The UFC's middleweight division is deep. Much deeper than it was a year ago. Here we go. UFC Middleweight Grand Prix Omitted fighters: Anderson Silva (champion), Thales Leites (first contender) Seeding: 01 Yushin Okami 02 Dan Henderson 03 Demian Maia 04 Nathan Marquardt 05 Michael Bisping 06 Yoshihiro Akiyama 07 Patrick Cote 08 Wilson Gouveia 09 Alan Blecher 10 Denis Kang 11 Dan Miller 12 Travis Lutter 13 Chael Sonnen 14 Rousimar Palhares 15 Jason MacDonald 16 David Loiseau
I've been advised that Wanderlei Silva is a middleweight but a) he was already in the light heavyweight grand prix, and b) he doesn't have a fight booked for middleweight yet, so he's out.
Yushin Okami (1) vs. David Loiseau (16) Yushin Okami has had trouble with good strikers in the past. He was knocked out by an upkick from Anderson Silva and has also been TKO'd by former UFC fighter Amar Suloev. Recently he was thoroughly beaten by Rich Franklin, who he couldn't stand with or outmuscle. But David Loiseau is not the fighter he was four years ago. In a fifteen minute fight, Okami holds him down and grinds out a miserable decision, avoiding getting cut from an elbow from the bottom from Loiseau. Outcome: Yushin Okami (decision) Wilson Gouveia (8) vs. Alan Belcher (9) A Thai boxing exhibition is the only way this fight plays out. Belcher, brimming with confidence following an upset win over Denis Kang, thinks he can drag Gouveia into deep water, so he starts slow. Gouveia, who has no conditioning, does the opposite, pouring on pressure. Though Belcher makes it into the second round, a burst by Gouveia to begin the frame earns him a knockout victory. Outcome: Wilson Gouveia (KO) Michael Bisping (5) vs. Travis Lutter (12) Travis Lutter is the most underrated fighter in the UFC. Yeah, I said it. Not only did he get FULL MOUNT on Anderson Silva, he also was a hair from tapping Rich Franklin with an armbar. But he has a major weakness--woeful stamina. Bisping runs, avoids Lutter's sloppy takedowns, and scores a TKO in the third round against a gassed Lutter. Outcome: Michael Bisping (TKO) Nate Marquardt (4) vs. Chael Sonnen (13) Sonnen has good boxing and good wrestling but he can't match the pace put up by Marquardt. Nate the Great gets a knockout in the second round. Outcome: Nate Marquardt (KO) Yoshihiro Akiyama (6) vs. Dan Miller (11) The first fight in the octagon can be an intimidating place. Many overseas stars have had that realization in their UFC debut. Against a solid wrestler with a dominating, pace-pushing style, Yoshi Sexyama has all he can handle. A quick first round is punctuated by Miller's takedowns. and before Yoshi knows it, the horn sounds to end the third. Welcome to the UFC. Outcome: Dan Miller (decision) Demian Maia (3) vs. Rousimar Palhares (14) My mouth is watering (no homo!). This spectacular BJJ showcase is one for the ages. It makes Maia vs. MacDonald look like two cats wrestling in a grocery bag. Maia struggles with "the tree stump" early on but his patience pays off late in the fight by way of some crazy submission... lets say anaconda choke. Outcome: Demian Maia (submission) Patrick Cote (7) vs. Denis Kang (10) An all-Canadian showdown is sure to disappoint some hoser fans up North. Someone is going home to free health care. That someone should be Denis Kang, who is a sublime talent but also a major choke artist who gets knocked out by grapplers and submitted by strikers. But not tonight. Cote can't stuff Kang's take downs and his ground defense gets exposed. Kang wins by armbar. Outcome: Denis Kang (submission) Dan Henderson (2) vs. Jason MacDonald (15) Jason MacDonald is always harping about the "top five" in his division: wanting to get into it, wanting to fight guys in it, and generally being gay for that ranking. But he always loses to top fighters. This fight is no different. MacDonald's sloppy striking and pathetic takedowns are laughed at by the gap-toothed American, who bullies his way to a decision. Outcome: Decision Dan (decision)
