John Lineker should face Ian McCall to determine who receives the next shot at the UFC flyweight title. 

The promotion recently announced that 125-pound champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will take on challenger Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso at UFC 177 in Sacramento, prompting the MMA universe to scratch its collective head. 

Ranked No. 8 in the UFC’s official standings, Cariaso seemingly leapfrogged some more worthy competitors, Lineker and McCall included. 

Kamikaze has yet to defeat a top-10 flyweight inside the Octagon, and his overall UFC record—a respectable 7-3—contains just one victory via finish. 

Mighty Mouse will come into this fight as the heavy favorite, and rightly so. The champ is on a six-fight winning streak, defeating top challengers such as Joseph Benavidez, John Dodson and Ali Bagautinov along the way. Compared to Cariaso’s resume, well, there is no comparison. 

If (or when) Johnson disposes of Cariaso, the flyweight division will need another contender to step up, and the winner of a Lineker vs. McCall fight would be perfect to get the division back on track. 

Lineker is 5-2 inside the Octagon, most recently losing to Bagautinov, a fighter who tested positive for Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (EPO) after his title fight with Johnson at UFC 174 and will serve a one-year suspension.

While Bagautinov did not test positive surrounding his fight with Lineker, the failed test does take a little shine away from that win. 

Despite this slip-up against Bagautinov, Lineker has won five of his last six fights—four via knockout.

He’s one of few flyweight contenders who boasts legitimate one-shot knockout power, and he violently pursues the finish, even late in fights he’s clearly winning. He brings non-stop ferocity, exactly the kind of style that could force Johnson into some hairy situations. 

McCall, meanwhile, fought Johnson to a draw at UFC on FX 2. Late in that fight, McCall mounted Johnson and delivered some heavy ground-and-pound shots until the final bell, dominating the current champ like nobody had before (or since).

While Uncle Creepy’s overall UFC record doesn’t look fantastic at 2-2-1, it’s worth noting that his draw came against Johnson, and his two losses were split between Johnson and Benavidez. 

Currently on a two-fight winning streak over Iliarde Santos and Brad Pickett, McCall looks rejuvenated and reinvigorated in the flyweight division, and his past success over Johnson adds a nice scoop of intrigue to a potential trilogy. 

Anything can happen in MMA, but Cariaso’s chances of defeating Johnson are paltry at best, and the champ will need to take on somebody higher up the ladder in his subsequent defense. 

McCall and Lineker practically agreed to the fight already, so the UFC has a pretty simple job to do. 

Call up McCall, call up Lineker, send some papers and get them to sign on the dotted line. 

It’s the fight the flyweight division and its champion deserve. 

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Alexander Gustafsson believes that he, not Daniel Cormier, should be facing Jon Jones for the light heavyweight championship on Jan. 3. In the meantime, the Swede is willing to wait for the title shot that he believes belongs to him.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the newest names in the ever-growing list of mixed martial arts fighters hampered by injuries.

Unfortunately for the athlete, the knee injury that has forced him out of competition came at a time when he was surging toward the top of the lightweight division.

Even though he’s still months away from returning to the Octagon, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has a number of opponents waiting to welcome him back. However, one of the most interesting options isn’t on the UFC’s roster at this time.

That man is current Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.

Since joining the UFC back in 2012, “The Eagle” has run his undefeated streak to 22 victories. The Russian native has propelled himself to a point where he is one of the premier fighters at 155 pounds, and he’s currently the No. 3-ranked lightweight in the promotion behind Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez, per UFC.com.

In order to obtain the title shot that has eluded him to this point, Nurmagomedov should be placed against Alvarez, as it would be a challenging bout for both of them.

Alvarez is still under contract with Bellator, but that did not stop the UFC from attempting to bring him over to face Donald Cerrone at UFC 178, per Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog. That fight would eventually fall apart, as Cerrone is now scheduled to face Bobby Green. However, that doesn’t mean the UFC should end their pursuit of Alvarez.

Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie reported that at the time of Nurmagomedov‘s injury in July he would be out of action for at least six months. During this period the UFC could work on their negotiations with Bellator to reach an agreement to bring over their lightweight champion. The companies would have their work cut out for them, but earlier efforts show that they are willing to negotiate.

