UFC

Middleweight
Just as the weltrweight divison features a champion who appears unbeatable, the middleweight ranks has a similar athlete manning the throne heading into 2011. Actually, he has been sitting in the big chair since October 2006, a span than includes a record seven consecutive title defenses. There are also twelve-straight wins in the Octagon overall in two divisions, a feat that puts Anderson Silva a notch above the competition, not only in the division, but in the sport's pound-for-pound pantheon.

Champion: Anderson Silva

Despite all the accomplishments outlined in the opening, people still harp on Anderson Silva with alarming regularity. All he's done since coming to the UFC is win, but in recent years, that hasn't been enough; fans and critics alike want explosive finishes similar to the exhibits Silva put on early, knocking out Chris Leben and burying Rich Franklin with knees on a pair of occasions.

Silva will stand in with Vitor Belfort in early 2011, and "The Phenom" could be just the man to bring out the violent and aggressive Anderson Silva people have been missing. This is a bout that was originally supposed to take place at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, but an elbow injury put Belfort on the sidelines, leaving us to endure Silva's curious encounter with Demian Maia

The thing with Silva is that for whatever negative elements he offers from time-to-time, and in spite of the criticisms that are levied against him, he hasn't been beaten in more than four years. Outside of the unbeaten and comparatively inexperienced Cain Velasquez, there isn't another UFC champion who can say the same. Just as we said with Georges St-Pierre: you should expect to see Silva atop the division for the foreseeable future.

The Challengers

As mentioned, Vitor Belfort will be the next man to try and tear the middleweight title away from Silva, getting that chance at UFC 126 in February. There are obvious elements of Belfort's game that you have to admire; a championship pedigree from the early days of the UFC, quick, lethal hands, and what seems like a renewed commitment to the sport after a handful of years in the middle of his career where "The Phenom" seemed somewhat adrift.

One thing that will certainly work against Belfort when he steps in against Silva - you know, other than the fact that he's facing the best fighter on the planet - is that he will have been inactive for 16 months prior to the contest. No matter what kind of training program Shawn Tompkins is putting him through, there is nothing that compares to competing with "The Spider" inside the cage.

Waiting in the wings for the winner of UFC 126's main event is Yushin Okami, the last man to have his hand raised win in the cage with Silva. Though the victory came via disqualification, Okami has earned his place in the #1 contender position, having won three-straight and six of his last seven. The powerful Japanese fighter has greatly improved his boxing in recent years, which works well alongside his strong grappling game. A rematch with Silva would be the ideal pairing if you asked both the fans and UFC marketing department, as the rematch angle plays well for both, but regardless of who he faces, you can be sure that Okami will be well-prepared and ready to go the distance when he finally gets his shot at the UFC middleweight title.

Chael Sonnen came closer than anyone in recent memory to beating Silva, using his powerful wrestling to put the champion on his back for most of their meeting at UFC 117. Unfortunately, Sonnen had a mental lapse in the closing moments of the meeting, getting caught in a triangle choke that turn what looked like one of the biggest upsets in MMA history into another example of Sonnen's lack of submission defence. The loss took an even more sour turn shortly after the event, as the Team Quest member tested positive for elevated testosterone levels, earning a one-year suspension that is currently under appeal.

Depending on who is holding the belt when he returns, Sonnen will be no more than a win away from standing across the cage from the champion once again; his performance prior to being submitted by Silva was equal parts unexpected and impressive, and earned him an immediate rematch prior to the positive test. If Silva still has the belt, expect Sonnen to face a Top 5 opponent to try and earn another shot at "The Spider" in 2011.

The Second Tier

More than any division, the 185-pound grouping in the UFC suffers from a lack of top-end talent, while presenting an abundance of middle-tier competitors who are always on the verge of contention. While I personally do not see any of the upcoming competitors as true challengers for the middleweight title heading into 2011, the lack of options paired with an abundance of other variables could have one - or more - of these men vying for a belt next year.

Nate Marquardt is essentially "the best of the rest" in the middleweight ranks; too good to really be considered middle of the pack, but thus far unable to get over the hump and back into a title bout with Silva. He missed on two such tries in 2010, dropping decision to both Sonnen (UFC 109) and Okami (UFC 122), while earning an odd win over Rousimar Palhares in between the two. A title shot is almost entirely out of the question in 2011.

