One Big Question Facing Each of the UFC's Weight Divisions

The MMA community has been preoccupied with questions about Jon Jones and the UFC 151 debacle of late, but today, we are going to go for a change of pace and investigate some of the UFC's uncertainties through a divisional lens.

Some UFC weight divisions are ruled over by a virtually unchallenged champion, while others are look more like a free-for-all. Some divisions lack a decisive title challenger, while others are burdened with too many. Some divisions are classic draws, while others wane on the precipice of mainstream acceptance.

Whatever the division, it has mysteries ripe for exploration. 

Here, we'll look at one pressing issue facing each and every UFC weight class from heavyweight to flyweight, working down from the big boys to the little fellows, stopping everywhere in between.

Feel free to provide an opinion on any issue raised in the comments section.

Heavyweight: What Happens After Dos Santos vs. Velasquez II?

Since 2008, the UFC's heavyweight division has belonged to two men: Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez.

Until 2011, we didn't know it belonged to the two of them, but it did, even when guys like Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir were pretending to control things.

Need proof? How about this: Since 2008, the debut year of both Dos Santos and Velasquez, the two have a combined for a 17-1 UFC record, scoring 14 stoppages. 

And that one loss? That came when they fought each other in 2011. 

Dos Santos and Velasquez are gearing up to fight for a second time in December, and there are no two heavyweights on the planet more suited to headline the UFC's year-end show.

But what happens after they fight? Given that the two of them are so far ahead of the field, the heavyweight division could get a bit dicey in 2013.

It is conceivable that if Velasquez wins this December, he and Dos Santos could be tapped for a rubber match. But if Dos Santos wins the fight, a trilogy is out of the question, at least for the immediate future. All that would be left, then, is for the best of the rest to fight one of the best.

There are two options that UFC can explore before hyping gatekeepers as title threats, but they need to figure out how to go about their exploration first.

Option No. 1 is Alistair Overeem. Precisely what the UFC will do with him is uncertain, but few believe he is anything more than a win away from a title shot. He could be given, or win his way to, a title shot next year, but his place in the line is indeterminable at this time.

Option No. 2 is bringing in Daniel Cormier from Strikeforce. Few heavyweights have as much momentum as Cormier does right now, and in many ways, he is the next logical title challenger for the UFC crown.

Cormier provides a legitimate challenge for either of the two front-runners, but his availability is suspect given that he is not in the organization at this time and is unwilling to fight Velasquez, who is his friend and training partner.

An off-the-board option is to put up a surging fighter like Stipe Miocic or Fabricio Werdum, but against either Dos Santos or Velasquez, they would provide nothing more than a bridge to options one or two, or Dos Santos vs. Velasquez III.

It will be interesting to watch the heavyweight title picture unfold in 2013. While we may have some idea of the direction it is headed, we are essentially navigating with a broken compass and can only really wait and see where the tides take us.

Light Heavyweight: Will Jon Jones Rule as a Benelovent King or Hated Villain?

Perhaps the most apparent question facing the 205-pound weight class is whether Vitor Belfort can upset Jones, and after that, who gets the next title shot.

But looking at the big picture, this division is shaped by Jones, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

Jones has made it pretty easy to criticize his performance outside the Octagon of late, but there is little room to criticize his time spent in it. And at just 25 years of age, there is every reason to believe the champ is not going anywhere for quite some time.

A lot of people may be displeased by this likely scenario, but there isn't a whole lot anyone can do about it. As long as he keeps beating opponents—whether he picks them or the UFC does—he remains the king and the face of the 205-pound division.

That is why, though some may see it as jumping the gun, I think the most important question facing the light-heavyweight division right now is not whether Jones will stick it out as champion, but instead, whether he will continue to rule as the bad guy or rehabilitate his image and become a beloved superstar.

The direction things are going right now strongly suggests the division will be dominated by a hated tyrant, but this is far from set in stone. The MMA community has a short memory and a forgiving heart, and if they want to like someone and put him on a pedestal, past transgressions rarely stand in the way.

But still, Jones needs to throw the fans, the media and his employers a bone before turning from the darkness to the light, and whether he can locate a tiny olive branch within the massive arena of his ego remains to be seen.

If he sucks it up and says and does what MMA fans want him to for awhile, no doubt all will be forgiven. But, if he continues to alienate himself by feeding into the selfish, immature and phony labels he has earned to this point in his career, a despised reign of terror will ensue. Not just for his competition, but for the fans as well.

