Basically I’m giving my thoughts on what’s next for the fighters on the Main Card win or lose. This is just purely my opinion, enjoy.
Anderson Silva vs Yushin Okami
Anderson Silva
Wins: If Anderson Silva gets by Okami, he will face off against the winner of Chael Sonnen vs Brian Stann.
Loses: If Anderson Silva falls victim to Okami, I could see a rematch possibly. I also could see a fight with Vitor Belfort in a number one contenders match. That is of course after the winner of Sonnen vs Stann gets their crack at it.
Yushin Okami
Wins: If Yushin Okami stuns Anderson Silva, I could see a rematch. Of course also the obvious possibility of the winner of Sonnen vs Stann.
Loses: If Yushin Okami loses I could see him fight Vitor Belfort to be the next number one contender. Either that or against the loser of Sonnen vs Stann.
Forrest Griffin vs Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Forrest Griffin
Wins: If Forrest Griffin can beat Rua again, he’s back in the mix. Another win could jump him into title contention. I think he gets the loser of Jones vs Rampage. A rematch against Rampage would intrigue me very much.
Loses: I think without a doubt a 3rd and final match against Tito Ortiz. Both have wins over each other, both by split decision. This would be final match to the trilogy.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Wins: If Shogun can put away Griffin, he puts himself one more fight from fighting for the title again in my opinion. Some possible match-ups include the winner of Machida vs Davis or loser of Jones vs Rampage. Of course a fight against Machida would be their 3rd one. Jones and Rampage would also be a rematch. It just seems like any other opponent would be to far out of his ranking.
Loses: If Shogun loses to Griffin for the 2nd time it would be a stunner. Considering no one has ever beaten Shogun twice, let alone in 2 meetings. If Shogun does in fact lose, I expect his to take some time off. When he comes back, maybe the loser of Davis vs Machida would work. I’d like to see him fight Thiago Silva when Silva returns from his one year suspension that is. That has fireworks written all over it. Another possibility is maybe Alexander Gustafsson.
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Brendan Schaub
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira
Wins: If Nogueira can get past the fast rising prospect, it will be very impressive considering he hasn’t fought in some time. I could see multiple opponents such as Shane Carwin, Alistair Overeem, or a rematch against Frank Mir.
Loses: If Nogueira falls to Schaub it would definitely spark retirement talk. I think that won’t happen though. With that said maybe a fight with Rothwell if he can beat Hunt. I could also see maybe the winner of Herman vs Russow as a possible matchup. Another match-up could also be Dan Henderson. It would set up a 3rd and final trilogy between these two.
Brendan Schaub
Wins: He says he should get a title shot if he wins but he is wrong there. A couple of suitors include Frank Mir, Shane Carwin, and Brock Lesnar (whom he said he’d like to fight).
Loses: If Schaub loses, it will only be a small fall for him. Schaub is a young kid with tons of potential. A fight against Ben Rothwell or Roy Nelson is intriguing. That’s if those two can beat there opponents respectively. Another fight possibility is the winner of Meathead vs Kongo.
Luiz Cane vs. Stanislav Nedkov
Luiz Cane
Wins: If Luiz Cane can spoil the debut of Nedkov, I can see a potential fight against Alexander Gustafsson. The way both fighters fight just makes it an exciting match-up.
Loses: If Luiz Cane loses to the newcomer Nedkov, I can see a fight against Karlos Vemola. Vemola would be a could bounce back fight for any fighter who wants to stand and bang.
Stanislav Nedkov
Wins: A win would be huge for Nedkov considering it’s his UFC debut and he’s fighting a no joke fighter in Luiz Cane. If Nedkov wins I could see fight against Vladimir Matyushenko. I actually think that would be an exciting fight considering both’s style. Another possibility could be Krzysztof Soszynski.
Loses: If Nedkov loses he could be cut but I hope not. A potential match-up could be against Igor Pokrajac. Another possible fight but a long shot at best could be against Seth Petruzelli if the UFC re-signs him of course.
The Sport Reports 