[speakhandsforme]

Alright, I wanted to get everybody's perspective on the futures/potentials of the MMA stars that have recently been seen as declining in age: Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, Frank Shamrock, Wanderlei Silva, and Shogun.

Say whether you think the fighter is top ten in his respective division and/or whether he's a title contender.


Chuck Liddell - Though I think that Chuck is universally one of the less skilled fighters of the bunch, he still prevents matchup problems for many fighters and has only been dominated by one fighter: Rampage Jackson. If he can improve his physical shape, I still think he can have a good string of fights.
Verdict: Top Ten? Yes.........Title Contender? Yes

Randy Couture - I was never sold on his legitimacy as a a top five heavyweight, despite his two impressive wins. But, not having won a fight in a year and a half, I don't have to validate those opinions. I don't see him ever being able to beat Brock or Nogueira.
Verdict: Top Ten? Yes..........Title Contender? No

Matt Hughes - Aside all the bustle about how he has refused to change his game, he has yet to lose to a fighter outside the p4p top ten. The fact that he won a round against Thiago Alves proves that he isn't completely outclassed. Until he loses to a fighter that isn't the caliber of Alves or GSP, he's still the fighter that is only two years removed from having recent wins over BJ Penn and Frank Trigg.
Verdict: Top Ten? Yes..........Title Contender? Yes

Tito Ortiz - Though he has always claimed top ten talent and has posted winning performances against the UFC's current and former LHW champs, he could no longer win in a UFC where skilled wrestlers/athletes are now refining other martial arts. You can still be a top ten....but he has to fight some day which doesn't seem likely with his new business interests.
Verdict: Top Ten? No..........Title Contender? No

Frank Shamrock - Franky is the hardest to determine out the fighters due to the fact that we haven't seen a healthy and committed Shamrock fight since 1999. Though he has no wins to claim a top ten spot, people close to the sport maintain that he has actually improved some skills and can still be a very competetive MW.
Verdict: Top Ten? No..........Title Contender? Yes (if he were in a major org)

Wanderlei Silva - Silva's spot is dependent on his weight division. His developing flaw seems to be his slowed reflexes...the worst part of that, however, is that MW's tend to be faster than LHW's. Though I can't see him ever competing for a belt, he hasn't had any losses that can kick him out of the top level.
Verdict: Top Ten? Yes..........Title Contender? No

Shogun Rua - It only took one upset loss for fans to write the Brazilian off as "overrated," but, in reality, he has no other real denotations, outside of a veiled injury, that he is any less the fighter. But, he hasn't won a fight in almost two years, and not against a legitimate LHW since Arona in 2005, so you can't class him as a top ten right now. Luckily, he's young and talented.
Verdict: Top Ten? Yes ..........Title Contender? Yes