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UFC 162: Featherweight Showcase Will Clear Up Divisional Title Picture

2013 could very well be the breakout year for the UFC featherweight division.The 145-pound division has been building solid momentum over the past 18 months. Over this stretch, a handful of fighters have risen through the rankings, and in some cases, d…

2013 could very well be the breakout year for the UFC featherweight division.

The 145-pound division has been building solid momentum over the past 18 months. Over this stretch, a handful of fighters have risen through the rankings, and in some cases, dropped down a weight class to position themselves as potential contenders to featherweight king Jose Aldo’s divisional crown.

Earlier this month the UFC announced a July showdown between two of the top fighters in the weight class, as Ricardo Lamas and Chan Sung Jung will square off at UFC 162. On Thursday, the organization added two more high-profile featherweight tilts to the event, as surging contender Cub Swanson will face Dennis Siver, and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will look to regain his footing against Charles Oliveira.

While the lion’s share of the attention for UFC 162 will undoubtedly be locked on the main event where pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva will defend his title against Chris Weidman, the summer event will also serve to clear up the featherweight title picture and will likely produce the next contender for the 145-pound title.

With champion Jose Aldo set to mix it up with Anthony Pettis on Aug. 3 in Brazil, the next challenger for the divisional crown should be standing at the ready once the unofficial featherweight tournament at UFC 162 is in the books.

Ricardo Lamas vs. Chan Sung Jung

There is no 145-pound fighter with a bigger chip on their shoulder than Ricardo Lamas. “The Bully” has been a wrecking machine in the featherweight division as he’s collected an impressive four-fight win streak over a handful of the best fighters in the weight class and watched two different title opportunities go elsewhere.

After defeating Cub Swanson and Hatsu Hioki, the 30-year-old Chicago native began to campaign for a title shot, but that opportunity would be given to Duke Roufus-trained fighter Erik Koch. Unfortunately for “The New Breed,” injury would force him out of his championship bout with Aldo, and he was pushed to the sidelines for a lengthy recovery period.

When Koch returned to the Octagon in January, Lamas welcomed him back in brutal fashion by scoring a second-round TKO victory at UFC on Fox 6. In the aftermath of the victory, Lamas appeared to be the clear-cut choice for No. 1 contender status, but once again, those hopes were dashed when Anthony Pettis vacated his position as next in line for the lightweight title in order to drop down and face Jose Aldo.

Now with a bout against Chan Sung Jung official, Lamas will have the platform to prove once and for all he deserves to be the next contender for the featherweight title.

The same opportunity stands for Chan Sung Jung. When the 26-year-old steps back into the Octagon at UFC 162, it will bring a yearlong layoff to an end as “The Korean Zombie” has been out of action since defeating Dustin Poirier at UFC on Fuel TV 3 in May of 2012.

All things considered, the victory over “The Diamond” was Chan Sung Jung’s third consecutive victory, and had him positioned in the upper tier of the featherweight division. Despite being out for 13 months, if “TKZ” can find success against Lamas in Las Vegas, not only will the win re-ignite his momentum but could very well earn him the position of “next” in the 145-pound weight class.

Then again, the bout between Chad Mendes and Darren Elkins at UFC on Fox 7 could add a different wrinkle to this situation, and is certainly a fight to keep an eye on.

Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Siver

Outside of Ricardo Lamas, there is no other featherweight on a faster rise than Cub Swanson. The 29-year-old Southern Californian has racked up four consecutive victories over solid opposition, with three of those wins coming by way of stoppage.

The Jackson-Winkeljohn-trained fighter was originally slated to face Dennis Siver at UFC on Fuel TV 7 in London, England. After an injury forced the German striker out of the bout, Louisiana native Dustin Poirier stepped in. After a hectic three rounds, Swanson emerged victorious from the tilt, earning the unanimous decision.

With Lamas and “The Korean Zombie” both locked up, rescheduling the bout with Siver makes perfect sense for Swanson. If he can defeat Siver in impressive fashion at UFC 162, it will put the Palm Springs, Fla., native in a unique position. Depending on the outcome of the bout between Lamas and Jung, Swanson could easily move up into title contention. Should Lamas lose and Swanson win at UFC 162, “Killer Cub” could very well make his case for a title shot.

On the other hand, if both Swanson and Lamas are victorious on the July card, the worst-case scenario would put the longest-tenured featherweight under the Zuffa banner one fight away from his long-awaited title opportunity.

There is plenty at stake on Siver‘s side of the table as well. While a victory over Swanson wouldn’t earn the 34-year-old a title shot, it would be his third straight win since dropping down into featherweight waters and would certainly boost his position in the divisional picture.

At the same time, a loss against Swanson would serve to push Siver to the back half of the top 10 rankings in the 145-pound weight class.

Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira

While “The Answer” didn’t necessarily get the high-profile bout he was looking for following his loss to Jose Aldo at UFC 156, the bout against Charles Oliveira still presents a solid opportunity. The former lightweight champion is currently on a three-fight backslide, and Edgar desperately needs to bring this trend to a halt if he hopes to remain relevant in the title picture at 145 pounds.

The Toms River, N.J. native has come up short on his last three bouts, all of which were title opportunities, and Edgar needs to establish himself in his new weight class. Facing a submission specialist like Oliveira is no easy task, but if Edgar is able to get a victory at UFC 162, it will validate his placement in the upper tier of the featherweight division.

After dropping down to 145 pounds, Oliveira picked up solid momentum by winning back-to-back showings in his new weight class. That momentum would be starched in his next showing as the 23-year-old suffered a knockout at the hands of Swanson at UFC 152, but “Do Bronx” has the perfect opportunity to bounce back against Edgar.

The former lightweight champion carries a huge name in the sport, and should Oliveira find a way to best Edgar in their bout, the victory would serve to catapult the Brazilian into a higher slot in the divisional hierarchy.

