Author: Elton Hobson

UFC on FOX: How Saturday Night Captured Both MMA and Boxing PERFECTLY

This past Saturday night was perhaps the biggest night for combat sports all year. If you consider yourself any kind of fight fan, chances are you were in front of a TV that night.So of course, I missed all of it. Live, anyways.See, I was covering Bell…

This past Saturday night was perhaps the biggest night for combat sports all year. If you consider yourself any kind of fight fan, chances are you were in front of a TV that night.

So of course, I missed all of it. Live, anyways.

See, I was covering Bellator 57 at Casino Rama, so the only screen I was in front of was my laptop screen, doing live play by play. That’s why I missed the big game. On the other hand, I was there to see some drunk heckler cost Ben Saunders the welterweight tournament final. (I don’t care what the official line is. I was there damn it!)

I watched both shows later on that night, staying up ’till the wee hours of the morning to get my full fix of fightin’. And as I finished, in my 3 a.m. haze, coming down from a four-beer buzz, a singular thought occurred to me.

Both shows—the UFC on FOX, and Pacquiao vs. Marquez III—were PERFECT analogies for their respective sports.

Let’s get something out of the way before we go any further: when I heard the “Monday Night Football” theme during a UFC broadcast, I just about sh*t my pants. MMA had arrived, baby! And no matter how much ink is being spilled (and will be spilled) about this event, I think it was a tremendous success overall, even with the shock (or is that disappointment?) of the main event.

I think it was a fitting “first taste” of what MMA really is, warts and all. We get tons of hype, tons of build, the crowd is amped, the cameras are rolling, the infinitely vast television audience of network TV is watching…and the much ballyhooed heavyweight title fight is over in the time it takes you to read this paragraph.

That’s why MMA is “As Real As It Gets.” Two gigantic, well-rounded athletes meet in a contest where any martial arts style is allowed, and a minute later one errant blow to the temple has decided the world’s heavyweight championship. Fairly, sportingly and without controversy. That’s MMA for you folks. I hope you didn’t blink.

It even ended with—as every UFC night at the bar ends—the obligatory angry bald guy, who feels they could have come up with a better game plan than the two guys competing for the heavyweight title with one combined loss between them going into the fight.

Now over to boxing, where Pac-man and Marquez picked up right where they left off on Saturday and tore the MGM Grand to the ground. Over the course of 12 very exciting, closely contested rounds, we got a fitting “third installment” to the trilogy—like Return of the Jedi would have been without the bear things.

When it was over, the vast majority of those watching felt that Marquez had edged Pacquiao on the judges cards by a comfortable margin.

So of course, the decision comes back for Manny! BOOOOOOOOOOOO!

And it’s not like I don’t get their point, particularly after the judges scorecards were released. The one judge who returned a 116-112 verdict for Pacquiao is particularly troubling. And by “troubling,” I mean “insane.”

As for me, even as a big Manny Pacquiao mark, I had Marquez ahead by a round when the final bell sounded. In all honesty, I was expecting another draw. (I love draws, for some strange reason, but that’s just me.)

On the other hand, I tend to roll my eyes whenever the word “robbery” is thrown around in a combat sports context. Meaning these days, I tend to roll my eyes about at least a week—if I’m lucky.

A close fight is not a “robbery.” It’s a close fight! Like picking between Rocky Road or Chunky Monkey ice cream, everyone’s got their own opinion and no one is more valid than another. We should try to reserve the word “robbery” for actual robbery, not any fight that’s close (and for the record, Peanut Butter Chocolate > all other flavors of ice cream).

So again, we’re left with a perfect analogy for boxing: an exciting, tactical 12-round war that ends with the loser getting their hand raised, everyone crying foul and promoters shrewdly counting their money while they plan for the inevitable rematch. Of the rematch. Of the rematch.

You couldn’t ask for two better “case studies” for their respective sports than what we got Saturday.

We have MMA, still working out the wrinkles of being a “big-time” sport (Brock Lesnar as on-air analyst? Really?) and delivering a main event that, while far too short, you really can’t complain about at the end of the day (unless you’re stupid). It was the sort of “anything can happen, don’t blink, one punch can change the fight” stuff Goldy and Rogan are always going on about. It was Serra vs. GSP 1, for the 265 set. It was perfect.

