The Sunday Junkie: Sept. 8 edition

In less than two weeks, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will look to put his name in the promotion’s record books. If successful, is there anything left for him to prove at 205 pounds?

In this week’s edition of The Sunday Junkie, MMAjunkie.com’s weekly reader-feedback feature, Australia’s Nick Ballatori believes he has and thinks Jones’ only logical option is a move to heavyweight for a showdown with current champ Cain Velasquez.

For his winning entry, Nick wins a free year’s subscription to “Fighters Only,” the world’s leading MMA and lifestyle magazine.

Want to submit to next week’s edition of The Sunday Junkie? Scroll to the bottom of the page for instructions.

Also, as a reminder, please be sure to include your hometown and stick within the 150-word limit (and include your submission in the body of an email, not in an attachment). Many quality submissions this week didn’t meet those minimum guidelines and couldn’t be considered for publication.

(Pictured: Jon Jones)

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IT’S TIME FOR JON JONES TO MAKE A MOVE TO HEAVYWEIGHT

Jon Jones has almost proven all that he has to prove at light heavyweight. “Bones” has destroyed almost all the opponents he has faced and is becoming like an ancient warlord running out of enemies and land to conquer. Former PRIDE and UFC champions have all tried and failed to dethrone Jones, and he has three good fights left in the division. Alexander Gustafsson will provide a new challenge where reach won’t be such an advantage. Glover Teixera is a tough fight for anybody, and a small part of me still wants to see Dan Henderson have a crack at Jones’ strap. The UFC has tried topping up the division with part-time light heavyweights Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort, but it’s time for Jones to add some muscle to those legs and take on the big boys at heavyweight. I mean, would anyone begrudge him a superfight against Cain Velazquez?

Nick Ballatori
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Glover Teixeira‘S POSTFIGHT SPEECH PROVES HE’S THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR JONES

What was more impressive than Glover Teixeira’s first-round TKO victory over a game Ryan Bader was his own assessment of his performance. Teixeira was able to admit that he was over-confident coming into this fight. As Bader was getting the better of the early exchanges, Teixeira’s words echoed what many nervous fans were thinking. After a knockdown, Teixeira recovered, only to have his back against the cage. With punches getting through, he kept composed and took an opportunity to floor his opponent. With the stoppage confirmed, Teixeira’s victory walk looked more like a man replaying a close escape in his mind than a celebration. Teixeira’s honest post-fight interview is just as much a warning to future opponents as his 20-fight winning streak. As we’ve seen in the past, a fighter is much more dangerous when he does not believe his own hype.

Andrew Ponton
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

TEIXEIRA NEXT FOR JONES, BUT ONLY BECAUSE THERE’S NOBODY ELSE

It’s hard to argue with Glover Teixeira’s resume. His unbelievable win streak and perfect octagon record make him one of the hottest fighters in the UFC. What makes him the number one contender for Jones’ title, though, is that what used to be the most competitive division in MMA doesn’t present any reasonable alternatives. Teixeira has defeated two borderline main-card fighters, an already checked out “Rampage” Jackson, and a Ryan Bader that continuously comes up short in the big, breakout fight. Teixeira’s talent is undeniable. However, his position as the top-ranked challenger highlights the difference between an undeniable challenger, like Johnny Hendricks, and a division in flux. The light heavyweight division sports some of the most exciting and legendary names in fighting, but between the flexibility that many fighters have to add or drop weight and Jones’ streak, this division is clearly slowing down and showing it.

Matthew “CapitalTTruth” Richards
Salt Lake City, Utah

LATEST UFC RATINGS PROVE COMPANY IS SPREADING ITSELF TOO THIN

While I love watching free fights, the ratings and the fight quality the UFC is turning out is putting the company into a rough spot that it will need to figure out. The need to put on more shows has seen an accompanying drop in both quality and marquee fights. “The Ultimate Fighter” has a distinct “been there, done that” feel, and half the fighters on many of these cards would never have made it onto a UFC fight card five years ago. I don’t know what the answer is (and it’s not another, even-lighter weight division that no one really cares about), but if quality and ratings continue to drop, the UFC will find itself in a tough spot with both fans and FOX. Perhaps a move away from pay-per-view completely, evening out the quality of the cards? It will be interesting to see.

