The UFC Heavyweight Division: A Look Ahead
Now that Fedor has signed with the new M-1 and Randy Couture has resigned from the UFC and given up the belt, where does the UFC heavyweight division go from here?
What Should Happen
The UFC should make the Tim Sylvia vs. Brandon Vera fight at UFC 77 a #1 contender matchup. The winner of that fight should get Minotauro Nogueira on the December 29th card for the vacant heavyweight title. If not on December 29th, then make it their January pay per view. Either way, this should be the pecking order now. Winner of Vera/Sylvia gets Nog for the vacant title. The question is how long do they want to keep Nogueira on the shelf? If this situation takes place, it will have been a good five months since he fought.
What I’d Like To See
Whenever there’s a vacant title, I am always one for instituting a Grand Prix. I’d like to see the UFC do this with both the lightweight and the heavyweight titles. Guys don’t have to fight multiple times a night, just string the Grand Prix out over the course of a few events. Of course, this will never happen because Dana hates tournaments. I personally think it’s the only fair way to decide a true champion in the weight class and provides some potentially interesting matchups.
What Will Happen
Does the UFC have any other choice than to make Sylvia vs. Vera a #1 contender fight and have the winner fight Nogueira? Logically that seems like the only option. Of course, the world of mixed martial arts has been defying logic as of late. I don’t see any other option for the UFC to decide a champion than this one, unless they want to make Vera vs. Sylvia for the title on short notice. I doubt they’d do that, though.
Bold Prediction: Brandon Vera will go on a tear in the heavyweight division, beating both Sylvia and Nogueira and will be your new UFC heavyweight champ by year’s end or early 2008.
Adam Morgan is
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Adam, do you see the threat in Dana White’s farewell message to Couture? I’m surprised nobody has written about this yet.
Oh yes, people have talked about it.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/story/2007/10/11/193825/09
Thanks for the link Adam.
Translation: If you decide to fight again, I own your ass, and you will fight under the UFC banner!!!!
I love it.
Huge fan of Vera. He’ll destroy Sylvia. In fact, Vera could hold the 205 title as well, if he moves down.
I agree. You hit this one right on the head
Question: If Randy decides to go to M-1, can he legally do that without the UFC’s approval? If not, is there a way he can get out of the contract?
I think he will have to wait to get out of the contract. Something like 9 months is what I’m hearing.
This week has been a tragedy.
but…
“Bold Prediction: Brandon Vera will go on a tear in the heavyweight division, beating both Sylvia and Nogueira and will be your new UFC heavyweight champ by year’s end or early 2008″
AGREED. WAR TRUTH!
I was in the middle of writing this exact article for your site, Adam…oh well, haha.
At least we are on the same page!
adam….i agree winner of vera-sylvia gets big nog. maybe put kongo against gg.
If Minotauro took the belt Fedor wouldn’t look quite so overrated. Therefore I think they are going to make him fight someone like Arlovski first, who I believe is the worst matchup for Nog.
I personally think they need to setup an official tournament for the heavyweight belt. Have 2 venues that is nothing but heavy weights. Let it be a single elimination tourny with only 1 fight per night and spread it over 2 venues.
What should happen:
winner of Vera/Sylvia vs. winner of Big Nog/Kongo for HW title Super Bowl weekend.
Bold prediction? I think Vera ripping through the HW division and capturing the title along the way is the only SENSIBLE prediction. Some might even say it’s THE TRUTH.
I agree with # 13. You want a grand prix, well you got a 4 man HW grand prix right here. The fights are already signed so it just makes too much sense.
Vera vs Sylvia winner aginst Nog vs Kongo winner for the HW belt.
You can have Gonzaga fight Arlovski for top contender after that.
“Bold Prediction: Brandon Vera will go on a tear in the heavyweight division, beating both Sylvia and Nogueira and will be your new UFC heavyweight champ by year’s end or early 2008″
Vera isn’t going to get past Sylvia. He’s never fought anyone like Sylvia and Sylvia is hungrier than ever right now. Brandon needs to be focused on the light heavyweight belt.