UFC 163 is just around the corner, and
Jose Aldo will defend his UFC Featherweight Championship once again.
He is set to take on The Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jung, in the night’s main event. In that bout, we know what is at stake.
The light heavyweight co-main event
isn’t so clear.
Phil Davis is undefeated since his lone loss to Rashad Evans, at UFC on Fox 2. Davis submitted Wagner Prado
two months after their first bout was halted by an accidental eye
poke, and he then took a unanimous decision over jiu-jitsu ace Vinny Magalhaes in April, at UFC 159.
He is currently ranked #7 in the
division, according to the UFC’s own internal rankings. A win over
Lyoto Machida, ranked #1, could move him into prime position to lay
claim to the next title shot. That is what is at stake for Davis.
The Brazilian crowd will see Machida
compete at home for the first time since 2006. “The Dragon” will
be trying to thwart Davis’ ascension in the divisional ranks with
an emphatic win.
Since losing the UFC Light Heavyweight
Championship, Machida has had an up-and-down tenure in the UFC. He
followed up his KO loss at UFC 113 with a contentious split decision
loss to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 123, and then crane kicked Randy Couture into retirement, which earned him a shot at Jon
Jones’ crown.
Following the Jones defeat, Machida won
his next two fights. However, the circumstances surrounding those
victories make this fight at UFC 163 very interesting.
After Machida’s win over Ryan Bader at
UFC on Fox 4 he was awarded the next title shot. Or so everyone was
told.
He was offered a UFC 151 fight with
Jones on short notice after Dan Henderson was hurt. Machida turned
down that fight, which set the wheels in motion for the UFC’s first
ever canceled event. Also, according to UFC President Dana White at the UFC World Tour media scrum, Jones did not want to fight
Machida, as he has already defeated him.
Machida then took on Dan Henderson in a
fight to determine the next title challenger, or so we were told once
again. Machida took a decision at UFC 157 in a lackluster bout, but
once again he was not awarded the title shot.
Is a title shot on the line for
Machida? It is becoming harder and harder to deny him[,] regardless
of his last fight with Jones. Three top 10 wins in a row should earn
him a title shot, but that may not come to fruition.
So what is at stake at UFC 163 for
Machida?
A loss would end any hope of a title
shot for Machida in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. At his age,
it will be increasingly difficult to make another run at the title,
especially with Jones is the champion, and his reign does not appear
to have an end in sight. Machida must win in order to make noise for
the shot.
A win may not get him the next crack at
the strap, but a loss would likely eliminate any chance he has at
ever holding the eight pounds of gold again. This is a critical fight
in the career of Machida, and Davis has all the incentive to take his
place atop the rankings. The stakes may not be clear, but there is no
doubt that they are high.
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UFC 163: Aldo vs. Jung is due to take place on August 3, 2013 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 163 will be.
