The UFC has been blessed by the contemporary presence of several great champions, but nothing lasts forever, and even the best of all time must eventual relinquish their role as champion.
And as inevitable as it is that the torch will be passed, it is equally inevitable that it will be received. For every fallen legend there is a slayer, for every former king, a usurper. This is the reality of the sport of MMA, and it always will be.
The unwavering certainty of this maxim is, however, starkly contrasted by the vast ambiguity of the details surrounding it. Who will supplant a champion, when will it happen, how will it happen—all questions with no template answer.
Here, we’ll take a glimpse into the future and examine these questions (mainly the first one), and identify who it is that will work to dispose of the UFC’s current roster of champions.