Each week, our ESPN.com panel tackles hot topics in the world of mixed martial arts.
This week, UFC lightweight Michael Johnson joins our expert panel.
1. Is Rafael dos Anjos a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter after last weekend? Is Anthony Pettis?
Michael Johnson: Absolutely, I've got dos Anjos in the top 10 pound-for-pound -- but at the same time, I don't think he's going to hold the title that long. If Khabib [Nurmagomedov] beats [Donald Cerrone] and fights dos Anjos again, I don't see that fight going any different. [Nurmagomedov won a unanimous decision against dos Anjos in April.] And no, I wouldn't put Pettis in the top 10 pound-for-pound. He said he was the best in the division; well, that wasn't a performance of the best in the division. To get dominated like that for five rounds? No. That doesn't happen to any top pound-for-pound fighter in the world; I don't care how bad of a day you are having. They find a way to do something to make it even, and I think he just kind of gave up a little bit.
Brett Okamoto: In my latest pound-for-pound rankings, I ranked dos Anjos at No. 8. I think winning nine out of 10 against the level of competition he has faced more than warrants that high of a ranking. You could argue he has been overlooked and should have been on this list earlier, but I don't know. Breaking into the top 10 pound-for-pound is not easy. There are a lot of exceptional fighters left off that list each week. Dominating Pettis like that, though, it would be a crime to leave dos Anjos off now. I had Pettis ranked No. 5 before UFC 185. I dropped him to No. 10.
Mike Huang: I believe Anthony Pettis remains in the pound-for-pound discussion simply because of his track record. One loss shouldn't bump him out, but it bumps him down considerably, perhaps just at the edge of 10. That said, dos Anjos should definitely be in the discussion, and above Pettis. Dos Anjos has beaten three elite lightweights in a row. How can he not be considered?
2. Who is the most intriguing matchup for newly crowned strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk?
Johnson: I'm not too familiar with that division. I don't pay too much attention to it, so I apologize. Paige VanZant is who I would want to see her against. She's one of the more exciting fighters I've seen in that division and she mixes it up -- she's not one-dimensional. She kind of blew up overnight after that one UFC fight, so I think everybody would be excited about that fight.
Okamoto: She has fought two very good grapplers back-to-back now in Carla Esparza and Claudia Gadelha; let's see how she performs against another striker, who won't burn a ton of energy trying to take her down. Even though we just saw Rose Namajunas in a title fight, stylistically, Jedrzejczyk-Namajunas would probably be the top 115-pound fight I'd want to see right now. Beyond that, my current list would go: Tecia Torres, Joanne Calderwood, Jessica Penne.
Huang: I mentioned JoJo Calderwood in my piece on Joanna because I think that could be a real showcase of two elite strikers. I also like Aisling Daly because her style is so unorthodox and awkward it might give Joanna pause, but at No. 9, I doubt Daly can be even considered for a title shot with so many fighters in front of her. I think the division has gotten a jump-start from Joanna, and if they can pair up another striker who could help put on a great fight, the UFC could parlay that great momentum for the division and women's MMA.
3. Should Johny Hendricks wait for the winner of Robbie Lawler-Rory MacDonald in July, or take another fight in the meantime?
Johnson: Johny and I are in separate positions in our career, but personally, I wouldn't wait. It's too long to wait financially, and also I just would want to stay active. I could see why Johny would want to wait, though. He doesn't want to risk losing some decision and then he loses his title shot. I understand that. At the same time, maybe if he could take a fight and stay ready -- if something were to happen to Lawler or MacDonald, he would obviously be the first in line to replace him.
Okamoto: You can really argue this both ways. On one hand, no. The Lawler-MacDonald fight is 3.5 months away. You figure the winner of that fight would go again in three to four months. You're looking at Hendricks sitting out until November or December? That seems like a long, long time to let him wait it out, which will create a logjam as other welterweights collect wins and look to climb the ladder. If you take it a step further and make this very black and white, Hendricks has a .500 winning percentage in his past four fights. How does that entitle him to a guaranteed title shot at the end of the year? All that said, Hendricks, to me, is a very clear No. 1 contender after MacDonald. There is no one in the division you look at and say, 'Hendricks HAS to fight this guy to cement his status.' I would say he deserves to wait ... but I would rather see him take a fight.