Scott Coker recently addressed the situation with Alvarez’s contract with Bellator. “Right now, where it’s at today is Eddie’s still a fighter under contract with Bellator.” Scott Coker told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I know that lawyers are involved, and that’s something that happened way before I came to this company. Right now, I don’t have an update for you on that.”

Alvarez would present an interesting challenge for Nurmagomedov if they were to actually meet in the Octagon. To this point, Nurmagomedov has been able to overwhelm his opponents within the UFC with effective grappling.

Alvarez uses an aggressive style of a different nature, where he stays on his opponents, looking to land boxing combinations and use his wrestling when possible. Nurmagomedov has yet to face an opponent in the UFC who uses such a style, so a fight against Alvarez would be a clear change of pace for him.

From a business perspective, this fight makes sense for the organization as well. Alvarez has never shied away from promoting himself or the fights that he’s involved in. He would have the ability to carry much of the needed media work for a fight against Nurmagomedov.

A win for either fighter would create enough credibility for them to be considered a No. 1 contender to fight the winner of the upcoming Anthony Pettis–Gilbert Melendez fight with the title. If the UFC were able to set this match up it would work as a co-main event for a pay-per-view card in 2015.

Khabib Nurmagomedov was very near to earning a shot at the UFC lightweight title before suffering a knee injury last month. As the promotion awaits his return, they can use this time to sign Eddie Alvarez and create the best fight possible to welcome Alvarez to the UFC and Nurmagomedov back from the injured list all at once.

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So, you’re on a six-fight winning streak in one of the toughest divisions the UFC has to offer. You’ve defeated the division’s fifth-, 10th-, 11th- and 14th-ranked fighters in the process. You even managed to KO the No. 14 fighter in the division above you. That should be enough to grant you a shot at the title, right?

Well, kind of. 

Cub Swanson, the UFC’s second-ranked featherweight—behind only Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes—is just a little more than a month removed from a five-round unanimous decision win against Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 44. Though his performance would warrant a title shot, the current featherweight landscape complicates things a bit.

“I’m not really one to cry about things, I’m just excited to be in the position I’m in,” Swanson said after his victory at the UFC Fight Night 44 post-fight press conference. “I’ve worked real hard, so, I mean, there was another fight that was a good opportunity for me, then I would take it. I’m not really trying to wait forever.”

That’s just it; after waiting 357 days in between his last two fights, there’s no way the UFC can allow, or force, Swanson to wait an extended period of time as he prepares for his title shot. Understandably, Swanson wanted the title shot and the UFC was willing to comply, according to Dana White, per UFC’s “The Download“:

Let me tell you what, Jeremy is ranked No. 10 but he’s not the No. 10 fighter. He’s better than that, and Cub took big f****** shots from him early, ate his shots and came back and fought a beautiful fight. I’m very excited for his future. Cub’s going to get what he wants, let’s just put it that way.

But after Aldo pulled out of his original fight against Mendes in August, things got a little more complicated for Swanson and the UFC brass. Considering Aldo and Mendes aren’t scheduled to fight for the crown until late October at UFC 179, Swanson wouldn’t be getting a crack at the belt until February at the earliest. 

And that’s if everything goes as planned.

But with more people favoring Mendes as the rematch nears, it’s not completely implausible to see the Team Alpha Male fighter snatch the strap away from the incumbent champion and force a rubber match between the new-found rivals. The rematch would likely take place in February or March, meaning any title bouts exclusively consisting of Aldo and Mendes could only take place around June or July—tacking on another 350-day layoff for the established contender. 

This is where Frankie Edgar comes in. 

Edgar is facing almost identical circumstances. He’s ranked highly amongst the UFC’s featherweights. He’s deserving of a title shot. He spent 365 days in between his last two fights against Charles Oliveira and B.J. Penn.

It wouldn’t be fair to force Swanson to square off against the former UFC lightweight champion, but it makes sense. Fighting each other would clear up some space atop of the ever-crowded featherweight pack and design a clear-cut contender for a spot atop the featherweight mountain. 

The long wait isn’t the only variable that should be concerning Swanson right now, though—the UFC has some other favorable rising featherweights waiting for their chance at UFC gold.

Conor McGregor, the UFC’s ninth-ranked featherweight and arguably its most popular star, could be in line to justify a title shot of his own with a win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 178 in September. A victory against the No. 5 featherweight would likely catapult the Irish sensation into the top five. A microphone would likely catapult him into a title fight. 

