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UFC on Fuel 2: What Does the Future Hold for Alexander Gustafsson?

UFC has just completed it’s second edition of UFC on Fuel and its first ever fight card in Sweden. Once again, the UFC knocked it out of the park. What a night of fights!So, now that the dust has settled, the burning question in everyone’s minds: How c…

UFC has just completed it’s second edition of UFC on Fuel and its first ever fight card in Sweden. Once again, the UFC knocked it out of the park. What a night of fights!

So, now that the dust has settled, the burning question in everyone’s minds: How close does his win over Thiago Silva put Alexander Gustafsson to a title shot?

Without question, Alexander Gustafsson is an up and coming talent at 205 lbs. Gustafsson, Ryan Bader, Phil Davis and probably Thiago Silva: These are the up-and-coming talents that are the cream of the crop of the rising Jon Jones generation of Light Heavyweight fighters.

As we see Rampage Jackson, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Shogun Rua, Forrest Griffin, Antônio Rogério Nogueira (Lil Nog) and Dan Henderson age and start retiring, those are the fighters who will replace them as the elites of the UFC Light Heavyweight Division.

The trouble is, none of this new generation of fighters has the tools it will take to beat the current champion, Jon Jones.

Mark my words, the man that beats Mr. Bones Jones will be some young phenom who we haven’t heard of yet.

And contrary to popular speculation, Jonny “Bones” Jones has absolutely no reason to leave the 205 lbs division anytime soon. Why leave when you’re the reigning champion? More importantly, if you are not yet the most dominant champion your division has ever seen, the job just ain’t done yet. Until Jones has at least six title defenses, don’t expect Jonny to fight anywhere outside of 205 lbs.

The hard truth is that Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida are the only real threats to Jon Jones right now. Any one of them will have to get lucky to beat Jones and all three are getting closer and closer to retirement.

So having said all that, does Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson get a shot at Jon Jones’ title?

Yes he does. Right now, Gustafsson is just one big win away from a title shot and here is your short list of names that would be big enough to make it happen: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and ironically enough, a rematch with “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis.

Shogun and Machida are available, but I think Alexander would lose to either man. Avenging his only loss against Phil Davis would be the best option in my opinion, and that’s no easy fight either. If Gustafsson faces and beats any one of these three fighters, he gets to fight for the title.

That would put him next in line after Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson.

Barring an unexpected upset, Jon Jones will still be the reigning champion if and when it is Gustafsson’s turn to fight for the belt. That will be a very short night for “The Mauler.” Jones will likely finish him by brutal ground and pound or submission in the first round.

So why schedule the fight at all?

Just because we don’t think a fighter can beat the champion does not mean you don’t make the fight happen anyways. You never know when “the challenger who can’t possibly win” turns out to be the next Frankie Edgar or the next Cain Velasquez. If a fighter has earned a shot at the title, just schedule the fight and let the chips fall where they may.

After challenging Jon Jones for the title and getting beaten in devastating fashion, Mr. Gustafsson will fall back into the ranks of elite Light Heavyweights. Expect “The Mauler” play the same role as Shogun Rua did in Pride FC: The elite non-champion high octane fighter who puts on some of the most exciting fights the UFC has ever seen. Alexander is just 25 years old, so we can expect him to be a big name in the UFC for years to come.

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UFC 144 Fight Card: Why the UFC Wants Frankie Edgar to Win

The UFC has seen many champions come and go. But Frankie “The Answer” Edgar breaks the mold in so many ways. He’s not your usual UFC champion. He is unique in many ways. Edgar is just plain good for the UFC’s bottom line. The best thing that coul…

The UFC has seen many champions come and go. But Frankie “The Answer” Edgar breaks the mold in so many ways. He’s not your usual UFC champion. He is unique in many ways.

Edgar is just plain good for the UFC’s bottom line. The best thing that could happen this Saturday at UFC 144 would be for Edgar to defeat Benson Henderson by knockout.

Here is why.

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UFC: The Top 25 Most Awesome Champions in MMA History

Who is the best champion ever? That question sparks a never-ending debate of course. Some champions are better than others. A select few had careers that shone like a beacon above all others. In its short existence, Mixed Martial Arts has gen…

Who is the best champion ever? That question sparks a never-ending debate of course.

Some champions are better than others. A select few had careers that shone like a beacon above all others.

In its short existence, Mixed Martial Arts has generated more than its share of legends. Not all legends are champions. To truly be the man, you gotta beat the man. You have to become champion to put a stamp on your legacy and silence all doubters.

Some of the greatest champions ever, would go for years without ever losing and have fought all comers. Some were always coming back and reclaiming the title.

