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UFC 144: Retirement a Possibility for “Rampage” Jackson and Others on Saturday Night

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At this point in his career, there isn’t a lot left for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to accomplish.

And when I say “isn’t a lot,” I pretty much mean there’s nothing left.

With 32 career victories including wins over Chuck Liddell (two actually), Dan Henderson, Ricardo Arona, and Lyoto Machida, the former Pride and UFC champion has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success over his 12-plus-year career. A tremendously charismatic character outside the cage, Jackson has enjoyed some crossover success as well, starring as B.A. Baracus in the film adaptation of The A-Team a couple years ago alongside Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson.

In short, “Rampage” has done it all.

He’s also made it clear that he plans on retiring at the age of 35, which means there is a maximum of 16 months remaining in his career.

But with few meaningful, marketable fights out there, this weekend’s return to Japan could serve as the perfect opportunity for “Rampage” to walk away from the sport. He’s not the only one who could decide to hang up the four-ounce gloves this weekend either.

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I’ve always been a believer in going out on a high; taking advantage of a tremendous moment and walking away with the crowd screaming your name.

If he’s able to get a win over Ryan Bader on in the UFC 144 co-main event, the Japanese audience who embraced Jackson during the best years of his career in Pride give their returning favorite a fitting send-off, and it would make for a perfect moment for “Rampage” to thank the crowd he loves so much before moving on to something else.

This could be the final chance he has to have a “Hollywood Ending” to his career.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m all for “Rampage” sticking around if that’s what he wants to do, but like I said, I’m the guy who is always on the lookout for a “walk off into the sunset” moment, and this could be it for Jackson.

I just don’t know if there is anything out there that can motivate Jackson to bring his best to the Octagon anymore.

He trained harder than he had in years for his fight with Jon Jones at UFC 133 and got picked apart and finished by the young champion. While he’s said to be in tremendous shape for this weekend’s meeting with Bader, I just don’t know if there are any fights that are going to coax Jackson into getting into elite shape between now and the day his self-imposed retirement deadline arrives.

A second go-round with one-time nemesis Rashad Evans might bring the best out of Jackson one more time, but the heat between them seems to have gone cold since their UFC 114 showdown. I could see them being paired together if Jackson wins on Saturday and Evans loses to Jones at UFC 145, but if Evans walks out of Atlanta with the light heavyweight title around his waist, a second meeting between the two isn’t likely to materialize.

“Rampage” just isn’t on that championship level anymore. Much like Forrest Griffin, he’s stuck in that “better than most, but not as good as the best” zone where there aren’t a ton of fights that work at this stage of things. Facing Griffin again would sell tickets, but it’s not really a fight people are aching to see… are they?

That’s why walking away on a high this weekend would make perfect sense to me, especially if Jackson really does revert back to the “Rampage” of old, and earn a nasty knockout finish over Bader.

Throw on the chain, howl at the moon, and walk off to the roar of the crowd, leaving on a win.

Personally, getting forced out the way Chuck Liddell did or knocked out in my last fight like Randy Couture would be gut-wrenching to me; I would spend every day wrestling with the idea of getting back into the cage one more time so I could go out on a win.

Maybe that doesn’t matter to Jackson.

Maybe he isn’t concerned about going out on a win or a loss; having that “couldn’t script it any better” ending or his last appearance in the cage ending with him looking beaten and battered.

Maybe he’s ready to ride out the remaining 16 months until his 35th birthday in order to put a couple more fights on his resume, and a few more dollars in his bank account before he leaves the cage for good.

I just think Jackson is one of those guys with a great understanding of the moment, and winning Saturday night in the Saitama Super Arena in front of the fans he so desperately want to fight for one last time could be the perfect moment for “Rampage” to retire.

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Jackson isn’t alone on the list of potential retirees heading into this weekend’s event though.

I could see both Takanori Gomi and “Kid” Yamamoto calling an end to their careers on Saturday night, especially if they’re victorious. Both Japanese stars are riding two-fight losing streaks, and endured a rough last couple of years overall, so saying farewell after getting back into the win column on home soil would be a nice final chapter in a pair of impressive careers that have lost some of their shine of late.

Gomi is just 1-3 since debuting in the UFC in March 2010, and 5-5 since his infamous battle with Nick Diaz all the way back at Pride 33 in November 2007. He hasn’t been anywhere close to the same fighter who dominated the Pride Bushido series since losing to Diaz, and getting a win over Eiji Mitsuoka Saturday isn’t going to do much for his standing in the stacked UFC lightweight division.

