Matchmaking Once Again in Spotlight Following UFC Lightweight Division Shake-up
by Leland Roling on Apr 12, 2010 1:02 PM EDT
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For many fans, the idea that the upper echelon of the UFC's lightweight division would be in disarray following Saturday's UFC 112 main event title showdown was unfathomable. After all, B.J. Penn was going to repel and destroy any and all comers to his belt, and most fans, including myself, didn't give Edgar much of a chance against Penn.
Surprisingly enough, Edgar was able to be competitive, quickly move in and out, and work at a pace that gave him a positive outcome to the fight. Sure, I'm not in the group of fans who agree with the scoring of the bout nor do I actually believe Frankie Edgar won the fight, but I can rationally say that Edgar was so close to achieving that goal that I can't fault a judge for scoring it slightly in his favor. Crosby's scoring of the fight is a different argument for another time.
The focus following the change in the titleholder at UFC 112 now turns to matchmaker Joe Silva. Who will Frankie Edgar battle in his first title defense, and what's the plan for B.J. Penn in returning to the top spot in the division?
The most obvious answer is that the consensus #2 lightweight in the UFC, Kenny Florian, gains the contention spot while Gray Maynard battles B.J. Penn. Some would probably argue that Maynard's dominant victory over Frankie Edgar back at UFC Fight Night 13 should give some credence to the potential for Maynard to move up from his current place in the division, but I'm going to believe that Dana White is probably a bit perturbed from the style and past performances from Maynard.
Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard is always a possibility as it would give Maynard a chance to prove he belongs the shot against a fighter he's defeated in the past, and it would solidify Kenny, without any question, that he is the next challenger. Of course, the UFC could simply say Kenny is in the position already, and I fully expect that to happen.
Penn is probably going to be the more interesting topic however. Edgar was viewed by many fans as having the footwork and boxing to be a threat against Penn, but almost nobody feels that anybody below the top three lightweights in the division stand a chance against Penn. With improvement, I think fans would feel Florian could potentially give Penn some problems, but is there anyone left in the division to challenge him at this point?
If the UFC pushes Florian into a challenger role immediately, Penn will probably draw Maynard. If the UFC feels a contention showdown is valid between Maynard and Florian, Penn will probably battle someone like Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin down the road, or if the UFC is feeling really generous -- Takanori Gomi.
While most of those names offer the always dangerous wrestling pedigree that puts Penn on the defensive, none of those fighters can compete with Penn's power and striking. The UFC could benefit from these blowout battles, and it wouldn't surprise me if that's the route they take while Kenny and Edgar battle at the top.
Is anyone in the boat that Penn fights for contention immediately? Florian vs. Penn II sound good? A lot of fans didn't like the outcome of Edgar vs. Penn, but these types of upsets certainly bring a lot of discussion and intrigue to future match-ups. Going from what we expected to a completely unexpected scenario does have its appeal for fight fans.
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its either these two options:maynard vs florian,edgar vs penn 2 or maynard vs edgar,penn vs florian 2….florian only won 2 times since his loss to bj and we all know he fought a ring rusted gomi…maynard is still undefeated and already beat edgar
Good lord you wrote the same thing in three different comment branches.
Where were you going?
UFC is to Larry Fitzgerald as Strikeforce is to Plaxico Burress. One is the most dominant in their league, while the other shoots itself in the midst of progress.
Posting the same things 10 times to different people is just stupid.
UFC is to Larry Fitzgerald as Strikeforce is to Plaxico Burress. One is the most dominant in their league, while the other shoots itself in the midst of progress.
Why not have Sanchez drop back down to 155 now that BJ is no longer champion
and have Kenny fight Penn and Sanchez first before getting Edgar? At least then it would be quality wins before a third title shot…….
The poll should have:
Edgar vs Maynard, Penn vs ?? or Gomi
Giving Edgar a chance to avenge his loss would be nice…
by truck on Apr 12, 2010 11:11 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
That said: Florian deserves to be in the mix and Florian vs Edgar would be a great fight.
