Most hardcore mixed martial arts fans would agree with the statement that the heavyweight division is the least talented weight class in the sport. And the UFC’s announcement this week that Cain Velasquez will face Fabricio Werdum in a rematch of their world title bout from UFC 188 did nothing to dispel this notion. that is lacking the most when it comes to talent, said fan would easily agree. Looking at this fight and the rest of the division, it’s easy to see how sad the state of heavyweight MMA has become.
It is hard to understand why the organization did not decide to go in a different direction when it came to selecting a title challenger for Werdum. In other instances, the UFC has showed a willingness to make challenger selections based on entertainment rather than the essence of sport. For example, Conor McGregor was not the top-ranked featherweight contender when he was selected to face Jose Aldo (nor when he fought Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight title) at UFC 189, nor was Bethe Correia when she challenged Ronda Rousey at UFC 190. The matchmakers have the power and the flexibility to create fights with both short-term and long-term planning at heart. That’s why making this rematch so quickly was a mistake.
The first Werdum-Velasquez fight was not close, with the Brazilian snatching away the title with a third-round submission. But even before that point, Werdum was outstriking the champion in nearly every exchange — so much so that Velasquez’s corner instructed him to shoot for the takedown, which set up the finish. Since this fight wasn’t close, an immediate rematch does not sound very sensible when it comes to matchmaking. It’s true that Velasquez was coming back from an injury layoff, but that brings up another question: Why would the UFC risk putting the title back around his waist so soon when he has been prone to missing large chunks of time?
Velasquez has never been a huge PPV draw, but he does have a stronger name than any other individual in the heavyweight division. (At least until Werdum has the opportunity to build his brand as a champion.) However, one may ask what other options did the UFC have at this time? Junior dos Santos has a win over Werdum, but he’s been rumored to fight Alistair Overeem for some time, and that appears to be the direction that the UFC wants to go with those two competitors. If that fight does occur, the winner may be fast-tracked to a title shot. Stipe Miocic and Andrei Arlovski are two other names worth mentioning, but Miocic is slated to face Ben Rothwell in Dublin, Ireland at UFC Fight Night 76, while Arlovski is hoping to push his win streak to six when he faces the resurgent Frank Mir at UFC 191. Wins for both men will help them stake their claims to title shots, regardless of who is holding the belt when that time comes.
There is one additional name out there that could have been considered for Werdum’s first title defense: Fedor Emelianenko. A few weeks ago, rumors were swirling that Emelianenko was planning a return to competition. Long considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, the UFC has long coveted having Emelianenko on its roster. At 39 years old, he may not be the great champion he once was, but he has the drawing power to leapfrog the entire heavyweight division. He already has the built-in storyline of wanting payback against Werdum for that fateful night five years ago at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum when the Brazilian ended his undefeated streak in a stunning upset. Even though his return has yet to be confirmed, the excitement that would come from news of Fedor signing with the UFC would immediately make Emelianenko a viable contender for the belt, even if his career is long past its high point.
The fact that a fighter coming out of retirement might be the best option to fight for the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2015 only serves to underscore just how devoid of truly deserving and bankable heavyweight contenders the UFC has. Notwithstanding the late resurgence of Arlovski (a man who was memorably knocked unconscious by Fedor), the above names all hit their ceilings within the division already and are each trying to find some measure of redemption in one last run. And when it comes to prospects, the cupboard is truly bare.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what route the organization could have gone, as they have chosen to give Velasquez another shot at the belt. The heavyweight division doesn’t have a contender like McGregor or Donald Cerrone that immediately leaps out at fans and MMA experts alike. The UFC missed an opportunity to build a new storyline with different faces in the title picture, but with the sad state of the weight class, the organization didn’t quite have the pieces.
