With his victory this past Saturday over Evan Dunham, Sean Sherk is on the first step back to regaining the UFC Lightweight title, a belt he was stripped of back in 2007 after testing positive for Nandrolone.
While the UFC has been making new stars, Sherk and other former UFC champions are stepping up their game and accumulating, with hopes of one day getting back their title.
Former champions getting title shots
Rashad Evans, a former Light Heavyweight champion, is getting a shot against current champion Mauricio Rua in spring or summer of 2011, according to MMAJunkie. He had won the opportunity to face Rua after defeating Quinton Jackson, another former light heavyweight champion.
Another ex champion getting a title shot is Vitor Belfort. Belfort, who won the UFC light heavyweight title in 2004, will be fighting UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva for the title after Chael Sonnen, who was scheduled to face Silva in a rematch, tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Sonnen was recently suspended.
Belfort had initially won the right to face Silva after defeating Rich Franklin last September, but would have had to put his contendership on the line against Yushi Okami at UFC 122. He was pulled out of the fight and replaced by Nate Marquardt, with the winner getting a title match against the winner of Belfort vs. Silva.
Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers eyeing another title
At the heavyweight level, former heavyweight champion and interm heavyweight champion Frank Mir could be on the track back to the heavyweight title after his recent knock out victory over Mirko Filipovic.
Randy Couture, a former heavyweight champion, light heavyweight champion, and UFC Hall of Famer, could be put right back into the title picture. Since moving back to the light heavyweight division, he has won his last three fights (though his fight with James Toney was classified as heavyweight).
In an interview with On Portland, Couture said he would fight then light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida if that was what the UFC had wanted.
Matt Hughes, another UFC Hall of Famer could be on the track to a third welterweight title. He has won his last three fights, all against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialists. He is scheduled to face B.J. Penn at UFC 123 and another win could put up for a title shot.
Tito Ortiz, another former light heavyweight title holder, said in an interview with Joe Rogan that he wants to win another world title.
Former champs who are just not there yet
Some former champions have a potential of getting back to the title picture, but the moment they seem like they are getting ready to get back their title, they end up losing their next fight.
Franklin, a fomer middleweight champion has won six of his nine last fights since losing the title to Anderson Silva back in 2006.
After his knock out victory over Chuck Liddell, he was asked whether or not he was staying at the middleweight level, or going up to the light heavyweight weight class. Franklin said it that decision would be up to Dana White and Joe Silva.
The winner of the Machida and Jackson fight at UFC 123 could also be pushed in the right direction to a title shot.
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