Why Title Shot for Rampage Jackson Is Justified

I've noticed a lot of tension between MMA fans concerning the granting of title fights for former champions.  Certainly no one is arguing that former champs don't deserve the chance to win back their belt.  The controversy exists rather in the amount of wins required to gain back that opportunity.

I don't believe there is any certain formula - each situation is unique and ought to be treated as such.  However, here are a few guidelines which I believe justify either an immediate title shot rematch or a "one-win and fight for the title again" scenario:

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Split Decision Losses (or even very close majority decisions)

Generally, after a title fight ends by split decision (or very close majority decision), MMA fans are split as well about who they believe truly won.  Not only will a rematch resolve any debate in this case, but an immediate rematch will also serve to satiate the fans' appetite.

No one could say that Forrest Griffin hadn’t earned the belt, but it also wasn’t an easy argument to make that Rampage had lost the belt.  It was a very close decision, with fans split on both sides as well.  At the time, I would’ve preferred to see an immediate rematch.  As it turned out, Jackson had to face a very tough opponent (who had twice defeated him) in Wanderlei Silva to possibly earn back a shot at the title.  To me, Jackson has earned his shot (unfortunately it won’t be a rematch).

Any Loss (after having defended the belt several times)

Even after a champion has lost, the new champion is not always respected (especially if they had not been able to convincingly finish the incumbent).  This hesitancy to embrace the new champion is even more aggrandized when the fans have grown accustomed to the old champ.

Chuck Liddell had been the Light Heavyweight champion for over two years (and defended the belt four times) before he lost it to Jackson.  I am convinced that Liddell would’ve received another shot at the title had he defeated Keith Jardine.

Matt Hughes had been the Welterweight champion for the same amount of time (and this was his second time holding the belt) before he lost to St. Pierre.  What did it take for him to earn a shot back for the title?  A hard-fought decision over a game Chris Lytle (TUF 4 runner-up).

Any Loss to an Overwhelming Underdog

Even when champions are convincingly finished by a devastating KO, there are certain circumstances that would still justify a rematch.  When an underdog is granted a title shot that perhaps prior to the fight would have seemed as a little premature, a convincing victory may win the belt, but it may also leave questions in the fans’ heads about whether it was a fluke.  This is even more relevant when the defending champion is one of the organization’s most popular fighters.

The obvious case is when Georges St. Pierre lost the belt to Matt Serra.  Although you cannot take anything away from Serra’s performance that night, many fans were not ready to move him ahead of GSP in their rankings.  Due to the deal made with the winners of TUF 4, Serra was granted a title shot before it seemed as if his career up to that date had truly merited it.  St. Pierre, on the other hand, seemed to be on the verge of becoming the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.  This outcome did not sit well with fans, and so it would only be a matter of time before GSP would be given the opportunity to reclaim his belt.  His very next fight was for the interim title (replacing an injured Serra against Matt Hughes) and then the rematch itself with Serra.

*The other allowance would be when a title is vacated.  This is what afforded Matt Hughes and Tim Sylvia (twice) to gain back their titles.

Rampage should be afforded the same opportunity as previous UFC title holders and get another chance at the belt.  Granted that Machida and Thiago Silva have undefeated records, but Jackson's record still looks superior to theirs when you factor in how close his last loss was.  (Personally, I'd rather see how they match up against former title holders like Griffen and Liddell.)