What a year 2016 had been for Mixed Martial Arts. It was truly a year to look back upon with so many memorable moments.
Conor McGregor made history as the only man to concurrently hold two UFC titles in different divisions. Cody Garbrandt dealt Dominick Cruz his first loss in what seems like forever. Cristiane Cyborg Justino made her UFC debut. The return of Ronda Rousey, although not the way she had wanted, captured headlines to close the year.
The year was amazing to say the least.
2017 however, is a clean slate – one with many possibilities. Although there are a few footnotes everyone should be weary about.
2016 The Year of Conor McGregor
The Rousey comeback obviously didn’t pan out for Dana White and the UFC. Aside from McGregor, Rousey was the next most bankable star. But her knockout loss to Amanda Nunes pretty much all but killed her star power. McGregor himself has said he would spend some time away from the Octagon to focus on personal matters.
Take McGregor and Rousey away and we’re left with not very much. Yes there’s the return of Nick Diaz and Jon Jones, both coming off suspensions. And there’s always the possibility of a Georges St-Pierre return. But is this really enough for the UFC to outdo themselves in 2017?
Sounds like the organization needs a new influx of marketable talent. Now real MMA fans know the UFC isn’t the end-all be-all of MMA. There are other promotions out there like World Series of Fighting, Bellator, and ONE Championship. The talent these promotions have are quickly catching up to the UFC level, with the rise of MMA in general.
Although the UFC is in great shape as it is, they could benefit from new faces. Here is a list of Five Fighters the UFC Should Sign in 2017.
#5 Gina “Conviction” Carano (7-1)
They tried in 2016. She was supposed to come back to mixed martial arts – the sport that made her famous – and fight Ronda Rousey. Gina “Conviction” Carano, as many diehard fans recall, made women’s MMA relevant.
Although she wasn’t able to reach the level Rousey had performed at, Carano paved the way for Rousey to take the sport to the next level. In short, Carano had a lot to do with what women’s MMA looks like today.
After being brutally stopped by “Cyborg” Justino in her last pro-MMA bout, Carano left the cage for good. She turned to Hollywood, where she has starred in films like Haywire and Fast & Furious 6.
She isn’t exactly the best actress in the world, but her films have done somewhat okay. However there is no denying that if Carano wanted to, she could make a comeback to MMA. Which is why the UFC tried to bring her back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9SWjV8gPrs
Yes the negotiations had failed then, but with the UFC’s new owners, there’s no telling what’s possible. Now that Rousey is all but completely out of the picture, the UFC needs a new female star.
Amanda Nunes, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, you would think would be the perfect fit. But for some reason, she just doesn’t click with the fans although she has tried her best to make noise.
Carano however, would instantly turn the UFC women’s MMA division on its head. Can anyone imagine a rematch between Carano and Cyborg? Huge huge huge.
