Chris Benoit: Tragedy Over Triumph

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Four time Intercontinental Champion, Five time United States Champion & a World Championship. Those are just some of the accolades racked up by Chris Benoit throughout his 20+ year career in the squared circle. They’re certainly Hall of Fame worthy numbers, right? Although the legendary performer should be enshrined in WWE’s Hall, he will never be. By most, he will be remembered as a man that murdered his wife & son before taking his own life. The fact of the matter is he had the brain of an 80-year-old with Alzheimer’s and should not be fully blamed for what he did. The man who won the Royal Rumble, as it’s number one entrant had a triumphant career, but his tragic end is something that will thwart his entrance into the WWE Hall of Fame, no matter how deserving he is.

-Raindrops

*Living in the Shadow of The Spider

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When Chael Sonnen lost his rematch to Anderson "The Spider" Silva at UFC 148, a statement was made. Not just in the context of a super-hyped main event, but it was a familiar story that has become a tragedy for so many middleweight fighters living in the Anderson Silva era. To compete in the UFC’s middleweight division is to compete for second place, and that is a stigma that grows more influential with every Silva victory.

One by one, world-class fighters have been handed their dreams back to them by the champ. Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt, Demian Maia, Sonnen, and the legendary Vitor Belfort are among a laundry list of fighters who have all tried, and failed, to decipher the seemingly unstoppable Spider. Silva has even ventured up to light heavyweight and dominated former champs like Forrest Griffin, just for kicks. It’s created a desolate wasteland in the division, with a serious lack of legitimate contenders left. Many have simply jumped a weight class up or down to try their chances elsewhere (although with Jon Jones and GSP reigning at light heavy and welterweight respectively, their chances may not be much better there either).

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Chael Sonnen is a living representation of what it means to compete against a talent of Silva’s level. “The American Gangster” is easily the next best competitor at 185 lbs. He proved this by utterly dominating the champ in their first meeting, and even in round one of the rematch. Despite what were certainly his best efforts, Sonnen still couldn’t find a way to put the champ away, and that has to have a massive effect on him mentally. There are even rumblings that Sonnen may be done with the sport completely after this latest loss, and realistically, who can blame him?

At 35 years old, Sonnen, who is still widely considered the world number two, is likely another two or three fights away from earning third title shot. That’s about 18 to 24 months of training and competition just to get another crack at his arch-nemesis Silva. That’s an arduous grind for a guy his age, one that he already had some difficulty completing this time around. Sonnen barely made his way through Michael Bisping en route to his latest Silva rematch, and Bisping isn’t really considered a serious contender at the moment. Evidently the seeds of self-doubt have not just been planted in Sonnen’s mind, they’ve been cultivated, and after UFC 148, no one can blame him if that doubt is now in full bloom.

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It’s a culture similar to that of the PGA during Tiger Woods’ era of domination, or the NBA when the Jordan-led Bulls were reeling off multiple championships. There is just no answer to that level of brilliance. It may even be a self-fulfilling prophecy, because the more contenders Silva eats up, the less inclined anyone is going to be to think they’re going to be the one to solve him. Fighters, after all, are only human.

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Just ask Rich Franklin, the man who looked so strong as title holder before the Spider came along. Franklin was knocked out twice against Silva, and has never made his way back to the title picture since. Now, at age 37, Franklin finds himself caught between two weight classes, and with little chance of ever holding UFC gold ever again. Fighting Silva sent him into MMA limbo, the same place Sonnen seems to find himself now.

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The second UFC 148 came to a close with a flurry of Silva strikes, the speculation began over who would be next up to take a swing at the middleweight strap. The problem is, there isn’t really a logical answer. Are Mark Munoz, Chris Weidman, or even Strikeforce champ Luke Rockhold really legitimate contenders? None have shown the skill level of a Chael Sonnen, but there is literally no one else left.  

Rashad Evans, via Twitter, has expressed an interest in dropping down to middleweight to take on Silva. Now that would provide a tough and interesting matchup, but coming off a tough loss to Jon Jones, Evans can’t reasonably be expected to be given a title shot in his first fight at 185 lbs.

