davidkhanz05: The Zuffa Family’s Fighters

This should probably begin with a forewarning, I am in no way accusing Zuffa of nepotism by writing this article. Everyone knows, however, a UFC contract alone does not make you part of the Zuffa family. The nucleus of the “family” is made up of the familiar faces of UFC President Dana White, CEO/Owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby, and to a lesser extent the known voices of the company Bruce Buffer, Joe Rogan, and Mike Goldberg.

There is, however, a list of fighters who have proven to be the promotion’s company men. This is a list of a few men who are consistently at the UFC’s beck and call for any situation, be it short-notice fights, media tours, or any of the other nuances that come with being a part of the world’s largest MMA entity. For the sake of fairness, current champions are excluded from the list.

Considering the fact that two men on this list just anchored UFC 147, now is an appropriate time to look at the peripheral members of the Zuffa family.

The Retirees

Chuck Liddell: Although retired, Chuck serves as the most prominent example of what it means to be “Dana’s boy.” Liddell, the former long-time light heavyweight king, ran roughshod through the division for years. There has not been, and will likely never be another man who did more for the promotion inside the cage. For his services, coupled with his background in business studies, Liddell was given a position as the Vice President of Business Development.

Kenny Florian: With Florian recently hanging it up, it came as no surprise that the lightweight, who stepped up in every capacity that he was needed, was given a position with the UFC. Ken Flo, who has long flexed his analyst chops in the booth, is now a permanent fixture for the promotion’s FX and Fuel TV offerings, as well as a panelist on their very own news show, UFC Tonight.

The TUF Bunch

Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar: These two are eternally linked by what many consider to be the most important fight in the history of the UFC. Their instant classic at the first Ultimate Fighter Finale catapulted the UFC into the mainstream. Dana White has admitted that they will always have a place in the UFC in some capacity. In a UFC 100 video blog, Stephan Bonnar stood against a wall, dejected, after having just dropped his fourth fight in a run of six. The president came up and patted him on the shoulder, congratulating him on a good fight, saying “You and Forrest are like my kids, you’ll always be with the UFC.” Both men have been given broadcasting roles outside of their fighting careers, to some degree, be it the occasional segment on UFC Tonight, or a slot on the broadcast team for shows on Fox’s various platforms in Bonnar’s case.

Josh Koscheck: While oft considered the most hated fighter today, it’s all marketing for Josh Koscheck. He’s comfortable playing that pro wrestling-esque heel role, and he’s damn good at it. Despite this, the NCAA wrestler is always willing to step up and take any challenge on short notice. Often controversial, Koscheck is extremely well spoken when he needs to be and is absolutely one of the premier hype men in the sport today. He has more than proven his loyalty to the promotion and will likely be blessed with some sort of position in the company once he calls it quits, likely in a similar capacity as Florian. The man was born for the spotlight and will hopefully be in front of the cameras when that day does come.

The Legacy Players

Rich Franklin: Yet another man who will do anything for the UFC, Rich Franklin most recently helped the company out by stepping in to face Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147. The long tenured Franklin is the promotion’s former middleweight champion, and has shown that he will compete anywhere and step up whenever the UFC calls. Prior to his rematch with “The Axe Murderer,” Franklin had once again stepped in on short notice to face Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 after Tito Ortiz was pulled from the bout with an injury. Franklin not only took the fight, but took over Ortiz’s coaching position on that season’s TUF. The fan-friendly “Ace” will surely be with the UFC in some capacity when the story of his career come to a close, likely in broadcasting.

Wanderlei Silva: Showing up as a bit of a surprise on this list is “The Axe Murderer”. While Silva spent the majority the of his career in PRIDE, the only promotion to truly rival the UFC in popularity, he has become one of the UFC’s most beloved fighters. In an interview with Karyn Bryant, that took place after Silva’s loss to Franklin on Fuel TV this weekend, the UFC President assured that “since he (Silva) came into the UFC, he’s acted like he’s been in the UFC his whole career. He’s been more than awesome and Wanderlei’s going to be with us for a long time whether he’s fighting or not.” A coach on the inaugural season of TUF: Brazil, Wand, who moved to the states in 2007 stayed in his home country after the six weeks of filming were up to do further promotion for the brand. Meanwhile, in his off-time Silva has been involved in several stateside promotional tours as well, truly the epitome of a company man.

Frank Mir: The former UFC Heavyweight Champion, who nearly had his career cut short, certainly has one of the most inspiring stories in the sport’s history. It comes of no surprise that Mir has shown his appreciation for the UFC never giving up on him and then some with all he’s done outside of the cage. Mir, whose UFC 100 main event with Brock Lesnar remains the highest selling event in the history of the promotion, is always willing to step-in and when needed. Whether it’s a short-notice fight, play-by-play analysis for the WEC, or being a panelist on the various shows for the Fox network, Mir is there for the company in any capacity he’s needed.

Up-and-Comers

Chael Sonnen: The man from the mean streets of West Linn, Oregon has proven to be a commodity for the UFC, both in and out of the cage. Sonnen’s bombastic personality has become a marketing juggernaut for the promotion. Chael P. is one of the most in-demand fighters for interviews, Q-and-A sessions, and media tours today; a call to which he has happily answered by obliging the UFC’s and every one of their whims. On top of all the aforementioned media responsibilities, the best promo man in the business has also served as a panelist on a variety of the UFC’s pre-fight shows and has been given his own segment on UFC Tonight, “Chael’s Corner.” While Sonnen’s role in the media been slightly turned down recently, ahead of headlining the marquee fight of the summer in his rematch with Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Champion, it’s a safe bet that he’ll be back in the spotlight regardless of the outcome.

Rashad Evans, Mark Munoz, and Brian Stann: These three men share this slot as they have all been given the role of analysts for nearly all UFC pre-show coverage. All three possess favorable personalities, and a work ethic that is nearly unrivaled both in and out of the cage. They have all proven to be more than competent in their newfound broadcasting roles. It is likely that we will be seeing more of them in this capacity, especially when their plates are not full with upcoming fights. Given the shear volume of UFC programming that fans are treated to these days, this level of insight and personality is a welcome addition to any show the company produces in the future.