UFC 104 main event an important fight for UFC as well as both fighters

As the UFC has grown over the past few years, it has been widely recognized that their glamor division, strongest division was its 205 lb league of Light Heavyweight fighters. Over the years it's had some of the sports most widely recognized champions: Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans.

Now not only does the division have the star power it has easily the most depth. Which can be a bane as much as it is a positive.

Current champion Lyoto Machida, 31, will face fellow Brazilian native Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, 27, at UFC 104 from Las Vegas on October 24th in his first title defense. Machida is the organization's first champion whose primary language is anything other than English since Vitor Belfort held the belt shortly more than a decade ago.

The onus, thus, will be on the undefeated karate specialist to re-establish the fading brightness of a once brilliant division. That isn't to say that the division has suddenly fallen on hard times, more that it is in need of a powerful champion to reign supreme like that of Anderson Silva for middleweights or Georges St.-Pierre does in the welterweight division.

At 15-0 Machida certainly has shown the ability to be dominant especially in his most recent victory -- a two round demolition of Rashad Evans which he finished with a brutal TKO. The question isn't whether he has the talent to remain champion, he has shown this at least in the opinion of this writer, but whether he can move the audiences around the world enough with this next performance to be a constant main event draw.

Rua (18-3), the latest contender of the deep 205 lb division, has the chance to do the same. If he can upend the undefeated champion in spectacular fashion, the crowd could easily fall behind a fighter who only a few short years ago was considered by most as the elite light heavyweight talent in the world.

Regardless of whether Machida or Rua emerge victorious on Saturday night less than three weeks from now, the key will be whether one of them takes up the torch left by the former stars of the elite division.

Chuck Liddell has most likely fought his last battle inside the octagon. TUF alums Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin have been exposed. "Rampage" Jackson has taken an indefinite hiatus. Tito Ortiz is, well, past his prime to be nice. The division appears to be there for the taking, in desperate need of a future star to emerge.

The UFC hopes it will happen at 104 with either Machida or Rua.

"Rampage" Jackson retirement talk won't last

There is a well known saying throughout the sporting landscape that deals with important decisions: Don't make them emotionally.

Or something like that.

I don't know but what I do know is that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's decision to "retire" from the MMA via a post on his website at a time when a lot of heated discussion surrounding his participation in the "A-Team" remake movie seems pretty emotional to me.

Sure, my writing this column with the side that I have taken also has to do with emotion considering Jackson is my favorite fighter. The thing is at 31, Jackson just isn't ready to retire as a fighter.

He's a born fighter. Plain and simple, fighting is in his blood. Since growing up on the streets of Memphis, Tennessee as the youngest of 15 children, Jackson has had to fight for everything that he has earned in his life. He doesn't know anything different. He can't.

Earlier this week Jackson made a very important decision based completely on emotion. He has been called out by the likes of Dana White and nearly every MMA fan that frequents the blog sites and doesn't know anything. For a man who revolves around his ego, the way he is perceived, it was very emotional for him to be essentially disrespected.

So what did he do? He responded in an emotional way. He gave everyone something they didn't want to hear because nobody wants to see one of the best light heavyweight fighters to fight in the sport's short history. Not to mention at 31, the former UFC champion is still very much in his prime. Seeing him hang up the gloves would be an unwelcome sight to everyone.

My bet is by November, when his filming of the "A-Team" is over, "Rampage" will be clamoring to fight his nemesis Rashad Evans. Shortly followed by a great urge to get his title back.

Because Rampage is a fighter.