Light heavyweights back in the spotlight
Stockholm UFC card draws attention to ignored division long dominated by, Jones, Cormier and Johnson
It’s been a while since the UFC’s light-heavyweight division has been in the spotlight.
Sure, April’s title fight between Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson at UFC 210 got people talking about the 205-pound weight class, but it’s been so long since a new contender emerged that it’s recently been more fun to talk about other divisions.
On Sunday in Sweden, though, light heavyweight is getting its closeup.
With Cormier and Jon Jones finally set to resume their hostilities in late July at UFC 214, the winner of Sunday’s headliner between Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira could very well be in line for a title shot later this year.
And whoever wins the co-main event between Canadian Misha Cirkunov and Switzerland’s Volkan Oezdemir will be well on their way to earning a shot of their own.
For a division in which the conversation has been dominated by talk about Jones’ never-ending troubles outside of the octagon, it’s a big opportunity to bring some excitement back to what was once the UFC’s showcase weight class.
Gustafsson and Teixeira aren’t exactly newcomers, of course, as both fighters have fought for the light-heavyweight belt before. With Johnson retiring after losing to Cormier, though, there’s an opportunity for each to jump Jimi Manuwa and get to the front of the line for a title shot.
“I’m trying not to think too much about that because I’ve just got to fight,” Teixeira told MMAJunkie.com. “There’s some tough guys ahead of me, (Gustafsson) is the No. 2 contender. I’ve just got to beat this guy and see what’s next.
“I really don’t know what’s going on or what’s going to happen. I assume it’s going to be a title shot after this.”
At 37 years old, the window to win a UFC title for Teixeira is only going to stay open for so long. Gustafsson likely has a little while longer, but the Swede hasn’t stayed particularly active over the past couple years and that’s caused his stock to drop somewhat in the division. A highlight-reel win over Teixeira would surely change that, though, and if Jones beats Cormier, a rematch between Gustafsson and the new champion might be too intriguing for the UFC to pass up.
For Cirkunov and Oezdemir, on the other hand, the window of opportunity is only beginning to open. Cirkunov has gone 4-0 in his time in the UFC with all four fights ending in finishes. Despite testy contract negotiations earlier this year, the Toronto-based fighter is highly regarded within the MMA community and if he keeps his win streak alive against Oezdemir, he can’t be more than a fight or two away from a title shot.
As for Oezdemir, the guy’s only got one fight on his UFC record, but it came against former title challenger Ovince Saint Preux. That’s the sort of victory that catches people’s attention and if he can follow it up with a win over Cirkunov, he’ll be right in the mix.
It’s been a while since the light-heavyweight division has given fight fans this much to talk about and it all adds up to a 205-lb. weight class that is finally worth paying attention to outside of Johnson, Jones and Cormier.
KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS
In the past, Derrick Lewis has been dismissive of a fight with Francis Ngannou.
They’re the fastest-rising stars in the UFC’s heavyweight division, but it was only a few weeks ago that Lewis said the only reason American fans wanted to see the fight was they were thirsty for some “black-on-black violence.”
This week, though, Lewis spoke with the MMAH our podcast and told host Ariel Helwani that he’s got Ngannou in his sights.
“Francis, that guy there, he’s really ignorant,” Lewis said. “I’m not even worrying about that guy. You know, I would love to fight him after this fight because he’s been talking a lot of s--- anyways, like he’s the s---. F--that guy, I’ll fight his a-- after I fight Mark Hunt.”
While casual fans might not be aware of the hype surrounding both Ngannou and Lewis, there might not be a more crowd-pleasing fight for hardcores anywhere on the UFC roster.
They both pack insane power and, while raw, have taken the UFC by storm over the past 18 months or so. It probably makes more sense to pit them against other opponents for the time being and allow both fighters to continue their rise, but if Lewis is talking trash about Ngannou, a fight might just become inevitable.
“Yeah, I’ll fight him,” Lewis said. “I wanted him before this fight. The guy talking about I’m too slow and this and that, yeah, whatever, I’m a heavyweight. I’m coming to bang his a-- up.”
AROUND THE OCTAGON
Women’s featherweight champion Germaine De Randamie’s team released a statement Friday saying she will not fight Cris Cyborg because of the Brazilian’s history of “cheating.” It’s becoming increasingly clear the UFC has a problem on its hands with the division and it probably should have just waited for Cyborg before ever putting a 145-lb. title up for grabs … The UFC’s September show in Rotterdam, Netherlands, has a headliner and it will pit Dutch heavyweight Stefan Struve against Alexander Volkov. Not exactly a fight anyone will be expecting to break viewership records … Interim featherweight champion Max Holloway says it’s time for the 145-lb. division to “move on” from Conor McGregor. He’s right, although it seems like everyone other than McGregor and his Irish fans have already done so.
“I assume it’s going to be a title shot after this.” — GLOVER TEIXEIRA UFC LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER