Every mixed martial arts (MMA) fan loves a good conversation about rankings. When phrases like "pound-for-pound" and "best all-around" start flying around, you can bet there will be controversy.
Such was the case on Thursday night (March 8, 2012) when the hosts of Spike TV's "MMA Uncensored Live" set out to decide who is currently the best 265-pounder in Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) heavyweight division.
One of the hosts of the show, Mike Straka, had some interesting thoughts on who he believes may just be the best heavyweight fighter in the world:
"Well, I'm probably gonna take a lot of heat for this, but, after his last fight, Frank Mir is, by far, the best heavyweight out there, right now. He's unstoppable. He broke Nogueira's arm with a kimura. He looks fantastic, and like you said, Cain Velasquez hasn't been that healthy. I would not wanna be a guy, not 100 percent healthy, facing Frank Mir."
After the jump, we'll continue the discussion on which UFC heavyweight fighter should be considered number one:
Only one man, Junior dos Santos, can lay claim to holding the belt, after he defeated the former champion, Cain Velasquez, with a quick and violent KO victory at UFC on Fox 1 on Nov. 12, 2011 in Anaheim, Calif. But does that cement his status as the best in the weight class?"JDS" will have a chance to prove as much when he takes on former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem at UFC 146 on May 26, 2012 in "Sin City."
Interestingly enough, the UFC 146 fight card is overflowing with amazing heavyweight match ups. With the UFC absorption of the Strikeforce heavyweight division, a lot of intriguing pairings just became available.
In addition to the championship bout, Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem, fans will also be treated to:
Not bad, eh?
Former UFC Middleweight Nate Quarry, now a co-host on the set of "MMA Uncensored Live," also weighed in with his opinion on who the best 265-pounder is:
"I don't know if he's the best or most well rounded, but Overeem is the scariest, by far. The way that he dismantled Lesnar...it was ridiculous."
Former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar, who was making an appearance on the show, joined into the discussion as the voice of reason:
"I'm gonna go with dos Santos. He's got great boxing, fast hands for a big guy, moves his feet really well, comes out to 'Rocky' ... you can't beat it."
It certainly makes for an interesting conversation and adds an extra layer of anticipation to an already potentially thrilling night of fights at UFC 146.
We heard from the guys at "MMA Uncensored Live," but now we wanna hear from you Maniacs!
In the comment section, weigh in with your well-thought out argument for who is the best heavyweight in the UFC and why.
Bring it.