Best Lists

1. This Picture Might Be Accurate

Anyone else would have been finished.

Broken nose on the very first punch, from a jab no less, before taking some serious ground and pound from a guy known explicitly for his big hands? We've seen talented fighters succumb to less.

But Fedor? The increasingly mythical entity that is "The Last Emperor" stood tall and remained calm, weathered the storm, landed some shots of his own and put an exclamation point on the evening with a precision knockout of Brett Rogers less than two minutes into Round 2.

More and more, Fedor is looking like an unbeatable fighting machine.

2. Brett Rogers is a Top Five Heavyweight

After defeating Andrei Arlovski back in June, Rogers' trainer Mike Reilly proclaimed his fighter to be a top-five heavyweight, prompting a certain someone (read: we're talking about me here) to counter on Watch Kalib Run .

Now, five months and a fight with Fedor later, let me assure you that Brett Rogers is a top-five heavyweight.

Results aside, Rogers busted up Fedor and showed the hands to put just about anyone into some serious trouble. What impresses me most about "The Grim" is where he can go from here.

Right now, he's still a brawler, but there is potential there to harness those hands and build a serious striker. Add in some semblance of a ground game—because there isn't one yet—and Rogers could be deadly, and that's saying something, because he's already pretty damn dangerous.

3. 30 More Seconds and Mayhem is Champ

For all the talk about Jake Shields' phenomenal submission game, he was the one in the most danger last night.

While the Cesar Gracie student earned a Unanimous Decision and the Strikeforce Middleweight title, Jason "Mayhem" Miller came closest to finishing the fight with a very deep rear naked choke at the close of the third round.

Had there been any more time in the round, we're talking about an upset and Mayhem is rolling with some new gold around his waist. Instead, we're talking about something we already knew: Jake Shields has zero—REPEAT ZERO—stand-up, no matter what he tries to tell everyone.

4. The Fans Booed a Grappling Match? Didn't Someone Say That Would Happen?

I remember, it was me, yesterday, when I was talking about The Jorge Gurgel Theory .

As if on cue, the action in the Shields/Mayhem match went to the ground and the chorus of complaints started ringing through the Sears Center. Admittedly, there were points in the action where it certainly was boring, but there were also some terrific scrambles and reversals and still the boos came crashing down.

If this is the way casual fans are going to react when a fight goes to the floor (and it is), pushing Jake Shields is going to be a tough task, 13-fight winning streak and shiny, gold belt or not.

5. Sokoudjou Added to the Dictionary

Sokoudjou (verb): The act where a person routinely looks good in their chosen profession before pulling a complete 180 and getting their ass handed to them.

Example: Mark Sanchez was on a roll in New York before he sokoudjoued against the Bills.

What makes it even harder to stomach is that Soko won the first round and looked good doing it; great balance, a couple nice throws, kept Mousasi from doing much damage, but then it was done.

My new question is whether it is a cardio issue or a "Sokoudjou simply quits" issue?

6. Mousasi is the Next Fedor

You can see it in his demeanor; both just look so calm and almost disinterested before the fight begins and once it's underway, nothing seems to phase them.

There are going to be those who jump all over this idea, citing Mousasi's lack of Top 10 opponents, and that's fine. Renato Sobral is better than a lot of people give him credit for and the kid can only beat up whoever they put in front of him.

As stated earlier in the week: Gegard Mousasi will be considered the best MMA fighter on the planet inside the next three years.

7. Nothing Like Talking About the UFC

Here's an idea for the next Strikeforce card: Have the announcers try even harder to advertise for the competition, and by "the announcers" I mean the two guys who aren't Mauro Ranallo.

When you add up the GSP reference and talking about Sokoudjou losing to Machida with Johnson calling him something like "the emerging UFC superstar," the only thing missing was Brock Lesnar and some reference to Fedor avoiding the UFC like the plague.

Strikeforce presents: The prime-time UFC infomercial with your host, Gus Johnson.

8. While We're on the Topic of Announcers...

Frank Shamrock has got to go.

Repeatedly saying he couldn't score rounds whenever Ranallo gave him the lead in was bad enough, but not quite as bad as calling Sokoudjou "Sujoku" all night.

Frank, he's a fighter, not a tricky little numbers game in the Sunday morning paper. That's called Sudoku. You'll have time to attempt one next time Strikeforce is on CBS because you shouldn't be at the announce table.

9. Fights Good, Production Bad

You can't control the outcome of fights (sorry DMX... ), but you can control the timing of the event, and Strikeforce failed in my books last night.

Everything felt really slowed down, and while I understand that being on network TV and needing to mix in commercial breaks and such plays a part, things just looked amateurish.

On a night where Strikeforce could have entrenched themselves as a legitimate opponent to the UFC, the fighters came through in spades, but the production crew seriously dropped the ball.

Did I mention an entire fight was just scrapped for no real reason?

To quote Ron Burgundy, "That's just Bush. It's Bush League! Audrey!"

10. EA Sports MMA Looks Gooooooooood!

Two words: Me Likey

Every sport's history involves dynasties that last for several seasons, as well as underdogs that never seem to win a game.

However, every once in a while an enormous underdog pulls out an improbable victory that no one saw coming. Whether it be Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson, or Villanova upsetting Georgetown in the 1985 men's basketball championship game, upsets are an intricate part of the sporting world.

Mixed martial arts is no different. Whether it is just one punch, or capitalizing on an error by an opponent, the sport is filled with great upsets.

Brett Rogers, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Jason Miller will all be looking for an upset this Saturday night at Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Rogers".

Rogers is a 4:1 underdog entering his heavyweight bout with Fedor Emelianenko, Sokoudjou is over a 3:1 underdog heading into his fight with Gegard Mousasi, and Miller is over a 2:1 dog in his middleweight bout with Jake Shields.

However, the beauty of sports, especially mixed martial arts, is that an upset is always in order.

In honor of the three men looking for the big upset victory this weekend, lets take a look at the ten biggest upsets in the history of the sport and the men that made them happen.

10.  BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes (UFC 46)

Penn and Hughes met at UFC 46 in a title fight for the UFC welterweight belt. The favorite was Hughes, who was expected to defend his welterweight gold for a sixth straight time.

“The Prodigy” had other ideas when he worked his way to Hughes’ back and locked in an inescapable rear naked choke at the 4:39 mark of the first round, robbing Hughes of his belt and halting his 13 fight win-streak. 

Penn would leave the UFC for other endeavors, but would return to get his welterweight belt back. At UFC 63 he lost to Matt Hughes in a welterweight title fight, but his first fight with Hughes will forever be remembered as a true underdog story.

9. Houston Alexander vs. Keith Jardine (UFC 71)

Jardine had rolled to the top of the UFC light heavyweight division when he was matched up against Houston Alexander. The fight was Alexander’s UFC debut, and the odds had him a steep underdog at nearly a 5:1 underdog.

Both Jardine and Alexander came out swinging, but “The Dean of Mean” had no answer for Alexander’s inside shots. The official had to pull Alexander away from Jardine after “The Assassin” continued to pummel the light heavyweight contender.

