UFC Heavyweights top 10 ranking

http://uk.ufc.com/news/Ratings-Breakdown-Heavyweights-Feb-2013

well does anyone agree? Not sure how JDS is number 1 in the rankings when it looks incredibly unlikely he will get an immediate rematch with Velasquez, if he's not the champ and not the number 1 contender how can he be the number 1 heavyweight? Surprised Werdum is No.2 but happy for him, however again should he lose to Big Nog on TUF Brazil he won't be in the title picture. My personal favourite Frank Mir is ranked No.5, which is cool as I didn't think he'd make the top 5 after his loss to JDS but he technically is 3-4 of his last four fights, if he can beat Cormier than maybe a fight with Velasquez isn't out of the question, but I don't think he'll win the title again. Overroid is at 6 after his embarrassing loss to Big Foot, think he'll need to beat some top 5 contenders to get a title shot now. However, I really thought Struve would have been ranked higher than 9th, especially as Nelson is No.8.

I don't know what to think really, I see what you're saying re JDS but who would you put ahead of him? Until the loss to Cain he'd strung together a pretty decent run of wins & winning with a lot to spare. Werdum above Reem who he's already lost to? Cormier was strikeforce champ but really he's only got Silva on his record. I think I would have Nelson over Struve because he's fought at a higher level & has the equaliser, will be interesting to see how Struve progresses this year. All in all a little confusing but I'd find it hard to do a my own top 10 without the odd contradiction and umming & ahhing afterwards. How would you have it?

agree sohotnot it's a tough call, I'm not sure how I'd order it differently but I do think the next match up for JDS should be Overeem! If Overeem was only one fight away from a title shot and JDS is the former heavyweight champion, then put them together! If JDS isn't going to get an immediate rubber match who is he to face? Antonio Silva? rematch with Werdum should he beat Big Nog? Winner of Mir v Cormier? If it's Mir I doubt that will be an attractive match up as the first fight was so one sided. In my mind, Overeem is the most logical choice, he would have won his fight with Silva had he not got KO'd and his record is still impressive, only his second loss in 6 years. Besides Overeem is arguably the best kick-boxer in the heavyweight division and JDS arguably the best boxer. Stylistically it would be very interesting.

Yes JDS vs Reem makes sense, with maybe the winner to fight Silva in an eliminator winner to fight Cain. I don't see Silva walking straight into a Cain fight. Defo best boxer vs best kickboxer, should be a stand up fight.

definitely not, Silva was the underdog against Overeem and was losing emphatically, besides he got annihilated by Cain in their first fight so Silva still has a lot to prove before he gets a title fight; one upset doesn't make a No.1 contender. It's clear Overeem wants big money fights and feels he deserves them, which is why I think he underestimated Big Foot; it was the age old mistake of looking past your opponent. I think Overeem would take the JDS fight even though it would be dangerous because he knows a win over JDS would be a huge statement and a massive scalp on his record, the perfect come-back fight.

talkingpoint wrote:definitely not, Silva was the underdog against Overeem and was losing emphatically, besides he got annihilated by Cain in their first fight so Silva still has a lot to prove before he gets a title fight; one upset doesn't make a No.1 contender. It's clear Overeem wants big money fights and feels he deserves them, which is why I think he underestimated Big Foot; it was the age old mistake of looking past your opponent. I think Overeem would take the JDS fight even though it would be dangerous because he knows a win over JDS would be a huge statement and a massive scalp on his record, the perfect come-back fight.

I think that cuts both ways. Lets remember that Reem was being talked about being an opponent for JDS before he got his ban & then before JDS lost. Also JDS was up for that fight, made a few remarks about Reem, I think he fancied his chances & more so after the Silva loss.

I expect JDS would snap up a fight with Overeem, I think JDS has quicker hands than Overeem and definitely has better cardio. However, I don't think it would stay on the feet, Overeem took Silva down and spent almost the entire second round trying to work his G&P game, plus Overeem has a surprising amount of submissions on his record for a 'pure' striker. Plus Overeem will no doubt want to test JDS' ground game that was shown wanting against Velasquez. What is certain is that Overeem would respect JDS' striking ability far more than Lesnar or Silva's.

[quote="talkingpoint"]I expect JDS would snap up a fight with Overeem, I think JDS has quicker hands than Overeem and definitely has better cardio. However, I don't think it would stay on the feet, Overeem took Silva down and spent almost the entire second round trying to work his G&P game, plus Overeem has a surprising amount of submissions on his record for a 'pure' striker. Plus Overeem will no doubt want to test JDS' ground game that was shown wanting against Velasquez. What is certain is that Overeem would respect JDS' striking ability far more than Lesnar or Silva's. [/quote]

You'd certainly hope so after last weekend! I have to say i do find JDS a little one dimensional, which I've said before, he was really found wanting in the Cain fight. He has said himself he doesn't look to change anything, striking is what he does & well. But his ground game let him down big time. Brown belt BJJ under big Nog means nothing if you never use it, which he hadn't previously, or is ineffective as was shown against Cain. Must say tho I like JDS, comes across down to earth & likeable where as Reem I find arrogant, ignorant & humurless.

