MMA Wish List For 2011

source: sportsnet.ca
article by showdown joe

Showdown Joe, hopefully you've been a good boy this year.

As 2010 comes to an end, the holiday season is peaking and with Santa Claus prepping for his long trek around the globe, here's what I'm hoping he can drop off under some trees.

MMA's official mainstream acceptance in 2011

Several years ago, part of my introduction into the broadcasting world was an ongoing MMA education campaign to the masses. My efforts were not just towards increasing the Canadian fan base, but towards fellow media members on all levels.

It's safe to say that MMA has caught on and I've pretty much given up on educating the old dinosaurs who still believe the sport is barbaric and are adamant that like professional wrestling, MMA bouts are fixed.

please step in and have these folks experience an epiphany or perhaps give them some coffee, so they can actually wake up.

The Passion that is MMA Rankings

Not a day goes by, where I am not shredded by people within the MMA fan base, for my personal rankings of various MMA fighters and their divisions.

My hope is that Santa can help them understand that rankings are subjective and there is no perfect science. If we base the results on the quality of opposition a fighter has faced, then Jon (Bones) Jones would likely not be in the Top 10.

If we don't include a fighter's potential and dominance of his opposition while he climbs the rankings, again, Jones would not be ranked in any Top 10s. It's subjective - always was and always will be.

The old adage is that two wrongs don't make a right, but here's an example of balance that proves this adage wrong.

Recently after an MMA Connected episode that showcased my personal lightweight rankings, I was bombarded by messages (most of which should never be read by anyone under the age of majority) that at first were difficult to read but shortly thereafter, had me literally laughing out loud.

At first, there was a segment of people that were livid that Strikeforce lightweight Gilbert Melendez was not my No. 1.

This was followed by a group who thought I was crazy for having him in my Top 5 and who firmly believed he wasn't Top 15.

Then there was the Shinya Aoki group, some of which were ticked off that he wasn't in my top three and others who ripped me apart for even daring to have him in my Top 10.

I can't win for trying, hence the reason I simply post them and let the fans voice their thoughts as they please.

Santa, if you are reading this, may I suggest you drop off something that can calm this passion down and provide some clarity, while making them not take the MMA rankings so personally.

I find Chamomile works best for adults and Gripe Water for the kids.

Fedor, Fedor, Fedor

Call me blinded by nostalgia, but I will always consider Fedor Emelianenko one of my favourites of all time.

Over the years, many of us have suffered watching "The Last Emperor" refuse to take on competition worthy of his excellence. Instead, he takes on fighters who are simply not on his level, that is, until he met Fabricio Werdum earlier this year.

What should have been a wake up call was instead, another great excuse to do nothing. His M-1 Global family continues to place their promotion over his fighting career, tainting is legacy.

He's in the twilight of his career, so a rematch with Werdum is a must, as well as a bout with Alistair Overeem. Fedor - you must go out with a bang.

Santa, perhaps you can place a bug into Fedor's ear and have him realize that time is running out. He should separate his percentage of ownership of M1-Global, something that belongs outside of the cage/ring from what is required inside the competition platform, which is to fight.

If possible have Fedor understand that M-1 Global will always be an entity that can live on, grow and prosper, far after his MMA career has subsided.

He should deal with the growth of the promotion later.

Let those whose jobs it is to grow it, realize that it should be done without using him as a bargaining chip, one which has virtually destroyed his reputation, which at one time had him labeled as "the baddest man on the planet."

The time has come for Fedor to put his foot down, step up and use 2011 as the year to prove once again that he is the greatest heavyweight of all time. When he makes statements like: "When my career ends and I don't fight in the UFC, the UFC will be sorry, not me," we have a serious perception issue.

Santa, please help.

Calling out what cannot happen

I'm all for trash talk, always have been. Heck, I'd have no issues filling my iPod with nothing but Chael Sonnen sound bytes. What frustrates me is when I hear some fighters say things that simply are a waste of time to listen to.

