I have to give Mathan Erhardt credit for inspiring this idea. Consider this an addendum to UFC for Dummies. I want to preface this by noting all the stats I collected were from numerous sources, and some sources had conflicting information. Don’t f*cking e-mail me bitching that someone’s record is off by 1 loss or win, or that their height is off by an inch. If you’re one of those know-it-all pieces of garbage, do me a favor: skip this column and go walk in front of a bus.
If you’re new to Ultimate Fighting Championship, it can take a while to learn who’s who in the company. Not anymore. With this simple guide you can sit down and watch a UFC pay-per-view with your buddies and actually know what the f*ck you’re talking about. It won’t get you laid, but you just might surprise your friends with your knowledge.
In part one we take a look at the key players in the Heavyweight division.
UFC HEAVYWEIGHTS
UFC’s Heavyweight division is rather small, with only a few top-notch fighters. There’s only a handful of regulars, with new people coming and going constantly. In all honesty, it’s not very different from boxing’s current Heavyweight scene. The division needs a serious boost before fans get tired of seeing the same people fight each other.
TIM “THE MAINE-IAC” SYLVIA
Tim Sylvia is the current reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion. He stands at an impressive 6′ 8″, weighing in at anywhere from 255 to 265 lbs. The 30 year-old from Maine is a two-time UFC Heavyweight Champ, with a record of 23-2-0. Sylvia won the title the first time in February 2003 at UFC 41: Onslaught, defeating Ricco Rodriguez by a first-round TKO. Sylvia was later stripped of his title after testing positive for steroids. Sylvia had a chance at the Interim title at UFC 51, but was defeated by Andrei Arlovski. It was a long, hard road to redemption, but Sylvia regained the title by defeating Arlovski at UFC 59: Reality Check in April.
ANDREI “PITBULL” ARLOVSKI
Andrei Arlovski has been one of the most dominating Heavyweights in UFC history. He stands at 6′ 3″, weighing in at 240 lbs. The 27 year-old from Minsk, Belarus is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, who was consider by many to be unstoppable. Arlovski defeated Tim Sylvia for the Interim Heavyweight title in 2005 at UFC 51. Arlovski was proclaimed the Undisputed champ later that year when former champ Frank Mir was unable to return to action due to injury. Arlovski is one of the best strikers in any weight division, and is well versed in submissions as well. However, “The Pitbull” lost his title to Tim Sylvia at UFC 59. Arlovski already has a rematch against Sylvia for the title in July.
PAUL “THE HEADHUNTER” BUENTELLO
Paul Buentello is having a good run in UFC. He’s won three of his four fights for the company, with his one loss in a title match against Andrei Arlovski at UFC 55. He stands at 6′ 2″, weighing in at 235 lbs. The 32 year-old from Texas has only been with UFC for a little over a year, but has an MMA record of 20-9-0. Buentello is a decent striker with good takedown defense, but he isn’t in the greatest shape. He hits hard, but is fairly slow on his feet.
JEFF “THE SNOWMAN” MONSON
Jeff Monson is not your typical looking fighter. He has the body of a pro-wrestler or a bodybuilder, but it doesn’t really seem to slow him down. The 35 year-old Minnesota native stands 6′ 0″, weighing in at a solid 230 lbs, with a record of 21-5-0. Some may argue over Monson’s submission techniques, but he’s one strong son of a bitch, and if he gets an opening, you’re going to sleep. Monson’s striking needs some serious work, but he’s a damn good grappler.
MARCIO “PE DE PANO” CRUZ
Marcio Cruz is a six time world champion of jiu-jitsu, and an eight time pancration champion of jiu-jitsu. The 28 year-old from Brazil stands 6′ 4″, weighing in at 245 lbs. Cruz is new to MMA, with a 2-1-0 record, but he should not be taken lightly (just ask Keigo Kunihara and Frank Mir). His offense may be overrated, and he may not be in the greatest shape, but his defense and submissions are unbelievable.
FRANK MIR
Frank Mir has had a very strange career with UFC. The 26 year-old Las Vegas native stands at 6′ 1″, weighing in at 240 lbs, with a record of 8-2-0. In his seventh fight for UFC, at UFC 48 in June 2004, Mir defeated Tim Sylvia to become UFC Heavyweight Champion, breaking the arm of “The Maine-iac” in the process. Just three months later, Mir would be sidelined for nearly a year-and-a-half from innjuries sustained in a motorcyle accident. Mir finally made his return to the Octagon in February 2006, at UFC 57, and was defeated in the first round by newcomer Marcio Cruz. Mir has stated on his official website that he is training hard for his next opponent, but there has been no word from UFC on when that fight may take place.
JUSTIN EILERS
Justin Eilers is having a bad career with UFC. I’m only mentioning him because he’s done so poorly over the last year. Prior to joining the company, his record was 8-2-1. Now the 6′ 1″, 235 lb Idaho native is 9-5-1, with three losses in a row. The 27 year-old is a decent striker, but hasn’t been much competition for the likes of Andrei Arlovski and Paul Buentello. If you see Eilers in UFC again, look for it to be the last time if he can’t pull off a win.
THE OTHERS
The Ultimate Fighter 2 Heavyweight winner Rashad Evans has made the move to Light Heavyweight, along with TUF 2 Heavyweight Keith Jardine. TUF 2 finalist Brad Imes is still fighting at 260 lbs, but lost his most recent fight to fellow TUF 2 alumnus Dan Christison at Ultimate Fight Night IV. There’s also a handful of guys that come and go (Telligman, Hinkle, Silva), but none of them are really notable. Needless to say, the UFC needs good Heavyweights desperately.
Next Up: UFC’s Light Heavyweight division.