The most entertaining matchups would probably be Edgar vs Florian and Maynard vs Penn
If Maynard defeats Penn via UD
by lay ’n pray, I will be laughing for a week straight
"If I wanted to spend a half hour between two hairy legs I'd go to your mother's house." -Don Frye
Crazier things have happened...
Do you remember that time when Frankie Edgar pulled out a decision over BJ Penn?
by truck on Apr 12, 2010 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Florian vs Edgar, Penn vs Maynard. Doesn’t seem very fair to Maynard, imo, because I still think BJ is the best out of all of them but I’d like to see Florian as champ and I don’t think Edgar could beat Florian.
i agree it’s not fair to make him fight a hungry motivated former champ when he’s won 7 straight. Maynard should fight Edgar, Penn can fight florian or Soto
Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?
You know at some point you have to stop thinking so much like a fan
and start considering whats fair. Maynard deserves the shot, he’s riding a crazy winning streak and he’s the only guy to beat the current champ. That means Edgar was able to build himself up, lose, and rebuild himself back up to the point of winning the title while Maynard was winning throughout that entire period. Maynards also been jerked around enough with getting promised potential title fights, including his last fight, that it’s about time they at least give him his chance.
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
And sometimes you have to try and think like a Promoter.
And give the shot to someone who will also get PPV buys.
If Florian was widely acknowledged
as the #2 fighter by so many, but a rematch was deemed too soon against Penn, why not give him a crack at Edgar now? I think that would be a great stylistic match-up as well.
A lot of people think Sherk screwed up by not trying to utilize his wrestling more. Maybe Maynard can show how effective that may have been in a contender match vs Penn. I’m all for option #1.
Renzo shouldn't fight anybody younger than 60.
"Sometimes hype just ain't enough." - Jens Pulver on his win over BJ Penn
by lowellthehammer on Apr 12, 2010 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
LOL, why?
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Apr 12, 2010 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Lol
how bout Liddell vs. Sakuraba too?
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Apr 12, 2010 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
The UFC need to get rid of these old time league fights...
When neither fighter has a chance at a title shot, they look like their heart is missing…
Case in point; Hughes vs Serra. Hughes vs Gracie, Coleman when he fought Couture, Ortiz when he fought Griffin, Liddell vs Ortiz if it happens…
Hughes vs. Serra was a good fight.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Apr 12, 2010 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions
The first, because it can set up 3 rematches, which is good for the business, and all interesting.
I'm a lover not a fighter
I think they have to do Edgar/Maynard 2. Maynard had a very good claim to this title shot that Edgar just got, and he has the victory over edgar, so that could help any problems in marketing Maynard.
Also, if they don’t do Penn Gomi now, when will they be able to do it? It’s going to be hard to get Gomi a super legit win, and another win by Penn will put him right back into title contention. I have no idea what to do with Florian in this little scenario. Maybe Sherk or Sanchez (if he wants to stay at LW) 2 in boston. That will definitely sell, and while it’s a step back for Kenny according to the rankings, it’s still avenging a loss against a top 10 LW, so a win will do a lot of good.
So, I guess I’m saying Edgar v maynard, Penn v gomi, florian v sherk/sanchez.. Penn fights in HI, Kenny in Boston, and it would put the Edgar fight as a main event in Hawaii over BJ, so make it the main event in boston with florian being the co-main
Penn vs. Gomi
It’s a match-up people are interested in, both are coming off losses, and we might see Penn go for takedowns again (which we haven’t seen in forever).
Edgar/Florian makes a lot more sense than Edgar/Maynard IMO. Yes, Maynard has a win over Edgar, but Maynard isn’t really positioned as a contender right now. A guy coming off of a mediocre performance against Nate Diaz should not be fighting for the belt in his next fight, regardless of past wins/losses. Florian has some momentum coming off of the Gomi win and is the best guy in the division besides Penn. Maynard should fight a guy like Sotiropolous next and the winner can fight the Penn/Gomi winner.
