With the recent resignation of Randy Couture, UFC finds itself in a bit of a predicament. The promotion has not only lost its #1 heavyweight fighter, but it has also lost a spokesman and figurehead of the company. With the heavyweight division now in shambles (along with the lightweight division), UFC must find a way to salvage the marketability of the heavyweight division. Here are a couple scenarios UFC president Dana White could consider in order to put the division on track again.

Scenario #1: Make Brandon Vera vs. Tim Sylvia a title match

With Randy gone from UFC, White could strip him of the belt and could very possibly proclaim that the co-headline fight this Saturday be a title fight. If White does this, he will be making a calculated gamble. On one hand, if Vera wins, White will have an exciting fighter with long term marketability thanks to his youth. On the other hand, it’s possible Sylvia could win the title and, as we've seen in his past stint as champion, he's not very ambitious when he holds the belt. If there's anything that could further damage the heavyweight division, it's a titleholder who doesn't challenge himself.

Scenario #2: Make Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cheick Kongo a title match

Another option is to make the upcoming match between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cheick Kongo a title match. While this scenario will give UFC substantial time to regroup and look at possible contenders after a winner is decided, the match might not have the drawing power the company thinks it has. While Kongo does have the reputation of defeating Mirko Cro Cop, he doesn't have a strong connection with fans quite yet. His ground technique hasn't been tested either, so he will be seen as an unproven fighter. Nogueira is the favorite in this matchup, but with a debut in which Big Nog was almost another victim of the PRIDE curse and a marketing push that would make a sloth cringe, it is up in the air whether or UFC fans will warm up to Nogueira.

Scenario #3: Winner of Vera/Sylvia and winner of Nogueira/Kongo duke it out in early 2008

This is the most likely scenario. Not only is this a fair way to see who the top two fighters in the heavyweight division are, it gives the company time to properly build up and market the competitors and the heavyweight division itself to the fans. And, wouldn’t it be great if the title match is the main event the Saturday before the Super Bowl? The only potential problem with this scenario is that injuries may prevent the two winners from fighting so quickly after their previous match.

Scenario #4: A mini-Grand Prix

This scenario will mostly likely not happen, but if it does, it would have to start as four main fights and one reserve fight. White would have to promote the heavyweight division as a whole and the Grand Prix would have to stretch out for at least six months. While I'm sure there will be enough fighters for the tournament, I'm not sure if White would be comfortable using the whole division for an event he’s already on record as saying he’s not a big fan of.

So as you can see, there is a lot for White to consider, both positive and negative. We will have to see what White goes with in the end. Will it be one of these four scenarios or a different one altogether?