Next Saturday, Demian Maia will face Kendall Grove at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in Vegas. While the Brazilian jiu jitsu wizard is an outstanding competitor on the ground, the glaring hole in his stand-up makes it impossible to consider him a true challenger to the championship at this point. The days of being able to excel with only one dominant trait are over, so while Maia will continue to impressive with his submission game, he needs to round out his offensive arsenal before he can be moved up from this middle ground of the middleweight division.

Michael Bisping is very similar to Dan Hardy, and not just because they're both Brits. Like Hardy, Bisping would have you believe that he is a serious threat to the middleweight champion and ready to take that next step in 2011. Truthfully, Bisping is the epitome of this middle ground, a fighter who dominates weaker competiton, but has consistenty failed to take the next step. That said, more than anyone else in this group, Bisping could be elevated into contender status with a win or two in 2011 because of his main event status overseas and the overall lack of quality challengers at the top of the heap.

One last man who could make a case for a title shot by adding a win or two to his resume in 2011 is "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva. The former Pride champion is a massive fan favorite and holds a victory over Bisping from the UFC's first foray to Australia. He's been on the sidelines since, but his charisma, penchant for explosive encounters and popularity could make Silva an easier sell than most if he's able to put another tick or two in the win column.

The Others You'll See

Chris Leben is never going to go away, and that is a good thing. "The Crippler" enjoyed a career resurgence in 2010, winning a pair of fights in the span three weeks and three overall for the year. Unfortunately, Leben crashed his truck in Hawaii at the end of October, resulting a DUI arrest. While there has a conclusion hasn't reached in regards to the situation, the unfortunate incident clouds an otherwise impressive year and makes you once again wonder if Leben can continue to make a dedicated commitment to competing in the Octagon.

Jorge Rivera has a chance to elevate himself into the middle tier of the division - if he isn't there already - with a win over Bisping in Australia early next year. The veteran competitor earned an impressive victory over Nate Quarry in March, but it is the lone substantial win for Rivera in the last two years; beating the likes of Rob Kimmons and Nissen Osterneck do not carry enough weight to make you a reasonable threat in my books.

A wild card in the mix due to a career-threatening injury is Alan Belcher. Had "The Talent" not suffered a detached retna at the start of August, he would undoubtedly be alongside the man he was supposed to fight - Demian Maia - in the second tier of the division. The skills are there and Belcher continued to impress and improve over the first half of 2010, but the nature of his injury is such that you have to take a wait-and-see approach with the Mississippi native heading into 2011.

Because he is a major name in the Pacific Rim, Yoshihiro Akiyama will continue to get opportunities inside the Octagon, but the days of considering the Japanese judoka a threat are done. Depending on who you ask, Akiyama is either 1-2 or 0-3 in the UFC, having earned a questionable split decision victory over Belcher in his debut at UFC 100. Since then, he's been entertaining but unsuccessful opposite Leben and Bisping, dropping him way down the ladder.

Few fights were as odd as Rousimar Palhares' meeting with Nate Marquardt in September. After dropping to the canvas and attempting a heel hook, Palhares stopped fighting and motioned to referee Herb Dean, believing that Marquardt was curiously slippery that early into the fight. Dean did not interjecy - rightfully - and Marquardt blasted the Brazilian into a stoppage defeat. While he's since apologized for his accusations of cheating and eagerly awaits a return to the cage, that kind of lack of focus is enough to leave "Toquinho" on the fringes of the middleweight division for me. A couple wins can get him back into the mix, but for now, he needs to show me that he's ready to fight no matter what.

After bouncing former title challenger Patrick Cote from the organization back in October, you can be sure that Tom Lawlor will continue to earn opportunities inside the cage in 2011. Unfortunately for us, the former TUF 8 contestant has said that his trademark flamboyant weigh-in performances and ring entrances are a thing of the past, deciding instead to focus solely on putting together a string of victories instead. Selfish bastard...

Lastly, so long as Alessio Sakara avoids tuna, we will continue seeing the heavy-hitting Italian trying to send heads rolling in 2011. "Legionarius" has looked really good since shifting his training to American Top Team in Florida, earning wins over Thales Leites and James Irvin over the last 18 months. What makes Sakara a constant question mark, however, is his health. Injuries and illnesses have knocked him out of an abnormal amount of contests in the last few years, making gaining momentum impossible. Staying healthy should his most important goal in 2011.

