There is a lot to sort out right now in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Like, who’s next in line to challenge Stipe? If it’s not Jones, does he take a non-title fight? And does Brock Lesnar return now that he’s a free agent?
Luckily we do have some answers.
Alistair Overeem (6) is set to face Auguto Sakai (9) this Saturday in Las Vegas on ESPN+.
A win for ‘Reem will be his fourth in his last five outings; with the lone loss coming in the final seconds of a fight he was on the verge of winning. If he defeats Sakai, he’ll be a win or two away from getting his second chance at a UFC title. He’s currently one of the most decorated and successful fighters to never achieve champion status within the UFC.
It will be the biggest victory of Augusto Sakai’s young career if he prevails. The rising heavyweight is undefeated since entering the UFC in 2018 and his biggest wins thus far were close split decisions against Andrei Arvlovski and Blagoy Ivanov. A win over an incredibly tough veteran like Overeem will have people taking him seriously as a contender.
Curtis Blaydes (3) and Derrick Lewis (5) are scheduled to throw down on Nov. 28th with a location TBD.
It’s going to be difficult to deny Curtis Blaydes a shot at the belt if he puts on a good performance against ‘The Black Beast’. He has one of the most underrated resumes in the sport, with wins over Aleksei Oleinik, Alistair Overeem, Mark Hunt, Junior dos Santos, and Alexander Volkov. His only two losses came against Francis Ngannou. ‘Razor’ Blaydes may not need another win if he defeats Lewis in a couple months.
Derrick Lewis seems more serious about his career than ever before, and that should scare his fellow contenders. He appeared to be in great shape for his last fight versus Oleinik, and he even declared afterwards that he’ll be in better shape for his next bout. Lewis will likely a win over Blaydes plus another victory to get another crack at the belt.
Question #1: Who Fights Stipe Next?
This one really isn’t that hard for me because the answer is Francis Ngannou. It took a total of 162 seconds for ‘The Predator’ to steamroll Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. He’s made sizeable improvements since he last fought Stipe in 2018 and he has the most power the UFC’s ever seen.
The only threat to leapfrog Ngannou and face Stipe is of course Jon Jones. There’s no need to complicate things though. Jones has waited this long, he can wait for the winner of Stipe and Ngannou to make his heavyweight debut.
Question #2: Does Jones Wait or Fight?
The risk of losing a non-title fight in his heavyweight debut far outweighs the reward of beating someone like Jairzinho Rozenstruik for Jones. The championship fight is there for him, all he has to do is wait like he’s been doing.
Rozenstruik is the example used above because he’s the only UFC heavyweight contender currently without a dance partner. Early thoughts on that fight have me thinking Jones could dictate where the fight goes with his grappling/wrestling advantage. Still, there’s always that chance, especially at heavyweight, that you’re lights go out.
It may take until next spring, but Jones should wait for the Stipe/Ngannou winner.
Question #3: Does Brock Lesnar Return to the UFC?
Earlier this week, news broke that Brock Lesnar no longer has a contract with the WWE and is officially a free agent. Immediately, questions swirled as to whether or not the former heavyweight champ would make a UFC comeback.
It’s been four years since Lesnar competed in the UFC and at 43 years old you’ve got to wonder if it even interests him. Not to mention he would have to deal with USADA.
Both UFC President Dana White and Bellator President Scott Coker have already expressed interest in signing Lesnar. Even Jon Jones seems interested.
If Lesnar does return to the UFC he would almost certainly either fight for the belt or Jon Jones.
The heavyweight division is messy right now, but for all the right reasons. The division’s GOAT is still at the helm with both new and old faces gunning for the throne.
Simplicity is the route that the UFC matchmakers should take when scheduling the upcoming heavyweight championship; Stipe vs Ngannou.
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