TBerg's Top 10 12.04.09: Week 10 - Top 10 Must Have Fighters

Posted by Todd Bergman on 12.04.2009

Fedor, Mousasi, and Jake Shields are just a few of the fighters that 411’s Todd Bergman lists as the Top 10 Must-Have Fighters that the UFC needs to sign in this week’s TBerg’s Top 10. Click inside for the rest of the list.

After a week's vacation due to all of the Thanksgiving festivities, I've returned this week to take a look at the fighters that I want to see in the UFC in the near future. Before getting to the article, I want to state that it's about time that the Detroit Lions are replaced on Thanksgiving Day. Not only are they, as a franchise, awful but they show no sign of improving. I understand that Matt Stafford is young along with Calvin Johnson, but the Matt Millen WR crisis clearly cost this franchise at least ten years. All random bitching aside, I enjoy football on Thanksgiving, but if the Lions continue to suck then loads of people are going to stop watching the NFL on Thanksgiving Day.




Anyway, back to the article and off my soapbox. Some of these guys probably won't appear in the Octagon, and that's ok because they will still appear on my list. The only real qualification is that the fighters cannot have previously fought in the UFC. It's going to be all about new blood and, for the most part, the fighters will have to have some meaning within the UFC. With the UFC having more and more events each month, the need to sign new fighters is becoming a huge dilemma. So here's the list of fighters that I think should be signed into the UFC.


10.) Gesias Cavalcante

The American Top Team Lightweight badass would be a tremendous addition to the UFC's Lightweight Division. His ability to keep the fight exciting mixed with an intense pace would be a nice change from the gradually-becoming, wrestler-dominated division. Calvancante does hold wins over the likes of Caol Uno, Andre "Dida" Amade, and Rani Yahya, just to name a few. Calvancante, in the past, has had troubles against strong wrestlers, and the Octagon favors this type of fighter. However, Gesias is the type of striker that is on a completely different level that most in the UFC haven't witnessed before. Who wouldn't want to see Cavalcante against Penn, Sanchez, or even Florian. Those are some must-watch fights in my opinion and would be a great cornerstone for the UFC to build upon.



9.) Joey Villasanor

While he isn't a sexy name to list, "Smokin" is a solid fighter that could add a lot of value to the UFC's Middleweight Division. Joey is currently riding a four-fight winning streak with wins over former and current UFC fighters in Ryan Jensen and David Loiseau along with a huge nationally-televised TKO victory over Phil Baroni. While I don't think that Joey would be competing for Anderson Silva's Middleweight Title, I do think that he would be a solid gatekeeper in the division and would provide for some entertaining SPIKE TV Main Events. Being a part of the famed Greg Jackson Camp can only help Joey's chances in the UFC. Match ups with the likes of Kendall Grove, Patrick Cote, and Tomasz Drwal would all be exciting and possibly glass ceiling-busting fights for "Smokin" Joe.



8.) "Crusher" Kawajiri

When you mention the UFC Lightweight Division you instantly think of two things: BJ Penn and strong wrestlers. "Crusher" Kawajiri would upgrade the overall toughness and wrestling ability in the UFC‘s Lightweight Division. With a slowly improving striking game, Kawajiri has the ability to take a lot of current UFC Lightweight fighters into some deep water. "Crusher" does just that to his opponents with his suffocating wrestling game and insane cardio. I would love to see a potential match up with Gray Maynard, Clay Guida, Diego Sanchez or even Nate Diaz. There's no doubt that Kawajiri could contend for the 155lbs strap. The upside of this potential signing would be huge for the UFC as it would also bolster the untapped Japanese market. The T-Blood product is still largely unknown within the MMA community, so the chance for this kind of exposure could be huge for his career.