The victory is to this date the biggest victory for Alexander, who lost his next three bouts. However, “The Assassin’s” quick technical knockout victory over Jardine will go down as one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history.

8. Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia (UFC 68)

After over one year of absence, Couture returned to the octagon at UFC 63 to fight for the heavyweight belt against giant Tim Sylvia. The aging legend entered the cage on the wrong side of the odds against the enormous knock out artist.

From the opening bell, Couture managed to outclass his gigantic opponent with superior striking and wrestling. Five rounds passed, and the judges’ scorecards rewarded “The Natural” with the UFC heavyweight belt.

This heavyweight championship was just another opportunity in which Couture capitalized in a pivotal situation. As he continues to grow older, Couture has proven that his age does not dictate how he performs in the octagon. Tim Sylvia will attest to that.

7. Kevin Randleman vs. Mirko  “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Pride Total Elimination 2004)

Mirko Filipovic was a human wrecking ball within the Japanese promotion heading into Pride: “Total Elimination 2004”,. Fight after fight ended in brutal knockout by the Croation, but underdog, and former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin “The Monster” Randleman had other plans.

A sharp left hook in the first round had the announcers saying something they probably never expected: Kevin Randleman had knocked out Cro Cop with an absolute bomb.

Cro Cop avenged his upset loss to Randleman several months later at PRIDE Shockwave 2004 with a guillotine submission . The upset delivered by Randleman, however, would prove to be one of the greatest upsets in the history under the Pride banner.

6. Anderson Silva vs. Hayato Sakurai (Shooto: “To the top 7”)

Hayato Sakurai entered his bought against Anderson Silva at Shooto–“To the Top 7” with an undefeated record. Having defended his belt seven times prior, Sakurai was the big favorite in the middleweight championship bout.

Three five minute rounds after the opening bell, Sakurai’s grasp on the middleweight belt had been removed as Anderson Silva took his turn at the top.

“The Spider” has continued to thrive as the king of the middleweight division. He is the UFC 185-pound champion and sits atop the pound for pound list. Yet regardless of how far he has come, his unanimous decision victory over the undefeated Sakurai enters the books as one of the most unlikely outcomes of all-time in mixed martial arts.

5. Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (UFC 70)

After three straight victories in the UFC, Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga met mixed martial arts legend Mirko Cro Cop in a heavyweight showdown. Gonzaga entered the bout a 5:1 underdog.

While Cro Cop had made a career out of scalping his opponents with head kick knockouts, Gonzaga finished the bout in a fashion no one saw coming. Gonzaga gave Cro Cop a taste of his own medicine, delivering a vicious head kick at the end of the first round sent Filipovic into unconsciousness.

“Napao” was an enormous underdog on paper, and the manner in which he finished the fight made this upset all the more impressive. A perfectly timed head kick sent Cro Cop into a downward spiral, and sent Gonzaga into the top ten greatest upsets of all time.

4. Joe Lauzon vs. Jens “Lil’ Evil” Pulver (UFC 63)

Joe Lauzon began his UFC career with a lightweight bout against former and first ever UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver. Lauzon entered to cage over a 6:1 underdog. The 155-pound bout marked Pulver’s return to the promotion after leaving in 2002.

Merely 48 seconds after the opening bell, Joe Lauzon raised his hands in a celebratory display after upsetting the former champ with a hard left hook that sent Pulver to the canvas.

Lauzon’s stunning knockout victory has gone down as one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport. Pulver never recovered from the defeat and has fallen on hard times with his WEC career. Lauzon went on to win his next two bouts, before losing to former UFC top contender Kenny Florian.

3. Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi (Pride 33) 

Takanori Gomi entered his bout with Nick Diaz at Pride 33 having won 13 of his last 14 fights and ranked as one of the top lightweights in the sport. Diaz had just recently rejuvenated a career with the UFC, only to leave the promotion for a failed stint with Gracie Fighting Championships.

Gomi looked to continue his roll through the mixed martial arts world and it appeared as he would when he knocked Diaz to his back just after a minute into the first round. Looking to finish the fight, Gomi entered Diaz's guard only to be submitted in the next few moments via gogoplata.

While the fight would later be called a no contest due to Diaz’s failing of a drug test, Diaz proved himself as a legitimate mixed martial artists and jiu-jitsu fighter. His insane submission over Gomi has gone down as one of the greatest upsets in the history of Pride.

2. Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre (UFC 69) 

After a split-decision victory over Chris Lytle, Matt “The Terror” Serra was sent into the octagon opposite UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. With the odds at 8:1 against Serra, noboby expected what unfold at UFC 69.

However, like so many upsets in the sport, Serra caught St. Pierre early and continued to put on the pressure with his heavy hands. Almost three and one half minutes into the first round, Serra had defeated the Canadian and gained the welterweight gold with some vicious ground and pound.

Serra would go on to get pummeled by St. Pierre in a rematch at UFC 83, losing a belt he never got to defend. Regardless of what followed, Serra’s first round destruction over St. Pierre will always be remembered as the greatest upset in UFC history.

1. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Pride 33)

Sokoudjou entered his light heavyweight showdown with the Brazilian Nogueira an enormous underdog. Prior to this fight, Nogueira had run a guantlet, beating Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem (twice) and losing a competitive decision to Maurcio "Shogun" Rua.

At nearly 15:1, Sokoudjou was given almost no shot at defeating the younger Nogueira brother.

Cleary Sokoudjou didn’t get the memo.

Just 28 seconds into the very first round, Sokoudjou knocked “Minotoro” clean out with a vicious left hook. The upset is the greatest victory in Sokoudjou’s career, and possibly the greatest upset in the history of the sport.

Honorable Mention:

Anderson Silva vs. Daiju Takase (Pride 26)

Takese entered this fight at an 8:1 underdog, and rightfully so. At the time of the fight, Takase had gained a professional record of 4-7-1. It was remarkable that the two were even matched up against one another.

However, Takase proved the impossible when he locked on a triangle choke at the 8:33 mark of the first round.

Takase has since gone on to put together a rather unimpressive record of 9-13-1. Anderson Silva, however, has destroyed his competition and ran his way to the top of the pound for pound rankings. Those two facts make Takase’s submission over “The Spider” one of the greatest upsets of all time.


Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 43)

Randy Couture dropped down to the 205-pound limit and was granted a title shot against the champion Chuck Liddell. Couture was coming off two straight losses and was not expected to gain the light heavyweight belt.

However, the wrestling background of “The Natural” led to a third round stoppage of the champ after Couture was able to ground and pound Liddell from the full mount.

Couture became the first fighter to ever hold the belt in two divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The upset, one of several in Couture’s career, is just another reason this aging Hall of Famer is never counted out of a fight.


Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (UFC 76)

Forrest Griffin welcomed “Shogun” to the octagon, but it was Rua who held the advantage in both the fans eyes and the eyes of the odds-makers after the utter destruction of his previous four Pride FC opponents. 