And if there’s anything we can take away from Alexander Gustafsson’s current misfortune, it’s that the UFC can snatch away a title shot just about as fast as it can grant it. Because for as much as it wants to put on bouts between two viable opponents, it would much rather put on fights between two viable opponents who can make headlines. 

Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.

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Hector Lombard was on the rise in the UFC’s welterweight division before an injury forced him to the sidelines earlier this year.

The fighter, now known as “Showeather,” is prepping for a return to the Octagon. With much of the 170-pound division jockeying for position to climb the ladder, there are a number of interesting matchups that would keep Lombard on the short list of title contenders.

However, the Cuban native should not have to look far for his next opponent—the man he should face, Tyron Woodley, trains within the same team.

When the question of fighting teammates is usually posed to mixed martial artists, the answer is typically a “no.” However, there is potential for Woodley to face Lombard and other teammates within American Top Team.

The UFC currently has Woodley ranked in the No. 3 slot, while Lombard sits at No. 6. With two of his teammates in Lombard and Robbie Lawler sitting within the top six of the UFC standings, there is a great potential that they may have to face off at some point in the future.

Woodley has already addressed this situation in recent interviews. “If worse comes to worse, we’ll do a whole training camp together if we have to fight each other,” Woodley told MMAjunkie Radio before his fight with Carlos Condit at UFC 171. “I think it’s kind of funny that there’s so much discussion talking about us fighting each other.”

While he may have been joking at the time, the idea that Lombard and Woodley could face each other is a situation that he and Hector should address. This past March, Hector answered the pending question with a resounding “no.”

“If he wins the belt, I don’t want to fight him,” Lombard said to Steven Marrocco of USA Today when speaking of a potential fight against Lawler. “He can have the belt man, I don’t really care.”

However, the UFC has flexed their muscle in the past to get teammates and friends to compete against each other in important fights. Rashad Evans versus Jon Jones at UFC 145 stands as the biggest example of when the promotion was able to get two partners to compete against each other.

The task hasn’t come up yet from UFC executives in relation to Lombard and Woodley, but the timing would make sense to create that fight at some point this year.

When MMA Fighting announced in June that Lombard would be forced out of action for three months due to a cervical herniated disc, a return was not anticipated until September at the earliest. Woodley recently competed at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le, where he knocked out Dong Hyun Kim in 61 seconds.

UFC match-makers could book Woodley and Lombard in a contest in the fourth quarter of 2014, giving the division an additional contender option for early 2015.

The return of Hector Lombard will add an interesting wrinkle to the welterweight division. The former Bellator champion has looked good for the majority of his UFC run; especially since moving down to 170 pounds.

Another victory could have him next in line for a shot at the welterweight title. Unfortunately, to get there he may have to go through two of his teammates. A pairing against Woodley would make sense at this juncture in their careers, and the UFC should begin working on booking this bout for the man now named “Showeather.”

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Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza rests his case.

Souza made his final push toward No. 1 contender status in the middleweight division on Friday, as he battered, fatigued and ultimately submitted Gegard Mousasi in the main event of UFC Fight Night 50.

Undefeated since Sept. 2011 and now the winner of four straight fights in the Octagon, there’s simply no denying he should be next up for the winner of Chris Weidman’s December title defense against Vitor Belfort.

I know it. You know it. Jacare knows it, too.

“If anyone doubts that, they’re completely wrong,” Souza said through an interpreter in the cage after the fight was over. “Lyoto (Machida) fought this guy (Mousasi) for five rounds. I finished him before the fight ended. I’m next for the title.”

UFC President Dana White was effusive in his praise for Jacare, but stopped well short of agreeing he’d earned a shot at the championship. In fact, he implied the opposite.

“You can’t say the guy’s next in line for the title when somebody (else) is already next in line for the title,” White told Ariel Helwani on the Fox Sport 1 postfight show. “Obviously, Jacare looked incredible tonight, he put on a great performance and I’m sure he’ll fight again before we talk about title shots.”

Timing, of course, is everything in situations like this. With a few months yet before Weidman and Belfort can settle their differences, the UFC will no doubt want to press Souza back into action. From a purely competitive standpoint, however, it’s clear he has nothing left to prove.

By notching victory via third-round guillotine choke, Jacare avenged a six-year-old loss to Mousasi. He also became the first man to stop the enigmatic 29-year-old since Akihiro Gono did it at a Pride Bushido event in 2006. Though Mousasi has been inconsistent and approached this bout as nearly a two-to-one underdog, he’s always been considered a tough out.

