With Jon Jones out of UFC 200 and Daniel Cormier in need of a payday, the UFC is fielding ideas for potential opponents. Two key names have thrown their names in the mix on less than three days notice in Gegard Mousasi and Michael Bisping, though the UFC has yet to make any moves to lock anything up.
Mousasi, who is already scheduled to fight on Saturday’s UFC 200 event against Thiago Santos, posted a decently compelling argument for the bout on Twitter.
@danawhite @lorenzofertitta @ufc I am ready to replace Jon Jones against @dc_mma for the LHW Belt or Main Event. Call me.
— Gegard Mousasi (@mousasi_mma) July 7, 2016
I was the last LHW Strikeforce Champion. I will be the next LHW @ufc Champion if given this fight. @danawhite
— Gegard Mousasi (@mousasi_mma) July 7, 2016
Bisping, Cormier’s fellow Fox analyst and the current UFC Middleweight Champion, heard his name get thrown into the mix and was more than happy to endorse the idea.
2 months, 2 weeks, 2 days…… Hmmm middle vs light heavy???? I stand by my words. I’d do it!
— michael (@bisping) July 7, 2016
Penick’s Analysis: Mousasi’s a good option if they’re going to keep Cormier on the card, though it’s an iffy proposition for them to give a middleweight a title fight at a weight class above on a few days notice. Then again, Joe Soto got to fight for a UFC title in his organizational debut under partially similar circumstances. If Cormier wants the payday, there are worse ideas out there. The Bisping fight could work, and the UFC could get some people into it, but it doesn’t need to be made on only a few days notice.
[Photo (c) Jason Silva via USA Today Sports]
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Wonder if Glover Teixiera could be ready in 3 days. If Jones and Rumble were suspended/injured, he’d be the next logical man up anyway if they wanted a true LHW to fight. Possible Teixiera is in decent shape as he was supposed to fight later this month anyway.