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Each week, ESPN.com writer Brett Okamoto provides his take on the hottest topics in the world of mixed martial arts.This week, Okamoto squares off with UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta to debate the latest news and talk about the UFC belts changing hands, Nick Diazs return and more. Iaquinta (12-3-1), 29, hasnt fought since a split-decision victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC Fight Night 63 in April 2015 in Fairfax, Virginia.1. Seven UFC champions have lost their title in 2016. Why?Iaquinta: The level of fighting is getting so competitive now. One little mistake, thats all it takes to lose. As time goes on, people get better and better. Technology and training is improving. I think its going to be harder for these champions to hold on to their titles and have those long reigns they did years ago.Okamoto: Because divisions are deep and the sport is evolving. I agree with Al all the way. Were not watching striker vs. grappler anymore. Were not seeing one athlete who knows how to cut weight against one who doesnt cut at all. Everything is a science. There are a lot of ways to lose. One style doesnt beat every other style around it. It used to. Anderson Silva set a record 12 consecutive title defenses with takedown defense, pinpoint counter-striking and debilitating mind games. That worked for years. Then he ran into Chris Weidman,?a composed, athletic middleweight with a collegiate wrestling background and a good pressure offense, and Silva went down in consecutive matches. Current UFC champs are facing well-rounded, elite competition on a nightly basis. Its hard to win every time when thats the case.2. In these dangerous times for a champ, who is the safest to maintain his or her belt? Who is the most at risk?Iaquinta:?[Flyweight]?Demetrious Johnson is definitely the safest. Hes had the belt for so long. That 125-pound division hasnt caught up yet. Hes so far ahead. Eventually, there might be a younger guy we might not have even heard of yet, comes out of nowhere and beats him, but not right now. And you know what? [Heavyweight]?Stipe Miocic, actually. Hes still improving. Hes been around, but hes still getting better. I know thats one of the hardest divisions to hold on to a title, because at heavyweight, you get hit with one shot, thats it. But I think hes going to have [Alistair] Overeems number [at UFC 203 on Sept. 10]. I think hell hold on to it. Who is most at risk? I think Conor McGregor is going to have a very tough time going back to 145 pounds. Im going to say either he tries to defend it and loses or decides not to go down. I think its more likely he just vacates the belt.Okamoto: Safest: strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Frankly, Jedrzejczyk could have an off night and still beat most of the contenders shes apt to see in that division. Something very, very wild would have to take place for her to lose the belt at this point. Nearly as safe: Demetrious Johnson. Everyone else, as far as Im concerned, is pretty vulnerable. Most at risk? Hard to say when we dont know who some of these champions are fighting next, but in general, I dont expect long title reigns out of lightweight Eddie Alvarez, welterweight Tyron Woodley?or?middleweight Michael Bisping. Those divisions are loaded. Expect those belts to bounce around.3. Who should newly crowned UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodleys first title defense be against?Iaquinta: Its gotta be Wonderboy (Stephen Thompson). I went into the fight this weekend pretty much watching to see who was going to fight Wonderboy next. Recently, nobody has been able to touch him. Hes putting people away, making them look like amateurs. So, I think thats the fight thats got to happen. Wonderboy is the No. 1 contender and he might have been more deserving of a title shot than even Woodley was.Okamoto: One-hundred percent, Thompson. I actually have Thompson ranked No. 1 in the welterweight division, ahead of Woodley. Thats no knock on Woodley, and its very, very close, but in my opinion, Thompson deserves the No. 1 rank based on their respective resumes. Since January 2015, Thompson is 3-0 with two finishes, and two of his wins were against Johny Hendricks?by knockout and Rory MacDonald?in a five-round decision. Woodley is 2-0, with a split decision against Kelvin Gastelum and then the knockout over Lawler. Like I said, were splitting hairs, but I have Thompson as my No. 1 welterweight. He deserves the shot, clearly.4. Nick Diaz is a free man. His 18-month suspension ended on Aug. 1. Whom should he return against?Iaquinta: I would love to see Nick Diaz have a rematch against Robbie Lawler. I remember watching that fight years ago (April 2004). Nick Diaz kind of came out of nowhere, Lawler was getting the hype. That was, what, 10 years ago probably? Twelve? Both of these guys are still at the top of the game. Neither of them are ever in a boring fight. The lead-up to that fight would be fun. I think its a great matchup. I could see it going the same way as the first one, but Lawler has matured a lot. I think he went real crazy on Diaz the first time and kind of walked into a punch. It might be more of a technical fight on Robbies end. As far as who wins, I dont know. Its just a fight Id love to see. Im a fan of both guys.Okamoto: Theres no question at all, its Robbie Lawler. This rematch has been 12 years in the making. Its been talked about as if its some mythical creature, like something we all caught a brief glimpse of and have quietly searched and longed for ever since. Diaz told me hes not interested in the fight, because Lawler is coming off a loss. I love the attitude. That mentality right there -- call it delusion if you want, maybe theres some truth in that -- but thats what makes the Diaz brothers