I want to take a minute to look over the current UFC landscape and the title holders at each weightclass. Every weightclass will have one more title fight before the end of 2007 (with the probably exception of the lightweight division due to the Sherk steroid suspension appeal). Which current UFC champions will hold their belts come January 1, 2008 and which belts will change hands? Sean Sherk and Anderson Silva were the only two UFC champions who held a title entering 2007 that still hold their titles as of now (although Sean Sherk most likely will be stripped of his belt if his suspension is not overturned).
Heavyweight
Current Champion: Randy Couture
Next Fight: UFC 74 vs Gabriel Gonzaga
Randy Couture stunned the MMA world when he came back out of retirement at UFC 68 and took Tim Sylvia to school in a five round dominating performace to capture the heavyweight belt. “The Natural” is one of those rare-breed of fighters who truly embody what it means to be a champion. Legend is a term that can be thrown around rather losely, but in the case of Couture, it is a title that truly fits.
Gabriel Gonzaga woke MMA fans up with his victory over Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at UFC 70 in England. Cro Cop was expected to take the victory against Gonzaga rather easily and gather take his shot at the heavyweight belt. Gonzaga had other plans and now looks to become a champion. Randy Couture is one of the few people not from Ludlow, MA to pick Gonzaga to win the fight against Crop Cop, so don’t expect Randy to be anything but completely prepared for his fight with Gonzaga.
Does Gonzaga have what it takes to defeat a veteran like Couture? While I think Gonzaga definitely has the skills needed, I think Couture’s knowledge and experience allow him to keep the belt untill 2008.
Light Heavyweight
Current Champion: Quinton Jackson
Next Fight: UFC 75 vs Henderson
Quinton Jackson entered the UFC fold after Zuffa, LLC purchased the WFA and Jackson’s contract. It didn’t take long for Jackson to make his mark as he knocked off long time champion and UFC posterboy Chuck Liddell at UFC 71. Jackson has fought and beaten some of the best fighters in the world and now as champion he will only face the cream of the crop that 205lb division can offer.
First up for Jackson will be PrideFC welterweight and middleweight champion, Dan Henderson. Henderson’s victory over then PrideFC champion Wanderlei Silva threw yet another monkey-wrench into the long awaited Wanderlei Silva vs Chuck Liddell matchup. Henderson is a fighter that, in my opinion, is cut from the same cloth as Randy Couture. Henderson has the skills, experience, and determination to be a champion for a long time. The Jackson vs Henderson matchup will be a great fight and will most likely setup another great matchup with the victor taking on Mauricio Shogun Rua (assuming Shogun defeats Forrest Griffin at UFC 76).
I think Dan Henderson wins this fight by decision after a long, hard-fought battle, with Jackson getting either a quick title shot or a third fight with Liddell
Middleweight
Current Champion: Anderson Silva
Next Fight: UFC 77 vs Rich Franklin
Anderson Silva has been nothing short of dynamic and explosive since making his UFC debut against Chris Leben at UFC Fight Night 5. Silva went on to win the middleweight belt at UFC 64 after rearranging then-champion Rich Franklin’s face with his Muay Thai clinch. Next up were title defenses against Travis Lutter and Nate Marquardt and now a rematch with Rich Franklin.
Rich Franklin took his pathetic performance against Silva in stride, and after having a surgeon straighten his nose back out got back on the winning path with victories over Jason MacDonald and Yushin Okami. Now Franklin has the unenviable task of taking a “do-or-die” fight against the man who stripped him of his belt in the first place. If Franklin loses again to Silva, it will be a long hard grind for him in the middleweight division.
I don’t see Franklin coming into the fight with anything new that will allow him to get past Silva. This is Anderson Silva’s belt to lose for a long time.
Welterweight
Current Champion: Matt Serra
Next Fight: UFC 79 vs Matt Hughes
The UFC is trying all they can to build hype for the Matt Serra vs Matt Hughes title fight in December and the upcoming sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter. The supposed “bad blood” term that pretty much pops up for at least one fight on each UFC PPV is again being used to hype the Serra vs Hughes fight. While I have no doubt that Matt Serra genuinely dislikes Matt Hughes, I don’t see there being quite the long running hatred between the two fighters that the UFC will try and portray.
Matt Serra received his title shot after winning season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter and won the Welterweight belt in April after upsetting George St. Pierre at UFC 69. Matt Hughes hasn’t fought since UFC 68 in March when he defeated Chris Lytle. So, both fighters are enjoying one of the longest layoffs the UFC has had between title defenses and neither will have an excuse not to be prepared.
Matt Hughes has been a champion before for quite a while and knows what a it takes to win a title. Matt Serra is a newly crowned champion who has that never say die attitude that allowed him to upset GSP. For me, this fight doesn’t hold much interest and I can’t really pick a winner so I’m declaring this one a draw. I don’t have an opinion either way; I’m just waiting for St. Pierre to come back and claim the title in early 2008.
Lightweight
Current Champion: Sean Sherk
Next Fight: TBD
The Lightweight division really is in a state of flux. Sean Sherk is only the second person to every hold the UFC lightweight title, and as of now it appears he will be unceremoniously stipped of his title due to testing positive for a banned substance. Will the UFC have an interim lightweight title fight before the end of the year? If they do, who will fight for the title? These are questions we are all waiting for answers on.
What are your thoughts. Which current champions will be champion entering 2008 and which current contenders will become champion?
