UFC 234 Preview
There is a theme developing in a new year for the UFC as things are looking like they may be figured out soon.
2018 was a year full of holdups with divisions held by champions looking for other options and everything but the best fights taking place.
So far this year a number of divisions got going again and although there is still a lot to be decided this year it seems like the UFC is ready to get things going again.
The next step in that process is to finally see another middleweight title fight after a few years of uncertainty in the division.
For a division with a tradition of long-reigning champions, the last few years have been unusual in the rotation of champions.
Chris Weidman surprised everyone when he beat Anderson Silva and continued to rule at the top of the division.
Then came the unsteady period as Weidman lost to Luke Rockhold who then lost the title to Michael Bisping.
Things got stranger after that win as long-time welterweight champion, Georges St. Pierre came out of retirement to look to become a two-division champion.
He beat Bisping to take the title but never had any plans to continue fighting in the division so he gave up the title almost immediately.
That title then went to Robert Whittaker who had beaten Yoel Romero to earnt he interim title before the super fight.
Although he has had some issues staying healthy he remains the champ to this day taking another win over Romero, who missed weight cancelling the title fight.
The title picture at middleweight has been a strange one as the belt has changed hands multiple times within the last few years and nobody seems to be taking control.
Whittaker is trying to change all of that and is looking to take this division over once and for all.
He finally got his shot against Romero after years of winning and took advantage and now after surgery on his hand kept him out for most of last year he is ready to get back.
He takes on the best challenger in the division as he looks to officially defend his title for the first time against Kelvin Gastelum.
Although Gastelum is not the flashiest fighter in the UFC he has won four of his last six fight including one no contest.
He has taken on some of the best in the division in that time including Chris Weidman, Vitor Belfort, Michael Bisping and Ronaldo Souza.
He has faced the best of the best and he looks to beat the best fighter in the division by taking on Whittaker.
It is going to be the biggest challenge of his career as Whittaker has not lost in nine straight fights.
If there is a fighter who can take over it seems like Whittaker can be the one as he looks to take out one contender.
That isn’t the only important middleweight fight of the night though as the next great middleweight is going to take on a middleweight legend.
Israel Adesanya has been flying through the division and has made a lot of noise as one of the best young fighters in the UFC.
After a year that saw him win multiple awards as the breakthrough fighter of the year, he has become the fighter to watch in 2019.
Many believe he can make a title run this year and that by the end of the year he could very well be the middleweight champion.
His first step towards that goal this year will be a fight against the greatest champion in the middleweight division.
Anderson Silva continues to fight years after losing his title and now looks to make his way back from a PED suspension to put his name into the conversation.
Silva was the greatest middleweight ever and is one of the greatest fighters in the history of the UFC.
He is not the same fighter he used to be as age has caught up to him but his name still carries a lot of weight in the UFC.
For Adesanya to beat the legend he would put his name to the top of the list and if Whittaker wins the next title fight could be created on the night.
The middleweight division is finally getting some momentum as UFC 2234 should provide an answer at the top and right below.
A champion could begin his rule and find out his next challenger all on the same night continuing an early theme of things beginning to get going after a year of stalling.
The Sport Addiction 