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Felice Herrig Looking to Prove She Is a Fighter Above All Else

As women’s mixed martial arts continues to carve out a larger place on the MMA landscape, more opportunities will arise for female fighters to make their name in the sport.For many involved in WMMA, the time in the spotlight is a long time coming, as m…

As women’s mixed martial arts continues to carve out a larger place on the MMA landscape, more opportunities will arise for female fighters to make their name in the sport.

For many involved in WMMA, the time in the spotlight is a long time coming, as many of the best women athletes in the sport have been competing on the fringes of high-profile events for years, with their work inside the cage overshadowed by their male counterparts.

While women grabbing their share of attention in a male dominated sport is a difficult task in its own right, a handful of female fighters have been able to gain footing on a few of MMA’s biggest stages. With the rise of the all-female Invicta FC promotion, the road up-and-coming fighters are going to travel will undoubtedly have less obstacles than what the women who pioneered the sport had to face.

Nevertheless, the fight inside the cage and the battle for visibility beyond, are challenges that remain for the savviest of competitors. And Felice Herrig is constantly looking to further her career in both aspects.

As the ever-present debate in WMMA regarding women fighters and their use of sex appeal to garner attention continues, Herrig‘s name will undoubtedly hit headlines across the mixed martial arts community, as it has for the past two years.

The Chicagoland-native is a popular target for the negative connotations that surround self-marketing for female fighters, but the sense that “any press is good press”, allows the 28-year-old to take things in stride.

Are her sponsor-endorsed photo shoots bordering on the risque side? You bet.

Do they grab fight fans’ attention? Absolutely.

But above all the things that come with her career fighting in a realm comprised of both sports and entertainment: the “Lil Bulldog” is eager to prove there is plenty of substance to go with her sex appeal.

“You want the attention to be on your fighting but the other things are good because they draw attention in that direction,” Herrig told Bleacher Report. “That has always been my main goal. I want to get people excited to watch me fight and it’s more important to be marketable. That is just the way it is. If you can get people interested in wanting to watch you fight because of how you market yourself or your looks, and it draws more people to the sport, then you’ve done a good job at what you are doing.

“A lot of great things are happening for women’s MMA across the board. It’s hard to talk about Invicta because it is not the fight promotion I’m currently under, but the fact that they are creating weight divisions is great. In the past, promotions were only concerned about getting certain names on their fight cards and weren’t necessarily concerned with matchups or what weight they took place at. I had plenty of fights take place at a catch weight because of it. Or I had a last-minute replacement step in where I had to go up weight.

“Now there is an entire pool of women fighters at my weight and Invicta is building up the divisions. You get to see who is fighting who and there won’t really be so many mismatches. Before there were so many mismatches and in some aspects, that hurt WMMA. You would see a girl the promotion was trying to build going against a girl who really doesn’t know how to fight. Now there are really great matchups and exciting fights people can really look forward to.

“In the past, a lot of girls never had the chance to be seen,” Herrig added. “Unless you were fighting at 145 or 135 on a platform like Strikeforce, there was no way to get your name out there. That is another reason why I’ve put so much focus on my marketability. I’ve been trying to get bigger opportunities, and fighting at 115-pounds, those opportunities were few and far between.

“When you are coming up and trying to build your name, fighting at 115-pounds and where there are no major promotions who will put you on T.V., the only thing you can do to push your name is work. You post your fights on YouTube and try to get as many hits on it as possible. You do these things over and over again, in an effort to reach a point where you are known and open the doors for bigger things to happen for you.”

The next opportunity Herrig will have to prove her talents inside the cage will come this Thursday night when she mixes it up with Heather Clark at Bellator 94. The Team Curran fighter is eager to let her fighting skills take the forefront and is looking to extend her three-fight win streak against an opponent who has taken to social media to kick up dust in her direction.

While Herrig has no problem with building the buzz leading up to the fight, she also believes Clark may not be ready to deal with what happens when the cage door closes.

“I honestly think [Clark] gives herself a little too much credit for being so awesome,” Herrig said. “I’m ranked fifth in my division where she isn’t ranked at all. I don’t like to underestimate an opponent but I really don’t see her posing too much of a threat all around. I’m not saying she is a chump. She has a right hand and she liked to throw it a lot, but I’m definitely more well-rounded than she is.

“Leading up to the fight she has been saying I’m trashy. Why am I trashy? Because I’m marketable and do photo shoots? They are in no way scandalous and I’m in typical sports attire for my sponsors. But then I go look and see that she did the same type of photo shoots but they didn’t get the same kind of attention mine get. So now I’m the trashy one? At the same time, she’s the one going around running her mouth, but that makes me trashy?

“I don’t understand how a photo shoot can put you in a trashy category, especially when it is still tasteful. None of my photo shoots are nude and they are all sponsor related. I wear a sports bra and booty shorts, and if you don’t have that marketability factor, sponsors don’t necessarily want to put their brand on you.

“I also think because of my looks and that I’m girly, people tend to overlook me as a fighter,” Herrig added. “That is who I am and it’s real. But people don’t see that mean side until they step inside the cage with me. That is when that other side comes out. That is when “The Lil Bulldog” comes out so to speak.”

As Herrig‘s career receives attention for things she does outside of the cage, what matter the most is her ability to show and prove when it matters the most. The next big challenge will come against Clark tomorrow night, and Herrig understands the urgency to keep the momentum rolling as WMMA continues to grab the spotlight.

At the same time, in the aftermath of Bellator 94, Herrig will continue to work towards the next big opportunity in her fighting career. The fight against Clark will come and go, and soon enough down the road, there will be another opponent for her to test her skills against. The time in between will be spent working tirelessly in the gym to improve her skill set, and doing the additional requirements necessary to support herself in the mean time.

