...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By Matt Pelkey, MMATorch Columnist Light-Heavyweight Division
1. Forrest Griffin- He's the champ, and unlike some divisions, pretty much all of the top light-heavies in the world are in the UFC, so being the champ really means something in this division.
2. Rashad Evans- The #1 contender and a nightmare of a match-up for any style. He has highlight reel knockouts with both his hands and feet (seriously, the guy has two of the top ten KO's in UFC history), a great chin, fantastic wrestling, and a dominating top game.
3. Lyoto Machida- We haven't seen a weakness in his game yet. His fight with Thiago Silva will be very telling. Lose, and the UFC will have all the ammo they need to keep him away from a title shot forever. Win, and he might be too good to deny a title shot any longer.
4. Quinton Jackson- I'm excited to see if finally changing up his camp and coaching will have a positive effect on Rampage. I liked Juanito, but a change of scenery was needed and I think Michael Bisping's dedication will serve Jackson well.
5. Wanderlei Silva- I would've been pumped to see him fight anybody after seeing a return of the old Axe Murderer in his fight against Jardine. When I heard he was fighting Rampage I almost wet myself. Almost. I should probably get that checked.
6. Keith Jardine- Do I really have to rank him this high? Let's call this a resume ranking. His wins over Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, and Brandon Vera look great on paper. His decimations at the hand of Wanderlei Silva and Houston Alexander looked awful to the naked eye.
7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira- Still a very good, but not elite light-heavyweight; I can't help but wonder why he doesn't take a cue from his brother and Randy Couture and move up to heavyweight. Sure he'd be at a size disadvantage in most fights, but he'd be quick at heavyweight. He's just too slow to hang with the top sluggers in this division.
8. Thiago Silva- One of the fast rising stars of the division. His fight with Machida is his first chance to test himself against the elite of the division. Win that, and he's only about one fight away from deserving a title shot.
9. Chuck Liddell- And I think this is a little high for him. I'm in the camp that thinks he's basically done as a good fighter, and his deterioration has come swiftly. Let's call this a respect ranking. Here's hoping he proves me wrong the next time out.
10. Rich Franklin- Let's hope he stays at 205, because that's where his fighting future is. He's not gonna be able to overpower many here like he could at 185, but he's still a very good fighter, and there's tons of good, fresh match-ups in his new home.
Note: Shogun has been inactive too long to appear on my list, but assuming a victory over Mark Coleman (which is hard for me to do as Coleman is a fellow Buckeye, you know), there's a spot in the top ten waiting for him. Just not the top five.
Agree or disagree? Let me know at matt6buckeye@hotmail.com
DON'T GO YET... WE SUGGEST THESE MMATORCH ARTICLES, TOO!
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.