Here are the 25 champions that inspired greater awe, fear and wonder in those who watched them. As well as those who fought them. They dominated the sport of mixed martial arts.

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UFC 140 Fight Card: How Tito Ortiz Would Be Affected If He Loses

In the world of mixed martial arts, there are great fighters, and then there are legends. Tonight, one of the greatest legends to ever set foot inside the octagon, Tito Ortiz, will fight with Pride FC standout Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, better know…

No matter what happens at UFC 140, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz has already established himself as one of the greatest champions in the history of mixed martial arts. Nobody can ever take that away from him.

So when I say that Ortiz is probably going to lose this fight, it’s not such a terrible thing. Tito has absolutely nothing left to prove. His legacy is about as secure as any fighters legacy can be.

Ever since returning to the UFC in November of 2009, Tito has had his sights set on reclaiming the UFC Light Heavyweight Title. The trouble is, Tito has lost three out of four fights since returning to the UFC. The chances of making a run at the title are pretty slim right now.

Tito certainly isn’t the oldest wrestling-based fighter in MMA today. He’s only 36 years old. Randy Couture was 44 when he beat Tim Sylvia for the UFC Heavyweight Title in 2007.

So what happens if Little Nog beats Ortiz tonight?

Ortiz is going to want to retire before the UFC does the retiring for him. Yes, the win against Ryan Bader was huge. But the UFC is currently paying Tito Ortiz enormous sums of money for losing over and over again.

Rogerio Nogueira is currently only a mid-tier opponent. Losing to Lil Nog would spell the end of any glimmers that Tito Ortiz is still relevant in the UFC today.

The UFC could still throw him in against other aging MMA legends like Rich Franklin. But Tito’s best remaining options are outside of the octagon.

He could take a crack at the Bellator Light Heavyweight Title if he’s feeling bored and still wants to fight. That is easily Bellator’s weakest division, so I don’t think anyone would stop him from taking the title belt.

And that’s where the UFC is going to want to be cautious. A name as big as Tito Ortiz could add a lot of legitimacy to the UFC’s biggest (but not particularly big) competitor.

Rather than cutting Ortiz, let him retire with dignity. Then, throw him a bone by giving him a job with the UFC. He’s got decent commentator skills, and there is a variety of ways the UFC could keep Tito Ortiz employed and still build up the brand.

One thing is certain. If Tito loses to Little Nog tonight, he needs to do the sensible thing and retire.

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from p re-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis.

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UFC 140 Predictions: What a Loss Would Mean for Frank Mir

At UFC 140, former heavyweight champion Frank Mir will square off against Antônio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira for the second time.For Mir, who has worked his way back into title contention, Big Nog is another crucial step tow…

At UFC 140, former heavyweight champion Frank Mir will square off against Antônio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira for the second time.

For Mir, who has worked his way back into title contention, Big Nog is another crucial step towards reclaiming the UFC Heavyweight Championship of the Word.

So what happens if Mir loses?

As far as title contention goes, losing to Minotauro Nogueira would deal the final deathblow to his hopes to get a title shot. If Mir ever wants to fight for the title again, he can’t lose this fight.

In the broader scheme of things, losing a fight to Big Nog isn’t all that bad. Nogueira is the consensus second-best heavyweight in mixed martial arts history. If you’ve got to lose a fight, losing to a living legend that you’ve already beaten once isn’t the end of the world.

So who would Mir fight next?

How about fighting Big Nog for a third time?

Nogueira needs more than two wins in a row to break back into the heavyweight title picture. His name isn’t Brock Lesnar after all. And Mir would also need to erase the loss to Big Nog if he wanted to get back on track.

It’s unlikely that Nogueira would get a title shot for beating Mir, so if he wins the fight at UFC 140 I think we could expect him to be available for a rubber match against Mir in the early part of next year.

Also, because Nogueira lost the first fight by knockout, he would have to beat Mir twice if he wanted to erase the memory of that devastating loss at UFC 92.

There are also plenty of other fights Mir could take after a loss at UFC 140. A matchup with Fabricio Werdum would be a great fight. And Mir would be the perfect opponent for the loser of Brock Lesnar vs Alistair Overeem.

For years I’ve wanted to see Mir fight Josh Barnett. It might not be possible if Dana White doesn’t let Barnett back into the UFC, but that would be an epic fight.

There’s another possibility too. After losing to Big Nog, Mir might actually want to start thinking about retirement.

Sounds crazy, right? Here’s why it might be most the sensible thing to do.

