By MATT MOLGAARD
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer

It may not have been the prettiest victory, but a win is a win, and Rampage earned one last Saturday when he took a split decision nod over fellow former champion Lyoto Machida. The victory comes at a pivotal point for Rampage, who desperately needed a win to remain relevant in the light heavyweight division.

Many critics were preparing to write Jackson off, but the rugged Pride star proved that with a good training camp and full dedication, he’s still a serious threat to the 205 pound title.

The major issue lingering, is the amount of rising contenders amongst the UFC‘s roster, as the list of potential title challengers seems to grow with nearly every event. One must ask himself, who should Rampage face next in order to stake his claim as a legitimate threat to the title he once held?

Note: I've excluded Lyoto Machida from this list, as Dana White has publicly stated his hesitance to make this rematch a reality.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira:

This is a fight that probably should have happened back in Pride, but with the Japanese organization now defunct, we may be treated to this bout within the confines of the octagon. While Rampage earned a win over Lyoto, he didn’t look the monster who leveled Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. “Little Nog” on the other hand just dropped a very close decision to the surging Ryan Bader. The Bader-Nogueira fight was a close one to call, and Nog showed his traditional durability, and a fine offense. Should ’Page and Nog clash, we’ll likely be treated to fireworks while the fight is on the feet. The ground game will likely provide a similar high-speed chess match as Nogueira is the superior submission artist, while Jackson holds a clear edge in the wrestling department.