Alistair Overeem.
The current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, and the reigning K-1 Grand Prix Champion. This man is a beast.
He holds a professional MMA record of 33-11 (1 NC), with wins over Brett Rogers, Mark Hunt, and Vitor Belfort twice. He would make for some interesting matchups in the heavyweight division. Shane Carwin vs. Alistair Overeem anyone? Or maybe Alistair Overeem vs...
Fedor Emelianenko
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Fedor Emelianenko.
The current WAMMA Heavyweight Champion and legend of mixed martial arts. People have been clamoring for the UFC to sign him for years, so is there really anything I can say that hasn't been said already?
32-2 (1 NC), went undefeated for 8 years, should have been undefeated until the fight against Werdum. It has all been said before, but I guess I'll just say it again, the UFC needs to sign Fedor so that he can fight the best in the world.
Did I Miss Anyone?
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Fortunately the UFC will be adding Miss Brittney Palmer soon.
Feel free to leave comments of anyone who you think I missed. Depending on response I may add in another honorable mention slide. Thanks for reading.
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