The upcoming UFC on FOX 4 fight card will be anchored by two light heavyweight battles. In the evening’s main event former UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will face Brandon Vera, while in the evening’s co-main event another former champion, Lyoto Machida, will meet Ryan Bader.
These four fighters all have one thing in common—they’ve all fought and lost to current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. And if things go well for Jones when he faces Dan Henderson at UFC 151, one of these four fighters may earn themselves a rematch. If Jones’ championship run ends on that September 1 fight card, one of the four could end up being Dan Henderson’s first challenger for the crown…or at least that’s what UFC president Dana White says is a possibility.
White, in an exchange with FOX Sports, said:
These fighters have a huge opportunity to show the world why they deserve to fight for the UFC title next. Winning isn’t enough at UFC on FOX. This division is so competitive these fighters have to look great to separate themselves from the pack. I’m expecting all of these guys to go all-out to prove why they should be next in line for a title shot.
While that statement is clearly not a promise, it does send a message to the four fighters: On August 4, all eyes will be on them, and the UFC does not expect a repeat of the UFC 149 main-card fiasco. In short, impress your boss and maybe you’ll earn a shot at the winner of the Jones vs. Henderson scrap.
The one difficulty the UFC faces, as I mentioned above, is that Jones has defeated all four light heavyweights competing at the top of the FOX card. With that in mind, the UFC may be hard-pressed to sell a rematch between Jones and any of the four fighters, especially considering that Jones was dominant in all four of those victories.
If Henderson defeats Jones, the promotion has a different scenario to ponder as Henderson has only faced Rua in the past, defeating him by unanimous decision at UFC 139 in a fight that many recognize as one of the best in UFC history.
The odd-man out in all of this talk seems to be Alexander Gustafsson. The 25-year-old Gustafsson is 14-1 in his career, with his last bout being a unanimous decision victory over Thiago Silva in April of this year. Many have been quick to compare Jones and Gustafsson, but according to Jones, the comparison is essentially lazy and off-base:
“I don’t think it is appropriate to be comparing us,” Jones said at the UFC 145 press conference. “The only thing we have similar is that we are both tall. Were different fighters, I kick fast, I’m good in the clinch and accurate and he has great boxing.”
It will be interesting to see how this and the UFC middleweight title play out over the next few weeks.
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