T-Berg's Top 10 11.13.09: Week 8 - Top 10 Fighters the UFC Should Bring Back

Posted by Todd Bergman on 11.13.2009

Robbie Lawler, Josh Thomson, and Frank Shamrock are all fighters that 411’s Todd Bergman wants to see make a return to the UFC. Click inside to discover the entire list of the Top 10 Fighters that need to return to the UFC.

This week's T-Berg's Top 10 takes a look at some possible fighter that should return to the UFC. The only real qualification for this list is that a fighter must have previously fought in the UFC and most importantly must still be relevant within the MMA community. Basically that means that anyone could be eligible for this list; however, before, I tackle this subject, I wanted to address last week's submission specialist article. For the most part, the list was taken positively amongst you degenerates. Some of you wanted a few different fighters mentioned on the list, but all in all, less comments generally means acceptance amongst the community. I still stand by placing Maia a little lower on the list because he's still yet to parlay his BJJ into big fights. I'm sure that is going to change very soon as Maia has proven that he is a star in the making. Anyway, last week's article is still available if you haven't checked it or any of my previous Top 10 articles out that I have written. Now, let's get on with this week's article. It's all about the Top 10 fighters that I would like see return with the UFC in the very near future.



10.) Scott Smith
While he is mostly known for his comeback KO of Pete Sell, "Hands Of Steel" has become more and more known since his last run in the UFC. Smith was a part of an Elite XC title match against Robbie Lawler twice, with the first fight being an absolute slugfest while the second one was more of a one-sided beating. Smith's skull-crushing power and out-of-nowhere finishes are things that the UFC Middleweight division are currently lacking. The 185lbs division is slowly going back to the days of being dominated by Olympic-caliber wrestlers and that ultimately means a return to more decision victories. In the eyes of some that's not a bad thing, and while I'm not against a guy using his strengths to win a fight, a guy like Smith could go a long way towards bring that unpredictability aspect back to this division. Smith won't be a Pay-Per view main event talent but he could easily be a main event talent on any SPIKE TV broadcast. Think of how many times those broadcasts have been boring and stagnant with one-sided match ups. I am by no means claiming that Smith could be the champion. I'm just saying that Smith's abilities should be rewarded within the UFC.




9.) Semmy Schilt
While his record inside the UFC wasn't that impressive, Schilt would be something to see in the new look UFC Heavyweight division. Schilt, a former K-1 World Champion, could present many problems for some of the up-and-coming fighters inside the Octagon. During his stay within the UFC, Schilt went 1-1 with a TKO victory over Pete Williams and a submission defeat to eventual champion Josh Barnett. Obviously, losing to Barnett back then wasn't something to get too discouraged about. While Schilt's pedigree suggests that his stand up would be his strong point, it's actually the opposite. "Hightower" is an above average submission fighter whose long limbs make it possible for him to catch a submission out of nowhere. Current UFC fighter Stefan Struve draws a lot of comparisons to Schilt because both are insanely tall and quite surprising on the ground. While it might be labeled a freak fight by some, I think that a match up between Struve and Schilt would be very entertaining. Much like Scott Smith, I'm highly doubtful that Schilt could become a world champion in the UFC, but his kickboxing background mixed with his submission skills and his giant-like figure would definitely make for some interesting TV.




8.) Jens Pulver
I realize that Jens Pulver has lost several fights in a row and is under contract to the UFC's sister promotion, but I would like to see Pulver back in the 155lbs division before he hangs it up. Pulver claims that he established the 155lbs division back in the day and. for the most part, he's correct. So why not give him another chance in the division? If the UFC were ever to do another "Comeback" season of The Ultimate Fighter, Pulver would be an excellent choice. He's got a decent fan base and is always exciting in his fights. Pulver, much like Scott Smith, could add a lot of excitement to a division that is slowly becoming more and more dominated by decision-based wrestlers. I, personally, would love to see Pulver get in there against the likes of Clay Guida and Gray Maynard.




7.) Andrei Arlovski
This pick is going with the assumption that Arlovski is going to reinvent himself with the help of Greg Jackson. At one time, Arlovski was the cream of the crop inside the UFC. In fact, he was one of their most popular champions. Whether it was his crazy, long hair or the fangs from his mouthpiece, "The Pitbull" was considered one of the best fighters on the planet. As many things go in MMA, Andrei has fallen on some hard times. Whether or not you believe that Arlovski faced hand-picked challengers during his title run is now completely irrelevant. Andrei's place in the UFC is also a huge question mark. Can his chin hold up to the recent rise of heavy-handed strikers? If Andrei is able to market his wannabe-Hollywood style that he has recently embraced then I think that the chances of him returning to his former shelf is of high probability. A lot of people will give Arlovski a great deal of flack because of the his defeat against Fedor, but who hasn't lost to Fedor? The Rogers defeat was humiliating to say the least, but with a re-dedication to his craft and a new coach in his corner, here's to hoping that "The Pitbull" can get another shot inside the Octagon.




6.) Sakuraba
Big surprise that one of my lists includes Sakuraba, right? To be truthful with you, I would only want to see Saku return to the UFC if the Zuffa-owned company presented a show in Japan. Saku is one of the biggest draws overseas and getting him onboard could do wonders in showing the fans from The Land of the Rising Sun that they are serious about their foreign expansion. If all of the stars align and the UFC does venture back to Japan then Saku should face a returning Royce Gracie or a fourth-time showdown with Wandy Silva. These are the only match ups that should happen that would involve Saku in the UFC. If the Gracie fight were to happen, it would be the rubber-match between the two and probably one of the last fights in each of their careers. The Silva match up would be the 4th with Silva winning the three previous fights. Do all of you think that the UFC going to Japan could have a card without Sakuraba?




