Mauricio “Shogun” Rua could land a fight with the winner of Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson if he performs well on Saturday against Brandon Vera.
This undoubtedly has produced a collective groan by the UFC community of fans who want compelling matchups.
But these groans come with the assumption that Jones will get past Henderson. Yes, light heavyweight champ Jones has dismembered Vera and Shogun, among others.
Does that mean that Jones won’t get caught by the legendary chin-bulldozer that is Henderson’s fist? Absolutely not.
Rashad Evans, though faster than Henderson, has shown that Jones can get caught. Lyoto Machida also has shown that Jones can get caught, and all it takes is one punch from Henderson.
With all that said, the best possible match that can come out of this arms race for the next light heavyweight championship showdown is a rematch between Shogun Rua and Henderson.
Here’s why.