Analyzing the UFC’s 205-pound division and the matches that should be made

Daniel Cormier decided to chase history in his pursuit of the heavyweight title, becoming the second double champion in UFC history.

Regardless of the success and notoriety that has come to DC, he has been adamant that he wants to retire before his 40th birthday in March of 2019. While DC says that he wanted to go back down to light heavyweight division and defend his title, it was announced before UFC 232, that he would relinquish the belt and continue to defend the heavyweight championship against Derrick Lewis; which he managed to retain. The move up appeared to leave the light heavyweight division in a scramble to find a new top guy. A division that may have appeared to be losing exciting talent, now has plenty of hype heading into 2019.

“Daddy’s home,” as the king of light heavyweight returns to his throne. Jon “Bones” Jones faced off against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 to win back the belt he never officially lost. Jones returns just in time to bring stardom back to a division that was starting to look barren in the talent pool. Jones is not the only hope coming into the division after he regained the title, as there is plenty of hype surrounding some old faces in some new places, and some of the same guys that seem to always stay relevant. What could also be interesting is the callout from Jones after his victory. After defeating The Mauler, Jones called out DC to show that he is the true king at 205-pounds. Jones may be the only fight that could get DC back into the light heavyweight division, and one of the best alleged “rivalries” in MMA may be reignited before Cormier decides to call it a career.

After UFC Fight Night in Hamburg, Germany, there were some new faces in top contender discussions. Corey Anderson won an easy decision where he dominated Glover Teixeira in each round. Anderson out-struck Teixeira throughout the fight while also amassing seven take downs to Teixeira’s none. The results of this fight landed Anderson with a fight against Ilir Latifi, on the UFC 232 card. Anderson and Latifi went the distance where Latifi looked to run out of gas. Anderson was able to outlast and out-strike Latifi in a match that stayed mostly standing. Anderson showed great cardio and the ability to use a different game-plan from his traditional wrestling dominant showings. Anderson went on to call out Anthony Smith who is on a hot streak of his own.

Smith beat Shogun Rua in fantastic knockout fashion at UFC Fight Night in Hamburg, Germany. The fight was over shortly after it began with Smith knocking Shogun out, just outside of the one-minute mark in the first round. Smith also had recently stepped up to fight after a quick finish of former champion Rashad Evans, just weeks prior. Smith went on to call out Alexander Gustafsson after his win and although the Gustafsson fight made sense, Gustafsson was pulled from UFC 227 due to a minor injury. Smith continued his busy trend with another win vs Volkan Oezdemir via submission in October. He has looked promising since making the move to light heavyweight, and has managed to put him into the talks of top contenders before the end of 2018.

An even newer face in the light heavyweight division is the man who ultimately sent Smith packing from the middleweight division, Thiago Santos. Santos made his own statement with a back and forth fight that won him performance of the night against Jimi Manuwa at UFC 231. A second matchup between Santos and Smith in their new division could be on the horizon in 2019. Maybe Corey Anderson gets his wishes in what would be an incredible title eliminator fight vs Anthony Smith? It is also important to make note that Jan Blachowicz is on a four fight win streak and Dominick Reyes is on a 9 fight winning streak, stats that cannot be left out of the top contender discussions. The idea of Luke Rockhold moving up to light heavyweight has been tossed around and could prove to even further deepen the contender list. There are plenty of fights at 205-pounds that should have fight fans excited, as the UFC prepares for the new year on ESPN.

Read which matchups would make the most sense in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.

The Fights to Make While Holloway is Gone

After becoming a double champ, Daniel Cormier defended the heavyweight championship against Derrick Lewis, which means he would have to vacate the light heavyweight championship. At this point, the 205-pound division is searching for star potential and it does not appear to be jumping out anywhere. Then in a flash, there is new talent moving up from the middleweight division, and some persistent light heavyweight fighters that have emerged onto the scene and answered the call. Enter Jon Jones, the king of the 205ers returns. Many stars entered a division that was becoming desperate for talent, and created a logjam of talent and championship contenders. Some exciting matches have already happened in 2018. We have a list for you on the exciting matchups currently scheduled along with the ones that need to.

