MMA OBSERVER

The Brazilian Rocky

Posted by RB, 07 Feb 2008

Anyone who followed Pride through the early 2000s is likely to have both followed and supported the number two heavyweight during that period, Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira -- because it is hard to imagine the fan of MMA that watches the career of Nogueira senior, or “Big Nog”, and does not end up supporting him.

His submission skills are extraordinary for a man of his size, being one of a handful of truly standout Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners actively competing in MMA today, and as such there is rarely a moment on the ground in his fights that does not look dangerous for his opponent. Watching him transition and set up submissions is in itself an exciting spectacle -- as it always is with submission specialists of his size.

But while the sting in his tail is certainly Jiu-Jitsu, his fights are rarely straightforward submission grappling matches. His boxing has steadily progressed throughout his career and having fought and survived against strikers such as Semmy Schilt, Sergei Kharitonov, Mirko Cro Cop and now Tim Sylvia there are few he is unwilling to stand and trade with. Unlike many submission-oriented fighters, Nogeuira can be noted for the pride he takes in his striking abilities and trains annually with the Cuban National Boxing Team.

What identifies ‘Minotauro’ to fans more than the sum of his skill set however is his incredible heart, his ability to take punishment and stay strong in a fight, and to somehow find his way from there to victory time and time again. The punishment Nog has taken throughout his career is tremendous, but unlike most fighters the beatings he received didn’t usually end in defeat but in stunningly hopeful victories. From his legendary battle with Bob Sapp in 2002, to his showdown with Cro Cop in 2003, or indeed his title winning performance over Tim Sylvia last weekend. Nogueira’s trainer put it best when he described him as “the Brazilian Rocky.”

And his ability to mount the comeback isn’t limited to within a fight either -- Henderson bet him by split decision in 2000 and Nogueira came back to avenge the loss decisively in 2003. Barnett bet him by split decision in 2006 and Nogueira avenged the loss again, only a few months later. Besides two decision losses to Fedor Emelianenko, these are the only fights Nogueira has dropped in a seven year, thirty-six fight career: two avenged, split decisions.

It is easy to gloss over this fact and fail to appreciate just how stunning this accomplishment is given the breadth of talent Nog has faced during that time. He holds significant victories over Mark Coleman, Semmy Schilt, Ricco Rodriguez, Mirko Cro Cop, Sergei Kharitonov, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Barnett, and now Tim Sylvia.

You don’t hear it said as often as might be expected, but no heavyweight in MMA past or present holds as many victories over top competition -- including Fedor.

And yet Nogueira’s accomplishments in the sport have until now been underwritten by his aforementioned losses to Fedor, who took the Pride heavyweight title from him in 2003 and defended it successfully against him in 2004. Despite the fact that he continued to win against top heavyweights, these losses to Fedor took a considerable amount of heat from Nogueira’s star.

Such was Emelianenko’s overbearing presence on Pride’s heavyweight division that Nog at times seemed more like the yardstick by which Fedor’s greatness was measured, rather than being recognised as one of the great heavyweights himself. It was easy when following Pride’s renowned heavyweight division of 2001 onwards to end up feeling sorry for Nogueira: the man who would still be Heavyweight Champion...

That is what makes his capture of the UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship last weekend all the more sweet. After five years Nogueira finds himself at the top spot in MMA’s most important heavyweight division again -- recognised as the number one organisation’s number one. Now it is the UFC instead of Pride that rules the heavyweight roost, but the significance of the new title is the same. Finally, Nogueira has emerged from the Russian’s shadow.

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TOP HW (265 lbs)

10 October 2007

  1. Fedor Emelianenko

    2. Fedor "The Russian Experiment" Emelianenko

    The MMA community is getting antsy with the time Fedor has spent away from the ring, but his 'inactivity' has been greatly exaggerated -- in the last ten months he has soundly beaten two world class competitors in Mark Hunt and Matt Lindland, and he is now expected to fight in early 2008 in M-1. It looked for a while like he might have a hard time finding competition outside the UFC, but with Couture resigning from the promotion, and Barnett still out there as a free agent, this may not be a problem after all.
  2. Antonio Nogueira

    3. Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira

    Minotauro 'looked bad' in his recent victory over Herring according to many, but 'bad wins' can't be allowed to devalue a fighter. With that in mind, his list of recent achievements at heavyweight still outshine anyone other than Mr. Emelianenko, and that includes the recent wins of Couture. His next bout will be very deciding as to whether he can improve on that, and if he were to face 'The Natural' in the medium term future he would probably find himself favourite to be the next UFC heavyweight champ.
  3. Randy Couture

    4. Randy "The Natural" Couture

    Many now have Couture in the number two spot ahead of Nogueira following his recent wins over Sylvia and Gonzaga -- and it is tempting to follow suit and bump him up as far up as he can go. But while both of his recent wins were incredible showings for 'The Natural', they are nevertheless the only two wins he can be ranked by at heavyweight. The recent portfolio of Nogueira features more wins over a higher class of competition, and he has stayed active this year with his recent win over Herring. With his resignation from the UFC and what looks to be a fierce contract dispute ahead of him, inactivity is a clear threat to his ranking looking forward.
  4. Josh Barnett