Souza appeared to put him away with relative ease.

Would it be the same against Weidman, assuming the new champion is able to best Belfort at the end of the year? Probably not. Weidman’s skill set is essentially the exact opposite of Mousasi’s style. His wrestling and submission game might well cancel out what Jacare does best.

Yet after this weekend’s performance, there is no one else in the 185-pound division fans should want to see give the champion his next test.

Coming into the fight, it was thought Mousasi would have to control the distance to have a chance against Souza. The Dutch-trained kickboxer would have to keep Jacare at the end of his lanky jab, use his footwork to stay off the cage and pepper the multi-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion with strikes.

He could do none of those things.

Instead, it was Jacare who determined the range. Time and time again he was able to slip past Mousasi’s defenses, pin him against the chain link and dump him on the canvas. Once there, the bout was solidly in Souza’s world.

Mousasi managed to stave him off in the early going, refusing to let Jacare pass his guard, while looking fairly busy with punches and hammerfists from his back. Midway through the first, he even threatened with a surprising, but brief triangle attempt.

As things wore on though, Souza proved to be too much. His tireless top game was exhausting even to watch, and by the time the second round came to a close, he was finding greater and greater success.

In the third round, Jacare finally managed to climb over Mousasi’s legs and lock up a choke. With his right arm trapped by Souza’s left leg, Mousasi couldn’t escape and was forced to offer a tap hidden from view of referee Herb Dean. A smiling Jacare alerted Dean to the concession.

All told it was an out-and-out grappling clinic, but perhaps the biggest surprise was that Jacare also got the better of the significant stand-up exchanges. His punches are still winging haymakers, a far cry from the technical strikes possessed by Mousasi, but they sure looked like they hurt when they landed.

Souza came into this bout No. 4 on the UFC’s official middleweight rankings. Belfort (No. 3) is set for his chance at Weidman, while No. 2 Machida already got his at UFC 175 and No. 1 Anderson Silva is still working his way back from injury. Barring a loss, the only fighter who could potentially leapfrog Jacare is Luke Rockhold (No. 5), who fights Michael Bisping in November.

For Jacare, though, the course is clear.

Get this man a title shot at his earliest possible convenience.

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What’s next for Ronda Rousey?

There was a time when the answer to that question seemed clear. Back when Ronda was in Strikeforce, we all assumed she’d sign with the UFC, fight a couple of people and then take on Cris Cyborg in a long-awaited grudge match.

We’re still waiting and don’t know if the grudge match is ever going to happen. There are times when it feels like it’s just over the horizon, but most of us have become immune to hope when it comes to Rousey vs. Cyborg.

It gives us the same feeling we used to get when folks started talking about Randy Couture taking on Fedor Emelianenko. The same feeling we got when all those rumors of Brock Lesnar taking on Emelianenko began.

We had hope back then, too. It just didn’t end up being worth much.

But even if Cyborg and Rousey do face off, it won’t happen any time soon. Cyborg has yet to prove she can cut to 135 pounds; she’ll likely get her chance later this year on an Invicta card. If she can make that cut once or twice, there’s a good chance she ends up in the UFC next year. And once she is in the UFC, it is only a matter of time before she’s standing across the Octagon from the UFC’s biggest mainstream star.

But Rousey can’t wait around on the sidelines forever. She’ll be itching to get back in the Octagon before long, which means she needs an opponent. Today, I’m going to rank three ideal opponents for Rousey, from worst to first. I believe Rousey‘s next opponent will be one of these three women, and I’ll tell you why I’d like to see it (and why it might not make sense).

3. Bethe Correira

Correia has the obvious natural storyline thing going. She has dispatched two of Rousey‘s teammates and  seems intent on following her “Horsewomen Killer” gimmick all the way to the top. And that’s exactly where it would take her, if only Rousey‘s teammates were any good.

I’m a fan of built-in storylines in mixed martial arts. It makes the sport more palatable and easier to sell. And writing about a fighter systematically beating each of the champion’s opponents on her way to a title shot? That’s an easy story. I can write about that.

But the truth is that Correia doesn’t deserve a title shot yet, because beating Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler should not be enough to earn you the shot. Baszler has been something of a pioneer in women’s mixed martial arts, and she deserves credit for her role. But beating her shouldn’t be enough to put you in the spotlight.