Middleweight: How Will the Muddled Title Scene Unfold?

The middleweight division enjoys the greatest champion of all-time, the sport's best prospect and a slew of solid fighters for depth, yet there is a lot of uncertainty shrouding the elite circles of the weight class.

First off, will Anderson Silva's next fight even be at middleweight, or will he work something out with Georges St-Pierre that takes him down from 185? If he does that, the middleweight title scene will almost freeze solid, given that such a fight probably wouldn't go down until spring 2013 at the absolute earliest.

Would an interim belt be needed if this scenario plays out? Or would there just be enough time to sort out the mess that's formed among the division's contenders?

As of now, Brian Stann, Michael Bisping, Chris Weidman, Alan Belcher and Tim Boetsch all have legitimate claims for a title shot. And you can add Vitor Belfort to that list if he returns to middleweight after contesting Jon Jones later this month. Additionally, you can add Rashad Evans to mix if he chooses to drop down from light heavyweight.

Thankfully, the pell-mell situation will receive a little sorting when Stann and Bisping fight at UFC 152, and it is supposed a Weidman vs. Belcher match may be in the works, which would further declutter things, though these matches alone hardly solve the problem.

Ultimately, regardless of whether Silva becomes an absentee champion or remains at 185, the UFC is just going to have to put its foot down and pick an order. This will make some contenders unhappy, and maybe Silva too, but sidelining the champion while an unstructured title eliminator tournament unfolds is not the optimal way to go about sorting things out.

The pips that show when the dice are cast cannot be predicted all too accurately just yet, but the important thing is that the organization makes a roll, knowing that whatever the outcome is, a lot of people will be angered.

Welterweight: Will Georges St-Pierre Reestablish His Former Dominance?

For all Anderson Silva's greatness, an argument could be made that Georges St-Pierre is the most dominant champion in UFC history. While Silva has dispatched opponents with quick flashes of violent strikes, St-Pierre has consistently shutdown the best fighters on the planet for 25 minutes at a time. 

Sure, if St-Pierre could eliminate opponents like Silva could, he would do so in a heartbeat, but his inability to end matches early has afforded him the opportunity to exercise complete control for durations unavailable to the sport's other top fighters. Consequently, GSP has come to embody the very idea of domination in MMA.

Whether he continues to do so moving forward is the question.

When St-Pierre takes on interim champion Carlos Condit this November, it will mark the Canadian's first action since April 2011. Certainly, ring rust can be shaken, but the effects of the ACL injury that kept St-Pierre out for so long might not simply dissipate with time.

On the contrary, the effects may amplify as he ages. 

Knee injuries are notorious career foils to athletes of any sport, and for a guy who relies so much on athletic explosiveness, suffering one is hardly ideal. While it is not certain that the effects of GSP's ACL injury will linger and debilitate his fighting efforts, the possibility is most definitely there. 

When it comes down to it, this is another "wait and see" sort of situation. Until St-Pierre is back in the Octagon, where he will be under the microscope of armchair doctors watching worldwide, anticipating the trajectory of his career is pure conjecture. 

Hoping, not guessing, might be the best way to approach things for now.

Lightweight: Will Anyone Take Lasting Control of the Division?

Back in 2010, it seemed like B.J. Penn was poised to join Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre as one of the UFC's most dominant champions, but usurper Frankie Edgar threw a wrench in that plan.

No matter, Edgar looked like the man to occupy the lightweight throne after defeating the legendary Penn twice, then subsequently dispatching arch-rival Gray Maynard.

Smooth sailing from there, right?

Wrong.

Ben Henderson most recently defeated Edgar in consecutive bouts, beginning yet another title reign over the division and further condemning the lightweight belt to metaphorical hot-potatoism. Henderson will face Nate Diaz this December, protecting the title from someone other than his predecessor for the first time.

The lightweight division is one of the most stacked there is and is without question the most competitive; there is no one fighter prophesized to reign supreme by a significant portion of the populace.

With guys like Henderson, Diaz, Gray Maynard, Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone and even Gilbert Melendez all viable title contenders, it is difficult to imagine the title remaining in the same hands for too long. 

It's difficult to pinpoint who, if anyone, is capable of dominating the division, and for now, it seems very possible that no single lightweight is able to climb to the heights of Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, GSP or Jose Aldo.