5.) Frank Shamrock
The once dominate UFC fighter would have to see a lot of things happen before he would even be considered for this move. First and foremost, that Dana White would have to set aside all the beef that he has against Shamrock. That aspect of thought doesn't seem as hard pressed as it use to be. Dana White is slowly beginning to realize that he needs to think with his pocketbook and not his ego. If Shamrock were to be brought back into the UFC, he would have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to potential showdowns. If he wanted to compete in the 205lbs division, he could fight against Tito Ortiz, Machida, Shogun, and possibly even Randy Couture. If he wanted to stay around the 185 lbs division, Shamrock could look forward to match-ups with the follow fighters: Anderson Silva, Nate Marquardt, and even someone like Damian Maia. Any of these would make an intriguing showdown. I opted to leave Frank's adoptive brother Ken off this list, but hell, let them fight inside the Octagon as well. Shamrock is a tremendous draw on the West Coast and could be a great addition to any Pay-Per View card.




4.) Josh "The Punk" Thomson
The three-fight UFC veteran would be an amazing get for the UFC's Lightweight division. Thomson is one of the few fighters on this list that I can honestly say is able to compete for a title within the UFC. Thomson is a gifted wrestler whose striking has come a long way since his brutal head-kick loss to Yves Edwards. The current Strikeforce Lightweight Champion would give a lot of the higher ups in the 155lbs division fits with his takedown defense mixed with his solid takedowns. In the showdown with Gil Melendez, Thomson showed that he can put a game plan to use perfectly. Can Thomson compete with guys like Diego Sanchez, BJ Penn, and Gray Maynard? I think that he can. One fight that I know would happen would be a rematch with Clay Guida. In their first showdown, Guida was able to use his constant takedown offense and shut down Thomson from the onset of the fight. Once the AKA product gets healthy, it will be interesting to see what his Strikeforce future looks like after the Melendez rematch.




3.) Nick Diaz
I would love to say that this selection has to do with his MMA abilities, but honestly I just love watching the train wreck that is Nick Diaz on my TV. Whether he's fighting, coaching, or talking shit post-fight, Nick Diaz is a walking circus. The big question regarding Diaz is what weight class he will fight at? I honestly think that Diaz can make the 155lbs weight class, but that would involve Diaz getting strict with his diet. So, more than likely, Diaz would be fighting at the 170lbs weight class. Diaz hasn't tasted defeat since the huge upset victory that KJ Noons pulled off against him back in ‘07. It doesn't seem like that rematch will ever happen because Noons appears to be perfectly happy boxing against third-rate boxers instead of mixing it up with high-class talent. Maybe Diaz could fight Noons' Dad inside the Octagon. I'm only kidding. But seriously, if Dana made it happen, consider me in. What interest do all of you have in seeing Diaz fight again in the UFC?




2.) Robbie Lawler
He was once the next big thing in the UFC until he was knocked out by Nick Diaz followed by a submission defeat to Evan Tanner. Soon after that, Robbie Lawler was out of the UFC and everyone was questioning his talents. Unlike most fighters that have come before him, Lawler continued to push through all of the negativity and reestablish himself as an even better fighter. The former EliteXC Middleweight Champion should have become a card-carrying member of the UFC roster, but the bitter contract dispute that followed didn't allow it. When Strikeforce bought out Elite XC, a handful of contracts were purchased as well. One of them of course being Lawler's. At the UFC 90 Q&A session, Lawler said that he was ready to be back in the UFC and wanted to challenge Anderson Silva. While he might not win that fight, it would most certainly be full of fireworks. Lawler is the type of fighter that no matter who he is against, the fight will always be electric. Much like Scott Smith, this is the type of fighter that the UFC needs.




1.) Josh Barnett
The Affliction-killer Josh Barnett ranks #1 on this list. Many of you are probably scratching your head at this selection, but I honestly believe that outside of Fedor, Barnett stands the best chance of beating Brock Lesnar. All of this, of course, would be contingent on Barnett actually passing a steroid test, but I think that maybe Barnett has learned his lesson. His return to the UFC would mean that the former UFC Heavyweight Champion would almost immediately enter back into title contention. PRIDE fans would love the possible rematches between him and Cro Cop or Big Nog among others. I often wonder how mainstream American audiences would handle Barnett's Pro Wrestling background? I mean, that's a huge factor into why people don't like Brock Lesnar, right? I know that Lesnar can be a huge dickhead at times, but his fake-fighting past apparently doesn't help his credibility. Personally, I couldn't care less if someone used to be a Pro Wrestler. How many people know that Rashad Evans went to Pro Wrestling school to learn how to play to a crowd and speak on the mic? Does that ruin his credibility as well? Do people hate on Evans for that? Anyway, the point of all of this is that Barnett is a tremendously gifted fighter who can break his opponents with either strikes or submissions. There would have to be a lot of image repair for Barnett to reappear in the UFC, but in the end would the juice (no pun intended) be worth the squeeze? I most certainly think so!


There's the list of MMA's Top 10 Returning Fighters. I hope that everyone enjoys the UFC show this weekend and next week I will return with a Top 10 list that involves possible coaches for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Do you have a suggestion for a future Top 10 list? Simply add a comment below. Remember to support your local MMA and keep your tapping hand strong.