Top 5 fighters the UFC must sign | Thebigtip

1) ALISTAIR OVEREEM-  34-11-1

Alistair Overeem has been involved in Mixed Martial Arts since the age of 18, and in the last few years the Dutchman has come of age and shown the potential many critics believed he had.

Overeem has an exceptional kickboxing pedigree, winning the K-1 World Grand Prix in 2010, he has notable victories over the likes of: Vitor Belfort, Sergei Kharitonov and Brett Rogers.

‘The Reem’ is also the current Dream Interim Heavyweight champion as well as being Strikeforce Heavyweight champion. Many fight fans would love to see Overeem compete in MMA’s premiere organisation, although the 30 year old has time and again had problems with competing in certain states in the US due to his somewhat erroneous doping career.  

At 262 lb, ‘The Reem’ is a long way away from his Dream Middleweight days and many feel this is a transition he has taken through illegal forms. The questionable use of performance enhancing drugs by the Dutchman is proving to be the main obstacle stopping the Strikeforce champ from competing in the world’s premiere MMA organisation.

2) GILBERT MELENDEZ-  19-2

Arguably the best lightweight in the world, the 29 year-old is the current Strikeforce Lightweight champion. Melendez has had a consistent career only losing two of his nineteen professional fights, defeating some of the top MMA lightweights in the world along the way, with wins over Shinya Aoki, Clay Guida and Mitsuhiro Ishida.

‘El Nino’ is currently on a five-fight win streak, winning both the Interim and Strikeforce Lightweight Championship belts in the process and successfully defending his crown on two occasions.  

Melendez will be a more than a match for any of the upper echelon fighters on the UFC roster, and is surely top of UFC president- Dana White’s wanted list, following the September signing of Melendez’s good friend and training partner- Jake Shields.

3) Nick Diaz-  25-7-1

At 27 years-old, the Strikeforce Welterweight champion has had an illustrious career in the sport with over 30 fights and thirteen knockouts. Diaz is regarded by many as being the main threat to Georges St-Pierre’s UFC belt. Diaz has already had a stint in the UFC- with his record in the organisation currently standing at six wins and four losses. Since his last fight with the UFC in 2006, the welterweight has gone from strength to strength. Notching up fourteen wins, Diaz is also currently on a ten-fight win streak.

The American will definitely add some much needed depth to the UFC welterweight division; that GSP has been dominating for over four years, and the acquisition of Diaz would give GSP a much needed challenge.

4) Fedor Emelianenko- 35-3-1

Emelianenko is an example of how quickly status can change for a mixed martial artist. It was only last year, when the ‘Last Emperor’ was regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. However two consecutive losses have severely dented the Russian’s reputation and ‘Top 5 Heavyweight’ status. That said there is no doubt the Russian on his day is a match for any heavyweight in the world. The 34 year-old is a pioneer of the Russian martial art- SAMBO and is one of the few practitioners to successfully utilise the discipline in MMA.   

The Russian has also shown international class over the years, claiming four gold medals at the SAMBO World Championships (2002 (2 times), 2005 and 2007).

However negotiations between the UFC and Emelianenko’s management and promotion team (M-1 Global) have repeatedly broken down. With the main problem being the UFC’s reluctance to allow the Russian to compete in SAMBO competitions while being under contract with the organisation.  

       5) Gegard Mousasi- 30-3-2

A truly world class competitor, the 25 year-old has already gained a wealth of experience in his MMA career and boasts a résumé that many retired UFC legends will be envious of. The Armenian has claimed the Dream Middleweight Grand Prix (2010) and Middleweight Championship (2008). As well as claiming the same accolades in the Light Heavyweight division of the Japanese organisation. The 2009 European Fighter of the Year has shown his versatility by dominating opposition in both the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions, only losing three fights in his 30 outings.

Mousasi has competed in MMA organisations all over the world, fighting in the US, Japan, Holland, Ireland, Russia, Finland, Canada and England. And the Armenian has also been tipped to make an appearance in the forthcoming Olympic Games to be staged in London. The former amateur boxer has expressed a key interest in representing Holland’s boxing contingent in the 2012 Games, believing that the competition will improve his stand-up skills and make him a more complete Mixed Martial Artist.

Mousasi is a fighter with very few weaknesses in his game, possessing knockout power and very dangerous off his back. There is no doubt that the 25 year-old is in the top five Light Heavyweights’ in the world, and it is only a matter of time before the talented youngster faces off against some of the best in the world.