Several divisions open up after Silva’s loss to Weidman
By BOB EMANUEL JR. | Scripps Howard News Service
With talk of potential superfights nixed following Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s loss to Chris Weidman, several of the potentially affected divisions have begun to open up.
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, who faces Jonny Hendricks in November, was in the running for a showdown with Silva. With that possibility scrapped, others in the division can move into title contention. The beneficiaries include Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger, who are ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the division. The two will face off in the co-main event of Saturday night’s UFC on Fox 8 card at the Key Arena in Seattle.
“This is a great fight,” UFC president Dana White said. “I’m really excited about this fight. Both guys are explosive, dynamic finishers, and two of the top guys in that division. … Obviously, a guy who wins this fight is right up there and close to a title shot.”
Ellenberger, 29-6, has lost just twice since he joined the UFC — his debut bout versus Carlos Condit (ranked second) in 2009 and to Martin Kampmann (seventh) last year. Ellenberger recorded the knockout of the night earlier this year when he defeated former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nate Marquardt and feels he should receive the next title shot if he defeats MacDonald, who is 14-1.
“That’s obviously the goal at the end of the day, but I’m going out there to perform and to win,” he said. “Rory doesn’t have a choice where this fight goes. This fight goes where I want it to go, and I’ve shown that in past fights. I’m excited. He surely has potential, but he has not faced anybody like me, so I’m stoked to get in there.”
UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will attempt to defend his title against John Moraga in the main event. Welterweights Robbie Lawler and Bobby Voelker and women’s bantamweights Liz Carmouche and Jessica Andrade will also compete on the main card, which airs at 2 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time.
The preliminaries, which can be seen on FX at 11 a.m. HST, includes lightweights Michael Chiesa vs. Jorge Masvidal; lightweights Danny Castillo vs. Tim Means; lightweights Mac Danzig vs. Melvin Guillard; lightweights Yves Edwards vs. Daron Cruickshank; middleweights Ed Herman vs. Trevor Smith; and women’s bantamweights Julie Kedzie vs. Germaine de Randamie.
Two additional preliminaries — lightweights Aaron Riley vs. Justin Salas and bantamweights John Albert vs. Yaotzin Meza — can be seen an hour earlier at www.facebook.com/UFC.
