Step aside, Nik Lentz.
After Charles Oliveira defeated "The Carny" by submission following an illegal knee (which was eventually ruled a no contest) at UFC on Versus 4, it was widely speculated that an immediate rematch would make the most sense for all involved.
While that may still ring true, an apparent upcoming surgery for Lentz has postponed those plans and Oliveira is free to tango with another available lightweight contender.
According to Tatame, that man will be Joe Lauzon, and the match-up is reportedly in the works for the upcoming UFC 138 event on Nov. 19 in San Jose, California.
Before the Lentz controversy, Oliveira had suffered his first career defeat, a first-round submission loss to streaking 155-pound wrecking machine, Jim Miller.
It would seem the powers that be elected not to take it easy on him while he waits for Lentz to recover.
You win some and you lose some, or in the case of Mr. Lauzon, you win one and you lose one.
That's been the case as of late for the East Bridgewater brawler, who can't seem to string together consecutive impressive performances. Which is a shame, really, considering how incredible he looks when he's on his game.
Take for instance, his win over Gabe Ruediger in Aug. 2010, a fight in which he overran "Godzilla" and submitted him in two minutes flat. This was one fight removed from one of the least inspiring outings of his career against Sam Stout.
Then he goes out and gets nasty with George Sotiropoulos, making it seem as though he's put it together.
Nope.
He gassed, badly, after the first round and was tapped in short order in the second, succumbing to a kimura before his trainers peeled him off the mat in Michigan.
Then, once again, he went out and smashed his next opponent, Curt Warburton, at the UFC on Versus 4 event just over a week ago, taking him out in less than two minutes.
The silver lining in his up-and-down nature is he's been involved in the "Submission of the Night" or "Fight of the Night" in five straight bouts and seven of his 10 contests inside the Octagon.
Speaking of which, Oliveira has also won three bonuses in his four fights within the confines of the eight-sided playground.
Sounds like this lightweights are going to light it up this winter ... if it comes to be, of course. Let's hope it does.
UFC 138 is unofficial at this time but is expected for Nov. 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Tentative plans have Cain Velasquez making his first defense of his heavyweight title against recently crowned number one contender Junior dos Santos.
by Geno Mrosko
After Charles Oliveira defeated "The Carny" by submission following an illegal knee (which was eventually ruled a no contest) at UFC on Versus 4, it was widely speculated that an immediate rematch would make the most sense for all involved.
While that may still ring true, an apparent upcoming surgery for Lentz has postponed those plans and Oliveira is free to tango with another available lightweight contender.
According to Tatame, that man will be Joe Lauzon, and the match-up is reportedly in the works for the upcoming UFC 138 event on Nov. 19 in San Jose, California.
Before the Lentz controversy, Oliveira had suffered his first career defeat, a first-round submission loss to streaking 155-pound wrecking machine, Jim Miller.
It would seem the powers that be elected not to take it easy on him while he waits for Lentz to recover.
That's been the case as of late for the East Bridgewater brawler, who can't seem to string together consecutive impressive performances. Which is a shame, really, considering how incredible he looks when he's on his game.
Take for instance, his win over Gabe Ruediger in Aug. 2010, a fight in which he overran "Godzilla" and submitted him in two minutes flat. This was one fight removed from one of the least inspiring outings of his career against Sam Stout.
Then he goes out and gets nasty with George Sotiropoulos, making it seem as though he's put it together.
Nope.
He gassed, badly, after the first round and was tapped in short order in the second, succumbing to a kimura before his trainers peeled him off the mat in Michigan.
Then, once again, he went out and smashed his next opponent, Curt Warburton, at the UFC on Versus 4 event just over a week ago, taking him out in less than two minutes.
The silver lining in his up-and-down nature is he's been involved in the "Submission of the Night" or "Fight of the Night" in five straight bouts and seven of his 10 contests inside the Octagon.
Speaking of which, Oliveira has also won three bonuses in his four fights within the confines of the eight-sided playground.
Sounds like this lightweights are going to light it up this winter ... if it comes to be, of course. Let's hope it does.
UFC 138 is unofficial at this time but is expected for Nov. 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Tentative plans have Cain Velasquez making his first defense of his heavyweight title against recently crowned number one contender Junior dos Santos.
by Geno Mrosko
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