Every UFC Heavyweight Thinks He’s One Win Away From a Title Shot
(If God intended for man to fly, we would all have been born with Gonzaga's foot in our gut.)
Gabriel Gonzaga and Shane Carwin have signed to face each other at UFC 96, which should make for exactly the kind of test we’ve wanted to see Carwin in ever since he knocked Christian Wellish’s mouthpiece into the peaceful night sky at UFC 84. Carwin is 10-0 with two first-round wins by total destruction in his only two UFC fights, and Gonzaga is 2-2 in his last four fights, including a submission win over bottom-dweller Justin McCully and a TKO of one-and-done UFC newcomer Josh Hendricks.
So why is Gonzaga’s camp so convinced this fight with Carwin should earn “Napao” a shot at the winner of Frank Mir-Brock Lesnar II?
“It’s going to be a tough fight and [if he wins] Napao (Gonzaga) will have [earned the right] to face the winner of Mir vs. Lesnar,” Gonzaga’s trainer, Marco Alvan, told Brasil Combate.
The concept of having earned a title shot is already a vague one in the UFC, and only more so in the heavyweight division. Consider that Brock Lesnar earned his shot by going 1-1 in his only two UFC fights, defeating mid-level heavyweight Heath Herring via decision to seal the deal. Frank Mir earned his shot by beating Lesnar back when he only had one fight to his credit. In other words, earned has nothing to do with it.
Cheick Kongo is also clamoring for a title shot these days, and why the hell not? He has amassed two straight victories against two straight opponents making their UFC debuts. That’s good enough, right?
Actually, maybe so, given the state of the UFC’s heavyweight class. Once this tournament runs its course in the spring, there’s no telling who might be next. Either that’s a testament to the volatility of the division at the moment (meanwhile, back at the light heavyweight ranch, Lyoto Machida’s undefeated ass is still biding his time), or it’s the result of the UFC’s capricious matchmaking among the big men.
Make a note of it, UFC heavyweights. String a couple of wins together – literally a couple, as in two, maybe three, against virtually anyone – and you just might get a shot at the gold.
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Anonymous Says:
I blame Joe Rogan, he asked stupid post fight questions like:
When do you want your title shot? or something similar to that, after beating john hendricks. lol
KG Says:
How can Gonzaga get a title shot that easy?
Its not like he used to be on the WWE. He would have never looked good as The Ultimate Warrior with all that back hair.
Although he would be a perfect guy to replace that Mick Foley dude.. what was his name, the Animal or some shit?
Dagnut Says:
I actually rate gonzaga..he's relatively young for a heavy weight..apart from he randy fight, which I dont know how he lost, broken nose probably, only werdum has beat him, twice but I know...still think he has a good skill set with better coaching and strategy he can beat anyone I think...I dont think he has ever gone to a decision so he leaves it all out there which i like.
I said here before the randy lesnar fight that gonzaga was the man to beat lesnar personally i think lesnar will steam roll mir this time.
... Says:
Machida wins don't look so impressive now that some time has passed since his last fight. Soku got his ass fired from the UFC and that was his only stoppage in the UFC. Tito is just wearing a suit and pretending he is a big deal.
So i guess we will just wait and see if he beats Thiago Silva. and i bet they will probably just give him wandy for that...
(i hope machida never gets a title shot it would make me laugh)
... Says:
on second thought i take that back. They will probably make machida fight Forrest of Wanderlai if he doesn't KO or sub silva. If machida KOs him bad im sure he will finally get his title shot
EDDI Says:
hmm didn know he was a fan of footjobs
Anonymous Says:
The thing to remember, is that a UFC title means nothing more than 'I just won A fight', and has very little bearing on that fighter's ability and standing overall.
Me Says:
Slight correction Ben, Frank had another win just before his Lesnar fight and had gone 2-2 since his accident leading up to that fight. Not too impressive, but more than one fight.
Iggy Says:
"bottom-dweller" is an appropriate description of Justin McCully.
Koeikan Says:
it's him or congo and I'd rather have him.
who else would get the shot?
Anonymous Says:
Gonzaga wouldn't have a chance with either Lesnar or Mir, hes a clown.
Koeikan Says:
(assuming Carwin doesn't KO his face...in which case, I guess congo gets it, which makes me sick.)
Koeikan Says:
Gonzaga won the Mundials, he's completely capable of abusing or submitting Lesnar on the ground...He has plenty of tools. He has very heavy hands and is very strong. His stand up is fairly sloppy, but he's still dangerous on his feet.
His biggest weakness is cardio / heart / toughness, but don't think he wouldn't have a chance against Lesnar.
TheJacka Says:
Here is a solution: Cain Velasquez will win his Fight Night scrap very easily in the first round and he will not take any damage. Then they will match him up with Kongo at 96 or 97. Kongo Vs. Velasquez winner will fight the winner of Carwin Vs. Gonzaga, and that fighter will get the title shot. The UFC wins in any scenario that plays out..