Griffin shocked the fans watching when he controlled “Shogun” for almost three full rounds. The only reason he did not spend fifteen minutes dominating Rua was because he finished the fight just before the fifteen minute mark when Griffin locked on a rear naked choke to end Rua’ night.

The fight was an underdog story for Griffin, who many gave little shot against the former Pride killer. Just as he has done his entire career, Griffin proved that he could roll with the very best. "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 1 winner capitalized on his improbable victory and went on to upset Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 86. 

On November 7th, Strikeforce will make its debut on CBS with a fight card that is stacked from top-to-bottom.

In a world where the UFC is primarily the dominant force in the MMA industry, Strikeforce has established itself as the No. 2 fight promotion in the world, and has the potential to become a legit competitor to the Zuffa brand.

The only organization that has truly come close to surpassing the No. 1 status of the UFC was the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships. The Japanese-based organization was founded in late 1997 and promoted some of the very best MMA events this sport has ever born witness to.

PRIDE’s format of pitting all of their top stars into one ultra-stacked card is a format Scott Coker is trying to follow with Strikeforce. Saturday’s event will feature top stars such as light-heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi, Fabricio Werdum, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and Jake Shields all competing on one night.

Headlining the event will be current WAMMA Heavyweight champion Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko, making his Strikeforce debut against heavy-handed wrecking machine Brett “The Grimm” Rogers.

Emelianenko—widely recognized as the top fighter in the entire world—made his name in PRIDE. Before the UFC bought the organization in 2007, PRIDE was home to some of the greatest fights in the sport's history.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 greatest bouts in the history of the PRIDE Fighting Championships.


10.  Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute)

In what was built up as one of the most-anticipated battles in PRIDE history, bitter rivals Filipovic and Silva squared off in the semifinals of PRIDE’s 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix. It wouldn’t be the first time these two legendary strikers met in the ring, as they had previously fought to a draw at PRIDE 20 just four years prior.

For the majority of the fight, Silva attacked the Croatian with wild punches which were easily countered by straight-lefts from “Cro Cop." Anytime Silva would throw one of his looping punches, Filipovic was right there to counter with strikes of his own, and these two went back and forth for most of the first round.

The end result saw “Cro Cop” catch “The Axe Murderer” with a left high-kick, knocking Silva out in highlight-reel fashion. This fight is absolutely a PRIDE classic, but on a list of all-time greatest knockouts it would certainly be ranked in the top five.

9. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)

Speaking of rivals, the feud between “Rampage” Jackson and Silva is widely recognized as one of the most heated rivalries in not just PRIDE history, but in all of MMA as a whole.

These light-heavyweight wrecking machines first crossed paths in the finals of the PRIDE 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix. “The Axe Murderer” won that fight, finishing Jackson off in the first round with brutal knees from the Muay Thai clinch.

Their second meeting was an all-out stand-up war that ended in devastating fashion with Silva once again finishing Jackson with knees from the Thai clinch in the second round. The knockout was so destructive it left Jackson hanging on the bottom ring ropes unconsciously as “The Axe Murderer” celebrated his triumphant victory.

8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2003)

There is a reason why the legendary “Minotauro” Nogueira is considered the “Rocky Balboa of MMA” because no matter how hard you hit him he will continue to move forward to eventually find a way to win the fight.

His classic bout with “Cro Cop” is proof of that as for the majority of the fight Filipovic was the aggressor, beating “Minotauro” up with crisp punches and thunderous kicks. “Cro Cop” would land strike after strike and yet, with blood dripping down his face Nogueira kept coming back for more.

Finally in the second round, Nogueira took “Cro Cop” down and began working some ground n’ pound from the top position before eventually securing a beautiful arm-bar causing the Croatian to tap-out.

7. Dan Henderson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 33: Second Coming)

If you thought Henderson’s knockout over Michael Bisping at UFC 100 was impressive, you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen his second fight against Silva in PRIDE. Henderson lost the first bout by unanimous decision in an epic battle, and was looking to extract revenge in the second coming and claim the PRIDE middleweight title in the process.

After spending the majority of the first two rounds out-striking “The Axe-Murderer” as well as controlling him on the ground, Henderson finished the fight with his big right hand, knocking Silva out cold just two minutes into the third round.

With the victory, Henderson became the first man in PRIDE history to hold two championships simultaneously.

6. Ken Shamrock vs. Don Frye (PRIDE 19: Bad Blood)

If you took 10 writers and told them to list the top 10 most intense rivalries in the history of this sport, Shamrock vs. Frye would rank somewhere in the top five on each list.

This rivalry was truly epic considering the fact these two legends absolutely hated one another, and anytime they were near each other they almost broke out into a fist-fight in public. When it came time for the prefight stare-down, just by looking into their eyes you could tell you were about to witness a historical showdown—and that is exactly what happened.

For three full rounds, these two MMA pioneers beat the tar out of each other, both on their feet and on the ground. Shamrock came very close to finishing “The Predator” off with leg locks, but Frye was able to escape and edge out the split-decision victory in a brutal back-and-forth war.

5. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005)

In 2005, “Shogun” Rua was the most feared striker in the 205-pound division and after his recent performance against current UFC champ Lyoto Machida at UFC 104, some can argue he still is to this very day.

After completely dismantling “Rampage” Jackson at PRIDE Total Elimination-2005, Rua was matched up against Rogerio Nogueira, twin brother of heavyweight Rodrigo Nogueira. Most expected the “MMA Super Nova” to destroy “Minotoro” much like he did Jackson.

The fight was much more competitive than most originally thought, as both fighters stood and traded blows, knocking each other down and landing crisp punches and knees time after time. It was a close battle on the feet, but the deciding factor turned out to be the takedowns from “Shogun,” which gave him the victory unanimously on the judges’ scorecards.

4. Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi (PRIDE 33: Second Coming)

“The Fireball Kid” Gomi was once recognized as not only the best lightweight fighter in the world, but he was also ranked as one of the world’s top pound-for-pound fighters. Diaz was hungry to prove to the world he was indeed one of the top fighters out there, and was given the opportunity of a lifetime against Gomi in PRIDE’s second and final show in the United States.

The result was a tremendously close-contested battle that saw Diaz pulling off the submission of the century, finishing Gomi with a gogoplata in the second round.

However, after testing positive for marijuana, the Nevada State Athletic Commission overruled Diaz’s victory into a “no contest." Regardless of what the record shows, Diaz defeated Gomi in one of the greatest MMA fights of all time.

3. Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Carlos Newton (PRIDE 3)

If you’re one of those fans who believe the only exciting aspect of MMA is the stand-up game, go back and watch the classic grappling war between former UFC champion Newton and one of MMA’s most beloved legends, Sakuraba.

The entire fight was a strategic battle on the ground, with both fighters battling for the dominant position. Neither man looked to strike the other, their only intention was to win the fight by submission to out-grapple their opponent.

After moving from position to position and going for submission attempt after submission attempt, Sakuraba finally finished the fight with an incredibly well-executed knee bar in the second frame to put an end to a classic grappling bout between two of the most innovative submission fighters in MMA history.

2. Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (PRIDE 21: Demolition)

This is a bout that will forever be remembered as the most exciting slug-fest in not just MMA, but in the history of combat sports in general. As soon as the fight began, technique went out the window as both fighters rushed toward each other throwing punches with reckless abandon.

The crowd went absolutely crazy watching these two warriors holding each other’s head whilst punching each other in the face with mean intentions. MMA legend and commentator for the night, Bas “El Guapo” Rutten was quoted as saying, “I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life”.

Frye was triumphant in the end, finishing Takayama with ground n’pound for a first-round TKO in what will truly be remembered as the craziest brawl in the history of the fight game. 

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (PRIDE- Final Conflict: 2005)

Fans had been anticipating a showdown between Emelianenko and “Cro Cop” for several years prior and when they finally squared off at Final Conflict 2005 for the heavyweight championship, they were not disappointed.

The bout was heavily built as the most hyped-up heavyweight contest in the history of MMA, and it certainly delivered up to expectations. Many still consider this matchup to be Emelianenko’s toughest fight to date, because despite defeating Filipovic by unanimous decision, the Russian did not escape the contest unscathed.

“The Last Emperor” had been known for walking through his opponents with a relative amount of ease, but he was unable to impose his will against the Croatian striker.

“Cro Cop” was able to inflict a tremendous amount of damage to Emelianenko and even managed to break the Russian’s nose with a straight left and tenderize Emelianenko’s ribs with powerful kicks.

However, Emelianenko took “Cro Cop’s” best shots and continued to move forward, which frustrated Filipovic in the later rounds. It wasn’t a dominating performance, but it was an impressive victory over a fighter who was once considered the most devastating striker in the heavyweight division.

Honorable Mentions: Quinton Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona, Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Royce Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba, Bob Sapp vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Hunt vs. Yosuke Nishijima.

The Reality Check

Oh, how have the Denver Broncos utterly shocked a nation of fans and football media? 

Let us count the ways.

From the get go, whether you are or aren’t a fan of the Denver Broncos you’re reading this article. Why that’s happening probably has something to do with what the team accomplished in the first six weeks of the 2009 season.

The fact of the matter is this team is a force to be reckoned with the rest of the 2009 football season.

In effect, these aren’t your daddy’s Broncos, and they aren’t what most would expect from the Denver Broncos at this stage in time under this new regime.

Still a record of 6-0 is a great start and somewhat impressive in any NFL season for any team.

To match the six wins the Broncos attained before the bye week, here are six reasons why you can virtually bank on Denver continuing on their special run. 

This direct thought is the reasoning behind what can still be considered an early season projection that will most likely land the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.  This team is almost destined to land the number one seed in the AFC playoffs for the Lombardi Trophy.

It’s intriguing. Every year there are teams that surprise everyone in every sport.  So stop, take a minute, and evaluate the data and the factual arguments that support the amazing run of this 2009 Denver Broncos team, one which appears to be heading deep into the post season.

1. The Broncos Have the League's Best Scoring Defense

Much like a quarterback within the grasp of Elvis Dumervil, there is simply no escaping it. The Denver Broncos have the best scoring defense in the NFL.

There is a reason the old saying, “Defense wins championships” was coined.  It really has to do with a sense of Las Vegas type odds and a general philosophy.  If you are capable of shutting down your opponent in any sport, you are winning half of the battle right then and there.

In football, if that becomes a team’s advantage, it is huge. 

Defense can create opportunity where there appeared to be none.

That is exactly how the Denver Broncos' new 3-4 defense has been working to accomplish its goals, game in and game out. 

Consider the fact that through six weeks of the season the Denver Broncos have only given up 66 points for an average of 11 points per game.

Looking at Sunday’s most recent NFL games, Jay Cutler’s new team the Chicago Bears, who are known for their defense, gave up 45 points on the road in Cincinnati against the Bengals.

Yes, the same Bengals that were said to not be very good and easily discredited after the Broncos won on the Immaculate Deflection play to start the season with a win.  Those same Bengals are currently 5-2 and tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North division.

The point is, even good defenses get scored on.  The fact that the number of points the Broncos have given up is under the century mark at this juncture is nothing short of stellar.

Look a little deeper though at the talent level that is assembled by the Broncos on defense and you quickly see it’s not entirely a group of no-name players. 

It might however be a group of veterans who have never completely been given their personal due in their own right. Sure the likes of Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins are career Pro Bowlers and have reached one Super Bowl and a number of conference championship games.

The fact remains, the talent on this Broncos defensive team is greater than meets the eye.

The Broncos have something this season they did not have last season—a stable defensive backfield with depth, experience, and players. 

One of the primary criticisms of the Broncos defensive backfield last season was that they tackled poorly, showed their inexperience, failed to create turnovers, and had a lack of chemistry, especially once Champ Bailey went down with an injury at New England.   

This season’s defensive backfield has Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey, along with the best part of the Miami Dolphins defensive backfield the previous few seasons in Andre Goodman and Renaldo Hill. 

Combined the starters have 42 years of NFL experience in the defensive backfield and none of them appear to have lost much. 

Philadelphia believed Brian Dawkins had lost a step and some have said he may have, however his play on the field hasn’t shown any sign of letting up or being a step behind.  Brian Dawkins' fire is intense and reminds old Broncos fans of former linebacker and current ESPN personality Tom Jackson, who was a fiery competitor in his own right.

In the linebacking corps is Elvis Dumervil who converted to an outside linebacker from being a defensive end, and it seems to have boosted an already promising career. 

Additionally, D.J. Williams has 46 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery at his new position on the inside of the Broncos attacking 3-4. 

Cleveland cast-off Andra Davis has 38 tackles on the inside along with one sack.

The Broncos' front three of Kenny Peterson, Ron Fields, and rookie Ryan McBean have done an exceptional job of gap control and funneling the play to the linebacking crew. 

Additionally while the group has not logged a sack, they have played a key role in the Broncos being tied for the league lead in sacks with a total of 21 heading into the bye.

2. This Team Is Healthy and Very Well Coached

Without a doubt, for a team to win a number of games and have a chance of getting deep into the playoffs they have to stay healthy. 

For the most part the Broncos have done that up through their bye week. It seems the most important injury happened to Brian Dawkins against San Diego where it appeared he may have had a slight hamstring pull in the first half. 

Dawkins eventually returned and helped to lock it down on defense while leading the Broncos to the victory in a hotly contested football game.

If the Broncos can stay healthy expect them to play in the AFC Championship Game.

Just as important as staying healthy, the Broncos are a well coached football team.  From the schemes being run on both sides of the ball, this football team very much reminds people of the New England Patriots. 

With Josh McDaniels formerly under Bill Belichick’s tutelage it’s obvious the Broncos organization's approach to the game is now radically different than it has been in the past.

Perhaps the greatest of all the moves Josh McDaniels made in coming to the Denver Broncos was in landing the coaching staff he now has in place.  Moreover, Josh puts the trust in his coaches to get the job done right.

From the start the focus was on changing the culture, and it is different because of the coaching. 