The story is pretty similar for Yamamoto, who once considered one of the top pound-for-pound competitors in the sport before a knee injury and some outside the cage incidents stalled his career. He has yet to register a win in a pair of UFC appearances, losing to both Demetrious Johnson and Darren Uyenoyama, and is just 1-4 over his last five fights dating back to his split decision loss to Joe Warren in May 2009. Just as beating Mitsuoka won’t help Gomi’s stock much, beating Vaughan Lee won’t cause a spike in interest in Yamamoto moving forward.

Like Jackson, earning victories on Saturday night would give Gomi and Yamamoto a chance to walk away on a high, something that isn’t likely to happen if they keep stepping into the Octagon.

If either (or both) lose on Saturday night, their time in the UFC will surely come to a close, which would mean their eventual retirements would come with little to no fanfare while fighting in smaller organizations. That’s not how I would want to go out, especially if I had the chance to leave after a win on the biggest stage in the business, even if it is against one of the smallest names on the roster.

Additionally, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Mark Hunt retire after his meeting with Cheick Kongo on Saturday night either.

Hunt is a huge fan favorite in Japan both for his success in K-1 and his improbable early success in Pride. After losing his MMA debut to Hidehiko Yoshida, “The Super Samoan” rattled off five consecutive victories, including back-to-back wins over Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop when both were still in the “most dangerous men on the planet” stage of their careers. It was Hunt who halted Silva’s 18-fight unbeaten streak, and he was the only man other than Fedor Emelianenko to defeat the legendary Croatian striker over a nearly three-year, 14-fight stretch.

But Hunt then lost six straight over the next four years before enjoying a renaissance of late in the UFC. Though he’s won two-in-a-row since losing to Sean McCorkle in his Octagon debut, Hunt will be 38-years-old in March, and no one is going to confuse him with being a contender in the heavyweight division.

Win or lose, I think this will be Hunt’s final fight; again, I just think going out in front of the Japanese audience that has showered him with support over the years makes more sense than holding on before eventually calling an end to things in front of a random crowd in one of the UFC’s numerous stops around North America later this year.

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Writing about fighters retiring usually brings out the “Who are you to tell a fighter when to call it a career, Keyboard Warrior?!” in some people, so I want to make this clear: I’m not telling anybody to stop fighting.

These are grown ass men who can make their own decisions, and I’m going to continue to support them should they choose to keep fighting.

I just think Saturday could offer each of these four fighters the chance to end their careers to thunderous applause rather than the head-shaking, “he hung on too long” exit all too many fighters end up taking instead.

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UFC 144: 5 Burning Questions for Saturday’s Return to Japan

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1. Will the Japan become a regular stop for the UFC?

There are plenty of questions about different fighters on the card, and we’ll get to those shortly, but this is easily the most intriguing question heading into Saturday’s event. The UFC hasn’t held an event in Japan during the Zuffa Era, and this weekend’s show will go a long way to determining whether or not the company will make this a regular stop on their world tour.

While there are markets that would welcome the UFC with open arms and open wallets, people have been skeptical about how the company will be received in Japan.

Long-time MMA agent Shu Hirota said last week on The MMA Show podcast with Mauro Ranallo that 8,000 to 9,000 tickets for the event have already been sold. Though that may sound like a small number to some — especially considering the venue can hold upwards of 30,000 people for an event like this — it’s actually a positive sign. To say that Japanese MMA has been struggling in recent years is an understatement, so to have already sold that many tickets the week before the event is a step in the right direction.

As a means of putting things into perspective, just over 6,700 tickets were sold for UFC 143 in Las Vegas a couple weeks ago.

The make-up of this card — and how the bouts play out in the cage — could play a part in helping determine the overall success of this week’s trip to Japan. Unlike many North American audiences that only crave stand-up action and brutal back-and-forth fights, the Japanese fans have a great appreciation for the technical side of things as well, and delivering a balance between the two is key.

Looking at the card, it looks like the UFC has assembled the right mix to make this a successful event, but we won’t know for sure until the night is over. If they can come away from this weekend with a tremendous success, it would make complete sense for Japan to become a regular stop on the UFC’s schedule.

2. Is this the fight where Frankie Edgar finally gets the credit he deserves?

Despite being the UFC lightweight champion for nearly two full years now, Frankie Edgar still gets dogged by critics; not all, but some.

Over the weekend, I made my feelings on the matter clear, calling Edgar undervalued and applauding the way the UFC has marketed this fight by highlighting his stellar resume. What should be interesting to see, however, is how fans and media react to Edgar after this weekend.

You would think that a victory over Benson Henderson, the surging former WEC lightweight champion who has made Jim Miller and Clay Guida look average in his last two fights, should be enough to silence the critics and cement Edgar as one of the best fighters in the world. Personally, I think a win on Saturday puts him in the discussion for “Best Lightweight of All-Time,” if he’s not there already.

While he’s most likely going to still face criticism if he wins, chances are there will be some “See? I told you” types coming out of the woodwork on Sunday morning trying to diminish Edgar’s accomplishments. Win or lose, the 30-year-old Toms River, New Jersey native should be viewed as one of the top athletes in this sport.

