Potential title contention is likely for the light-heavyweight stars who are set to fight this weekend at UFC 126 this Saturday evening. Ryan Bader takes on Jon Jones and Forrest Griffin returns against Rich Franklin and although certain fighters are closer to a title shot than others may be, they each have the same goal in mind: to have the championship belt around their waist.
With the two high-profile light heavyweight fights on the same card there is the distinct possibility that the winners of each fight could be paired against each other with a title shot on the line. Both Griffin and Franklin have been there before but to get back to the top they will need to show that they can hang with the new blood at 205 lbs.
For those that may not have heard or seen his recent fights, Jon Jones is for real. His dynamic striking paired with years of wrestling under his belt make for a difficult opponent. Ryan Bader on the other hand is no push over. He possesses a powerful right hand and is a much better wrestler than any man Jones has faced before. Despite the fact that both men are young in their respective careers, a title bout is looming in the distance for both of them. The winner could be just one fight away from a shot, but that next fight wont be easy.
If the winner of Jones and Bader does in fact end up facing the winner of Griffin vs. Franklin, it would be a great match-up. Forrest Griffin has seemingly done it all in his MMA career. After winning TUF Season 1, he put on many exciting fights, including one with Quinton Jackson that won him the light-heavyweight title. Franklin, however, picked up one of his most memorable wins to date in 2010 when he knocked out Chuck Liddell in the first round after suffering a broken arm in the open minutes of the bout.
The unique fighting style both Griffin and Franklin have, along with their years of experience in the cage would make for an exciting fight with either Jones or Bader. And although both have made it past experienced fighters before, none have had the heart and will to fight like Griffin and Franklin bring to the Octagon.
