While champion Johny Hendricks rehabs his bicep, the rest of the welterweight division jostles for the next shot at his crown.
The title picture should come into focus after UFC 174 in Vancouver on June 14. MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani reported on Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight on FOX Sports 1 that while not quite official, it’s highly likely Rory MacDonald and Tyron Woodley will square off in a key divisional showdown.
MacDonald (16-2), a British Columbia native who now trains at Montreal’s Tri Star Gym, has long been considered a potential title challenger at 170 pounds. While his hype was derailed after a loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 167, MacDonald bounced back with an outstanding performance in a victory over Demian Maia at UFC 170.
Woodley (13-2), meanwhile, has been placing his stamp on the division. The American Top Team affiliated fighter from St. Louis has won three of his past four, with finished of Josh Koscheck and Carlos Condit in his last two fights.
MacDonald-Woodley, along with the UFC 173 fight between Lawler and Jake Ellenberger, should go a long way toward determining the next challenger for Hendricks, who defeated Lawler at UFC 171 to win the vacate title.
Another bout expected for Vancouver is a light heavyweight showdown between Ryan Bader and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. Bader (16-4), the Ultimate Fighter 10 champ, has won two of his past three bouts; Cavalcante (12-4, 1 NC) was last seen in November, when he defeated Igor Pokrajac via first-round submission.