so popular. Everybody needs me more than I need them. Its great. In reality, of course, it doesnt hold up. Diaz hasnt won a fight since 2011. If anything, its Lawler who should be asking for a higher-ranked opponent. Hopefully, when the dust settles, this is the matchup Diaz returns to.5. Were eight months into 2016. Who is the current front-runner for fighter of the year?Iaquinta: Wonderboys gotta be up there, right? I think hes gotta be the guy. Tyron Woodleys only fight was the win against Robbie. Im trying to think of who else -- nothing. Ive gotta go with Wonderboy.Okamoto: Michael Bisping, by a landslide. Very, very good chance its Bisping when we hit Dec. 31, too. Were possibly looking at a year in which a 37-year-old Bisping will have defeated Anderson Silva in a five-round fight in February, knocked out Luke Rockhold in the first round of a middleweight championship fight in June, and defended the title once against Dan Henderson in front of his hometown of Manchester in October. Well see about that last one, obviously. Im not taking anything for granted in this sport, not with the way 2016 has gone. But what a chapter this has been in Bispings career.Cheap Air Max 95 Free Shipping . -- Eastern Kentucky thrives off creating havoc for others. Air Max Plus Tn Fake .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-lebron-james-shoes.html . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. Air Max 1 Wholesale . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. Buy Air Max 270 Black . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville.It took a six-game winning streak, but Washington State finally cracked the Top 25.The Cougars, who rallied to win 35-31 at Oregon State last week, have won six in a row for the first time since the 2003 season and remain tied with unbeaten and fourth-ranked Washington atop the Pac-12 North.No. 25 Washington State (6-2, 5-0) will look to keep its momentum going Saturday with a game against reeling Arizona (2-6, 0-5) in Pullman, Wash., starting at 4 p.m. ET. The Wildcats have lost five in a row for the first time since 2011.I think there are always some ups and downs, Washington State coach Mike Leach said of his teams performance. I think under the best of circumstances, anybody in the Pac-12 is very tough to play against. Were definitely searching for consistency.Weve played way over our heads, and there are times when we definitely could have played better. Last week, we definitely could have played better in the first half.The Cougars trailed the Beavers 24-6 at halftime before winning, and they were taken to the limit in their two previous games -- against UCLA (27-21 win) and ASU (37-32).Leach says he likes the resiliency of his team, which, as usual is dangerous offensively. WSU averages 39.8 points per game and is third nationally with 372.6 passing yards per game. Junior quarterback Luke Falk ranks second with 365.8 passing yards per game.He denied a report Monday that he would enter the NFL Draft after the season.I dont know where the sources are coming from at all. I havent said anything, Falk said.If I had to make a decision right now, Im definitely staying. This has nothing to do with our season. This is just noise. ... Its kind of frustrating that someone said (you said) something you didnt say. I really dont like dishonest people.Falk threw for 415 yards against Oregon State last week, his 10th career 400-yard game, and increased his career passing yards to 9,351, third-most in school history. Falk threw five touchdown passes, passing Jason Gesser for third in school history with 75 career touchdown passes.Senior wide receiver Gabe Marks became Washington States career leader with 33 touchdown receptions, the second-best mark in Pac-12 history. Markks and fellow senior receiver River Cracraft are the only teammates in league history to each have 200-plus catches at the same time.ddddddddddddArizona, uncharacteristically, is looking for offense under coach Rich Rodriguez.Quarterback health and rustiness have been issues in the past two games -- combined with a lack of a running game -- so the Wildcats have completed only 16 of 46 passes in that stretch.Last week, quarterback Brandon Dawkins was coming back from a one-game absence from a concussion. He has missed parts of two games because of a rib injury before that. Erstwhile starter Anu Solomon did not look sharp Saturday, appearing briefly in two series and wearing a brace on his left knee after missing six games.There are some things in the passing game that looked like we were a little rusty; it looked like the quarterbacks missed some time in practice, which they had, Rodriguez said. We can play better overall at that position and I think we will going forward.The receiving corps doesnt have anyone who demands double-coverage, and attrition at running back has meant that Rodriguez has twice had to start converted receivers at running back in recent weeks. The latest was senior Samajie Grant, who rushed 19 times for 64 yards in a 34-10 loss to Stanford on Saturday night.Those numbers would have looked better if he hadnt reversed field on a run and took a 24-yard loss.We thought he played well, because he is a competitive guy and a good football player, but he was still learning the position, Rodriguez said. As the game went along, Samajie got a little more comfortable with it.Rodriguez said Grant will stay at running back. Dawkins and Solomon were listed as co-starters on this weeks depth chart.Arizona is 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring (24.1 points per game) and figures to have a tough day if its running backs cant get going against the leagues top rush defense. Washington State allows 113.9 rushing yards per game.The Cougars won last years meeting in Tucson, 45-42, but the Wildcats have won four consecutive games in Pullman. ' ' '