Hopefully, this is the weekend where those who still aren’t convinced of that have their Frankie Edgar epiphany.

3. Does Benson Henderson complete his improbably run to the UFC lightweight title?

Please don’t read that as “I never would have thought Benson Henderson could be UFC lightweight champion” as that is in no way what I’m saying.

Even before Henderson and the rest of the lightweights from the WEC joined the UFC’s deepest, most talented division, you could see championship potential in the man they call “Smooth.” But after losing the WEC lightweight title to Anthony Pettis on the night the organization ceased to exist, Henderson entered the UFC somewhere in the middle of a long list of contenders in the 155-pound weight class.

At the start of last year, Gray Maynard, Pettis, Jim Miller, Clay Guida, George Sotiropoulos, and Melvin Guillard were viewed as the top threats to Frankie Edgar’s throne. In the 13 months since, Henderson has defeated two of those six standouts (Miller and Guida) to vault himself to the front of the line and challenge for the lightweight title this weekend.

Not only is Henderson fighting for the lightweight title before Pettis — who was assured an opportunity by winning entering the UFC as the last WEC lightweight champion — but he’s also climbed to the top ahead of the likes of Miller, Guida, and Guillard. This time last year, few would have expected that to happen — not because Henderson isn’t talented, but because there were so many people in front of him.

Now, the only man standing between him and the lightweight title is the champion, Frankie Edgar.

4. Which welterweight will get back into the win column this weekend?

Both Jake Shields and Yoshihiro Akiyama need a win this weekend, but since they’re fighting each other, only one will have their hand raised.

Last year was challenging for Shields inside and outside of the cage. Professionally, he went 0-2, losing to Georges St-Pierre (UFC 129) and Jake Ellenberger (UFN 25), the latter bout lasting just 53 seconds. Personally, Shields’ father and manager, Jack, passed away just a month prior to the fight with Ellenberger, a loss far greater and far more challenging to overcome than anything that can happen inside the Octagon.

Having struggled at UFC 121 against Martin Kampmann, there is a great deal of pressure on Shields to get back into the win column and show that some of the hype and attention he garnered when he joined the company was warranted. With the welterweight division currently in a state of flux, a third straight loss could drop Shields from contention for quite some time.

As badly as Shields needs a victory, Akiyama probably needs it even more.

The talented judoka is making is welterweight debut after amassing a 1-3 record with three consecutive losses as a middleweight. Akiyama was clearly undersized for the weight class, but insisted on continuing to compete at 185-pounds despite being coming up short against both Chris Leben and Michael Bisping. Getting starched by Vitor Belfort back in August was the final straw, and he drops to 170-pounds here, but it could be a case of too little, too late.

Because this is his first fight in the welterweight ranks — and he’s being thrown in with the last man to challenge Georges St-Pierre for the title — Akiyama should be able to survive a loss as far as him employment status goes, but will anyone be interested in seeing him compete further if the struggling Shields hands him a fourth consecutive defeat?

One of these two will get off the schneid this weekend, while the other will face a great deal of uncertainty. The urgency of the situation should also produce a pretty entertaining fight too.

5. Is Hatsu Hioki the real deal?

According to most rankings, Hioki is the second-best featherweight in the business. Most who witnessed his performance in his UFC debut last Octagon would argue otherwise. This weekend’s meeting with Bart Palaszewski might help determine which of the two is the real Hatsu Hioki.

There are two different theories on what went wrong for Hioki in his UFC 137 bout with George Roop — some say Octagon jitters, other point to the former Sengoku and Shooto champion as just another example of a fighter coming from Japan only to struggle in the UFC. If it’s a case of the former, Hioki should perform much better in his second appearance in the UFC’s cage, but if it’s the latter, he could be in a for a rough night.

Palaszewski is no joke. He starched Tyson Griffin and took home Knockout of the Night honours the same night Hioki underwhelmed in winning a questionable decision over Roop, and if the Japanese star isn’t at the top of his game, “Bartimus” has the tools to hand him his first loss in more than two years.

It’s hard to know what to expect from Hioki based on his UFC debut. He’s 13-1-1 over his last 15 fights, boasting victories over Marlon Sandro, Ronnie Mann, and “Lion” Takeshi Inoue, but he struggled mightily with Roop, who is 3-6-1 in 10 fights between the WEC and UFC.

Roop’s length could have been a part of what caused Hioki to struggle, as the Japanese star is accustomed to being the taller, longer fighter, but it could just as easily be a case of the hype surpassing his actual abilities.

We should get a clearer answer come Saturday night.

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UFC 144: Is Frankie Edgar the Best Lightweight in MMA History?

