Not a day has passed after Forrest Griffin handed Quinton “Rampage” Jackson the seventh defeat of his career and talks of a rematch have already begun to surface. Such an event would be a use draw and would also turn the tables. But instead of Jackson coming in as the heavy favorite, Rampage would likely play the unfamiliar role of the underdog. Griffin, now the UFC light heavyweight champion, would also head into another bout with Jackson equipped with the full respect of the media, audience and fellow fighters.
One of the main reasons that a rematch would be a smart move on everyone’s behalf is because the previous fight was extremely entertaining. Why wouldn’t anyone want to see a sequel to what was arguably one of the best fights of the year? However, there are more contenders in the light heavyweight division hungry for a shot at the title. Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans are both waiting in the wings.
Liddell has been thirsting for quite some time to get another shot at gold. And Evans will argue that an undefeated record is more than worthy enough to warrant a title shot. So who should be next for Griffin?
Simply because Jackson was the former champion does not give him the right to be the next in line to reclaim his title. Jackson did not fight for nine months prior to UFC 86 and perhaps he should see some more action before receiving another shot at the title. A Liddell victory over Evans at UFC 88 would build a heightening momentum towards his championship run.
The only thing audiences love more than a rematch is a comeback. Liddell is putting together exactly that and it’s hard to imagine that a win over Evans wouldn’t land him in a title bout with Griffin.
Mauricio Rua is among the top light heavyweights in the UFC, although he fell victim to Griffin via a third round knockout almost a year ago at UFC 76. That loss kind of pushes Rua to the back burner as he will probably have to wait his turn for another shot at Griffin.
In the meantime, Griffin is putting together his own impressive run as he will look forward to defeating a third straight top quality opponent. Actually, it could wind up being his fourth straight win as he put down Hector Ramirez before notching victories over Rua and Jackson. Regardless of who is next in line, one thing has changed for Griffin. As the light heavyweight champion, he is now the man to beat.