I predict that in terms of transfering over to the UFC, which appears to be the clear #1 org at the moment, experience in a cage will become a huge deciding factor in who transitions succesfully. Not a bold prediction I know, but at least a chance to show some smaller and newer cage based mma and its fighters. Former Shooto champ Akira Kikuchi (took Aoki to 2 close decisions) vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida, who has fought in this org a few times before fighting at "G.C.M. Cage force 4" [yt]dttg9Ps7xj4[/yt] Yushin Okami vs Damien Riccio fighting at "G.C.M. - D.O.G. 3" [yt]RgsfiFQn1Wg[/yt] Anderson Silva vs Tony Fryklund [yt]h4gE9PavMKg[/yt] Various GCM fights http://youtube.com/results?search_query=gcm+mma I really feel that orgs like GCM and the newly formed HEAT (Minowa fought there 2 fights ago) are going to be the determining factor in who succesfully comes over from predominantly ring based Japan to the predominantly cage based US, and might explain why fighters such as Anderson Silva and Rampage, who both have extensive time in a cage, are doing so well, whereas other fighters new to the UFC from other orgs are not doing as well as expected. Not really a new argument, but the best example is the first video, Kikuchi just didn't seem to know how to fight off the cage or defend elbows and it cost him the fight.
Goddam Anderson is such a beast in the cage. When he's fighting disciplined (aka what he didn't do against Ryo Chonan) he's probably the toughest fighter to defeat in MMA currently (and, yes, I'm including Fedor). His striking is probably the best out now. Elbows, punches, knees, kicks, he's got it all. He's got adequate submissions and probably the most vicious Thai clinch in the game. ****, Anderson Silva is the prototypical MMA fighter.