And in boxing, we got a polished, by-the-numbers broadcast; analysts as old as boxing itself (sorry Larry) and a tremendous back-and-forth main event. Said main event ended in yet another head-slapping, “what has this sport come to” kind of decision. After controversial decisions had defined the first two fights. Of course it ended in a “screw job.” Of course it did.

In MMA, you get sudden finishes, split-second results and disappointingly quick fights. You get absolute revolving doors at the top of divisions. You get shocking upsets on a fairly constant basis (Brenneman/Story, anyone?). You get boring fights that should have been barnburners and barnburners in sure-to-be boring fights. And you never, ever know anything for sure until the cage door closes.

In boxing, you get technical polish and proficiency second to none. The sport has been around at the professional level for over a century; the kind of boxing we see today has been distilled and distilled again into its purest form. What made Pac/Marquez exciting was that it was technical proficiency having sex with an all-out war and producing one sexy offspring.

But with boxing, you also get a sense of constancy. Marquez is ALWAYS going to get shafted against Pac. Pac is always ABOUT to face Floyd Mayweather again—soon, real soon, promise. The real “deciding fight,” the one that will clear up all this pound-for-pound fog once and for all, is ALWAYS right around the corner.

Boxing is frozen in amber, while MMA is moving at light speed. So take your pick, folks. Or better yet, don’t. If nothing else, this past Saturday proved MMA and boxing can co-exist, no problem.

For my part, I’m looking forward to 2012: more of Pac and May talking about fighting each other while doing other things, as I watch some guy I’ve probably never even heard of capture the UFC heavyweight title on FOX!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FOX: Why MMA’s Debut on Network TV Could Go Horribly Wrong

Isn’t it annoying when a blogger decides to get all Buzz Killington on you in some shameless attempt to drive hits and reach for that elusive “I told you so!” moment in the unlikely event he or she is actually right?Yes. Yes it is.D…

Isn’t it annoying when a blogger decides to get all Buzz Killington on you in some shameless attempt to drive hits and reach for that elusive “I told you so!” moment in the unlikely event he or she is actually right?

Yes. Yes it is.

Don’t worry, folks, I’m not here to crap in anyone’s Corn Flakes. I just thought it might be amusing, on the eve of the UFC’s triumphant debut on network TV, to let the air out of everyone’s tires so to speak. To “take the piss” out of the situation, as Mike Bisping  might say (and, you know, other folks from England).

No, I’m not forecasting doom and gloom. No, I don’t think any of what I’m going to say will happen. Still, nothing wrong with a little harmless discussion, right?

And you can be damn sure I’ll be hollering “I told you so!” in the event I’m actually right. It’s tradition, after all.

So without further ado, let’s run down the ways UFC on FOX can go horribly, horribly wrong, starting with:

 

The Main Event Is Like Godfather: Part III: Really Bad, for a Really Long Time

Wait, what? How could the main event possibly be a dud? This is Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos we’re talking about here. These guys are gamers! They’re bangers! They’re a whole bunch of other adjectives Mike Goldberg spits out every time Dana White jams a pencil in his back during a PPV broadcast.

How could this fight be boring?

Here’s how: watch Cain Velasquez vs. Cheick Kongo. Now substitute the scary Frenchman with the white glasses for the scary Brazilian with the funny-looking ears.

Was Kongo vs. Velasquez a boring fight? Not exactly, but it’s a long way away from the dynamic heavyweight showdown Dana White has promised everyone on Saturday night. If Junior hurts Cain every time he touches him—and if Cain then takes him down and lets it rain pitter-patter punches as a result—the UFC could have its own version of Shields vs. Hendo on network TV.

 

The Main Event Is Like The Return of the King: It Doesn’t F*cking End

Disqualification. Doctor’s stoppage. A throwing in of the towel. A split draw. A double KO. A freak magnetic storm. Stone Cold Steve Austin running down to the cage and hitting everyone with a steel chair. You name it.

If this fight doesn’t have an ending—and by that, I mean one man clearly and cleanly besting the other for the UFC Heavyweight championship—then heads are damn sure going to roll.

Just imagine it. We go from the cheesy epicness of this to another draw, or eye poke-induced doctor’s stoppage, or even…parish the thought…a “Cecil Peoples” style decision from the judges.