"Sometimes hype just ain't enough." - Jens Pulver on his win over BJ Penn
by lowellthehammer on Apr 12, 2010 11:21 AM EDT reply actions
You mean Florian should fight Sot
or at least win against a top six fighter, which he has yet to do, before getting a third Title Shot . Maynard has done all he needs to do by being undefeated at 8 in the Division and having the only win over the reigning Champion.
I kind of expect Edgar/Florian and Penn/Maynard...
…though I don’t think something like Florian/Maynard, winner fights Edgar, and Penn/Gomi II, is outside the realm of possibility. In many ways, that might actually be preferable as there’s probably no better time to do Penn/Gomi II than now.
The problem would probably be letting Edgar sit and wait for Florian vs. Maynard. While Maynard actually holds the sole win over Edgar, I think Kenny’s more deserving and would make a better fight against Frankie, so I would prefer Edgar/Florian, though I’m not sure what’s to be done with Maynard at that point.
Interesting subject that I’ve been thinking about.
1) Florian is the best lightweight other than Penn/Edgar in the UFC, maybe the world.
2) However, Florian has had two title shots – including getting subbed by Penn less than a year ago.
3) Maynard has NEVER lost and has defeated Edgar.
The shot should go straight to Maynard, but I hope they give it to Ken Flo.
However – if he does get the shot – he better win it, because he’ll never get another one again.
by Clifford J on Apr 12, 2010 11:27 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Did anyone else realize how much smaller Kenny was in the Gomi fight?
I thought he looked a LOT smaller than normal. Im wondering if he over did it trying to make weight or what not.
Look at this pic…. he is MUCH bigger here than in the Gomi fight….
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kenny-Florian/48913167329?ref=ts#!/photo.php?pid=1762129&id=48913167329
www.facebook.com/djpullout
www.twitter.com/djpullout
www.myspace.com/djpullout
www.djpullout.com
AIM = djpullout
info@djpullout.com
Dana made it seem pretty clear, like others are saying, that it’ll be Edgar/Maynard 2. BJ could still love up with WW for all we know. He could retire.
http://www.twitter.com/TB_Money
not trying to pick apart your comment, but when did dana make it “pretty clear” that that was the plain. only thing i’d seen was his “could be” response at the post fight press conference. maybe i missed a seperate interview or something.
You didn’t, I might have been running with the comment a bit much. But when Dana says stuff like that, generally that’s what they end up doing. Or so it seems.
http://www.twitter.com/TB_Money
How does Penn not get an immediate rematch with so much debate on who won? There are a lot of fans that actually thought Penn won that fight. Last I checked Penn choked out Florian in their fight, so that means Florian jumps Penn? Maynard is as exciting as watching grass grow and he lost to Diaz in a lot of people’s eyes. I am confused how nobody other than BJ haters can think this should be a similar situation as Machida v Shogun. Stop hating and get real, BJ is the true #1 LW and an immediate rematch is a must.
I think it has more to do with what Dana and Joe Silva thing. They both thought Shogun got robbed, so an immediate rematch was in order. I think if Dana thought the decision was crap, he would have said so at the press conference. The general rule is that the ex-champ goes out and beats at least one contender before he gets his rematch.
http://www.twitter.com/TB_Money
was just about to say the same thing
Most people, Dana included, thought a 48-47 decision for Edgar was warranted. the only really ridiculous thing about it is that one 50-45 score card
i am a huge bj fan
But I would like to have kenny get another crack at the belt before bj gets it back.
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
by Rayce. on Apr 12, 2010 11:42 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
From the UFC’s standpoint it all depends on the Strikeforce event this week. If Aoki win Penn gets an immediate title fight and I mean immediate. Like that f’n day if they could do it. There is no way that Dana is going to let people talk about Aoki being #1. I expect him to come out all guns blazing when he get off the plane over the discussion there has been so far.