“My fighting has never taken second place to what I do in marketing,” Herrig said. “People kind of draw their own pictures to what they think is happening with me. They say, ‘Maybe Felice should spend less time doing sexy photo shoots and more time training.’ Really? I train my ass off. I train non-stop and it doesn’t come second to me.

“But in order for me to financially live and train as much as I do, then I have to do the other things for my sponsors because that is how I get paid. I make ten times more money from sponsors than I do from fighting and it is all part of the job.

“People don’t understand that our job is not just to fight. We are entertainers as well. A fighter’s job is not just to train and then go out there and perform; our job is to entertain as well. I’ve grasped that concept and that is probably why I’m one of the few fighters who isn’t under a UFC contract, and making a lot of money to fight, that can live off of sponsorships alone.

“Fighting speaks volumes but the marketability definitely comes into play,” Herrig said. “Now I’m fighting with Bellator and getting that attention helped make promoters want to book me. I had to give promoters a reason to want to put me on their card on top of just being able to fight. You have to get your foot in the door and you have to get their attention to make them invest in you.”

Duane Finley is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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Uncharted Waters: Several Former UFC Champions in Unfamiliar Territory

Being able to call oneself a UFC champion is an opportunity few are able to realize. In most cases, it takes years competing against the world’s best fighters in one weight class before one is granted the chance to scrap it out for a title under t…

Being able to call oneself a UFC champion is an opportunity few are able to realize.

In most cases, it takes years competing against the world’s best fighters in one weight class before one is granted the chance to scrap it out for a title under the UFC banner. If said fighter has what it takes to ultimately become a UFC champion, there isn’t much time to revel in the glory of achievement, as the next great fighter is ready to step up in short order to take the strap.

While most divisions in the UFC have reached a point where they are more competitive than they have ever been, the reality is that we are in an era of dominant champions. Over the past two years, with the exception of interim titles being instated in two weight classes and both the women’s bantamweight crown and flyweight title being recently added, only two of the organization’s divisions have experienced the title changing hands.

In the case of the heavyweight crown, Cain Velasquez lost his title to Junior dos Santos in November 2011 before pummeling the Brazilian in December 2012 to regain the throne.

This situation helps bring light to a unique situation several of the UFC’s former champions currently find themselves in. While Rashad Evans, Frankie Edgar and Carlos Condit are still considered to be among the best fighters in their respective weight classes, or in Edgar’s case, multiple weight classes, each is experiencing a backslide in recent showings.

Evans and Condit have both come up short in back-to-back outings, and Edgar has dropped three consecutive contests. This is unfamiliar territory for a collection of the world’s best, as all three of these fighters have been staples in the title pictures of their respective weight classes.

Carlos Condit Down But Not Out

The picture becomes more complex when you look at the level of competition these fighters have been facing. Condit lost his bid to become the undisputed welterweight champion when he was defeated by Georges St-Pierre at UFC 154, then suffered a similar fate against surging contender Johny Hendricks in his next outing at UFC 158.

Dropping back-to-back unanimous decisions against two of the best 170-pound fighters in the world will likely do little damage to Condit’s standing in the divisional picture—especially when considering the manner in which he fought in those contests.

“The Natural Born Killer” proved during both showings in Montreal that he is undoubtedly one of the best welterweights in the promotion, and his next bout should come against another highly ranked fighter in his division.

Where the majority of fighters would fear the pink slip after losing two consecutive outings, Condit could realistically be two top-10 victories away from another title opportunity.

It is truly a unique departure from the UFC’s typical model of title contention, but then again, there is very little about Condit’s fighting style that falls into the standard categories.

Rashad Evans Needs a Big Turnaround

It has been over three years since Rashad Evans held a UFC title. Nevertheless, over this stretch, “Suga” has firmly held on to his ranking as one of the top light heavyweight fighters in the world. The former standout wrestler from Michigan State University knocked off a collection of top-ranked fighters on his way back to title contention, tallying wins over Thiago Silva, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Tito Ortiz and Phil Davis over this run.

Everything the 33-year-old accomplished after losing his title to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 was a build-up to his long-awaited showdown with former teammate-turned-nemesis Jon Jones. The organization’s two best light heavyweights squared off at UFC 145, with Jones earning a unanimous decision victory and handing Evans only the second loss of his professional career.

Following his defeat at the hands of the light heavyweight “phenom,” Evans took an extended time off before stepping back inside the Octagon. The former TUF winner returned to action at UFC 156 against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, in a bout many figured would mark the former champion’s return to the divisional title hunt.

In the weeks leading up to the fight against “Lil Nog,” UFC President Dana White upped the ante by announcing a potential middleweight clash between Evans and 185-pound king Anderson Silva should the Blackzilians fighter defeat Nogueira in Las Vegas.

Unfortunately for Evans, all the potential for immediate high-profile bouts in his next outing unraveled when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Nogueira at UFC 156. For the entirety of the three-round tilt, the typically explosive aspects of Evans’s style were nonexistent, and his lackluster performance resulted in his second consecutive defeat.

Whether the fire inside of Evans is gone remains to be seen, but it will be once again put to the test this summer when he faces Dan Henderson at UFC 161. While a victory over “Hendo” will undoubtedly launch Evans back into the light heavyweight title picture, a loss to the former two-division Pride champion would serve to threaten his relevance as a title contender for the foreseeable future.

To make matters worse, losing a third straight bout would also take away any momentum Evans could muster by dropping down into middleweight waters. While it is common practice for fighters to look for a career resurgence in a lighter weight class, losing three straight fights at 205 pounds then dropping down to middleweight would make it seem like Evans was submitting to the notion he could no longer compete at light heavyweight.

Several Questions Surrounding “The Answer”

Frankie Edgar held court as the lightweight champion for two years and displayed the heart and grit that legends are made of, carving out his place as the perpetual underdog with the UFC fanbase.