Josh in his own right has been hard on Kyle Orton when he has needed to be, but he has also celebrated the successes and a mutual respect has been forged because of it.  Orton’s growth is obvious, his play is probably the most noticeable of any player, and he has proven the system is working for him.

There are more however.  Where is the criticism of the defensive line and the Broncos front seven now?  The fact is there isn’t any. 

Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely, linebackers coach Don Martindale, and defensive backs coach Ed Donatell have revamped the defense and forged a nucleolus of high expectations.

The depths to which the Broncos defense fell last season aren’t even viewable on the radar now.

Champ Bailey recently made some comments that said how important coaching is at the NFL level because the talent level is so close. Sometimes it’s just weird how things work out.

Right now it seems like a perfect storm in Denver much in the way one is brewing in New Orleans.

It’s not that the Broncos had poor defenders last season on the whole. There were talented guys there that remain on the roster now.  Perhaps the Broncos defense wasn’t running the right scheme for the talent base a year ago.

These Broncos have made a relatively smooth transition to an attacking 3-4 scheme.  Right now it’s showing in the stat sheet, but it also shows up on film. 

The Denver Broncos are fundamentally sound, where they aren’t second guessing the gap coverage like they were a year ago or even the pass coverages for that matter. 

3. The Broncos Are Winning the Turnover Battle

On the statistical side, the Denver Broncos are causing forced errors from the opposition, and they are taking care of the football. 

Currently the top team in the NFL is the Green Bay Packers at a plus-10 in the turnover battle. The Denver Broncos aren’t far behind at a plus-7 that basically is working out to one key turnover per game. 

Looking back at each game, those turnovers are playing a vital role in beating teams and setting the tone on defense.

The Broncos took Oakland out of the game when Brian Dawkins recovered a fumble deep in Broncos territory, ending the Raiders' hopes of getting back in that game.

Last week in San Diego, the Broncos D-line forced a Phillip Rivers fumble that iced the game for the Broncos.

When they aren’t getting the turnovers, they are shutting teams down at key moments throughout the game and keeping them out of the end zone.

Think about the work the Broncos did in keeping the Bengals drives between the 20’s. 

Think about Tony Romo throwing at Champ Bailey all day with little success that resulted in a pick near the end zone and last second knockdowns by the Broncos cover corner. 

Then think about how poor Tom Brady looked against the Broncos defense at times and the fact that Randy Moss was a non factor in the game.

Because of the differential, the Broncos have allowed themselves the opportunity to have late game winning drives against Dallas and New England while being able to put the Chargers out of their misery.

The bottom line is these turnovers are making a difference.  If the Broncos are going to start dominating teams they should create more of these sorts of opportunities for themselves.

4. The Challenging Schedule Now Favors the Broncos

If you want to know how good these Broncos are and you are still not convinced, there are three games remaining on their schedule that will be the true barometer on how close this team can be to winning the AFC. 

Sunday the Broncos will play in Baltimore, a place where the franchise has traditionally had a number of problems against both the Colts and the Ravens. 

The Baltimore Ravens will be starving for a win as they are also coming off a bye week to face a Broncos team that wants to send a deliberate message to the rest of the NFL.

Following the game against the Ravens, the Broncos play a home game against the reigning world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Broncos have always historically matched up well with the Steelers.

An historical average score between the two franchises gives Pittsburgh a slight edge at around a 24-22 margin.

Should the Broncos lose both those games, they have a great deal more work to do to raise the bar to a championship level.  However if they win those two games the only other obstacle in the AFC would be the Indianapolis Colts. 

Denver will visit the Colts on December 13 in a game that could determine which team has the home field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs.

Outside of those games you can virtually bank on the Broncos at least splitting five of their next 10 games.  The Broncos will win at Washington, at Philadelphia, against Kansas City twice, and versus the San Diego Chargers in Denver in a tough rematch. 

5. The Broncos Have Attitude and Something to Prove

It’s been said attitude is everything. Think about it. Perhaps at some point in time you worked for a losing organization or a loser of a boss. How well did that go over? 

Sometimes you can only scratch your head as to how they got their position in the first place.  Now contrast that with working for a young upstart and putting it all on the line where success is the only acceptable answer. 

The offseason brought a slew of questions about the Broncos organization and the hiring of Josh McDaniels as the new leader, supplanting future Hall of Fame coach Mike Shanahan.  To say the least there were a lot of unanswered questions about the direction of the franchise.

There were also holdover questions from last season about the defensive talent and what it would take to put this team back into a good place. 

Things seemed to be going in the right direction when Brian Dawkins was signed; in fact fans started dreaming of the Super Bowl. 

Just moments following the press conference to introduce Dawkins, the Jay Cutler debacle started to unfold.  Now it’s looking like everything the Broncos did in handling the Jay Cutler ordeal seems to be the right moves now. 

Additionally this team is not hindered by the loss of Cutler. In some areas it was a surprisingly welcomed change of pace.    

Kyle Orton has found the perfect match for his talents, and the Broncos have found a perfect match in the locker room.  Orton has not put up the numbers that would blow away Dan Fouts' place in history anytime soon, but he has been very consistent and has avoided interceptions. 

Certainly Kyle probably should have about six INT’s on his resume at this point, but he has been fortunate to limit that number to one, which most believe really shouldn’t count since it came on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half against the Patriots.

These Broncos see only one acceptable answer and much of that has come directly from the way Josh McDaniels has handled the approach to this football team. 

Truly this is a football team working hard at its craft.  Perhaps the igniter to the whole equation is that when guys look around their locker room they see talent and experience.  When they saw the media attention locally and nationally they saw disrespect. 

The end result here is that these Denver Broncos have a fiery attitude sparked by Brian Dawkins, but they have much to prove and they are enjoying that portion of the ride.

If you think the Broncos didn’t enjoy beating the Cowboys, Patriots, and Chargers in succession, think again.

This team has a championship swagger about them.

6. The Broncos Are Undefeated

Considering the fact that the 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only NFL franchise to go undefeated in the Super Bowl era, fans shouldn’t necessarily expect this group to go undefeated. 

The fact that the team is 6-0 at a third of the way through the 2009 season says a great deal about this team’s ability to win. They have a goal for each game to find a way to win and they are meeting their goal. 

More importantly when teams are undefeated they find ways to stay in ball games and find ways to win. That is the greater and more important test of their character.  It’s sort of like solving a puzzle on the fly, and the Denver Broncos are doing incredibly well in this area so far.

So like them or hate them, the Denver Broncos are undefeated and worthy of every team's respect at this point.

The Conclusion

The real conclusion won’t be known until the postseason starts and ends.  The Broncos appear to be headed on the way to being one of the top two seeds in the AFC.  Should they win the homefield advantage, history has shown that teams with the advantage wind up in the Super Bowl more often than not.

At the end of the day this Broncos team is showing the signs of a team that will be playing for an AFC Championship and possibly a Lombardi Trophy into the late winter months.

Contact Chaz at sportsmanagement@gmail.com

Injuries are like babies: The minute they happen, everybody thinks theirs is special.

That is until the doctor comes in, snips the cord, spanks it on the bottom, and leaves.

