The main and co-main event at next week’s UFC on FOX 4 fight card will be light heavyweight fights and could one of the winner’s be the next title contender in the UFC light heavyweight division?
In a recent Fox Sports article, UFC President Dana White told Alex Marvez that the next title contender could be one of the fighters on next weekend’s fight card.
“These fighters have a huge opportunity to show the world why they deserve to fight for the UFC title next,” White told FOX Sports. “Winning isn’t enough at UFC on FOX. This division is so competitive these fighters have to look great to separate themselves from the pack.”
The light heavyweight bouts that White is talking about is the main event as former champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua taking on Brandon Vera and Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader going up against former champion Lyoto Machida.
White likes fighters who go out and show that they want to be the next title contender. After UFC 149, White said he likes fighters that go out and show they want to be the next contender for the title.
“When I talk about guys fighting for the next fight and guys who are possible going to fight for world titles,” White said. “I like dominate performances. I want to see a guy like Weidman, come out of no where and take out the number two or three guy in the world the way he did.”
Should we believe that wins by Brandon Vera or Lyoto Machida will earn them the next title shot against either the current champion Jon Jones or Dan Henderson? Vera has gone 1-2, 1NC in his last four fights and Machida’s last fight was against Jones at UFC 140, where he was defeated in the second round by TKO.
If Shogun or Bader have impressive wins next Saturday night, there may not be another fighter that could make a case for a title shot. Jones has defeated every top contender to this point and the only fighter that could make a case over Shogun and Bader would be Alexnader Gustafsson.
Gustafsson is currently on a five fight winning streak and many people have speculated that he has the style that is best to defeat the current champion. Since winning his fight against Thiago Silva in April, the UFC has not booked him for a fight.
After the fight’s next Saturday, it’s not likely that White will announce who the title contender will be in the light heavyweight division, but Shogun, Vera, Machida and Bader know that an impressive performance could land them an opportunity to take on the winner of the UFC 151 title fight.