My idea: Match Correia up with Holly Holm whenever Holm is ready to make her debut. Holm might very well be a legitimate contender for Rousey‘s belt, but she’ll need a win or two in front of UFC fans to justify her spot. And if Correia can beat her? Few will be able to say she’s still undeserving of a title shot.

2. Cat Zingano

Yeah, I realize the next opportunity is likely going to go to Zingano. She earned her shot by beating Miesha Tate well over a year ago but lost it due to injury. After that, she went through a grueling year, including the tragic loss of her husband.

Needless to say, it has been a tough year for Zingano. But if she can beat Amanda Nunes in her return to the Octagon at UFC 178, she’ll likely get to turn around and face Rousey in January or February. And I can’t sit here and say she is undeserving; she did beat Tate, after all, and then Tate got the title shot anyway. She should be afforded the chance to go after what she earned in the first place.

But that said, I still don’t buy it. Rousey vs. Zingano isn’t a fight the casual fans will buy. I believe Rousey, much as she always has, wants the biggest fights available. Which means that until Cyborg comes along, there is only one real choice.

1. Gina Carano

I’ve come around to the idea of this fight, mostly because I believe it is inevitable.

Carano does not deserve a title shot. The UFC will attempt to tell you she does, and it is important you do not believe the promotion. Yes, Carano has done wonders for women’s mixed martial arts. No, that does not mean she deserves a title shot after more than five years on the bench (and with a loss in her last fight).

But none of that matters. Deserving and undeserving have no place in this conversation. Not when it comes to Rousey vs. Carano. Because this is a fight that, when it happens, will transcend mixed martial arts. Folks who are not interested in fighting will call you and ask you for your thoughts. SportsCenter will run features on it. It’ll be front and center of sports and entertainment dailies across the United States.

It will be a big fight. And big fights are what mixed martial arts needs, right now more than ever. Because of that, I’m fine with going this direction. In fact, I encourage it. Because pure sports and athletes might be the thing that keeps most of us around, but superstars are what pulls in the folks who don’t watch all that often.

Rousey vs. Carano will do just that. And for that reason, it should be Rousey‘s next fight. Let’s just hope the UFC is able to get the deal done.

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There were few other fights that the UFC could pull together that would excite fans more than Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz did when the bout was first announced earlier this year. 

In the blue corner you have the former Strikeforce welterweight champion making his return to the Octagon after what would have been a 22-month hiatus. In the red corner you have the former UFC middleweight champion making his return from a yearlong absence that came as a result of one of the most gruesome injuries most of us have ever seen. 

Both men were poised to take the center of the Octagon and piece together what could have been one of the most fan-friendly striking matches anybody could ask for. 

So when most of us heard that Diaz was arrested under suspicion of DUI, the concerns started to grow—who would Silva fight if the highly anticipated bout with Diaz fell through?

Like it or not, this was a fight that Silva was supposed to win. Diaz was supposed to do what he always does: move forward, throw strikes aplenty and collect his paycheck. Silva, being the counterstriker that he is, was supposed to bob, weave and pounce his way back into relevancy. 

None of the following fighters would make for quite as an exciting fight, especially when you consider the amount of attention Diaz garners when he steps inside of a cage. That doesn’t mean this pay-per-view is already destined to fail, though. 

Here are some alternative options: 

Gegard Mousasi

No, he may not have the same rhetorical abilities that Diaz has developed over the years, but he certainly has a similar striking game that could make for an equally exciting fight. Akin to Diaz, Gegard Mousasi doesn’t always throw heavy, but he surely throws often. 

Coming off of a one-sided loss to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza earlier this month, Mousasi fell to the bottom of the already-crowded middleweight pool of title contenders. A victory against Silva—which could happen—would likely toss him ahead of a lot of the current crop of contenders. 

A win for Silva here would likely provide a little more validation than he would receive in defeating Diaz, further convincing the public that he’s still worthy of the No. 1 spot in the UFC’s middleweight division.

Dan Henderson 

Sure, Dan Henderson hasn’t necessarily looked impressive since he took part in a five-round war with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in 2011. He also hasn’t fought at 185 pounds since he challenged for Jake Shields’ Strikeforce middleweight title back in 2010. 