I think only the Mayhem vs. all of Stockton brawl or the infamous “Kimbo Slice vs. the life form on James Thompson’s ear” fight would measure up to such an event on the “clusterf*ck-o-meter.”

 

Someone Gets Injured Last Minute/Someone Doesn’t Make Weight

The only thing worse than a dud or “screwy” main event is no main event at all.

Just picture it: Cain Velasquez, coming off a bad shoulder tear, re-aggravates his injury during a last-minute training session. Or Junior Dos Santos can’t make weight while carrying the hopes and dreams of his entire impoverished nation on his back (hey, I’m just going by what they said on “Primetime”!).

Just like that, UFC on FOX has no main event. Months of promotional work flushed down the toilet. Nothing to do but bite the bullet…or give Kimbo a call and see if MMA fans really ARE that shallow.

 

Mike Goldberg Comes Down with a Last-Minute Flu

Wait, this is supposed to be worst-case scenarios. Oops, my mistake, folks.

 

Someone Pulls a Brock

Let’s take a minute to flashback to UFC 100, and Brock Lesnar’s infamous post-fight “interview.”

Now let’s take another minute to allow hardcore fans to swallow the lump that just formed in their throats and get their blood pressure under control.

An outburst like that on network TV—a lewd, loud “get on my wife, screw Bud Light!” disaster—would be the death knell of this sport. Or something else really ominous-sounding.

Am I saying either Cain or Junior is capable of “pulling a Brock”? No, but this is supposed to be the worst-cast scenario, isn’t it?

 

The Barnburner Fight Between Ben Henderson and Clay Guida, for Some Ridiculous Reason, Doesn’t Make the Network Broadcast After Being Billed as a No. 1 Contenders Match

Wait, this is actually happening? Wow, that’s terrible. Bendo should stop praying to Jesus and start praying to the network TV gods, because he’s getting shafted here big time. Maybe the bigwigs at FOX weren’t comfortable with Guida’s outrageous caveman burps between rounds.

 

They Cut to Bantamweight Champ Dominick Cruz, and Someone Actually Recognizes Him

God bless “The Dominator,” but if his smiling visage draws even a lick of fan reaction, it’s time to break out your asbestos rain coat and start scanning the skies for four PO’ed horsemen.

 

Hearing “Brock Is Still the Best!” from Your Casual Fan Buddy, No Matter Who Wins

Like rain, death, and taxes this “worst-case scenario” is a certainty. Sorry. And don’t bother responding with facts. Like punching The Hulk in the balls, it’s only going to make your situation worse.

 

Mexican and Mexican-American Fans DON’T Accept Cain Velasquez as the Next Coming of Latino-Jesus

You hear that sound? That’s the sound of Dana’s pocketbook crying.

 

Floyd Mayweather Climbs in the Ring After Pac/Marquez III and Challenges Pac-Man to the Biggest Boxing Match Ever…After Pac Gets Absolutely Crushed in Under a Round.

They see me trollin’. They hatin’.

OK, folks, like a 65-year-old man who’s spent the last two minutes having sex, I’m spent. If you got any more ideas, well, hit a brotha up in the comments section!

And remember, kids, stay positive. Life’s not that bad. Even if the main event sucks, or the production is cheesy, or Goldberg hyperbolizes so badly his goatee’d head explodes…well…Kid Yammamoto might actually get a win Saturday night!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Why Carlos Condit vs. Josh Koscheck Would Be the Perfect Fight

Poor Carlos Condit. Let me just get that out of the way, as most of the MMA community has been patting Condit’s back (figuratively, of course) ever since his title shot was brutally stolen from him. Ok, so it wasn’t “his” titl…

Poor Carlos Condit.

Let me just get that out of the way, as most of the MMA community has been patting Condit’s back (figuratively, of course) ever since his title shot was brutally stolen from him.

Ok, so it wasn’t “his” title shot, so I guess it wasn’t “stolen” from him per se. Still, that’s an argument for another day. Right now, no matter what the circumstances, you have to feel for the guy. He reportedly broke into tears upon being told he was getting a title shot.

I wonder how he reacted when the rug was pulled out from under him.

Knowing Condit, he probably spent the first ten minutes getting his ass kicked by grief before roaring back to completely get over it in the final five minutes.

