Long division: A closer look at the mixed bag of UFC light heavyweight contenders

http://www.mmamania.com/2011/5/2/2150226/the-mixed-bag-of-contenders-that-is-the-205-lbs-division



UFC 129: "St. Pierre vs. Shields" is officially in the books and as a Torontonian, I thought it was a great event and possibly the best UFC event I've seen in a long time (number two is probably UFC 116).

So, after watching such a great card and of course, as many of you know, being the biggest fan of Lyoto Machida other than his Urologist, I decided to share some thoughts on the division he currently competes in.

First and foremost, I know there seems to be a lot of Randy Couture haters lurking and while I've always appreciated his work, I too admit he's gotten a lot of the demands he's asked for throughout his career.

Yet, there can be no doubt, the man is a legend. Hat's off to you "Natural," you'll be remembered fondly.

So, with "Captain America" out of the picture, a few things seem to open up within the UFC light heavyweight division.

Let's take a closer look:



Of course, I have to talk about my boy Machida.

Now I won't criticize those of you who have been throwing Lyoto's own piss at him in hate, only to now shower him with awesomeness after he broke his losing skid. But, as a loyal fan through thick and thin, it is nice to see the man get a "W" in such stunning fashion.

Some people have been saying Lyoto should fight division champion Jon Jones immediately and I have to disagree. I think Lyoto needs one more victory in order to qualify for a title shot. I'd like to see him fight Ryan Bader once "Darth" takes care of Tito Ortiz.

That fight is just around the corner and means Lyoto doesn't have to wait too long for his next match-up.



Rashad seems to have no luck these days.

First he blows out his knee before a title shot. Then his stablemate calls him out for no particular reason prior to backing out their title match. So next, he faces Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis.

To be honest, I think this is a worse match-up for him than Jon Jones. Why? Well, he doesn't have the knowledge advantage that he had with "Bones," in seeing what he does in practice. Also, losing to the champ still means you're a contender. Losing to another contender knocks you down a peg.

I think this fight dictates where Rashad will be over the next 12 months.



Mauricio Rua is a warrior on the brink of a rebound.

However, an old nemesis stands in his way. Many people seem to think that "Shogun" has his rematch with Forrest Griffin in the bag.

I'm not so sure.

The Brazilian's biggest enemy has traditionally been himself. I was among a few who were worried when we heard that "Shogun" had not adapted his gameplan when he found out Jon Jones was his new challenger for UFC 128. I think that he can beat Forrest, but Mr. Griffin always has a few tricks (and a good gameplan) up his sleeve.

This will not be an easy fight for Mr. Rua and like Rashad, this fight will tell us about his future over the next 12 months.



I think Quinton Jackson is, next to Rashad, the closest to a title shot.

That is of course, provided he gets by Matt Hamill. This looks like an easy fight on paper and while I am also inclined to say "Rampage" should have this in the bag, you never know in MMA. With a win, Jackson is likely next in line for a title shot, provided Rashad loses.

So as you all can see, there are a lot of moving parts in this division. If "A" loses, "B" may have a shot, but "C" can also jump the line.

So Maniacs, what is your outlook for the future of these contenders in the 205-pound division?