Maybe UFC should call their Versus fight cards “UFC Presents: Jon Jones and the UFC Players.” On consecutive occasions on the newest home of the top MMA promotion in the world, Jones has been dominant to say the least. In Sunday’s main event, Jones defeated Vladimir Matyushenko, a 13-year veteran of the sport, faster than anyone ever has.
Among the “players” supporting the dominant performance of Jones was almost equally dominant Takanori Gomi, who took the occasion of his fight against Tyson Griffin to prove that he is not washed up. Gomi became the first fighter to stop the near-contender and breathed life into his career, which many felt was no longer suited for the highest level of competition.
Who might Gomi fight to re-affirm his status near the top of the lightweight division? Who might Jones, who refused to call anyone out after his victory, next victimize? What about Yushin Okami and Jake Ellenberger, who each one their respective fights? They all have options, and this is their breakdown.
Jon Jones
Option 1: Rich Franklin
After dispatching of Vladimir Matyushenko, Jones announced that he wanted to be the best in the world. He said that he wanted to fight the best in the world. UFC president Dana White said that Jones would fight a “top eight” light heavyweight. Jones’ head coach, Greg Jackson, was a little less bullish, expressing a reluctance to rush Jones into the proverbial fire atop the UFC’s light heavyweight division. A fight for Jones against former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin may be the best option for all concerned parties.
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Franklin’s knockout of Chuck Liddell allowed him to enter the discussion as a contender at light heavyweight, but he is still on the fringe. His status in the UFC would give Jones the opportunity to gain additional notoriety, win or lose, and according to Heavy.com’s July MMA ranking, Franklin is ranked eighth, which would meet White’s requirement of giving Jones a top eight opponent while presumably satisfying Jackson’s desire not to rush Jones along too quickly. A win over Franklin would obviously be a huge deal for Jones’ yet young career, while a loss would be little more than a minor setback for the dominant 23-year-old.
Option 2: Forrest Griffin
If not Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin would probably be the next best choice to satisfy the desires of all concerned parties. On paper, the former UFC light heavyweight champion would be a tougher test than Franklin, but Griffin has certainly made it look easy to beat him against fighters such as Anderson Silva, Rashad Evans, and Keith Jardine, the latter two being teammates of Jones.
Jones’ reach advantage may be a nightmare for Griffin, but Jones has admitted that his weakness is his jiu-jitsu, which Griffin can exploit if given the chance to do so. Jones v. Griffin is the more intriguing style matchup given Griffin’s legitimate light heavyweight frame and more well rounded style as compared to Franklin. The fight has the added benefit of being an even higher profile contest than Jones v. Franklin, which should be appealing to all involved parties.
Yushin Okami
Option 1: Demian Maia
Okami’s victory over Mark Munoz led UFC president Dana White to conclude that Okami is in line for a UFC middleweight title shot. Former contender Demian Maia just lost his opponent, Alan Belcher, for his September 15 bout. It would be a quick turnaround for Okami made more difficult by the travel requirements associated with living and training in Japan and fighting in the US.
It would be a big sacrifice for Okami to make, but such sacrifices define champions. Win or lose, Okami would certainly put himself into the good graces of White by stepping up and taking the fight against Maia, health permitting. A win over Maia would all but lock up a title shot for Okami, who is the last fighter to earn a victory over current champion Anderson Silva.
Option 2: Chris Leben
Leben should be fighting Wanderlei Silva once Silva is healthy, put apparently that fight will not be happening for the time being. It’s a shame, but it may mean that Leben is on a shorter road to title contention. If anyone deserves it, it’s Leben, whose back-to-back victories in the span of two weeks and three consecutive victories in 2010 make his year among the best in MMA. Okami wouldn’t be the ideal opponent to get the best out of Leben, but where Mark Munoz couldn’t stand toe to toe with Okami, Leben absolutely would. The winner would certainly be in the title mix.
Jake Ellenberger
Option 1: The winner of Nate Diaz v. Marcus Davis (UFC 118, August 28)
It would be easy to say that Ellenberger took a big step forward in his career by virtue of his strong performance against John Howard who had previously been undefeated in the UFC, but Ellenberger has looked great since joining the UFC. Still, even though Ellenberger raised an enormous hematoma under the left eye of Howard, he is not yet a household name. A fight with the winner of Nate Diaz and Marcus Davis’ UFC 118 contest will give Ellenberger the opportunity to announce himself in the UFC’s welterweight division. Diaz’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would be an interesting contrast to Ellenberger’s wrestling, and both Diaz and Davis would present a tougher challenge on the feet than did Howard.
Option 2: Rick Story
In 2008, Story beat Ellenberger via unanimous decision. The fight was largely uneventful and Story did enough to have clearly won the fight but not enough to come close to putting Ellenberger away. At the end of the fight, Ellenberger showed his frustration, yelling at story and flipping him off. Both Story and Ellenberger have improved greatly in the subsequent two years since their first bout, and both are up and comers in the UFC’s welterweight division. A rematch would have some built in juice for both competitors and should be another good test that should be more exciting than their first fight.
Takanori Gomi
Option 1: George Sotiropoulos
Admittedly, this isn’t the greatest match up of styles. However, this is a match that makes sense relative to each fighter’s accomplishments. Gomi’s stoppage of Tyson Griffin was more impressive than the victories over Griffin by such fighters as Evan Dunham, former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk, and current UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. When a fighter has done something better than those three, it can only mean good things.
Likewise, Sotiropoulos remained undefeated in the UFC after beating Kurt Pellegrino. He is nearing a title shot, and a win over the former Pride lightweight champion would move him ever closer, while a victory for Gomi would put the first blemish on Sotiropoulos UFC record and would put an end to any lingering doubt about whether or not Gomi’s back to his Pride form. Doing that would likewise put him on the short list for a UFC lightweight title shot.
Option 2: The winner of Evan Dunham v. Sean Sherk (UFC 119, September 25)
It was hardly an overt gesture, but Gomi’s TKO over Griffin on some level represents a gauntlet being thrown down to both Dunham and Sherk. Both men defeated Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision, and they will face each other next in a match that should put the winner close to if not in a title match. Yet, there Gomi will remain with the knowledge that he stopped a guy in 64 seconds that either of these two near-contenders could not. Giving Gomi an opportunity to prove the value of that MMA math equation would be appropriate and, regardless of whether Dunham or Sherk beats the other, should make for an entertaining fight against Gomi.