Then, to the unbiased ear they all sound the same, and to the female eye they're all ridiculously cute and worth at least the next four hours of their time fawning over the infant.

Sidenote: Don't take that as jealously towards babies, because I'm not. I like them. If I were Snoop Dog I'd say "Them b-sizzles is fly dawg."

It just seemed like a natural place to start off for some reasons. Besides, why would I be jealous of something when I have complete control over my opposable thumbs while it's got to spend the next 10-12 years learning how? I'm already that far ahead. Point, me.

Then again, that's exactly what sports fans do. The ones who are connected to the injury spend the course of it simply fretting: The "what are we going to do" and "oh, woe is me" acts take over during the injury as fans worry about the player, their team's record, and the excuses that they're going to have to make when questioned about their team's play.

Of course if they start to win without player X in the lineup, then he can't get traded fast enough.

Or, if injuries mount and they lose something like 500 games, then there's already a built-in excuse that can last for eight seasons!

(See: Blue Jays, Toronto—2002 through 2009)

So with that, who just has the right to complain in the NHL due to injuries? Who's coming in to replace their fallen comrades? Is this list going to go in descending order with cool little band-aidy graphics as numbers?

Yes to all questions (except half of that last one). Damn you limited capacities.

10. The Toronto Maple Leafs

Yay! Another reference as to how goaltending play is so important!

Look, the Leafs aren't one of the more heavily-injured teams in the league up front. In fact, both players on long-term injured reserve (Mike Van Ryn and Phil Kessel) never started the season on the ice. Van Ryn, unfortunately, may never see it again.

But whether they were playing well or not, it's hard to win without your top two goalies in Vesa Toskala and Jonas Gustavsson.

Gustavsson is close to returning (which is a good sign), meaning that Joey MacDonald won't get hung out to dry any longer.

9. Erik Cole, Carolina Hurricanes

Edmonton Oiler fans just stuck their hand in a desk drawer and slammed it as hard as they could.

For some reason, Erik Cole only performs his best when he's in Carolina. Kind of like every other player (Tuomo Ruutu, Sergei Samsonov, Matt Cullen) that goes to Carolina. That's why he makes the list.

Unfortunately for him, Cole seems to get seriously injured in Carolina as well.

Either way, Cole still brings a very gritty presence to the Carolina lineup that is able to produce some points and throw his body around alongside Eric Staal.

There are players on the Carolina roster who can fill in a bit of that physicality (Chad LaRose and Tom Kostoplous) and there are others who can score (Jussi Jokinen, Samsonov, and Ruutu), but it's hard to replace the exact package Cole brings.

8. The Dallas Stars

For the Stars, their injuries fall more in the way of their veteran leadership.

Last year, they lost Captain Brendan Morrow early on to a devastating knee injury and then proceeded to lose their minds over Sean Avery.

This year, defenseman Matt Niskanen is a little banged up, but Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen are missing from action as well. Both players fell off the offensive aptitude scale faster than Lindsay Lohan from the "I want to experiment" phase, so getting a player like Fabian Brunnstrom more time could help him adjust to the North American game.

Thenagain, if it turns out like last year, younger players like Jamie Benn and Tom Wandell are already benefiting from the expanded roles.

7. The Nashville Predators

We'll get to the gruesome solo injuries, I promise. But, because we're talking about team sports, we've got to mention a few team situations.

To start things off, the Predators just lost No. 1 center Jason Arnott to an arm injury. In a season where J.P. Dumont has also missed extended time due to injury and the Predators are looking up at the rest of the Central Division, this is a tough one to deal with.

Fortunately for the Preds, they now get the opportunity to drop two of their top center prospects—Colin Wilson and Cal O'Reilly—into larger roles with Wilson getting expanded responsibilities and O'Reilly getting a call up.

Then there's Jordin Tootoo, who has yet to play again. Despite that, Tootoo brings a Sean Avery quality with him that gives the Predators a different attitude when he's on the ice, much like Avery boosts the Rangers. It's very hard to replace.

But I do have a question: Is it the Rangers Avery likes playing for, or the city of New York? I think we should trade him to the Islanders and see if he's the same, or if he goes the way of Chris Simon and runs to Russia.

6. Sergei Gonchar—Pittsburgh Penguins

One of the more prominent players with a recent injury on our list, Gonchar is lost to the Penguins once again at the start of the season.

Not only does Gonchar's breaking his wrist take away the Penguins' offensive game, but the defense loses its leader and (much like last year) will be forced to cope.

Also, will Gonchar be fully healed from his wrist injury and back at full strength, or is he going to have to take a few games to get back up to speed before making an impact?

Every year, though, it seems that Alex Goligoski and Kris Letang are getting thrust into bigger roles because of injury, rather than brought along slowly.

When life after Gonchar and not between him starts, the Penguins have the advantage.

5. Johan Franzen—Detroit Red Wings

Lose Marian Hossa over the offseason to a division rival, and then lose Franzen at the start of the season. That's a tough one.

The loss of Hossa didn't deter me on the Wings that much. They had a few young players that were due to step up, and they always seem to find that extra production anyhow.

Thenagain, they won the Cup the year before without Hossa.

I was a little more wary about losing Franzen. After all, this is a guy who scored after tearing up his knee and not getting it checked out until the next morning.

Thenagain, the Wings always seem to recover. Whether veterans Jason Williams or Todd Bertuzzi begin to produce a little extra or Ville Leino, Darren Helm, and Justin Abdelkader step it up a little, the Wings will find production.

4. Andrei Markov—Montreal Canadiens

The injury to Markov is only this low because of the volume of injuries to stars on other teams.

Fact is, you can sign as many Marc-Andre Bergerons as you want, but it won't replace Andrei Markov.

He's one of the best defensemen in the league at both ends, and was a point away from leading his team in scoring last year—a feat unheard of for a blue liner.

The Habs will need contributions from all their defensemen, while Yannick Weber and Shawn Belle will have to be steady presences whenever they hear their name called up.

In the realm of "strange players stepping up": Paul Mara leads the defensemen in points with five assists. And this is ahead of names like Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother writing season previews.

3. The Vancouver Canucks

I guess it's a good thing that Vancouver spent all of that money upgrading their defense over the offseason because now it's paying dividends.

Just prior to the beginning of the season, the Canucks lost recent signee Mathieu Schneider. Thanks to that, Canucks fans were a little concerned at who was going to step up with a bit of a hole there.

Fortunately enough, they had Sami Salo, who has the offensive abilities to fill in on a top four pairing. Well guess what? Now he's hurt.

On the blue line, the Canucks don't have many more offensive options. Aaron Rome and Shane O'Brien are providing bodies capable of taking over those spots, but the offensive weight is left to the shoulder of the big guns and Alexander Edler, who'll need to consistently produce at both ends of the ice.

Up front, it was thought the Cancuks took their biggest hit in losing Daniel Sedin. Not only did they lose one player, but the Canucks had to be wary of what Henrik was doing because they're never too far apart on anything it seems.