    5. Josh "The Baby Faced Assassin" Barnett

    Barnett has faced an incredible depth of opposition at heavyweight, and his losses have been few and far between. His two fights with Nogueira last year, going 1-1, only go to show how close-to-inseperable their talent levels are, and in an extremely active 2006 he showed one of the most effective submission games in the sport. The only recent devaluing losses he suffered were to Cro Cop: one was via decision, and the other was coming off a high-paced war with Nog earlier that same night. His 2006 victories over Nakamura, A. Emelianenko, Hunt, Nogueira and Nastula more than make up for it.
  5. Tim Sylvia

    6. Tim "The Maineac" Sylvia

    There is currently little to separate heavyweights vying to break into the top five like Gonzaga, Kongo, Arlovski, and behind them Cro Cop. But Sylvia elevates himself above these fighters with two wins over Arlovski and a stint as UFC heavyweight champ in his recent past, putting him on overall firmer ground. His upcoming match with Vera could cement this status and give him yet another shot at the UFC gold. Or it could propel Vera into the thick of things.

TOP LHW (205 lbs)

10 October 2007

  1. Quinton Jackson

    2. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

    The UFC champ looked great in his unanimous decision win over Henderson in September, and after three great showings he is quickly becoming established with the UFC viewership. Possible candidates to challenge for his belt in the medium term future include Jardine, Griffin, Machida, and Silva -- any one of which could make a great fight.
  2. Dan Henderson

    3. "Dangerous" Dan Henderson

    There are moments in MMA where a combination of unexpected results suddenly "flattens" a division, sharply reducing the stock of established stars and doing the same to increase the stock of previously unranked fighters. In these moments, definitive rankings are all but impossible. The recent victories of Jardine and Griffin have flattened the 205 lb division: leaving Henderson in the number two spot despite the fact he is coming off a loss with only one recent win at the weight prior to that.
  3. Mauricio Rua

    4. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

    Yes, Shogun was just dominated and submitted by Griffin fair and square, but there is a limit to how far one fight can allow Rua to fall and Griffin to climb. Hence MMA-O's policy of 'slow moving rankings'. One result makes a strong suggestion -- but a few more are needed to confirm that suggestion, if not from the fighter's past then from their future. Four years of complete dominance in the division is not disregarded based on one poor performance; and Forrest will need at least one more solid win to prove he belongs where his last fight suggested.
  4. Keith Jardine

    5. Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine

    Well, well, well. From out of the middle of the road storms Jardine, with a knockout win over Griffin (all the more impressive in light of Forrest's last fight) followed by a decisive decision victory over Liddell. These back-to-back results cannot be ignored, propelling Jardine into the deep end of the division. Time will tell if he can maintain this position.
  5. Chuck Liddell

    6. Chuck "The Ice Man" Liddell

    Coming off bad losses to Rampage and Jardine has dropped Liddell quite a bit. With the first two predominant strikers he has faced in a long time beating him soundly, Chuck's standup game has been seriously undermined. The one match that could instantly reverse his fortunes would be a showdown with Wanderlei. With both men coming off similar two fight losing streaks, let's hope the UFC makes this one happen soon.

TOP MW (185 lbs)

11 October 2007

  1. Anderson Silva

    2. Anderson "The Spider" Silva

    Current UFC champ, Silva has been on a tear since arriving in the organisation last year. He has stopped Leben, Franklin, Lutter, and Marquardt all thanks to his phenomenally destructive striking (most via submission due to strikes). He is one of MMA's most dominant forces at the moment, and is probably the most exciting of the current UFC champions. His striking is also twinned with a superb ground game -- which had been a weakness in his early Pride career.
  2. Paulo Filho

    3. Paulo Filho

    Current WEC champ, the undefeated Paulo Filho was one of Pride's 185 lb studs throughout 2005 and 2006, with a string of dominating victories over quality opposition. His signing to the WEC earlier this year, where he won the belt in his debut match against Doerksen, may mean a drop in the talent he will face. One would hope it isn't too long before Zuffa puts him up against top UFC talent.
  3. Rich Franklin

    4. Rich "Ace" Franklin

    Franklin is coming off a decision victory over Okami, where he looked slow but effective in getting the decision in his second comeback victory after the Silva loss. He has put together one of the most consistent records at the weight class against quality competition, elevating him above most of the pack. The approaching rematch with Silva should help in deciding just how elevated he deserves to be.
  4. Matt Lindland

    5. Matt "The Law" Lindland

    Lindland continues to roam in fighter limbo. His most recent fights have been at the two higher weight classes, and although he lost at both weights it was against the best competition out there -- Quinton Jackson and Fedor Emelianenko. Stepping up to such challenges might have garnered him a lot of respect, but he needs to keep active at 185 lbs for people to continue thinking of him as relevant there.
  5. Robbie Lawler

    6. "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler

    Current Elite XC and ICON Sport champ, Lawler had a patchy first run in the UFC and ultimately left the organisation in 2004 after consecutive losses to Nick Diaz and Evan Tanner. Since then he has went 7 for 8, and recent victories over Villasenor, Trigg and Ninja put him right up there when talking about current stand out middleweights. Other 185 lbers knocking on the door include Marquardt, Kang, and Okami, all of whom have a decisive loss in their recent past and no greater wins.