Featherweight: What Will Frankie Edgar's Arrival Mean for the Division?

When Frankie Edgar decided to try his luck at 145, there was a lot of guesses at how long it might take him to see a title shot. As it happens, the stars aligned for Edgar, who was not only granted an immediate title shot, but didn't even have to wait around for it.

Edgar's good fortune came at the expense of Erik Koch, the injured fighter Edgar will replace opposite Jose Aldo at UFC 153.

Until now, most of the MMA world viewed the featherweight division as a 100-meter sprint between a number of solid fighters. Only one—Aldo—had a 50-meter head-start.

Edgar's arrival, however, has raised a few eyebrows, and those previously ready to concede the division to Aldo are now less certain his reign will be as unchallenged as it was once believed.

Aldo vs. Edgar will go down October 13 and will provide one of three possible answers to my title question.

The first possible answer derives from Aldo dominating Edgar, making him look as ordinary as he usually makes his opponents seem. If this scenario plays out, it means either Edgar goes back to 155 with his tail between his legs or Aldo just has one more gatekeeper protecting his already well-guarded fortress.

The second possibility is that Edgar lays a beatdown on Aldo, signifying a changing of the guard. Aldo might then conceivably move to 155, or he may try to position himself for a future rematch.

The third possible scenario is that the fight is hotly contested, and Edgar joins Aldo on the divisional pedestal. It hardly matters who wins in this hypothetical; the important thing is that the division's prize suddenly becomes a two-horse race.

Bantamweight: Dominick Cruz or Renan Barao?

Urijah Faber, the arch nemesis of bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz, has been dispatched from title contention. While Cruz contributed to the fall of the legend, he did not orchestrate it alone; he had a little help from interim kingpin Renan Barao.

Barao dominated Faber to win a UFC title, but no doubt wants to trade in his placeholder's belt for Cruz's undisputed one. Once Cruz heals up and is ready for action, the Brazilian will have the chance to do just that. 

Both Cruz and Barao have looked untouchable during their respective tenures in the UFC, so this bout is one worth keeping an eye on. Adding to an already-intriguing contest is that Cruz has not lost in 10 fights, while Barao has a win streak of 29 on the go. One streak will grow; the other will come to an abrupt halt.

And beyond the titles and streaks at stake, this matchup is for the honor of being the best 135 pounder on the planet. Cruz has separated himself from the pack, and now Barao has too, which means along with the aforementioned accolades comes pound-for-pound consideration and recognition as the face of a division. 

Flyweight: Is There Enough Depth for the Division to Survive?

A more pressing question might be, "who will become the division's inaugural champion," but let's be a bit more probing, shall we? Let us instead examine the long-term potential of the 125-pound weight class as an entity.

Benavidez is a star in the making and is my pick to become the UFC's first ever flyweight champion. He has the talent to carry the division, headlining FX cards and bringing attention to the flyweight fighter crop.

Demetrious Johnson is another divisional asset who doesn't look out of place on a pay-per-view card. Mighty Mouse has even headlined a UFC show before.

Ian McCall has the makings of a cult hero and will garner a following when he fights. Also helpful is that he usually puts on an exciting show. He has the potential to be another cornerstone of the division moving forward.

John Dodson's skills and Ultimate Fighter experience make him an attraction as well, and his flamboyant personality won't hinder the attempts of the UFC to hype any fights at 125.

But after this foursome, the names become far less recognizable, and frankly, less impressive. 

The acquisition of Jussiero da Silva was a solid move by the UFC, but his brand is raw and will take time to grow in the mainstream.

John Moraga could be built up as well, but his star will probably move at the behest of the division's, not the other way around.

Additional depth like Tim Elliott, Yasuhiro Urushitani and Ulysses Gomez will allow the promotion to keep the flyweight fights coming, but more is needed to give it much of a presence within the UFC.

I believe that there is enough talent at 125 for the organization to field a decent roster and garner a sizable following, but it will take time. The UFC has been aggressive in signing solid, if unheralded, fighters, and those moves typically pay off in the long-term rather than the short.

The division's life ultimately depends on the interest fans afford it, and how interesting it is depends on the skills and personalities that inhabit it. If the UFC stays the course and continues to stockpile talent, the division should be OK.

But you never know. Some people just have an aversion to watching such diminutive men fight, regardless of how exciting the show is.