Issue 074

April 2011

For seven years, Antonio McKee boldly proclaimed himself the best fighter on the planet. ‘Mandingo’ cruised through 15 consecutive fights on the regional circuit without a loss, and his supporters called for the UFC to give McKee an opportunity to prove he could back up his brash claims. At January’s UFC 125: Resolution event, McKee was finally granted that shot. Fighting on the evening’s very first bout, an untelevised affair in a near-empty MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, McKee suffered a decision loss to fellow wrestling standout Jacob Volkmann. And just like that, the McKee experiment was over. The UFC severed ties with the lightweight following the bout, and McKee was forced to return to smaller shows after a one-and-done stint in the world’s largest MMA promotion. So what exactly does McKee’s loss say about the state of MMA talent outside of the UFC? If McKee’s 14-0-1 stretch didn’t prepare him for success in the Octagon, are there fighters competing in the so-called Bum Fighting Championships (as former UFC middleweight contender Gerald Harris likes to refer to the often-adventurous regional scene) who can hack it in the UFC?

Absolutely. Strikeforce’s forthcoming heavyweight tournament is the most obvious example of fighters who could walk into the UFC’s ranks as instant contenders. In fact, three of the eight fighters in the tournament – Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett and Fabricio Werdum – already boast Octagon experience, and Arlovski and Barnett each held the UFC’s heavyweight title at one point in their careers. But the UFC hardly seems interested in bringing any of those three men back into the fold, and the real cream of Strikeforce’s heavyweight crop – Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko – have interests that don’t necessarily align with that of the UFC and aren’t likely to fight in the promotion anytime soon. Strikeforce heavyweight prospect Daniel Cormier’s wrestling prowess has earned him substantial recognition as a potential future superstar, but the California-based promotion isn’t likely to let its homegrown talent loose. And with Cormier’s teammate, Cain Velasquez, currently entrenched as the UFC’s heavyweight kingpin, there’s no reason for the American Kickboxing Academy fighter to jump ship.

The UFC’s stranglehold on top talent is much more pronounced in the light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions, and the few stars that aren’t fighting in the Octagon – see Rafael ‘Feijao’ Cavalcante, Paul Daley, Nick Diaz, Dan Henderson, Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal, Gilbert Melendez, Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, among others – are locked into Strikeforce deals. So, too, are top prospects like the aforementioned Cormier and welterweight stud Tyron Woodley. 

The tournament-based Bellator Fighting Championships organization has also done a fantastic job of assembling talent, and fighters like Eddie Alvarez, Ben Askren, Hector Lombard and Joe Warren deserve to be considered among the world’s best fighters. But the Bellator brass certainly isn’t in a hurry to send their talent to the UFC’s Octagon. As such, the UFC’s best opportunities to find talent that can make an immediate impact in the Octagon stem from two geographic locations: Japan and Brazil. 

Considered a notoriously fad-driven society, Japan’s fight scene was once thought of as the epicenter of MMA. Beginning with the long-running Pancrase and Shooto promotions and continuing through Pride’s heyday, Japan played host to some of the world’s best mixed martial artists. However, the market has experienced financial struggles in recent years, and the time appears ripe for a UFC invasion of the Asian market – and it’s the UFC’s recently added lighter-weight divisions that would enjoy the greatest windfall. Hatsu Hioki, an eight-year veteran and current World Victory Road Sengoku champion, with just one loss in his past 13 fights, would unquestionably provide instant fireworks at featherweight. Former Sengoku champion Marlon Sandro, who recently earned three knockout wins in just there minutes and 20 seconds of total action, also has what it takes to succeed at the highest level of the sport. At bantamweight, former WEC stars make up the majority of all the top-ranked 135lb’ers in the world. However, in keeping with the idea of an Asian talent raid, 34-year-old Masakazu Imanari, a training partner of Shinya Aoki, has won seven of his past eight fights. A leglock wizard, Imanari possesses both the skills and penchant for entertainment to make an immediate impact in the UFC. Former Shooto champion Masakatsu Ueda, who boasts a wrestling background, could also prove a challenge at 135lb.

While there are a handful of high-level fighters from the Far East that could likely make immediate names for themselves in the UFC, the promotion has also recently tapped into a market with a rich and vibrant history of producing skilled fighters: Brazil. Sure, the promotion has featured Brazilian superstars from its very first event, but the UFC has recently delved further into the talent pool to uncover gems such as Maiquel Falcao, with his stellar 26-3 record. Prior to ceding its talent to the UFC, the WEC also brought a now 25-1 Renan Barão and 24-3 Yuri Alcantara to the US. The UFC isn’t alone in their efforts to find the next Jose Aldo, as witnessed by Bellator’s recent signing of 19-0 Brazilian, Nazareno Malegarie. Brazil has long been a hotbed of talent in MMA, and promotions are currently capitalizing on the latest swell of South American prospects.

With the rapid popularity boom of MMA, a new generation of stars is quickly coming, many of them training since they could walk. But in the meantime, there are already a number of established, marketable stars the UFC could claim – all of them hoping to stick around in the world’s top MMA promotion a little longer than McKee.