Land of the Giants – Part II
Michael sent this in:
In the first part of the Land of the Giants heavyweight breakdown, Michael DiSanto examined the top guns among the big boys. But there’s more than just the Fab Four of Lesnar, Carwin, Mir, and Velasquez, as you’ll soon find out…
LUNCH PAIL CREW
These heavyweights bring very full lunch pails to the Octagon each time out. They may have holes in their respective games that keep them from the top of the division, but they sure are fun to watch, win, lose or draw.
Pat Barry: His bio lists him at 5’11. I’m not convinced. I that is a college basketball height—you know, one determined by asking “hey Pat, how tall are you” instead of pulling out the tape measure. His height, or more appropriately lack thereof, is probably his biggest enemy in the heavyweight division. His punching power, by contrast, is his biggest strength. This guy punches like Earnie Shavers or a young Mike Tyson. If he touches any heavyweight on the chin with a fully committed punch, it’s game over. And he kicks like an angry mule, scoring knockouts in K-1 with both low and high kicks. Suffice to say that this guy doesn’t take a backseat in terms of single-strike power to any heavyweight in the world. But this is MMA, not kickboxing, so there is more to the game than just striking. That is where Barry has some problems. His ground game is certainly improving, but his height is a major problem on the ground, particularly when fighting from his guard. Regardless of how good Barry is at controlling an opponent’s hips from his guard, that won’t prevent a significantly taller foe from posturing up and unleashing powerful ground-and-pound attacks, which is something that hip control is supposed to help prevent. I’ve said it before that Barry has the power of heavyweight and the frame of a middleweight. I think Barry’s best division is probably 205 lbs, if not 185 lbs. He would be a serious title threat in either weight class. Last: TKO2 over Antoni Hardonk at UFC 104. Next: TBA.
Paul Buentello: It was great to see “The Headhunter” return at UFC 107 after nearly three years fighting in other promotions. The affable Mexican-American mixed martial artist certainly doesn’t look like a fighter. I’m sure he doesn’t strike fear into anyone’s heart during pre-fight weigh-ins or when he first enters the cage. The fear arrives when Buentello first touches them with his fists or feet because this guy has very real dynamite in both. His takedown defense is excellent, though he does leave a bit to be desired once he is on his back, and that is the big hole in his game, along with a gas tank that has been less than full for recent fights. Against Stefan Struve he was completely exhausted far too early, and that came back to haunt him. With that said, it is tough to count out Buentello in any fight because of his knockout power. And he certainly is one of the more entertaining heavyweights out there. Last: MD loss to Stefan Struve at UFC 107. Next: Cheick Kongo at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones on March 21.
Antoni Hardonk: In terms of technique, Hardonk stands alone atop the list of UFC heavyweight strikers. Watching him throw leg kicks is a thing of beauty. There is no hitch. No step. No movements that telegraph the incoming bomb. And he doesn’t land the shot with an ineffective slapping motion that is so common among converted strikers. It’s all shin thrown in a whipping motion from his hips, which makes it as effective as a baseball bat to the legs. But one should expect nothing less of an Ernesto Hoost student. Striking isn’t Hardonk’s problem. He can stand and trade with anyone, except Pat Barry, who made him pay for that mistake back in October. It is his inability to stop the takedown that gets him into trouble. Hardonk has been working hard on his ground game, but three of his four UFC losses occurred after takedowns. If he can either dramatically improve his takedown defense or develop an excellent defensive guard, then the sky is the limit for this guy. If not, he will be relegated to the role of heavyweight gatekeeper because there is no room among the heavyweight elite for a one trick pony. Last: TKO2 by Pat Barry at UFC 104. Next: TBA.
A MAJOR QUESTION MARK
Stefan Struve: This guy has a lot going for him. For starters, he just turned 22 years old. He also happens to be the tallest heavyweight in the UFC, standing 6’11. Struve has extremely long, flexible limbs with solid submissions, particularly from his guard. That makes him very dangerous on the ground. He mixes those ground skills with solid standup game. All that adds up to make Struve one of the more interesting prospects to come out of Europe in the last few years. His UFC debut was a train wreck—at least, it must have felt like a train wreck when he ran into Junior Dos Santos at UFC 95. The tall Dutchman was dispatched in less than a minute on that disappointing night. He recovered nicely from that loss with three straight wins, including a thrilling three-round war with Buentello the last time out. Struve’s problem is that he needs to add significant muscle and power if he truly wants to compete with the division’s big boys. That was glaringly obvious against Dos Santos. I honestly think he needs to add somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 lbs his 235-lb frame over the next few years. That would be an insurmountable task for most humans. But Struve is 6’11 and remains a relative baby in the sport with several years to go before he hits his physical prime, so it is not that daunting of a task for him. Last: MD over Paul Buentello at UFC 107. Next: Roy Nelson at UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi on March 31.
