Professional mixed martial artists are the physically toughest men on the planet. Many (most) of them have had difficult upbringings, but this has changed in recent years, due to the fact that the sport has gone more mainstream. But something always keeps my attention whenever I see a one sided fight: the heart of the man getting bested. So many times in a fight have I seen a fighter who has no hope of winning simply stay in there when he could so easily opt out of the contest. Is it pride that keeps him going? Is it the prospect of money? Maybe it is the simple drive that exists within all of us as humans to simply persevere.

Fight Nights: A necessary 'Meh'

So I'm sitting here early in the morning on my living room couch, and I had a positive thought. What the UFC is doing with its free fight nights on Spike TV is fantastic for the future of the organization. It is providing exposure for the lesser known (oftentimes younger) fighters whom UFC President Dana White hopes will one day become pay per view draws. The last fight night's main event was Joe Lauzon vs 23 year old Jeremy Stephens. While neither fighter at 155lbs is a huge draw as of early 2009, they both have a bright future in the UFC.

My eyes usually don't widen very much when I scan over the advertisement of a fight night as I'm flipping through the channels on my television. But I now realize that these solid, but lesser named fight cards are a necessary exercise. They showcase the most eager of the UFC's talents, and give each up and comer a chance to make a name for himself. Take Cain Velasquez, for example. Many sources insist that this 6'4 240lb heavyweight is the future of the division. He fought on the other night's card, and appeared to be obsessed with putting up a stunning victory. While he WAS the dominating fighter in his bout, Velasquez was unable to close the deal in such an explosive manner. These young guys know that the quick road to victory in the UFC is through shock and awe. Houston Alexander was never as talented a fighter as Lyoto Machida in the Light Heavyweight division, but because of a few jaw-splitting knockouts he recieved the fast track to stardom. Meanwhile, Machida has won 6 straight fights and remains not the number 1 contender in the division. Most of Machida's fights have been less than entertaining. The average fan wants brutal action, so unfortunately pretty knockouts must take precedent over deservedness. Isn't that always the way?

Lets Play Monopoly

I sat down this morning to eat breakfast, and read a few posts on a MMA forum. The topic was, "Would MMA be better with only one organization?" The creator posed a scenario where the Ultimate Fighting Championship would aquire all other promotion's fighters. The likes of such promotions as Afflicition, Dream, Strikeforce, and Elite XC would give up, and we would have a single enormous association akin to the NFL. There were two sides to the argument: One group stated that having one organization would allow for the most talented fighters in the world to be matched up without any hesitation. The other view, however, argues that allowing for only one organization would be a license for the UFC to charge ridiculous ticket, viewing, and merchandising prices. They simply state that the envelope would not be pushed, and a monopolizing situation would be taking place. While I can see the positives associated with both sides of the dispute, I can't help but feel that this issue does not need to be solved: the fans win either way!

If things were to continue as they are, different associations of mixed martial arts would stay creative with their events, crown new champions, hype their best fighters, and give the fans multiple perspectives on a young sport. When the time came for a cross promotion event, the hype would be epic. When the UFC and PrideFc first unified their titles in 2007, the hype for each melting pot of a card was unprecedented. If Affliction and the UFC were to currently market their fighters effectively, and then setup a mega card, a repeat scenario could occur. Wouldn't that be worth settling for multiple organizations? Another positive in which would stem from a multiple organization scenario lies with the situations of the fighters themselves. More options for a fighter to choose from means more happy (and wealthy) athletes. If you don't like the treatment of one promotion, why not pursue a contract with another? This scenario would never be possible in a monopolizing situation.

On the other hand, if the UFC was to gain the resources of all other leagues, the fans would have definitive answers to several questions: who is the best, who would win against whom, and who is washed up. The fighters would be able to start a union to secure a set of rights, taking away the need for employer options. The fans would also be treated to more multitudes of fight cards, since fighters can't only compete once a year. Traditionally in the world of sports these titan organizations have done quite well. Who could argue with the NBA, NFL, and MLB's dominance in each of their fields? Would anyone argue that those organizations never "push the envelope?" But MMA isn't a traditional sport. For this reason, I question whether classic themes should be cut and pasted. I don't, however, doubt that the fans will win either way.

Pound for Pound.

Well then...its my first post, and there are a variety of ways I could kick this thing off. I find that the most pressing matter to attend to in the current world of MMA is the question: "who is the greatest pound for pound fighter in the world right now?" Pound for pound is a term used by MMA fans to describe the proportional talent of a fighter for his own body weight. It is often used in sentences like: "Damn Sherk is a dominant 155'er, and pound for pound one of the most talented fighters on the planet!" What usually makes a fighter highly positioned in the P4P rankings are the following criteria:

- He is dominant in his weight class
- He has beaten a considerable amount of top level competition relatively RECENTLY
- He has few losses on his career record
- His talent has allowed him to fight/would allow him to fight at a higher or lower weight class and be competitive.
- Any combination of the above, or a considerable amount of any of the above.



So who are our candidates as of late?

Fedor Emelianenko- "The Russian Experiment" has always vied for the number one spot on most P4P lists, but was previously questionable due to his relaxed schedule and lack of top competition. His recent destruction of Tim Sylvia (a former UFC champion) and KO of the well rounded Andrei Arlovski (another former UFC champ) has brought him back into strong contention, however. Fedor is a Heavyweight fighter who stands 6'0 tall and weighs 230lbs, and is a member of the organization known as Affliction. As a small heavyweight (the weight limit for a heavyweight is 265lbs), Fedor has consistently clobbered all of his heavier, taller, shorter, and more muscular foes to create a 29-1 record. He was a long time PrideFc champion and is the current World Alliance MMA champion. His only loss was actually a DQ due to an illegal elbow, but it was recorded as a loss because of the tournament format. Fedor has incredible power in his hands, is faster than most welterweights, and has some of the most brutal ground and pound in the entire sport. He also has great takedowns and submissions due to his Sambo background.

Anderson Silva- Another strong contender for the P4P top spot is the 23-4 UFC middleweight champion. Anderson has won 8 fights in a row in the UFC, however presides over a lackluster division of middleweights. Recently Anderson defeated Patrick Cote due to a blown out knee, a light heavyweight in James Irvin, and the always challenging Dan Henderson. All of his fights have been dominating performances of elegant striking, skull crushing muay thai, and on the ground he is a jiu jitsu black belt.

Georges St. Pierre- A final top contender for the P4P champion is the champion of the UFC's most talented division, the welterweights. St. Pierre has the best wrestling in MMA and defeated another great P4P fighter in BJ Penn on January 29. With a record of 18-2, Georges is on a 5 fight win streak against top level competition. There are even talks of him moving up in weight to fight Anderson Silva very soon. He has developed as a fighter in the past few years and not only wins in the most talented division of MMA in the world, but dominates in it.

AND THE WINNER?

Fedor Emelianenko- Fedor routinely fights guys whom have a 35lb or more weight advantage, and has fought top level competition lately. He has never truly lost and has fought all of the greatest fighters of every dicipline. If St. Pierre or Silva wish to take this crown from him, they would each have to fight men who were routinely heavier and just as talented as those Fedor has fought. Oh, and wait. Fedor would have to actually LOSE as well. I say good luck with that one...