The MMA world

Well things have gotten interesting in the world of MMA the last few days. As reported in MMAWeekly and Sherdog.com the UFC has acquired the WEC and many fighters from the WFA. All this still with the talk of Pride being up for sale and several of Pride's biggest fighters looking, or possibly looking, elsewhere for fights.

I really haven't touched on Pride too much in this blog so let me do so now. Despite watching UFC since the mid-nineties and being a loyal fan I have nothing but admiration for the Japanese based organization Pride Fighting Championships. Pride really embodies the warrior spirit of its fighters. Pride simply throws together great fights, time and time again. No worries about a certain fighter losing and thus a championship contender wasted, no throw them together and let them bang. You have to love that. Of course it helps that Pride has the deepest pool of talent in MMA to work with. Not that, as some would say, they have all the best fighters, but that they have the deepest level of them. Mostly at the heavier weightclasses. UFC's welterweight and lightweight classes are the cream of the crop but as you go heavier it's obvious that Pride has the advantage. Whatever else happens let's hope that Pride can weather the storm and keep close to it's warrior code of throwing together the cream of the crop and letting the chips fall where they may.

That being said, things they are a changin'. For a long time UFC didn't pursue the big names or didn't pursue them with enough cash in hand. Now though after, presumably, building up a great name and plenty of capital Dana White is going after the big fighters and when the stable is full I think we might get to see those great fights we want to see in the Octagon. Let's keep in mind though that competition is always best for the consumer.

Heath Herring will add depth to the woeful heavyweights in the UFC. I can see him getting a title shot rather quickly given the lack of incumbent candidates.

Quinton Jackson is tailor made for the UFC, he's everything they want. He's brash, larger than life, talented and brutal. His Rampage slams will be highlight material in short order I am predicting.

Along with these newly acquired fighters there are some others that are there for the taking and hopefully we'll see the UFC pick up on them.

Fedor Emelianenko is doing a series of one fight contracts, seeing action in Pride as well as BodogFights. Why not a fight or two in the Octagon? Yeah, probably not but it would be nice wouldn't it and it would bring some of the international fans to the UFC.

Aleksander Emelianenko is a 6'6 250lb striker who, while not on his brother's level, would be a fine addition and would be an intriguing matchup for Tim Sylvia, heavyweight champion. Would Big Tim be able to handle a fighter without that huge reach advantage he always claims?

Mirko Filipovic is also available as well and this guy is amazing. He's clearly number 2 in the world behind Fedor and says he'll go wherever to get that fight but the UFC has to be pretty appealing. CroCop is a superb striker and could be a contender at both HW and LHW. I'm drooling at the thought of a Liddell/Filipovic fight. Two of todays best knockout artists teeing off on each other?? Wow.