But even with that loss, many people forgot about the talent from which the Canucks could draw. Not only was Sergei Shirokov still available to be called up, but Michael Grabner got the call and has looked comfortable so far.

2. The Minnesota Wild

The Wild lost Cal Clutterbuck, Martin Havlat, Peter Sykora, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard to start the year while they were still waiting on Brent Burns, too.

No team loses that many players (their entire second line) and successfully integrates a brand new system, does it?

Well, apparently not.

The Wild have been dealt a tough hand early on because of the fact that such a rash of injuries leaves them shorthanded with the quality to replace those players. As they get healthier though, expect the Wild to start to recoup their losses.

1. The Boston Bruins

No team came into the season with bigger expectations than the Boston Bruins, and while (numbers-wise) they haven't been hit with the injury bug, talent-wise it has hit them big time.

In losing Marc Savard and Milan Lucic, the Bruins lose one of the top passers and faceoff men in the game and the power forward that everyone is afraid of.

It gives the Bruins a far different look—a look that no one had expected to see (As Savard has stayed fairly healthy over the past few years).

Now, we're seeing Peter Chiarelli's creativity with the team, acquiring Daniel Paille and calling up Brad Marchand in hopes of solving those woes.

Having those injuries at the same time, though, may have Boston out on a limb.

Best of the Rest

Chicago

If Hossa gets injured while playing and you don't sign him that way, you're in.

New Jersey

You don't even notice a missing Patrick Elias when you've got Zach Parise.

Edmonton

It's tough losing both Sheldon Souray and Steve Staios at the same time.

Washington

The numbers are there, but not many of them are as much consequence as the other teams'.

Bryan Thiel is a Senior Writer and an NHL Community Leader for Bleacher Report. You can also check out Bryan on Hockey54.com—The Face of the Game! Get in contact with Bryan through email (bryanthiel74@hotmail.com) or his profile and be sure to check out his archives .

They say you aren’t a true champion until you successfully defend your belt. Just ask former “champions” like Matt Serra, Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin, and most recently Rashad Evans—all of whom came up short their first time around.  

At UFC 104, Lyoto Machida will get his first crack to defend the belt he stripped away from Rashad Evans when he steps into the octagon against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Fans and pundits alike started proclaiming it was the beginning of the “Machida era” before Evans even realized what had happened to him.

While Machida’s style looks like it could forge a new era of fighting in mixed martial arts, one thing remains fact: Anything can happen when you are wearing four ounce gloves.

In recognition of Machida’s first title defense, lets go back in time to pay honor to the ten best first-time title defenses in UFC history (in chronological order).


1. UFC 15: Maurice Smith vs. David “Tank” Abbot

Mark Coleman may have been the first heavyweight champion in UFC history but he came up short in his first title defense against Maurice Smith at UFC 14.

At UFC 15, Smith defeated the gassed out “Tank” by submission (verbal submission due to fatigue) at 8:08 to retain the UFC Heavyweight Title.

Smith was unable to defend his belt for a second time when his title was lost in translation to Randy Couture before at UFC Japan: Ultimate Japan. While Smith wasn’t the greatest UFC champion of all time, he was the first ever to successfully defend his belt.


2. UFC 44: Randy Couture vs. Tito Ortiz

Who could forget the “spank heard round the MMA world.”

In his light heavyweight debut, Couture took on long-time No. 1 contender Chuck Liddell for the interim light heavyweight championship winning by TKO in the third round.

Couture went on to face five-time defending champion Tito Ortiz for the undisputed light heavyweight title. Couture won a unanimous decision and became the undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion at age 40.

But what people will remember most from that title fight was when Couture had Ortiz in a compromising position and decided to make light of the situation by tapping his  "Bad Boy" opponent on the behind.

Some won't count defending an interim belt as defending a title, nonetheless, when Couture defeated Tito Ortiz it was one of the ten best “first-time” title defenses in UFC history, right?

3. UFC 52: Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg

Two-time welterweight champion Matt Hughes had not one but two successful first-time title defenses. And who could forget his second, a fight with Frank Trigg at UFC 52 which many consider one of the best fights in UFC history.

Hughes would sink in another trademark rear naked choke on Trigg which catapulted Hughes into three-straight title defenses. His streak was finally snapped by George St. Pierre at UFC 65.

4. UFC 54: Chuck Liddell vs. Jeremy Horn

Chuck Liddell knows how to mix title fights with a side of revenge. At UFC 52, Liddell avenged a previous loss to Randy Couture, winning the UFC light heavyweight title in the process.

Then, at UFC 54, Liddell got his revenge on Jeremy Horn, the first man to ever beat Liddell inside a cage, and the only one to ever submit him. In addition to the settling the score, Liddell defended his belt for the first time.

The “Iceman” would go on to successfully defend three more times before getting iced by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 71.

5. UFC 73: Anderson Silva vs. Nate Marquardt

Most will remember Anderson Silva’s middleweight title fights for his destruction of Rich Franklin, not once but twice, as well as losing the first round of his title fight to Dan Henderson before choking him out in the second.

But not to be overlooked was Silva’s equally impressive performance over one of the most seasoned MMA fighters in the sport, Nate Marquardt at UFC 73. Marquardt showed that one wrong spin in the spider’s web weaves dire consequences.


6. UFC 74: Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga

Randy Couture’s hall-of-fame career is filled with accolades and more then memorable moments. His title defense against Gabriel Gonzaga was no exception. Many thought that the younger, bigger, and more aggressive Brazilian would come in and overwhelm the cagey veteran.

Just the opposite is what unfolded before an ecstatic crowd. Couture put on one of the finest performances of his career, beating Gonzaga at every step, eventually putting his opponent on the ground and pounding him out.

While this wasn’t the first time Couture had defended a UFC belt, it was the first title defense coming off the dramatic win over then Heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia at UFC 68.

Due a strained working relationship with the UFC, Randy Couture did not return to defend his belt until UFC 91, where he was engulfed by the hammer fists of the newcomer Brock Lesnar.


7. UFC 75: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Dan Henderson

At UFC 75 two champions collided when newly minted UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson defended his belt for the first time against incoming PRIDE champion Dan Henderson.

What ensued was a five round war of attrition which ultimately saw Jackson emerge victorious on the judges' scorecards. While Jackson was successful in his first title defense, Henderson gave him everything he could handle and them some.

Like others before him, Jackson was unable to defend his belt two times in a row. At UFC 86, TUF 1 winner Forrest Griffin engaged Jackson in another five round war, with Jackson being the one coming up short in the judge’s minds this time around.


8. UFC 84: BJ Penn vs. Sean Sherk

After UFC 84, there was no doubt about who the best lightweight in mixed martial arts was. B.J. Penn battered Sean Sherk for three rounds before finally finishing him with a flying knee that left his opponent crumpled on the canvas floor. Penn emphatically defended his belt for the first time.

While a subsequent crushing loss to St. Pierre left many doubting the prodigy, it didn’t stop him from defending his lightweight scrap for a second consecutive time when he forced Kenny Florian to submit at UFC 101.