But after getting rag-dolled by Daniel Cormier, knocked out by Vitor Belfort and split-decisioned by faster fighters in Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans, it’s obvious that Hendo needs to make some changes before he’ll start seeing any sort of success inside of the Octagon again. 

Squaring off against Silva—in what would be the sequel to their 2008 title unification bout—could be the sort of motivation that Henderson needs to make the difficult weight cut at 44 years old. 

Rashad Evans

With back-to-back victories against Henderson and Chael Sonnen, it’s not as if Rashad Evans needs to make the move down to middleweight. He sits firmly as the light heavyweight division’s No. 3 contender, likely only needing one or two more victories before he’ll find himself in a rematch against Jon Jones. 

But that’s just it—it’ll be a rematch against the man who beat him in every feasible way for five whole rounds. And it’s not as if Jones suddenly plateaued upon defeating Evans—he’s gotten much, much better. 

He’ll be looking to make his return to the Octagon in early 2015 after tearing his ACL in the weeks leading up to his bout against Cormier back in March. He did say he’d be willing to come back as early as February, per The MMA Hour, via Dana Becker of Fightline.com, but who’s to say he’d be opposed to the idea of pushing his ETA a month early to step up and fight the former pound-for-pound king? 

Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA. 

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For Dominick Cruz, it would appear the hard part is over. Just making it into the cage at UFC 178 was a victory for the former bantamweight king. After then going on to steamroll Takeya Mizukagi within a matter of seconds, it almost felt like Cruz had gone 2-0 for the evening.

There have been few upsides to the 29-year-old’s absence, but one was the opportunity to watch him break down the minutiae of the fight game, giving us a fresh appreciation for Cruz’s mind for violence.

But boy was it good to see him back putting both his mind and body to its best use.

In truth, no one really knew what to expect from Cruz after almost three years on the sidelines. We are constantly reminded by UFC President Dana White that “ring rust is a real thing,” so it was difficult to imagine any fighter returning after such a lengthy absence and picking up right where he had left off.

As a member of the media, you always want to try and remain outwardly objective. However, it was difficult to not openly root for Cruz to make a successful return to the cage.

Most wanted him to look something like the fighter from 2011, even if that seemed like a fantasy. More improbable still was what actually transpired.

Cruz surpassed his previous self, making our ambitious expectations appear modest.

Impressive though he is, few would have considered the former champion “dangerous.” With only one legitimate stoppage in his previous 10 fights, Cruz’s record supported the prevailing perception that he is an extremely effective point fighter.

It’s hard to know whether Cruz was being propelled by sheer adrenaline at UFC 178, but he seems to have added a more aggressive dimension to his game, in addition to a few extra watts of power in his fists.

Perhaps it was just a product of the occasion, but one can only hope that it’s a lasting change to “The Dominator’s” game.

It usually makes sense to predict future fights that a fighter needs to take after an event, but with his performance Saturday, Cruz effectively took that option off the table. There is only one fight to make.

The fact that Cruz didn’t lose his title in the cage is reason enough to give him the next crack at current 135-pound champion T.J. Dillashaw. His demolition of Mizukagi merely reinforces the need for that fight to happen as soon as possible.

The good news? Dana White has already announced his intention to put that fight together. The only real question left is when and where it takes place.

If both men fight up to their potential, we may bear witness to the quintessential mixed martial arts bout.

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Say what you will about Conor McGregor—and you no doubt have by this point—but the man knows how to stoke a fire.

Last night, McGregor sent the collective mixed martial arts community into a breathless panic when he tweeted the following:

As of press time on Thursday morning, McGregor‘s tweet has been retweeted 3,152 times. It has been favorited 2,935 times. These are high engagement numbers for mixed martial artists on social media, even one with the burgeoning popularity of McGregor.

Needless to say, the fans approve of the bout. UFC president Dana White threw cold water on their excitement, telling ESPN.com’s Bret Okamoto the fight isn’t happening.

“That kid is nuts,” White said. “No, he’s not. He wants to, but he’s not.”

We should be thankful. As much as the notion of a McGregor-Sanchez fight pleases me (because imagine the violence!), it just doesn’t make much sense.

McGregor is riding an incredible wave. His UFC career has been handled perfectly. He picked up wins over beatable opponents on Fight Pass, then made the jump to pay-per-view. There, at UFC 178, he dispatched Dustin Poirier with ease, and then called out both Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. The UFC is flying McGregor to Brazil, where he’ll sit cageside as Aldo and Mendes compete for the featherweight championship at UFC 179.