TOP WW (170 lbs)

17 October 2007

  1. Georges St. Pierre

    2. Georges "Rush" St. Pierre

    St. Pierre ran through everyone put in front of him throughout 2005 and 2006, before a first round stoppage loss to Serra in February this year. While this loss certainly had a devaluing effect on the fighter, the circumstances of the division simply meant that none of the top contenders were more deserving to take the number one spot from him. With a convincing win over Koscheck in his recent past, St Pierre is well on his way to restoring the aura he enjoyed 'pre-Serra'.
  2. Matt Hughes

    3. Matt Hughes

    Nearing the end of his career, Hughes recently revealed he has only two or three fights left in him. He is one of the most dominant champions in UFC history, with St. Pierre putting the first blemish on his record in years when he took the belt from him last November. Previously, Hughes had erased a previous career loss with a TKO victory over Penn, and a solid decision over Lytle this March showed that he still has what it takes to dominate in the Octagon.
  3. Matt Serra

    4. Matt "The Terror" Serra

    Current UFC champ, Matt Serra has a solid record against some world class opposition. He brings a mean set of skills into the cage along with a great head, and he shocked the pants off everyone with his first round TKO over St. Pierre in February. While many thrust him into the number one spot following this victory, his recent record just doesn't add up to make him the division's top fighter. If he wins his upcoming fight against Hughes, however, it will be an entirely different story.
  4. Jon Fitch

    5. Jon Fitch

    Fitch arrived in the consciousness of fans everywhere at UFC 76 with his dominating performance over Diego Sanchez. He showed superb controlling power, pace, and submission defence in that fight -- leaving no doubt as to the decision. On a massive 14 fight win streak and now with a big win over a ranked fighter, Jon Fitch has just become one of the UFC's hottest properties at welterweight.
  5. Karo Parisyan

    6. Karo "The Heat" Parisyan

    Back at the start of 2004 Karo lost by decision to St. Pierre, and since then his only other loss has been again by decision to Diego Sanchez. Karo has otherwise been winning in convincing fashion against all comers, most recently over Josh Burkman. Yet the title shot he was once scheduled for against Hughes has just never came back up on the agenda. Parisyan is without a doubt the under-the-radar fighter of the welterweight division, and continued wins are likely to force him back up to number one contendership in the near future.

TOP LW (155 lbs)

18 October 2007

  1. Takanori Gomi

    2. Takanori "The Fireball Kid" Gomi

    Of all current possible rankings, Gomi being placed as the number one lightweight is by far the worst offender when it comes to enraging fans. The thought of him holding onto the spot after being submitted by Diaz back in February is enough to give some folk an aneurysm. However, the fact remains simply enough that this fight was ruled a No Contest, and therefore the only sensible way to treat it is to take it out of consideration. With the Diaz fight to one side, Gomi has faced more talent than any other contender over the last few years, and only lost to Aurelio -- which he went on to decisively avenge. Inactivity is starting to become a problem, nevertheless.
  2. Gilbert Melendez

    3. Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez

    In 2006 exciting wins over Clay Guida and Kawajiri added to Gilbert's perfect record, and with them he gained recognition as one of the planet's most talented lightweights. After sitting most of 2007 out, he just got back in the cage with a decision win over Tetsuji Kato, keeping his record fresh and sparkling clean. He sits well towards the top of the lightweight division, where a razor's edge separates them.
  3. Gesias Calvancanti

    4. Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti

    With only a 2004 loss to Joachim Hansen blemishing his record, and a string of decisive victories including notables such as Caol Uno and very recently Vitor Ribeiro, 'JZ' stands out from the crowd of elite talent (and there is a crowd of elite talent at this weight) just that little bit more. Probably. While the scattering of top talent across so many promotions is a nightmare when it come to ranking the lightweights, Calvancanti has the freshness of a significant win to give him a leg up on other contenders.
  4. Tatsuya Kawajiri

    5. Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri

    With great depth of competition, the few unavenged losses Kawakiri has suffered have been to the highest calibre of oppoent -- Takanori Gomi and Gilbert Melendez. He has faced an enormous depth of talent, been in some of the greatest lightweight bouts of all time, and boasts wins over Yves Edwards and Vitor Ribeiro among many others. His loss to Melendez was an incredibly close decision, and on a luckier night 'The Crusher' could have been given the nod.
  5. Tyson Griffin

    6. Tyson Griffin

    Going up against the UFC talent pool, which currently has few ranked fighters, comparison can be made difficult by the fact that the wins of Griffin are in this way relatively isolated from other top lightweights. And yet I feel Griffin's record by this point bests many others given a high ranking at the moment. Suffering only one loss in his career, Griffin boasts wins over Urijah Faber, Duane Ludwig, Clay Guida and recently Thiago Tavares. Another solid win would no doubt give him wider recognition as one of the best lightweights around.

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