Issue 091

August 2012

Gareth A Davies: MMA and Boxing Correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, London

Struggling with this column right now. Not because I’m staring at a blank screen but specifically because I’m wrestling with the notion of interim belts, fighter rankings, and wondering whether there are too many cards and not enough stars at present. On the horizon, that is. I’m talking about characters, in that sense, not quality fighters, of which there are many.

I’ve also found myself wondering if the MMA audience is beginning to pick and choose over events they want to watch, while we are being told that the sport is foraging into the mainstream like an aardvark vacuuming up a termite mound; and hoovering up the critters therein. 

The old guard are slipping away – the fighters, I mean. The quirkiness of Forrest Griffin, the auras of Chuck and Randy and star quality of ‘Rampage’ – and there is a sense in the old grey matter that the vanguard are yet to stamp themselves as the personalities of old once did.

There are, without question, a swathe of young, thrilling fighters, but are we getting to see the personalities of the likes of Erick Silva, Rory MacDonald, Renan Barao, and that ilk, with enough depth? Is the professionalization of the sport turning heroes into gym rats? Or perhaps it is just an inevitable move forwards. Interested to hear views on these issues.

Now, rankings, and specifically the stacked lightweight division. Donald Cerrone brought this to mind when he called out Nate Diaz after a three-round domination of Jeremy Stephens in Fairfax, Virginia. Diaz, of course, beat Jim Miller comprehensively to claim the disputed top-contender seed behind titleholder Benson Henderson and challenger Frankie Edgar. But how do things stand in the UFC’s lightweight division? 

Precluding the June 22nd fight between Clay Guida and Gray Maynard, what happens with Anthony Pettis, and for that matter Eddie Alvarez, or even Gil Melendez when he has his UFC-Strikeforce rite of passage. Why was Cerrone throwing the name of Diaz out there? A call to arms, of course, but surely he should get Pettis, or even, mouthwateringly, Edson Barboza, next. The prospect of that fight would give us all goosebumps. 

It is tough and complex to rank the group. Doesn’t the division need Diaz vs Pettis and Barboza vs Cerrone, or the vice-versa pairing which have not met? It would certainly be a decent starting point. Then we will be getting somewhere. Here, in order, is my rankings of this octet following recent performances: Henderson, Edgar, Diaz, Pettis, Guida, Maynard, Barboza, Cerrone.

injuries and interim titles 

I believe I’m right in thinking everyone of the original contests slated on the UFC 146 card was re-worked due to injuries. It’s too numerous to list the pullouts in full – and although it was still a great card – it made me think back to a conversation with Joe Silva in Las Vegas in early February, where he talked about the plague of injuries being suffered by fighters on his – and Sean Shelby’s – rosters. 

Joe was reeling at the time from the 23rd injury reported 20 days in a row. His theory was that as the sport develops, and more fighters become fully professional, they are going to have to find a method to train ‘hard’ with more perspicacity.

‘Interim’ – I just don’t like the term. It only comes about because of an injured champion, but how long do you allow that to go on? Point in case in recent times are the heavyweight (Brock Lesnar) and welterweight (Georges St Pierre) belts. The title should be defended at least twice a year. Regardless of recurring or additional injuries, how about a champion being forced to vacate if they are sidelined for a year, including the recovery period? Georges himself told reporters he no longer sees himself as champion anyway, due to his lay-off.

Meanwhile, in the same time frame, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will have defended his title belt four times. My two cents’ worth is that if a champion has not defended the title inside a calendar year, he vacates. Then gets first dib once he’s fit again.

Case rested.