Light Heavyweight
Continuing on in our seven-part, five-day odyssey through the various UFC divisions, we arrive in the top-heavy ranks of the light heavyweights, where the champion is stuck on the sidelines, a collection of former champions eagerly await his return, and a handful of talented up-and-comers are primed to put a stamp on their contendership heading into 2011.

Champion: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Rua fought just once in 2010, but he made the most of that singular opportunity, knocking out Lyoto Machida in the rematch of their UFC 104 title fight to claim the light heavyweight championship. Unfortunately, we have yet to see "Shogun" defend the belt and will have to wait until at least March before we get that opportunity, as a knee injury that required surgery has the former Pride Grand Prix champion on the mend with an unspecified return date.

After an inauspicious start to his UFC career that included a submission loss to Forrest Griffin and the worst "Fight of the Night" in the history of the organization opposite Mark Coleman, Rua had rounded back into form with his performance against Chuck Liddell and his two meetings with Machida. The key word there - for now - is had; the last time Rua underwent an operation and was sidelined for an extended period was prior to the Coleman catastrophe, and a return to that form will make for a short title run in 2011.

That being said, if Rua comes back in the same form he showed in his last two outings - especially the second Machida match - he will be a handful for anyone in the 205-pound division and capable of a length reign as champion.

The Challengers

Whenever Rua returns, his first opponent will be former champion Rashad Evans. The former title holder has earned his opportunity by defeating both Thiago Silva and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson since dropping the belt in May 2009. While both of those performances left something to be desired for some, Evans' return to his wrestling roots will allow him to compete with anyone, and make his quick and powerful hands even better weapons. Whether than means he will be able to reclaim the light heavyweight belt is yet to be determined.

After scoring a close and widely debated split decision win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 123, Quinton Jackson is right back in the thick of things. While Jackson was clearly affected by ring rust when he returned from his self-imposed retire against Evans, the former champion looked fresh and focused in going three hard rounds with Machida in Michigan ten days ago. In that regard, Jackson is somewhat similar to B.J. Penn; when he's in shape and motivated, Jackson has the power and killer instinct to hang with anyone in the division, but there have been times when other things have seemed more important to Jackson than fighting. He has history with the two men who will battle for the light heavyweight title next, so expect Jackson to be on a very short list of challengers following that bout.

Before facing Rua in October 2009, Lyoto Machida was an unsolved puzzle that many within the MMA community believed would leave light heavyweights searching for a missing piece for an extended period of time. Fourteen months later, he's riding a two-fight losing streak that many feel should stand at three, wondering if "The Return of The Dragon" will ever materialize in the cage. For my money, Machida is still an extremely dangerous fighter, although he needs to be more aggressive. His counter-striking style cost him in the meeting with Jackson, and will continue to put him behind the eight ball before the fight begins every time he enters the cage. Whoever he faces to kick off his 2011 fight calendar, they better be prepared for the best Machida we've seen yet.

Jon Jones is the future of the light heavyweight division, and the future may begin as early as 2011. The dynamic, young fighter from Endicott, New York has dominated everyone he's faced to date in the UFC, including back-to-back first round stoppages against Brandon Vera and Vladimir Matyushenko. His next bout will be against fellow prospect Ryan Bader, a fight that doesn't make sense to me but could put Jones into the thick of the title hunt if he emerges with the win. While Dana White has said publicly that Jones is still a year away from a title shot, but plans change, and "Bones" has the type of offensive arsenal and fan support to force White and the UFC to move in a different direction in the coming year.

We can't discuss Jones without next mentioning his upcoming opponent Ryan Bader. The TUF 8 winner has used his Arizona State wrestling pedigree and heavy hands to propel himself into the Top 10 of the light heavyweight division. Thanks to wins over Keith Jardine and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Bader is in a tough position to start 2011. He's too good to fight anyone outside of the Top 10 or even in the bottom third of that group, but hasn't quite shown enough to convince me that he can hang with Jones and the best the division has to offer. His future is bright regardless of the outcome of his meeting with Jones, and an upset win at UFC 126 in early February will solidify his place in the pecking order, while losing to a superior prospect does little to slow his climb up the light heavyweight ladder.

The Wild Card

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has made a pair of appearances in the light heavyweight division, winning both in dominant fashion. Though he did not compete at the 205-pound limit in 2010, the manner in which Silva systematically destroyed former champion Forrest Griffin leaves him as a threat that has to be acknowledged, even if he doesn't have any designs on competing in the weight class as of now. Silva is an instant Top 5 fighter in the division if he chooses to return, and a threat to capture the title at any point.