Now, in the wake of the injury plagued, missed press conference fiasco-avalanche that was UFC 137, an unexpected player has emerged onto the scene of the controversy: Josh Koscheck.

To some, Koscheck is the welterweight division’s version of Ragweed: no matter what you do to him, he seems to keep coming back. Two decisive losses to the reigning champ hasn’t seemed to douse Koscheck’s ambitions, lower his profile as the division’s “bad boy,” or shut his mouth any.

Love him or hate him, the man knows how to market himself in MMA. He’s also a gamer who has no problems fighting on short notice, for good or ill. When GSP fell out of his championship tilt with Condit, Kos offered to step up to the plate on only a week’s notice. We don’t know if Condit turned that fight down, or if it was ever offered to him.

Now Kos has taken to Twitter again, claiming (in so many words) that Condit ducked him by not taking his last-minute offer. Which is almost as ridiculous an accusation as when Diaz claimed GSP “ducked” him by dropping out of the Condit fight with a knee sprain. That’s right, folks: GSP ducked Diaz by dropping out of a fight with someone else. Keep tokin’ Nick.

In addition to his accusation, Kos has thrown the digital, 140- character gauntlet and challenged Condit to a fight while “The Natural Born Killer” is waiting for his title shot.

The reaction to this fight has been interesting, with most fans thinking Condit – and the UFC – should pass this fight up. It’s too risky a fight for Condit, some say, who could lose his (very loosely guaranteed) title shot. And it’s too risky for the UFC, who would lose a “new blood” contender in Condit only to gain in Kos a contender who’s already fought the champion twice – and lost.

Those are solid points. But still, as my grandfather once said upon having subatomic theory explained to him: Balls.

This is the fight to make, folks. Let me explain why, “pitching” this fight as it were to Kos, Condit, the UFC, and the fans.

Ok, so I don’t have to pitch Kos, as it’s his idea. It’s a marquee fight with lots of potential buzz that would keep his name in the spotlight. For him, this fight is all gravy.

But what about Condit? Does the Team Jackson fighter risk too much by facing a dangerous guy like Kos?

Maybe, but to me, the rewards outweigh the potential risks. Condit’s “guaranteed title shot” is at best a phantom, a possibility of a title shot that lingers somewhere on the horizon like morning mist. Just ask Jon Fitch what the value of Dana’s word when it comes to “guaranteed title shots” really is.

The truth is that Carlos would have a FAR better chance of getting his title shot if he took this fight and won than if he waited—Rashad Evans-style—in the wings. The UFC brass looks for people who “move the needle” with casual fans, which Condit sadly doesn’t do right now. A marquee matchup with a polarizing figure like Kos, on a big card with lots of trash-talking backing it up – well, that sounds like exactly the right fight to get Condit “over” with casual fans.

And hey, if he can’t beat Josh Koscheck, I really don’t like his chances against GSP.

And the UFC? They should make this fight because the hype is there, the opportunity is presenting itself, and the chance exists to keep building buzz in the previously stagnant welterweight division. Put this fight on the same Super Bowl weekend card as GSP vs. Diaz, bill it as a number one contender’s match, and play up the Kos/Carlos drama. Condit wins, you have a built in challenger for GSP. Kos wins, well, maybe it’s time you finally gave Jon Fitch a call. Or see what Anderson Silva’s schedule is looking like.

And fans? C’mon, do I really have to pitch you guys? Don’t even pretend that Kos vs. Condit would be anything other then an all out war.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Why UFC Primetime on Fox Is the Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread

Ok, so as you might have intimated from my subtle, unbiased title, I’m a pretty big fan of UFC Primetime. Now I know you’re reading this and you’re likely thinking, “What in the blue hell is Hobbie on about?” I know Prime…

Ok, so as you might have intimated from my subtle, unbiased title, I’m a pretty big fan of UFC Primetime.

Now I know you’re reading this and you’re likely thinking, “What in the blue hell is Hobbie on about?” I know Primetime is just a marketing tool. I know it exists to sell PPVs, to help get stars “over” with fans and to generally be a vehicle for the UFC brand.

So what’s so special?

