With the recent signing of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "Sugar" Rashad Evans to fill the coaching roles on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series on Spike and Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua expected to be confirmed for an October/November matchup, the UFC's Light Heavyweight division is now set up down the ranks for some big changes in the next six months.

First and foremost, the forementioned battles should produce a contender or potentially a rematch between previous foes in the Octagon. Stylistically, most fans would give Machida the nod over "Shogun" Rua as Rua's aggressive style doesn't bode well in a standup fight with Machida. The question mark remains whether or not Rua's technical ground tactics and takedowns can put Machida in danger. With a Machida victory, it's likely that the UFC will be looking for a Rampage win in December over Evans to produce a solid championship bout. If Evans happens to edge out Rampage, will the UFC give him a crack at retaining his title once again? I'm more inclined to believe somebody else will get a shot first before Evans will be thrust back into a title fight.

There are also the possibilities of a Rampage vs. Shogun matchup if both Evans and Machida win their respective bouts. It'll be a rematch from the PRIDE-era, and it almost has the same feel as the Wanderlei Silva/Rampage Jackson rivalry from back in the same era. Rua destroyed Jackson at the PRIDE 2005 Grand Prix with aggressive Muay Thai knees and soccer kicks. While a lot of fans try to discount Rua's win due to the soccer kicks, one thorough inspection of the bout points out Rampage's huge failures in trying to stop Rua's strong Muay Thai clinch. With Rua's resurging skillset, it could be a trip down memory lame for Rampage. Jackson, however, has improved substantially since 2005, and the build-up to such a fight would be incredible for the UFC.


Who will be next in the food chain to peek their head into the title contention role in the coming months? Keith Jardine will be taking on Thiago Silva at UFC 102, but a Jardine win will likely sit him just outside the title hunt while Thiago Silva will still need to prove himself against tougher competition. Forrest Griffin will take on Anderson Silva at UFC 101, and this matchup has the most intrigue because I believe with a win over Silva, Griffin will likely be the next contender in the 205 lb. division. While Silva is the Middleweight champion, his reputation as being unbeatable will likely boost Griffin's stock substantially much like his win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. I couldn't see a scenario with Griffin winning in which the UFC doesn't push him into the limelight once again. An Anderson Silva victory could produce a matchup near the top, but will he actually fight Lyoto Machida? For the right money, it could be possible, but likely not until next year.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin takes place at UFC 99, but this matchup doesn't have any ramifications in the title picture. Silva is going to be a fighter that the UFC uses for show for the rest of his career unless he strings together a couple of big wins, and Franklin still needs to do the same to get into the hunt for the title.

On the outside looking in, the UFC has a couple of dark horse candidates who could be in the title hunt by early next year if their progression continues. Most notably, Luis Cane has yet to see a loss via a stoppage. His only loss came via disqualification due to an illegal knee to James Irvin. Cane hasn't put up the most impressive run in the UFC yet, but he'll likely see some better competition in the coming months. With wins over Cantwell, the disappointing Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and wrestler Jason Lambert, it's time for the UFC to begin giving the talented Brazlian striker better fights. After all, Cane's skillset appeals to the casual fanbase.

What about Tito Ortiz? The name makes some fans cringe at the thought, but I'd be stupid to not mention the fact the UFC could bring him in and try to justify a high ranking due to the fact that he nearly beat Rashad Evans and put Machida in one instance of danger. Right now, it's unfathomable to think he's going to be in the UFC any time soon, but the UFC can't deny his drawing power.

With all of these divisional matchups, how will the next six months unfold? Rampage vs. Evans is one of the tougher fights to analyze. While Rampage is much more technical, my belief is that he's slower than Evans. Even if that's true, Rampage's power and toughness can put the pain on Evans. It should be a real war, and the build-up is only going to make it a true drawing matchup.

The rest of the division will see some interesting matchups unfold from the outcomes of the next few events. I don't think Thiago Silva has the chops to hang with Jardine right now. We've seen his looping punches in matchups with Drwal and Mendes, and he's luckily came out on top in those bouts after being caught. I could see the UFC trying to set up a Jardine vs. Griffin rematch if Griffin is pummeled by Anderson Silva, or pushing Rich Franklin further toward the top if he can win against Wanderlei Silva. Jardine, Griffin, Franklin would all be within the realm of matching up against one another.

The odd man out would likely be Franklin, but I'm wondering if the UFC would actually pit him against a guy like Cane or even Jon Jones. I'm more inclined to believe Wanderlei Silva would be the man taking on the new blood in the division, but with a loss to one of those dark horses, the UFC would more than likely try to retire the Brazilian much like they have with Chuck Liddell.

With the plethora of matchups taking place in the next six months, what matchups do you forsee the UFC bringing to the table as these next few events unfold? It's tough to see how the UFC will match these fighters up, especially with an eye for the marketability of the bout. One thing is for certain, the UFC's premier division won't be short of work. It should be an exciting journey to the end of the year for the 205'ers.