Is Rashad still a legitimate contendor for the LHW belt?

[JungleKungFu]

Rashad is a great fighter, but Jon is king right now in the LHW division, that being said he can still work his way back too another shot. I just don't see him having anything new against Jon.

 

[ReptarIsMyHomie]

He'll always be #2 while Jones is champ.

 

[SamRI]

To me that gif just proves my point.
Rashad was confident in spurts in the first round however even before he got hit with those bows he started waiting on the outside simply too much. He needed to be much more aggressive in closing the distance and not getting stalked

I hear ya, easier said than done though I suppose

 

[ijat raymond]

yes he is.. he'll put on a good streak to a rematch with Bones and lose again and he'll cut down to MW...

 

[Lead]

He's #2 imo. They need to give him a fight against Shogun or Machida. Him beating Lil Nog isn't going to do anything for him at this point in his career and only put him at risk of losing

 

[PASTAFAR1AN]

Don't think he would beat Jones or Machida. So no.

 

[NorCalNinja]

He literally didnt do anything against Jones. Zero offense.

No.

 

[FallIntoTheRope**]

He literally didnt do anything against Jones. Zero offense.

No.

He rocked him with a headkick.

 

[PASTAFAR1AN]

He's #2 imo. They need to give him a fight against Shogun or Machida. Him beating Lil Nog isn't going to do anything for him at this point in his career and only put him at risk of losing

If Rashad is #2 then Machida is #1.5

 

[BGDDYKWL]

He's in the mix for sure, but it's gonna be tough. He already got his shot and lost, and he already lost to the guy who probably will get the next shot after Sonnen (Machida). Personally I'd like to see him fight Anderson.

 

[NorCalNinja]

He rocked him with a headkick.

GIF of Jones being "rocked"

 

[FallIntoTheRope**]

GIF of Jones being "rocked"

Don't have it, look it up yourself. Jones even admitted to being rocked by it in a post-fight interview.

 

[NorCalNinja]

Don't have it, look it up yourself. Jones even admitted to being rocked by it in a post-fight interview.

So he only hit Jones once?

And im supposed to think he is in contention. no. not happening.

 

[willthechill]

Only guys I don't see Rashad beating are Machida and Jones. Maybe Glover but that's just me buying into the hype. Rashad doesn't get enough love by the MMA community as one of the best fighters in the world.

 

[The Clamburglar]

Rashad is the legit #2 guy in the LHW division. Unfortunately for him, Jones is the champion.

 

[robjenkins2]

He's number 3, don't ever see him beating Jones or Machida. A drop to 185 would be interesting.

 

[Beastman09]

Poor Rashad, the amount of hate and criticism the guy gets is unreal.


17-2. Only two loses are against an Undefeated(at the time) Machida, and Jon Jones.

VERY FEW fighters have a record that impressive

 

[trendkill101]

Absolutely... he's a top 3 Light Heavy Weight. I'm sure he will fight for the belt again. Like most have said, I'd favor him over anyone other than Jones or Machida at LHW.

 

[j18lee]

I'm surprised that most people think he is a legit contender for the LHW belt. I'm definitely not one of those who discredit a fighter for one loss (I thought Cain's KO loss to JDS meant little), but in Rashad's case, I think it's one of those rare exceptions where it does mean everything.

It's not the fact that he lost, but HOW he lost to Jones.

I had expected him to try to win that fight against Jones and maybe have some success before getting finished like Machida did. Instead, the only thing he tried was to make it to the bell.

Is he still top 3 in the division? Definitely and he could beat 9 out of 10 guys at LHW, but unfortunately in this case, he is not a title contender at all while Jones is the champ.

In fact, he is a far more valid title contender at 185 or even at HW than he is at LHW.

 

[riitzni]

He'll never beat Jones, but I'd favor him against anyone in the division save Machida.

Pretty much. He's in the same boat as Chael, Condit, JDS, etc. Not a bad place to be, just not the best.