7.) King Mo

I'm probably ranking King Mo a little too low on this list but I'm not quite sure how his "King" gimmick will translate into the UFC. While the Japanese crowd eats up those kinds of things, the American audience tends to translate these attention-getters as being too pro-wrestling-esque. Personally, I have no problem with the King's Robe or even the Japanese hoes, but I do remember when Soko wore the Predator mask to the Octagon and then proceeded to get massacred by Machida. However, if you can back up your gimmick then it shouldn't be a problem. Mo's fighting career is still in it's infancy and most likely it would take until the middle of 2010 before Mo would even be offered a spot in the UFC. The wrestling pedigree that Mo presents would be a huge addition to any of the two possible weight classes that he could fight in. I highly doubt that Mo would fight in the Heavyweight Division given the overall mass that he would be giving up at each given fight. I think that the Light Heavyweight Division would be the best for King Mo. I say this because the potential match up of Mo vs. Rampage would be a mega-fight for the UFC. The back story between the two is that Rampage thinks that Mo has stolen Page's old PRIDE gimmick and isn't a good fighter. Mo certainly thinks differently and wants to smash in Rampage's face in. I understand that Jackson is on hiatus at the moment as he tries to become the next Stephen Segal, but King Mo might just be the guy who can entice Rampage Jackson back into the UFC.



6.) Shinya Aoki

Normally a fighter the caliber of Shinya Aoki would rank on the top of a list like this, but his pants certainly give him an advantage that he wouldn't have in the UFC. Unfortunately, his stretchy, sticky pants aren't allowed in the US, and for good reason. They give him a distinct advantage. I mean, sure, taping of the knees and knee pads can do the same thing, and it's totally possible that Aoki could tape his legs to get the advantage. But for the moment, Aoki falls to the number six spot until he proves differently to me. Shinya is rumored to be making his North American debut sometime in 2010 in Strikeforce. It's likely that he would match up with the winner of the upcoming Josh Thomson vs. Gil Melendez fight. While that potential match up is nice, it's not the blockbuster fight that Aoki could have in the UFC. Aoki must be wise to not fall into the same trap that Takanori Gomi fell into. While insanely popular across the pond, Gomi never made an impact here in America and really missed out on some huge potential paydays. Aoki appears to be a better business man, and it would be interesting to see Aoki take on the likes of Kenny Florian, Clay Guida, Tyson Griffin, or BJ Penn. Can Aoki win fights without his magical pants? It seems silly, but it's a logical question to present.



5.) Bobby Lashley

Yes, he's a former pro wrestler and I fully accept him into the very real sport of MMA. I know that statement is something that some MMA fans struggle with. Lashley is slowly treading into Brock Lesnar territory. Lashley was always known as "Black Lesnar" within the pro wrestling circle and Bobby has slowly started developing his own hype. The American Top Team product still has a long way to go and will need quite a bit more time training and competing in fights with higher quality opponents. If Bobby is able to make a run and string together some victories over quality fighters then Lashley would deserve a shot in the UFC. While a title shot within the UFC is out of the question, it's likely that Lashley would match up very well with the likes of a Gabe Gonzaga, Pat Berry, and even Antoni Hardonk. Not the sexiest of match ups but baby steps to build a bigger payday.



4.) Eddie Alvarez

Personally, I think that Eddie Alvarez should already be fighting in the UFC. His amazing run through the DREAM Lightweight Tourney proved that no matter who the opponent is, Alvarez will always put on an amazing show. Some fighters are lucky to have one fight in their entire career that could be considered Fight Of The Year let alone two fights in consecutive outings. The problem with Alvarez is the fact that it appears he is currently under contract to every single promotion not named the UFC. It would take a lot of time for Alvarez to fulfill those contractual obligations, but 2010 could be a giant year for the Philadelphia slugger. Potential match ups with the likes of Kenny Florian, BJ Penn, Gray Maynard, Sean Sherk, and Frankie Edgar would and could present Alvarez with another spectacular run. The only question is, how in the hell is Alvarez going to do that back flip with all of those people in the cage post-fight?