absolutely agree about Reem, part of me wanted Silva to violently knock him out just to teach him a lesson, which is precisely what happened so in a way I'm glad he lost. I do think though that Overeem has more to offer and had he taken the fight more seriously (or not gassed as much by the third round as he did) then things could have finished differently. What surprised me the most about Overeem though in the Silva fight was how strong Silva looked absorbing Overeem's punishment, compared to how he overpowered Brock and the hellacious beating Cain gave Silva I was expecting Silva to sustain far more damage. Silva though, just seemed to walk through Overeem's shots, which I think gave Overeem some anxiety going into the third round.

JDS is arrogant in his own though however, his honesty about wanting to keep the fight on the feet and use his boxing has finally back fired on him, it's why guys like Rampage Jackson's careers have fizzled out because they become too one dimensional and can't seem to adapt to new challenges. JDS will want to come back and get another KO to put his loss behind him and secure the rubber match with Velasquez but he definitely needs to be prepared to use his BJJ in the octagon when necessary.

Reem definitely isn't finished, his arrogance, poor defense & quite possibly his cardio lost him that fight. Also we have to remember Reem isn't naturally a big guy like some of the other HW's, Silva is & Silva is a tough guy, yes Cain took him apart because he's a better fighter but that guy can take a beating & has a lot of heart. He also kept his hands up & covered well & when he did let the hands go at the end of the 2nd he had success & I think this spooked Reem a bit & gave Silva a massive confidence boost. Silva made some interesting comments about Reem & his heart & that he's a great on top fighter but not so when the tables are turned. Check out some of his defeats in Pride. He's never been that hard to hit either.

I agree, Silva began to make a comeback at the end of the second and I think he hurt Overeem. I think there was a little bit of pride in Overeem as he came out in the third that he didn't want to show Silva had hit him harder than he was anticipating and got dragged into a brawl and everyone knows what happened next.

Personally
1 Cain
2 JDS
3 Cormier
4 Werdum
5 Bigfoot
6 Mir
7 Struve
8 Reem
9 Big Nog
10 Barnett
11 Nelson
12 Hunt
13 Browne
14 Carwin
15 Kongo

I agree that carwin shouldn't be in the top 10, he's too inactive and has lost his last two fights.

I think match up wise I'd book the following fights:

Velasquez (c) v Werdum*

winner of Mir/Cormier v Antonio Silva title eliminator

JDS v Overeem

loser of Mir/Cormier v Struve** - for Struve to be in title contention he has to beat a top 5 fighter

* should Werdum beat Big Nog
** should Struve beat Mark Hunt

sohotnot wrote:Reem definitely isn't finished, his arrogance, poor defense & quite possibly his cardio lost him that fight. Also we have to remember Reem isn't naturally a big guy like some of the other HW's, Silva is & Silva is a tough guy, yes Cain took him apart because he's a better fighter but that guy can take a beating & has a lot of heart. He also kept his hands up & covered well & when he did let the hands go at the end of the 2nd he had success & I think this spooked Reem a bit & gave Silva a massive confidence boost. Silva made some interesting comments about Reem & his heart & that he's a great on top fighter but not so when the tables are turned. Check out some of his defeats in Pride. He's never been that hard to hit either.

you got that right, he a very big through unatural causes and was nice to see the overroid being knocked out

compelling and rich wrote:

sohotnot wrote:Reem definitely isn't finished, his arrogance, poor defense & quite possibly his cardio lost him that fight. Also we have to remember Reem isn't naturally a big guy like some of the other HW's, Silva is & Silva is a tough guy, yes Cain took him apart because he's a better fighter but that guy can take a beating & has a lot of heart. He also kept his hands up & covered well & when he did let the hands go at the end of the 2nd he had success & I think this spooked Reem a bit & gave Silva a massive confidence boost. Silva made some interesting comments about Reem & his heart & that he's a great on top fighter but not so when the tables are turned. Check out some of his defeats in Pride. He's never been that hard to hit either.

you got that right, he a very big through unatural causes and was nice to see the overroid being knocked out

There's no shortage of him getting floored, ko'd or submitted throughout his career whether it be kickboxing or mma & for all the promotions, strikeforce aside, that he fought for! He is clearly a pretty decent fighter whose reasonably well rounded with decent power, but I do think he has been hyped up & that the UFC were looking to make him their next big thing & poster boy. His physic along with his previous title wins make him a bit of a marketers dreams, provided he stops getting ko'd.

I think his KO to Big Foot was a huge embarrassment for the UFC - they blatently wanted the big money fight between him and Velasquez. I think they genuinely wanted him to take Silva apart like Cain had or like Overeem did against Lesnar so that they'd be able to put a great highlight reel package together to promote the title fight. Well that went for a burton...