The Doggy Bag: What's Next?

Sherdog.com reported that Dana White described Todd Duffee as being on the "fast track." Duffee, being a 5-0 undefeated 23-year-old, does this description cause some trepidation at the prospect of him being rushed into deep waters on the basis of a seven-second performance? What is the next logical step for him?
-- Justin Irwin

Jordan Breen, columnist and radio host: Certainly, it's the sort of comment that gives you pause, and no one is more outspoken on the handling of prospects in MMA than myself. But, I don't think we've got an issue on our hands here.

Interestingly, it was actually Duffee who came to White following the bout and said personally he wanted to be fast tracked. Having been fortunate enough to talk to Duffee before and after the bout, he's no dummy. He knows where he's at in his career, and knows that he's just had five pro fights. However, he's also keen in recognizing that because of his overwhelming physical gifts, he's going to run roughshod over mediocre heavyweights at this point, and he wants to be tested to improve his game.

Duffee is going to move faster than many prospects would just by virtue of being a heavyweight; that's the reality of this sport. Fortunately for him, he’s a natural talent who may be able to pick up the game rapidly, especially with a great camp like American Top Team behind him. Moreover, despite the relative lack of depth in the heavyweight division, the UFC is set on top-end title challengers for a moment. Shane Carwin is about to tangle with Brock Lesnar, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is back in the mix, and the winners of the Cain Velasquez-Ben Rothwell and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic-Junior “Cigano” dos Santos bouts will be further along in terms of contendership than Duffee.

The UFC brass aren't stupid, and even if they try to put Duffee on the inside track, he's going to get his rounds in and climb the ladder, rather than being artificially catapulted up it. Just because Duffee is a fighter who is adamant about challenging himself and improving, and White is willing to give an appealing quote to the press, doesn't mean that Duffee will be in a title fight come next April.

If you want a logical step for Duffee, you don't even need to come up with a new idea. He was originally scheduled to face Mike Russow at UFC 102, and Russow wound up easily handling Justin McCully, albeit in far-less exciting fashion than Duffee did with Tim Hague. Duffee has expressed that’s a fight he’d love to have at this point, and he’d love it if it could happen in December so he could get another bout in the books before the year ends.

That's the sort of fast track I can appreciate.