Randy Couture was not the least bit surprised when Forrest Griffin upset Quinton Jackson at UFC 86. The natural actually has a first hand view at how diligently Griffin prepared for the fight being as though the two train at the same place. On the opposite end, Couture extended his sympathies toward Jackson following his downward spiral of events. Perched in front of copies of his new book, Couture shares his thoughts with NBC Sports.

Randy Couture’s name keeps popping up as a possible opponent for Fedor Emelianenko. “The Natural” talked about the prospect of fighting Fedor and went on to explain how the UFC is not the only major player in mixed martial arts anymore. He claims that he would be content with if his career ended and he never fought again, yet he isn’t very convincing. It’s a safe bet that Couture hasn’t fought his last fight. Check out this complete interview with NBC Sports.

Dana White recently announced that the UFC has no plans to implement any new weight classes to the organization. This announcement comes in light of The Association of Boxing Commissions recent adaptations of an entire new range of weight classes. Regardless of that decision, White is opting to stick with what has been working, and that idea seems to be a very wise move on his behalf.

Currently, the talent level is extraordinarily high in each weight class throughout the UFC. Adding more divisions into the mix may have an adverse effect. It is extremely likely that adding more divisions could thin out the talent level in each class. That would lead to less compelling match-ups in a top heavy league with no bottom to weight it down. Major League Baseball is a perfect example.

The addition of entirely too many teams in Major League Baseball has made for a less talented conglomerate of pitchers spread throughout the league. Players who should not even be worthy enough to throw batting practice are now signing multi-million dollar checks. The bottom line is that it makes for a product with a lot more quantity, but a lot less quality.

Fighters like BJ Penn and Randy Couture need to constantly be put to the test against the best. Not only does it make for a more competitive fight, it forces each fighter to remain at the top of their game. There will always be other organizations that will showcase lesser talent, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Even Major League Baseball has an abundance of minor league affiliates. These smaller organizations in the world of mixed martial arts could prove to have the same purpose. After all, not every athlete can make the jump to the major leagues without some seasoning.

The UFC is far and away the major leagues of mixed martial arts. And to maintain it’s elite status, the organization has a responsibility to feature the best of the best. It has done that adequately and if something isn’t broken then why bother to try and fix it? So White and company should take a lesson from major league baseball and tread carefully over the waters of expansion. For it is quality and not quantity that sells.

The world of mixed martial arts received a slap in the face this past week when The Wall Street Journal released a list of the world’s top ten athletes. From one to ten, athletes from various sports had representatives who combined to compile the list of thee world’s elite performers. The athletes were selected by a panel of judges was assembled to judge the athletes in six separate categories. Those categories consisted of six criteria: speed; vision and reflex; stamina and recovery; coordination and flexibility; power, strength and size; and success and competitiveness. In the end, the one sport that truly combines each one of those characteristics did not have one representative among the world’s top ten athletes. The Wall Street Journal simply ignored all mixed martial artists across the globe.

The list was as follows:
1.) Roman Sebrle, Decathlete
2.) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3.) Floyd Mayweather, Boxer
4.) LaDanian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
5.) Roger Federer, Tennis
6.) Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
7.) Liu Xiang, 110 meter hurdler
8.) Jeremy Wariner, 400 Meter Sprinter
9.) Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, FC Barcelona
10.) Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

After reading this list, anyone who follows the sport of mixed martial arts has to be left scratching their head. Not one lone representative from the UFC or WEC managed to crack the top ten. Perhaps the judges didn’t take into consideration the training that essentially takes up the entire life of an mma fighter. Initially, an argument for a single mixed martial artist would not have to be pointed out, but rather the community of mixed martial artists as a whole. For even those fighting on less prestigious stages still spend an endless amount of time peparing for a fight. Furthermore, that preparation is arguably the most grueling of any sport.

Boxing vs. MMA

Floyd Mayweather climbed all the way up to number three on the list. At the beginning of this year, there were rumblings about Mayweather venturing into the cage and testing the mma waters. Early rumors leaked about a possible match-up with WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber. Such a bout would be ludicrous to even ponder and would likely end in less than a minute.

There is no disputing Mayweather’s skill in the ring, but the sport of mixed martial arts is another animal altogether. Faber’s training regimen alone might be too tough for Mayweather to handle. Boxers are extremely well conditioned athletes, but they only have to worry about being attacked by their opponents’ hands. MMA fighters must prepare for attacks from every angle. Simply pondering such a spectacle is only one more insult bestowed on the sport of mixed martial arts.

In addition to the rigorous physical training mma fighters endure, they must be mentally tough as well. For in the sport of track and field, there is no one trying to fade a runner’s world to black with vicious elbows as they race towards the finish line. On the clay at Wimbledon, athletes are not trying to put their opponents to sleep with some kind of chokehold. And it would be futile to even ask Alex Rodriguez about mental toughness. A-Rod has made a reputation of not being able to deliver in the clutch. Yet, he rounds out the list of the world’s top ten athletes.

Not mainstream enough?

Perhaps the sport of mixed martial arts is not yet mainstream enough to validate having one of its athletes make such a list. Yet, decathletes and hurdlers aren’t exactly household names. And the sheer premise of jumping over some hurdles seems a lot less strenuous than being locked in a cage with a mixed martial artist. Moreover, pay-per view crowds do not flock to see javelin tosses.

Even the sport of hockey is tough to find on televisions nowadays. And no matter how rugged football players claim to be, they step on to the field protected by a multitude of padding. Lastly, what can really be said about a soccer player being named to the list? Instead of kicking a ball, maybe they should attempt to take just one muay thai kick to the leg.

