A look at future free agents the UFC should consider signing
In 2010, the Ultimate Fighting Championship acquired several quality free agents to further bulk up their super-stacked roster. In addition to signing prospects like Charles Oliveira and Edson Barboza, the UFC managed to bring already established stars like Takanori Gomi and Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto into the organization.
Plus, due to the WEC merger that occurred at the end of the year the UFC now has two new weight classes and enough lightweight fighters to invade a third world country with. As we enter the year 2011, let’s take a look at a couple of fighters that the UFC should look to negotiate with.
Fighters currently under contract with Strikeforce and Bellator will not be mentioned unless we believe they will get out of their contracts this year and jump ship to the UFC. Unfortunately, Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem are not likely to do that.
Hatsu Hioki
Hatsu Hioki
Hatsu Hioki (MMA record: 23-4-2)
If UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is as dominant in 2011 as he was in 2010, with their current roster, the organization will run out of formidable challengers for the Brazilian. The UFC recently re-signed top ranked Michihiro Omigawa which proves that they are already on the prowl for elite featherweight talent.
Sengoku featherweight champion Hioki could help bolster the UFC’s 145lb division significantly. The Japanese fighter brings to the table everything that the UFC brass looks for in a fighter. He’s rarely ever in a boring fight and always looks for the finish. The Shooto veteran is also a top-ranked competitor that has beaten some of the toughest fighters out there, most recently defeating Marlon Sandro.
Marlon Sandro (MMA record: 17-2)
Much like his Nova Uniao training partner Aldo, Sandro is a devastating knockout artist with surprising power for a fighter of his size. Competing in both the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, Sandro is a BJJ black belt that prefers to demolish his victims standing.
His only career losses were to the aforementioned Omigawa and Hioki in Sengoku. Sandro has beaten all of his other opponents, mostly by way of vicious knockout. Chances are he won’t ever fight Aldo due to the bond they share as training partners. Still, he would be an exciting addition to the featherweight roster and possibly a title threat if he chose to compete at bantamweight.
Gunnar Nelson (MMA record: 8-0-1)
The UFC’s welterweight division is in desperate need of a shake up. Georges St. Pierre has essentially cleaned out the division dominating the best fighters that the weight class has to offer at the moment. Those very same title contenders (Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, B.J Penn, and Thiago Alves) are beating the rest of the welterweight talent, leaving St. Pierre with few challengers.
Zuffa should look to find a talented young 170 pound prospect, a welterweight version of Jon Jones, that they can build up. That’s where Nelson comes in. This 22 year old Icelandic fighter holds a BJJ black belt under the legendary Renzo Gracie. His grappling credentials are absolutely outstanding for a competitor of his age and he’s also technically sound on his feet.
Masakatsu Ueda (MMA record: 11-1-2)
UFC President Dana White has constantly discussed his intention to sign the best fighters in the world. Well, former Shooto world champion Ueda fits that description to a tee and would be a massive addition to the newly established bantamweight division.
A collegiate wrestler in Japan, Ueda has flown under the radar for too long. He has spent his entire career competing in Japan and, aside from two draws and a loss to Shuichiro Katsumura, he has won every single time. Surely Ueda would jump at the chance to test himself against top ranked bantamweights such as Urijah Faber, Miguel Torres and Dominick Cruz.
Yoshiro Maeda (MMA record: 28-9-2)
Most fans remember Maeda for his incredible battle with Miguel Torres for the WEC bantamweight title at WEC 34. He’s not a top ranked fighter by any means—going 5-4 since that bout—but he’s an incredibly exciting competitor nonetheless. Maeda’s current two fight win streak should be more than enough momentum to earn him a new Zuffa contract.
Vitor Vianna (MMA record: 10-1-1)
Vianna is the star pupil of MMA legend Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva. He is a two-time world Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion and a six-time National jiu-jitsu champion in Brazil. In addition to his grappling prowess, Vianna is also a dangerous striker with vicious punching power similar to his mentor Silva.
Vianna tried out for The Ultimate Fighter 13 so there is a very good chance he will compete on the reality series, especially if Silva ends up coaching.
Yuri Villefort (MMA record: 6-0)
Villefort is another young prospect that could make waves in the UFC’s welterweight division. The American Top Team product is a truly refined mixed martial artist. His standup ability seems to be his strongest asset but he is also very capable on the ground and in the clinch. The unbeaten welterweight is improving at a rapid rate and would be a wise signing for the UFC.
Mayhem Miller
Mayhem Miller
Jason “Mayhem” Miller (24-7)
As it stands, Miller is contractually obligated to Strikeforce, but something tells me that won’t last the entire year. Call it a bold prediction but I believe “Mayhem” will get out of his contract before the summer and will re-sign with the UFC almost immediately. Miller has voiced his frustrations with Strikeforce publically before, and UFC President Dana White recently expressed interest in signing the Bully Beatdown star.
Dave Herman (20-2)
When it comes to the heavyweight division there are two fighters that fans want to see in the UFC more than anyone else; Emelianenko and Overeem. Unfortunately, we probably have a better chance of seeing Rosie O’Donnell do a front flip than ever seeing those two fighters in the Octagon.
There is one heavyweight, however, that would be in the realm of possibility for the UFC to sign and his name is “Peewee” Herman. Don’t be fooled by his ridiculous nickname, Herman is a beast who started his career off with 15 consecutive stoppages. The Lloyd Irvin trained fighter could certainly make some waves if giving the chance to fight in the world’s premier MMA organization.
Jonas Billstein (9-0)
Billstein is a 19 year old prodigy with eight stoppage wins to his name. Fighting out of Cologne, Germany, Billstein could be a valuable asset to the UFC as they look to expand their German audience. Some might argue that he’s far too young to fight on the big stage, but I disagree entirely. The light heavyweight prospect already has nine professional victories on his record. That’s more than most fighters twice his age had in their first few bouts. Plus, bantamweight prospect Michael McDonald is the same age and he’s fighting for the UFC.
Chris Weidman (MMA record: 4-0)
A product of the Serra-Longo fight team on Long Island, NY, Weidman is the most promising middleweight prospect in MMA entering 2011. A former wrestling coach at Hofstra University, Weidman was a former two-time NJCAA and two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler prior to entering the sport and holds a wrestling win over UFC light heavyweight contender Ryan Bader.
His phenomenal athleticism and superb wrestling base make him a handful for any fighter in the division. He could be a future champion and if he isn’t signed to a UFC contract this year he will get there with time.
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