That being said, the past year-and-a-half hasn’t been kind to Edgar. The former champion lost back-to-back razor-thin decisions against Benson Henderson before dropping down to 145 pounds to challenge pound-for-pound great Jose Aldo for his featherweight title at UFC 156. Unfortunately for Edgar, his attempt at Aldo’s crown did not yield positive results, as the Toms River native found himself on the business end of a unanimous decision loss in Las Vegas.

Much like the situation surrounding Condit, it is difficult to strip Edgar of his label as one of the top fighters in his weight class due to the manner in which he has competed in his recent string of losses.

Both of his setbacks against Henderson were debatable, with portions of the MMA community believing Edgar should have gotten the nod in at least one of the fights. And while Edgar’s fight against Aldo wasn’t as close as his two bouts with “Smooth,” the former 155-pound champion fared much better than most, claiming two rounds against the featherweight phenom.

Despite those positives, the fact still remains that Edgar has lost three consecutive bouts, all coming in fights with a title on the line. This scenario makes it difficult to see Edgar as a potential title threat in any division he competes in, despite the fact that—like Condit—he could be two top-10 fights away from another shot at the strap.

Where three straight losses normally means a fighter is looking for employment in another organization, Edgar is one of the few who are exceptions to the rule. Granted, should Edgar drop a fourth straight in his next outing, then there is a good chance the conversation could take an ominous turn.

However, if Edgar is successful in his next outing, no matter if the bout takes place at lightweight or featherweight, a victory would put him right back into the title picture.

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The Good, Bad & Strange from WSOF 2

Much like the song Jeff Bridges’ character Bad Blake penned in the film Crazy Heart, the world of fight promoting is “No Place for the Weary Kind.”Over the past several years there have been plenty of promotions, both high and low profile, looking to e…

Much like the song Jeff Bridges’ character Bad Blake penned in the film Crazy Heart, the world of fight promoting is “No Place for the Weary Kind.”

Over the past several years there have been plenty of promotions, both high and low profile, looking to establish themselves in the sport of mixed martial arts. The majority of these upstarts saw a brief glimmer of hope before ultimately folding up their tents and moving on down the road, but there have been a few organizations which have managed to remain in a UFC-dominated universe.

The World Series of Fighting was looking to strengthen the momentum built off their inaugural showing this past weekend when they rolled out their sophomore effort live from Atlantic City. The Ray Sefo-lead promotion put together a solid card with a mixture of established veterans and fighters on the verge of breaking through into a larger realm of visibility. This was all to be topped off with notable main event matchup between former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and multi-divisional threat Anthony Johnson.

The WSOF had a fair amount of expectation surrounding their second showing, which for the most part they were able to deliver. But after an event filled with a handful of quality fights, plenty of bizarre behavior and a rough night in the commentary booth, there is plenty to talk about in the aftermath of WSOF 2.

The Good

The first major difference from the WSOF‘s debut event came in the lack of mismatches. In their debut showing the organization pitted established fighters with plenty of gas left in their tanks against opposition who had zero business being in the same cage. While K-1 monster Tyrone Spong could get away smashing Travis Bartlett because it was the 27-year-old’s MMA debut, the same could not be said for Anthony Johnson dismantling D.J. Linderman.

This time around, this lack of balance in the matchmaking was nowhere to be found. Every bout on the card made sense, and in some cases like Marlon Moraes versus Tyson Nam, the promotion was able to highlight two up-and-coming names on their roster.

By all means the WSOF put together a solid card and nearly every bout on the docket delivered. Save for David Branch vs. Paulo Filho, every scrap featured two fighters looking to carve our their place in the new promotion.

Veterans like Danillo Villefort, Waylon Lowe and Josh Burkman were able to show their fighting careers were far from over as they each picked up impressive victories on the night. But the spotlight wasn’t going to be ruled by the experienced fighters alone. In addition to the stunning head-kick knockout Moraes landed in the televised card, young buck Brenson Hansen hit a spectacular highlight-reel-worthy flying knee knockout in his bout against Tom Marcellino on the preliminary portion of the card.

All the action on the card did well to set up the heavyweight showdown between Arlovski and Johnson. While “The Pitbull” found himself on shaky ground near the end of the first round, the Jackson’s-Winkeljohn-trained fighter was able to re-establish his footing and battle through. In the end it wasn’t enough to tip the balance on the scorecards as Johnson earned the unanimous decision victory.

Despite fighting up a weight class from where he is most comfortable, Johnson put on a solid showing in Atlantic City. He was able to control the fight throughout using his striking to back Arlovski up and his wrestling to tie up the Belarusian against the cage.

No doubt Johnson appeared to be running out of steam as the fight carried on, but aside from UFC champion Cain Velasquez, there aren’t too many heavyweights who are known for having tremendous gas tanks. This is an issue which should be remedied for the most part when Johnson returns to light heavyweight, which the 29-year-old confirmed he would be returning to in his post-fight interview.

While Arlovski came out on the business end of the match with Johnson, there are still some positives to be taken in the loss. Following his stint competing in the Octagon, the Chicago-based fighter has been plagued by the reputation of having a weak chin. This label is due in large part to a stretch of Arlovski’s career where he lost four consecutive bouts, with three ending by way of brutal knockout.

The former UFC champion may not have erased that reputation entirely on Saturday night, but he did a lot to quiet such talk against the heavy-hitting Johnson. In fact, in the aftermath of the bout it was revealed Arlovski suffered a broken jaw and had several teeth knocked out during the opening frame, but still continued regardless of his condition.

That’s tough any way you cut it, ladies and gentleman.

The Bad

In the world of mixed martial arts, it has become commonplace to take shots at the commentary teams working high-profile events. Fans watching from home see the action from their own perspectives and when the man working the play-by-play calls things from a different angle, Twitter lights up with criticism.