Nick Diaz, another one of my favourites, calling out Georges St-Pierre after every fight is a tad bit ludicrous. It's a fight that will never happen, unless Nick leaves Strikeforce or Georges leaves the UFC.

Mind you, if it's a calculated effort on his part to keep his name up amongst the hardcore MMA fan base, it is job well done.

But any discussion of these two fighting one another is truly a mute point. Personally, I would love to see it happen, it's a great match-up, but it's a pipe dream right now.

As for all the hype surrounding a scrap between Diaz and Jason "Mayhem" Miller, I'm not sure who should step up here. If it's not the two fighters, then it should be Strikeforce. If all three can't agree, then speak out and say it's not going to happen.

The same can be said about Eddie Alvarez vs. Gilbert Melendez and Tito Ortiz vs. Josh Koscheck.

Mind you, the ladder is simply golden to follow. These guys will never meet inside the octagon, but I hope I'm there the next time they meet in person.

Certify all MMA Referees and Judges

If I can participate and subsequently pass the rigorous refereeing and judging courses offered by Big John McCarthy, then so should each and every official who is licensed by an athletic commission.

The Association of Boxing Commissions, along with every one of their existing member Athletic Commissions, must make certification mandatory.

There are way too many egos that are getting in the way of the betterment of this sport.

For all of those refs and judges that have been doing their jobs for years, too bad. Prove you are worthy and get certified. If you cannot show that you have the knowledge to do the job, you should be relieved of your duties until you can prove otherwise.

It's up to the ABC to man up and get this done. Until that happens, the mockery that we continue to see will go on to plague us in 2011.

This is a true travesty for the fighters. They are the ones who suffer the most, both via their pay and unfortunately with their well being.

I also believe that all fighters should speak out in unison, to mandate that all officials are certified. The onus should also be placed on them.

More Global MMA

In 2011, we will see the UFC return to Brazil. My hope is Santa can hook me up with the honour of covering this historical event, but I'd gladly give it up for MMA in New York State, Mexico, Italy and above all, a resurgence of the sport in Japan.

Canadian Grass Roots MMA

Here's hoping Santa can have grass roots Mixed Martial Arts flourish in Vancouver and quite frankly, all across the province of British Columbia. The same can be said for all of our provinces. Hopefully the man in the furry red suit can give the gift of mixed martial arts development, so that Canadian fighters can grow to become some of the world's best.

In my home province of Ontario, I hope the bearded one can penetrate the minds of the Ontario government, so the powers that be can see that a healthy MMA grass roots system will not only help flourish the depth pool, but make a ton of money for the province.

I firmly believe that safety is paramount and that it’s being taken care of by the adoption of the Unified Rules of MMA.

But unless the Ontario Athletic Commission allows (or is allowed to, depends on who you speak with) for true MMA sanctioning and regulation, we will be lucky to see one or two UFC events a year and maybe one or two grass roots show as well.

This is unacceptable.

Under the right leadership, the province of Ontario (and most others in the country) should be able to emulate what we see in Nevada, New Jersey State, Quebec and Alberta. A healthy dose of weekly MMA events, allowing fighters to fight, garner experience and build themselves to be worthy enough to graduate to the big shows.

More, more and more

My holiday wish is for more Alistair Overeem, GSP and Brock Lesnar in MMA.

More stories like those of Cain Velasquez, Anthony Pettis and Anthony Johnson.

I want more Sean Pierson, more Edson Barboza and Jose Aldo.

I want more Strikeforce, Bellator, MFC, Shooto, WVR, Dream and everything in between.

I want the UFC to tell me more stories about each of its athletes via The Ultimate Fighter.

I want fans to have more of an emotional attachment to the guys lucky enough to make it into the house. I want to hear where they came from, what their families think and why fans should invest their time into each guy.

But my real wish this year, is for all of you, the very best of the holiday season.

I hope this time of year brings you nothing but joy and may the happiest day of your past, be the saddest day of your future