NEW BLOOD
The last year has seen a nice infusion of new talent into the heavyweight division. Some of these guys are grizzled veterans. Others are fresh new faces with untapped potential.
Ben Rothwell: “Big Ben” might be a UFC newcomer, but this guy has a ton of experience with nearly 40 professional fights under his belt, including a couple of first-round TKO wins over current UFC light heavyweight competitor Krzysztof Soszynski and a split-decision win over “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Roy Nelson. In other words, Rothwell paid his dues and then some before arriving in the world’s toughest MMA promotion. Unfortunately for the Wisconsin native, his debut came against the division’s best young fighter, Cain Velasquez, and he was summarily smashed. Rothwell had a golden opportunity to rebound from that loss at UFC 110 where he was scheduled to face Mirko Cro Cop. A win over the Croatian superstar would have catapulted Rothwell right into the middle of the heavyweight mix. A stomach virus forced Rothwell to pull out only a few days before the fight. That was the correct move, since fighting Cro Cop while fighting illness is a recipe for disaster, and Rothwell can ill afford to get dominated again if he wants to remain relevant in the division in the short term. Last: TKO2 by Cain Velasquez at UFC 104. Next: TBA.
Roy Nelson: How does one discuss Nelson without making reference to his enormous gut? I’m not being disrespectful. He rubs that sucker like a golden Buddha after every win. And honestly, why should he care about his belly? MMA is about effective fighting, not bodybuilding. This guy is an extremely effective fighter, dominating B-level competition in smaller shows around the country over the last several years before finally getting his opportunity to compete in the ultimate proving grounds. Nelson actually uses his gut to his advantage during fights, especially when trying to control an opponent on the ground. And his cardio seems unaffected by his high levels of body fat. Maybe a monstrous belly will become the new rage. Maybe it won’t. I’m more interested to know if Nelson is really as good as he seemed when he easily dominated the competition during the tenth installment of TUF. His first stiff test comes in about a month against Dutch beanstalk Struve. Last: KO1 over Brendan Schaub at The Ultimate Finale 10. Next: Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Gomi on March 31.
Todd Duffee: Duffee has all the physical tools to be an excellent heavyweight. The 24-year-old has good size, standing 6’3 and weighing 260 lbs. He is extremely strong. And, of course, he is very athletic with dangerous punches—all six of his professional fights have ended inside the distance due to strikes. Duffee is another in a growing line of career mixed martial artists—guys who grew up with the sport, rather than transitioning to MMA after long careers in a particular martial art. That is the good. The bad is that he remains relatively untested. Is he the destructive striker that his perfect knockout record suggests? That certainly remains to be seen. It also remains to be seen whether his takedown defense is good enough to deal with lifelong wrestlers or if his submission defense is good enough to deal with high-level black belts. I don’t know the answers to those questions, though I’m not ready to bet against him. Duffee has a ton of potential. Only time will tell if he will live up to that potential. Last: KO1 over Tim Hague at UFC 102 (set the UFC record for fastest knockout—seven seconds). Next: TBA.
Brendan Schaub: Schaub is a late comer to the sport after spending his collegiate years playing football at the University of Colorado. He is a big, strong young man who is quickly learning the ropes thanks to his good work ethic and natural athletic ability. But his lack of experience was glaringly obvious in his knockout loss to Nelson in the finale of TUF 10. It will be interesting to see how Schaub rebounds from his first professional loss. Some fighters are never the same again, particularly when the loss is by vicious knockout. Working out with Shane Carwin, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt and crew should help ensure that he puts that unfortunate result behind him and continues building his fighting foundation. We will know for sure in a couple of weeks when he returns to action on the undercard of Brandon Vera versus Jon Jones. Last: KO1 by Roy Nelson at The Ultimate Finale 10. Next: Chase Gormley at UFC: Vera vs. Jones on March 21.
