"UFC Night Of Champions": A Longshot, But A Shot Worth Taking

Allow me to pose two questions to you, my readers:

In your circle of MMA-loving fans, do you have at least one friend that likes to converse about hypothetical fights or ideas for events?

Do you have at least one friend that sometimes tends to talk about these hypothetical fights or event ideas as though they're actually going to happen in the forseeable future?

If you answered "yes" to either or both of the above questions, don't sweat it—you're not alone.

I know I answered "yes" to both questions as I was typing this article.

Even if the idea is a longshot, there's no way of knowing that the idea for certain won't happen sometime in the unforseeable future.

There are quite a few events in MMA that many would think were longshots before they happened. They started off as moments we all wished would happen, but as time went on, someone in the brass decided that maybe someone should see about making it happen.

Events like the respective returns of Vitor Belfort and Tito Ortiz last year, Forrest Griffin's 2007 light heavyweight title win over Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and the 2006 rise of Anderson Silva were, in one way or another, considered to be longshots.

Consider with me another longshot—one that I'm sure few could see happening, but if it did happen in the UFC, it could be interesting to watch.

WWE fans will know the concept quite well, as one of their annual pay-per-views adapted this concept in 2007.

The concept is "A Night Of Champions."

This idea was never mine to begin with, but I do remember thinking that this idea would be an awesome concept for the main card.

Of course, I'd heard of this idea before Strikeforce: Nashville was announced.

I found the idea interesting, actually. Brock Lesnar, Lyoto Machida, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, and BJ Penn all on the main card, and defending their belts against any top-flight competition that the UFC could line up for them.

Now, I still think it'd be fun to watch, with the only difference between now and when I first heard the idea from a friend, is that Mauricio Rua is the Light Heavyweight Champion, and Frankie Edgar is the Lightweight Champion.

There are two areas in which I see how the idea is a longshot, however.

The first area is the structure of the pay-per-view—and by the structure, I'm talking about the idea of all five champions defending their titles against a top contender.

For those who may have gotten too caught up in the "Nashville Brawl" at Strikeforce's Tennessee-based "Night Of Champions." All three title defenses made by Gegard Mousasi, Gilbert Melendez, and Jake Shields ended in highly decisive unanimous decisions, with only Mousasi losing his belt due to the unanimous decision.

Strikeforce made history that night, but not in the way they wanted to .

Obviously, there's a question about whether the UFC would do it any different if they stuck with this structure.

Actually, they did have three title defenses on a card once, so one could say they've done something similar to this.

It was at UFC 33, on Sept. 28, 2001—a mere 17 days after the Twin Towers were attacked.

Tito Ortiz was defending his light heavyweight title a fourth time, Dave Menne and Gil Castillo determined the inaugural UFC middleweight champ, and Jens Pulver was defending his lightweight belt for the first time since beating Caol Uno, and becoming the inaugural champ.

All three fights went to the judges, and the event was considered a disaster overall.

Even with fight-finishers on the main card, there's no way of knowing that all five fights would be finished.

The second problem with the idea in which I could see why the concept would be a longshot in real life is, in one word, toughness.

Not so much "toughness" in that Joe Silva could find contenders for each opponent, because for every opponent knocked down by a champion, there are at least two guys in that champion's division that prove to have at least one ability in their game that could give the champion a struggle.

Joe Silva recognizes that a division is never truly cleared out until the day the division folds.

It's not just being able to go five fights giving opponents a rough time, and it's not just having an unsnapped win streak or having all your fights end before round two.

It's a solid BJJ game that could give a world class wrestler a hard time, or it's the lightning-fast flurry of strikes that can catch a sluggish yet still-powerful and well-rounded fighter. It could even be utilizing takedowns to neutralize one's standup.

That's what "toughness" generally refers to, but it's not what I'm getting at.

My use of the word refers to the question of whether or not Silva can manage to get all five champions on the same main card, while somehow stacking the undercard with underrated-yet-top-notch competitors.

