by Oliver Saenz
UFC on Fox 2 was a mixed bag, for better or worse. The preliminary card had several good fights and entertaining finishes, but three straight decisions in the main Fox show has MMA fans asking “was this show a success?” And now once again it’s time to ask: what’s next? What does the future hold after what could be considered a step back in the UFC/Fox relationship? Here’s my answer to just that: a new edition of my “What’s Next for the Winners and Losers” series of articles, now featuring “UFC on Fox 2”.
Demian Maia
Although this was a big win for Chris Weidman, it wasn’t that big of a loss for Demian Maia. Maia’s status in the UFC remains mostly unchanged after this bout, in my opinion. Maia will continue to be a good, but not great, UFC fighter, and he’ll continue to be the UFC’s go-to gatekeeper at Middleweight.
Chris Weidman
(Photo by Nick Laham/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
There’s a chance that Weidman will draw Michael Bisping, just to see if Weidman can go from “the bottom of the top” to a top-ranked athlete. Then again, it’s more likely that Bisping will get a top opponent as recompense for what many believe to be a bad decision. If that’s the case, Weidman may find himself against a returning Mark Munoz once Munoz gets healthy from his injury.
Michael Bisping
With Sonnen getting his shot at Anderson and with Mark Munoz on the sidelines healing an injury, the only fight that makes sense for Bisping right now is a fight against Vitor Belfort. A big KO win over Bisping would be the one final push Belfort needs to convince everybody that he’s ready for a rematch with Anderson Silva, and a big win over Belfort would immediately put Bisping right back into title contention. It’s a win-win for all involved and it’d be a fantastic fight, so I hope it happens.
Chael Sonnen
(Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Anderson Silva, of course. It’ll be the biggest rematch in years, and my money is on it taking place inside of a soccer stadium in Brazil. My money is also on Anderson Silva removing the only blemish of his spectacular UFC run and making Sonnen eat his words. The first fight had the odds stacked against Silva, what with Silva’s broken ribs and Sonnen on steroids. This rematch is going to end the way all us Silva fans expected their first fight to end: Silva will make Sonnen eat his words by making Sonnen eat a whole lot of kicks and fists.
Phil Davis
I like Phil Davis. My prediction for Phil Davis remains mostly unchanged: he’ll be a star in two years, maybe even one. Trust me, this loss will be one of the best things that’s ever happened to Phil Davis if he learns from it correctly. Davis will get a rebuilding fight against a Light Heavyweight gatekeeper, and depending on the outcome of that fight we’ll know for sure where Phil Davis is headed in 2012 and beyond.
Rashad Evans
(Photo by Nick Laham/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The much-hyped, long-delayed showdown with Jon Jones. This is the fight we’ve all been waiting for, and I can say with confidence that I know it’s going to live up to the hype. Evans is going to attack Jones at all angles, and he won’t stop attacking. It’ll be a war, and it may end up going the full five rounds. At this point, my promise to never again bet against Jon Jones remains unbroken. But I will say this: if anyone can beat him, it’ll be Rashad.
And that’s what I think, fans and friends.
About the author
Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan, and lifelong video game nerd. For more news, views, previews, and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.
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