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2015 was a landmark year in MMA. We saw the rise of new stars and bid farewell to legends. With all the ups, downs and drama in between.With the historic nature of 2015 and the plethora of story lines to come out of it, the momentum going into 2016 is unprecedented. There has never been more buzz around the sport. There has never been more excitement surrounding fights.This truly is the best time MMA has ever experienced in its relatively short history. The fights are better, the technique is better, the promoting is better and even the overall coverage is better.So as we approach the second card of the calendar year, we look at the top 3 story lines to look forward to in 2016.
#1 McGregor and Jones Two weight champions
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The newly crowned featherweight champion, Conor McGregor; and the returning former light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones are two of the most intriguing men in MMA.
Whatever they do attracts the glare of the watching world. Whatever they say finds a media amplifier ready to fill column inches and spike website traffic. McGregor and Jones will be two of the most watched fighters in 2016.
McGregor is set to face Rafael Dos Anjos, the 155 lbs champion at UFC 197. This will be the first time since BJ Penn fought Georges St. Pierre that a reigning champion has gone up in weight class to fight for a title. Penn was easily defeated by St. Pierre on that occasion which means McGregor stands on the cusp of history.
Win at UFC 197 and become the first ever dual weight UFC champion – a task easier said than done.
Rafael Dos Anjos is no push over. His dominant victories over Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone point to him being McGregor’s biggest test to date. However, just the spectacle of watching McGregor challenging for the lightweight championship will be something to watch out for.
McGregor however, may not be the only one to attempt to hold 2 UFC belts at the same time this year. With the imminent return of Jon Jones, the prospect of a single man ruling over both the light heavyweight division and the heavyweight division is a real and credible possibility. Given the amount of time Jones has been spending in the weight room to bulk up, a trip to heavyweight seems to be in his future.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Jones stated that he will be moving up to heavyweight. However, he has a stop to make at light heavyweight before that to reclaim the belt he never lost and challenge his great rival Daniel Cormier. Should Jones beat Cormier, he could very well push on and face the heavyweight champion.
#2 Womens Bantamweight division
A year ago there was serious concern about the state of the UFC women’s bantamweight division. Ronda Rousey had all but cleared the division out and there didn’t seem to be a credible challenger in site.
A year and one head kick later, this is arguably one of the most exciting divisions in the UFC.
Obviously, the main buzz around the division is the Holly Holm – Ronda Rousey rematch. However with Ronda unlikely to fight before July, the UFC have granted Holm her wish and will let her defend the belt before Ronda gets a shot. Miesha Tate is the rumoured opponent for the champion.
A Holm – Tate title fight certainly has drawing power and makes for exciting viewing. Whoever emerges for the belt has a built in story line with Ronda Rousey making for a showdown with the former champion compelling.
Plus, the Holm – Rousey rematch is such a spectacle that it doesn’t need the belt to legitimize it. Even if Tate were to win, booking Holm against Rousey immediately after that does merit consideration.
Then you have the dark horse. Cyborg Justino and Julianna Pena, both of whom have campaigned for a shot at Rousey but would hardly be turned away by the prospect of facing Holm or Tate. Justino is the current Invicta 145 lbs champion and a move to bantamweight has been long suspected. A Cyborg – Rousey fight is the female equivalent of an Anderson Silva – Georges St. Pierre showdown.
2016 will be a landmark year for the women’s bantamweight division. Before the year is out, expect significant column inches to be dedicated to it and long lasting effects to emerge from it.
#3 UFC 200
For the better part of a year now, there has been talk about who will feature at UFC 200. UFC 100 was a seminal moment in the history of the promotion and 200 promises to be an even bigger milestone.
There has been no shortage of rumours regarding potential fights at UFC 200 and every fighter is throwing his hat into the ring, begging to be put on the show. However, what should be an exciting story is quickly developing into a potential cautionary tale.
The booking for the first half of 2016 leading into UFC 200 is nothing short of baffling. Based on the current roster, there are only 3 worthy main events for UFC 200. McGregor fighting for the lightweight title or defending the featherweight belt, Jon Jones making his return and the Holly Holm – Ronda Rousey rematch.
McGregor and Holm are both virtual locks for UFC 197 in March, just 4 months before the proposed date of the bicentenary. Jon Jones, on the other hand, is heavily linked to an April 23rd showdown with Daniel Cormier, potentially at Madison Square Garden in New York.
What all of this means is that there is a good chance that McGregor, Jones and Holm could all miss out on UFC 200 with fights lined up so close to July. Once you go beyond these 3, there isn’t anyone worthy of headlining such a momentous occasion.
Ronda Rousey coming back to face anyone but Holly Holm lacks charm. Anderson Silva against Luke Rockhold (provided Silva gets passed Bisping) seems like a pretty one-sided contest given the Brazilian’s age, injuries and extended layoff.
None of the other champions are a big enough draw to take a main event role.
There is, however, someone from outside the UFC who could come in – Georges St. Pierre. The greatest welterweight in history coming back to challenge for a belt he never lost will generate big numbers for the UFC and attract attention across all divides.
However with St. Pierre still in semi-retirement, one hopes the UFC has a plan in place for 200 because risking their most prized assets in such close proximity to their biggest show seems like a fatal misstep.
