According to a March 7 report from MMA Fighting, the UFC's heavyweight title picture has become increasingly murky with the recent quad injury suffered by Alistair Overeem.
Overeem was expected to fight Junior dos Santos at UFC 160 in a bout with serious title implications on the line, but it has been cancelled because "Reem" suffered a slight tear in his quad muscle.
Mark Hunt seemed willing to step up in Overeem's place, but UFC President Dana White immediately shot down that idea.
"If I get the call for the fight, I'm there, of course," Hunt told MMAFighting.com, "and the fans are crazy for it, so it's good."
White is sticking to the plan that Dos Santos will take on Overeem, but it's expected to happen over the summer to provide "Reem" enough recovery time.
"It's not gonna happen," UFC President Dana White said when asked about the possibility of Hunt fighting dos Santos next. "JDS vs. Overeem will."
With the Dos Santos vs Overeem contest on hold, the UFC 159 battle between Roy Nelson and Cheick Kongo instantly becomes more important when it comes to UFC heavyweight title implications.
It's hard to argue that the Nelson vs Kongo fight at UFC 159 isn't a No. 1 contender bout for a shot to fight the winner of Cain Velasquez vs "Bigfoot" Silva.
Nelson and Kongo are both legit top 15 heavyweight contenders, and a victory at UFC 159 would immediately propel the winner into the top ten in the division.
Nelson has won three of his last four, including back-to-back knockout victories over top-notch athletes, but his name hasn't been thrown around for a title shot.
Part of the reason may be his unique appearance, as he sports a mullet and hearty beard, along with a sexy beer belly.
The heavyweight champion of the world should look more like a superhero than a barroom brawler, which is one of the top reasons why Nelson isn't being considered for a title shot as seriously as Overeem, Dos Santos and Hunt.
Is the UFC holding Nelson back from a title shot just because of his unique appearance?
A win over Kongo should at least earn Nelson a shot against a top five contender such as Daniel Cormier. After that, it's anyone's guess how the title picture will pan out.
At 5-3 overall in the UFC's tough heavyweight division, it's clear Nelson deserves a chance to mix it up with Cain Velasquez.
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