Calling live-action mixed martial arts bouts is a tough gig by any stretch, but what took place on Saturday night at WSOF 2 was in a class of its own.

The voices calling the fights are a large aspect of the presentation and they are there to guide the viewers through the action over the course of the night. When the job is done right, the commentating team blends into the fight experience—remaining both present and anonymous at the same time.

In a case like what Todd Harris and MMA legend Bas Rutten displayed this weekend in Atlantic City, the missteps and uneasiness came front and center on multiple occasions. Harris’s delivery on the play-by-play was choppy from jump street and remained this way throughout the entire card. The former WEC commentator was off his game in a major way and it showed, with his biggest gaff of the night coming when he referred to WSOF‘s biggest free agent signing to date Jon Fitch as Aaron Fitch.

While this may seem like a minimal hiccup in the grander scheme of things, the WSOF is in the early and ever-important stage of establishing their brand. Fans tuning in need to buy into the hype of future events. When you mangle the name of a fighter they may recognize, the very reason you mentioned said fighter in the first place goes flying out the window.

That being said, the failed commentary wasn’t Harris’s cross to bear alone as Bas Rutten did his fair share of damage throughout the evening. “El Guapo’s” enthusiasm in the commentary booth has been a large factor in his career beyond the cage, but at WSOF 2, the typically amped Rutten appeared to handle the task at hand with nonchalance.

Where Rutten struggled the most came when handling post-fight interview duties. When talking to lightweight Justin Gaethje, who had just earned a victory over J.Z. Cavalcante by way of doctor stoppage, the former King of Pancrase asked Gaethje if he was going to fight Jon Fitch in his next outing. The response was a classic blend of confusion and awkwardness as Gaethje pointed to the fact that Fitch competes in a higher weight class and Rutten simply shrugged off the question as a mix up.

Was it a huge mistake? No. But was it a bad look? Absolutely.

It also needs to be understood that finding a rhythm as a commentary team takes a bit of time, and with this event only being the second outing for the team of Harris and Rutten, there are going to be some growing pains. Saturday night’s presentation certainly came with its fair share of awkward moments, and it is important for the promotion to recognize how large of a role this plays in the presentation.

The Strange

When the dust settled at WSOF 2, there were several aspects of the night’s events that swerved into curious waters, but Josh Burkman‘s post-fight interview was certainly the strangest.

“The People’s Warrior” had a solid showing in the promotion’s inaugural event when he defeated Gerald Harris via unanimous decision. On Saturday night, Burkman upped the ante when he served a blistering knockout to fellow UFC veteran Aaron Simpson in the first round of their welterweight tilt.

The victory over “The A-Train” made it four straight for Burkman, and seven of his last eight. His only setback over this stretch came against surging young talent Jordan Mein in 2011, but Burkman has put in solid work to regain momentum.

In the weeks leading up to the event, the WSOF signed Fitch and announced the winner of the matchup between Burkman and Simpson would face the AKA staple at their next event in June. With Burkman just minutes removed from crumbling Simpson against the cage, the table was perfectly for the “big sell” in his post-fight interview.

The promotion ushered Fitch into the cage and Rutten set about his business. But where the ideal situation to hype a summer showdown with the former wrestling standout from Purdue University was sitting at the ready, Burkman decided to take a different route.

For starters, there are no WSOF titles in any of their divisions. President Ray Sefo told the media during a fight week conference call that several events would pass before the organization would implement championship belts. But that didn’t stop Burkman from talking about his place in the title picture and where be believes Fitch should fall into place.

When Rutten asked Burkman if he was ready to fight Fitch in the summer, the Portland-based fighter said he believed Fitch needed to win a fight under the WSOF banner before earning the opportunity to face him. Not only is this a stretch because the lack of divisional structure, but you would be hard-pressed to find any ranking system in the MMA world where Burkman and Fitch are even remotely close to one another.

Despite being released by the UFC several weeks ago, Fitch is widely recognized as a top-10 caliber welterweight. While Burkman has found a bit of momentum over the past year, alluding to Fitch not being worthy of a matchup is a stretch.

If anything, one would figure Burkman would like to avenge his second-round submission loss to Fitch from 2006, but this didn’t appear to be the case in his post-fight ramblings, and was absolutely a missed opportunity where the promotion is concerned. Burkman had the perfect opportunity to light the hype fires for their clash at WSOF 3, but his post-fight posturing turned an ideal moment into a web of confusion.

While there were other elements of strange (Arlovski’s UFC glove, Canvas-gate and Paulo Filho) laced throughout the WSOF 2 experience, the move by Burkman topped them all.

This, of course, is my opinion. But that is what this platform is for, I suppose.

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3 Fights in April That Will Affect UFC Divisional Title Pictures

One of the most anticipated cards of the year took place last weekend at UFC 158 as Georges St-Pierre defended his welterweight title against Nick Diaz. The event came with all the high-profile buzz, hype and media attention fans have come to expect when GSP and Diaz are involved in a UFC event, and it brought the organization’s six best 170-pound fighters under the spotlight.

While UFC 158 has certainly been the high point of the month for the majority of fight fans, March has been somewhat light on the action UFC fans have come to expect. Over the past two years, Zuffa has made a habit of featuring multiple fights cards per month, and by those standards, March has been relatively quiet.

The sport’s biggest promotion will return to its typically hectic form in April, as a UFC event is set to take place every weekend throughout the month.

The action will kick off in Stockholm, Sweden for UFC on Fuel TV 9, then carry on to The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale the following weekend in Las Vegas before the organization makes its way to San Jose for UFC on Fox 7. The month’s final event will come at UFC 159 in Newark, N.J., where a light heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen will bring a hectic month full of flying leather to a close.

This stretch will feature two high-profile championship tilts, but there are several other matchups that will ultimately impact the title pictures in multiple divisions. While none of these dust-ups have been officially declared No. 1 contender bouts, it doesn’t change the fact that these fights carry title implications for the fighters involved.