Us hardcore MMA fans spend so much time bemoaning the “almost mainstream but not quite” status of our beloved sport. I mean, don’t we all hate the infamous “Gladiator intro” on all UFC PPV broadcasts? How cheesy, am I right? I mean, there we are, trying to convince our skeptical friends that MMA is a legit sport when all of a sudden a low-rent Maximus is flexing and posing to the most banal of nu-metal.

And how about those pre-fight “interview” segments? You know, the one’s where fighter X, filmed in black and white, claims his opponent will “know he’s been in a fight” while fighter Y, also in black in white, retorts with a calculated “in this fight, don’t blink.” Again, and again and again.

SLAM CUT to fighters shadowboxing in what appears to be an empty black void, their only company some really aggressive backlighting and a constant Scottish drizzle coming down on their toned, tattooed forms.

And how about that “Ultimate Fighter,” huh? Not a week goes by where MMA fans aren’t decrying the reality TV show as the bane of this sport’s existence. It’s cheesy, sophomoric and, at times, all too “lowest common denominator.”

Every year, fans plead for more maturity and a greater focus on the fighters. And every year, the UFC gives us manufactured rivalries, endless pranks and enough “angry man vs. wooden door” bouts to last a lifetime.

So yeah, as hardcore fans, we tend to be really critical of the very same things that first brought MMA “to the dance,” so to speak. Sure, these things were fun and novel in 2005, but today? They’re dated, man. In the minds of some fans, they’re holding the sport back.

Enter Primetime.

While I was watching the latest “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” Primetime, it suddenly occurred to me that this is EXACTLY what the Chicken Littles of MMA have been waiting for. No cheesy nu-metal to be heard, no immature pranks or manufactured drama or training sessions in the mist-zone of purgatory.

Cain Velasquez came off looking awesome. I don’t know how many new female fans he picked up with that show, but it had to be a few. Man, what a good guy he came off as: a family man, a hard worker, quiet and respectful. In every second of that show, he was the exact opposite of the loud, bombastic, aggressive a***ole the average Joe would expect the UFC Heavyweight champion to be.

And by the time he was getting his face painted with his cute little tyke, I swear that even I wanted to pinch his cheeks a little bit.

Junior looked pretty good, too—much better then he did during his stint on TUF. His rags-to-riches story is compelling; the wide eyed, almost child-like glee with which he approaches his new-found super-stardom is imminently relatable.

There was no manufactured beef here. Never was it mentioned that these guys hate each other. This show scored a home run precisely because it focused on the absolute truth, which is:

1. These guys are the pinnacle of the heavyweight division in MMA, and

2. Their fight is a REALLY big deal—the first UFC bout on network TV.

For those of you wondering where the hallowed “mainstream MMA” is, it’s here folks. It’s called UFC Primetime: Show your friends, show your co-workers, show your girlfriend and your mother and your grandmother.

If the message, tone, style and substance of Primetime is representative of “the future” of MMA, then the future is looking good.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Bellator vs. the UFC: Could Bellator’s Best Cut It in the UFC?

I guarantee you, there is a section of the MMA fanbase that read this title and uttered a hearty sigh, or most impassioned groan. So to those fans, I apologize for kicking up another long, entirely subjective fanboy debate. And I didn’t even ha…

I guarantee you, there is a section of the MMA fanbase that read this title and uttered a hearty sigh, or most impassioned groan.

So to those fans, I apologize for kicking up another long, entirely subjective fanboy debate. And I didn’t even have the common courtesy to make this about pointless P4P rankings, or whether or not Fedor’s record is padded with more cans than a Canadian cooler.

No, this week’s debate is centered on a classic showdown of No. 1 versus No. 2. And no, I don’t mean that No. 2, or that No. 1. I’m talking about the UFC vs. Bellator, the MMA world’s monolithic fight juggernaut vs. the plucky, upstart competition.

Yes, Bellator is competition! No. 2 by default is still No. 2. It doesn’t matter if they took the General Veers approach to promotion by being elevated into the vacuum left by a suddenly dead superior. (Dana White to Coker: “Apology accepted, Scotty boy.”)

So what could be more fun than a hypothetical No. 1 vs. No.2  debate? I mean didn’t Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney (who, by name alone, sounds like he should be fronting a Scandinavian death metal band) recently claim Hector Lombard could hang with the all-mighty Anderson Silva?

