Nogueira-Kongo Bumped To Early 08

The winner of the Nogueira-Kongo fight is no longer in line for a title shot, as it's been bumped to early next year, but whoever leaves victorious should be guaranteed a shot down the line. Here's why:

With Sylvia-Vera now the only real HW bout in the upcoming months, it's more than expected that the winner will take on Randy Couture early next year at UFC 81 or those whereabouts. For Vera, it would be a long time coming and could represent the passing of the torch from one marketable HW to another. If Sylvia gets the shot, it would represent the rematch clause in his contract. Either way, this seems like the only viable option.

But who gets the winner of the Couture-Vera/Sylvia fight? For rest periods to coincide, the new #1 contender bout (after Sylvia-Vera) would have to take place early next year. Enter: Nogueira-Kongo. Initially scheduled to go down at UFC 79 in December, the fight has been bumped. It's not clear why, but it does provide perfect timing for both these competitors. The booking of Nogueira-Kongo at the same time of Couture's next fight means two big things, other than the fact that the winner will most likely get a shot at the gold.

For Nogueira, it means that the UFC has finally committed to pushing him. He's widely recognized as the #2 HW in the world, but due to his inability to speak English and lackluster win over Heath Herring a few months ago, fan support (and thus, Dana White support) has dwindled. This match up with Kongo, especially with its scheduled date, is a vote of confidence unlike any Nogueira has seen before.

For Kongo, it means that the dream has been realized. Following a massacre of Cro Cop, Kongo now finds himself one win away from a title shot with one of the greatest champions of all time. The UFC will be more than willing to throw it's support behind a young, jacked, charismatic Kongo. Ideally, Kongo-Vera will be the HW battle that UFC execs are looking to see blossom over the next four years.

So, we wait. But with our patience comes the reality that the UFC HW division is shaping up to be stacked after all. It's in a much different manner than was expected (no superfights between CC and Couture), but it should prove to be just as entertaining with a large group of fighters who all deserve to be there.