Granted, there is always a gray area when discussing title shots in the UFC, but there are three fights in April that will undoubtedly affect the divisional hierarchies in the weight classes they take place in.

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Gegard Mousasi

The main event at UFC on Fuel TV 9 in Sweden features two of the light heavyweight division’s most promising fighters.

Gustafsson has been on a tear through the 205-pound rankings en route to an eventual showdown with champion Jon Jones, whereas Mousasi has built his reputation by dominating the opposition across multiple organizations outside the Octagon.

“The Mauler” has won six straight, with each consecutive outing coming against a higher level of competition. In his most recent showing, Gustafsson bested former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago. The victory over the MMA legend solidified the 26-year-old as one of the division’s best and put him within striking distance of a title shot.

At the post-fight press conference following UFC 157, Dana White recently declared Lyoto Machida as the next title challenger following his victory over Dan Henderson. But if Gustafsson can earn a victory over “The Dreamcatcher” in Sweden, his case for contention will be carved in stone.

With perennial contenders Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans both suffering setbacks in their most recent outings, the path to a title shot is wide open and has set the table for the Alliance MMA-trained fighter. On the other hand, if Gustafsson comes up short against Mousasi in Sweden, the title shot he’s been so actively pursuing will vanish from the table.

The situation is a bit different on Mousasi‘s side of the table. The 27-year-old has won 20 of his last 22 showings, with his only setbacks over this run coming in a loss to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal and a majority draw against former UFC veteran Keith Jardine under the Strikeforce banner. Aside from those two performances, “The Armenian Assassin” has been lights out, as he’s collected victories over top competition in multiple weight classes.

Competing outside of the UFC can make it difficult for a fighter to build his profile as a mixed martial artist, but wins over Hector Lombard, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Mark Hunt have served to keep Mousasi‘s name on the radar as a fighter to keep an eye on.

Now, with his highly anticipated Octagon debut rapidly approaching, Mousasi will finally have the opportunity to prove himself on the biggest stage in mixed martial arts. If he can defeat Gustafsson in their main event throwdown at UFC on Fuel TV 9, Mousasi will not only validate the hype, which has surrounded him for years, but also immediate solidify himself as one of the best 205-pound fighters under the UFC banner.

It is an interesting set of circumstances for Mousasi in his Octagon debut. A victory in Sweden would serve to elevate his status in the light heavyweight division and put him close to a title opportunity, but a loss would push him out of the conversation entirely.

The 27-year-old has a lot to prove in his first showing under the UFC banner. And with his first test coming against a surging contender in Gustafsson, the UFC brass will get a clear look at whether Mousasi is ready to be a staple in the light heavyweight upper tier or if he’s is still a prospect who needs time to adjust.

Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir

When the news became official that Strikeforce’s doors were finally closing and the rosters would be absorbed into the UFC, the name that received the lion’s share of attention was Daniel Cormier. The former Olympian and Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner has been a wrecking ball since making his professional debut three years ago, and his Octagon debut is highly anticipated.

That opportunity will come when the 34-year-old squares off with former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir in the co-main event at UFC on Fox 7 in San Jose. The expectations surrounding Cormier are high as his presence in the UFC heavyweight division is figured to make an immediate impact on the weight class.

With Mir one fight removed from a title bout against former champion Junior dos Santos, facing the Las Vegas native will be a solid gauge to show where Cormier stands in the divisional picture. “D.C.” already has impressive victories over top heavyweight fighters such as Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Josh Barnett, and if he is able to defeat Mir in San Jose, his status as one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world will be undeniable.

That being said, a victory over Mir will also present an interesting set of circumstances for Cormier. With his close friend and AKA teammate Cain Velasquez currently holding the heavyweight title, the Louisiana native has already laid out a course of action to avoid that potential problem.

Following his victory over Dion Staring at the final Strikeforce card in January, Cormier revealed his intentions to first defeat Mir in their heavyweight tilt, then drop down to the 205-pound weight class for a showdown with Jon Jones later in the year.

Therefore, a victory for Cormier in San Jose could have little impact on the heavyweight division but certainly serve to shake up the title picture at light heavyweight.

A bout with “Bones” would generate a fair share of buzz, and Cormier could potentially jump to the front of the line in the 205-pound weight class. On the other hand, a loss to Mir would derail Cormier‘s plans for 2013 and push him to the back half of the Top 10 rankings in the heavyweight division.

Since December of 2008, Mir has competed for the UFC heavyweight title on four occasions. The 33-year-old’s only successful bid in this stretch came when he defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the interim title at UFC 92. Unfortunately, Mir’s other attempts to reclaim gold weren’t as successful as he came out on the losing end of matchups with Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin and Junior dos Santos.

This scenario makes his upcoming bout against Cormier all the more important. For more than a decade, Mir has been one of the top heavyweight fighters in the UFC, and if he plans to keep that status intact, defeating Cormier will be crucial.

Aside from being the most feared submission artist in the history of the UFC heavyweight division, Mir is also considered to be a perennial contender. Over the past four years, Mir has never been more than two fights away from a title shot.

With Mir Having won three of his last four showings, a victory over Cormier next month at UFC on Fox 7 could position him within reach of another opportunity to compete for UFC gold, whereas a loss would push him the farthest he’s ever been from the championship realm.

Another interesting point of note is that Mir has never lost back-to-back outings over his 12-year career. In fact, following four of his five losses, Mir rebounded with a finish in his very next outing.

Michael Bisping vs. Alan Belcher

Where the previously mentioned bouts could potentially have an immediate impact on their respective title pictures, the upcoming clash between Bisping and Belcher will not fall into that category. Both men are coming off high-profile losses in their most recent showings and were pushed out of title contention in the process.

