The UFC Needs to Sign Overeem!
The UFC Heavyweight Division looks much better these days than it once did, but the lawsuit of Roy Nelson, the crushing defeat of Brock Lesnar, and the fighting age of Nogueira and Mir illustrate that there still is a lack of depth in the UFC HW roster.
One of the biggest signs of a shallow talent pool is the number of Strikeforce fighters in the Heavyweight top ten rankings. If Strikeforce is the “minor league” to the UFC’s “major league”, then how is it Fedor, Alistair, Antonio and Fabricio are showing up in the top ten.
It could be that MMA fans are ‘out of their minds’ as Dana White has opined, but it could also mean exactly what it says: Strikeforce has some top MMA heavyweights.
The good news is that in the top 4 the UFC is well represented–a far cry from the Tim Sylvia champion days. There is also some good potential with new fighters in Brendon Schaub and Stefan Struve. The problem is that these new fighters need time to develop their skills, and in a shallow pool, they may be thrust into big matches before they are ready.
In any promotion, one must also consider injury or other reasons a fighter cannot fight. Without depth, it is harder to create evenly matched and logical rankings if one fighter fails to show for a bout.
So what is the answer?
The UFC needs to pull out its wallet and pay.
If Overeem were signed, it would be sensational and would revitalize the future of the UFC Heavyweight division. It really does not matter whether you consider Overeem that good, since once he is signed, all the arguments will be decided in the octagon.
Overeem recently won the K-1 championship against tough opposition. Some commentators have erroneously claimed that K-1 is a ‘completely different sport’ to MMA and that just because Overeem won this title does not mean that it applies in any way to MMA. K-1 encompasses most of the stand-up game (except elbows and double knees) in MMA, which is a huge part of the game. Winning the K-1 definitely indicates your skill at striking in MMA.
Would Overeem fight in the UFC? If the money were right, I am pretty sure he would be interested. Will the UFC pay? So far, they seem to be in ‘wait-and-see’ mode.
I would also love to see Fedor acquired, but I do not believe M-1 will ever sign a deal–they want too much and I don’t see them changing their minds.
The two others in the Lowkick top ten should also be acquired if possible. Fabricio Werdum has grown as a fighter, and there is no shame in losing to JDS. Antonio Silva also looks interesting, though his last fight showed some holes in his game.
The Heavyweight Division in any martial art is always important to the promotion since it draws viewers and generates fan interest. This may not be fair to other weight classes, but it is a fact of the business. This is why the UFC needs to step up to the plate, and use some of that mountain of money they have earned to acquire heavyweights from Strikeforce, This would provide a quick-fix for the looming problem in the heavyweight division.