“Kravmaguffin”
Chicago, Ill.

FOR UFC, THREE TIMES A CHARM

Three UFC events in a week may seem like too much for some, but it was great for rabid fans and those new to the sport alike. Between amazing grappling battles and shocking knockouts, the cards were a success. Adding to the fact that two were free, the exposure to those not prepared to make a $55 investment in entertainment were not left in the cold. This will hopefully also draw fans to Bellator MMA and keep the MMA hurricane spinning in different directions as their cards rarely disappoint for the price. “America’s sport” may have a name change from baseball to MMA in the future.

Aaron G.
Meridian, Idaho

Anthony Pettis THE NEW LEADER THE LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION NEEDED

When Anthony “Showtime” Pettis won the lightweight belt this past Saturday, I instantly thought it was the perfect shot in the arm for the division. People always say how lightweight is the deepest division, and while this may very well be true (I personally think welterweight is), I think the problem with Benson Henderson at the top was that he was not very exciting. Pettis, however, is probably the most exciting fighter in the sport, as well as a fun personality. If he can defend the belt, this deep division can be even more interesting because its champion will be one of the faces of the UFC, as well as a top fighter on the pound-for-pound list.

Joel Wielenga
Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

Joseph Benavidez THE ONLY OPTION FOR Demetrious Johnson

After his dominate performance over top contender Jussier Formiga, I think it’s pretty clear it’s time for the Demetrious Johnson-Benavidez rematch. Benavidez should not have to go through what teammate Chad Mendes is dealing with, and that’s a log jam. The featherweight division is jammed up, but the flyweight division is wide open. I respect Benavidez saying he’s not one to “bark” for a title shot, but he knows just as well as all of us that there is no other dog in the yard with a bark like his. Benavidez’s game is more solid than ever and will give Johnson a run for his money. Look how close the first fight was. Johnson’s skills have improved, as well, and there is no one that matches up with him besides Benavidez. This fight needs to happen, and I expect it to be next for both parties.

Ben McPhee
Prescott Valley, Ariz.

Robbie Lawler ON THE VERGE OF TITLE CONTENTION

So can I tell you how bad I want to see “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler blast through Rory MacDonald and into title contention? That’s right, I said it. Lawler has been putting the whole division on notice with two impressive victories – high-profile victories over the likes of Josh Koscheck and Bobby Voelker in which he turned in a pair of knockout wins. One of those knockouts also pocketed him an extra $50,000, putting out the lights on Koscheck in the first. If “Ruthless” can put up one more huge win with a highlight-reel knockout of top-5 ranked MacDonald, he should be put into a No. 1 contender bout against another top-10 opponent. If he can get as far as that, would he have a fighting chance against either Johny Hendricks or Georges St-Pierre? With high hopes, let’s see how the rest of this year of fights plays out.

Joshua “Massacre” Morales
Coram, N.Y.

POINT-FIGHTING THREATENS TO RUIN MMA

When Rory MacDonald decided to point-fight Jake Ellenberger to a decision, it almost single handedly destroyed the whole UFC on FOX 8 Card. It was painfully shown on live TV for all the casual fans to see. You can guarantee many people changed channels during this fight. Georges St-Pierre said it was an awesome performance by Rory, but one of the worst fights I have ever seen was “GSP” vs. Dan Hardy. I actually fell asleep during the third round. It was horrible. Fighters that grind out boring decisions like St-Pierre, Benson Henderson and Jon Fitch are devastating to MMA as a pro sport! In contrast, Anthony Pettis, Chris Weidman, Jon Jones and other passionate fighters that take risks to go for the finish every chance they get keep the fans on the edge of their seats, yelling for more.

“Iron Tiger”
Seattle, Wash.

A BRIEF PLEA TO THE MMA GODS

With any form of crazy luck, we just might be blessed with the greatest run of fights ever to close out this year. I don’t even need to begin to list off the intended schedule which will eventually end with the greatest two rematches of all time. Let’s just pray to the MMA gods that all will occur with no injuries to main event fighters. If you’re a huge fan, I have no need to mention names. Just join me in the beginning of a new era of sports entertainment.

Devin Sigurgeirson
Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada

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