As one of the quickest-growing divisions in the UFC today, the middleweight crop heap just got a little more interesting.
According to a recent Twitter post by UFC Tonight this past Wednesday, former light heavyweight kingpin Lyoto Machida could look to avenge a recent title loss to middleweight champion Chris Weidman opposite rising contender C.B. Dollaway in December:
Lyoto Machida vs. CB Dollaway being discussed for Dec. 20 in Brazil. Big step up for CB Dollaway if it gets booked.
— UFC Tonight (@UFCTonight) September 11, 2014
Now nothing is set in stone, but the first step in scheduling any fight is having both sides agree to it. And that seems to be the case when it comes to this potential barn burner.
Fresh off his loss to Weidman, this makes sense for a guy like Machida, who is now forced to regain divisional momentum.
For Dollaway, who has won four of his last five bouts, including a 39-second knockout of top prospect Cezar Ferreira, this is a huge step in the right direction.
But The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 runner-up has never faced somebody with the disciplined striking, strong wrestling defense and overwhelming pressure like The Dragon has.
Sure, the 31-year-old has evolved his punching power and ability to finish over the past few years, but Machida is a different animal.
The 36-year-old Brazilian is widely considered the best counter-striking of all time. His sneaky leap-frogging and strong build at 185 pounds may be too much for a guy like Dollaway, who has been finished by the likes of Mark Munoz and Jared Hamman.
Can Dollaway pull off the upset?
But as an aging veteran who may be on the down slope of an illustrious career, albeit for a worthwhile performance opposite Weidman, fighting a hungry doberman like Dollaway could be a deadly decision.
However, Machida has the utmost confidence and understands that he must now fight back up the middleweight ladder to regain his status as the division's No. 1 contender.
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