If Aoki looses then there is more money in it in by drawing things out and it also cures the problem trying to keep Penn from moving up.
give kenny a shot. its the only way he will ever touch the belt. then bj gets anyone else at the top.after he wins give him give him the winner of kenny vs. frankie
Wow what a crazy turn of events. This really took the “hum drum” out of the light weight div.
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
by Rayce. on Apr 12, 2010 11:39 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Meh, even the new poll doesn’t really have it right, because I don’t think Kenny and BJ should fight again. My option would be Edgar/Maynard, Florian/Sherk 2, and BJ facing Griffin if he gets by Dunham at 115. There are just too many options for this kind of poll, really.
http://www.twitter.com/TB_Money
I agree =) Edgar vs. Maynard is what I voted for. The rest is debatable.
by Nick Thomas on Apr 12, 2010 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Just brilliant. So let’s wait until July before even booking BJ again?
by Postpubescent on Apr 12, 2010 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Florian Edgar would be an interesting fight. I have no interest in seeing Maynard fight to be honest. He really is dull and hasn’t showed a killer instinct. Put him against Penn.. Sink or Swim I say.
Maynards earned his shot let him fight Edgar next
Kenny fights Griffin/Miller
BJ goes back to the drawing board
by doonerthesooner on Apr 12, 2010 11:57 AM EDT reply actions
Edgar vs. Maynard, Florian gets winner. Penn gets winner of that whole deal.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
Edgar/Maynard could be the worst (most boring) lightweight title fight in UFC history.
I think Dana knows this. He’d probably be terrified to give someone as unmarketable as Maynard a chance at being the lightweight champion of the world.
UFC is to Larry Fitzgerald as Strikeforce is to Plaxico Burress. One is the most dominant in their league, while the other shoots itself in the midst of progress.
by SSreporters on Apr 12, 2010 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I really don't even know how'd they be able to market Edgar/Maynard
For me it makes the most sense to put Penn up against Gomi to at least get out of Gomi what they orignally wanted, then if he losses they can cut him. Realistically it should be Maynard getting the next shot but then I wouldn’t know what they’d do with Florian. I guess they could have Maynard fight Florian for the next shot and have Edgar sit it out until after.
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
Penn will shred Gomi. I think the UFC would want an easier opponent for Gomi than BJ.
UFC is to Larry Fitzgerald as Strikeforce is to Plaxico Burress. One is the most dominant in their league, while the other shoots itself in the midst of progress.
by SSreporters on Apr 12, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
They probably would want Gomi in an easier fight then Penn next, but Gomi’s the one that wanted to come in guns blazing facing Kenny first off so I think he’ll probably be calling for this shot at BJ. Considering that he was brought in to potentially add a new challenger for BJ and to capitalize off the rematch angle I think the UFC will have no other choice but to take the only opportunity they’ll realistically have to set up this match. And who knows, this might be the fight to light a fire under Gomi’s ass.
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
I think it depends on how close they are to doing a card in japan.
If they are close to doing a card in japan, they can give gomi someone easier to keep him around for the card in japan.
If they aren’t close to a card in japan, this may be the only chance to do penn/gomi, so they will do it in hawaii while they have the chance.
This is irrelevant but here's a dream UFC Japan card
Anderson/Okami 2 for the title
Penn/Gomi 2
Nog/Cro Cop 2
Wanderlei/Akiyama
Rampage/young female Japanese reporter
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
Yup, thanks to Maynard. Theyd have to put a really good co-main on that one.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Apr 12, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Anderson Silva vs one of those dancing Japanese robot toys
Book it Joe!
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
A more series answer
I don’t think this fight can cut it as a main event for a PPV, maybe on a Spike card like they did with Rampage/Hendo, but Anderson Silvas probably the next champion that will be fighting on free tv. I’d say that maybe they should hitch it on as a co-main for the big Brock return in the summer if it wasn’t for the fact that they just had two title fights on the same card for 112, but man is this going to be a hard sell.