Matt Mitrione: It didn’t take long for Mitrione to alienate just about everyone in the house during TUF 10. His apparent lack of commitment to the sport and general arrogance stung most of his fellow reality show competitors. Little did everyone know that it was all mind games by an athlete who is well versed in the mental aspect of competing in professional sports, after spending a few years as a defensive lineman in the NFL with the New York Giants and then the Minnesota Vikings. Succinctly put, this guy is an uber athlete with Superman strength (his football playing weight was just shy of 300 pounds), bone-crushing power in his hands and an excellent set of whiskers. That makes him a dangerous opponent for just about anyone. He is trying to quickly get up the MMA learning curve under the watchful eye of grizzled UFC veteran Chris Lytle at Integrated Fighting Academy. Last: KO2 over Marcus Jones. Next: TBA
THE INTERNET SENSATION
Lots of guys enter the UFC amidst serious fanfare. Brock Lesnar was a former WWE icon when he debuted inside the Octagon. Cain Velasquez was regarded by many as the division’s heir apparent when he signed his first UFC contract. Both their respective UFC debuts, as well as those of just about every other competitor to date, did not inspire the same level of interest from casual fans as the debut of some guy named Kevin Ferguson, who is better known as “Kimbo Slice.” Simply put, Slice is a street fighting legend born from the underground videos of YouTube, a man with possibly the most unique aura of any competitor to ever enter the sport. And I cannot wait to see how his UFC career plays itself out.
Kimbo Slice: For the first few years of his mixed martial arts career, Slice was a one-trick pony. He relied solely on his fistic prowess to win. That all changed in his official UFC debut against devastating striker Houston Alexander. Right from the opening bell, it was clear that Alexander wanted no part of exchanging punches with Slice, which shocked virtually everyone because Alexander was known for having some of the most explosive punches in the sport. His refusal to engage with Slice led to a very tactical battle that saw the Internet sensation actually execute a couple of extremely nice takedowns and good ground control. Slice will need to continue developing his offensive and defensive ground game if he actually wants to be anything more than a passing attraction in the UFC. He has enlisted the tutelage of Ricardo Liborio and the American Top Team to build his MMA skills—a great group to do just that. His improvement to date has been nothing short of remarkable. Slice’s biggest problem, though, is his size. At 225 lbs, Slice is a very small heavyweight. He is the perfect size for a non-existent 215-lb weight class, but may be too big to actually cut down to 205 lbs. Slice needs to figure out whether he is better off trying to take the extra weight off and make a run at light heavy or add another 15 to 20 lbs and really concentrate on heavyweight. Either way, I’ll be watching, along with millions of casual fans who cannot seem to get enough of Kimbo Slice. Last: UD over Houston Alexander at The Ultimate Finale 10. Next: TBA
Image: MMAJunkie
lightweight champion. There was just one problem: Vazquez was already under contract with King of the Cage. He tried to opt out but was unsuccessful.
Brock Lesnar: The champ erased any doubt about the legitimacy of his title reign when he methodically pounded out former conqueror Mir in two rounds at UFC 100 back in July. Lesnar’s game plan, which he executed masterfully, showed his tremendous improvement as a fighter since the first time the pair squared off. Rather than come out like an angry Tasmanian Devil with instant takedowns and wild ground-and-pound attacks, the champ executed a takedown, expertly moved into side control during the transition, took his time to make sure that he had the proper position, and then unloaded the most devastating series of arm punches in UFC history in a way that left him wholly unexposed to submission attempts or sweeps. It was as dominant of a performance as we have seen in the heavyweight division in quite a long time. Now that Lesnar is back in training following his bout with that pesky little bacteria, he finally has what appears to be a clear number one contender in undefeated Mexican-American superstar Cain Velasquez. The only hitch in that plan is the fact that fellow undefeated top contender Shane Carwin, who was twice scheduled to fight Lesnar for the title, faces Mir for the interim title at UFC 111 on March 27. Interim champs are supposed to get the first crack at a returning champion—that is the whole point of an interim championship. Thus, it seems likely that the winner of Mir-Carwin will be Lesnar’s next opponent, and it is tough to argue that the winner of that fight hasn’t earned a crack at Lesnar. Still, Velasquez doesn’t take a backseat to anyone. Whoever Lesnar fights is less important than seeing the champ healthy and back in action, which should happen this summer. Last: Sub2 over Frank Mir at UFC 100. Next: TBA.
