The UFC has done it again. This time, it’s the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division that will be put on hold for The Ultimate Fighter. Light Heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will be coaching against the man who got his start in the UFC on the show, Forrest Griffin.  The two coaches will then meet inside the Octagon for the UFC’s Light Heavyweight crown sometime over the summer. This is the seventh installment of the popular UFC reality television show that launched the UFC into the mainstream. Didn’t the UFC learn its lesson? What about the rest of the division?

It’s about damn time

Finally, the UFC is going to tap into the ultimate marketing machine: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Rampage is easily one of the funniest MMA fighters of this generation. Put him in front of a microphone or camera, and he lights up like a kid in a candy store. The UFC was able to obtain the rights for Jackson’s services when they purchased the World Fighting Alliance. They did the smart thing and immediately restructured his contract.

The problem is that the UFC should’ve been hyping him way before his fight with Chuck Liddell. We saw him dismantle Marvin Eastman, and then he was pushed into a fight with Liddell. In my eyes, the UFC brass felt that Liddell would get his shot at redemption and avenge the only loss he had left. Basically, the UFC didn’t know what they had. Rampage is the key to even greater success for the UFC. They have needed a champion that was funny, charismatic, and an absolute monster in the ring. While Liddell was a monster in the ring, he doesn’t have the playful demeanor of Rampage, and he doesn’t connect with people on a personal level. Rampage does that, and he does it well. The Ultimate Fighter series is made for someone like Rampage. He’s going to get plenty of face time, and he’s going to be able to show the people at home what he’s really all about.

Forrest isn’t camera shy either

Forrest Griffin also has a huge fan base, and he has been winning even more fans over with every fight. Griffin has an "everyday guy" kind of personality. He’s a hard working fighter that relies on his toughness and durability. I think Forrest will provide a perfect counter to Rampage on the show. I could see this season being full of quips and some hilarious one-liners. I think Forrest can match Rampage in terms of personality and hilarity. Forrest is a likeable guy, and I’m glad to see the UFC get away from the “coaches hate each other” format. It was fun for a while, but it was getting old and stale. Rampage and Forrest should provide for some hilarious antics.

Where does the division go from here?

Rampage has an injured hand, and won’t be fighting for a while anyways. Outside of Griffin, there isn’t another clear-cut contender. You could make a case for Ryoto Machida, one I wouldn’t argue with, but I don’t think he’s been marketed correctly by the UFC. The next couple of events are going to make the picture a little bit clearer.

At UFC 79, we have the long awaited fight between former UFC champion Chuck Liddell and former Pride champion Wanderlei Silva. Both fighters are coming off back-to-back losses. Liddell lost his belt to Rampage and followed that with a defeat to Keith Jardine. Silva, on the other hand, has been knocked out in consecutive fights. The first was to Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, the other to Dan Henderson. Another interesting point about this fight is that Silva has previously defeated Rampage twice. The first time was by TKO, and the second was by a brutal knockout. Could Silva be thrust into an immediate title shot with a victory over Liddell? I think so, and if the UFC marketed it correctly, it could be a huge money making fight. So, what happens if Liddell wins? If Liddell takes the fight with Silva, he will need at least 2 more fights before getting a shot at the title. If he does get past Silva, I could see him fighting the winner of Machida/Sokoudjou. If he loses another fight, he should seriously think about hanging up the gloves.

Soko-WHO?

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, you should get yourself prepared. Sokoudjou is a former Pride FC veteran who holds two knockout victories over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona. That may mean nothing to some of you, but to the hardcore MMA fans, Nogueira (the younger brother of the HW) and Arona were both in the top ten of the light heavyweight division at the time. For a little perspective about the unknown commodity that is Sokoudjou, when the betting lines opened for his fight against Nogueira, he was listed at +1200. That means if you bet $100 on Sokoudjou, you would’ve taken home $1,200.

Sokoudjou is a judo practitioner who has dynamite in his hands. He is strong, agile, and quick. He showed great takedown defense against Arona, but Sokoudjou has been stopped by strikes once in his young career. Sokoudjou is still a relative unknown, and he could be just another flash in the pan like Houston Alexander, albeit against much better fighters. Either way, he’s getting a tough test for his debut in the UFC. It’s a move that I’m not sure I entirely understand.