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There is no question that Frankie Edgar is the best lightweight in the sport today.

At least there shouldn’t be any debate about it. After all, “The Answer” has stood atop the UFC’s 155-pound division for close to two years now, and the fact that he’ll carry the lightweight championship to the cage with him Saturday night at UFC 144 stops there from being any arguments to the contrary.

But as Edgar prepares for the fourth defense of the lightweight championship he won at UFC 112 this weekend against Benson Henderson, where does he stand amongst the all-time greats in the division?

While some will be quick to dismiss the possibility of it being true, the fact is Edgar just might be the best lightweight in MMA history.

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There have been several others who have earned the distinction over the years.

Following his victory over BJ Penn at UFC 35, Jens Pulver could certainly lay claim to the title of the best lightweight in the world, and was certainly on the short list for being considered the best ever. Unfortunately, time hasn’t been kind to “Lil Evil” since then, as the inaugural UFC lightweight champion has gone just 13-14 over the last decade, including a 4-10 stretch that started with his final appearance in the UFC.

Takanori Gomi could certainly have been considered the best lightweight ever at one point. Prior to 2007, “The Fireball Kid” was 27-3, with victories over the likes of Pulver, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, and Tatsuya Kawajiri. The Japanese star posted a 13-1 record from February 2004 through the last night of 2006, and avenged the only loss he suffered in that stretch when he won a split decision over Marcus Aurelio at Pride Bushido 13.

Gomi too has struggled in recent year, however, posting a 5-5 record with one no contest since defeating Mitsuhiro Ishida to close out 2006. He’s just 1-3 since debuting in the UFC in March 2010, and is clearly not the same fighter he once was. Fighting in Japan for the first time in more than two years this weekend against Eiji Mitsuoka, I wouldn’t be all that shocked if Gomi decided to call it a career if he gets the win; say goodbye to the sport in front of the fans who made him a superstar in the early 2000s.

You could make a case that BJ Penn has been the best lightweight in the world starting all the way back in October 2003 when he defeated Gomi to claim the Rumble on the Rock lightweight title. He was 6-1-1 at that point, drawing with durable Japanese veteran Caol Uno, and losing a close majority decision to Pulver. There is no question that “The Prodigy” was the best in the world and stood at the top of the list of all-time greatest lightweights from June 2007 through August 27, 2010.

Penn went 5-1 fighting as a lightweight during that time. He avenged his previous loss to Pulver, defeated Joe Stevenson for the UFC lightweight title, and defended the belt three times, stopping former champion Sean Sherk, perennial contender Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez. Even after he lost to Edgar at UFC 112 in April 2010, you could still make a very strong case for Penn being the best the division has ever seen.

But that argument lost steam when Penn was beaten by the Toms River, New Jersey native for a second time.

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Once is a fluke.

Twice is a trend.

By beating Penn for a second time at UFC 118, Edgar removed all doubt that his victory in Abu Dhabi four months early was simply the best night of his life coupled with “The Prodigy” having a bad performance. Not only did Edgar score a second consecutive unanimous decision win over Penn in Boston, he looked even better the second time around, winning all five rounds on everyone’s scorecards.

Last year, Edgar went 1-0-1 against Gray Maynard, the only man to have beaten him in his career. After losing their first meeting in April 2008, and coming away with a draw in their rematch, the current UFC lightweight champion left no room for argument about who the better man was by the time their trilogy bout ended, stopping Maynard in the fourth round to retain the title and push his record to 14-1-1 overall, and 9-1-1 in the UFC.

In addition to boasting a pair of victories over Penn and a literally splitting three fights with Maynard right down the middle, Edgar holds victories over former champion Sean Sherk, former title challenger Hermes Franca, and current elite contender Jim Miller, plus wins over solid veterans like Spencer Fisher, Mark Bocek, and Deividas Taurosevicius.

At this point, it’s hard to argue against Edgar being considered the best lightweight ever, isn’t it?

He passes “The Ric Flair Test,” having beaten “The Man” (Penn) on two separate occasions, in addition to having avenged the lone loss on his resume.

He’s upset opponents who were viewed as better prospects, up-ended former champions looking to make a climb back to the top of the division, and stands as one of only three men to beat Miller, the other two being the man Edgar faced twice last year (Maynard) and the man he’ll face Saturday, Benson Henderson.

Edgar has done all this while being comparatively undersized as well, standing just five-foot-six, and fighting at his “walking around” weight.

While someone like Maynard cuts upwards of 20-25 pounds (if not more) to make the lightweight limit, Edgar sheds a few pounds on fight week, but nothing significant. In a sport where size and strength are important variables, Edgar is always behind in both categories, but he’s still come out ahead in 14 of 16 trips into the cage.

