MMA Trending Topics – Q & A – Volume 6

It isn’t hard to figure out that Nate Diaz wants to cash in on an opportunity to be a free agent. Diaz’s teammate, Gilbert Melendez, just cashed in after playing Bellator and the UFC against each other. The Diaz brothers have always complained about their pay, so it’s little wonder that Diaz wants a pay raise. Diaz likely heard from Melendez what Bellator was willing to offer, and it was probably very appealing to Diaz. Diaz also knows that he could probably cash in on being a big fish in a small pond as far as talent and star appeal goes. Nate wants big fights at this stage in his career. He feels disrespected that he’s not in the title mix. He’s fought 19 times for the UFC, and he’s being paid less than guys like Anthony Pettis, Ben Henderson, and Gilbert Melendez. Diaz won’t be released anytime soon. Just like when he claimed that he had to attend a high school reunion rather than fight Gray Maynard, Diaz will show up once he is called upon. The Diaz brothers want respect and higher pay, but their ways to achieving it are radically different fromthan most other athletes. Love them or hate them, they come to fight every time. I for one think Diaz is worth every dollar.

Rampage can still be a star in sport, but his days as an elite fighter are long over. Injuries, weight, and age are just too much to overcome for a fighter’s whose commitment towards training has always been viewed as questionable. The Light Heavyweight division is thin on talent, so if Rampage wins the Bellator title, it would certainly give the illusion that he can still compete with the best in the world. Bellator is banking on Rampage making it to the tournament finals against King Mo. That fight could certainly serve as a co-main event for Bellator’s upcoming PPV. The opportunity is there for Rampage to step up and revive his career, but those same stakes were set in his final UFC fights where he looked a step slow.

There’s still a large faction of fans that feel Chris Weidman never legitimately beat Anderson Silva. So, if Anderson makes a successful comeback, it would be hard to deny him another shot at the title. There’s also the possibility that Vitor Belfort wins the title, and I think the UFC would be very interested in making that rematch in Brazil. The opportunity will certainly be there for Anderson to win back his title, but there’s a longer road to recovery than I believe some are willing to admit. Guys like Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons and Corey Hill took years to fully recover mentally from a similar injury. Anderson is about to turn 39 years old, and the odds are stacked against him, but if anyone can pull it off, it would be him.

By the sounds of it, the UFC was prepared to have Chad Mendes fight Cub Swanson for Aldo’s vacant Featherweight title. Now, with those plans scratched, it seems apparent that the UFC will have Aldo face Mendes or Swanson. Mendes is the higher ranked fighter, but I think fans are itching to see Aldo vs. Swanson. Aldo has faced both men before, and finished each in the 1st round. Aldo’s fight against Swanson was way back in 2009 in the WEC organization. A lot of fans have either forgotten about it or never saw it in the first place. Meanwhile, Aldo’s KO of Mendes came in 2012, and is much fresher in most of our minds. Yes, Mendes has made strides with his striking during that time frame with Duane Ludwig, but I’m not sure that’s enough to push him over the top. My hunch says the UFC will book Aldo vs. Swanson.

Since Overeem turned down a fight with Junior dos Santos, he’s come under a ton of fire not only from message boards, but from the UFC President Dana White. I can’t blame Overeem for wanting to avoid JDS. He is still coming off back-to-back KO losses in 2013, and another KO loss at the hands of JDS would likely spell the end of the line for Overeem’s title hopes and UFC career. Overeem gets paid a ton of money. He was paid as a title contender and he simply hasn’t lived up to those terms. I think the UFC needs to build him back up and then finally cash in on their investment by having him fight Cain for the title in 2015. Overeem needs winnable fights, so I’d suggest the likes of Mark Hunt or Stipe Miocic. JDS and Barnett are too dangerous, while Antonio “BigFoot” Silva is still serving a suspension.

Photo credit: www.sherdog.com, Dave Mandel