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
Wow, a mind reader!
Let the experts take care of the marketing genius, and you worry about spinning for yourr favorite on an internet forum. Jeeeeezzz.
i wanna see penn/florian 2
simple because there’s a good chance it would happen in boston, and i’d love to see bj fight in person. plus, i think the edgar fight was so close, that he deserves a rematch if he wins his next fight.
florian vs edgar
Florian vs Edgar, Penn vs Maynard. or penn going to fight Giffin or sherk but i dont see penn until the end of the year yes give Florian a title fight with Edgar after lossing to penn i think he got a lot better in his game and over all he is a better Mix Martial artist he loves the art of battle and that is what all this is about MMA Check us out at MMA FIght Force and be a part of the action
Penn/Edgar II and Florian/Maynard to determine who has next
This may be a bit rushed but I think George Sotiropoulos needs to be in consideration for a future title shot. He’s not that far out of contention, in my opinion.
UFC is to Larry Fitzgerald as Strikeforce is to Plaxico Burress. One is the most dominant in their league, while the other shoots itself in the midst of progress.
You know what
Now that you mention Sotiropoulos:
Edgar/Maynard for the title
Kenny/Sotiropuopolos for the next shot
Penn/Gomi for fun
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
I think Sot is a legit contender.
I’m surprised no one mentioned him in this discussion. But I guess with a division as stacked as this Sot is going to be far back in the line of contenders.
UFC is to Larry Fitzgerald as Strikeforce is to Plaxico Burress. One is the most dominant in their league, while the other shoots itself in the midst of progress.
by SSreporters on Apr 12, 2010 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
would be totally badass to see george fighting the title on an australian card in the next year, but i think it’s too soon for him. not that i don’t think he could contend, but i imagine they’ll wanna spend a little more time making him recognizable to casual fans and what not.
Sotiropoulos is on a five fight winning streak and he just schooled a solid gatekeeper in Joe Daddy, I’m thinking the UFC could pull it off considering that not too long ago we had Martin Kampmann vs Mike Swick to see who’d get shot at GSP.
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
and yeah, swick/kampmann is a point…. but i think that was more a case of gsp having already beaten all the contenders, and those two being the best they could scrape together. not really the case at lightweight currently. again… not trying to say george isn’t capable of fighting guys of that caliber, or that he doesn’t have enough wins to justify such a jump up in competition. just that i’m not sure the ufc marketing staff views things the way us rabid superfans do. will be more than happy to be proven wrong by them though.
Edgar / Florian.
The rest doesn’t matter to me. It seems surreal that we’re even discussing this. Penn no longer champ? Crazy.
I don't want to lick any butt. - GSP
Though they are not really the same, I’ll compare it to the WW situation.
BJ can take the role of Alves = Exciting fighter in title contention
Maynard would be Fitch = Extremely effective fighter, but not a fan favorite
If the exciting fighter can take out the effective but not fan-friendly fighter it does a huge favor to the UFC since it sets the fighters that are not fan-friendly back from getting a title shot.
By fan-friendly I mean that people want to watch them fight.
Sure, there are many variables in each case but I found those particular cases similar.
Agreed
this will probably be their best and only opportunity to do it.
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
If Shogun gets an immediate rematch...
…after a sketchy decision, why shouldn’t BJ? Just sayin’…
There's a WAMMA belt in my Cracker Jacks!
Tweeting @dmiller23
Someone else brought this up
Dana seemed pretty satisfied with the result, even to the point of critisizing Penn’s performance on his twitter. Anway I like it this way better, it makes things more exciting.
"That's right I'm into hardcore crack, that's why my teeth are so bad"
Because one was a close fight which people can easily make a case for both fighters…and one was Shogun/Machida, where nearly every ringside observer and fan at home thought Shogun won, including the owners of the company.
http://www.twitter.com/TB_Money
This brings up another point in both cases...