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This is life in the Anderson Silva era. The man has established a standard of utter domination that has reverberated through the sport on literally every level. His division has been completely cleaned out, contenders are rightfully afraid, and those he destroys come to question their place in the sport altogether. 

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There will always be another fight, another matchup, and one day there will be another champ. Whether or not that champ will actually take the belt from Silva is another story altogether. One thing is for certain; there will never be another Anderson Silva. He is unequivocally the greatest UFC fighter of all-time, and it’s possible that the only opponent that may be able to beat him is time itself. 

*Maynard vs. Guida Underscores the Deepest Division in the UFC

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Gray Maynard and Clay Guida may both be top contenders for Benson Henderson’s UFC lightweight belt, but strangely there will be little that either man can do that can secure an immediate title shot. It seems ironic then that tonight’s matchup promises to be one of the most riveting of 2012. Exciting or not, this is life in the current incarnation of the lightweight division. Over the last two years, the 155 lb field has grown to such a level that there is now a logjam at the top of the overall rankings, and a slew of talented fighters on the horizon.

If one is to look at the lightweight picture as a game of chess, thinking several moves ahead, it becomes difficult to see how the title picture shapes up after Henderson faces off with former champ Frankie Edgar. Guida and Maynard are coming off of losses to Henderson and Edgar respectively, which made tonight’s matchup a logical choice. With a win by either man, it would be fair to call them the division’s third best fighter, but how often does a guy land a title shot after just a one-fight win streak? On the flip side, a consecutive loss for either man could see them quite easily tumble down the standings, as the competition coming up behind them is just too strong to deny. Needless to say, the stakes are as high as can be.

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Further complicating matters is top contender Nate Diaz’ one-year suspension for marijuana use, which will inevitably slow the process of fighters getting their shot. Diaz has earned his 3^rd place ranking in those standings, and although ineligible to compete for an extended period of time, he’ll certainly be at the fore of the title picture as soon as he returns.

As for the current title picture, there are guys chomping at the bit left and right. Donald Cerrone has looked more focused of late, Anthony Pettis is a threat, boasting a win over the current champ Henderson back in WEC, and undefeated youngster Paul Sass is only a couple of wins away from being a serious contender. Despite a tough loss to Jamie Varner, young Edson Barboza also has the goods to one day be a champion. Don’t forget names like Rafael Dos Anjos, Gleison Thibau, Jim Miller, and there’s always the threat of current Strikforce champ Gilbert Melendez eventually making the jump to the UFC. Are you still with me? Try to follow along.

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It’s said that “heavy is the head that wears the crown”, and never has a cliché rang more true than with the UFC’s lightweights. Fights like Maynard vs. Guida that would be bridge-to-the-belt fights in almost any other weight class, now amount to them essentially treading water. Whoever wins tonight’s main event will likely still be one more fight away from landing that title fight, leaving them susceptible to catching a loss that would keep them from a title shot altogether. Whoever loses will take a substantial knock in the standings, putting them several fights away from the belt, and take them out of the title picture for good.

It’s do or die in a battle of two guys who push the pace, and love to strike. This is the type of situation that makes MMA great, and you can bet that the champ will be watching closely.

UFC 145: Jones vs Evans - Believe The Hype

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One of the unfortunate side effects of the UFC’s staggering growth has been the dilution of the talent pool. Dana White still puts on the best MMA show on earth, but lately there has been an element of hype missing from main events. Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans seems to remedy that perfectly. 

This is a marquee matchup the UFC usually only boasts when the likes of Anderson Silva or GSP are fighting. Evans presents the biggest challenge yet for the seemingly indestructible Jones, possessing the speed, and intelligence that could finally give the champ a run for his money. Jones on the other hand has unprecedentedly ridiculous reach and striking ability, which will make it tough for the smaller Evans to get inside and do damage. No matter what happens, this is a much-needed clash of the Titans.