Yushin Okami (1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (8) Wilson Gouveia can't submit Yushi Okami and he will fold under the bulky Japanese wrestler's pressure. Okami gets full mount in the late second round and pounds out a dead-tired Gouveia. Outcome: Thunder Okami (TKO) Nate Marquardt (4) vs. Michael Bisping (5) Michael Bisping never seems to rise to the occasion. In his two biggest fights, against Hamill and Evans, he couldn't find his rhythm. He has even more difficulty against the dangerous but reckless Marquardt, who constantly changes levels and fighting styles to keep Bisping off-balance. Once it leaves the first round Bisping starts to shoot for takedowns but fearing Marquardt's submission skills does little in his guard. A few stand-ups later and the fight is over. Bisping leaves the fight convinced he won, as usual. But he hasn't. Outcome: Nate Marquardt (decision) Demian Maia (3) vs. Dan Miller (11) Demian Maia's boxing is terrible. His takedowns are telegraphed from Brazil months in advance of the fight. He pulls guard gingerly and tends to keep his guard open to avoid getting pounded. But Miller can't help but try and wrestle him. After a brief exchange on the feet the two tangle against the cage wall, where Maia is able to trip his leg and fall into half guard. Moments later Miller is tapping due to a slick arm triangle. Maia gives him a nice little kiss for his trouble after the fight. Outcome: Demian Maia (submission) Dan Henderson (2) vs. Denis Kang (10) Dan Henderson creates match-up problems for everyone. Joe Rogan likes to say nothing is more dangerous than a great wrestler with heavy hands. This fight really demonstrates how undersized Kang is for the UFC's middlweight division. He isn't able to do much against Henderson and--surprise, surprise--loses a decision. Outcome: Decision Dan (decision)
Yushin Okami (1) vs. Nate Marquardt (4) Nate Marquardt is an experienced grappler who is comfortable on the ground. Yushin Okami has competed internationally as well but doesn't match Marquardt's credentials. Okami has trouble finding openings in this fight, which becomes a kickboxing battle. Marquardt keeps distance between them and peppers him with leg kicks and long jabs. Okami shoots one too many times and eats a knee. Oyasuminasai, Yushin. Outcome: Nate Marquardt (KO) Demian Maia (3) vs. Dan Henderson (2) This time Maia is in trouble. He can't take Dan Henderson down. He can't box him. He can't try his luck with the clinch game, either. What does he do? He pulls guard. But Danny knows enough to stand up. Like in his fight with Toquinho, Henderson is happy to grind out a boring decision. A decision? Yes, a decision. For Decision Dan. Outcome: Decision Dan (decisive decision)
UFC MW Grand Prix Finals! Dan Henderson (2) vs. Nate Marquardt (4) Nate Marquardt isn't going to be bullied. Stylistically, Dan Henderson hasn't had a tough road to the finals fighting three Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts. This time he faces another great grappler who also happens to be a fantastic kickboxer. Plus he is the same size. I really don't know what would happen in this fight. I think we'd see Marquardt throwing a lot of kicks. I don't think Henderson would try to take him down in favour of pushing him against the cage for stalling and dirty boxing. Hendo's never been knocked out but his more recent fights against Jackson and Misaki show that he can be outworked. I think it comes down to who wants it more, and at this stage in their careers, I think Marquardt has more desire. Outcome: Marquardt (decision)
Nice write up. Of course I disagree with your Grand Prix matchup decision, but I see how it was a tough call.
I could see this Grand Prix as being the one where age and mileage finally catches up with Dan and somone like Maia is able to sub him. Maia has a way of totally committing himself to getting someone on the ground, even if it puts him initally in a bad position. Still Dan vs Marquart would be great. Of all the losers to Anderson Silva, these two are the ones who I think would stand the best chance of at the very least lasting a lot longer than previously. I wouldn't go all crazy and say beat Silva, because like Fedor, it's rather hard to imagine at this point and time.
I'm trying to put my homerism aside, but I really think Dan could give Anderson a great fight. In that first fight, we saw Dan get away from his game plan. He is the only fighter to win a round against Silva I believe, and I think if he were to get a rematch, you'd see him stick to his game plan and get the fight on the ground and grind it out. I don't think you'd see him try and strike with Silva again.