If Kongo wins the title shot, he will prove that all that talk of him being ready was legit. He has evolved very nicely in the past year, losing only a split decision to Herring. He has shown good takedown defense and great GnP to go along with his world class stand-up. Kongo is also vital to the UFC expansion into Europe, he has shown he is ready for only elite level fights from now on.
If Gonzaga wins the title shot, it will be a great comeback story. I still think if Randy didn't break Gabe's nose on that slam that the fight would have played out much differently. He has some major power standing and is one of the best BJJ heavyweights in the UFC history. I think he could give Lesnar a hell of a fight. I don'y expect Brock to lose the belt before this could play out, and out of the 4 guys this might be the most competitive fight against Brock.
If Velasquez wins, the UFC has an immediate young star. He is still a little raw, but he has the skill set to hang with anyone in MMA. He was a national-champion at ASU, and has shown some huge power in both hands. Any fighter that comes out of AKA will be well coached and come in with a good gameplan. He is the new breed of heavyweight, it is rare that you see someone as big as Cain with his explosiveness and agility. A tremendous athlete, not sure about his submission game but Dave Camarillo I'm sure will have him ready. I don't see him beating Brock in the next year, but after he gets some more experience this man will be a force to be reckoned with.
If Carwin wins, its the same deal as with Cain. The UFC will have an immediate new young superstar to its HW division. Carwin is a Sprawl-And-Brawl type figher, with amazing power. His right hand is already a feared thing the MMA world. He has never had a fight go past the 1st so his gas-tank is yet to be tested. I see him being able to beat Brock in the future but not now.
Velasquez makes it through to fight Brock at UFC 100 and Knocks him out in the 2nd round to capture the UFC HW strap to cap an amazing run through the division. (Yes, I do like my little fantasies.)
Dagnut Says:
@ anonymous
The ufc is waiting for the right champ @ light heavy imo..I don't think chuck got the best guys every fight..he fought randy twice, tito twice, beat bobaloo and jeremy horn that's about it..thats having the belt for 3 years! chuck was good for the image of the brand..in reality he fought 2 guys he had the measure of twice and 2 grapplers he runs into strikes and its over...if your ufc champ now you wont get away with it you wont be protected theres so much talent now the champ will be fighting 3 times a year..and 2 wins can get you a title shot if there against the right fighters..
until they find the right guy they'll keep mixing it up..i dont think forrest was the champ they thought he would be he's pretty low key..jackson is the man for the job..he has the chrisma to carry it off and the skills to back it up..but i dont think he can beat machida but he'll never have to fight him
Joey Says:
@ Anonymous
Are you fucking stupid? The UFC title means a lot. Sure, to get a title shot it might take more marketability than skill in some very rare cases, but to retain that title you have to beat the best. Lesnar won that title by beating Randy Couture, who no one can argue is one of the best heavyweights in the world. Mir won the interim title by beating Big Nog, another top 5 heavyweight in the world. Sure, these guys are no Fedor, but so what? The UFC has always lacked a great heavyweight division. You can't really argue about their other weights though. At LHW, who outside of the UFC is really a top contender in the world? The same goes for MW, Anderson Silva is absolutely the best in the world at 185 and he is the champ for none other then the UFC. The same is true for Welterweight and Lightweight. Penn and GSP are well and above everyone in their weights and they are the champs because of that. If you beat one of those guys, then that UFC title means "I'm the best for a reason. Because I beat the best and this belt around my waist proves that."
Imbecile Says:
I think the Gonzaga vs. Carwin fight is a good situation for the UFC because the hope may be for a Carwin win so they can fast-track him to a title shot being 11-0. But if Carwin loses, he doesn't take much of a step back from where he already is in the division. If Gonzaga wins, he can fight (and easily beat) Kongo, and then make a claim for a title shot that would be reasonably legitimate. Gonzaga makes a tough opponent for either Mir or Lesnar (probably Lesnar), and so does Carwin, so they are interesting fights all around.
player from the south Says:
god i hate when people write paragraphs instead of short comments . i wish people would keep it in like the 3-4 line range . this isen't an essay report . it shouldnt take that much to get your point across
Cangri Says:
You made some good points...But, don´t forget these lightweights (Hansen, Alvarez and Aoki)
fourTwenty Says:
God, I hate it when people right an entire comment in lowercase letters. They READ a blog and then bitch because comments are too long. All the while possessing the spelling and grammar of a second grader.
Lysol Says:
@ player from the south:
So true about people writing paragraphs as comments. If we gave a shit about anything they wrote, we'd be reading their website.
The Biz Says:
Brock Lesnar defeats Frank Mir by F5. Then goes on to defeat Gonzaga by Moonsault.
