UFC did a good job doing what they do, wanted to see Tybura, Volkov, Ivanov, and Pavlovich get signed a they got them.
Many of the fighters are at the end of their career but some interesting HW fights coming up over the next few months:
DC Lewis
Pavlovich Overeem
Blaydes Ngannou
JDS Tuivasa
Hunt Willis
Mir Ayala
Copeland Lins
Crocop vs Jiri NYE maybe
Fedor Bader
Minakov vs Kharitonov maybe
May god be with the reem
Almost forgot…
Kiril Sidelnikov vs Adam Keresh
These are among the last few fights for DC, Overeem, Hunt, Mir, Crocop, Fedor and Kharitonov.
Those dudes collected a lot of gold over the past twenty years.
Talking Strikeforce GP, Strikeforce HW, DREAM HW, UFC LHW and HW, K1 GP, Rizin GP, PRIDE GP, PRIDE HW,
Crazy Fedor, Kharitonov, and Minakov never got to compete in the UFC.
People forget, Kharitonov has wins over Overeem, Werdum, Arlovski, Schilt and Rizzo.
Fedor, Kharitonov, and Minakov would have changed UFC HW history greatly.
You can tell a difference between old school fighters and new school....since that Ngannou knock out Overeem has stayed active where as these new school fighters will a take a year off from a t(ko)
Updated
DC Lewis
Pavlovich Overeem
Blaydes Ngannou
JDS Tuivasa
Hunt Willis
Kiril Sidelnikov vs Adam Keresh
Mir Ayala
Copeland Lins
Arlovski vs Harris
Crocop vs Jiri NYE maybe
Fedor Bader
Minakov vs Kharitonov maybe
I’ll be honest, Overeem, Hunt, Mir, Crocop, Fedor, Arlovski and Kharitonov being past their prime makes these upcoming HW fights much less interesting than it would otherwise be. I few their current fights as retirement fights even if its not their last “last fight”, because MMA retirements are like that.
DC said he thinks Cain returns in a pre-fight interview this week and now this…
Josh Gross
?Verified account @yay_yee
On @GPBPodcast, Javier Mendez said Cain Velasquez has been healthy for a year and is working on a new deal with the UFC. He is antsy to see Cain fight soon.
Cain is only 14-2 and only 36, he has been out two years, if he returns healthy I can’t see Blaydes, Ngannou, Lewis, Volkov, the shoey kid, etc… having anything for him. USADA took out Werdum. Overeem is done.
Pavlovich and Ivanov are gonna be top UFC HWs but not sure if they have anything for a healthy Cain.
With health, no reason Cain can’t return and dominate the current field of HW’s.
Would be cool to see him return on DC’s retirement card.
Minakov returning to Bellator and Cain returning to UFC is pretty a pretty big deal for the 2018 HW scene.
Kharitonov in Bellator and JDS back and Pavlovich and Ivanov in UFC breathes some life back into the division.
If Derrick Lewis captures the UFC HW title he will be one of the most unlikely champions in the history of PRIDE/UFC.
It will be as surprising as alternate Steve Jennum coming in and winning the UFC III tournament after Shamrock and Gracie withdrew with injury.
Interesting to note, Lewis did not have to get past JDS, Stipe, Cain, Werdum, Overeem, etc… and 66% of the people Lewis has fought in the UFC have left the promotion already either via retirement, cut, or left for somewhere else. Tybura and Volkov are his biggest wins and he lost to 2017 Mark Hunt.
Lewis getting a title shot and upsetting DC would be more shocking to me than Serra getting a title shot and upsetting GSP. I know how a punchers chance works at HW but still.
Tell me about this Pavlovich , I know nothing.
Lights Out Lurker -BJ Penn Forever - If Derrick Lewis captures the UFC HW title he will be one of the most unlikely champions in the history of PRIDE/UFC.It will be as surprising as alternate Steve Jennum coming in and winning the UFC III tournament after Shamrock and Gracie withdrew with injury.
