UFC 216 Preview
The UFC is in a strange place right now as they are putting together more fights that make a splash and less that actually make sense.
Fights are being made with fighters just coming in and jumping ahead in the line for the title because they are bigger names.
The biggest of those names has been Conor McGregor who was the final fighter to live through a time where individual stars were the rage before most of them lost.
He is making things a lot more difficult in the UFC right now as he holds the lightweight championship and has never defended his belt.
He is the UFC’s biggest name and he truly has control over what the UFC does going forward, as the only major draw in the promotion.
It’s a stark contrast to the man who has defended his belt as much as the greatest fighters in UFC history.
Demetrious Johnson is one of the worst draws in the UFC and yet he has tied the record for most consecutive title defences and is truly the most dominant fighter in the UFC.
The Flyweight division is stalling as there is nobody left to fight Johnson for the belt while the fighters are lining up to fight McGregor in the lightweight division.
It has left two divisions with uncertain futures but those futures might become clearer after UFC 216 this weekend.
The Flyweight division might not necessarily get a great idea of the future of that particular division but its champion might have a better idea of his future.
Johnson will take on Ray Borg in a championship fight that was supposed to happen last month but was cancelled after an illness on the side of Borg.
Now the fight is back on and Johnson gets his chance to break the record for most consecutive title defences that he is currently holding with Silva.
So far nobody has even come close to beating Johnson and he has cleared the division of the best fighters.
Borg will try his best but unless Johnson makes a mistake things will likely end in a very familiar way.
If that happens, Johnson will have the record he has been pursuing for years and it could free him up to do other things.
The Flyweight division will likely be left to sort themselves out and for a true challenger to emerge while Johnson moves up in weight.
He will begin to get the bigger draws as a fight with T.J. Dillashaw has been rumoured and could be one of the best lighter weight fights in years.
He could also decide to make a run at Bantamweight and see if he can become the second person to win two titles.
This all depends on if he can beat Borg though and if he can remain focused and not know that he will win, which he has never had a problem with before.
In the Lightweight division, the entire future of the title could depend on the main event at UFC 216 when Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson fight for the interim title.
For the purists, this is the fight that will determine who McGregor will take on next when he eventually returns to the UFC.
For others, there is a distinct difference in the two fighters that will headline UFC 216 and depending on who wins the future could be very different.
Ferguson is clearly among the best 155 lbs fighters in the world and many believe that he should already have a title shot again McGregor.
After winning nine straight he finally gets a shot at a title and in his mind, a win means a shot at McGregor.
He is not the biggest name in the division despite being one of the most talented fighters in the division and if he wins there is a thought that he might not be next in line.
There is the Nate Diaz trilogy that many fans want to see for the lightweight title while McGregor has apparently said he wants to take on Khabib Nurmagomedov in Russia.
Those could both be more appealing than a fight against Ferguson even if Ferguson is the best fighter and the true top contender.
Lee, on the other hand, seems like a star in the making as he has the talent in the octagon but can also sell fights out of the octagon.
At only 25 he could be the future of the division and if he can take a win it seems pretty likely that McGregor will take a fight with him and enjoy the verbal and physical combat.
Depending on the winner in this event the future could be determined pretty quickly as McGregor seems ready for a return but seems to be waiting for the result to make a decision on his next opponent.
Two divisions with uncertain futures could get a little more clear after UFC 216 although one could find a challenger and the other could see their champion move on.
The Sport Addiction 