The Doggy Bag: Topics of the Week

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Let me say, I've always been a Mark Hominick fan. I love to see guys fighting on the big stage who have real technique. However, I'm curious why if he beats George Roop, he's getting a title shot at UFC 129. Sure, he's Canadian and it's in Toronto, but isn't there someone more competitive for Aldo? This guy isn't Yves Jabouin or Leonard Garcia. With Dustin Poirier's recent win and the Michihiro Omigawa-Chad Mendes fight, it just seems ridiculous to roll out the red carpet for Hominick to a title shot.
-- Shawn from Hampstead

Mike Whitman, news editor: Honestly, I think one would have to be crazy to not be a Hominick fan.

Look at the guy's record. He's won four-straight fights and six of his last seven in an ultra-competitive featherweight division. If you disregard the Brazilian terminator holding the UFC belt, there is perhaps more parity at 145 pounds than in any other division. If he can navigate the length of George Roop on Jan. 22, I think Hominick will have done more than enough to be awarded the coveted title shot.

Exactly who is more worthy than Hominick?

Mike Thomas Brown and Manny Gamburyan have each had their respective cracks at Aldo, and each suffered disastrous results. Dustin Poirier certainly made some noise with his domination of former No. 1 contender Josh Grispi, but he still has work to do in a talent-heavy division before a title shot can be justified. As for “The Fluke,” a championship bout may very well be in his future, but not until the 22-year-old makes some major improvements to his stand-up.

With his recent victory over Brown, a serious case could be made for Diego Nunes as top contender, but no more so than Hominick. Both have strung together nice winning streaks, and both are highly skilled fighters. The difference between them is that Hominick isn't Aldo's teammate at Nova União.

The winner of Mendes-Omigawa would certainly be a deserving contender, but personally, I’d prefer to watch Aldo-Hominick from a stylistic point of view.

I don't happen to subscribe to the theory, but it's possible that Mendes' powerful wrestling or Omigawa's judo-based attack might give the champion problems. But would that be as exciting as watching an outgunned Hominick gamely attempt to stand with arguably the most fearsome striker in the sport?

There is something energizing about a potential Hominick-Aldo matchup. True, “Junior” is more dangerous than Yves Jabouin or Leonard Garcia, but both of those guys are deadly in their own respective ways. Aldo represents the logical next step in competition for the Canadian, and the fans will benefit. Since he's joined the WEC, Aldo has yet to face a boxer with the technical ability possessed by Hominick. The matchup is almost guaranteed to be action-packed.

Compared to a matchup with Omigawa or Mendes, Aldo-Hominick looks like a marketing dream. The fact that UFC 129 is in Toronto is just a bonus. Fireworks should abound when a highly-accurate volume puncher like Hominick goes up against a destroyer like Aldo who has the potential to deliver unconsciousness with every blow thrown near his opponent's dome.

Reasonably, the smart money says Hominick goes down. But that doesn't mean the bout won't be a “Fight of the Night” nominee. Hominick may not be the consensus No. 1 contender, but it's certainly no outrage that his name was called. He's a heck of a competitor, and if he gets by Roop, it will be hard to argue against his status as title challenger.

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