Despite the toll taken by injuries and pending criminal cases, UFC 187 remains one of 2015’s most outstanding cards. The event is stacked like few others in this age of oversaturation. Topping the bill is a fight between Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Daniel Cormier to crown a new UFC light heavyweight champion for the first time in over four years.
It’s a curious position for the promotion to be in. While the lineal champ is busy trying to stay out of prison, the show must go on. The UFC is now charged with convincing fans that the title remains legitimate in the absence of the sport’s most dominant fighter—no offense to Ronda Rousey.
This task would be much easier in almost any other weight class. Stripping Rafael dos Anjos of the lightweight title? Sure, we might be able to get past that—particularly if Khabib Nurmagomedov has the strap. Trying to convince consumers that someone other than Jon Jones is the light heavyweight division’s best is a much tougher pill to swallow.
We’re talking about a long-reigning champion who has steamrolled almost every challenger to his throne. Indeed, he comfortably bested Cormier just a few months ago. It’s difficult to criticise the UFC too harshly on this occasion, though.
Should the organisation have created an interim title instead? Remember, there is no guarantee that Jones will retain his freedom. If we’re to believe Jones’ manager, Malki Kawa, he may never even step foot inside the octagon again. How true that is remains to be seen. It’s difficult to take someone like Kawa seriously.
The UFC was in a tough spot. Holding the title up while Jones’ situation resolves doesn’t actually serve the division’s interests. This way, the promotion can at the very least sell the more casual fan on the legitimacy of the light heavyweight title.
Is it possible that the winner of UFC 187’s main event will eventually make us forget about Jones? The worst-case scenario for the promotion is a Cormier win. His fight with Jones was close through three rounds, but one could argue that the former Olympian was mentally broken in the fight.
Those championship rounds did nothing to support the perception of Cormier as “King of the Grind.” Should he beat Johnson on Saturday night—as I expect him to—the UFC will have a hard time scrubbing the image of Jones repeatedly dumping Cormier on his rear from the minds of everyone who watched the fight unfold.
If Johnson wins, the UFC’s job is made a little easier. He and Jones have never fought, so our imagination isn’t constrained by the reality of past encounters. What’s more, he did what the former champion couldn’t do and took out Alexander Gustafsson in a single round. MMA math has all the precision of an Andrew Golota body shot—a reference for 1990s boxing fans among you—but some people find such comparisons compelling.
It’s worth remembering that sports fans have a short memory and are remarkably good at rationalising what they want to be true. If we are sufficiently attached to a fiction, it’s not difficult to manufacture arguments to support our delusions.
Should Rumble win, we can expect to hear his supporters argue for his claim to the throne: He matches up well with Jones; the former champ hasn’t faced the kind of power Johnson brings to bear, his relentless aggression would wear Jones down over five rounds, etc.
If Cormier wins, his fans will likely take a different approach in light of the loss: He would have beaten Jones if Cain Velasquez was available for his UFC 182 training camp; he was too emotional for the first fight; he would pace himself better if they fought a second time, etc.
Whether Johnson or Cormier can make us forget about Jones isn’t what the UFC should bank on. Selling consumers on the legitimacy of the light heavyweight title depends more on the extent to which fans will delude themselves. Sports fans seem to suffer from a collective form of retrograde amnesia, so don’t be surprised if Jones is perceived like Dominick Cruz within a year.
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