UFC 110: What a Win Would Mean for Velasquez, Nogueira, and Co.

Vince Lombardi said it best: "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing," and "If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?" He also added, "Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is."

So which fighters at UFC 110 want to win more then their opponent? And since the UFC does keep score, which fighters will score biggest with a win this weekend and move one step closer toward a title shot?

Lets take a look at possible paths for several fighters should they emerge victorious.

Cain Velasquez/Antonio Nogueria

A victory over Nogueria will not only fortify Cain's place in the upper echelon of the UFC Heavyweight division, a win over a true legend in the sport will cement a spot for him in MMA history.

It will also leave Velazquez one fight removed from a title shot. Or directly into a title shot if the Frank Mir-Shane Carwin winner at UFC 111 is unable to square off against Brock Lesnar this summer due to injury or any other reason.

Given that a Lesnar vs. Carwin/Mir fight won’t happen for at least 19 weeks—rumored for 116—the question that will need an answer is what to do with Velasquez in the interim.

They could sit him on the shelves or they could put him up against Junior Dos Santos, assuming Dos Santos gets past an always-dangerous Gabriel Gonzaga. Those two collide on the UFC on Versus card.

If Dos Santos loses, Gonzaga may be an acceptable alternative given his name recognition.  

If Nogueria wins, what to do with him becomes more interesting, given that Nog and Dos Santos won’t fight each other due to their mentor-mentee relationship.

If they don’t want to shelve Nogueira, they could have him fight the Mir-Carwin loser.

Whether that would be a step down in competition is up for debate. A rematch between Nog and Mir would certainly be entertaining in its build-up though, and a tussle with Carwin could be a warmup to Lesnar.

Wanderlei Silva/Michael Bisping

Given the muddle in the middleweight division, a win by either would propel them into the title mix. Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort, once they both heal up, will be standing in their path of course.

It has already been rumored that Yoshihiro Akiyama will face the winner of this fight, possibly at UFC 115 in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. While it may be the loose plan, anything can happen with the volatility of matchmaking in mixed martial arts.  

The winner of Akiyama vs. Silva/Bisping would likely be in line for a title shot, depending on how the mess at the top sorts itself out.

Will Chael Sonnen get a timely title shot against the winner of Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia? A Maia upset would expedite things.

Will Belfort be granted an immediate title shot upon his return? More likely he has to take another fight first...perhaps against Nate Marquardt?

Lots to sort out in the jumbled Middleweight Division.

Joe Stevenson

Losing three of four to top competition (Penn, Florian, and Sanchez), Stevenson looked like his best days were behind him. That was before he made the commitment to train with MMA guru Greg Jackson.

Since then, Stevenson has manhandled Nate Diaz like no one else has, then became only the second fighter to ever finish off Spencer Fisher. With a win over George Sotiropoulos, Joe Daddy will be right back where he needs to be in the top 10 of the division.

Stevenson actually turned down an offer to train with B.J. Penn because he believes he will have a rematch by year's end. With such ambition, Stevenson will have to pick up at least two more wins before he can punch his title-fight ticket.

A fight with Sean Sherk or Gray Maynard, who are both currently without opponent, could be a true test to see if Stevenson has one last run in the 155-pound division.

A scrap with Jim Miller, if he gets past Mark Bocek at UFC 111, or a battle with the Kenny Florian-Takanori Gomi loser at UFN 21 are two other viable options.

Mirko Cro Cop

Given that the bottom half of the top 10 thins out in the heavyweight division, an impressive TKO win over Ben Rothwell keeps Cro Cop relevant. The UFC could match him up with several different possibilities given his name recognition.

A rematch with Gabriel Gonzaga would draw attention, given the dramatic fashion in which their first fight ended. For this fight to happen, it would require Gonzaga losing to Dos Santos.

Another option, albeit a stretch, could be a fight with Cain Velasquez if he loses to Nogueira at UFC 110 this weekend.

Outside of taking fights with opponents ranked higher than him, they could elect to put Cro Cop in a fight with the Patrick Barry-Gilbert Yvel winner at UFC 115, the Paul Buentello-Cheick Kongo winner at UFC on Versus, or the Roy Nelson-Stefan Struve winner at UFN 21.

Lots of options for the Croatian Killer should he come out looking lethal over Ben Rothwell.

Ryan Bader

Keith Jardine is barely hanging onto his spot in the light heavyweight division’s top 10 and his role as gatekeeper. Upstart Ryan Bader can cut that chord completely if he is able to manhandle the Dean of Mean in route to victory.

Bader currently ranks in the 15-20 range in the division and a win against Jardine would elevate him to a different league of fighter. A fight with the Jon Jones-Brandon Vera loser would be an intriguing fight, as would a fight with Luis Cane or Matt Hamill.

If they really wanted to push Bader into the spotlight, he could fight the Chuck Liddell-Tito Ortiz loser and send one of them into permanent retirement (if a loss at UFC 115 doesn’t put the nail in the coffin).