Interesting to note, Lewis did not have to get past JDS, Stipe, Cain, Werdum, Overeem, etc… and 66% of the people Lewis has fought in the UFC have left the promotion already either via retirement, cut, or left for somewhere else. Tybura and Volkov are his biggest wins and he lost to 2017 Mark Hunt.
Lewis getting a title shot and upsetting DC would be more shocking to me than Serra getting a title shot and upsetting GSP. I know how a punchers chance works at HW but still.
Do you realize that Derrick Lewis is 9-1 in his last ten fights in the UFC? That is almost impossible to do. He’s ranked #2 in the world. Matt Serra won a contest to fight the champ… Literally like Rocky. There will be no upset bigger than that, maybe there will be bigger odds out there, but Matt Serra had the stars and moons align for that victory. Derrick Lewis earned his title shot more than any UFC Heavyweight in history… LITERALLY
First I’ll just say I think Lewis is a tough fighter and has a likeable personality.
It is not almost impossible to go 9-1 vs the HWs Lewis went 9-1 against.
I realize Lewis has gone 9-1 but he did not have the toughest road to the shot, did not have to beat Werdum, Stipe, Cain, Blaydes, JDS, etc…
That 9-1 includes wins over declining fighters and fighters who never cracked the top 10, good fighters but just being honest.
Nobody saw Lewis going this far when he entered the UFC, nobody raved about his athleticism, his boxing, his kickboxing, his BJJ, his wrestling, how well rounded he is, etc… all the talk about Lewis has been how funny he is on instagram and once in a while his power is acknowledged.
DC would never have taken a short camp after a hand injury vs a Jones, Rumble, Stipe etc…
Serra had to beat Shonnie Carter and Chris Lytle to win that “contest” you mention.
He was already a Renzo black belt who had beaten Ivan Menjivar, Jeff Curran, and Yves Edwards in the UFC and had given BJ Penn, Din Thomas, and Karo Parisyan tough close fights.
To me, Lewis upsetting DC would be more surprising than Serra upsetting GSP.
sanguine cynic - Tell me about this Pavlovich , I know nothing.
Tough HW who depends on boxing and takedown defense mostly. 12-0, 9 KO/TKO’s, 3 decisions.
Been in Fight Nights Global a few years. Has beaten some tough guys like Kudin, Gluhov, Mokhnatkin and Sidelnikov.
"That 9-1 includes wins over declining fighters and fighters who never cracked the top 10, good fighters but just being honest. "
- Lewis's last 3 opponents are currently ranked 4, 5, and 9. He beat them all.
- Before becoming champ, Cormier's last 5 fights at HW were against a group of fighters who one might say were declining:
Maybe at the beginning of 2018 Lewis would have been an "unlikely" champion if he fought for the title and won, but now? I think the guy's legit, even if he isn't well-rounded in MMA terms. He's ranked #2. He's tied for the most KO's in UFC HW history. Other than Stipe getting a rematch, this is arguably the best alternative at HW for a title bout.
BJ Penn Forever -Lights Out Lurker -BJ Penn Forever - If Derrick Lewis captures the UFC HW title he will be one of the most unlikely champions in the history of PRIDE/UFC.It will be as surprising as alternate Steve Jennum coming in and winning the UFC III tournament after Shamrock and Gracie withdrew with injury.
Interesting to note, Lewis did not have to get past JDS, Stipe, Cain, Werdum, Overeem, etc… and 66% of the people Lewis has fought in the UFC have left the promotion already either via retirement, cut, or left for somewhere else. Tybura and Volkov are his biggest wins and he lost to 2017 Mark Hunt.
Lewis getting a title shot and upsetting DC would be more shocking to me than Serra getting a title shot and upsetting GSP. I know how a punchers chance works at HW but still.
Do you realize that Derrick Lewis is 9-1 in his last ten fights in the UFC? That is almost impossible to do. He’s ranked #2 in the world. Matt Serra won a contest to fight the champ… Literally like Rocky. There will be no upset bigger than that, maybe there will be bigger odds out there, but Matt Serra had the stars and moons align for that victory. Derrick Lewis earned his title shot more than any UFC Heavyweight in history… LITERALLY
First I’ll just say I think Lewis is a tough fighter and has a likeable personality.
