It's amazing what a dominant champion does to a division. Lightweight was nothing special until BJ lost. LHW was on a merry-go-round of title holders until Jones shut it down. If Anderson Silva retired tomorrow MW would be the new lightweight, there's be so many contenders it would be ridiculous.
No, that is not it. Anderson and GSP have beaten everyone and their grandmother in their devisions, but they still have some guys to fight. Jones has dayum near cleared out a division a year and a few months. That isn't just the sign of a special champ. That's the sign of a weak division.
If Jones beats Hendo, then he will have defeated basically the top 5 guys in his division in a year and a half. Not just defeated them, but dominated them to the extent that there is no demand for any rematches. What division can have its champion clean house THAT quickly, and still have plenty of viable challengers? See what the LW division looks like once you clear the top half-dozen guys out of the title picture. :-( And by your example, GSP has been out of the cage letting his challengers build up for almost as long as Jones has been champion. :hat
Yeah, including guys like Dan Hardy, Thales Leites and Patrick Cote. Jones' resume could very easily be filled out, and his reign extended by fighting once or twice a year and fighting guys like Thiago Silva and Phil Davis, but instead he has taken on the absolute top of the division as they became available. If/when Jones makes the inevitable move to HW, the lightheavies are going to look just as stacked and the top of the division will be just as crowded as it was 2 years ago.
I know that Jones has beat the **** out of alot of guys, but there is nothing left after Dan. There is Gustaffoson or however you ****in spell his name. But wasn't he subbed by Phil Davis? haha, yea, he gon get raped. My issue with this is mainly Vera. Why the **** would he get a shot? I wouldn't give him one if he KO'ed Shogun in 3 seconds. Before beating Marshall, when was the last time Vera won a fight?
I don't think Vera should or will get a shot (unless he looks extremely impressive). Honestly, I don't think Shogun has done enough to warrant a shot either, even if he does utterly dismantle Vera. But you're saying LHW is weak, when it clearly isn't. The only problem is that Jones has made it look weak, and that's compounded by the fact that he cleared the top of the division incredibly quickly. If he'd taken 2 or 3 years (or more) to do what he'd done in the space of just over 12 months, it would have given guys like Gustafsson, Davis, Nog, or even Silva and Te Huna the time they needed to bank a few wins and build up momentum. Meanwhile giving time to Shogun, Machida, et al. to get some legitimacy behind them for rematches.
If Henderson and Shogun were to end up facing each other again, fine. That would be great. Otherwise, this is bull****. Gustafsson and Nogueira should be fighting for the next shot. They're all that's left.
In the future, yes, someone will come along. With the match-ups I'm seeing, it's going to be a while. Who was it that Shogun didn't want to face recently? I don't know that guy. It would be great to see that person on a main card so I could know he exists. 205 is loaded with veterans that are still relevant. The problem is that Jones has gone through all the veterans outside of Noguiera. Gustafsson and Davis are the only somewhat new guys that I know about that haven't lost to Jones.
Glover Teixeira. Gus, Davis, and Glover are three guys we will likely see him face within the next two years. Probably a couple rematches in there, as well.
Dana Changed his mind. Whoever wins the most impressively on Saturday gets the rematch, so it will be one of the four. Machida, Bader, Vera, or Shogun.