Jon Jones vs. Nogueira? Michael David Smith thinks so

With Forrest Griffin's injury/withdrawal from UFC 114 Michael David Smith of MMA Fighting poses an crazy interesting solution -- have Jon Jones step in to fight Rogerio Nogueira.

First, let's just point out that it will never happen, there simply isn't enough time for Jones to step in and fight a top-ten light heavyweight with crisp boxing and great Jiu-Jitsu, so this in an exercise in fantasy sport land just like that rumor that the Cardinals would trade Albert Pujols for Ryan Howard.

WKR typically agree with MDS, unless its about trying Tim Tebow as a safety (he would be a slow Roy Williams for crying out loud!) but we aren't sure if Smith's "potential star" argument holds up:

If Jones were to beat Nogueira, the UFC would have a bona fide superstar on its hands, a fighter who might even be ready to contend for the title, depending on how the Lyoto Machida-Shogun Rua and Rampage Jackson-Rashad Evans fights play out. Jones ought to be given the opportunity to prove himself against one of the very best light heavyweight.

First of all, is Rogerio Nogueira that big of a star? To the hardcore community, yes, but not to the casual fans who are needed to transform Jones from hot prospect into big time pay-per view draw and cultural touchstone. Besides, just because you defeat a fighter doesn't mean you absorb their popularity a la Mega Man or Highlander.

To that end, a tough, competitive fight with Nogueira, one that Jones could very well lose, would be a great match-up one that fight fans could appreciate. But for Zuffa, who is clearly building Jones for the long haul, it might be wiser to let Jon Jones build his highlight reel with a few more fights against mid-tier fighters like Vladimir Matyushenko, who Jones is slated to fight in Utah later this summer.

Update: Well, this discussion was rendered useless fairly quickly. Jason Brilz will fight Rogerio Nogueira instead.