UFC 96 has had some trouble gaining traction with mainstream MMA fans. Lacking a major title fight or an overwhelming amount of depth in regard to high-profile fighters, Saturday's event is more like an appetizer as the promotion ramps up for major PPV events in May, June and July.
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| Jardine will try to spoil the party for Rampage. (UFC) |
CBSSports.com's look at the most interesting storylines to monitor:
1. Quinton Jackson's quest to regain the UFC light heavyweight title: When Jackson was arrested last summer on that highway in Southern California, it was unclear how his career would be affected. But after knocking out Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92, Jackson showed he was not only back, but that he might even be better.
Despite the fact Rampage was at one point headed down the road of self-destruction, a win at UFC 96 will put him in the co-main event of UFC 100 on July 11 against current champion Rashad Evans. But before Jackson can secure an opportunity to regain the same title he lost to Forrest Griffin in July, he needs to get past Evans' teammate and good friend, Keith Jardine.
2. Jardine attempting to play spoiler once again: Jackson is just one win away from an opportunity to regain his title? Who are we kidding? The reality is that Jackson pretty much had first dibs on Evans coming out of UFC 92. But Evans needed time off to recover, and the UFC desperately needed a main event for UFC 96. Jackson is needlessly putting his title shot on the line.
While Jackson can't be faulted for trying to make as much money as he can while he's able, the reality is that he's taking on a fighter who has excelled in the spoiler role. Jardine owns wins over Forrest Griffin at UFC 66 and Chuck Liddell at UFC 76 that ruined pending title shots for both. With him cast yet again in the same exact role, one can't help but smell an upset.
3. Questions about Shane Carwin finally to be answered: Carwin is 10-0, but all 10 fights have ended in the first round. We know Carwin is a good fighter, but just how good has yet to be answered. As he faces a consensus top 10 heavyweight in Gabriel Gonzaga, we should finally be able to glean some useful information as to whether Carwin is a product of excellent matchmaking or truly a legitimate title contender.
4. Gonzaga out to dispel the notion he's soft: One of the most gifted heavyweights around, Gonzaga's talent has been overshadowed the past two years in which his will was broken in losses to Randy Couture and Fabricio Werdum. Carwin is strong, agile, and aggressive and could put Gonzaga in less than ideal positions. If things start to go south for Gonzaga, will he persevere and fight through the adversity? Or will he fold like a K-Mart suit?
5. Jim Miller's continued ascension through the lightweight ranks: Joe Silva has to love Jim Miller. Not only did Miller take a fight at "UFC Fight for the Troops" in December against Matt Wiman on a week's notice, he is stepping up this weekend to fight Gray Maynard. Maynard's incredible size for a lightweight and outstanding wrestling ability have made him a matchup many fighters have turned down. But Miller is proving to be a fighter who is willing to fight anyone, anywhere, at anytime. He's definitely an underdog here, but if he can pull off the upset, Miller's magic number for a lightweight title shot might be reduced to two.
6. Maynard looks to put himself in UFC lightweight title contention: A veteran from the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Maynard is 6-0 overall and 4-0 while competing in the UFC. He's looked like a total beast in his most recent wins over Frankie Edgar and Rich Clementi and appears to be on the verge of graduating from prospect to full-fledged title contender. A strong performance Saturday could prompt fans to start saying his name in the same sentence as B.J. Penn's.
7. Brandon Vera and Kendall Grove's job security: As recently as five weeks ago, the UFC had more than 200 fighters under contract. After some early spring cleaning, the ranks have been reduced somewhat, but questions remain about both Vera and Grove. A loss to Mike Patt by Vera or to Jason Day by Grove and there's no guarantee whether the UFC will stand by the two chronic underachievers.
8. Matt Brown and Pete Sell's attempt to make Joe Silva look like a genius: Vera's and Grove's fights were relegated to the undercard at the expense of a welterweight matchup between Brown and Sell. Vera and Grove have bigger names, but the logic for making the move is that the two are coming off disappointing performances and Brown vs. Sell has a chance to be an exciting fight.
If Brown and Sell can turn in a Fight of the Night performance, it will go down as another example of why there's a reason Silva is the UFC's matchmaker and we're just fans.
9. Mark Munoz out to prove he's ready for the UFC: Munoz's pedigree is amazing; a former NCAA wrestling champion at Oklahoma State. OSU just happens to be the alma matter for other top wrestlers-turned-mixed martial artists such as Randy Couture, Jake Rosholt, Johny Hendricks, and Shane Roller.
After going 2-0 in WEC, Munoz is making the move Saturday to the UFC. While the crossover was inevitable from the day he signed with Zuffa, he probably would have received one or two more fights in the UFC's sibling promotion had the WEC not elected to shut down its 205-pound division.
Munoz's opponent Saturday night will be Matt Hamill, and while matchups don't get much easier than that in the UFC's stacked light heavyweight division, it still represents a major step up in competition. The training wheels have been taken off but we still don't know if Munoz is ready to ride.
In addition to being a contributing writer for CBSSports.com, Sam Caplan is also the publisher of his own MMA website, FiveOuncesOfPain.com. You can contact him via e-mail at: SCaplan8@comcast.net.
