If the UFC and Dana White want the best guys who are quickly moving up through the ranks, they should have paid more attention to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, a young and dangerous Judo and Muay Thai fighter. Why Sokoudjou? Well, any fighter who comes off of two knockout wins against Brazilian Top Team light-heavyweight fighters Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Noguiera, while up against 16-1 odds, should be given a chance to showcase more of their skills in the largest MMA Organization in the world.
The 23 year old “African Assassin” from Cameroon trains in California with Team Quest alongside Dan Henderson, his mentor and the Pride heavyweight and light-heavyweight champion. It was only six years ago that the teenage Sokoudjou left his African homeland as a formidable Judo fighter with the country’s national team to train in the United States. At the age of 17, he won the U.S. Open Judo Championships open-weight class and took the bronze medal in the same class only two years later. With visa issues making it difficult to return to his homeland, Sokoudjou began his focus on Mixed Martial Arts in the United States in 2004 and became friends with his soon-to-be training partner with Team Quest, Dan Henderson. Sokoudjou went on to win his first two MMA fights only to fall to a 2-1 record during his loss to Glover Teixera during WEC 24. Sokoudjou didn’t take the loss easily and came back to beat Noguiera within 23 seconds and Arona in less than two minutes.
Sokoudjou was recently offered a contract to fight in the UFC, but the money wasn’t right and now his team says that a four-fight deal with EliteXC has been finalized although papers have yet to be signed. Dana White may have time to step in and throw some money around before he loses another talented fighter in his attempt to low-ball an ex-Pride fighter and set up the same fighters to continue fighting each other in the octagon.
If you are looking for an exciting bigger fighter to watch, keep your eyes open for Sokoudjou’s next fight, whether it be with EliteXC or UFC. Either way, it’s sure to be a great match.
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