UFC 146 had the potential to be either an exciting fight card or a big disappointment, as the entire pay-per-view main card was centered on the one weight class that is most likely to give us slow, unexciting bouts. However, the UFC’s heavyweight division did the exact opposite, as fight after fight ended with exciting finishes to adorn the highlight reels of each of the night’s winners. With so many different directions everyone can go after this card, here are a few suggestions for fights to make going forward:
Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos did exactly what they were supposed to do at UFC 146. They dispatched their opponents, and did so in ways that were quite memorable Dos Santos put away a fighter who has created a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, while Velasquez swam through Antonio Silva and the buckets of blood that he spilled onto the mat. After those two dominating wins, it would be hard to find an MMA fan who would be opposed to the idea of a World Heavyweight Championship rematch between the two individuals.
The buildup for the first bout between these two individuals was substantial, as it was due to the importance of the fight, the focal point of the UFC’s first broadcast on Fox. Given that it already left many fans wishing for more, the story is already in place for a heavyweight bout that could decide the future of the division.
Some may feel it is too soon to put together a rematch of a bout that took 64 seconds to bring to a close the first time around, but there isn’t a better time to make this fight than right now. Sometimes timing, and the quality of the competitors involved, dictates the speed of the matchmaking, an example being the swiftness that the third fight in the Urijah Faber vs. Dominick Cruz trilogy took shape after their last bout. Velasquez vs. is the type of heavyweight bout that the UFC is longing for. The story is there, and the ability of these two fighters to put on a classic bout is there as well. Rematches in title bouts have begun to be viewed in a negative light due to the logjam in the lightweight division, but this bout here would hold the attention of both the MMA fanbase and the sports world as a whole.
Stefan Struve vs. Winner of Travis Browne – Ben Rothwell
Stefan Struve is quite the question mark within the UFC’s heavyweight division. He’s 24 years old and has already won eight bouts in the promotion. However, we can’t help but to look at his losses, and the way he has been knocked out in almost comical fashion, as reasons not to take him seriously. However, at UFC 146, we watched him put a strategy in play against Lavar Johnson by pulling guard and finishing him with a textbook arm bar. Struve has the physical tools that many athletes across the sport dream of having, and now it looks as if he is starting to apply them within the Octagon.
The winner of the Ben Rothwell vs. Travis Browne contest at UFC on Fox 4 would be an interesting opponent for Struve next. All three of these fighters are fringe contenders in a weight class that needs as many names as possible to be built up very quickly in order to keep upcoming cards fresh. Rothwell and Browne both have the ability to stop their opponents with strikes, so either would be a threat to Struve in that area. Struve seems to be getting more acclimated to using his range to keep shorter fighters away from him, which is an important practice to embrace, as his chin can’t take punishment. However, Rothwell and Browne are two fighters who know how to dole out that kind of punishment, so against Struve that would be exactly what they would be looking to do.
This is the type of fight that could help to make a contender out of the winner, and push him towards the kind of fights throughout the rest of this year that would culminate in a title shot sometime in 2013.
Roy Nelson vs. Mark Hunt
Roy Nelson will always be a fan favorite. Not only does he look like a parody character pulled right out of the Street Fighter video game series, but he goes into the cage and gives fans a show, whether it’s due to him giving out a beating, or taking one for an extended period of time. With one thudding overhand right he sat down Dave Herman and didn’t even have to follow up with many damaging shots before this bout was called to a stop. While he won’t ever be considered a top three heavyweight, he does have the ability to be a top 15 mainstay.
Mark Hunt is a fighter that many people overlooked when he made his debut in the Octagon. His past accolades were very far behind him, as he was riding a five-fight losing streak, and was quickly dispatched by Sean McCorkle. Yet times have changed, and three fights later, Hunt has emerged as a fighter to watch in the heavyweight division, and even had some fans calling for him to get the title shot that Mir ended up getting in the wake of the Alistair Overeem debacle.
A Nelson–Hunt fight has the potential to be filled with big shots being thrown and landed, until one fighter is dropped in highlight reel fashion. Nelson has the grappling ability to submit Hunt, but the question is whether he would try to rely on those abilities instead of his knockout power. We all know what Hunt would try to do,however, as he tends to plod forward looking to extinguish his opponent with his striking prowess. This isn’t the type of fight that would create a legitimate title contender, but it would still create enough buzz to have fight fans looking forward to the bout.
Many people had forgotten about Jamie Varner and his run as a lightweight in the WEC organization. Despite his 20-6 record, in the last two years, injuries had plagued his career and forced him off of the UFC roster. That was until an injury to Evan Dunham gave him the opportunity to step back into the Octagon. Varner made the most of that opportunity, one which may reshape his career. Let’s not put the proverbial cart before the horse and say that Varner is back and should be facing top-tier opposition. Instead, let’s see if he can get out of the role of stepping stone for emerging talent; he should be matched against Paul Sass.
Even though Sass has been called a one trick pony, that one trick is important for the division in which he competes. The lightweight division is packed with high level wrestlers that will take you down and grind you into dust, and Sass shown that he is able to employ the triangle choke to submit opponents whose strategies have been based on that exact tactic. With 12 submission victories, 11 of which have come in the first round, the storyline to watch is whether Sass can continue to submit guys the way he has.
Varner was known for his solid boxing and wrestling when he was running the WEC’s lightweight division. He would carry that advantage into a fight with Sass, but the question would be if whether can avoid the triangle or heel hook that would clearly be coming his way. Varner’s been submitted only three times in his career, and if he can stay out of Sass’ guard for extended periods of time he should be able to avoid a fourth.
Edson Barboza vs. Jacob Volkmann
Edson Barboza was quick to argue about the stoppage after the shocking first round upset by Varner, but the fact is that he was not defending himself as Varner continued to drop hammer fists on his face. Some will point towards his stumble as he stood up as the point where the fight changed, but his opponent pounced on him, as he should have. Now Barboza has to recover from his first career defeat, and he should be matched against another individual who was stopped in the first round after running up an impressive win streak: Jacob Volkmann.
Volkmann is an intriguing character in the lightweight division, as he was riding a five-fight win streak going into UFC 146. However, with each bout it seemed as if he was falling further and further down the event card. Being a winning but “boring” fighter bode well for your career when employed by the UFC. However, if he is kept on the roster, as he should, Volkmann would be a stern test for Barboza, who has yet to fight for an extended period off of his back.
Barboza is a vicious striker that uses leg kicks to ruin any idea of movement around the cage. In his most recent fight, Varner was eating kick after kick, and his legs were already showing the effects before he landed that big shot. The question in this proposed fight would be whether Volkmann would be able to close the distance and secure takedowns, while avoiding major damage from Barboza’s strikes. If he could impose his “ground and grind” strategy, it would be a long night for Barboza. However, if Barboza’s takedown defense works in his favor, you could easily expect him to continue to pick Volkmann apart until he earns some version of a KO victory.
While the main card fights may have been over quickly, UFC 146 was an exciting card from top to bottom. Multiple highlight reel knockouts, submissions, and even solid fights that went the distance gave UFC fans enough to talk about until the next event. The fights that these winners and losers are placed into going forward will shape the direction of their careers for years to come.