My biggest complaint has always been the match making in the UFC. The mainstream fans have no idea who Sokoudjou is, and putting him against one of the most defensive and elusive fighters in Machida just doesn’t make much sense to me. Why not give him a fight to showcase his skills? They could have used this fight to build him up some more, and give him some confidence in the cage. On the other hand, Machida is a bad fight for just about anyone. I think the UFC is hoping that Sokoudjou can push the pace and force Machida out of his comfort zone. It’s something that nobody else in the fight game has been able to accomplish, and it will be interesting to see if Sokoudjou can. Like I said earlier, I could see the winner of this fight getting a shot at Liddell if he takes the fight with Silva. Jardine is also another possibility. 

Houston, we have a problem!

There is also the question of what to do with Houston Alexander? It’s obvious that his ground game is lacking, and that was completely evident in his loss to Thiago Silva. What about a rematch with Jardine? I know, rematches are overdone in the UFC, but this one makes a little bit of sense. Jardine was well on his way to a title shot until he was derailed by the unknown Alexander. So what does the UFC give him as a consolation prize? That’s right, a fight with Chuck Liddell. However, Jardine proved all the doubters wrong and was able to win a split decision victory over "The Iceman". With Jardine being a fight or two away from a title shot, there aren’t a whole lot of fights that make sense for him right now. At least the UFC will be able to market the fight with Alexander, and I guarantee you that Jardine will be a little more prepared. 

The rest of the group

There is an abundance of fighters still remaining in the 205 lb. weight class, and there are a few guys that could be a few fights away from a title shot. How could I write about the light heavyweight division and not talk about Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Shogun is rehabbing from a knee injury that he suffered in training for his fight with Forrest Griffin. Griffin went on to stop Rua with a rear naked choke in round three. It was very apparent that this was the Shogun we weren’t used to seeing. He looked lethargic, telegraphed his takedowns, and didn’t have the killer instinct we all know and love.

There are a multitude of fights that could make sense for Shogun. The first fighter that comes to mind is Michael Bisping. Bisping loves to stand and trade, and I think he would make a good fight for Shogun. It would give Shogun some credibility with the mainstream fans, and it would send Bisping packing to the middleweight division, which is where he belongs. There’s the possibility of a Tito Ortiz fight as well. The anticipation (if there ever was one) for a rematch with Rashad Evans has worn off, and I would like to see Tito get back into the Octagon with some legitimate competition. 

I briefly mentioned Rashad Evans, but I don’t know what the UFC has planned for him. He looked terrible against Bisping, and I don’t think he will ever make a dent in the division. How about a fight with up-and-comer Thiago Silva? Silva is from the Chute Box camp and will bring excitement to every fight. It would be interesting to see how Rashad would do against a guy who has good striking skills and a good ground game.

There’s also Kazuhiro Nakamura. He recently lost to Machida at UFC 76, but he’s a gamer and has been in there with the best of them. He’s fought the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Josh Barnett, Shogun, Dan Henderson, Murilo Bustamante, Igor Vovchancyn, and Kevin Randleman. Any fight that involves Nakamura, I’ll watch. A fight with Thiago Silva wouldn’t be bad either, although I think Nakamura might have a slight edge. 

Didn’t the UFC learn its lesson?

I think the UFC has made the right choice with this season. Rampage is injured and likely won’t be fighting for a few months. Plus, the man needs to be on television. And, unlike the welterweight division, this division only has one, maybe two, contenders. I think it’s a smart strategy to sit back and let the division unfold. However, we may only get to see the light heavyweight title defended twice in 2008. Barring another freak injury, this season should play out nicely. I know I previously disagreed with the UFC hinging a division on a reality show; however, this time it actually makes sense. Now as long as Dana doesn’t go promise another fighter a title shot in the meantime, everything should pan out nicely. 

Closing Thoughts

I’m really looking forward to a season full of Rampage. I sincerely hope that this works for the UFC and Rampage. He’s a bright guy and he’s a star in the making. Griffin will use this opportunity to the best of his ability as well. I can see him taking it a lot more seriously than Rampage, but Forrest will still be Forrest. What do you guys think? Do you agree with the UFC’s coaching choices? How about the UFC locking up another division for TUF? What if one of the fighters gets hurt? Let me know what you guys think.