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With everything he’s accomplished to this point in his career — a two year reign atop the UFC lightweight division, a pair of victories over BJ Penn, wins over Maynard, Sherk, Miller, and others — I’m not sure how you argue against Edgar.

Timing is everything, and someone could certainly come along in the future to take the spot he took from Penn, for right now, the 30-year-old from UFC champion gets my vote as the best lightweight in MMA history.

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CAST YOUR VOTES!

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UFC 144: Introducing the Monday Morning Main Card Primer

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Welcome to a brand new feature here at Keyboard Kimura!

I’ve been mulling this one over for a couple of events now, trying to figure out how to start off our fight week coverage.

After some consideration, I realized that not everyone is as obsessive and Rainman-esque as me when it comes to these fight cards. Let’s be honest, not many people are as obsessive and neurotic about fights cards as I am, and that’s a very good thing.

While I tend to remember all the minutia for most fighters on each event — current streaks, who they’ve beaten, where they train, etc. — most people aren’t all Raymond Babbitt about these things, which makes this feature the perfect way to kick off fight week.

Every Monday, you’ll get an introduction to the main card participants, complete with their current ranking (according to the USA Today/SB Nation Rankings), how they’re trending heading into their fight, and what they stand to gain from getting a win come fight night.

This is the Monday Morning Main Card Primer — UFC 144 Edition.

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Frankie Edgar
UFC Lightweight Champion
Nickname: The Answer
Record: 14-1-0
Rank: #1
Streak: Unbeaten in 7 (6-0-1)

Saturday marks the fourth title defense for the Toms River, New Jersey native, and the first time in two years he’s fought someone other than BJ Penn or Gray Maynard.

Edgar is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, having solidified his place among the best in the business with a pair of thrilling performances opposite Maynard last year. In both outings, Edgar showed tremendous heart, surviving early onslaughts from his arch rival, earning a hard fought draw in their first meeting of 2011 before finishing Maynard via knockout in the fourth round of their third career clash at UFC 136 last October.

This is another opportunity for Edgar to silence the critics who continue to question his place at the top of the division. For all the talk of his being too small to compete against the bigger, stronger competitors who make up the UFC’s deep lightweight division, Edgar has consistently shown the ability to outwork his opponents over the last four years. A victory Saturday night would make the “All-Time Best Lightweight” discussion very interesting.

Benson Henderson
Nickname: Smooth
Record: 15-2-0
Rank: #4
Streak: W3

While fellow WEC alum Donald Cerrone got a great deal of attention for his impressive 2011 campaign, Henderson might have had the best year of any lightweight competitor in the UFC.

After earning a solid unanimous decision victory over Mark Bocek at UFC 129, Henderson was positioned opposite Jim Miller in the co-main event of the August UFC on Versus event. At the time, Miller was riding a seven-fight winning streak, and needed a victory over “Smooth” to secure a lightweight title shot. Henderson dominated the three-round affair, controlling Miller with his superior wrestling and athleticism, while displaying a more aggressive approach inside the cage. He did the same thing to Clay Guida three months later to earn this weekend’s meeting with Edgar.

When he lost to Anthony Pettis on the final WEC event, Henderson slipped behind “Showtime” and several others within the lightweight ranks in the chase for the championship, yet here he stands, poised to fight for the title before everyone who was ahead of him. It’s a testament to how impressive Henderson was in 2011, and should remove any questions about whether or not he’s capable of capturing the lightweight title on Saturday night.

For the 28-year-old Arizona native, this is a chance to elevate himself to elite status in the division, and assume Edgar’s spot in the pound-for-pound rankings.

Quinton Jackson
Nickname: Rampage
Record: 32-4-0
Rank: #5
Streak: L1

This is a homecoming for Jackson, one of the biggest stars to emerge from Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships. It is also a chance to get back into the win column after losing to Jon Jones at UFC 133 in September.

At 33-years-0ld, there aren’t too many more years left in Jackson’s career; he’s said he will retire at age 35. Despite losing to Jones last time out, Jackson looked better than he has in years after having committed himself to getting into tremendous shape, living at the MusclePharm facility in Denver. An exceptionally proud man, you know there is no way “Rampage” wants to go back to Japan and have a poor showing in front of the fans who first made him a star, so you can expect Jackson to show up in optimal shape once again, ready to hand Ryan Bader his third loss in four fights.

Another crack at the belt isn’t happening as long as Jones remains champion, but a victory Saturday is important to keep Jackson in the upper tier of challengers within the light heavyweight division. Should Rashad Evans emerge from UFC 145 as the new champion, Jackson could find himself on the short list of potential opponents with a strong showing against the former Ultimate Fighter winner this weekend.

Ryan Bader
Nickname: Darth
Record: 13-2-0
Rank: #16
Streak: W1

2011 was a tough year for the winner of Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter.

He began the year as an unbeaten prospect on the cusp of challenging for the title, but then ran into Jon Jones at UFC 126, getting put to sleep by the current champion in the second round. It looked like Bader was handed a bit of a “gimme” when he was booked to face Tito Ortiz five months later at UFC 132, but instead of steamrolling the former champion as everyone expected, the Arizona State alum got put to sleep for the second consecutive fight.

Though he bounced back with a 77-second knockout win over Jason Brilz at UFC 139, there are still a lot of questions that Bader needs to answer. He has the physical tools to be a potential contender, but his preparedness and ability to put it all together in the cage seems to be lacking. While you can discard the Jones fight — everyone loses to Jon Jones — the Ortiz bout raised some red flags.

Notching a victory over “Rampage” this weekend in Japan will go a long way to convincing people that Bader still has the championship potential many people saw in him coming off of The Ultimate Fighter. If he’s unable to earn his second consecutive win, he could be looking at a “win or else” situation later this year.

Mark Hunt
Nickname: Super Samoan
Record: 7-7
Rank: #23
Streak: W2

When Hunt lost to Sean McCorkle at UFC 119, everyone thought he was simply being allowed to fight out the remaining bouts on his contract. No one expected much from the former Pride fan favorite.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the end of his contract… Hunt earned back-to-back victories. He stopped Chris Tuscherer with a one-punch knockout at UFC 129 in front of a raucous Australian crowd, then managed to outlast Ben Rothwell in a very ugly, very sloppy affair at UFC 135 in the thin air of Denver, Colorado back in September. Now he returns to the land where made a name for himself with upset wins over Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop to take on perennial fringe contender Cheick Kongo.

Saturday could be Hunt’s swan song; a chance to go out in front of the Japanese fans that adore him, win or lose.

Cheick Kongo
Nickname: N/A
Record: 17-6-2
Rank: #12
Streak: Unbeaten in 4 (3-0-1)

The sculpted French heavyweight has long been a gatekeeper in the UFC’s big boy ranks, having earned 10 wins inside the Octagon, but never having cleared the final hurdle to be considered a legitimate contender. Over the last two years, Kongo has earned victories over Paul Buentello, Pat Barry, and Matt Mitrione, while a point deduction turned his fight with Travis Browne at UFC 120 into a draw.

While it’s unlikely that a victory over Hunt would propel Kongo into contention, it’s another solid win, and at this point in his career, he needs to keep adding notches in the win column if he hopes to get another chance to face some of the division’s elite.

Yoshihiro Akiyama
Nickname: Sexyama
Record: 13-4-0, 2 NC
Rank: T-#23 at Middleweight
Streak: L3

After suffering a three straight losses in the middleweight ranks, Akiyama finally decided to move down to welterweight, where he won’t be as undersized and over-powered. This bout marks his debut in the 170-pound weight class, and is a pivotal fight for the talented judoka.

One of the most high profile international signings in UFC history, Akiyama has thus far failed to live up to the hype. He earned a questionable split decision over Alan Belcher in his debut at UFC 100, and then proceeded to lose entertaining bouts to Chris Leben (UFC 116) and Michael Bisping (UFC 120) before getting knocked out by Vitor Belfort at UFC 133.

The change in divisions should help, and will likely buy him at least one more fight regardless of the outcome of this weekend’s contest. Akiyama has very good power which should only be bolstered by dropping down to welterweight, and provided the cut to 170-pounds isn’t too taxing, he could be an intriguing addition to the UFC’s most intriguing division.

Jake Shields
Nickname: N/A
Record: 26-6-1
Rank: T-#7
Streak: L2

Last year was horrible for Shields, the former Shooto, EliteXC, and Strikeforce champion. In addition to losing back-to-back contests to Georges St-Pierre and Jake Ellenberger, the Cesar Gracie student lost his father and manager, Jack, in late August.

After starting last year as the #1 contender in the welterweight division, Shields has his back against the wall in his first appearance of 2012. Losing three straight is never a good look, and with Shields struggling to get by Martin Kampmann in his UFC debut, dropping this one to Akiyama in his first trip down to welterweight could drop Shields further down the rankings than he’s been in years.

Yushin Okami
Nickname: Thunder
Record: 26-6-0
Rank: #3
Streak: L1

Okami is one of the four fighters (two fights) elevated to the pay-per-view portion of the card last week when the UFC made the decision to go with a four-hour, seven-fight broadcast. Having most recently been in the cage opposite Anderson Silva, it seemed a little ridiculous that Okami was relegated to the prelims prior to the announcement.

This is a prime opportunity to Okami to get back into the win column after losing to Silva at UFC 134 back in August. He has been one of the best middleweights in the world for a number of years, and while he looked completely out of place opposite Silva, everyone does. That being said, with the middleweight division starting to see some new talent working their way up the ranks, Okami needs to have a strong showing in this one to maintain his positioning in the pecking order.