3.) Jake Shields

The recently crowned Strikeforce Middleweight Champion would be a decent addition to the UFC's most-improved division. While Shields is a talented fighter, I'm not sure if he is going to be able to be dominate within the company. I say this because Shields is essentially the same kind of fighter that Chael Sonnen is. You know, sometimes exciting but mostly boring. Well, your asking, why rank him at #3? Shields is constantly improving, and fighting inside the UFC would only raise his game to a higher level. Also consider that there is a plethora of potential match ups awaiting Shields in the UFC. A rematch with Yushin Okami and a wrestling showdown with Chael Sonnen would be awareness building showdowns for Shields. You should also consider that Shields can fight at Welterweight as well. I think that Shields is fighting at the Middleweight Division in Strikeforce because of the lack of talent at the 170lbs division. That shouldn't be a problem in the UFC. Mike Swick, a rematch with Paul Daley, Thiago Alves, and Josh Koscheck would all await Shields in the 170lbs weight class. The possibility of being a dual-champion means a lot to the worth of Shields in the long run.



2.) Gegard Mousasi

Much like Jake Shields, Gegard Mousasi can be a dual threat within the UFC. Hell, it's possible that Mousasi could fight at Heavyweight as well. I highly doubt that Mousasi would be able to contend in the 205+ division, but it might be fun to see what he can do. The current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and former DREAM Middleweight GP Champion would bring a different style of striking to the UFC. Mousasi is more of a counter kick boxer, and that's something that you just don't see in the UFC. Yes, Machida is a counter fighter, but his counters are based off of his Karate background and involves kicks and crosses while Mousasi throws lots of knees and jabs. Mousasi also has an amazing killer instinct that's not been witnessed outside of Fedor. This is ironic considering who is #1 on the list. It's still a question as to whether Mousasi would be the man to dethrone Machida or Shogun, but it would most likely be worth the price of admission to see Gegard take on Lil' Nog, Rashad Evans and even Forrest Griffin. If, for some reason, the run at the 205lbs division doesn't work, then it's possible that Mousasi could dominate in the 185lbs weight class. Match ups with Nate Marquardt, possibly a resigned Dan Henderson, and even Anderson Silva would be Main Event-quality showdowns.


1.) Fedor

It's no surprise at who ranks at the top of my list. I know that there are quite a few people who hate on Fedor and that's ok because sometimes, "The Last Emperor" might not seem worth the hassle. However, it's hard to match the buzz that Fedor has about himself. If you don't believe me then watch the Brett Rogers fight again. The crowd goes absolutely ballistic when Fedor lands the big strikes. Outside of the Griffin vs. Bonnar and Couture vs. Sylvia fight, I can't remember when the crowd was so absolutely deafening. It's the little things like this that other fights don't bring to the table. I'm completely against the UFC giving into M-1's ridiculous demands, but if somehow the UFC is able to get Fedor under their wing, then the sport itself will probably reach it's pinnacle. It's a double-edged sword because that could be the end of the UFC run, much like what is going to happen to boxing after the Pac Man vs. Money Mayweather fight. While Fedor isn't a favorite among the common MMA fans, he seems to be culturally accepted within the hardcore community, and that would likely mean the end of the ridiculous hate that the UFC receives for no reason.

Honorable Mention
Brett Rogers
Overeem
Kharitnatov
Arona
Sidelnikov
Ishii
Aleks Emelianenko
Mamed Khalidov
Dan Hornbuckle
Marius Zaromskis
Joachim Hansen
Mizuto Hirota
Gil Melendez


There's the list of the Top 10 Must-Have Fighters in the UFC. Before I go, I did want to say a special shout out to Bobby Bowden who is stepping down at Florida State after the upcoming bowl game. As a lifelong FSU fan, I can say that it's bittersweet because, while I respect Bowden in the utmost way, I think that it is time for him to go. I will greatly miss the humorous and logical statements that Bowden presents during interviews. While FSU hasn't always been the cleanest of programs (college sports are the dirtiest of the dirty when it comes to cheating) Bowden has always found himself to be completely respected and will always be a positive influence on my life and the lives of countless others. Do you have a suggestion for a future Top 10 list? If so, let me know below. Remember to support your local MMA and keep your tapping hand strong.