Therefore, what makes the showdown between “The Count” and “The Talent” at UFC 159 crucial in the divisional sense is that the loser of the tilt will most likely see his title hopes dashed for the foreseeable future.

The 34-year-old Brit was on the cusp of earning a shot at middleweight king Anderson Silva at the start of the year. The only obstacle standing between the TUF winner and his long-awaited opportunity to compete for a UFC title was former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort. The two fighters collided at UFC on FX 7 in Brazil, and unfortunately for Bisping, a head kick from “The Phenom” put his title ambitions on ice for the time being.

Looking to bounce back in the quickest possible fashion, Bisping agreed to face Belcher, a contender who had also been recently derailed. If Bisping can make good on his promise to defeat the Duke Roufus-trained fighter next month in New Jersey, it will keep him in a middleweight title picture that has only become more crowded over the past three months.

With several high-profile 185-pound fighters like Luke Rockhold, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Tim Kennedy coming over from Strikeforce, Bisping desperately needs a victory over Belcher in order to keep his standing in the middleweight division. Should he come up short in Newark, the road to an eventual title shot would certainly come with an increased amount of obstacles.

Granted, a future title shot is not entirely out of the question, but Bisping would have to put together a solid run to regain his position as a contender in waiting.

Coming into his rematch with Yushin Okami at UFC 155, Belcher was riding a wave of momentum and a four-fight win streak. Over this run, the 28-year-old had generated a solid amount of buzz, and a victory over “Thunder” would have made him a solid option to contest for Anderson Silva’s title.

Unfortunately, the second go at Okami wound up being much like their first meeting, and the Japanese fighter’s wrestling proved to be too much for Belcher to overcome.

While the loss knocked Belcher to the back of the division, the matchup with Bisping presents an opportunity to catapult him right back to the top. While a victory over the brash Brit will not earn Belcher an immediate title shot, it will keep him in the pack of surging contenders looking for a title shot. On the flip side of the coin, a loss to Bisping at UFC 159 would reshuffle the Biloxi-based fighter to the back of the deck in the increasingly competitive 185-pound weight class.

While there has certainly been plenty of trash talk and back-and-forth between the two fighters, both share the same goal of getting back into the title picture in the middleweight division, and the pre-fight hype will end when the cage door closes at UFC 159. There may not be a title on the line when they enter the Octagon, but the reality of the circumstances at hand will create a sense of urgency for both men on April 27.

The winner will see his title hopes rekindled, while the loser will move to the back of the pack in the middleweight division.

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Benavidez Willing to Take the Long Road to Another Shot at the Flyweight Title

On the heels of his victory over Ian McCall at UFC 156, Joseph Benavidez could have easily made the case to get a rematch with flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. But rather than step back into the Octagon with “Mighty Mouse” in quick fashion, the T…

Make no mistake about it: UFC gold is the ultimate goal for Benavidez. But having learned from past experiences, the Las Cruces native understands that rushing into opportunities may not always be the best course of action.

It wasn’t all that long ago when Benavidez was ranked as one of the top bantamweight fighters in the world. While competing under the now-defunct WEC banner, the 28-year-old had battled his way to the top of the ladder in the 135-pound weight class. But after coming out on the losing end of a No. 1 contender’s bout with Dominick Cruz and then being edged out in a split-decision loss when he contested “The Dominator’s” title a year later, Benavidez suddenly found himself in a strange position.

Despite Benavidez being one of the top 135-pound fighters under the Zuffa banner, having two losses to the current champion put him in a limbo of sorts. Even after racking up three consecutive victories over solid competition in Wagnney Fabiano, Ian Loveland and Eddie Wineland, Benavidez was nowhere to be found on the title radar.

Ultimately, his fortunes would change when the UFC made the decision late in 2011 to implement a flyweight division in the coming year. The new weight class gave the once undersized Benavidez the chance to compete at a weight better suited for his frame and a chance for the Sacramento-based fighter to re-ignite his dream of becoming a UFC champion.

Unfortunately, Benavidez would fall short of his goal of becoming the organization’s first flyweight titleholder, but he believes the setback is temporary. While Johnson may have earned the nod in their first encounter at UFC 152, Benavidez is confident the 125-pound title will one day be his.

That being said, where his ambition once drove him to jump back into a title shot impulsively, this time around, Benavidez is willing to take a few extra steps to ensure the next time he competes for the UFC title, he will be able to take full advantage of the opportunity.

The first of which will come against Darren Uyenoyama at UFC on Fox 7, and Benavidez is excited to get back to work in quick fashion.

“I was just being practical with my decision-making and looking at what was best for me,” Benavidez told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. “I feel I’m getting better with every fight, and the more fights I can get in before stepping in for another title shot is all the better for me. I have no doubt I’ll get there again, but I kind of learned from the situation I was in at 135 pounds.

“I fought Dominick Cruz and lost, then he became champion. I only fought two times in between my rematch with Cruz. Yeah, they were two great performances where I was aggressive, but I didn’t have a ton of time in between, and I took another fight against Cruz for the title. And I was in limbo after that. I could have certainly gotten better during that time. But I jumped back into it.

“Now the situation with D.J., it would have been a five- or six month turnaround between fights. I just want to get better, and I think it’s great for the 125-pound division to develop a little more. It’s great and I’m honored that I probably could have gotten another title shot. That’s awesome but I wanted more time.

“It’s good for the division that they matched D.J. up with John Moraga because that’s another name people are going to be forced to know,” Benavidez added. “Plus, it allows me to go out there and fight someone else. I feel it can only help the division to get these other names out there. Like I said, I believe I’m going to fight for the title again, but I wanted to get better.

“It was too quick of a turnaround. If they would have made me do it, of course, I would have done everything in my power to go out there and get the job done. But I thought the smarter thing to do would be to take a little more time, improve my skills and let everything play itself out.”

