By Showdown Joe Ferraro

Another week of intriguing questions, comments and suggestions from MMA fans. The majority were addressed within Twitter’s 140 character limit, but some required some more space to address. And here they are:

@showdownjoe Do you think Urijah Faber will earn another title shot with a victory over Ivan Menjivar? He’s #2 in the updated UFC rankings.

— Sean Bio (@Sean_Bio) February 20, 2013

I guess the answer is both fighters can technically deserve a title shot should they emerge victorious, but there are intangibles that must be addressed first.

It all starts off simply winning. For Faber, the number two ranked bantamweight, he must first defend his spot vs Menjivar, who is currently ranked 10. I’d rather not get into rankings theories, but if the number 10 defeats the number two, should he not get a title shot as well?

If Faber wins, he may have to wait, pending whether or not current champion Dominick Cruz is ready to return by the summer, to unify the title with interim champ Renan Barao. That’s the fight the majority of folks want to see. But if he is unable to return, then that opens the door for someone to slide in, be it Faber or Menjivar.

Seeing as Barao and Faber fought a somewhat close affair last June, I could see them putting on the rematch, but then again, you never know what the UFC matchmaking team has up their sleeves.

@showdownjoe Alexander Gustafsson could get a title shot with a win against Gegard Mousasi. Is he more ready than say, Glover Teixeira?

— Kevan Karanjia (@KevanK9) February 20, 2013

With a record of 15-1, and victories over Shogun Rua and Thiago Silva, “The Mauler” is fairly deserving of a title shot, although I’d still like to see him rematch Phil Davis, they only man who has handed the big Swede a defeat.

As for Glover, he’s 20-2, with his biggest win coming in his most recent fight vs Rampage Jackson, but his current stock value is still growing. The UFC and the fans would likely much rather see Alexander get the title shot ahead of Glover, but in my analysis, Teixeira is a more difficult match up for Jones or Sonnen, whomever emerges victorious. I can explain, further, when and if the “stars align themselves.”

@showdownjoe Why do you think the UFC matched up Nate Marquardt with Jake Ellenberger instead of Tyron Woodley?Which match would you favour?

— S K (@Kreuts) February 20, 2013

I sincerely believed T-Wood was going to get the Ellenberger fight, seeing as Tyron was coming off a stellar knockout victory, while Nate is coming off a defeat. Woodley defeated Jay Hieron in 36 seconds, while Ellenberger went the distance with Jay.

But it appears the UFC has other plans for Woodley, who is still on stand by should another welterweight fall off the UFC 158 card. Marquardt is a tough match up for Ellenberger, but will have to be on point, as I believe Jake is a worse matchup for him than Saffiedine. Not in the striking department, but in the overall MMA department.

@showdownjoe will we ever see a FW WW MW or LHW title fight on free TV, as long as the respective champs retain their titles?

— Alex Bruyere (@auggie85) February 20, 2013

Never say never, but it would all depend on what the UFC’s mandate is with FOX. At the moment, Pay Per View is their biggest bread and butter, so unless they can make the same coin via free tv as they would if GSP, Anderson and Bones were headlining a PPV, I highly doubt this will take place.

As for “FW”, yes – I can see them showcasing Jose Aldo Jr on free tv, to help build his marketability, outside of Brazil. He’s a star there, but not so much (yet) globally.

With all that being said, can you imagine the ratings if GSP competed on free tv? Perhaps the UFC should reengage these conversations and weigh the pros vs the cons.

@showdownjoe is Bader a stepup, sidestep or a backstep in competition for glover?

— Chris Belzil (@Paperboy_ca) February 20, 2013

Further to my comments above, Glover’s stock is continuing to rise. A victory over Bader will build it up further. I think it’s the “right step” for Glover, in fact, for Bader as well. Teixeira is a monster and another solid test for Ryan.

“Darth” has already been in there with some of the best, and while he hasn’t always emerged victorious, with the right strategy, he can pose problems for anyone at 205 lbs.

I believe Ryan has to use his wrestling to put Glover on his back – standing and trading with him is a far to risky plan of attack. Glover on his back is where Ryan will obviously be the safest. Glover on top of him on the ground is bad news, so that’s where Bader will have to work diligently to reverse the position. Ryan’s submission game has come a long way, but grounding and pounding a victory is the best way to beat this Brazilian monster.