Let’s start by acknowledging that UFC 171 was awesome. The main event is the current clubhouse leader in the Fight of the Year race, and Saturday night was exactly what the UFC needed.
After having Georges St-Pierre abdicate his throne and the welterweight division enter a state of limbo, Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler put on the best title fight the division had seen in some time in Dallas, going back-and-forth for 25 amazing minutes, with Hendricks coming away as the new undisputed UFC welterweight champion.
This was a gutsy performance from the four-time All-American wrestler, as Lawler carried all the momentum into the final five minutes, only to have Hendricks storm back to win the round and the title.
While there will always be those that saw things differently in a close fight of this nature, the one thing everyone agrees on is that the UFC 171 main event was outstanding.
And now comes the hard part—figuring out what comes next for the new champion.
UFC 171 was supposed to help establish a clear pecking order in the 170-pound ranks, but that didn’t come to pass, as Tyron Woodley upset Carlos Condit and Hector Lombard defeated Jake Shields, creating a situation where there is no consensus No. 1 contender to tab as the first to face Hendricks.
In a fair and just world Woodley would get the shot—“The Chosen One” looked very good against Condit, blasted Josh Koscheck before that, and his only setback since joining the UFC was a questionable split-decision loss to Shields back at UFC 161.
But decisions like this aren’t made on who deserves the fight, and that’s why I don’t see Woodley, Lombard or even Canadian Rory MacDonald—whom Joe Rogan said he thinks should get the first crack at the new champ—squaring off with the new king of the welterweight ranks.
I think it’s going to be Nick Diaz.
This is unfortunate because Diaz has done absolutely nothing to merit a shot at Hendricks, but there is no denying that he’s the biggest name of the bunch and his presence in Dallas this week wasn’t a coincidence.
Sure, he was there to support his friend and teammate Shields, but the fact that the UFC was spotlighting him during the weigh-ins and the pay-per-view broadcast speaks volumes. The former Strikeforce champ made it clear to Showdown Joe that he’s ready to come back and wants a shot at the title.
I can’t stress this enough: I hate the idea from a sporting perspective.
Diaz hasn’t fought since his bout with GSP exactly one year ago today (March 16), is riding a two-fight losing streak and hasn’t won since beating BJ Penn at UFC 137 in October 2011. To elevate him over fighters like Woodley, Lombard and MacDonald—guys that have been competing and earning victories against top-15 competition—would be a slap in the face to those athletes who have earned their way into the title picture.
But the polarizing pugilist from Stockton, California is a draw and a more marquee match-up at this point, and the UFC has never been overly concerned about whether a bout makes sense. If it can make a lot of dollars, it can happen.
This one would, and therefore, I think it will, as much as it hurts to admit.
Here’s what I see happening with the rest of Saturday’s main card winners.
Tyron Woodley vs. Rory MacDonald
With Woodley potentially getting bumped from a title bout, it makes sense to pair him with MacDonald in an effort to establish a clear No. 1 contender. The American Top Team product continues to improve and was winning the fight before Condit’s knee went out, and his heavy hands and physical approach could be trouble for “Ares.”
While MacDonald looked great over the final 10 minutes of his bout with Demian Maia, he was beaten by Lawler fairly recently, and won a clunker against Jake Ellenberger before that. He needs one more big win to earn his shot, and a pairing with Woodley would do the trick.
UFC 174 is three months away, so it might be wishful thinking, but a Woodley vs. MacDonald co-main event would be fun.
Myles Jury vs. Jim Miller/Bobby Green Winner
As expected, Jury mixed things up well and battered Diego Sanchez on Saturday night, leaving “The Dream” cut and bloodied yet again. The Alliance MMA product is now 14-0 overall, and deserves a place in the top 15, not to mention a bout with a legitimate contender next time out.
Whoever emerges from next month’s bout between Green and Miller would fit the bill.
Green is riding a seven-fight winning streak (3-0 UFC) and coming off a win over Pat Healy. If he adds Miller to that run, he’s a top-10 lightweight and a quality dance partner for Jury. However, getting through Miller is no easy task, as the bearded New Jersey native is a perennial contender coming off a slick submission win, and could certainly halt Green’s roll.
Either way, winner gets Jury and the lightweight division gets a new contender.
Hector Lombard vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Called this one earlier in the month after Kim’s stunning finish of John Hathaway in Macau. Lombard has nasty power and they’re both judo players, so it would be a cool stylistic bout, plus each man needs another signature win against top competition before being real title contenders.
Ovince St. Preux vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante
We haven’t heard much out from “Feijao” since his win over Igor Pokrajac last November, but the former Strikeforce champ would be a good dance partner for the still-developing former University of Tennessee football standout. St. Preux has power and athleticism to spare, and needs to start facing bigger names in order to determine if he’s capable of climbing the ladder.
If Joe Silva and the UFC really want to get crafty, I’d love to see them toss OSP in the cage with someone like Ryan Bader, just to see what happens. Bader is a solid name and commands a little more attention than Cavalcante.