A long series of upsets have left the UFC's light-heavyweight division in disarray. With no apparent challenger lined up for champion Rampage Jackson, I thought I might indulge in a bit of fantasy match-making. Below are five fights that I feel would establish two consecutive, number one contenders, and help sort out the division.
1. Forrest Griffin vs. Keith Jardine
This rematch needs to take place. Jardine beat Griffin, but went on to lose to Alexander. Griffin went on to beat Hector Ramirez. Then Griffin and Jardine went on to upset what were considered the number 1 and 3 light-heavyweight fighters, respectively: Shogun Rua and Chuck Liddell. The trajectory of their careers has changed drastically, from B-level reality show stars to Top 10 fighters. Having knocked off the two contenders at the top, Griffin and Jardine should rematch to determine who Rampage fights next.
2. Shogun Rua vs. Thiago Silva
Initially I was going to suggest Shogun vs. Sobral, but with Sobral getting cut from the UFC and signing with Strikeforce I really don't see that happening, so just forget it. By knocking out world-beater Houston Alexander, Silva put himself on the fast-track to a title shot. Shogun's stellar extra-promotional accomplishments still hold a lot of clout, so he is still in the mix, albeit a few more fights away from the top since his disastrous loss to Griffin. A win here ought to contribute significantly to a title shot.
3. Winner of Shogun vs. Silva versus Winner of Sokoudjou vs. Ryoto Machida
Sokoudjou/Machida cannot serve as a number one contender fight, as neither have been visible enough in the UFC--for Sokoudjou, it's because this will be his first fight for the promotion, and for Machida, it's because he's been in the dark bouts, or in boring televised fights. A win here would be significant, though, setting either of them up as being only two fights away from a title shot.
4. Winner of fight 3 vs. Winner of Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell
This is my next number one contender fight. Two victories over top-level opposition would put Liddell in line for a legit title shot, despite his two losses to Rampage. Similarly, two victories plus his PRIDE FC credentials (which include two wins over Rampage) would set Wanderlei up nicely for a run at the champ, should he get past the winner of fight 3. And if Shogun, Silva, Sokoudjou, or Machida make it this far, they would have definitely earned their spot.
5. Loser of Griffin vs. Jardine versus Winner of Jason Lambert vs. Wilson Gouveia
This fight would help inject some fresh talent into the title race. Lambert has shown a move towards the upper echelon with his TKO win over Renato Sobral. A win over Lambert would do the same thing for Gouveia. For either of these fighters to convincingly take a step up the UFC ranks, they would have to get past either Griffin or Jardine.
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