No. 1 Contender Bouts We'd Like to See
The UFC is now host to 10 weight classifications, and that opens the door to a plethora of title fights that fans are clamoring to see. A piece of that puzzle includes determining the top-ranked contender in each division.
There are several No. 1 contender bouts that fans would like to see, and we will look at five of those possibilities in this article. Not every division has a No. 1 contender bout listed here. One division already has that stellar fight booked (lightweight, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Donald Cerrone). Others have clear top contenders (flyweight, welterweight), and a few simply lack interesting options at this time (bantamweight, heavyweight).
2015 has already delivered some exceptional fights, and the docket is full with plenty more through the summer. It is a great year in MMA.
But what are five possible No. 1 contender fights the UFC has yet to offer?
Let's not waste time and get into checking out the title eliminators we would love to see.
Strawweight: Claudia Gadelha vs. Jessica Aguilar
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The biggest hurdle to this fight is the fact Jessica Aguilar is not yet in the UFC. She is still under contract with the World Series of Fighting. However, she only has one more fight left on that contract.
Once she is a free agent, the UFC would be crazy not to bring her over. She was once considered the top-ranked strawweight in the world. Aguilar has been lacking top-tier opponents since Bellator shut down its women's divisions, but she is still one of the very best in the world.
Carla Esparza's crushing defeat to Joanna Jedrzejczyk removes her from consideration for an immediate rematch. She needs to regain some favor before putting her name back in the mix.
After dropping a narrow decision to Jedrzejczyk, Gadelha is poised for a rematch. A title eliminator with a debuting Aguilar would be a great way to establish who is the top contender at 115 pounds and give us a look at just how good Aguilar truly is.
This is the fight to make at strawweight. It's just a matter of signing Aguilar to the UFC to make it.
Women's Bantamweight: Cat Zingano vs. Holly Holm
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Ronda Rousey has all but cleared out the 135-pound division. There are still a few names she has yet to fight, but no one appears like a realistic threat to the queen of the division.
Jessica Eye and Miesha Tate are booked for a fight this summer, and due to the division being shallow, it could be a title eliminator. A third fight between Tate and Rousey is not all that appealing to fans, though.
A bout that could be is Rousey vs. Holly Holm or a rematch against Cat Zingano. That's why this No. 1 contender fight makes sense.
Zingano was ousted in just 14 seconds, but the manner in which she lost allows her to keep her spot in the rankings. What would have happened if Zingano fought more conservatively? What if she was able to win that scramble on the canvas? Those legitimate questions make a rematch interesting. She has all the tools to be a viable challenger.
On the other side is Holm. Her boxing credentials make her an exciting prospect for Rousey, but she hasn't shown the ability to stop high-level grapplers. Regardless, Holm is a fresh face for Rousey. A win over Zingano would cement the undefeated fighter as the top contender.
It's slim pickings at 135, but Holm vs. Zingano is one fight that could give us a rightful No. 1 contender.
Featherweight: Chad Mendes vs. Frankie Edgar
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After defeating Ricardo Lamas in the first round, Chad Mendes re-established himself as the No. 1-ranked featherweight contender. Will he get a third shot at Jose Aldo (or be Conor McGregor's first title defense)? That is yet to be seen.
Why? Frankie Edgar.
Edgar is another top contender, ranked No. 2 in the division. He will fight Mendes' mentor Urijah Faber next month. If Edgar looks good, who will get the title shot?
Instead of choosing between two great options, the UFC can instead give us the No. 1 contender fight we want to see—a true No. 1 contender fight that could headline just about any Fox Sports 1 or Fox card. Mendes and Edgar would put on a marvelous show.
Of all the divisions, this is the best contender's fight the UFC has to offer.
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Middleweight: Souza/Romero vs. Machida/Rockhold
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Chris Weidman defends his UFC middleweight title against No. 3-ranked contender Vitor Belfort in May, but in April, four of the top title contenders are on display at UFC on Fox 15.
No. 1-ranked Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza meets No. 6-ranked Yoel Romero in the co-main event, and No. 2-ranked Lyoto Machida squares off against No. 4-ranked Luke Rockhold in the main event. The winners of those two bouts will have excellent cases to make for being the next title challenger.
Much like the featherweight ordeal, the UFC should simply book the winners against each other to decide who gets the shot.
All four men are excellent and proven commodities. Weidman, or Belfort, will have a credible title challenger waiting in the wings. The winners of UFC on Fox 15's two main events should meet later in 2015 to determine who gets the title shot.
The UFC can't lose.
Light Heavyweight: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Daniel Cormier/Ryan Bader
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The light heavyweight division is a wasteland thanks, in part, to champion Jon Jones' dominance. It is also a wasteland thanks to the lack of quality prospects in the division.
Alexander Gustafsson was just in a title eliminator and was knocked out by Anthony Johnson, but still he remains one of the best options for a title challenger for the winner of Jones vs. Johnson. Also in that same spot is Daniel Cormier.
Jones defeated Cormier earlier this year, but he is still one of the most enticing challengers. He meets Ryan Bader at UFC Fight Night 68. A win for Bader would move him into the top five.
Rashad Evans is on the sideline with an injury, and the rest of the fighters in the back half of the top 10 are not ready for a title shot. The best option the UFC has is to pit Gustafsson against the winner of Bader vs. Cormier. The rest of the division is just not appealing.
On the bright side, a title eliminator between Gustafsson and the winner of the UFC Fight Night 68 main event is a great fight. Count me in.
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