Does Rua, Machida, or Bader deserve a title shot with an impressive win?

News recently broke that the stakes at UFC on Fox 4 on August 4th have increased dramatically. Featuring two Light Heavyweight bouts as the feature fights, Dana White announced that the fighter who wins most impressively amongst Shogun Rua, Lyoto Machida, and Ryan Bader will be in line for the next title shot at 205 lbs. Rua is set to face former rising contender Brandon Vera while Machida and Bader will face off in the co-main event. Of course Dan Henderson and current reigning champ Jon Jones are set to meet at UFC 151 on September 1st. This interesting announcement could come as a shock to many. Let’s take a look at whether or not these three fighters deserve to have a title shot at the winner of Jones vs. Henderson in their next fight.

First off, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is no doubt a legend in the sport of MMA. When healthy, it is basically guaranteed that he will put on a violent show for the fans, win or lose. Obviously his last battle with Dan Henderson at UFC 139 last November was one of the greatest wars the UFC has ever seen, if not the best. But does he deserve to find himself back in title contention by beating Brandon Vera, a fighter who started his career with a ton of upward hype but has fizzed out as of late? I believe that only an ultra-decisive knockout performance against Vera should get him a rematch against Jones or Henderson. After all, he is 2-3 in his last five UFC bouts, albeit against top-level competition. Shogun does make sense in terms of entertainment value, and it would be good to see him try to avenge his two most recent losses.

Lyoto Machida is also a great fighter who fell to Jones, succumbing to a brutal guillotine choke in the second round last December. Machida is always the enigma, using his elusiveness and karate stylings to keep opponents guessing. However, he is only 1-3 in his last four fights, not exactly a title contender’s current resume. While he appeared to be the only man to tag Jones with a clean shot in their fight, I don’t think beating Bader justifies a title shot quite yet. Should he pull out an incredible knockout a la the Randy Couture crane kick, it would tough to deny him, considering the UFC could use a nice shot of entertainment and excitement at the current time.

Last on the list of possible contenders is Ryan Bader. He too was finished by guillotine by the ever-dangerous Jon Jones, starting his title run. Bader then lost to Tito Ortiz and found himself on the first losing streak of his career. He rebounded nicely by dominating Rampage Jackson at UFC 144 last February. It could be argued that two quality wins in a row over Jackson and then Machida may be enough to get him back into the cage against Jones or Henderson. I think that Bader is towards the top of the 205 division; his performance next Saturday will obviously dictate where he goes from here. I’m not against him fighting for the title, that is, if he beats Machida via knockout or submission.

So, it appears that much excitement has been injected into the Fox card on August 4th. I personally like the announcement because it adds another dynamic to the event, making it much more important. I don’t think that any of these three fighters is ready to take on Jones and win. If Henderson somehow wins September 1st, a rematch with Rua or a fight with Machida could be a great main event down the line. Light Heavyweight is getting thin at the top with a dominant champion. This announcement, while fun, may have an air of desperation to it. Obviously they don’t see Alexander Gustaffson as ready to fight Jones or maybe even Henderson. Still, Rua, Machida, and Bader are big names, and if they finish their opponents without a doubt, I ultimately think a title shot is justified because we need some big name fights in the near future. What are your thoughts on the future of the Light Heavyweight division?

Further Reading: Jon Jones is motivated to break Tito Ortiz’s record