Empty promoterspeak, or careful analysis? Let’s break down this hypothetical clash of the champions, and see how Bellator’s champions would fare if they jumped, today, into the UFC.

 

Heavyweight: Cole Konrad

 

Would He Make It in the Division?

Definitely. The heavyweight division in MMA in general is pretty thin, and the UFC’s 265-lb class is no exception. Konrad would likely survive in the division based on his wrestling pedigree alone.

 

Would He Be a Contender?

Hard to say. Like I said, it’s not a very deep swimming pool even in the upper end of the HW division. But to get there, Konrad would have to overcome serious obstacles. Shane Carwin, Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem would all pose serious—possibly insurmountable—problems.

 

Would He Be Champion?

Probably not. I just don’t see Konrad’s rudimentary striking ot questionable gas tank surviving Cain Velasquez’s grind. I think his (likely) reluctance to face teammate Brock Lesnar could also hurt his upward mobility in the division.

 

Light-Heavyweight: Christian M’Pumbu

 

Would He Make It in the Division?

I’m going to be the pessimist here and say no, he wouldn’t. Sorry M’Pumbu, but we just don’t know enough about you as a fighter yet. I see LHW gatekeepers like Stephan Bonnar or Tito Ortiz giving him fits.

 

Would He Be a Contender?

Like the old magic eight ball used to say, “Not looking good.”

 

Would He Be a Champion?

Excuse me while I sprinkle some rock salt on the places where hell just froze over.

 

Middleweight: Hector Lombard

 

Would He Make It in the Division?

Yes. Middleweight is a “starved” division, eager for some star, any star, whose glow can withstand the pull of the black hole known as Anderson Silva. Chael Sonnen is an exception but for the most part, the division looks shallow and boring because of how easily Anderson Silva has kicked its ass. A slugger like Lombard could make a name for himself very quickly.

 

Would He Be a Contender?

Maybe. It all depends on if he was given the right fights. Feed him a steady diet of Chael Sonnen, Yushin Okami and Demian Maia, and Lombard will quickly find himself in the outside of the title picture looking in. Match him up with some brawling-minded people—”Sexyama,” Chris Leben, Brian Stann, Wanderlei Silva—and he could climb the ranks very fast.

 

Would He Be a Champion?

Being a heavy-handed brawler would likely punch Lombard’s ticket in the MW division. It would also get his ticket—and his face—punched if he ever made it to a title fight. Lombard vs. Silva would resemble Morpheus vs. Agent Smith from the first Matrix movie.

 

Welterweight: Ben Askren

 

Would He Make It in the Division?

Welterweight is a division full of world-class wrestlers, so Askren would fit right in as perhaps the most accomplished wrestler in MMA today. His “funky” wrestling style would bring him consistent victory outside the division’s top 10.

 

Would He Be a Contender?

I say yes. Those without an elite wrestling game would be prey to Askren, and even the elite wrestlers at the top of the division (Fitch, Kos, Hendricks, Shields) would find Askren a handful. Just look at the training footage of Askren and Shields together from earlier this year.

 

Would He Be Champion?

No. At least, not yet. We’ve seen GSP make those same elite wrestlers I just mentioned look like it’s their first day on the mats when he faces them. If wrestling alone was all Askren could bring to the table (and right now, it is) I have no doubt GSP would use his head for Superman punch practice for 25 minutes.

 

Lightweight: Eddie Alvarez

 

Would He Make It in the Division?

Oh hells yes. Eddie Alvarez may be Bellator’s most legit champion. He’s the only Bellator champ currently ranked in the top 10 of his division by most reputable MMA media outlets. I see fights with Anthony Pettis, Melvin Guillard and Clay Guida being very winnable fights for Alvarez—not to mention exciting as all hell.

 

Would He Be a Contender?

Again, yes. Alvarez as a fighter is the complete package. He can do it all, do it well and keep doing it until the final bell rings. That puts him in the ruling class of fighters at 155 lbs. Men like Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Ben Henderson and Gilbert Melendez—Alvarez is on their level.

 

Would He Be Champion?

I think he’s got the best shot of any Bellator guy. Frankie’s speed and footwork would be a tough puzzle for Alvarez to solve, but you can say that about any fighter at LW. Alvarez has the power, poise and stamina to win that belt and defend it against the best in the world.

