How to knock a superstar off it's perch

The key to beating a dominant UFC champion

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

Please Note:
This article was written by our very own Jack but unfortunately didn't make it on to the site before the Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman fight. Knowing what we know now Jack is proved correct by his thoughts. It makes a great read now.

I was looking at the upcoming Anderson Silva-Chris Weidman fight when it dawned on me. Weidman doesn't need to beat him once. He needs to do it twice. Not only to become the Middleweight champion but to get Silva out his way. Think about any title match that has been remotely close lately. What has happened? Instant rematch.

What has happened when the champion was close to being beat? Instant rematch. The way I see it there are now 7 dominant champions in the UFC. Rousey, Johnson, Aldo, GSP, Silva, Jones and I will class Velasquez in this as well. Cruz/ Barao reign over the Bantamweight division is slightly confusing so we will leave that for the purpose of this argument.

If any of these champions are beat you aren't rid of them by any stretch of the imagination. You will be straight back up against them in an instant rematch. There are currently only 2 divisions where I can see the champion losing and not being granted and immediate rematch. One is Bantamweight and that's more to do with the lay offs and nature of the champion. The other is lightweight. Benson Henderson has been in enough rematches already for him to get beat and the UFC to allow the new champion to move on.

If any of the true superstars get beat, GSP/ Silva/ Jones/ Aldo. What happens next? They have ruled there division for so long they can't get closure and allow a new champion to move on until they've been defeated again. Will that really happen. Can anyone see these champions losing 2 big fights in a row?

It shows how dominant the champions currently are in the UFC. Change is necessary for the UFC to create interest but at the moment that is not happening. They have too many dominant champions and you can't make stars out of them all. The only anomaly too this at the moment comes in the Heavyweight division where no one seems to be able to keep hold of the belt. Even then it is 2 men the belt is passing between. The 3rd fight between JDS-Velasquez is expected next. If JDS wins it back there's more than likely an immediate 4th match.

The UFC need to get a new contender involved in there somehow and will need Velasquez to retain to do so. If he does retain the problem carries on though as potentially they have another dominant champion on there hands.

They desperately need someone to come in and disrupt that trend. Can Chris Weidman be that man at Middleweight?  Then can he be that man again as his 1st defence will undoubtedly be Anderson Silva should he defeat him.