Nothing’s Guaranteed: Dana White clarifies title implications of UFC on Fox 3

?Yesterday Dana White came out with solid confirmations about the title implications that Saturday’s UFC on Fox 3 will hold. He first addressed the issue of the Lightweight championship belt, saying that Nate Diaz would indeed be next in line for a shot should he win versus Jim Miller in New Jersey. Many had speculated that the winner of this bout would face the winner of the next Frankie Edgar/Ben Henderson title fight this summer. However, White confirmed that Miller may be a victory or two away, even with a win. The UFC President had the following to say via 5thround.com:

“Should Diaz win, Diaz is definitely getting a title shot. Should Miller win, Miller’s probably gonna be a fight or two away.”

So, with the stakes set for the Lightweight main event of the evening, the focus was shifted to the co-main event of Josh Koscheck versus Johny Hendricks, another bout with clear title implications. When asked if a similar situation could arise as Diaz-Miller, where Hendricks get the title shot with another win but Koscheck still having a ways to climb, White responded:

“Exactly, I would definitely agree with that, too.”

So, it appears as if there are title shots on the line at UFC on Fox 3, but only for Diaz and Hendricks directly. Jim Miller is in the precarious spot of having been dominated on the ground by the strength of current UFC Lightweight champion Ben Henderson, which may have an effect on how soon he will fight for the title should he win May 5. Similar to Miller, Koscheck has also been brutalized by the champion of his division in Georges St. Pierre. Will Diaz and Hendricks walk away with a title shot as their next fights on Saturday? Or will Jim Miller and Josh Koscheck play the spoiler and continue to claw back towards a championship bout?

Further Reading: Nate Diaz and Jin Miller Head-to-Head: Who will win this Saturday?