| Nine months ago, the UFC light heavyweight picture | | | | 76 and while most people believed that he would |
| was clear. There was Chuck Liddell on top and | | | | easily defeat his opponent, Forrest Griffin, he had a lot |
| everyone else was miles behind him, but in the wild | | | | more trouble in the UFC cage than he has had in the |
| world of mixed martial arts rankings can change in the | | | | Pride ring. Shogun holds victories in Pride over such top |
| blink of an eye. Here is a look at the current UFC light | | | | names as Quinton Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Kevin |
| heavyweight landscape and how we got here. | | | | Randleman and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Despite |
| This year, four meaningful light heavyweight | | | | having faced the superior competition over his career, |
| contenders have been added to the UFC coming | | | | Shogun was unable to adapt to the UFC and was |
| directly or indirectly from Japan's Pride organization. Of | | | | dominated for the better part of his fight by Forrest |
| course I qualified that with meaningful as there are | | | | Griffin. |
| others like Kazuhiro Nakamura, but there isn't room in | | | | The latest Pride fighter to join the UFC's light |
| one article to talk about all of the top contenders in the | | | | heavyweight picture is long time Pride middleweight |
| light heavyweight, let alone guys who don't rank in the | | | | champion Wanderlei Silva. Wanderlei has fought in the |
| top ten. These light heavyweight contenders are | | | | UFC before and suffered a loss to Tito Ortiz. Since |
| Quinton Jackson, Dan Henderson, Mauricio "Shogun" | | | | then he managed to hold onto the Pride middleweight |
| Rua and Dan Henderson. | | | | title for five years, that is until Dan Henderson KO'd him |
| The best known fighter to join the UFC from Pride is | | | | in February 2007. Even with this loss, Wanderlei is |
| Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Technically Quinton had | | | | considered one of the most dangerous fighters in the |
| a stopover in the WFA where he decisioned world top | | | | world at 205 lbs. |
| middleweight fighter Matt Lindland, but Quinton has | | | | Chuck Liddell, the man who was on top of the 205 list |
| spent the majority of his known career in the Pride | | | | just 6 months ago has now suffered two defeats in a |
| organization. While in Pride, Quinton Jackson would | | | | row. The first one was a KO loss to Quinton Jackson, |
| fight for the title twice, both times against long time | | | | the second was a close split decision loss to Keith |
| Pride light heavyweight champion Wanderlei Silva. The | | | | Jardine. Chuck's future may be up in the air, but I'm |
| first one was for the pride middleweight tournament | | | | guessing that he will come back and win a couple of |
| title, the second was for the pride middleweight title. It's | | | | more big fights before going into retirement. |
| worth noting that Quinton's loss to Wanderlei was the | | | | So much for the new blood, where exactly do these |
| same night as he defeated Chuck Liddell (the first time | | | | guys rank in the UFC light heavyweight division? I have |
| they met). Since then, Quinton has managed to defeat | | | | no idea. Most of the guys who I would have ranked |
| Chuck Liddell again, capturing the UFC light | | | | top 5 have suffered losses in their last fight. These are |
| heavyweight title belt in spectacular fashion with a first | | | | (in no particular order) Mauricio Shogun Rua, Chuck |
| round KO of the former champ. Quinton has also | | | | Liddell, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva. The last guy to |
| defended his belt once against "Dangerous/Hollywood" | | | | round out that top five would be one of Tito Ortiz, |
| Dan Henderson. | | | | Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Keith Jardine and |
| Dangerous Dan Henderson is another top light | | | | Houston Alexander. As you can see, most of the |
| heavyweight fighter to join the UFC from Pride. Dan | | | | fighters I would have ranked in the bottom half of the |
| held the Pride middleweight belt after knocking out | | | | top 10 have victories over the guys ranked in the top |
| former Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva. | | | | 5. It's this element of the unknown which is going to |
| Henderson has since lost that belt when he faced | | | | keep the stacked UFC light heavyweight division |
| Quinton Jackson in the first ever unification title bout | | | | exciting over the next twelve months. Truly any fighter |
| between Pride and the UFC. Despite Dan's loss to | | | | in the top 10 can beat anyone else on any given night. |
| Quinton, he is still considered by many to be top five | | | | Sure there are style matchups which are bad (Tito vs |
| material in the UFC light heavyweight division. | | | | Chuck for instance), but for the most part this division |
| Mauricio "Shogun" Rua just had his UFC debut at UFC | | | | is wide open. |