Such a list cannot be given too much credence, yet it still insinuates that the sport of mixed martial arts is not worthy enough to be considered among the world’s top sports. In all actuality, mma fighters could probably fill out the entire list from one to ten. But then, what would become of world class athletes like Ronaldo de Assis Moreira? Moreira nudged ahead of A-Rod to snatch the number nine spot, yet more of the mass public could probably identify Randy Couture before Moreira.

As the world of mixed martial arts continues to grow, the mass public will have to dish out more respect for the sport. For what other sports combines strength, agility, stamina, skill and mental toughness to such a degree? A closer look at the sport should demand respect even if the audience isn’t too fascinated with the product. So while lists like this continue to insult the sport of mixed martial arts, fighters like Faber and Couture will continue to train longer and harder than most other athletes in the sporting world.

During the time leading up to any fight, mixed martial artists always keep a watchful eye on what they put into their body. Their diet is critical and sometimes even vital to their success in the cage. Weight limits are also set as a prerequisite before any fight. At times, fighters even fail to make the appropriate weight. Yet, in the world of mixed martial arts, the fight must go on.

Matt Hughes recently felt the wrath of a heavier opponent when Thiago Alves pummeled him during UFC 85. The fight was dubbed a catchweight bout, nevertheless the fight went on even after Alves failed to make weight. And although Hughes loss the fight, he did what he had to win the battle of the scales. The longtime UFC journeyman has been maintaining his fighting weight for more than a decade with a strict regimented diet.

Hughes’ training blog reads, “I try and eat meals as if I was stranded on an island In other words, I want all the nutrients my body needs to survive to come from the food and nothing extra.”

Hughes’ diet consists of lots of fish and chicken and an occasional steak to provide the 170 pounder with protein. Hoards of vegetables also make their way into his six to seven daily meals. Most mma fighters follow a diet very consistent with Hughes. However, other fighters often take on a different approach.

The Faber Diet

WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber enjoys a diet that borders on vegetarianism. Raised by parents who were hippies, Faber was introduced to a homeopathic diet at a very early age. Growing up, he was taught to live and crave a healthy diet although his parents were not strict vegetarians. Now, Faber has adapted that diet which enables him to maintain a peak physical condition.

Although Faber eats a largely vegetarian diet, he does manage to mix in his share of chicken. With a target of 5,000 calories per day, Faber takes in a lot of soy and recently delved into the world of supplements to achieve that goal.

In a recent issue of Muscle and Fitness Magazine Faber was quoted saying, “Lately I’ve been having trouble keeping my weight up, so I’ve been getting extra calories with a shake supplement. I put soy milk, peanut butter and bananas in it.”

The diet seems to be working very well for Faber as he continues to cruise through the ranks of the WEC.

On to the Vegan

Over in the UFC, Max Danzig won’t eat anything tainted with meat. The vegan excludes all animal derived products from his diet, including honey and gelatin.

“I’m Mac Danzig and I’m a vegan”, Danzig said in a new advertisement for Peta2, the world’s largest youth animal rights organization for which Danzig is a spokesperson.

“Animals on factory farms and in slaughterhouses don’t have a fighting chance,” Danzig continued. “I don’t eat animals because I don’t want to contribute to their suffering, it’s that simple. Do yourself a favor, do the planet a favor, and help end animal abuse. Go veg.”

With a professional record of 19-4-1, the vegan diet is currently boding pretty well for Danzig. However, he has to work that much harder to supply his body with all the nutrients necessary to be a prolific mma fighter.

The Champ’s diet

UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture is an advocate of a high Alkaline diet and has even attributed past victories to that diet. An Alkaline diet is based on the consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes while avoiding grains, dairy, meat and excess salt. This is done in order to balance the acidity and alkalinity (the pH balance) of the body.

In an past interview with bodybuilding.com, Couture explained, “There was a huge difference when I changed my eating habits when I went on a high alkaline, more natural raw food diet. I notice that with the same workouts, the same circuit training routines, I get some muscle soreness, but I seem to recover faster and better.”

Couture has also come out with his own line of supplements called Couture Nutrition. He told bodybuilding.com how that venture came about.

“We have things that I always wanted to use or have used over the years to get me through training or help me recover from training. That is where the line came from. It just came out of seeing a need of what I needed as an athlete. Not based in bodybuilding or from any other perspective that many other nutrition companies are coming from. It is truly an athletic based line.”

For most athletes, diet is one of the most important elements of their game. Failure to maintain a proper diet will undoubtedly factor into their performance. And in the world of mixed martial arts, diet may play an even more crucial role. In a sport where every pound counts, it is wise to count every calorie, carb and gram before the time comes to step into the cage.

The UFC says he is still their heavyweight champion, but earlier this evening, Randy Couture mentioned during an interview that he believes he will be free and clear of his UFC contract and their legal dispute by July, opening the door for a fight with Fedor Emelianenko by October.

It’s well known that Couture has been trying to get out of his UFC contract for some time. There are several reasons for this, but the one that Couture points to more than others was the UFC’s inability to sign Fedor Emelianenko to a contract, setting up a long awaited and eagerly anticipated showdown between the two. Couture then knew that if the fight was ever going to happen, he needed to get out of his contract, and thus the dispute began.

For the sakes of both Couture and the UFC, I hope Randy is right about getting this settled by July. Randy is just sitting on the sidelines while things are tied up, and the UFC is embarrassing itself still advertising a guy on their website as their supreme champion while he’s publicly going around saying he wants nothing to do with them.

But beyond even that… what true MMA fan amongst us wouldn’t cut off one of our testicles to see a Couture/Fedor fight?