Tim Boetsch
Nickname: The Barbarian
Record: 14-4-0
Rank: N/R
Streak: W2

Boetsch made the move down to middleweight after losing to Phil Davis at UFC 123 in November 2010. He’s gone 2-0 since making the drop down to the 185-pound ranks, earning a unanimous decision wins over Kendall Grove and Nick Ring respectively.

A burly, powerful wrestler, Boestch has looked very good since switching weight classes, but is getting thrown in tough here. It is a huge step up from Ring to Okami, the last man to challenge for the middleweight title, but it offers a tremendous opportunity to “The Barbarian.” Very few people will be expecting him to win this fight, so Boetsch should (theoretically) be able to step into the Octagon stress-free, and that can be a dangerous thing for Okami.

He has the size and strength to match the normally bigger-than-everyone-else Japanese fighter, so it will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Hatsu Hioki
Nickname: N/A
Record: 25-4-2
Rank: #2
Streak: W5

Long considered the top featherweight fighting outside the UFC, Hioki debut in the Octagon back in October, collecting a controversial split decision win over George Roop. The 28-year-old former Sengoku and Shooto champion is kind of an awkward fighter to watch in the cage. His stand-up is suspect, and while he has a strong submission game, he’s more of a technical grinder than anything else — he’ll get an opponent down, and keep him there, but he’s not necessarily looking to do a whole lot of damage.

Despite the tepid performance and questionable scoring, the fact remains that Hioki notched his fifth consecutive triumph, and could find himself in a position to challenge Jose Aldo for the 145-pound title should he deliver an impressive victory on Saturday.

Bart Palaszewski
Nickname: Bartimus
Record: 36-14-0
Rank: #12
Streak: W1

After a solid run as a lightweight in both the IFL and WEC — not to mention an entire alphabet soup of organizations prior to that — Palaszewski made the move down to featherweight in his last fight, and debuted in impressive fashion, knocking out Tyson Griffin at UFC 137. He earned Knockout of the Night honours for the performance, and also gets the chance to face #2-ranked Hatsu Hioki this weekend.

A victory will go a long way to establishing “Bartimus” as a big time threat in the featherweight ranks. When we spoke last week for a feature on UFC.com, he told me he believes there are other guys in front of him with better cases for challenging for the title, and while that may be the case right now, another emphatic finish against Hioki could change all that.

Anthony Pettis
Nickname: Showtime
Record: 14-2-0
Rank: #10
Streak: W1

Pettis entered the UFC as the final WEC lightweight champion in history, and was supposed to be guaranteed a title shot as a result. When Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard battled to a draw at UFC 125, Pettis was faced with a choice — sit and wait or take a fight and roll the dice. He decided to fight, and lost a one-sided decision to Clay Guida in June, who out-wrestled the electric striker for the entire fight. Four months later, Pettis returned and picked up his first UFC victory, showcasing his improving wrestling in a hard fought affair with Jeremy Stephens at UFC 136.

This weekend’s meeting with Joe Lauzon is an incredibly important fight for Pettis. He has the offensive skills to be something special, and he’s young enough that a backwards step here isn’t the end of the world, but after entering with such promise and fanfare last year, to go 1-2 to start his UFC career will certainly set him back a few steps.

Joe Lauzon
Nickname: J-Lau
Record: 21-6-0
Rank: #12
Streak: W2

The Bridgewater, Massachusetts native loves playing the underdog, and he’s had a great deal of success in that role. Most recently, Lauzon halted Melvin Guillard’s climb up the lightweight ranks, catching the cocky “Young Assassin” with a stiff left jab before subbing him out at UFC 136 in October.

What’s troublesome about Lauzon — at least thus far in his career — is that he’s never been able to put it all together consistently and prove himself to be a legitimate contender. Whenever he’s gotten close, he’s taken a step back, losing to a more established fighter or just having an off night. This bout is a great chance for him to climb the rankings — Pettis hasn’t broken into the upper echelon yet either, and while he’s definitely a dangerous opponent, Lauzon has the tools to beat him.

Because he’s been around the UFC for more than five years, it’s easy to forget that Lauzon is just 27-years-old and only now entering his athletic prime. He looked great against Guillard, and if he can have a repeat performance this weekend, 2012 could turn out to be a big year.

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UFC 144: The Perfect Way to Promote Frankie Edgar, the Undervalued Lightweight Champion

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I absolutely love the trailer for UFC 144.

There have been some good promo pieces in the past — UFC 129, the “Sympathy for the Devil” trailer for the FOX debut — but this one trumps them all to me because it hits the right notes for promoting UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.