If the fight comes down to one arguable round (in both cases, I believe it was the 3rd), is it really a robbery? I thought Shogun won- but I’m a total Shogun mark and had it 49-46.
But, to come back to the original question, is the flawed judging overshadowing the closeness of the fight? And if it was razor close, should not a champion be as worthy of an immediate rematch as a challenger? {OK, I admit it, I just don’t want to see Gray Maynard lay all over Frankie and get the belt, even though I think he deserves the fight, having already beaten Frankie. There, I said it.}
There's a WAMMA belt in my Cracker Jacks!
Tweeting @dmiller23
I agree with that in theory, but I think Dana’s secretly a little bit happy that the belt isn’t around BJ’s waist anymore. It opens up the division to a lot of interesting scenarios. If this were strictly about honor, BJ should get an immediate rematch. But since it’s about business, it’s probably best for the division to make BJ wait a bit.
http://www.twitter.com/TB_Money
And maybe, just maybe...
this free’s BJ up to go up to 170 full time…
Not that I expect him to, because he is one of those fighters that feels the overwhelming need to avenge his losses, but the opportunity is there.
It’s there and convenient, but I always saw 170 as just a stop-gap measure. GSP has beaten him soundly, so he’s in the same group as Alves and Fitch. I definitely want to see BJ/Fitch or BJ/Alves, but is fighting those guys going to motivate BJ? I’m not sure. It’s a good bridge for 170 though, to allow more time to pass before GSP eventually has to face any of the 3 again though. BJ/Shields would be amazing too.
http://www.twitter.com/TB_Money
I was thinking Florian v Sotriopoulos for #1 contender then Edgar v Maynard on spike so Dana can say he “made up” for 112 by giving a free title fight. Lets face it… that would be a weak main event for a PPV, but it’s still a title fight so Spike seems perfect for it.
BJ gets Griffin, Guida, Gomi… someone else who is just off a loss or coming up from a streak of loses.
That's not making up for 112. This is pretty much a Fight Night headliner if it wasn't a title fight.
Making up for UFC 72 was Rampage/Hendo. This would be a significant step down.
UFC is to Larry Fitzgerald as Strikeforce is to Plaxico Burress. One is the most dominant in their league, while the other shoots itself in the midst of progress.
kenflo vs. edgar
penn vs. gray
guillard vs. gomi
sot vs. griffin
by Austin Martin on Apr 12, 2010 1:34 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
haha thanks, i just never want people to forget melvin… off the drugs, new life, greg jackson… i still see big things, hes only like 27 or 28 still. I think he’s quick and powerful enough to stop gomi, who has no sub repetoire. i still think he shouldve won that nate diaz fight if he wasnt a moron too
by Austin Martin on Apr 12, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
its either these two options:maynard vs florian,edgar vs penn 2 or maynard vs edgar,penn vs florian 2….florian only won 2 times since his loss to bj and we all know he fought a ring rusted gomi…maynard is still undefeated and already beat edgar
seriously, lets all copy and paste one post to reply to each other, and get nowhere.
by Austin Martin on Apr 12, 2010 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
ryoto....
if i see your exact same post one more time i think im going to spontaneously combust
by SpilledBagofIce89 on Apr 12, 2010 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions
MAYNARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it should be maynard coz hes undefeated and already beaten edgar..florian only won 2 times since his loss to bj and we all know he fought a ring rusted gomi…so its either these two options penn vs edgar2,maynard vs florian or penn vs florian2,edgar vs maynard2….i dont hate florian,i just hate the fact that they’re giving florian the title shot rather than maynard
This is what I would like to see
Edgar Penn 2
Florian Sherk 2
Maynard George S
Griffen ???
Dieing for Florian Sherk 2 Need to see that asap.
