The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will be Crowned

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In my opinion, this season of The Ultimate Fighter has been one of the best in years. It has been a historical season for the show because it is the first season that has seen an all female cast and all 16 fighters have already been given contracts into the UFC. To me, this season represents the evolution that MMA has experienced in the last few years. It wasn’t long ago that UFC president Dana White said he would never allow females fighters to fight in the UFC and now, the UFC’s flagship show has inaugurated an all female straw weight division. Every fight on the show was action packed, the fighters got a great amount of exposure, and the female fighters proved that they are here to stay. This week we will get to see a champion crowned at the season finale and I can’t wait.

Where I stand on CM Punk

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CM PUNK

Last night UFC announced that they signed former WWE wrestler CM Punk. This news came as a surprise to fans everywhere, particularly because CM Punk, real name Phil Brooks, has never had an MMA fight in his life. His signing could be compared to an NFL team signing a prospect that never played high school, college, or semi pro football. Most fighters start out in smaller promotions where they struggle hard to make a name for themselves and attempt to compile a winning record before they make their way to the UFC. However, CM Punk has already established his name, it just isn’t in MMA. Does signing a guy with a 0-0 record discredit other fighters who have worked hard as they clawed their way into the UFC? I would imagine some people, especially those fighters feel that way. Does signing a guy like CM Punk devalue the UFC’s product? You would have a hard time convincing me of that. I would argue that the UFC is not only in the business of hosting fights but also provides entertainment. CM Punk was a polarizing figure in the WWE and at the very least he can attract new fans to a sport that is still in its relative infancy. Fighters that share a spot on any fight card with CM Punk would probably get more exposure then they had ever had in their lives. The pay-per-view could draw enormous numbers for the UFC which in turn could allow the UFC to make more money and thus pay fighters larger purses in the future. On top of all of that, it has already been discussed that the UFC wouldn’t pit Phil Brooks against established fighters in the middleweight division. The plan as of right now is to bring guys in with similar experience and allow Brooks to evolve into a UFC caliber fighter. Jason David Frank, more widely known as the Green Ranger from the show Power Rangers, has thrown his name in the hat. Frank is a life long Martial Artist and has some MMA experience. I say make it happen. It would be entertaining at the very least.

Is a comeback for Alistair Overeem possible?

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Three years ago, if you had asked me who I considered to be the best heavyweight in all of MMA, I would have said Alistair Overeem. It wouldn’t have been a popular opinion. Perhaps my opinion was biased, I have always been a big Overeem fan, but at the time, I believed that Overeem made a strong case for the number 1 spot. Now with Alistair Overeem losing 3 of his last 4 fights and scheduled to face Stefan Struve on December 13 at UFC on Fox 13, I can’t help but reflect on Alistair Overeems fall from grace. Where did he go wrong and at this point in his career can he make a comeback?

 

I believe that most people would point to Overeem’s failed drug test as the pivotal moment where everything started going wrong for Overeem and it would be hard to argue otherwise. From November 2007 through 2011, Alistair Overeem moved his way to the top of the heavyweight division. He held the Strikeforce Heavyweight Title, won 11 MMA fights 10 of which he won by KO or submission, compiled a 9 and 2 kickboxing record, and won the K-1 World Grand Prix, the most prestigious title in kickboxing. He closed out 2011 by entering the UFC and defeating Brock Lesnar in round 1 with a vicious body kick. On December 20, 2011, right before his fight with Brock Lesnar, Sherdog.com ranked Alistair Overeem as the number 3 Heavyweight in the world. After defeating Brock Lesnar, UFC scheduled him to face then UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos. It would be the final hurdle Overeem needed to clear in order to claim the top spot in the division. Only the failed drug test derailed the title fight and sent Overeem on a 14 month layoff.

 

After the layoff Overeem hasn’t looked the same. As I previously stated, Overeem’s last 4 fights have resulted in 1 win and 3 losses. All of his losses came via knockout, and UFC president Dana White was not pleased with his performance in his win against Frank Mir. Now Overeem faces another pivotal moment in his career. I believe that a loss to Stefan Struve would make it almost impossible for Overeem to make a run to the top of the division. Right now Overeem is ranked 11 in the division and a loss to Struve would probably see Overeem cut from the UFC. On the other hand a win could definitely set Overeem up to make a title run. Alistair Overeem still possesses the ability to beat anyone in the division and with a he few wins he could definitely put himself back in the title picture. So in my opinion a comeback for Overeem isn’t all that ridiculous. I guess we will have to wait and see this Saturday.