We’ll do this like high school — first we’ll watch the piece, and then we’ll discuss it. Please pay attention, class:

2 UFC 144: The Perfect Way to Promote Frankie Edgar, the Undervalued Lightweight Champion

Remember how everybody — and by everybody I mean Nick Diaz fans and “Carlos Condit fans” who aren’t actually Carlos Condit fans — got upset when the “dogfight” that was promised in the UFC 143 trailer never materialized? There’s none of that here.

Instead of doling out lofty expectations, we get the facts about Edgar, and whether you like him or not, you can’t say he doesn’t have an impressive resume. You can try, but you’d be fighting a losing battle.

Standing at 14-1-1 and without a loss in nearly four years, Edgar is — as this fine piece of promotional material tells us — undeniably the best lightweight in the world right now.

As the trailer states, Edgar has handed five men the first loss of their careers, and we’re not talking about a bunch of scrubs either; four of the five are or were legit threats in the lightweight ranks. Jim Miller is a win away from challenging for the lightweight title himself, while Gray Maynard fought for the belt twice last year. Tyson Griffin was on the fringe of contention for a long time, and Mark Bocek is a solid veteran and a tough out for most.

The part I like the best, however, is the reminder that he beat a legend… twice.

When BJ Penn was kicking ass and taking names in the UFC lightweight division, he was lauded as the best lightweight in the history of the sport. Somehow, when Edgar beats him on back-to-back occasions — turning in an even more impressive performance the second time around — it’s not all that special.

(You can’t see it, but I’m shaking my head right now.)

Whether people accept it or not, Edgar is a superstar, and this is a brilliant way of putting the impressive lightweight champion on display heading into what should be an epic battle with Benson Henderson next weekend in Saitama, Japan.

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Sadly, there are still a lot of people who don’t accept “The Answer.”

Edgar is neck and neck with Dominick Cruz for being the most undervalued and under-appreciated champion in the UFC.

No matter what he does, there are always fans who find a way to complain about him. Despite the impressive resume, and the shiny gold belt around his waist, there are still people who criticize the champion.

His performance against Maynard at UFC 136 should have put to rest all the “point fighting” talk for good.

Instead of going in there looking to throw bombs and land heavy with every shot, Edgar picks his spots and looks for that one opening. If it doesn’t come, he keeps looking, out-working his opponent the entire time. But when it does come, you get finishes like the one Edgar delivered last October in Houston.

Unlike Maynard, who had the champ rocked numerous times throughout their two 2011 battles, Edgar saw his opponent was prone to be put away, picked his spots, measured his shots, and stopped “The Bully” in brutal fashion to retain the lightweight title.

While the “I Only Like Finishes” set will still complain (“It’s only one fight!”), the fact of the matter is that Edgar delivered the finish critics have been after last time out. You can’t change the argument now just so you can still be critical of the guy.

Don’t get me wrong — people will, and they have, but it’s hokum.

You wanted to see him finish, the guy finished; now give him some credit already.

The criticism or commentary that really makes me laugh is the suggestion that he should be fighting at featherweight. While he physically may have the ability to drop down and compete in the 145-pound ranks, he’s currently busy being the best lightweight in all of mixed martial arts.

I could see if he was stuck on the fringe of contention or had previously come up short in a couple of attempts to capture gold, but neither of those are the case.

As much as I would love to one day see Edgar and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo go toe-to-toe inside the Octagon, I think it’s more likely that we’ll see Aldo come up to ’55 than Edgar move down to featherweight. And we shouldn’t be worrying about that fight until both have completely cleaned out there divisions, unless Aldo wants to give up the featherweight title and move to ’55 full-time.

You don’t hear people saying this about any other champion; just Edgar. Everyone else gets to enjoy their reign atop their respective division, garnering the respect that comes with being the best fighter in a given weight class, but Edgar, he should really move down to featherweight — that’s where he really should be fighting.

(Yes, I’m shaking my head again.)

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The crappy thing about this weekend’s headliner is that if Edgar should lose, there are going to be all kinds of people lining up to say, “I told you so” in response to this piece and the proclamation that Edgar is the best lightweight on the planet.

They’ll give Benson Henderson his due for knocking off the champ and ascending to the top of the division, but they’ll tear down Edgar just as quickly, saying he was undersized, not strong enough, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

If Henderson leaves Japan as the UFC lightweight champion, it will be because he was the better man on Saturday night, not because Edgar didn’t belong in the lightweight division in the first place or just can’t compete with the guys in the 155-pound ranks.

The fact that he’ll be introduced as “The reigning, defending, UFC lightweight champion of the world” already says otherwise.

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Be sure to check out Keyboard Kimura all week for complete coverage of UFC 144 Edgar vs. Henderson, including head-to-head breakdowns of the main card, a complete analysis of the main event, Under the Radar, and the Punch Drunk Predictions.

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