At the start of March, Alexander Gustafsson held up his end of the bargain, collecting a second-round knockout win over Jimi Manuwa in London.
Saturday night in Baltimore, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones battered challenger Glover Teixeira to earn his seventh consecutive title defence and make a rematch with “The Mauler” all but official.
This was one of the most impressive performances of Jones’ career — if not his best outing to date — as the champion took the fight to the Brazilian from the outset and once again dispatched a would-be challenger by beating them at their own game. Rather than stay in space as many expected, Jones closed the distance and fought Teixeira in tight, out-worked him and opened him up on the way to a unanimous decision win.
Already the holder of numerous records in the light heavyweight division, Jones is now in the process of adding to his already impressive legacy, one that has him on track to be the best fighter in the history of the sport, if he’s not there already.
The next step in the process is a rematch with Gustafsson, a bout that stands as one of the most anticipated showdowns in recent memory.
Last September in Toronto, the rangy Swede pushed the champion harder than anyone had in the past, forcing Jones to come from behind in order to retain his title at UFC 165. With each having earned victories in the interim, their paths will cross again some time later this year.
UFC president Dana White suggested at Saturday’s post-fight press conference that the organization has kicked around the idea of holding the event as an outdoor stadium show in Sweden. Friends Arena in Stockholm holds roughly 50,000 for soccer, so with additional seating on the turf, there is the potential for the UFC to top the attendance record set at UFC 129 should they take that route.
While the where and the when is still to be determined, the bout is pretty much a done deal and that should make fight fans extremely happy.
Here’s a look at what the fights I would make for the rest of Saturday’s UFC 172 main card winners.
Anthony Johnson vs. Ryan Bader/Rafael Cavalcante winner
While I’d much rather see “Rumble” face the winner of the upcoming Daniel Cormier/Dan Henderson bout, I think they’ll keep the winner of that one in line for a title shot, rather than risk them against Johnson.
As such, a date with whoever emerges victorious in Vancouver seems like the right fit. Though Johnson just defeated fourth-ranked Phil Davis, he’ll need a couple more wins before he’s officially “in the mix” and given the overall lack of options available to him, facing Bader or “Feijao” might be the best he can hope for at this time.
Luke Rockhold vs. Yoel Romero
I have to stick to my selection from last week here and pair Rockhold with Romero, who big-brothered Brad Tavares last weekend in Orlando.
Rockhold looked great in locking up a quick submission win over Tim Boetsch Saturday night, and while he lobbied for a rematch with Vitor Belfort or a dance with Michael Bisping, a showdown with the surging former Olympic silver medallist feels like the way to go. Romero needs a namebrand opponent and there aren’t many guys on winning streaks in a comparable position to Rockhold in the rankings that are ready to fight.
Unless the UFC opts to give him a rematch with Belfort — or “Jacare” Souza once he’s healthy — pairing the former Strikeforce champion with the mercurial Romero makes a lot of sense.
Jim Miller vs. TJ Grant
Miller cruised through Yancy Medeiros on Saturday night, jumping on a guillotine choke early in the first and putting him to sleep. It was the second consecutive first-round submission win for Miller, who is now unbeaten in his last four and 13-3 with one no contest in the UFC.
That’s the resume of a contender and one that could be the right man to welcome Grant back to the cage later this year. The Canadian has been sidelined since last summer after suffering a concussion while training for a title bout against then-champion Benson Henderson, but he’s targeted the Oct. 4 event in Halifax as his return and a bout with Miller could be an ideal main or co-main event.
Given Grant’s time off, he’s probably a win or two away from a title shot, and the same goes for Miller. Pitting them together brings the winner one step closer.
Max Holloway vs. Hatsu Hioki
The Hawaiian picked up his fifth UFC win in Baltimore, submitting Team Alpha Male prospect Andre Fili in the main card opener. Just 22-years-old, Holloway has an incredibly bright future in the division and is already close to cracking the Top 15 rankings.
What he needs at this point is another test against an established competitor and Hioki fits the description. The Japanese veteran is coming off a victory over Ivan Menjivar in March and has the experience to test Holloway, especially on the ground.
With two wins under his belt already in 2014, posting a victory over someone like Hioki could elevate Holloway into the Top 15, which is an impressive feat considering his best is likely still to come.