Sure, you have people that'll be angered because they'll have to buy a ticket to see a certain fight, but if the main card is stacked with guys who may not have trouble finishing before the championship rounds, that would definitely compensate for that from what I could see.

The problem is that it'd be tough to get all five on the card, especially if one of the champs had just come off of a title defense.

If you're Joe Silva or any member of the UFC brass, even you'd have to think that there's no possible way of putting all five champs on a main card unless you're looking for a modern-day recreation of UFC 33 or Strikeforce, right?

Not exactly.

It'd be a tough thing to see talented contenders on an undercard and only the champions on the main card, but it's not something that's impossible to fathom.

The undercard can be filled with whomever Joe Silva wants in it, and there's a wide range of guys that could be featured.

As for contenders, the key in making the choice for the fighter who is next in line for a champion would be the fashion in which the fighter has won his most recent fights.

Only two of the champs should defend their belts in order to prevent another debacle.

For the three champions that do not defend their belts, a superfight for those three could be interesting.

Maybe Penn moves back up and faces Georges St. Pierre for a third time, or maybe Silva faces Shogun in a superfight that is now only a dream.

Everyone knows that GSP vs. Joe Silva is a definite dream superfight.

As for Edgar, perhaps he could be one of the two that defends the belt, along with either Shogun or the winner of Lesnar/Shane Carwin.

That too is a longshot, considering that the Penn he faces at UFC 118 won't be the same Penn he faced at UFC 112.

Still, if Edgar proves to be the real deal in Part II against Penn in Boston on Aug. 28 for UFC 118, there's a vast collection of UFC lightweights that could serve as perfect competition against him.

Regardless of who win the heavyweight belt at UFC 116, the winner gets Cain Velasquez for sure . For Silva, Valasquez' shot is a fight to consider for this card.

Shogun's not in a boring division himself, even if he gets past Rashad Evans. Folks like Jon Jones, Rampage Jackson, Rogerio Noguiera, and now Jason Brilz—are you kiddng me? Those guys, along with Lyoto Machida and possibly Anderson Silva, could make for some strong threats to Shogun's throne should they step into the cage with Shogun.

For a "Night Of Champions", though, it's too early to say Brilz or Noguiera, and Jones is in a fight with Vladimir Matyushenko, so that leaves Rampage and a rubber fight with Machida, unless Anderson Silva beats Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort.

Of course, should Anderson not move up, he could fight Alan Belcher for the belt, as it's likely he and Vitor face off this November . Other than rematches with Demian Maia, Nate Marquardt, or Patrick Cote, I don't see who Joe Silva could line up for "The Spider".

Something tells me Joe Silva would find someone after Belcher, though—provided Anderson even defends the belt against Belcher.

Odds are Joe Silva would find someone for St. Pierre as well if he beats Josh Koscheck.

Not to say I'd blame him—like I've said, I don't think Joe Silva believes that a division is truly cleared out until the day the division-in-question folds.

Welterweight is no exception.

Besides which, no way you'd have a UFC Night Of Champions without GSP or Anderson actually on the card fighting, title or not.

They are champions, after all.

For any of these possibilities to come to life, however, the UFC's current champs—well, Silva, Shogun, and GSP anyway—would more than likely have to retain their belts, as their elite-fighter statuses have made them the source of many hypothetical fight situations in the minds of the fans.

Frankie Edgar still has to prove that he can beat one of the best lightweights in MMA history before anyone can take a guess as to his next challenge. And with the guys that are gunning for Lesnar now at heavyweight, I don't think many fans would be too upset if a UFC "Night Of Champions" actually happened, and Lesner wasn't UFC heavyweight champ by the time of the event.

Maybe the event really will happen, and maybe it won't ever happen. Who knows?

In reality, is it a longshot?

Absolutely, and for probably more reasons than what I've mentioned.

Still, if it did happen, this "Night Of Champions" could be a sure shot.

We'll never know unless the UFC brass aims to give the thought a chance.