Jan Blachowicz vs Thiago Santos

This fight is already booked for a UFC Fight Night on February 23rd. Thiago Santos has a tattoo of a hammer on his chest, but he might was well have hammers for fists. He is never out of a fight with the one-punch knockout power he carries in both hands. Santos broke into the light heavyweight rankings after moving up from middleweight, knocking Jimi Manuwa out in his debut. Blachowicz is more well-rounded and is not afraid to use his submissions, or his fists to win fights. This fight could put one of these fighters in the top 3 and line up for a shot at the belt also. The line is getting crowded now with plenty of talent filling out the top of the rankings, but the winner here will have a great argument for why they deserve a shot at the 205-pound strap.

Volkan Oezdemir vs Dominick Reyes

This fight is rumored to be in the works for UFC London on March 16, and it should be a good one. Dominick Reyes is undefeated as a professional, 9-0 with six of his wins coming via KO. Reyes also has 2 submission victories on his resume, and three finishes in the first round. He is a young and fast rising star in this division and will look for another quick finish when facing Volkan Oezdemir, who has 11 KOs in his own right. Oezdemir recently lost to Anthony Smith via submission, but had Smith hurt badly a couple of times in the fight. There is plenty of talent here, and one of these fighters deserves to be in the top 5, but not both of them. This fight will thrust one of the fighters into the top 5, and likely push the other outside the top 10. There is a lot at steak here, a win here for Reyes could put him in contention for a title shot in the future, and it would be hard to deny him. Oezdemir will look to try and regain some traction in his climb up the rankings.

Corey Anderson vs Luke Rockhold

Corey Anderson is on a roll. It is that simple, he has shown the ability to adapt his game plan to defeat different styles of fighters. He has shown that he can outlast you on the ground and take you down when he wants to, and control the fight with his wrestling. He has also shown he can stand and beat you with volume and pressure. He has great cardio and boxing, yet with Anderson, it seems like he keeps getting overlooked. Luke Rockhold is a top fighter in whatever weight class he decides to fight in, and with his move to light heavyweight, this makes sense for him: fight a guy in the top 5 to prove you belong in the division. Corey Anderson should move up in the rankings after beating Ilir Latifi. Anderson called out Anthony Smith after his win, but I think the UFC will make him prove his worth in the top 5 before giving him the chance to move up the ranks further. Beating Luke Rockhold to establish himself as a definite top 5 contender would do just that.

Alexander Gustaffson vs Anthony Smith

Smith called Gustaffson out recently and did not get his chance, instead he faced off against Volkan Oezdemir. Smith was hurt a couple of times in this fight but found a way to get the submission and secure a win in the new division he has called home since June. Smith has not lost since fighting Thiago Santos in February, down at middleweight. In actuality, Smith should get a title shot but that will probably go to Cormier. There is no reason for Smith to take a fight against a lower rank than him at this time, so take out the one guy ahead of you to solidify yourself as the next one to get a crack at the belt for sure. Gustaffson will be looking to bounce back and prove he is still at the top of the division, and should remain relevant in title discussions. It is getting crowded at the top, and neither fighter can afford a loss here. With a win here, Anthony Smith should have an opportunity to fight for the belt, and there is no way he could be denied. Smith has climbed the ranks, fighting on short notice, and with little recovery time between fights. 

Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier 3

Jon Jones returned to the division with an emphatic win to earn his belt back. Jones and Cormier have a history, with Jones being the only blemish on Cormier's record as a professional. This fight has to happen, and it might be the only fight at light heavyweight that Cormier would be willing to cut weight for. This would be the third chapter in the DC vs Jones era, and would aim to remove any doubt as to who is the best 205-pound fighter in the UFC. With a win from Cormier, it proves that Jon Jones is a cheater and that is the only reason he beat Cormier. With win from Jon Jones, it shows that he is the most dominant fighter of his generation, maybe ever, and it robs Cormier the right to claim being the GOAT because Jones would never have lost the belt. The only reason he won the belt was because Jones was suspended. Legends can be born, and legends can die, and that is why this has to happen before Cormier retires.

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About Post Author

Connor Rogowsky

Connor “Rags” Rogowsky is a The Scrap’s Co-Founder and a MMA writer during his free time. Rogowsky played football and track collegiately, and holds a Masters of Science in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University.

Make sure to follow Rags on Twitter (@rogowskyc).

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