Five Reasons Dos Santos vs. Fedor Makes Sense

The future looks grim for UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Overeem. Though Alistair Overeem's failed drug test comes as no surprise to those who have followed him since his lanky K-1 days, the timing couldn't be much worse. Desperate fans have taken to lobbying via Twitter for journeyman Mark Hunt as a potential replacement to face Junior Dos Santos (a rumor summarily quashed by UFC President Dana White.)

With the short list of suitable replacements looking very short indeed, a novel idea would be for White to sign Russian legend Fedor Emelianenko to challenge Dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title.

Given White's acrimonious history with Fedor's management, the possibility seems as unlikely to ever become a reality as it is intriguing, but there is real logic behind it. Considering White's promotional savvy and history of confounding expectations, one should never say never.

Here are five reasons why Dos Santos vs. Fedor actually makes a lot of sense.

#1: Contention Doesn't Matter, It's a Business

Although Fedor's recent record may not seem to warrant an immediate UFC title shot, the determination of UFC contenders historically seems more academic than quantitative. From Forest Griffin and Brock Lesnar to Dan Hardy and more, many fan favorites have been given a fast track to the title shot as matchmakers strategically select the most marketable and stylistically interesting fighters from their pool of candidates.

While the UFC's "black box" title contention algorithm may not satisfy purists or statisticians, their fan-driven approach to matchmaking has paid off with record pay-per-view sales, and there's no question Dana White has done a great job selling fans the fights they want to see.

#2: Marketability

Whether you consider him the world's greatest or completely overrated, Fedor Emelianenko is without question responsible for some of the most exciting moments in mixed martial arts history. With a fearless style that keeps fans around the world on the edges of their seats, Fedor's star power gives him the unique leverage to repeatedly pass on a UFC contract and yet still maintain a lucrative fighting career.

Junior Dos Santos has more in common with Fedor than perhaps any other professional fighter. The Brazilian's jovial, everyman personality and sense of humility stands in ironic contrast to the reputation he has earned as the world's most feared heavyweight striker.

For a young sport still struggling with an image problem, a main event pairing two world-class fighters and exemplary sportsmen gives the UFC an opportunity to make inroads into markets their current brand cannot reach.

#3: Personnel Shortages

The recent departure of pay-per-view goliath Brock Lesnar leaves a gaping hole in the UFC's heavyweight division. With main event regulars Shane Carwin and "Minotauro" Noguiera out due to injury and younger prospects Brendan Schaub and Matt Mitrione ostensibly out of contention due to recent losses, the UFC is short on any obvious choices for a replacement for Overeem.

The addition of Fedor Emelianenko to the UFC's heavyweight division not only gives Zuffa an instant replacement for Overeem but a monopoly on MMA's heavyweight superstars. Although Fedor is undersized compared to the UFC's heavyweights, he has made a career of fighting and beating bigger, stronger opponents (including two former UFC heavyweight champions, Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski.)

#4: The Timing is Perfect

This spring's run of twelve consecutive weeks without a pay-per-view event represents the longest UFC pay-per-view drought in recent history. With The Ultimate Fighter TV ratings on a steady decline, the undoing of Dos Santos vs. Overeem threatens to slam the brakes on the UFC's summer momentum.

Meanwhile, Fedor Emelianenko has been training all spring, ostensibly in preparation for a tentative early summer match up with a yet-unnamed opponent from a short list of mid-tier fighters. After three consecutive losses in Strikeforce - the first of his career - Fedor's two most recent victories show improvement upon his exciting but arguably reckless style.

At a time when MMA is getting most of its publicity for the wrong reasons (see: TRT, pro wrestling,) the addition of Fedor to UFC 146 would bring much-needed appeal and instant legitimacy to the event.

#5: It's a Win-Win Situation for Dana White

Since walking away from tedious and protracted negotiations with Fedor's management two years ago, White has gone on the record to remind the world just how "overrated" he believed the Russian fighter always was. In considering Emelianenko as a last-minute replacement for Overeem, therefore, White may seem to be faced with a dilemma and risk looking like a hypocrite.

As a savvy business promoter, however, White probably knows he can't lose. If Dos Santos wins, White was right about Fedor all along, but conversely if Fedor manages to upset Dos Santos, the world's greatest is now the exclusive property of Zuffa, LLC. Either way, there's no risk here for Zuffa. Everyone wins.

UFC on Versus: Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera - Predictions

UFC is airs a free event on the Versus network tomorrow (Sunday, March 21st.) Former up-and-comer Brandon "The Truth" Vera faces current up-and-comer Jon "Bones" Jones, a 205-lb non-title bout. Considering the popularity/notoriety of these two fighters, chances are probably good that the winner of this matchup is only another win away from being the top light-heavyweight contender.

Brandon Vera, God love him, is for some reason one fighter fans love to hate. He may have inherited this role from Tim Sylvia after being clinched to a decision by the former UFC heavyweight champion in a clinchy snoozer. Vera, an athletic fighter with a large but unimposing frame, never quite looked the part of a legitimate heavyweight and after his loss to Sylvia he dropped to 205lbs. Vera has looked fast at light-heavyweight but his more conservative style hasn't won him any fans nor many fights, as he's dropped two decisions to Couture and Jardine. Vera needs to turn on the charm; he's under-performing and he knows it.

Jon Jones, his opponent, is probably the more talented fighter but is rough around the edges. A decision victory over iron man Stephan Bonnar showed us a dazzling array of striking and grappling skills, but also showed us room for improvement when he ran out of gas in round three and spent the rest of the time dodging advances.

Here's how I give the respective advantages in this fight:

Talent: Jones

Skill: Tie

Aggression: Jones

Experience: Vera

Size: Vera

It's a split. If Vera plays a conservative fight again, his experience and cardio may let him grind out a close decision.

Either way, I can't see this fight being finished via submission or TKO. Both of these fighters are simply too conservative; I can't see this fight going to the ground, and I definitely don't see these two standing and trading.

In the card's other featured fight, Brazilian heavyweights Gabe Gonzaga and Junior Dos Santos face off to determine who hops in line as the next contender.

Gabriel Gonzaga is a well-rounded heavyweight who will go down in history as the Man Who Cro-Copped Cro Cop. He has a lot of experience facing top division talent, but his knockout loss last year to Shane Carwin - a fight he was hitherto doing well in - leave a lot questions.

Junior Dos Santos is a heavyweight who doesn't need to be well-rounded, because he is a punching machine. No other heavyweight has hands as fast and heavy as Dos Santos, who punished Cro Cop into semi-retirement, and then battered new signee Gilbert Yvel right back out of the organization. Dos Santos is more than like a Cyberdine Systems Model T-101 sent from the future to knock out Brock Lesnar.

Predictions: Vera by close decision, Dos Santos by knockout.