"[Benavidez] can get a title shot now. I think there's a great argument for him to get one. When Dominick Cruz comes back will factor in immensely. I think Benavidez recognized that since his loss to Cruz and the last two times out he's really making a case. The problem with that is, and I'm not a big rematch guy especially on the championship level, if a guy is going to rematch a guy you as the public and me as the matchmaker have to believe there might be a different outcome. Their games might have evolved. They might have completely different attitudes and that's what I have to believe before I'm going to give someone a rematch. If I went down the list, Torres is still in the mix, but you do have Benavidez, Valencia, Banuelos and Page and Gomez and Wineland and even Wagnney Fabiano is out there along with Scott Jorgensen and Pickett. Long story short, either way, whether Cruz is coming right back I don't think I'll have a problem and I don't think the public will complain who he's fighting next."
-- WEC matchmaker Sean Shelby tells Sherdog.com that Joseph Benavidez has made a strong case for a title shot after disposing of former bantamweight champion Miguel Torres at WEC 47 back on March 6. Benavidez is now 12-1 with his lone defeat coming at the hands of newly-crowned 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz at WEC 42 last August. Shelby needs to be convinced there would be a different outcome if the two squared off again before booking the fight. Anyone out there in MMA land who can argue for a fighter more deserving of the first crack at Cruz?
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