Ever since losing his title to a horrific motorcycle accident, Mir has staged failed comeback after failed comeback. Each time he has put together another run at regaining his heavyweight title, he’s been thwarted and frustrated.

Márcio Cruz knocked him out in the first round in his very first fight after the crash, and Brandon Vera knocked him out in the first round two fights later.

On the next run, he got all the way to a title shot but lost the fight against Lesnar via TKO and complete domination.

On his fourth run of trying to reclaim his long-lost 12 pounds of UFC gold, Mir’s dream of a rematch against Lesnar got mauled to death by Shane Carwin.

With a loss to Big Nog, Mir will have tallied a whopping five failed campaigns for reclaiming the title belt. At that point, he will need to ask himself, “Why am I still fighting in the UFC?”

If his only goal is to get his belt back, he might want to call it a career and take a job calling fights for the UFC or Strikeforce. Mir is one of the most gifted fight callers in all of MMA, and with more and more UFC events on the calendar, Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg can’t make it to all of them.

If he’s willing to be the next Matt Hughes and just keep fighting for the love of fighting, then by all means, keep on truckin’ Frank.

But he’s got to face the increased unlikelihood that he will ever be champion again. There are just too many sharks in the heavyweight division today.

If Mir can’t beat Nogueira in the twilight of of his career, what are his chances against Junior dos Santos, Shane Carwin, Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem or Cain Velasquez?

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UFC 140: The Nogueira Brothers Will Shock the World and Both Win Saturday

The Nogueira brothers, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Antônio Rogério Nogueira, are the best pair of brother-fighters in mixed martial arts history. They’re the only pair of identical twins to both post highl…

Not only do they look exactly alike, but their parents apparently thought it would be amusing to name them both after their father Antônio. With only the subtlest of differences in their given middle names, there is no way to differentiate between the two by using their given names. They even have the same moniker—Minotauro.

For those who are unfamiliar with the brothers, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira has been dubbed “Big Nog” because he fights at Heavyweight. Antônio Rogério Nogueira fights at Light Heavyweight, so he’s “Little Nog.” That way, MMA fans can keep track of which Nogueira their talking about.

There is also one important thing that almost nobody knows about the Nogueira brothers: They’re both going to win and win decisively this coming Saturday at UFC 140.

Big Nog will be facing Frank Mir, a former UFC heavyweight champion with a ton of momentum. Frank Mir is coming into this fight overconfident and slightly under-prepared. He beat Big Nog a little so easily in their first fight that he just can’t help it: He views Big Nog as an over-rated under-skilled fighter who is way past his prime.

Come fight night, we’re going to see the larger Nogueira brother come in more determined than we’ve ever seen him. He is on the brink of being released from the UFC and fading into irrelevance.

Also consider that coming into their first fight, nobody ever heard of “Frank Mir the knockout artist.” I think that fight is where Mir realized that he actually might be a lot better striker than anyone thought he was. Being the 38th fight to face Big Nog and the first to knock him out is a huge confidence builder.

Big Nog didn’t know that Frank Mir was a one-punch knockout threat back then. Nobody did. This time around, Mir has no new surprises to bring to the table. He knows very well how to nullify power strikers and he will nullify Frank’s stand-up game this time.

At UFC 140 we’re going to see the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu clash of the titans we all thought we were going to see at UFC 92 and Big Nog is going to win that chess match by submitting Frank in the third round.

Little Nog is also on the brink, but he’s got an even bigger reason to put on the best fight of his career this Saturday. Unlike his larger brother, Lil Nog has always been a step or two shy of becoming a world champion but he’s never been able to seal the deal. The saying, “It’s now or never” was never truer than it is now with Lil Nog.

So how will he beat Tito Ortiz? It’s a lot simpler than you might think. Since his recent return to the octagon, Tito has been very consistent at one thing: Being inconsistent. After having his career resurrecting moment against Ryan Bader, he put on another disappointing performance against Rashad Evans.

The trouble is, Tito is already a living legend in the UFC and mixed martial arts. He doesn’t really have anything else to prove at this point. And Rogério has all the skills to equal Tito across the board. At any stage of both fighters’ careers, this would have been a close fight.

A very motivated and hungry Little Nog is going to light Tito up with punches all night and Tito won’t be able to keep the fight on the ground where he is safer. “Nogueira-light” wins this fight by unanimous decision.

There is one thing that I can’t for the life of me sort out: Why on earth is this card booked to happen in Canada?? When you have the most famous pair of brothers in MMA history on the same card, if you have any common sense at all, you put that card where it does the most for your bottom line. So why on earth are these two fights happening in Brazil?

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