UFC 99: Rumors and Conjecture

According to Sherdog, there is some interesting chatter in regard to UFC 99, which will go down in Cologne, Germany. The front runner for the main event was thought to be Randy Couture vs. Antonio Nogueira. Both were losers in the heavyweight tournament that has Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir moving on to meet in the finale, rumored to be taking place at UFC 98. UFC 100 is not being ruled out though.

But Randy Couture elected to have surgery on his busted elbow and likely won't be ready for a June fight. Antonio Nogueira vs. Cheick Kongo, a bout that was previously negotiated a little more than a year ago, may now become the co-headliner.

While the UFC favored Couture for his tie-ins to Germany, Cheick Kongo should fill in nicely as a native-born Frenchman and surging heavyweight contender. The winner of this fight, along with the Gabriel Gonzaga-Shane Carwin winner, would be in line for a title shot.

Also rumored to be on the UFC 99 card is a lightweight title fight between B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian. Florian has been on the sidelines and waiting for his title shot since beating Joe Stevenson at UFC 91. 

A title defense by B.J. Penn depends on the outcome of his Jan. 31 super-fight against Georges St. Pierre. If Penn is unable to go, due to any medical suspension, Florian could be held off from his second title shot and could be pitted against Diego Sanchez (according to Sherdog) should he defeat Joe Stevenson at UFC 95.

While it would seem obvious to make a fight between Kenny Florian and Sean Sherk (a rematch of their UFC 64 title fight), Sherk is rumored to be busy taking on Roger Huerta at UFC 97. As always, injuries and who actually ends up fighting who will ultimately determine the outcome.

Thirdly, the UFC is also floating the idea of putting Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, who is possibly returning, into the main event against either Tito Ortiz or Lyoto Machida. The problem, sources say, is that Ortiz does not want to move up to heavyweight, while Cro Cop does not want to go down to 205 pounds.

If the rumors of Machida are true, the UFC clearly wants to throw the kitchen sink at Lyoto before letting him get his title shot. As for a Cro Cop vs. Ortiz fight, it could be a classic "wrestler vs. striker" battle between two legends of the sport, both in the twilight of their respective careers. 

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Brian Oswald is a staff writer for Inside Fights. This rumored news will be included in his full MMA report, which is published weekly, every Wednesday. He thanks you for your continued support.