I’m going to leave Featherweight and Bantamweight out of the analysis for now, because those divisions are not yet deep enough (in either organization) to get a clear picture of where Bellator fighters would stand vis-a-vis the UFC.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 139: Does the Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson Winner Deserve a Title Shot?

It seems strange somehow to begin a discussion about the UFC light heavyweight championship without mentioning the names Jon Jones, Rashad Evans or even, in light of recent news, Lyoto Machida.Yes, there are a great many people “in the mix,” (to use Da…

It seems strange somehow to begin a discussion about the UFC light heavyweight championship without mentioning the names Jon Jones, Rashad Evans or even, in light of recent news, Lyoto Machida.

Yes, there are a great many people “in the mix,” (to use Dana-speak), for the UFC’s marquee strap.

Amid the seemingly endless Jones/Evans “will they fight, won’t they fight” narrative and the recent announcement that Machida will be getting the next shot (so apparently it’s “they won’t fight…yet”), the casual fan would be forgiven for forgetting “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson are even fighting, let alone in striking distance of a title shot themselves.

A month before Machida and Jones square off in Toronto, these two Pride legends will face each other in the main event of UFC 139 in San Jose. It’s the kind of matchup that got fans excited when it was first announced.

Both men are known knockout artists with a litany of scalps between them. Both men are fan favorites with long histories in the sport. Each is a former champion and the definition of world class.

But before the Machida vs. Jones announcement, the general consensus regarding this fight was that the winner would be getting the next title shot.

Now it’s not so certain.

Dan Henderson certainly hopes this fight launches him into a title situation. That’s the fight he originally wanted, after all, as the reigning Strikeforce LHW champion.

It’s the fight that seemed somewhat close to happening before the aforementioned Jones vs. Evans drama managed to (once again) hold up the top of the division.

Henderson’s campaign for a title shot is not without merit. After all, other Strikeforce champions have been brought over and given a title shot based solely on the Strikeforce belt over their shoulders.

Two Strikeforce champions received instant title shots against GSP immediately upon crossing over. OK, Jake had to fight Martin Kampmann, but after beating Hendo that was viewed by many as a gimme fight.

Of course, one of said champions blows it all by failing to show up to a press conference, while the other tries to skewer Georges’ face like he was making an eyeball thumb-kabob. But the principal remains the same.

Then there’s Alistair Overeem, the Strikeforce heavyweight champ who would probably have gotten a title shot in his UFC debut if it weren’t for the fact that Overeem vs. Dos Santos is the fight the UFC chose to go with for their FOX debut.

As it is, a marquee matchup with top PPV draw Brock Lesnar may be even more beneficial to The Reem’s career.

Then there’s talk that Strikeforce LW champ Gilbert Melendez might get an instant title shot if (when) he crosses over to the UFC. Plus there are all the rumors surrounding a potential Dominick Cruz vs. Christiane “Cyborg” Santos superfight.

OK, I just made that up. But tell me that wouldn’t be a little bit fun. And if Dominick keeps running through challengers at 135 lbs., who else are they going to throw in there with him? Answer: Kenny Florian with one leg cut off.

So Henderson’s got a case for a title shot, but what about “Shogun?” Let’s not forget that he was the reigning champion only a few months before Jon Jones ascended to the top of the division and exploded everyone’s faces.

Jones made Rua look awfully bad when he took the title from him back in March. But was it really a bad enough beating to keep him from another title shot, as it would if it happened in another division?

I say no. Plus if Jones should run through Machida and Evans, then we’re looking at a suddenly shallow list of light heavyweight title contenders. “Shogun” could definitely receive another shot in that situation.

Will the winner of Rua vs. Hendo being getting a title shot? Eventually, yes. With Machida vs. Jones already booked and Evans waiting seemingly since Biblical times for his title shot, there’s really no argument for Hendo or “Shogun” to cut in line with a win.

Still, a win here guarantees that the winner will probably be getting a title shot at some point. In today’s UFC LHW division, that’s about as much certainty as you’re going to get.

Unless, of course Evans gets injured again—or the invincible Jones should happen to lose. Either situation could see the winner of Rua vs. Henderson get fast-tracked to a title shot ASAP.

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