The Doggy Bag: The Intense Week Edition

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I cheered when Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva took Alistair Overeem out, but even though I've never been a big Overeem fan, I wish he had gotten a chance to fight for the title. It is unclear what the UFC can do for Cain Velasquez now, other than rushing the trilogy with Junior dos Santos. What do you think the UFC should do for the heavies right now, and do you think Overeem could get into a title shot down the line? -- Alex from Lethbridge

Tristen Critchfield, associate editor: While seeing an exceedingly arrogant Overeem get his comeuppance from Silva has to be on the short list for feel-good MMA moments thus far in 2013, it is also something of a nightmare for those required to plot the course of the heavyweight division.  

A third meeting between Velasquez and dos Santos does seem preordained, but given the emphatic nature by which Velasquez claimed revenge against the Brazilian at UFC 155, a potential trilogy clearly needs time to simmer to have its desired effect on the buying public. That means at least one -- if not more -- solid victory for dos Santos, as well as a title defense for Velasquez. In a perfect world, Daniel Cormier would thump Frank Mir in the spring and then put personal feelings aside for a clash with Velasquez sometime this summer. Of course, the two American Kickboxing Academy stablemates have vowed not face one another in the Octagon, so it is far more likely that we see Cormier drop to 205 pounds for a run at the title there.  

Another interesting alternative would be Fabricio Werdum, who is currently at No. 3 in Sherdog.com’s heavyweight rankings. Unfortunately, “Vai Cavalo” is booked for the obligatory coach-versus-coach showdown against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in June after “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Season 2 concludes. Assuming he gets past Nogueira -- which is no guarantee -- Werdum would still be a worthy dance partner for the champion, but Velasquez would have to spend a longer-than-ideal time on the sidelines. However, it’s rare these days to see champions fight more than twice per year, so maybe an early fall date with Werdum followed by a December matchup with dos Santos or someone else is the most likely scenario.

As for Overeem, there will always be a market for larger-than-life heavyweights. For now, the Dutchman’s stature is still too great for him to take a significant tumble, and if he can put together a couple of quality wins, he will be right back where he was. However, even if Overeem had been able to get through the third frame against Silva in similar fashion as rounds one and two, would anyone have favored him heading into a bout with Velasquez? The champion thoroughly decimated “Bigfoot,” and his relentless assault against dos Santos -- he attempted a whopping 33 takedowns -- showed off his unparalleled stamina. Meanwhile, anything that happens past the first round appears to be a roll of the dice for Overeem.  

Does that mean Overeem can’t be a UFC champion? Of course not. If his licensing issues are in the rearview mirror, the “Demolition Man” has the potential to put any heavyweight in the division to sleep. The tools are obviously there. A little bit of humility and self-evaluation would go a long way.

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