After that? It is hard to imagine McGregor not getting the next shot at the belt, even though he’ll leapfrog several far more deserving contenders in the process.

Because money talks, and McGregor? Right now, he’s money.

Which is why it makes no sense for McGregor to step in and face the aging Diego Sanchez. The violence-loving fight fan in all of us wants to see that fight, even though we’d probably feel a little bad about our decision in the aftermath of the fight.

Sanchez, one of the more popular and volatile fighters in the history of the UFC, is on the decline. If not for a gift decision over Ross Pearson in June, Sanchez would be on a three-fight losing streak. His enduring spirit is the only thing preventing him from falling over at this point.

I am sure McGregor vs. Sanchez would be a war, because Sanchez is exclusively involved in wars. I am also certain McGregor would starch Sanchez and, while probably not knocking him out (because one does not simply knock out Sanchez), would absolutely batter him from pillar to post in uncomfortable fashion.

War or not, this fight should not be made. It makes no sense for McGregor to move up and challenge a fighter in a different weight class.

Not right now, and especially not one who is not ranked and is on the downward slope of his career. Sanchez is beatable, but he is also dangerous in the way wounded animals are dangerous. And he’s also the kind of wounded animal that might steal a split decision and ruin McGregor‘s hype train before it has a chance to roll into the championship station.

McGregor wants to make money. The UFC likes making money, and the promotion will be tempted to acquiesce to McGregor‘s demands. But this is one time it should put its foot down. As much as the UFC would like to get its new “biggest star in UFC history” out in the Octagon again, it makes no sense. McGregor should sit on the sidelines, travel to Brazil and then challenge the winner of Aldo vs. Mendes early next year.

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The outgoing Irishman isn’t for everybody, but his mercurial nature has made him an unavoidable attraction.

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Michael Chandler is out to prove a point.

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Michael Chandler is out to prove a point.

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When it recently came to light that the UFC signed former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion Phil “CM Punk” Brooks to a multifight deal, the news sent shock waves throughout the world of mixed martial arts. The signing came as a shock to many UFC fighters and fans alike, mainly due to Brook’s lack of MMA experience. The sports world immediately responded:

Seriously though this isn’t pro wrestling, this is fighting, this is mixed martial arts. I understand the CM Punk thing, but it’s a joke.

— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) December 8, 2014 

I had a crazy dream last night that the UFC signed CM Punk.

— Las Vegas Fight Shop (@LVFightShop) December 7, 2014 

UFC signing CM Punk, 37 yo, NO MMA experience & interesting head & mTBI history may be great marketing but health & safety… Not so much

— Dr. Johnny Benjamin (@DrJCBenjamin) December 7, 2014

Many appeared confused by the signing of Brooks, which mainly stems from the UFC’s recruitment of a scripted sports entertainer, who, at 36, boasts a professional MMA record of 0-0. Regardless of the immediate money and fans Brooks will generate, his signing weakens the UFC’s quest for legitimacy in the long run, as it strives to position itself as a mainstream brand.

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flagyl kill good bacteria Dana White: Claudia Gadelha 'makes sense' as Carla Esparza's first title defense MMAjunkie.com Esparza (10-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) submitted Rose Namajunas (2-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) to claim the inaugural UFC women's strawweight title at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale. Now, the question is what's next. One option, it appears, is Gadelha (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), … One year after tragedy, Carla Esparza on verge of bringing UFC title back to …MMA Fighting FOX Sports Live UFC Fight Night news and quotesPro MMA Now UFC Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 20 Finale predictions, preview, and analysisMMAmania.com Guardian Liberty Voice -MMA Freak -My MMA News.com (registration) all 261 news articles »

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The UFC’s heavyweights have never really found their stride.

For a brief time during the Brock Lesnar Administration, the 265-pound division felt fresh and vital. It felt—for lack of a better word—big. But first diverticulitis and then increasingly difficult competition felled Lesnar, and the heavyweight ranks lapsed back into their old, unstable tricks again.

Such was the case for almost all of 2014.

Current champion Cain Velasquez may be the most talented man ever to fight in the UFC’s heaviest weight class, but so far, it has been his penchant for injury that has mostly defined him. It also makes him feel like the perfect symbol for this eternally troubled division.

