Fortunes changed for four (divisions) after UFC 201

On Saturday night, shortly after Tyron Woodley captured the UFC welterweight title from Robbie Lawler in spectacular fashion, he was on the post-fight show talking to analyst, and top division contender, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Thompson (13-1) put in his bid for a title shot. Woodley shut it down, saying that he was looking to fight Nick Diaz next, suggesting he was ready to fight him next month at UFC 202. Later in the conversation, he also threw out the name Georges St-Pierre for a potential November match in Madison Square Garden. From Woodley’s standpoint, you had to admire him. He’s 34, careers are short in this sport, and at that age, you look at things a lot differently. When you see the end of your career, you want the money fight, not the hardest fight. Luke Rockhold had a similar situation twice in recent months, first picking Chris Weidman over a potential fight with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza or Yoel Romero, neither of which would do as much business. Then he picked Michael Bisping as a replacement opponent over the higher-ranked and more dangerous Souza, again figuring Bisping was the better choice for building a fight up with limited time. That didn’t end up working out well for him since Bisping beat him for the title. Bisping, at 37, then played a similar game, choosing Dan Henderson over any of the big four contenders, Souza, Romero, Weidman or Rockhold. Title shots going to the most marketable contender, as opposed to the most deserving contender, has been a part of fight sports for a century. It likely will be for the next century. But there has to be a balance at some level. Diaz, who is coming off an 18-month suspension for a marijuana test failure after his loss to Anderson Silva in early 2015, hasn’t won a fight since October 21, 2011, nearly five years ago. During the ensuing period he’s had two suspensions, two losses and a no-contest in a fight that two judges had him losing every round in. But would more people be interested in Diaz facing Woodley than Thompson? Probably. When fighters get paid based on pay-per-view numbers, that’s what they are going to push for. The news from Monday that St-Pierre was interested in taking Woodley’s challenge may make this specific issue moot. Even though Thompson has won seven in a row, including wins over Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald and Johny Hendricks, a Woodley vs. GSP fight would be among the biggest fights of the year. While GSP himself hasn’t fought since late 2013, he is almost indisputably the greatest welterweight fighter in history as well as the biggest drawing card, by far in that division’s history. One could argue after three years off that St-Pierre should take a tune-up fight first, but if he’s willing, and Woodley is willing, the promotion should be willing and there’s little doubt the fans would have interest. But for guys like Thompson, who is 33, and Souza, who is 36, there may always be someone more marketable in their weight division ahead of them. Souza has one loss in the UFC, to Romero, a fight that at worst should have been a draw, and that if there was a winner, it should have been Souza. Romero hasn’t lost in UFC either, and is 39. Weidman and Rockhold are former champions who have recently lost. With Bisping facing Henderson, the right thing to do would be to do have Souza face either Rockhold or Weidman, and have Romero face the other. At that …

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