Three Fights That Could Upset The Rankings

[Mr. C]

Rankings are something every fan of MMA enjoys to discuss and is also something every outlet and publication for the sport has created based on what they think at the time. What always seems to happen is the arguments, objections, and recommendations which follow immediately. Within all the debate, points are made about matchups which could upset the rankings. Regardless of which publication has a fighter ranked and where, here are three fights the UFC could make happen which could change those lists:

Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort
Silva was supposed to face Belfort in January, and then in February, and then in April. Now it's unknown if, and when, Belfort will get a shot at the title should Silva dispose of Chael Sonnen at UFC 117. Let's just hope that it doesn't take 12 more months to happen.

Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson
Many have questioned Mir's status as a contender having lost two of his last three fights, and Nelson is yet to be tested in the UFC. This fight could either end up being a tune up for Mir or most definitely skyrocket Nelson up in the rankings. With nothing on the books next for Mir and Nelson penciled in to take on Cheick Kongo at UFC 116, this fight is still a possibility for 2010.

Jon Jones vs. Tito Ortiz
Jones' victory over Brandon Vera at UFC Live on Versus showed all of us he deserves notice as one of the next up and comers.

[Mr. C]

Can you imagine a Christmas card on December 25th (UFC 122?) with Silva/Belfort, Mir/Nelson, and Jones/Ortiz?

[IC Champion]

Jon Jones vs. Tito Ortiz
Jones' victory over Brandon Vera at UFC Live on Versus showed all of us he deserves notice as one of the next up and comers.

So wouldn't Tito be a step down? Tito isn't ranked, and hasn't been an elite fighter in years now, Jones would detroy Tito, he couldn't even beat Forrest ffs.

[Mr. C]

So wouldn't Tito be a step down? Tito isn't ranked, and hasn't been an elite fighter in years now, Jones would detroy Tito, he couldn't even beat Forrest ffs.

Come on. Ortiz has more than a shot at beating Jones. He fought Griffin with one knee and would've beaten Rashad Evans had he not had the point taken away for grabbing the fence.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

I'd be way more interested in a Evans vs. Jones fight.

I also want to see Mir vs. Nog with a healthy Nog.

[Krimzon7]

That Christmas card would be great. Jon Jones needs a name on his resume. Tito is a name. Jon Jones shouldn't fight Sugar yet, How bout Keith Jardin/Jon JOnes?

Mir got crushed vs. Carwin, that was awesome to me. Roy Nelson would get hammered by Mir though.....book it.

[Reavant]

nelson beat mir in a grappling match fyi

[Reavant]

and nelson's next fight is against kongo

[Reavant]

and ortiz beating jones would be a greater upset than jones beating ortiz

[Impact!]

Also Jones V Jardine/Evans is unlikely as he trains at Jacksons with them

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Also Jones V Jardine/Evans is unlikely as he trains at Jacksons with them

More likely now that Dana is starting to get pissed with guys saying they won't fight each other because they're from the same camp.

[Impact!]

When he actually gets that to happen I'll believe it.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Well if it does, it'll be in the light weight division first.

[Reavant]

hes guna try and get fitch and koz to fight before any other team mate pairing

[Jura]

How much more can you talk about Vitor Belfort? How many more threads can you make containing that guy? I know he's a favorite of yours but come on guy. Come on. Seriously. Seriously. Stop it...Just stop it. Stop.

[Krimzon7]

nelson beat mir in a grappling match fyi

Word on the street is that Nelson is an accomplished BJJ Black Belt. I dont' know why, but he has that face that begs to get bloodied. I wanna see him get smacked in the mouth.

I know that Jackson trains all three competitors, but in the light of having Jones fight a Name, I dont think he's ready to fight a Championship contendor like Evans, but a test against a gate keeper of Jardin's level or status would do him well.

[Mr. C]

How much more can you talk about Vitor Belfort? How many more threads can you make containing that guy? I know he's a favorite of yours but come on guy. Come on. Seriously. Seriously. Stop it...Just stop it. Stop.

It's not like every thread I've made is only about Belfort. He just happens to be one of the guys involved in the three fights I mentioned in the first post. If you really don't care to read it, feel free to move on with your life elsewhere. Seriously. Seriously. Move on...just move on. Move.

[Jura]

Not including the posts in this thread but:

What really pisses me off is Anderson Silva should've fought Vitor Belfort, but Belfort was injured, so Demian Maia replaced him.