Derekrva Says:
No matter how it shakes out, UFC's HW division is leaps and bounds better than it has been for the last several years (though it is still the dullest star in the sky). The top 5 are very serious fighters that could hold their own in any organization even if Randy drops to LHW. Arlovski leaving on a two fight win streak was unfortunate but they are getting this division on the same level as the others. One more star i.e Barnett or Arlovski (Fedor is never coming) and they are deep as they need to be.
The best part is that the majority of the last several HW fights have finished. Is this the end of the big guys laying on each other division? Lets hope so.
*3 comments in one day...I need to prioritize my life.
fuck you grammar nazis Says:
maybe we like writing in all lowercase. maybe we are JUST NOT COOL ENOUGH to capitalize a word we are stressing as the most important. im going to make it a point of all lowercase from now on. i hope u get superaids. furthermore, why cant we write essays? in lowercase? with. fragments. and dangling participles. i didnt realize i hit a link to "Composition Potato" our motherfuckin bad.
Anonymous Says:
Herring isn't exactly mid-level......he's no main eventer but he's definitely a step higher that the middle of ufc's division.
I could understand UFC giving Monson a shot as although his W's leading up to the title shot were around the same legitimacy as Hendricks, McCully, and Evensen, he beat like 15 or 16 of them in a row didn't he? Not freaking 2 or 3 jobbers.
I was against Rogan putting words into Kongo & Gonzaga's mouth tbh. Al Turk is legit but he needs at least one more solid win. Gonzaga really should have another win after Carwin, should he beat him before he gets a shot as he defeated a nobody in Hendricks and a low-tier fighter in McCully. But as we all know the heavyweight title needs challengers so unless Frank beats Brock and goes 2-0 against him so no trilogy is set up, Kongo or Gonzaga will likely have to step up as his first challenger. Hopefully by then Kongo will already have another W over a legit fighter but Gonzaga likely won't be able to get another solid W in after Carwin if he needed to step up.
Crittino Says:
Why the hell can't they derive some sort of ranking system with an ordered list of contenders. MMA magazines and websites seem to not have any trouble throwing together a few names and saying with some degree of consistency. Then we wouldn't have to argue on formus about why that guy got a shot when he didn't deserve it and this guy hasn't when he does deserve it. Work on it Joe Silva.
Anonymous Says:
Koeikan - Gonzaga biggest weakness are heart &/or toughness? Hmm..I'm guessing you didn't see his title fight when his nose was shattered and he was gulping down and spitting out blood and kept fighting...
doctor satan Says:
kongo has been on the edge of a title shot for awhile now, every time they hand it to him on a silver platter he can't get the job done
Maud Says:
Well said, Gonzaga is walking on thin ice as far as I'm concerned. The UFC is looking for newcomers that are going to impact the weight-class and define a role in such. Members that have beaten some and have beaten others are only there to guard gates, and note contend for belts.
Gonzaga has much to prove before he is even considered for a belt. People such as Kongo have a much greater chance of earning a title shot than Gonzaga, just because they have yet to *disprove* anything. Which is much more important than *not yet disproving.* Get my drift?
cr_trinity Says:
The UFC is looking to inncrease PPV buys. Period. Title shots are 100% predicated on that AND THAT ALONE. Period. That's why there is no independent ranking body in place to decide contenderships in the UFC. IT'S NOT A SPORT. It's "evolved" "sports" "entertainment". Hopefully that will change however.
cr_trinity Says:
Oh and notice how many morons are using "Sports" "Entertainment" terms when discussing UFC related topics. Like "Jobber". They cannot differentiate between tPro Wrestling and a real sport. I hope you ZUFFA supporters are happy.
Crittino Says:
I would be more tempted to buy a ppv if the fights were between champions and # 1 contenders. I'm not interested in hype or people wearing masks. I just want to see the best guy fight the second best guy. If that doesn't go for everybody, well that's a little disapointing, and according to trinity, has created the current system of what the hell we'll give this guy a title shot.
bold Says:
pretty sure anderson silva went 1-0 and got a title shot
canadian hoser Says:
the ufc is mostly former pride guys and tuf contenders. Dana originally tried to make the pride guys look bad in there fights to demote the org. When anderson silva came over they thought there poster boy franklin would kill him. Even when they took chuck over to the tournament he didn't make it past the semi finals. With that aside and pride gone for almost two years they have stopped focussing on making the pride guys look bad and giving the tuf guys shots at the titles
drew Says:
personally I think they need to sign kimbo, let him amass a 1-1 record then give him a title shot vs Brock Lesnar, it will be....
The Greatest MMA Bout in history!!!
again
Anonymous Says:
Carwin is gonna knock Napao out. Would love to see the two Manpigbear's in Carwin and Lesnar fight each other.
Anonymous Says:
Kind of funny how Carwin had has pounded 10 fighters, none of the making it 3 minutes and the UFC has not yet given him a shot. When he beats Gonzaga's face in. I hope UFC gets a clue and lets him fight for the title. Carwin is clearly the strongest and most in shape fighter in the division. He also has alot of heart. I think he will take the belt here to Colorado.