The Others You'll See

I understand why so many people love Forrest Griffin. Hell, I love Forrest Griffin, but the truth of the matter is that the original Ultimate Fighter and former divisional champion is not quite on the same level as the men listed above. He pulled out of his only scheduled fight in 2010 due to a shoulder injury, leaving his UFC 106 victory over Tito Ortiz as the last time we've seen Griffin in the Octagon. That was just over a year ago, and while his 2011 fight card already has Rich Franklin pencilled in, the former middleweight champ doesn't rate as a true challenger in this division either.

You just read it above, so why not get it out of the way right now: Rich Franklin is a solid name and a tough veteran, but his championship days are over. Prior to connecting with a perfectly-timed punch, he was getting beaten by Chuck Liddell in Vancouver. I know that he won the fight - and did so with a broken arm - but the fact that Liddell was getting the best of it up until it ended doesn't bode well for Franklin. He will remain a main card fixture and would be a great fit as a gatekeeper if he's interested, but save for bouts like his UFC 126 meeting with Griffin, Top 10 opponents shouldn't be on the schedule for Franklin in 2011.

The last six months have caused a complete shift in how Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is viewed by fans, media and maybe even the UFC itself. After knocking out Luis Cane in impressive fashion in his UFC debut, "Little Nog" earned a hard-fought win over unheralded Jason Brilz in May before getting beaten on the cards by Ryan Bader at UFC 119 in September. While neither of those situations sound all that bad, his initial dance partner for 2011 is Tito Ortiz, and that should be all the indication you need to agree that Nogueira is on the outs in the title hunt for the time being.

Matt Hamill will perpertually be in the muddled middle ground of the light heavyweight division - too good to battle the bottom tier of the division, not quite good enough to take the next step. While he goes down as being the first man to defeat Jon Jones, Hamill was handled in the bout, separating his shoulder before eating a barrage of elbows, including the one that led to Jones' disqualification. He looked good in getting the better of his former mentor Ortiz in October and could take on an upper-tier gatekeeper role in 2011.

The most impressive and promising talent in the division - outside of Jones - is Phil Davis. There are still holes that need to be filled in his striking and defensive system, but with elite wrestling and very good jiu jitsu, Davis has the ability grow into a serious threat in the light heavyweight division. That being said, the UFC will most likely put "Mr. Wonderful" on a similar track to the one used with Jones, bringing him along slowly against opponents of increasing difficult with each victory. He could also follow in Jones' footsteps by becoming a featured competitor on any of the 2011 cards scheduled for live television.

Jason Brilz had a coming out party against Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 114, but he was unable to follow-up on that bout when an injury forced him from a fight with Vladimir Matyushenko, another fighter who will remain a fixture at the lower end of the divison in 2011. While he impressed against Nogueira, Brilz is a limited fighter whose biggest win to date is came against either Eric Schafer or Tim Boetsch depending on who you rate better. His ground game and tenacity make him a test for emerging talents and veterans on the decline, but nothing more.

Heavyweight

We're down to the last division in our look ahead at the UFC title pictures for 2011, but the big boys are anchoring our series and who doesn't like talking about the big boys?

This division is strong up top and full of interesting options in the middle, and after the exciting year they delivered in 2010, there is no way that you aren't looking forward to seeing what Cain Velasquez and company have in store for 2011.

Champion: Cain Velasquez

Undefeated and coming off a first-round finish of Brock Lesnar, it is hard to not be excited to see what the newly crowned champion does for a follow-up in the coming year. Velasquez has been every bit as good as advertised over the last few years, getting better with each bout, a characteristic that is key to lasting success in the cage. With a tremendous work ethic and arguably the most complete skill set in the division, Velasquez has the potential remain at the top of the heap for an extended period of time.

Right now, what separates Velasquez from the last few men to hold the heavyweight title - or even a part of the heavyweight title - is his well-rounded approach in the cage. While every fighter has weaknesses and areas they'd like to improve, Velasquez is strong standing and on the ground, with unquestionable cardio, powerful striking and a patient, measured pace inside the Octagon. None of the men who have come before him in recent years can say all of those things, which has many believing that the American Kickboxing Academy product will keep the belt through 2011.

