Overlooked Battle of Top Flight Heavyweights Puts Spotlight on Division's Dire Need for Talent

This past weekend's bevy of regional mixed martial arts action wasn't what many fans would call significant in terms of relevance to the overall landscape of the sport. Struggling former UFC veterans Tim Sylvia, Joe Riggs, Paul Buentello, and Jens Pulver headlined the more appealing cards this weekend with a supporting cast of local prospects aiming to impress anyone willing to buy a ticket or tune in to watch. But hidden beneath the laundry list of match-ups between individuals that many fans have never heard of or had no desire to watch was one gem that may have some implications in the world of heavyweight mixed martial arts.

King of the Cage's Imminent Danger card didn't look like anything more than a showcase event for prospects. Quinn Mulhern, Bobby Green, Tyler East, and Trevor Mellen picked up predictable wins to give more credence to the notion that they belong in bigger fights. While some of those match-ups did have a slight level of risk, even those types of battles are entertaining to watch simply because mixed martial arts is one of the only sports in the world in which a heavy underdog can win. See Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee for reference.

One bout did happen to stand out on this card before either combatant entered the cage, and while it took place on a small regional card set in Mescalero, New Mexico -- its outcome may have been much more significant in retrospect than anyone watching may have anticipated.

Daniel Cormier vs. Tony Johnson Jr. won't go down in the annals of mixed martial arts folklore as a battle of monumental importance, but Cormier's two minute and twenty-seven second submission of Johnson gives us some insight into the developmental levels of MMA's heavyweight division. Not only in the context of both Cormier and Johnson's own personal development, but in the context of how well mixed martial arts is producing heavyweight talent.

A little background is needed because this may have possibly been one of the best non-UFC or Strikeforce showdowns that featured two absolutely terrifying wrestlers in their prime. Cormier, of course, was a high school All-American, two-time JuCo national champion, NCAA runner-up, 2004 and 2008 Olympic wrestler, and 2007 World Championships bronze medalist. There aren't too many other wrestlers in the sport with Cormier's credentials on a world level, and he's actually added a powerful punch to his arsenal to make him quite threatening.

Tony Johnson Jr. will more than likely top our up-and-coming heavyweight prospect list, mainly due to the fact that he's one of the lone bright spots in a sparse division who tips the scales at 265 pounds. He also happens to have a heavily-credentialed wrestling background that had numerous schools vying for his skills. Choosing Iowa State because he was given a full ride in both wrestling and football, Johnson was on the radar of not only becoming a NCAA wrestling champion, but potentially becoming a freakishly quick lineman in the NFL. Johnson stated in an interview with FiveKnuckles.com that he was running a 4.7 second, 40 yard dash while tipping the scales at 320 pounds. He even had an agent ready to begin fielding offers from the various teams in the NFL.

So, why haven't we heard of this super athlete dominating the ranks of the NCAA or punishing quarterbacks in the NFL? A pregnant wife and a new addition to the family sidelined his own dreams in pursuit of supporting his family. Johnson left school and worked for three years before finding mixed martial arts through an instructor his supervisor knew at the time.

We'll never know exactly what Tony Johnson Jr. could have accomplished in college, but he did his fair share of proving himself in the world wrestling circuit. The potential is there for him to be quite dominant in his mixed martial arts career, and last Friday night's contest gave us a cursory glance at that potential along with some of the problems he'll need to fix. Athletically, he has what it takes to be an explosive, threatening competitor, but his technical prowess off his back is definitely a weakness.

The bigger picture, however, is that both Cormier and Johnson Jr. may be the only real heavyweight prospects in the entire world right now, and Cormier's quick victory surely solidifies him as the top prospect. Furthermore, both men are relatively new to the sport, something that we see as a common trait among prospective heavyweights. When is the last time we saw a showdown between two of a division's top prospects happen so quickly? I'm sure everyone can conjure up a guess or do some research, but we often wait a lot longer than four or five fights into one's career. I think that shows the lack of talent the division is producing these days. Four fights into your career, and you're in one of the most important fights of your career? Yep.

I've asked why there is such a lack of talent in the heaviest weight class in the past, and most of the answers revolved around the biggest men in the world being lured to other physical sports like football. It makes sense that those potential fighters would look toward greener pastures. This effectively limits the heavyweight talent pool in comparison to other divisions. It also creates these very significant battles at early stages in a fighter's career.

I feel a little sympathy for where Tony Johnson Jr. sits right now. Daniel Cormier isn't truly on anyone's radar in terms of being a future champion, but he probably should be a consideration as a potential challenger in the upper echelon of Strikeforce's division in the next year. Where does that leave Johnson Jr., quite possibly one of the best pure heavyweight athletes?

In a division as shallow as the heavyweight division, the loss doesn't hurt him, but it surely can't help him. He needs seasoning, and the shallowness of the division may cause him to be thrown into the shark tank early as a bigger promotion snatches him up. On the other hand, the loss could put him on the back burner until he can put together a solid string of wins. Fortunately for Johnson Jr., it shouldn't be too hard.