For the first time since we saw Cain Velasquez batter Junior dos Santos for a second time at UFC 166 in October 2013, the heavyweight title picture feels open—wide open.
Call it a shot at newly crowned heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum (whom I picked to defeat Velasquez at UFC 188, mind you), but he doesn't feel invincible. Much like this new wave of champions that includes the likes of Daniel Cormier, Chris Weidman, Robbie Lawler and T.J. Dillashaw, Werdum doesn't carry this palpable sense of impermeability his predecessor once had.
Jon Jones can beat Cormier, Rockhold stands a good chance against Weidman, and just about any of the top four contenders could topple Lawler and Dillashaw in their respective divisions.
The same goes for Werdum, who has many questions to answer as he begins his journey in certifying himself as the undisputed baddest man on the planet.
Truthfully, any fighter can defeat any other fighter on any given night—especially the big guys at heavyweight. But having a puncher's chance against the champion doesn't necessarily make one a contender in the division. So forgive me in advance for not including anybody outside the UFC's top five heavyweights in this conversation (especially you, Ben Rothwell, because I really enjoyed your post-fight nonsense).
To clarify, this isn't black or white. Pretenders do not stand a good chance to beat Werdum—contenders do.
No comments:
Post a Comment