Penn will look to defend his belt for a third consecutive time when he takes on Diego Sanchez at UFC 107, but it will be hard to top the dominating performance of his first-time title defense.


9. UFC 87: Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch

Two-time welterweight champion George St. Pierre successfully defended his belt for the first time in what was technically his fifth title fight, including his interim title fight against Matt Hughes at UFC 79.

That accumulated experience was showcased as St. Pierre dominated a never-say-die Jon Fitch for five rounds. His win over a fighter many still consider the No. 1 contender in the welterweight division validates just how impressive his first title defense was.

St. Pierre has gone on to defend his belt two more times and looks to keep his streak alive when he returns from injury in 2010.


10. UFC 100: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir

Brock Lesnar will always get grief for never earning his title shot to begin with—and with good reason. But Lesnar has done everything right to validate that he is the deserved champion, at least when it comes to the actual fighting aspect.  

Many new champions could have crumpled under the epic expectations that UFC 100 produced, but Lesnar went out and did what many expected him to do by pounding  Frank Mir out of commission.

Up next for Brock Lesnar is a UFC 106 showdown with heavy hitting Shane Carwin. If Lesnar is successful in his second title defense, the critics will all have to get that much quieter.

With "Shogun" Rua less than a week away from what many consider an unwarranted title shot agaisnt Lyoto Machida at UFC 104 and Vitor Belfort on the verge of a possibly premature title shot against Anderson Silva at UFC 108, there has never been a better time to list the top five most undeserved title shots in UFC history.

As the UFC and mixed martial arts continues to evolve, the number of elite fighters continues to rise. To become a champion in the modern era takes an amazing amount of talent and an ability to defeat all top contenders. Unfortunately, history has shown us that not all those who receive title shots are entirely worthy.

So what should it take to challenge for a title?

Well-rounded skills? Destruction of all other top contenders? Or perhaps a mediocre record on small shows?

Wait, what?

The UFC has not always been full of elite talent the way it is now. Many times in the past, fighters who have shown little flare for the gold have been given title shots strictly because of lack of challengers.

This list looks at the top five more undeserving contenders in UFC history. It does not take into account how well the challengers did, just what they have done to deserve the title shot. 

No. 5 Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

Now, I know that “Shogun” did a lot in PRIDE and was one of their top talents near the end of their reign. However, that is not enough to receive a title shot. His 2-1 UFC record which includes a sloppy victory over Mark Coleman and a knockout of an over-the-hill Chuck Liddell have “earned” him a shot at UFC 104 against Lyoto Machida.

This again comes as a result of a lack of contenders. Forrest Griffin was put out of title contention with a dismantling at the hands of Anderson Silva. It seems as though Rua was granted the title shot in exchange for taking the fight against Liddell on short notice. 

Rua comes in a heavy underdog, and rightfully so. He has done little to prove himself as a top contender since joining the UFC and, if he cannot show the form of yesteryear, it could be a short night. 

No. 4 Matt Serra

With a 3-3 record in his last six UFC encounters, Matt Serra walked into UFC 69 a huge underdog. Few gave him a chance at defeating the new welterweight kingpin and many assumed GSP would walk through Serra.

Someone forgot to inform Serra he was supposed to lose. He walked into the fight with his head held high and full of confidence, and picked apart the young champion to take his throne.

This does not however diminish the fact Serra was not deserving of No. 1 contender status. He won a gameshow with fighters who were not relevant in the title picture and was coming off losses to other, more deserving talents such as Karo Parisyan.

Since then, Serra has coached a season of the Ultimate Fighter, which led to a war of words with Matt Hughes that continued for two years. He lost his rematch with St. Pierre and, earlier this year, lost a unanimous decision to Hughes. Where he goes from here is still in question.

No. 3 Gan McGee

Yeah, I had never heard of him either, but at UFC 44 Gan McGee had his opportunity at the UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia in a battle of the giants. With McGee standing 6’10" and Sylvia at 6’8", this was one of the tallest battle of Goliaths the sport has seen.

With Arlovski’s star still on the rise and Couture recently dropping to light-heavyweight, there was a considerable gap in competition in the heavyweight division. Sylvia was coming off of his destruction of Ricco Rodriguez and it was clear he was in no shape for a rematch. This left Gan McGee (2-0 in the UFC) as the default No. 1 contender.

However, it did not take long to realize that McGee was not on the same level as Sylvia. Less than two minutes into the encounter, “The Giant” had been slain by the “Maine-iac.”

After this fight, McGee never fought in the UFC again. He tested his luck in PRIDE, where he lost two straight fights to Heath Herring and Semmy Schilt. 

No. 2 Frank Trigg

That’s right, folks, without ever fighting a single fight for the promotion, Frank Trigg took on Matt Hughes for the UFC Welterweight Championship. Sure, he had a 12-2 record outside of the promotion and sure most of these wins were in impressive fashion, but this does not explain why an unknown fighter could walk into the promotion and main event a PPV.

As with our other non-deservers, the shot was because of a lack of other contenders. Hughes had won five straight fights in the promotion and devastated all of the other competition. Another factor was that two of the other main stars of the weight class (Robbie Lawler and Pat Militech) were training partners with Hughes and therefore unwilling to fight one another.

Trigg showed a valiant heart early in the bout, but it did not take long for Hughes to fend off the attack and put Trigg in a rear naked choke in less than four minutes.

Trigg went on to have other success (and failures) in the promotion before moving onto other promotions. UFC 52 presented “Twinkle Toes” with a second shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship. The rear naked choke again proved to be Trigg’s Achilles heel, and the fight lasted only 11 seconds longer than their first encounter. 

No. 1 Gil Castillo

Take your pick at which title shot you’d like to pick apart.

Let’s start with his first. At UFC 33, Gil Castillo took on Dave Menne for the UFC Middleweight Championship. It was his first fight for the promotion and only his sixth professional bout. Castillo went five rounds with the champion but ultimately lost a unanimous decision.

Following this, Castillo dropped down to welterweight, won a unanimous decision over Chris Brennan, and again was thrown into the spotlight against the UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes.

With a 1-1 UFC record and a 6-1 record overall, Gil Castillo entered the cage with Matt Hughes for the Welterweight Championship at UFC 40.  

Following the first round, the fight was stopped due to a cut, and Castillo was never seen in the UFC or any other large promotion again. 

Honorable Mention:

Brock Lesnar — With a measly 2-1 mma record and a 1-1 UFC record, Brock Lesnar received a title shot against the MMA legend himself, Randy Couture, at UFC 91

Vitor Belfort — A 1-1 return since returning from Pride is what Belfort took into his rematch with Randy Couture at UFC 46. 

Travis Lutter — Although he never actually received his title shot, Lutter won his title shot via The Ultimate Fighter with a 2-2 UFC Record. At UFC 73, Lutter missed weight for his title shot and was subsequently destroyed by reigning UFC Middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva. 

Jeff Monson — Although Monson had a 4-2 UFC record heading into his title fight with Tim Sylvia at UFC 69, his wins were against lower level talent and he did little to show he was worthy of a title shot.