Cain Velasquez: Talk about getting thrown to the wolves. Cain Velasquez was anointed by many as the future of the heavyweight division before he ever stepped foot inside the Octagon. Nearly two years and six impressive UFC wins later and Velasquez is no longer the can’t-miss prospect that everyone had to watch fight. He is now possibly the biggest current threat to the reign of Lesnar after demolishing all-time great Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira in 140 seconds at UFC 110. He showed in that fight that his standup game should be feared by all but the very best strikers. The question that still exists for this guy is his size. At 6’1, 240 lbs, many question whether he is a little small to compete with the division’s monsters like Lesnar and Carwin. Would Velasquez be well served to follow in the footsteps of Mir and pack on a few pounds of extra muscle in the near future? That is a tough question to answer until we see him square off against one of the division’s giants. In the interim, what this guy lacks in size, he more than makes up for with unyielding determination, seemingly endless gas and excellent technique. Velasquez should be preparing as if he will next fight Lesnar for the title. Assuming that the champion is planning a midsummer return, there is a very real possibility that the winner of Carwin-Mir won’t be ready to go that soon, particularly if their bout is the war that many expect it to be. Last: TKO1 over Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira at UFC 110. Next: TBA.
Frank Mir: Back in April, I wrote that a “focused, well-prepared Mir is at worst even money to defeat any heavyweight in the world.” I still stand by those words. Simply put, this guy has completely redefined himself as a heavyweight. Athletes routinely talk about coming back from a loss bigger, stronger and faster. They rarely live up to those words. Mir, on the other hand, did just that after losing to Lesnar at UFC 100. Training with former legendary strongman competitor Mark Philippi, the former champion added approximately 25 lbs of lean muscle to his already hulking frame in the months leading up to his bout against Cheick Kongo at UFC 107. Mir felt like he needed the added mass in order to better handle the giants that roam around at the top of the division. Many thought the extra weight would slow him down. It didn’t. The former champ showed tremendous speed and his vastly improved hands against Kongo, knocking down the fearsome Frenchman in the opening seconds of their fight and then quickly choking him out. The bout proved that his amazing performance against Minotauro Nogueira at UFC 92 was no fluke. Frank Mir version 3.0 truly is one of the best heavyweights in the world. But he must overcome one more test in order to secure a much desired rubber match with Lesnar later this year. That test is no small task. Last: Sub1 over Cheick Kongo at UFC 107. Next: Shane Carwin at UFC 111 on March 27.
Shane Carwin: This monstrous competitor remains one of only two active UFC heavyweights with a perfect professional record and at least three trips to the Octagon. The other is fellow Fantastic Four fraternity member Cain Velasquez. As a bit of icing on that cake, each of his four wins came inside the first round, the last of which was a come-from-behind knockout victory over perennial contender Gabriel Gonzaga. It was an awesome display of punching power and an even better display of the thickness of his whiskers. Heavyweights with big power and granite jaws are a difficult puzzle to solve, unless said heavyweight has a weak ground game. Unfortunately for the rest of the division, that isn’t the case with Carwin. He has excellent takedown defense and solid hips from his days as a Division II collegiate wrestling champion. Carwin was originally supposed to face Lesnar for the title at UFC 106 last November. He will instead face Mir for the interim strap in March as Lesnar works his way back to top form after his bout with diverticulitis. Facing a well-rounded fighter like Mir is tough for anyone. Facing him after spending more than a year away from active competition is downright crazy. Then again, great fighters find a way to win when facing seemingly insurmountable odds. Is Carwin truly a great heavyweight? We’ll all find out next month. Last: KO1 over Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96. Next: Frank Mir at UFC 111 on March 27.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: It’s hard to believe that Minotauro Nogueira is only 33 years old because he is already a legend in the sport. The longtime PRIDE heavyweight champion made history when he added the interim UFC heavyweight crown to his resume back in 2008, becoming the only man to date to ever hold heavyweight titles in both promotions. But he has definitely hit a rough patch in his career. After fighting for nearly a decade without getting stopped, Minotauro has dropped two of his last three fights by technical knockout. The saving grace remains his 2009 domination of active Hall of Famer Randy Couture. That win shows that the Brazilian is still at the top of his game, despite suffering losses to Mir and Velasquez. The fact remains, though, that he now has losses against two of his three fellow Preferiti, which leaves him at risk of being replaced in the exclusive fraternity of top contenders by his protégé, young gun Junior Dos Santos. Last: TKO1 by Cain Velasquez at UFC 110. Next: TBA.
