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By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor
Why is the idea of Brian Stann fighting for the UFC Middleweight title ok, but the idea of Matt Mitrione fighting for the UFC Heavyweight title "too much, too soon"? Nothing against Stann or the guys he's fought, but it's not like he's been in there fighting nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami and guys like that. If Stann beats Chael Sonnen at UFC 136, does he deserve a title shot? Most people would answer yes, but that probably has more to do with the fact that UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva has beaten everyone else in the division.
It's true that Stann has more fights than Mitrione, but having a bunch of fights under your belt doesn't necessarily equal being a title contender. Mitrione doesn't have a lot of fights to his credit, but neither did Brock Lesnar and he won the UFC Heavyweight Title. I'm not saying Mitrione is Brock, Mitrione can actually take a punch. Kidding, of course, but my point is that you don't have to have had a lot of fights in order to win a title.
Here's one of the many sports analogies I love using. To sit a rookie quarterback or start him in Week 1 in the NFL is a question that many have asked. The answer, of course, depends on who the quarterback is and the team that surrounds him. If you've got a crap team, and you think the guy will help, you start him. if you've got a veteran team that can contend now, you sit him. The Carolina Panthers will likely start Cam Newton Week 1 because they're a bad team and they think he'll help make them better. The Minnesota Vikings will start Donovan McNabb Week 1 so Christian Ponder can sit a year or two and learn how to better play the position.
Matt Mitrione may never win a title in his career. At the same time, though, he may prove to be another Cain Velasquez. The best way to find out is to throw him in there with high-level competition. It's not like the UFC Heavyweight division is overloaded with stand-outs. Nobody in that division is standing head and shoulders above anyone else. After Junior dos Santos fights UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez in their match-up, who's next? I'm not suggesting that Mitrione could beat either of them, but you don't know how good a guy is until you test him. I'm also not saying give Mitrione a title shot right now, but why is his next fight against Cheick Kongo? Let's assume that Mitrione wins. What exactly has he done? Where that does put him in the rankings? Kongo is 2-2-1 in his last 5 fights.
Perhaps a better name to bring up would be Brendan Schaub, who will fight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134 later this month. Schaub is on a roll and deserves a chance to earn a title shot, but what will beating Nogueira really prove? Nogueira hasn't fought in 18 months and is 1-2 in his last three fights. I've always been a fan of Nogueira, but injuries and age and the accumulated beating from 40 MMA fights has taken a huge toll on his body. If Schaub defeats Nogueira, does he deserve a title shot? Maybe, but it's not as if he would have beaten the Nogueira from years ago.
I just feel as though the philosophy should be that if a guy wins a few fights in a row, he should get a step up in competition so we can find out if he's ready. A little baptism by fire, if you will.
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Matt Hamill announced his retirement the other day. It's smart of him to step away if he feels as though he can't compete at the level he wants due to injuries.
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Dennis Hallman lost a bet with training partners and thus had to wear that ridiculous speedo during his fight at UFC 133. If there was ever a time to not live up to a bet, this was it. Wearing that thing was a really bad move, and now he'll forever be known as "That guy who wore a speedo in a fight."
Brian Ebersole defeated Hallman at UFC 133. Too bad Ebersole is the same guy who shaves an arrow into his chest hair before each fight. When you shave an arrow into your chest hair and people only consider you the second goofiest guy in the cage, you know something's wrong.
Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com
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