Huang: Like Dana White said in the postfight presser after UFC 185, that's not always the smartest move, and he wasn't really thrilled with Hendricks' win. Even Hendricks seemed disappointed. Fighters should stay active, and certainly Dana doesn't like seeing fighters willingly sitting around because they believe they should be in a title bout or nothing. Let's see Hendricks face Hector Lombard, who's on a bit of a roll -- or Tyron Woodley (although that could be exciting or a real snoozer). Beat them decisively, and you get MacDonald or Lawler.
4. Should Josh Koscheck have accepted the short-notice fight against Erick Silva this weekend?
Johnson: I mean, he's obviously upset about his loss [to Jake Ellenberger at UFC 184] and wants to get back in there quickly. I've always been a fan of Josh since his early days. I hate to see such a veteran lose his past few fights. I honestly don't think he ever really came back from that Tyron Woodley fight. I don't think it's a good matchup for him. Erick Silva is dangerous and I don't think Koscheck has evolved into this new game of MMA we've got. If he wins, he might retire, so he could retire on a win. It's hard -- you can't tell another guy he needs to hang up the gloves, but after four losses like that -- and he's still fighting the best guys in the UFC; maybe if he wins he'll want to end on a good note.
Okamoto: The simple answer here is no. I don't think Koscheck, at this point in his career, needs to be fighting Silva on short notice in Brazil. For what? It's not a fight that makes sense. I get it: He thought he dropped the ball in Los Angeles against Ellenberger. I will say, though, in my opinion, that's not how I saw the fight. I thought Koscheck looked pretty uncomfortable start to finish. I sensed more desperation than confidence in him. As Johnson said, telling a fighter he needs to retire is one of the last things anyone wants to do in this sport. I'm not telling Koscheck to retire here, but this fight? These circumstances? No, I don't like it much.
Huang: I'm not sure how much the guy has left in the tank. He has the dreaded four losses in a row, but look at who he fought -- Hendricks, Lawler, Woodley, then Jake Ellenberger. He has been a good soldier for the UFC and said he was refreshed after taking time off. So I could understand if he wanted to get back in there after such a quick loss to Ellenberger. Perhaps the UFC feels like they owe him that. If he loses, he goes out on his shield.
5. Who do you favor to win at UFC Fight Night: Demian Maia or Ryan LaFlare?
Johnson: Of course, I have to go with LaFlare -- but not only because he's a [Blackzilians] teammate and good friend. I've just become a fan of watching him fight. He's like a more active Demian Maia, actually. He gets you down to the ground into deep waters and you're not going to come back from that. In the fight, Demian is going to try and push to get a takedown because he's not going to beat Ryan standing up. Ryan should have a lot of movement, a lot of punches, side-to-side movement -- and go get a win in hostile territory. He's more than capable of that.
Okamoto: I'm picking Maia. I am completely aware of the fact it could end up being a terrible pick. On paper, I think LaFlare's wrestling pedigree, athleticism and (probably) an advantage on the feet makes him the safer bet against the now-37-year-old Maia. But I think anyone who has watched this sport for a long time would agree, it's just tough to pick against Maia here. He's in a Rio de Janeiro building with a history of Vale Tudo fights, that featured appearances by other Brazilian jiu-jitsu legends. It just feels like it should be Maia's night. That doesn't always mean it ends up being that way.
Huang: LaFlare's age, wrestling and athleticism are all positives, but Maia remains one of the most dangerous ground fighters in the world. His stand-up is improved enough to be able to go toe-to-toe with LaFlare, but look for Maia to try and get this to the ground as soon as possible. I still like Maia in this one, and will call a submission by rear-naked choke or perhaps something exotic that LaFlare likely has never seen before.
