Is It Too Early For a Look at UFC 94?

Okay, so we all know the rumor about Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Pennfor GSPs Welterweight Championship is all but official. Its been everywhere except the UFC.com website itself. But other than the winner seriously making a serious run at the Pound for Pound best fighter in the world, and having the Welterweight Title, i'm interested in another match up on that card.

What am I talking about? Thiago Silva (13-0) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-0). Brief history before the nitty gritty. See at UFC 84, the original scheduled co-main event was Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva, but Evans was moved to headline UFC 85 vs Chuck Liddell when Shogun Rua had to pull out. Liddell, conincidentally, ended up getting hurt as well, and that fight was scrapped until UFC 88, instead of putting Evans back in vs Silva. Thiago Silva, with a win over Rashad Evans undoubtedly would've catapulted him into main event status, now that fight is permanently on hiatus. Rashad ended up facing Chuck at UFC 88, knocking him out, and is now scheduled to fight for the gold.

That being said, at the same card Thiago Silva ended up defeating a debuting Antonio Mendesrather quickly, Lyoto Machida made his claim for the A-List with beating outgoing former champion Tito Ortiz decidedly in 3 rounds. Machida proved himself and moved himself into the sentence mentioning who is ready for a title shot. As for Silva? Thiago was kind of left out in the cold by the UFC, as they have a penchant for doing lately. (See Fabricio Werdum before his recent loss and Thiago Alves).

But UFC actually has something to offer Silva and the new rising star Machida... each other. That's right, if these rumors hold true, the match-up once setup for UFC 89, in which Thiago pulled out of due to injury, will now take place at UFC 94. As reported by Guilhemre Cruz over at Tatame.com (See here). It is rumored the reason Machida did not take another bout and chose to wait on the injury of Thiago Silva is that whichever fighter wins, they are next in the line for the Light Heavyweight Title.

The co-main event is going to easily be as big as the main event. Its a shame its not going to be a 5 rounder, because you know it will go to decision. And with the Light Heavyweight Title being contested at UFC 92 between Forrest Griffinand Rashad Evans, and on that very card, more than likely, we will see Wanderlei Silva pull off the hat trick on Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Why do I mention this? 92 will place Rampage further away from the title he once held, and lost in a tough 5 round decision to Griffin. Also, unless there is a controversial or split decision finish, tying up the title contenders at 92 for another 3-6 months.

Lyoto Machida or Thiago Silva, as a result of their much anticipated matchup,  will FINALLY not only be the MAIN headline a card in 2009, they will challenge for gold.