Who Will the UFC Turn to in Jon Jones' Absence?
Jon Jones is a generational athlete, and there may not be another fighter on the planet who can replace his dominance and marketability.
But until the UFC's former light heavyweight champion (that still feels weird to say) makes his return, or if he does at all, the promotion will be forced to fill a big void.
And considering the UFC has found difficulty over the past few years in making up for the loss of former cash cows like Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva, Jones' absence may have a substantial impact.
However, the UFC is not and never will be a one-man show. There are a select group of current titleholders and contenders who are capable of picking up the star-power slack.
Here are five of those fighters, whom the UFC could use to help craft a new age of popularity.
Donald Cerrone
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Indeed, Donald Cerrone is not the first name that comes to mind when finding a suitable replacement for Jones, but there are a few aspects to his stock that stand out among the rest.
First of all, The Cowboy is one of the most popular fighters in the sport. His exciting fight style and quotability out of the cage give him a wide fan base.
Secondly, Cerrone is one of the promotion's most active fighters (having fought 10 times since the start of 2013).
Lastly, the veteran is on the doorstep of a well-deserved lightweight title shot.
Cerrone has a tough potential road ahead in John Makdessi at UFC 187 and then, perhaps, champion Rafael dos Anjos before the end of the year. But the ultra-professional thrill-seeker should make it interesting along the way.
Anthony Johnson
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Anthony "Rumble" Johnson is a knockout artist every MMA fan can get behind.
As a struggling welterweight turned light heavyweight title threat, the Blackzilian's professional journey is one to truly admire.
His ceiling may never match that of Jones, but that's OK. Johnson is still a bona fide throwback who is waiting to unleash some of the UFC's most potent knockout blows.
Scheduled to take on former top contender Daniel Cormier at UFC 187 later this month, the 31-year-old will have another chance to prove he belongs among the sport's very best (having finished Alexander Gustafsson within one round back in January).
If Johnson can overcome the Olympian, he'll take over a division that has fallen victim to the reign of the pound-for-pound king since 2011.
Conor McGregor
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Conor McGregor possesses the skill set, international notoriety and charisma to one day become the promotion's biggest star. Hard to argue any of that.
The only problem is that he needs to knock off Jose Aldo, a man who hasn't lost since 2005, at UFC 189 to become the undisputed featherweight champion. That's a tall order for anyone.
Needless to say, if The Notorious caps off his title run with a victory over the Brazilian, he will most certainly bolster massive potential when it comes to selling pay-per-views.
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Ronda Rousey
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Ronda Rousey is already one of the sport's biggest stars, if not the biggest.
Her undefeated reign over the UFC's women's bantamweight division is full of fast finishes and one-sided beatdowns.
But despite her remarkable dominance over the past two years, Rousey's future promise falls into the hands of her competition.
Sure, she has encountered some worthwhile contenders throughout her promotional tenure, but for the most part the champ has never been tested.
And to truly cash in on her marketability and grand-scale popularity, the UFC needs to do everything in their power to find someone capable of pushing her to the brink.
While that's easier said than done, names like Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino, Gina Carano and Marloes Coenen remain absent from the promotion's evolving roster.
The UFC can certainly continue to cash in on Rousey's undeniable stranglehold on the division, but a future blockbuster type of fight could take her stock to an astronomical level.
Cain Velasquez
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Cain Velasquez is the most dominant UFC heavyweight champion of all time.
But before he ever steps inside the Octagon, Velasquez puts himself through what can only be considered among the most demanding training camps in MMA.
His hard work in the gym plays an immediate role in his ability to suffocate world-class opposition, but it's also a prime culprit behind the Mexican-American champion continuing to break down (fighting a total of just seven times over the past five years).
So if Velasquez is going to serve as the UFC's main attraction, he'll have to stay healthier than a germophobic bubble boy.
The 32-year-old will fight for the first time since October of 2013 this June at UFC 188 opposite interim heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum.
If he's able to get past the Brazilian's menacing grappling skills, Velasquez will have a long line of hungry contenders to fend off, including Travis Browne, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem and Stipe Miocic.
For more UFC news and coverage, follow @DHiergesell.
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