The Challengers

Junior dos Santos plans on taking the title away from Velasquez, and the Brazilian will be the first to face the new champion in the new year. "Cigano" has not only beaten everyone he's faced in the UFC, he's dominated them. A member of Team Nogueira, the 12-1 dos Santos has yet to really showcase anything other than his striking, but only because no one has been able to contend with his combination of technical abilities and sheer brute force. If training under Nogueira has allowed dos Santos to add a quality ground game to his explosive stand-up, the man known as "Gypsy" could be the toughest challenger Velasquez has face to date.

For a while, people wondered whether anyone would beat Brock Lesnar. The memory of the mammoth heavyweight champion pinning Frank Mir against the cage and pummeling him to a finish resonated with everyone, and looked like a approach that could work against anyone. Since he's come back from his bout with diverticulitis, Lesnar has looked far more human. Even more troubling is that Lesnar looks allergic to being hit with any kind of power shot; Shane Carwin pounded on his for the opening round of their meeting at UFC 116, and Velasquez did the same three months later. While Lesnar is still very much a freak of nature athlete capable of putting together another title run, he needs to figure out how to take a punch before making a return to the cage. If he can do that, look out.

Shane Carwin looked poised to remain unbeaten and put Brock Lesnar away during the opening round of their meeting at UFC 116. Heading into 2011, Carwin couldn't be further from where he was in the first round of his meeting with Lesnar. Gone is his unbeaten record, lost to Lesnar, and while he remains a contender, he won't be stepping into the cage any time soon. The soon-to-be 36-year-old underwent a collection of surgeries at the start of the month, including a procedure on his back, that is expected to keep him sidelined for a number of months.

Before opting to undergo surgery, Carwin was scheduled to face Roy Nelson on New Year's Day. While the bout was scrapped after the news of Carwin's situation broke, it turns out that Nelson probably wouldn't have been able to compete either, but for totally different reasons. The TUF 10 winner is being sued by Roy Jones Jr.'s Square Ring promotion for breach of contract, a situation that stems from Nelson's bout against Jeff Monson prior to entering the UFC. As it stands right now, no one knows how long this injunction is going to last, leaving Nelson in limbo entering 2011.

The Second Tier

No disrespect to the fighters soon to be mentioned in this section, but heading into 2011, I just don't think they have what it takes - either anymore or quite yet - to be viewed as title contenders.

Frank Mir is a two-time former champion with the best jiu jitsu in the division and an urge to return to that rank once again. Unfortunately, the Las Vegas native doesn't have the size or striking ability to hang with the likes of Velasquez, dos Santos or Carwin, the latter of whom knocked Mir out in their meeting at UFC 111 last March. Mir is at a similar position in his career as fellow former champion Rich Franklin in the light heavyweight division: he's still good, but not great, and that leaves him limited options in the coming year. There are a few rematch possibilities available, and a pair of wins would bump him into contention, but ultimately, I can't see him getting by either of the men who will take part in the title fight in the UFC heavyweight division.

One of those rematch possibilitie available to Mir is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who he was supposed to meet at UFC 119 in September before "Big Nog" was forced out with a knee injury. By the time he returns, it will have been more than a year since Nogueira fought, and over 18 months since he earned a win, neither of which help his case in 2011. For all his past accomplishments, Nogueira is clearly in the twilight of his career, which means a role as a gatekeeper or quality name against other fighters in a similar situation should be his only two options in the coming year.

Moving in the opposite direction of Nogueira is Brendan Schaub. The TUF 10 finalist and Grudge Training Center product has been on a roll since stepping out of the TUF house, earning wins over Chase Gormley, Chris Tuchscherer and Gabe Gonzaga since March, a trio of triumphs that has him situated as the top prospect in the heavyweight divsion heading into 2011. That said, Schaub doesn't have the experience or a complete enough approach in the cage to contend with the boys at the top of the heavyweight heap. He is due for a step up in competition and he could prove me wrong, but 2011 might be a year where Schaub has to take a step back before moving forward again.

The Others You'll See

Because he's a big name, Mirko Cro Cop will continue to earn a check from the UFC. The former Pride star looked beyond bad in his meeting with Frank Mir at UFC 119, and while short notice is an easy explanation, the truth is that Cro Cop is well beyond his prime and treading on his name and name alone. His win over Pat Barry in Vancouver last summer was an aberration, and 2011 will prove that to be true.