It is not almost impossible to go 9-1 vs the HWs Lewis went 9-1 against.
I realize Lewis has gone 9-1 but he did not have the toughest road to the shot, did not have to beat Werdum, Stipe, Cain, Blaydes, JDS, etc…
That 9-1 includes wins over declining fighters and fighters who never cracked the top 10, good fighters but just being honest.
Nobody saw Lewis going this far when he entered the UFC, nobody raved about his athleticism, his boxing, his kickboxing, his BJJ, his wrestling, how well rounded he is, etc… all the talk about Lewis has been how funny he is on instagram and once in a while his power is acknowledged.
DC would never have taken a short camp after a hand injury vs a Jones, Rumble, Stipe etc…
Serra had to beat Shonnie Carter and Chris Lytle to win that “contest” you mention.
He was already a Renzo black belt who had beaten Ivan Menjivar, Jeff Curran, and Yves Edwards in the UFC and had given BJ Penn, Din Thomas, and Karo Parisyan tough close fights.
To me, Lewis upsetting DC would be more surprising than Serra upsetting GSP.
Now do you understand why I said a Lewis upset would surprise me more than the Serra upset?
Tug Dabone -"That 9-1 includes wins over declining fighters and fighters who never cracked the top 10, good fighters but just being honest. "
- Lewis's last 3 opponents are currently ranked 4, 5, and 9. He beat them all.
- Before becoming champ, Cormier's last 5 fights at HW were against a group of fighters who one might say were declining:
- Roy Nelson: 4-7 since fighting DC
- Frank Mir: 2-5 since fighting DC
- Dion Staring: 8-7 since fighting DC
- Josh Barnett: 4-2 since fighting DC
- Bigfoot Silva: 3-9 since fighting DC
Maybe at the beginning of 2018 Lewis would have been an "unlikely" champion if he fought for the title and won, but now? I think the guy's legit, even if he isn't well-rounded in MMA terms. He's ranked #2. He's tied for the most KO's in UFC HW history. Other than Stipe getting a rematch, this is arguably the best alternative at HW for a title bout.
Did he look legit tonight?
BJ Penn Forever -Tug Dabone -"That 9-1 includes wins over declining fighters and fighters who never cracked the top 10, good fighters but just being honest. "
- Lewis's last 3 opponents are currently ranked 4, 5, and 9. He beat them all.
- Before becoming champ, Cormier's last 5 fights at HW were against a group of fighters who one might say were declining:
- Roy Nelson: 4-7 since fighting DC
- Frank Mir: 2-5 since fighting DC
- Dion Staring: 8-7 since fighting DC
- Josh Barnett: 4-2 since fighting DC
- Bigfoot Silva: 3-9 since fighting DC
Maybe at the beginning of 2018 Lewis would have been an "unlikely" champion if he fought for the title and won, but now? I think the guy's legit, even if he isn't well-rounded in MMA terms. He's ranked #2. He's tied for the most KO's in UFC HW history. Other than Stipe getting a rematch, this is arguably the best alternative at HW for a title bout.
Did he look legit tonight?
Yes. He just happened to be matched up with the guy I consider the GOAT who combines some of the highest level MMA wrestling with incredible strength, a remarkably high fight IQ, and seemingly limitless reserves of cardio and tenacity. Sort of like how I still think Conor is legit, despite his total domination by Khabib.
Hopefully Cain worked on his Spanish fluency during his two-year hiatus.
BJ Penn Forever - Cain is only 14-2 and only 36, he has been out two years, if he returns healthy I can't see Blaydes, Ngannou, Lewis, Volkov, the shoey kid, etc... having anything for him. USADA took out Werdum. Overeem is done.Pavlovich and Ivanov are gonna be top UFC HWs but not sure if they have anything for a healthy Cain.
With health, no reason Cain can’t return and dominate the current field of HW’s.
Would be cool to see him return on DC’s retirement card.
Usada will be an issue for cain as well… cant do that epo anymore.