...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Columnist
What's worse than Vitor Belfort being on a TRT program after previously been suspended for steroids? How about him threatening to have John Morgan's ass kicked? How about media in attendance at that very moment bursting out in applause? How about Matt Hughes, the Vice President of Athletic Development and Government Relations for the UFC going radio silent, as he is wont to do from the top of a tractor somewhere in downstate Illinois?
Look. I know and you know that the UFC isn't going to suspend, fine, or even reprimand Vitor Belfort for threatening to have John Morgan's ass kicked. Hell, you can bet your last dollar that the UFC would love for the topic to go away forever and a day. And if it takes a little intimidation from one of their fighters, so be it. It doesn't change the fact that Vitor Belfort, praising and thanking Jesus moments before putting a hit on a writer, is completely off his rocker. It also doesn't change the fact that the best middleweight contender in the world can't get licensed in the UFC's home state of Nevada as long as he's on his Jamba Juice.
Belfort's finish over Rockhold was an awe-inspiring thing of savage beauty. And his KO of Michael Bisping a mere four months earlier is right up there as well. He's clearly the next in line for a title shot. Can the UFC afford to have a champion who can't get a license to fight Nevada? I don't have the answer to that, and I doubt anyone at Zuffa does either. I'm off my soapbox, on to the fights to make.
Vitor Belfort: Belfort, in his current condition, is the only logical choice for a title shot. Of course, that was true before he was saddled with a mediocre Luke Rockhold. Belfort proved his place at the top of the pack, and that Rockhold's in the middle of the pack. How much of Belfort's violence can be credited to the sauce? Who knows? Certainly not me. I might not like it, but his usage of TRT after having been busted as a steroid user has been approved in the jurisdictions that have licensed him.
Next fight: Vitor Belfort vs. Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship. It's a shame that Belfort and Silva have spent the last year fighting Stephan Bonnar, Chris Weidman, and Luke Rockhold instead of making as much cheddar as possible. Other possibilities for Belfort include Yushin Okami or Jacare Souza.
Luke Rockhold: The win over Jacare Souza was a legit win, no doubt. Still waiting for the second legit win, though. Call me crazy, but I think it takes more than a win over Jacare two years ago to be the next big thing (I'm look at you, Mister Weidman). Rockhold's one more egg away from being (foreshadowing) Hector Lombard. Rockhold's a good fighter, but 99% of the UFC's audience only know him as the guy who got kicked in the head by Vitor Belfort.
Next fight: Luke Rockhold vs. Hector Lombard Rockhold is confident enough to come forward, which will allow Lombard to counter at will. This battle of overhyped Bellator Champion vs. overhyped Strikeforce Champion should be fantastic entertainment. Other possibilities for Rockhold include Brian Stann or the loser of Mark Munoz vs. Tim Boetsch.
Jacare Souza: If you're familiar with my work, you already know I'm begging Jebus Priced himself for Jacare vs. Cung Le. I don't care if it makes sense, it makes me drool at the thought. Other possibilities for Jacare include Costa Philippou, Michael Bisping, or Vitor Belfort. But really, why in the hell would you want to see any of those when that would deprive you of Jacare vs. Le?
Chris Camozzi: Hindsight is 20/20, and hindsight says Camozzi should have stood on 19 instead of hitting in slim hopes of getting 21. Camozzi would have trucked Natal. Instead, he took a fight with Jake Roberts' pet boa constrictor and passed out. Camozzi doesn't lose his standing because at least when he hit on 19, he did it with house money. Zuffa remembers and respects (demands?) loyalty. Which begs the question; is forced loyalty actually loyalty at all? Pretty deep…
Next fight: Chris Camozzi vs. Lorenz Larkin. Other possibilities for Camozzi include the loser of Ronny Markes vs. Derek Brunson or the loser of Tim Kennedy vs. Roger Gracie.
Rafael Natal: And on the flip side of the coin, the Rafael Natal we saw on Saturday night loses to Camozzi ten out of ten times. Sure, we could put them against each other three months from now, but that fight now is just as "meh" as it was before it was scrapped originally. Natal might have a great body and a beautiful girlfriend, but he was also pretty weak against an overwhelmed Joao Zeferino.
Next fight: Rafael Natal vs. Josh Samman Other possibilities for Natal include CB Dollaway or Bubba McDaniel
Rafael dos Anjos: Dos Anjos is going to get a step up in competition his next time out. UFC booking philosophy is pretty clear; a bad win is treated like a win, and that's just that.
Next fight: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Diego Sanchez. Other possibilities include Donald Cerrone (if he beats KJ Noons) or Myles Jury.
Evan Dunham: I think Dunham needs to start finishing fools in the cage, because he's gotten hosed twice in his UFC career; first against Sean Sherk at UFC 119 and most recently on Saturday night. In a division of killers, being a fun brawler isn't enough.
Next fight: Evan Dunham vs. Matt Wiman. Other possibilities for Dunham include the very very very NOT homophobic Nathan Diaz or Takanori Gomi.
Nik Lentz: Think maybe Lentz is finally going to get off the prelims and on to the main card? Mister Prelim is becoming a real threat at 145. Leaving the Minnesota sporting scene has certainly agreed with Lentz, as it does with most athletes who flee the Land of 10,000 Blizzards. Lentz puts on an exciting scrap from time to time, and needs to get an opponent who will be a clear favorite over him so that we can see exactly what he's made of.
Next fight: Nik Lentz vs. Chad Mendes. Mendes might be the 2nd best featherweight on the planet, but in a division where so many top guys who have never had a title shot are in line, Mendes isn't going to sniff a title shot anytime soon. Since Mendes is the de facto gatekeeper to the top of the division, this makes sense. Other possibilities for Lentz include the winner of Dennis Siver vs. Cub Swanson or Clay Guida.
Iuri Alcantara: Despite seeming like a prospect, Alcantara is 32 years old. He's 28-4, and holds wins over Francisco Trinaldo, Ricardo Lamas (I know, right?), and Michihiro Omigawa. He's ready for a major jump in competition, and I think he can handle it.
Next fight: Iuri Alcantara vs. Erik Perez. Perez is both a major jump in competition, and a fight between these two almost has to be one the highlights of my shallow life, right? Right. Other possibilities include Rafael Assuncao or Takeya Mizugaki
Other fights to make:
Hacran Dias vs. Darren Elkins
Fabio Maldanado vs. Joey Beltran (like Saturday nights when I was 24: sloppy, meaningless, and fun)
John Lineker vs. Jussier Formiga
Chris Cariaso vs. Darren Uyenoyama (Hey! If the UFC doesn't want people to watch flyweights, then I don't feel compelled to write about them)
Joao Zeferino vs. Alessio Sakara
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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