Mark Hominick
Option 1: Leonard Garcia
It’s very tempting to suggest Chan Sung Jung as opposed to Leonard Garcia here. Not only did it seem as though Jung actually beat Garcia in their fight, but Jung is certainly the more technical striker of the two, which would make for some intriguing exchanges with a technical kickboxer such as Hominick. Alas, judges decisions cannot be overturned by logic and reasoning alone, and thus, Leonard Garcia is a practical choice of opponent for Hominick’s next fight. Given the great reception for Garcia v. Jung and the fact that Hominick v. Jabouin was even better, it’s tough to imagine Hominick v. Garcia turning out to be anything but an exciting stand up battle for as long as it lasts. Perhaps more importantly and in no small part because of their recent crowd-pleasing performances, a win for either Hominick or Garcia over the other would put either in the thick of title contention in WEC’s Featherweight division. Imagine: Mark Hominick as a title contender. It feels strange to suggest such a thing, but winning high profiles matches and the favor of the crowd will earn a fighter such an opportunity.
Option 2: Tyler Toner
If the thought of Hominick as a title contender is a bit much to swallow just yet, then consider an alternative stand up battle. Toner most recently ended the undefeated streak of Brandon Visher by TKO in the first round. Again, with Hominick’s superb performance against Yves Jabouin, any fight of his with a talented striker should be one that will captivate fans. A win for either Hominick or Toner would not put either in title contention, but a strong showing would should position the winner very close to title contention.
Josh Grispi
Option 1: Leonard Garcia
Since his dismantling of Jens Pulver, I’ve felt that Grispi is the future of the WEC Featherweight division. After his win over L.C. Davis, it seems clear that he has the best chance of any Featherweight to defeat current WEC champion Jose Aldo. That having been said and despite his superb performance against Davis, Grispi is not yet ready to fight Aldo. Fighting an aggressive striker like Garcia won’t exactly prepare Grispi for Aldo, who is on a whole other level of striking from not just Garcia but from every Featherweight, but it will give Grispi the invaluable experience of fighting a former title contender. Those sorts of experiences will be what it will take to prepare Grispi to fight, and perhaps defeat, Aldo.
Option 2: Chad Mendes
Mendes, the training partner of former WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber, is still flying under the radar, but he may well have a claim to being the next great Featherweight rather than Grispi. Now that Faber is out of the Featherweight division, at least for the time being, Mendes can begin in earnest his ascent to contender’s status. A match against Grispi would very likely create a top contender by virtue of both fighters success, with the victor remaining undefeated in the WEC or, in the case of Mendes, in his career. Realistically, the winner should fight at least once more prior to challenging Aldo, but a battle between two young, extremely talented Featherweights may be both difficult to ignore as an option and as a contender eliminator.
Chris Horodecki
Option 1: Will Kerr
Horodecki was able to fully showcase his abilities against Danny Downes, who may be the only fighter who looks younger than Horodecki. Given that Downes took the fight on just four days notice, it’s difficult to argue that Horodecki should move significantly up in the WEC’s Lightweight rankings. Another fighter showcased in WEC 49 earned was Will Kerr, who earned television time by submitting Karen Darabedyan in the first round. Kerr, whose only other WEC fight was a loss to Kamal Shalorus, is a game opponent but one who Horodecki should be able to best if he is to be seriously considered among the top Lightweights in the WEC. The fact that Horodecki and Kerr fought on the same show should make the match easier to schedule, though Horodecki did appear to suffer at least a broken nose in his fight, which may put his timeline for a return to action slightly off from that of Kerr.
Option 2: Ed Ratcliff
The Ratcliff option is a concession to the obvious, but the match up is one that makes great sense for Horodecki. Ratcliff is very much tailor made to be part of one of the several epic battles in which Horodecki has been involved. At the same time, though Ratcliff may be able to get the better of him, Horodecki should be able to best Ratcliff in a kickboxing match, as his training with Shawn Tompkins should allow Horodecki to hone his skills to a degree above and beyond the Tae Kwon Do-based striking of Ratcliff.
Eddie Wineland
Option 1: Scott Jorgensen
A match versus Charlie Valencia, against whom Wineland was originally scheduled to compete, makes a lot of sense from a stylistic point of view, but as was pointed out during the WEC 49 broadcast, Wineland’s victory over Will Campuzano was his third in a row. That is to say that Wineland has moved beyond Charlie Valencia and into the nebulous “almost a contender” region. As such, it’s reasonable that the former and first-ever WEC Bantamweight champion should be given an opportunity to earn himself another shot at the title. A fight against Scott Jorgensen, who must at this moment be considered the top contender after Joseph Benavidez, would be such an opportunity. Of course, even without the title implications, Wineland v. Jorgensen is one hell of a fight on paper.
Option 2: Damacio Page
Everything true of a match between Wineland and Jorgensen is true of a match up between Wineland and Damacio Page. It would help to create a top Bantamweight contender in the WEC, and the match up is one that should not fail to entertain. The only concern with this option is the timeline of Page’s return to action. In his two most recently scheduled fights, Page was unable to compete due to injury. Might the founding of Page’s own MMA promotion, Southwest Cage Fighting, along with his injuries, lead Page to remain outside of the cage for the foreseeable future?