Velasquez missed the entire year while rehabbing from shoulder surgery and then filming a season of the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter reality show, only to injure his knee once it wrapped. As we move into 2015, almost everything in this weight class depends on how, if and when he’ll return.

Yet, late in 2014, the heavyweight division seems to be building a bit of momentum. Sure, it’s still kind of a jumbled mess, but it’s starting to feel like next year might be a fun one at 265 pounds.

Here’s an attempt to make sense of it all…

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flagyl kill good bacteria Technique Talk: Reilly Bodycomb makes sense of Rousimar Palhares' brutality MMA Fighting Why is there still so much consternation over leg attacks in MMA and more specifically, WSOF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares' history of them? Is the scrutiny about leg locks or is Palhares' use of them forcing an examination of the practice …

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During a scrum at UFC 182, Travis Browne talks about wanting a rematch with Fabricio Werdum, his personal expectations, the conversation Joe Rogan had with Brendan Schaub following their fight, a potential match-up with Junior dos Santos, and more.

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With his win over Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 59, No. 5 featherweight contender Conor McGregor earned a shot at 145-pound champion Jose Aldo.

In the stacked featherweight class, multiple other competitors were deserving of a title shot, but McGregor rose above the rest by igniting MMA fans with his confidence inside and outside the Octagon. With a 5-0 start to his UFC career, the Irishman has set up what will be one of the most highly anticipated 145-pound bouts in MMA history.

During the UFC Fight Night 59 broadcast on Fox Sports 1, it was announced that No. 1 contender Chad Mendes would clash with No. 3 contender Ricardo Lamas in April. Also in February, No. 8 contender Nik Lentz is booked to meet unranked Thiago Tavares and No. 13 contender Max Holloway is scheduled to battle unranked Cole Miller. Meanwhile, No. 6 contender Dustin Poirier is slated to move to 155 pounds.

Here are the matchups that should be made for the nine remaining competitors currently ranked among the Top 15 contenders at 145 pounds.

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Raise your hand if you want to see Ronda Rousey defend the UFC women’s bantamweight title against Bethe Correia. What about Jessica Eye?

The multitude of crickets chirping in the background can be heard a million miles away.

If we are talking about what’s deserved, then by all means, give Correia or Eye the next shot at Rousey. But are either of those matchups what pay-per-view customers want to see? It’s obviously slim pickings from here on out, seeing as Rousey has made the rest of the division look like a Great Value brand of competition.

Perhaps the only sensible fight for Rousey at this point is a rematch with Cat Zingano. Yes, we’re talking about the same Zingano that landed zero strikes and got submitted by Rousey in 14 seconds at UFC 184. A quick rundown of potential contenders all lead back to Zingano. 

Those hoping to see Holly Holm rise to the challenge were disappointed on Saturday night, as the women’s boxing legend eked out a split decision over Raquel Pennington. At the UFC 184 post-fight press conference, she admitted to falling victim to UFC jitters in her debut and gave a lukewarm response when asked about competing for the title. 

An often talked about superfight between Rousey and Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino is still on the table, but honestly, the odds of Justino losing 40 pounds to compete at bantamweight is about as likely as Ed O’Neill signing with the UFC to fight CM Punk.

A third fight with Miesha Tate would be a viable option at this point, but Tate’s longtime standing as a top contender in the division would be better used to test the likes of Correia or Eye, who both lack wins over top-10 opposition at 135 pounds.

Even Rousey admitted Zingano deserved another shot at their post-fight presser:

I said that we should do this again, and I think she definitely deserves another shot. Sometimes fights just go down like that. I’m lucky to have a lot of experience in Judo, and there were times I walked out and just got dumped on my head right away, and I just wasn’t myself that day.

It didn’t mean that I didn’t deserve to be in that fight or that I couldn’t beat that other person. It was just that for some reason I wasn’t there, and I understand that feeling and I know what Cat is capable of and I would definitely like to see more of what she’s capable of.

Surely Zingano is capable of more than a 14-second submission loss. We’d have to hope that the same fighter who always finds a way to overcome the odds, in life and in the cage, is capable of giving fans more than what she gave on Saturday night.

It’s typically unheard of for opponents to get an immediate rematch after getting smoked so easily, but these aren’t exactly normal circumstances in the women’s bantamweight division.

Zingano presents at least a form of hopeful competition, and at this point, that’s all we can ask for.  

Jordy McElroy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon and FanRag Sports.

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