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ASK THE TORCH: Amadi answers reader questions on cruiserweight division, Bisping vs. A. Silva, and George Sotiropoulos
Oct 4, 2011 - 4:30:35 PM ASK THE TORCH: Amadi answers reader questions on cruiserweight division, Bisping vs. A. Silva, and George Sotiropoulos

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By: Jason Amadi, MMATorch Columnist

Reader question from Jason: Should the UFC make a 230 division or should the small heavyweights just cut down?

A: If the UFC ever does create a cruiserweight division between 205 and 265, it'll be to protect fighters cutting to make 265 from guys like Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez. Smaller heavyweights run that division, and pretty much always have. As long as Tim Sylvia reigned in the UFC, Fedor Emelianenko was still recognized as the best heavyweight in the world and he proved as much when the two met in 2008.

Brock Lesnar is a quality heavyweight who obviously makes use of his tremendous size and strength, but smaller heavyweights been able defeat him using superior skill and technique. The sight of Lesnar cowering from of a much smaller Cain Velasquez should have put an end to talks of smaller heavyweights being the ones at a competitive disadvantage.

Cutting the already weak heavyweight division in half would only accentuate the athletic shortcomings of the sport's biggest competitors.

Reader question from Peter: Could there be a fight between Michael Bisping and Anderson Silva? And if so, what would Bisping's chances be?

A: Michael Bisping is a talented middleweight and should he get past Jason "Mayhem" Miller at the Ultimate Fighter Finale in December, he's probably looking at a number one contender bout.
If you listen to Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson, Bisping's chances against Anderson Silva are quite good. But judging from what we've seen from the two to this point, Silva is a horrible matchup for Bisping. Silva's defensive wrestling is good enough to keep the fight standing, he's good enough to scramble back to his feet if he is taken down, and standing up, no fighter in MMA has more tools to end a fight.

Since Dan Henderson knocked him out at UFC 100, Bisping has found himself on the receiving end of big shots in almost every fight he's had. If he's having that much trouble evading the strikes of fighters like Jorge Rivera and Denis Kang, the greatest striker in the history of the sport is going to give him fits. More than likely, the kind of fits that render people unconscious.

Reader question from Taylor: I'm a major MMA fan getting well and truly on the UFC hype train in Australia. Wondering where our favorite lightweight is at these days since getting whooped by Dennis Siver. Where is George Sotiropoulos?

A: After dropping a unanimous decision to Dennis Siver in February, George Sotiropoulos found himself on the receiving end of a brutal knockout against Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 132. Because his striking was exposed in both fights, I would imagine he's either spending this time sharpening his technique or weighing career options.