Junior Dos Santos: Has any heavyweight looked better in his last four UFC fights than Dos Santos? With four dominant performances, all stoppages, against Gilbert Yvel, Mirko Cro Cop, Stefan Struve and Fabricio Werdum, this guy is on a serious hot streak to start off his UFC career. During that reign, he demonstrated that he can stand up and strike with just about any heavyweight in the world. The question, though, is whether he can defend the takedown or survive on the ground against ground-and-pound specialists like Lesnar or submission wizards like Mir. Another question is whether he is able to take a punch on the button against a guy with legitimate one-punch knockout power. Some of those questions will sort themselves out, while Dos Santos continues progressing toward the getting recognized as one of the division’s big boys. He needs a win in his next fight to keep the tremendous momentum that he generated in 2009. Otherwise, he could get lost among the weeds in what is rapidly becoming one of the UFC’s deeper talent pools. Last: TKO1 over Gilbert Yvel at UFC 108. Next: Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones on March 21.
Mirko Cro Cop: When Cro Cop first signed with the UFC, most thought it was just a matter of time—maybe a fight or two—before he took his rightful place at the top of the division. That obviously did not happen, as the Croatian superstar has struggled to acclimate his game to the Octagon. Cro Cop’s aura of invincibility and his fearsome left high kick both seem to have disappeared. He needs to find both if he wants to regain his reputation as the most dangerous striker in the heavyweight division. UFC 110 was a step in the right direction for him as he methodically bludgeoned a determined Anthony Perosh. He still ignored his kicks, ostensibly to minimize the chance of getting taken down. That is a legitimate concern for the former K-1 striker, but he doesn’t need to completely abandon his kicks to keep the fight on the feet. He should be finishing his combinations with kicks to the legs and body, both of which are fight-ending weapons for Cro Cop. Last: TKO2 over Anthony Perosh at UFC 110. Next: TBA.
Cheick Kongo: One year ago, Kongo was banging loudly on the door to a title shot. He then owned seven wins in nine trips to the Octagon, including his last three. That places him among the most experienced and accomplished UFC heavyweights yet to fight for the title. But, alas, that was early 2009. As 2010 finishes its first month, Kongo sits with back-to-back losses on his record for the first time in his entertaining career. Two consecutive losses isn’t the end of the world, nor a recipe to automatically drop a fighter from contention. A loss in his next bout, however, would be a huge step in that direction. In other words, Kongo needs to right the ship, and he needs to right it now. Nonetheless, with 11 trips to the Octagon, he remains one of the division’s more experienced competitors and dangerous tests. What will 2010 hold for the Parisian kickboxer? Will he return to heavyweight prominence or will he continue his slide? Last: Sub1 loss to Frank Mir. Next: Paul Buentello at UFC Live: Vera vs Jones on March 21.
Gabriel Gonzaga: On paper at least, this guy has all the tools to win a championship. He is a former Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion with good takedown defense, one-punch knockout power and excellent size. He had the opportunity to fight for the title back in 2007 at UFC 74, but he was stopped in the third round by Couture. There is no shame in losing to the living legend. But Gonzaga inexplicably laid an egg in his very next bout against Fabricio Werdum, sending his standing in the division into a tailspin. Back-to-back wins in 2008 got the Brazilian back into the heavyweight mix. Yet, the loss to Shane Carwin last March sets him back yet again. A recent win against a relatively unknown Chris Tuchscherer didn’t do much to reestablish his top tier credentials. A win in his next bout will solve that problem and more, instantly propelling him back into contention. Last: TKO1 over Chris Tuchscherer. Next: Junior Dos Santos at UFC Live: Vera vs Jones on March 21.
highly-regarded coaches Gokor Chivichyan and Roman Kalantaryan (who were instrumental in making Karo Parisyan a UFC star). Though he won his last fight, Darabedyan said he came away regretting how he played it safe in the third round against McCullough. It didn’t hit him until it was time for the judges’ decisions to be announced and one judge scored it 30-27 in favor of McCullough.
