With UFC 151 cancelled, it has been nearly a month since a major MMA event, and another two weeks to go until 152 gets here with its overall strong card but an oddly make-shift main event. If you like to bet on NFL football, you may be excited about the start of the 2012 season… but as strictly an MMA aficionado, I’m getting restless without my weekly dose of fights.
There’s plenty of blame to share for the cancellation of UFC 151, and I’m not going to beat the dead horse that has already been well-beaten in so many MMA blogs. Instead, let’s just put this one behind us and look forward to Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort.
Wait, Vitor Belfort? Why is the reigning, dominant light-heavyweight champion who is #2 on our Division Dominance list, defending his title against the #5 middleweight? The answer is simple: Jones has thoroughly cleared out his division, having destroyed the majority of the 205 Top 10 without suffering so much as a cut or a black eye in process. Dan Henderson is injured, and former champions Lyoto Machida and Shogun Rua are not exactly raring at the bit to fight Jones again and try to regain the title they once held. Alexander Gustaffson or Glover Texeira are the only legitimate options left for Jones, and that’s assuming at least one of them gets past their next challenge. This is why middleweight contenders like Belfort, Chael Sonnen, and even Chris Weidman are offering to throw themselves into the 205 mix. But short of a huge stroke of luck, such as the one that visited Belfort when he defeated Randy Couture for the light-heavyweight title, it’s hard to imagine these middleweights giving ‘Bones’ much of a fight.
There is however one middleweight who would be one hell of a challenge for Jones. I am talking of course about the champion and the greatest fighter of his generation, Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva. Keep reading to see why I believe this match-up would be great for all the parties involved:
For Jon Jones:
Turning down Chael Sonnen as a late-notice replacement for Dan Henderson did not endear Jones to many fans. His public image was already on shaky ground due to his polarizing personality and recent OWI incident, and whether fair or not he now shoulders a large portion of the blame for UFC 151 cancellation. Accepting a fight against Anderson Silva would certainly quiet most detractors, and winning that fight would make a strong case for Jones being the greatest fighter in MMA to date. It would also be a better matchup than anyone else available at 205 or 185 lbs.
For Anderson Silva:
While there are a number of names ‘in the mix’ for the middleweight title hunt, none of them make me particularly excited as a potential opponent for the champion. Apparently the prospect of fighting the Weidmans, Boetschs, or Bispings of the division does not move Silva either, hence Anderson is taking some time off for the middleweights to sort themselves out and gearing up for a super-fight against Georges St. Pierre. But with GSP coming off a serious injury and a long layoff, I believe the combination of ring rust and a very crafty opponent in Carlos Condit will put a damper on the plans of a catch-weight bout with Silva.
Even if St. Pierre gets past Condit, it would still be much more appealing to see a Silva for the light-heavyweight title instead. Defeating Jones would cement Silva’s already impressive legacy, making him the only man to hold two UFC titles simultaneously, and would be a crowning achievement of the Spider’s career.
For the UFC:
Let’s face it, UFC has hit quite a slump this year. Fighter injuries and scheduling changes led to a few lackluster cards, which in turn caused a decline in TV ratings, Pay-Per-View numbers, and overall popularity of the product. Silva – Sonnen rematch has been the highlight of the summer, but even that was overshadowed by UFC having to cancel an entire event for the first time.
Jon Jones vs Anderson Silva for the light-heavyweight title would be just the thing to get this stalled hype machine rolling again.
For the fans:
Not much needs to be said here. Is there any MMA fan who would not like to see this fight? Make it happen, Dana White & Joe Silva!