Big Nasty’s Fight Club

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MMA | 2 Comments

The Big Nasty Athletic Dept. introduces an annual tradition designed to put you on notice.  Big Nasty’s Fight Club will be an annual list of five fighters, one from each weight class from lightweight to heavyweight, who we feel are set to make a major impact on the ever-growing sport of MMA in the coming months.

There are only two ground rules to Big Nasty’s Fight Club:

1.  Members cannot be current champions with their current promotion.

2.  Members cannot be former champions with their current promotion.

Keep in mind that the ‘possible future opponents’ do not include fights already scheduled that have not yet happened.

Heavyweight: Cain Velasquez (#7 Heavyweight on Sherdog.com)

Cain Velasquez seems to be on the precipice of super stardom as he gets set to face off against the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110, yet this is a heavyweight who we’ve liked for a while.  After two decisive victories over notable heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Ben Rothwell, where he and his fists served as a painful welcoming committee for Rothwells’ UFC Debut, Velasquez’ mix of wrestling and striking have proven to be extremely dangerous and nobody has been able to figure him out to this point.

Velasquez’ growth in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (where he is currently a purple belt), will only serve him well going forward as proficient Jiu-Jitsu fighters tend to thrive in the octagon in all weight classes.

The Heavyweight division in the UFC, once beleaguered by injury and devoid of top-notch competition, has begun to take form as of late with a handful of capable top contenders such as Frank Mir, Shane Carwin, and the above mentioned Cain Velasquez.  Velasquez can be the next great heavyweight with all that he brings to a fight.  His potential is seemingly endless, and he is sure receive a shot at The UFC Heavyweight title before the end of 2010.

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Light Heavyweight: Jon “Bones” Jones (Currently unranked on Sherdog.com)

Possibly our favorite fighter on this list, Jon Bones Jones is the stick of knockout dynamite that makes Dana White hard.  His scintillating style, equipped with a dangerous mix of lethal Muay Thai strikes and effective wrestling, have quickly made him one of the more feared fighters in The UFC.

Jones’ recent fight, resulting in his first loss (by disqualification) against UFC vet Matt Hammill, was easily and ironically his most impressive performance.  In that fight, at The UFC Ultimate Fighter Finale, Jones was moments away from completing his destruction of Hammill when he was disqualified for throwing an illegal elbow.

Once Jon Jones can gain full control of his aggressive, high-energy, full-throttle attack, he will be on a rocket to the top of the light heavyweight division as the most feared striker in the UFC.  Jones’ next fight against Brandon Vera should be the prototypical strikers delight that draws eyeballs and ratings, which will only help Jones going forward should he be victorious against his fellow Muay Thai combatant.

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Middleweight: Demian Maia (#5 Middleweight on Sherdog.com)

Maia’s been on our radar for quite some time as a ‘fighter to watch’, and although we do feel that being named Anderson Silva’s next challenger for the middleweight championship, after Vitor Belfor’s injury, is premature we have not been scared off of the Demian Maia bandwagon.

This 4-time UFC Submission of the Night award winner is quite possibly the best pure Jui-Jitsu fighter in all of the UFC, and his superior submission game makes him dangerous from multiple positions, not just on his back which is the case with most fighters who are well versed in Brazilian Jui-Jitsu.

Demian Maia needs to improve his striking, especially from his southpaw stance, if he wants to make the transition into the elite group of fighters.  Many fighters will respect Maia’s Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, and will not gameplan to take a fight with the tournament-tested 2nd degree black belt to the ground.  If Maia continues to improve his striking ability, he will not need to rely as much on his avoidable (a term that can now be used loosely) submissions.  If that becomes the case, watch out.

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Welterweight: Jon Fitch (#2 Welterweight on Sherdog.com)

Many would be surprised to learn that Jon Fitch is the #2 Welterweight in The UFC.  In my eyes, Jon Fitch is the most underrated fighter in all of MMA.  Fitch gave GSP about all he could handle at UFC 87, and has not lost a fight since.

With an impressive 21-3 record, Fitch should be the logical next choice to challenge pound-for-pound King George St. Pierre in a rematch of their UFC 87 slugfest.  Fitch is a tough, durable fighter and to me is the only welterweight who could give GSP a legitimate challenge at this point.

Many are down on Fitch because he doesn’t possess the flash and excitement of an Anderson Silva, not to mention the fact that his last five victorious have gone to the tables, but his toughness is second to none and is a contributing factor his superior win-loss record.

Jon Fitch’s unique specialty in Guerrilla Jui-Jitsu has made him a match up nightmare for opponents, and has even prevailed over Brazilian Jui-Jitsu opponents such as Paulo Thiago and Diego Sanchez.

Jon Fitch will get the respect he deserves sooner than later as talent can only be denied for so long.  Before Dana White tries to negotiate what seems to be an inevitable superfight between Anderson Silva and George St. Pierre, he might want to take another look at the welterweight division and consider a hungry Jon Fitch.

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Lightweight: Kenny Florian (#4 Lightweight on Sherdog.com)

Ken-Flo’s stock may have fallen after he became yet another victim of B.J. Penn, but for what it’s worth, we feel that he is the best Lightweight fighter not named B.J. Penn.

We’ll admit, the lightweight division in The UFC has become somewhat of a lame-duck division with B.J. Penn reigning supreme, however Kenny Florian continues to grow in it and we think his disheartening loss to Penn at UFC 101 could be good for him.

Kenny Florian just may be the greatest executor of the rear-naked choke that I’ve ever seen, and with a solid striking game to go with his superior submission attack, Florian should continue to excel in the lightweight division and perhaps earn a rematch with B.J. Penn that could shock the world.

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