Florian vs. Sherk will likely happen at some point. Florian wants to avenge that loss.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Apr 13, 2010 9:08 AM EDT up reply actions
match ups
Edgar vs Maynard II
George S vs Rafael Dos Anjos
Florian vs Sherk II
Griffin/Dunham winner vs Penn
How can any of you want to see Florian get a third title shot?
Yes, time flies. And where did it leave you? Old too soon...smart too late. - Mike Tyson
Edgar vs. Florian
BJ vs. Maynard for the #1 Contender fight
Tyson Griffin vs. George Sotiroupoulos to build up a potential future challenger
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Jim Miller to build up another potential future challenger
Sherk vs. Stevenson to rebuild someone
Guida vs. Tibau for gatekeeper status
Gomi vs. Renzo in a “legends” match because they need to keep one of these people viable to build up other people, and even the loser would still be enough of a “legend” to be kept around to build up one more guy (I would heavily favor Gomi in this fight)
Anyway, Edgar vs. Maynard is just not a draw. You cannot headline a PPV with that. It’s not even a good semi-main-event, from a selling perspective. Also, giving BJ Penn an immediate rematch really isn’t warranted in my opinion, and there’s money to be made in his climb back to the top. If Maynard is to challenge for the title, whether the champion is Edgar or K-Flo, he needs to be built up more anyway at this point, and beating BJ Penn would be the biggest possible boost for him. And if BJ Penn beats Maynard as one would expect, then regardless of whether the champion is K-Flo or Edgar, you’ll have a rematch where the man facing Penn is much less of an underdog than before, which makes for better hype.
How can you be built up any more than having the only win over the Champion?
You either hate Maynard or are a Florian zombie.
Edgar is by far the least known Champion in the UFC among casual fans. Maynard really isn’t that well known himself. A win over BJ Penn would be far more valuable to building him up, even if Frankie Edgar is Champion, because BJ Penn is still a much, much bigger star. I guess it’s all a moot point though now if they’re doing a rematch.
BJ got robbed
I think this was an unreal performance by edgar but i didn’t see a dominating performance but what can you do? I think Penn should get an immediate rematch because to me edgar didn’t prove he is undisputed. If that doesn’t happen I think we will see Florian emerge as the Champion next and then BJ will take it from him which will be fun to watch all that happen
WELL NOT REALLY ROBBED
but it was soooo close i think you should just give the champ the nod but it was BJ’s fight to lose. i do like the potential match ups we have now in the division
by Dr Tyronious on Apr 12, 2010 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Edgar/Florian
Penn/Maynard
Gomi/Sotoropilous
the latter two matchups as a mini-tournament for new #1 contender
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
or maybe: Penn/Gomi, Maynard/Soto
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Apr 12, 2010 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions
if it means he gets a title shot, he sure as hell will
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Apr 12, 2010 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions
why will maynard never fight penn?
being serious… has he just stated he doesn’t want to fight him?.. if so… that’s tough buddy.. you pay the price for being an insanely boring fighter sometimes
by SpilledBagofIce89 on Apr 12, 2010 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Edgar/Florian is clearly the next fight that should be booked for the LW title put that on the Boston card and also book BJ vs. Maynard in a number 1 contender fight and the winners face off at the end of the year.
Not so clear to me.
Maynard by far has earned Edgars first defense!
Why did Rua get an immediate rematch with Machida? The Penn/Edgar fight was just as close — Penn should get an immediate rematch.
Faber, Florian, Nick Diaz, 'Mayhem', Mousasi, Fedor
Dana White disagreed with the Machida/Rua decision, he agreed with the Edgar/Penn decision. That’s the difference.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Apr 13, 2010 9:08 AM EDT up reply actions
"but I can rationally say that Edgar was so close to achieving that goal that I can't fault a judge for scoring it slightly in his favor."
Either a decision is right or wrong, and if you don’t agree with the decision, it seems to me that it’s only fair to attribute fault.
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