This past Saturday the UFC presented its third offering of combat sports since establishing the monumental partnership in 2011. Brought to us from East Rutherford, New Jersey; UFC on Fox 3 was highly anticipated, as it carried some important bouts across multiple weight classes. Now that the night is over, we are left with two new potential title contenders in Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks, along with a number of interesting matchups that can be made going forward. Here are a few suggestions as to what should be done next:
Johny Hendricks vs. winner of Martin Kampmann – Jake Ellenberger
Johny Hendricks became only the second man ever to defeat both Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch. That alone is a feat that should place him at the top of the 170-pound contenders list; however, things are never so easy when it comes to the UFC “rankings.”
Current interim champion Carlos Condit has already chosen to wait for the injured Georges St. Pierre and his opportunity to unify the belts. There isn’t a solid timetable on “Rush’s” Octagon return, so the length of time of that weight is undetermined. Along with this, it was announced that the next title contender will come from the Martin Kampmann – Jake Ellenberger fight that is scheduled for the June 1st Ultimate Fighter Finale. The winner of that bout could find himself waiting a year or more before getting his title shot. Instead of allowing one massive logjam to occur at 170, Hendricks should be placed against the winner of this bout to create a true contender while keeping an upcoming docket of interesting fights.
Pairing Hendricks with either Ellenberger or Kampmann will create a fight that fans will want to see. Ellenberger is another powerful wrestler who doesn’t shy away from throwing heavy punches, which would be right up Hendricks’s alley. Kampmann, on the other hand, is a very sound technical striker who likes to damage and outpoint his opponents with multiple shots. No matter who he is matched against, the bout would be a contest that would garner the excitement of the MMA community as a whole.
Alan Belcher vs. winner of Tim Boetsch – Michael Bisping
Alan Belcher’s performance against Rousimar Palhares went a long way toward backing up his claim that he is one of the top contenders in the weight class. Not only did he defeat the Brazilian, he did so while playing the submission game before ending the fight with stunning ground and pound. While he isn’t a top contender quite yet, this win has placed some momentum behind his career, and he would be a great fight for the winner of Boetsch versus Bisping at UFC 149.
Both Boetsch and Bisping are behind Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz in the middleweight pecking order, which means they would need two more wins before finding themselves in a position to command a title shot. Against either of them Belcher would be an underdog, but he does have the skill sets needed to pull out a victory, as we saw at UFC on Fox 3. Against Boetsch, Alan would have to avoid his destructive punching power and take the fight to the ground, where “The Barbarian” has shown weakness in the past. Bisping is a very technical fighter who would be able to trade combinations with Belcher. The question is if he would be able to avoid the fight going to the ground. Belcher has stronger grappling base, but Bisping has shown that he is tough to hold down at any point in a contest. Whether it is Boetsch or Bisping, Alan Belcher would make a good fight for either of these combatants.
Lavar Johnson vs. winner of Mark Hunt – Stefan Struve
The only way you could describe this potential bout is that someone is going to be knocked out in less than five minutes. Johnson has very heavy hands, and has shown once he puts them on you, the chances are that you are going to be the newest resident of sleep village. Mark Hunt and Stefan Struve are in a position to be considered title challengers by the end of this year, and pitting them against Johnson not only provides the chance for an attention grabbing moment, but to create a name that excites fans in the heavyweight grouping.
Stefan Struve would have to use his range and grappling to avoid Johnson’s power. In the past we have seen him stunned and dropped multiple times, so it would be hard to expect him to be able to withstand Lavar’s power for extended periods of time. If he can get the fight to the ground and make it a grappling match, he would have a great chance to pull out a submission win.
Mark Hunt, on the other hand, knows only one approach, and that’s moving straight forward while throwing high-powered shots. Riding a three-fight win streak, he’s become a cult icon in the MMA community, and if he were placed against Johnson, fans would be excited about the fireworks that would come out of that bout.
Jim Miller vs. loser of Gray Maynard – Clay Guida
Jim Miller once again found himself so close to the title shot he has been chasing for years, but he was cut short by the surging Nate Diaz. He looms close to a gatekeeper role in the ultra-deep lightweight division, which is not where he wants his career to end up. Matchmakers should place him against the loser of the Clay Guida – Gray Maynard fight that is set for UFC on FX 4.
All three of these men were once considered contenders to the lightweight crown, but were defeated by either Benson Henderson or Frankie Edgar, which takes them out of immediate title matchups. They also shouldn’t be placed against Anthony Pettis, who the UFC would like to see stay near the top, because they all have the abilities to defeat him, as Guida already did in 2011. This fight could be placed on a free card to slowly build back up the winner of the bout, and keep him near the top portion of the lightweight division.
Josh Koscheck vs. winner of Charlie Brenneman – Erick Silva
While Josh Koscheck was defeated at UFC on Fox 3 he wouldbest serve the company if placed against the winner of the upcoming CharlieBrenneman – Erick Silva bout. He’s still a top welterweight and the defeat wasa split decision that could have easily gone his way. Instead of being knockedcompletely down the ladder he is still a very relevant opponent for anyonelooking to become a contender at 170 pounds.
Koscheck proved why he is considered one of the best welterweight fighters in the world. While some may dispute his split decision defeat to Hendricks, you can’t argue the fight that he put on from start to finish. Koscheck has spent the better part of his career near the top of the weight class, and he would provide a huge test for anyone who is looking to stake a foothold in title contention anytime soon. Erick Silva and Charlie Brenneman are two individuals who would greatly benefit from facing Koscheck, and potentially defeating him.
Brenneman burst onto the scene by stepping in to beat Rick Story nearly a year ago. Since then he has gone 1-1, but remains a name that has the potential to quickly move up the rankings with a solid win. Against Koscheck he would have to stick to his wrestling abilities, and hope to control the positioning throughout the bout. His striking abilities are still developing, but they are not on par with the former title contender at this point. He’s proven before that he has the abilities to edge out a decision victory, and he would have to do the same here against the former wrestler from Edinboro University.
Erick Silva is a very well-rounded fighter that has shown he can submit fighters once the bout hits the ground, or punish them while on the feet. He hasn’t faced a wrestler of Koscheck’s pedigree, and in order to make a dent in the lightweight division, he would have to be able to overcome that dangerous skill set. The question around this bout is if he would be able to land effective strikes while on the feet, and when the bout does hit the mat, he must stay active or get back to his feet to avoid falling behind on points.
UFC on Fox 3 gave fight fans exciting, close bouts, and highlight reel finishes all on the same card. From this point on, all of the winners and losers have the potential to be placed in some eye-catching fights throughout the rest of the year.