Speaking of Pat Barry, the incredibly charismatic Duke Roufus product has great striking skills, but a glaring hole in his ground game. Heading into 2011, he'll need to show improvement in that area quickly or fall even further down the heavyweight ladder. The first opportunity will come in late January against Joey Beltran, and it isn't unreasonable to think that the loser of that bout will be released.

For all his oddities on Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter, Matt Mitrione has come off the reality TV show to earn three-straight wins and earn some buzz as a guy who could climb into contention with a couple more wins. "Meathead" will square off with Tim Hague at Fight for the Troops 2 in a fight that is very winnable for the former NFL'er, and while his skills are still developing, there aren't many heavyweights who can boast a four-fight winning streak in the division.

Stefan Struve has all kinds of ability and attributes that point to a bright future; height, length, heavy hands, good kickboxing and solid submission skills are all elements we've seen from the Dutch heavyweight in the last two years. The problem is that he just hasn't figured out how to put it all together as of yet. Instead of keeping guys at a distance with his freakish length, Struve opts to get into fire-fights with sluggers which has produced a couple close calls and pair of knockout loses to elite-level challengers.

If we're talking about heavyweights who are going to be hanging around in 2011, we might as well end with a heavyweight who has built an entire career on hanging around, Cheick Kongo. The big kickboxer is the premier example of a top-tier gatekeeper and will continue in that role again this coming year. After years of fighting on the fringe of contention, it should be clear that Kongo will never take the next step. That being said, he should earn another three or four oportunities against emerging prospects and former contenders looking to rebound, a dance card that should look awful familiar to the big man from France.

That's all folks - hope you enjoyed this look at the 2011 UFC Title Chase as seen through my eyes.

Id give you Thanks on all those posts G&P but i can just say it here. Great posts.

(30-11-2010 13:11 )groundnpound Wrote:  The Ultimate Fighter is on Thursday instead of Tuesday this week people.Thursday @ 22.45 on SS2.

And there I was, swearing at my sky+ box this morning for not recording it, thanks for that

No probs Gaz.

The Ultimate Fighter Final is Live on SkySports3 @ 2am on Saturday Night/Sunday Morning.

The catch up shows start on SkySports 3 @ 11pm on Saturday.

So basically The Ultimate Fighter is on from 11pm on Sat night til 5am on Sunday Morning.

Should be good

Fuckin hell groundnpound i thought you were writing a book there for a second, i was gonna point you in the direction of http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/contactus.htm to see about a publishing deal
All jokes aside, as cainan said great post. I'd give some of my own spin on the fighters & contenders but to be honest i've forgot most of the names of the new & lesser known/'gatekeeper' fighters as it took me ages to read throught them all

Surprised to see THF final on Sky Sports when i checked the tv guide, i thought ESPN would've had the final as it's a live show, still nice to see Sky doing a great job on the advertising front

Here's a good piece by Gareth A Davies the UK's top if not only MMA/UFC journalist on Michael Bisping being snubbed in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year list. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/garet...ing-again/

Great piece Mitchell.Couldn't agree more that he should be a nominee.You get the feeling that even if he were undefeated champ he still wouldn't get noticed.Shame.

Haven't seen one advertisement from Sky or any info on the show moving from Tues to Thurs either.Poor from them to say the least.

I could never write that much Mitchell... so the publishers shouldn't worry! lol Just highlighted what needed highlighting and stuck it up for u guys.I thought it was great reading!

Anyway glad u lads liked them.

Good to see Dan Hardy & John Hathaway getting nominated for international fighter of the year award, not sure Alistair overeem should've won, his wiki page says he only had 1 fight in 2010
2010 fighters record according to wikipedia.
Alistair Overeem 1-0
Dan Hardy 0-2
George Sotiropoulos 3-0
John Hathaway 1-1
Shinya Aoki 3-1
Like i keep saying the UFC doesn't think much of Micheal Bisping 2-1. If Overreem can be nominated with 1 fight then what about GSP who's only fight of 2010 was a victory over Hardy, i guess after his silly show in Abu Dhabi Anderson Silva's 2-0 counts for nothing???

KO OF THE YEAR: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Lyoto Machida
Mike Russow KO of Todd Duffee was pretty sweet!!!

BEST PROMOTION: UFC... Err Sherlock just called, he said "NO SHIT!!!"

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/garet...ards-2010/

looking forward to Saturday and the TuF finale. should be a close 1...