The matchup with Uyenoyama will come 10 weeks after Benavidez’s most recent showing against Ian McCall at UFC 156 on Super Bowl weekend. While it is undoubtedly a quick turnaround, Benavidez believes he is making up for time he has lost over the past two years.

“I’m just trying to be active,” Benavidez said. “I’m still getting real comfortable in the flyweight division. I’ve gone five rounds with Mighty Mouse, which helped in the last fight with [Ian] McCall. But the more time I can get in the cage, the better. I feel I improve with every fight. The more fights I can get before I get another shot at the title is great.

“In both of the last two years, I only got to fight twice in each year. I like to fight at least three times a year and four would be great. I’m just trying to make up for that. I had a big break in between my fight with [Yasuhiro] Urushitani and my title fight against Johnson, and an even bigger break between my last bantamweight fight and waiting for the flyweight tournament to start.

“I train every day anyway, and I’m going to be fighting in the gym against animals like Urijah Faber, T.J. Dillashaw, Chad Mendes, Danny Castillo and Lance Palmer. I’m going to be training hard against those guys so why not beat somebody up and get paid for it?”

With the flyweight division entering its second year under the UFC banner, fans are still adjusting to the new faces in the weight class. Whereas veterans like Benavidez, Johnson, and McCall have established names in the fight game, a new batch of future contenders are looking to establish themselves with the organization’s fanbase.

While Uyenoyama may not have the biggest name in the division, Benavidez is fully aware of the dangers his opponent presents. He is expecting the 33-year-old California native to come out aggressive, and he can’t wait to mix it up with the former Strikeforce veteran.

“Darren is someone I’ve been looking at for a while,” Benavidez said. “I knew once he dropped down to 125 pounds it wouldn’t be long before he was a contender. All it was going to take was a big fight against a guy with a name and it just so happens that guy is me. I think it is going to be an awesome fight.

“He has a good win over Kid Yamamoto and got a finish in his first fight at flyweight and looked good doing it. He’s mainly a jiu-jitsu guy, but I think the thing that separates him from most jiu-jitsu guys is that he can also wrestle. He also has some great striking and is super aggressive. He’s going to go out there and try to bring it. This is a big opportunity for him, but I’m looking at it as a big opportunity for me as well. I’m going out there to make a statement and I’m just going to keep going. I’m having fun with these fights.

“One thing I’ve realized, especially since the title fight, is that it’s not life or death out there,” Benavidez added. “This is just what I do and I need to go out there and have fun. I kind of thought like that up to every fight in my career and treated it like it was just another day. But with the title fight, I treated it like it was life or death and didn’t go out there and perform as good as I could have. I needed to go back to my old way of thinking and I’ve done that. I’m having fun and realizing I can’t control the result. I need to go out there and have a great time. With Darren, I have a great opponent to do that against and I’m going to go out there to have fun.

“Whether it is for the title or not, a fight is always important. If I can’t beat one of the lesser known guys, then I don’t deserve to be fighting for the flyweight title. This is just going to make me better for the next time I get there and I have every intention to get there again.”

The bout with Uyenoyama will mark the fourth appearance for Benavidez at 125 pounds, and it is a process the former bantamweight contender is still getting used to. After competing for the majority of his career in the 135-pound weight class, Benavidez is beginning to see the advantages of competing against opponents who are closer to his size.

In addition to the physical differences, Benavidez is seeing his skill set reach its full potential in his new weight class. Where he once had to make adjustments to compete with larger opponents, at 125 pounds Benavidez can utilize his versatile arsenal to the fullest extent.

“Everything is going good as far as the physical things, but it is really just a luxury to fight guys my own size and not having to compromise my style because of the size difference,” Benavidez said. “I’m a pretty powerful guy, but just because I can hit hard, at 135 pounds I didn’t necessarily want to stand in front of a guy like Eddie Wineland and trade punches.

“A lot of the bigger guys I fought I had to compromise my style and get in and out as quickly as possible. I need to be putting pressure on people and getting on top of my opponents. It was a lot harder for me to take people down at 135 pounds and probably easier for them to take me down. But fighting at flyweight, I don’t have to compromise my fighting style to make up for size.

“I can use my speed, power, striking and technique to its fullest advantage because I’m going against guys my size. When I was fighting bigger guys, all those skills I work at on an everyday basis could never reach their full potential because I couldn’t use them the way I wanted to. Now I can fight the way I need to fight and I love it.”

Benavidez’s dreams of becoming a UFC champion remain as highly charged as they’ve ever been. The biggest difference this time around is his ability to allow his ambition to yield to the process needed to carry it out. The ultimate goal is to replace the framed picture of a UFC championship belt on his mantel with the official 12 pounds of gold that comes with being the best fighter in his division.

While Benavidez has chosen to take the longer road back to a title opportunity, he believes the hard work he puts in along the way will only make him that much more prepared when the moment to compete for the flyweight strap arrives.

Until then, he will continue to put on exciting fights and showcase the high-paced action that has become a trademark of the flyweight division.

“I’m going to take chances and bringing high activity,” Benavidez said. “I’m always going out there to finish someone. Whether it’s throwing a home run punch or jumping to my back to lock up a guillotine; I’m going to go for the finish. I am always going to bring excitement and people can count on me going 100 percent every time I step into that cage.

“I have an awesome opponent in Darren and it’s going to be great to fight in California again. I have teammates on the card and it’s an inspiration being able to fight with some of the guys who are on the card. Ben Henderson and Gilbert Melendez are two of my favorite fighters to watch, and every time I fight on a card with guys like that it is inspiring. I get to see how good those guys are and they set the bar. You get to see what is possible and what the best fighters in the world look like.

“It inspires me to go out there and want to be put in the same category as they are in. People can expect to see another exciting fight from me because I go out there and put my balls on the line every time. It’s going to be a good fight.”

Duane Finley is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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