Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE: Will any of the top ten ranked winners at UFC Fight Night 47 fight for a UFC Title?
Aug 18, 2014 - 4:05:49 PM ROUNDTABLE: Will any of the top ten ranked winners at UFC Fight Night 47 fight for a UFC Title?

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Of the top ten winners at UFC Fight Night 47 (Ryan Bader, Jussier Formiga, and Sara McMann), do you see any of them challenging for a title (again in McMann's case) in their respective division? If so, what do they need to do to get there? If not, what is their ceiling?


DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK COLUMNIST

Ryan Bader – He's the unluckiest of the three from a division depth perspective. At the moment there are too many other better contenders ahead of him at Light-heavyweight. He's also lost every big fight he's ever been given, and before he can challenge for a title, he needs at least one marquee victory over someone top five. If he fights and beats someone like Rashad Evans or Anthony Johnson next, there's no reason why he can't fight for the title in 2015. Sadly, that won't happen, because he's just not good enough to beat the very best.

Jussier Formiga – What a great performance and finish against a rejuvenated Zach Makovsky. He was great from start to finish, and it definitely made people sit up and take notice. He's in a division where Chris Cariaso is deemed deserving of a title shot, so clearly anything goes at flyweight. His next fight is key, and my personal preference is a fight with Ian McCall, but I doubt that happens. Formiga more likely gets another up and comer behind him in the rankings like Dustin Ortiz. Another win or two and he's a definite contender.

Sara McMann – She's extremely effective at what she's good at, and it will take something special to beat her. As a former Olympic wrestler, she has a base that only the very best will overcome. She's already lost to Rousey, and we've done the Olympian vs. Olympian tagline. To get another go, she needs to keep racking up the wins. She isn't as marketable to fans as, say, Miesha Tate, so she will need to do things the hard way. However, if she keeps beating everyone, the UFC won't have a choice, and they'll have to give her another shot against Rousey.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I think Formiga and McMann can, and likely will. Bader is a gatekeeper, and there's nothing wrong with that. You don't become a gatekeeper by being a bum. Formiga will have to win about two more fights to get a title shot, and the same is probably true for McMann as well. I could see McMann possibly getting a shot after one more win, but her fighting style isn't going to make people clamor for her getting a title shot, so it's probably two more wins at best before her shot.


KALE HAVERVOLD, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I see Formiga potentially being able to challenge Demetrius Johnson. I personally think he's more of a challenge for DJ than Chris Cariaso will be, and I think Formiga should and will be next in line. I can see McMann getting back there, but she looked less than stellar in her fight, so I don't think she has much for Mrs. Rousey. And as far as Ryan Bader goes, I unfortunately don't see him as anything other than the light heavyweight division's version of Roy Nelson, a gatekeeper for the top five.


BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

If you look at everyone in the division above Ryan Bader, it just doesn't seem logical or possible that he's going to score a title shot unless seven guys who are better in almost every aspect of the game all simultaneously get injured. If he suddenly shows some glimmer of elite ability then I wouldn't rule it out, but it's a steep hill from where he stands to title contention, and there are more barricades on the way up then I see him getting through.

Sara McMann will definitely challenge Ronda Rousey again, or whomever has the title at that time. She is the single most elite wrestler in the female division right now, and she has all the talent to out work Rousey on the mat. I still don't understand her being placed on the undercard, but she's still one of the top women, if not the best one, not named Cat Zingano to be in line for the title.

Jussier Formiga is destined for glor;, now, I don't know if he will defeat Mighty Mouse in a bout, but he certainly has the skill set and ability to make it into that fight, he just needs to keep up his winning ways and it won't be long.


TOM STRONG, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR

It'll be a sad day in MMA if Ryan Bader gets to fight for the title. Though he put on a dominating performance in defeating Ovince St. Preux, he will always come up short against one of the top fighters within the division. Bader has a clear ceiling at this point. He'll get to a certain level and lose, though he will beat 80% of fighters put in front of him. Bader's wrestling will always make him a handful for anyone, but he's lacking in a number of areas.

On the other hand, Jussier Formiga and Sara McMann will more than likely get a shot at the title. Mainly because both fighters are in shallow divisions where a two or three fight winning streak will put you in line to fight for the belt. Just look at Chris Cariaso, who's fighting Demetrious Johnson next; until the divisions are stacked further, we will get repetitive title fights whether they deserve it or not!


RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

McMann's the best fighter of the three, and in a very thin division. However, her paper-thin division is like 42 bazillion times deeper than the divisions in which Bader and Formiga hang out. Not to mention that she has one failed attempt at the champ under her belt already. As does Bader, although Jon Jones wasn't yet the champion when they fought way back when. Considering those factors, along with the fact that Bader's still behind Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Johnson, and maybe failed-contenders Rashad Evans and Glover Teixeira, it's going to be a long time before Bader gets a shot, even if he keeps winning. So for those reasons, I think the choice here has to be Jussier Formiga, provided he can win one or two more fights, preferably with a submission in there as well.

Working in Formiga's favor also is the fact that nobody on Earth expects any marketability whatsoever from anyone flyweight title fight, so the fact that nobody on planet Earth knows or cares about him doesn't work against him like it does against someone challenging in the light heavyweight division. But, with that said, if Formiga lands more than one takedown or ten significant strikes against Demetrious Johnson, I'll be absolutely shocked.