Quit playing around and do Silva vs. Belfort in August for the title, if Belfort is healthy. Just keep Silva down in Middleweight until he can meet Belfort, because Belfort will win easily if Silva defends himself like he has in past performances against Thales Leites, now Maia. When/if Silva does fight Belfort, neither man will play around. Silva knows Belfort is powerful and deadly fast. Giving Belfort a shot guarantees money, and Dana White realizes this. If Silva defeats Belfort, move him to another class. Better yet, if George St. Pierre feels like moving up, Silva/St. Pierre should happen. Just wait and see if Silva can beat Belfort. Now maybe I'm favoring Belfort because he's my all-time favorite fighter, but nobody else is able to trade punches against Silva. Silva's ducking is pretty amazing, but if Belfort were to catch him, he'd likely lose.

The most likely guy for beating Anderson Silva is Vitor Belfort at 185.

There’s no chance that the UFC would risk George St. Pierre being clowned on like that for five rounds, so that fight is off the cards.

The fight between Silva and Vitor Belfort was originally scheduled for last night and is the best fight at middleweight right now. The fights that should be made are the ones that will do the most business, since first and foremost UFC is a business. People will pay more money to see Silva fight Belfort, who’s looked nothing short of devastating, than they will to see Silva fight anyone else at 185. If Silva got his shot by dismantling Chris Leben, Belfort definitely deserves a shot for taking out Rich Franklin.

The only concern I have is whether Belfort can go for five rounds. Since his resurgance, we haven't seen him past the first round, but anything is possible. Training at Xtreme Couture should help. His chin is good enough to avoid a knockout, unless Silva gets him in the clinch, and he's one of the few fighers that can match Silva's striking, so it makes sense to have Silva fight a guy who he's never faced before in Belfort, not to mention that Middleweight is suffering a famine of contenders for Silva.

I see Belfort trying to rush in early once or twice with a barrage. If that doesn't work, I see Silva picking him apart. The key for Belfort if he wants to win this thing will be to draw Silva in where Belfort can mount an attack.

It's been reported by MMA Magazine that Belfort has requested the fight once again and will face Silva sometime between August and October.

This would be a great title contender fight. Winner gets to face the champion after Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen. I'd love to see it happen in October. This is assuming everyone stays healthy.

Okami has better stand up, but his hands aren't as fast. It would be interesting to see what Okami's gameplan would be against Belfort. I don't see him standing up with him because he's too intelligent of a fighter. Okami is a strategist, so I could see him attempting several takedowns throughout the fight. If not, he'll be rocked and become a victim.

Vitor Belfort is the most realistic fight for Anderson Silva, and it just so happens he's the only threat left to him at 185. Silva wouldn't have pulled all that crap against Belfort. Not saying that Belfort would win, but when Maia opened up in the 4th round, he cracked Silva.

http://i41.tinypic.com/2qcighv.gif

If Belfort landed on Silva, it would be lights out. No one can come close to challenging Silva except Belfort.

The only promotions left to compete with the UFC are Dream and Strikeforce, and they're struggling to even rival the numbers the UFC has, but one thing I've taken notice of in the organization is how fast they cut fighters. I understand that if you don't step up to the plate, you'll be gone faster than they signed you. I agree with this, but is the UFC truly giving fighters a chance in the company to get their feet wet?

After Tim Sylvia's defeats to Antonio Nogueira and Randy Couture, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion was cut from the UFC without any hesitation. Since being cut, Sylvia has lost to Fedor Emelianenko and Ray Mercer and finally ended his losing streak against Jason Riley. This guy was once the top fighter in his division, but fell into a rut, and the UFC decided to release him.

What I'm worried about now is what if the UFC starts cutting fighters in each division?

Anderson Silva
Silva is without a doubt the best on the planet, fighting from middleweight to light heavyweight and leaving a trail of destruction behind him, but sadly, he isn't the fighter he was when he came into the UFC. The truth is we all know why Silva is the way he is. He's bored with the fights he's been given. That's a reason for White to release him, and he has an advantage on the people he's fighting. The only threat to Silva at middleweight as of now is Vitor Belfort, and I can't wait for that fight to happen. Silva is the one man the UFC can't afford to cut because it would be one of the biggest mistakes in history. A lot of fans would want White's head if he did that. Can you imagine if Strikeforce landed Silva? That would be the top two fighters not in the UFC, but if that happened, we might finally see Silva vs. Fedor.

Across 5 different threads. Maybe there's more. There's not many threads in the MMA forum and I look in almost all of them and read almost everything so it's hard for me to not look or read.

I don't have a problem with you and I'm a little on edge about something personal in my life it's just I don't get the Belfort stuff crossing over onto 5 threads. With not that many threads in this section it seems overkill.