UK FIGHTERS FIRE UP THE WW DIVISION (article)

 

UK Fighters Fire Up the Welterweight Division


Posted by Dallas Winston | UFC | Monday 5 October 2009 12:36 pm


Dan Hardy and Paul Daley copy


It was not too long ago that we were forced to settle for the mediocre news that Mike Swick would be fighting Martin Kampmann to determine the #1 contender in a division owned in full by champion Georges St. Pierre.  The softspoken Canadian blew through everyone in sight, going 11-1 after his first career loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 50, suffering only one uncharacteristic hiccup against TUF-winner Matt Serra along the way.   For the most part, he cleaned house when it counted.


The chase for the title at 170 seemed somewhat bleak as both Swick and Kampmann are newcomers after being derailed at middleweight, and neither fighter effectively established themselves as entirely convincing threats to GSP’s throne; their announced extraction as the best candidates to do battle for a crack at GSP left fans with a fairly deflated sense of anticipation.  It’s important to note that the UFC’s WW division suffers from no lack of talent.  In fact, it is ridiculously deep and teeming with scrappy, hungry fighters (Condit, Johnson, Kim, Ellenberger, Hazelett, Saunders, Howard, etc.) who represent the next generation of welterweights as yesterday’s familiar faces (Hughes, Sanchez, Trigg, Sherk, etc.) have faded out of focus.



Full article at The Garv.com


Daley and Hardy atop the WW division?? lol, no chance in hell.

It's true. Good representation of UK fighters in both the LW and WW divisions.

When Hardy beats Swick the above duo will have taken out the top two previous contenders.

^^and would still be eaten alive by any wrestler/bjj player in the UFC save for Hughes.

da Vinci 81 - Daley and Hardy atop the WW division?? lol, no chance in hell.


 yeah, lol indeed. they have both looked AWFUL in the octagon, especially that time when.... oh wait

da Vinci 81 - ^^and would still be eaten alive by any wrestler/bjj player in the UFC save for Hughes.


 Your first comment was already addressed, but to reiterate, it is an inarguable fact that Swick x Kampmann was to determine a shot at GSP.  Daley destroyed Kampmann, and now Hardy is facing Swick.  If Hardy beats Swick, there's no question that he and Daley will be amongst the prime candidates to contest for the belt.  (I've not neglected to mention Fitch, Alves, and Koscheck as top 170 fighters, but they're all a couple of wins away from another shot).



As for your thought that they will be "eaten alive by any wrestler/bjj player in the UFC save for Hughes", who would that be?  The only wrestlers are Fitch and Kos (maybe throw in Anthony Johnson) and the only pure sub guys are Hazelett and Paulo Thiago.  Although all of those fighters represent a difficult match-up for Hardy and Daley stylistically, I don't think I would write it off as an easy win for any of them.

It doesn't matter Daley took out Kampmann and Hardy is fighting Swick, both of them are far too one-dimensional(Daley moreso than Hsrdy).

And maybe not strictly wrestler or sub guys, but ground guys in general will give both of them huge problems. Off the top of my head in the UFC: hazelett, thiago, condit, fitch, kos, johnson, ellenberger, parisyan, almeida, larson.

da Vinci 81 - It doesn't matter Daley took out Kampmann and Hardy is fighting Swick, both of them are far too one-dimensional(Daley moreso than Hsrdy).



And maybe not strictly wrestler or sub guys, but ground guys in general will give both of them huge problems. Off the top of my head in the UFC: hazelett, thiago, condit, fitch, kos, johnson, ellenberger, parisyan, almeida, larson.


 I don't entirely disagree, but regardless of the *potential" fighters that could cause them problems, the UFC marketing machine has them at the top of the heap for welterweight contenders.  No one you mentioned is even included in the discussion for the next shot at GSP, besides Kos and Fitch, who are several fights away from another crack at him.



I appreciate the discussion though.  And the point of the article was not that they're the best fighters, but that they are very high in the running for #1 contender.


fiercedragon - imo, condit gives both hardy and semtex fits...


 I agree completely.  Condit also gave Kampmann fits, just like Ellenberger gave Condit fits, and Ellenberger would probably give Daley and Hardy fits, etc.



170 is a fucking exciting and stacked division right now.

Uncle Justice = VTFU

 Yeah, The WW div really needed to be fired up....I'm not saying these fighters can't fight, but one's biggest win is Marcus Davis and the other will just retire at the drop of a hat.

Daley & Hardy are both real good...but coming storming out of the very same camp is "Judo" Jimmy Wallhead....it's criminal that he's not in the UFC...he's like an angry British GSP...with added knock out power.

JCMcGee - Daley & Hardy are both real good...but coming storming out of the very same camp is "Judo" Jimmy Wallhead....it's criminal that he's not in the UFC...he's like an angry British GSP...with added knock out power.


ufc will probably sign wallhead after he beats che mills next month

staggeryou - Uncle Justice = VTFU


 Thank you, sir.