5 Fights To Make After UFC 271

Saturday nights card was full of exciting finishes, great brawls and an overall great all around card for the viewers at home and especially the ones in the Honda Center. With a stacked prelim and main card we look ahead to see what are some fights to make for some of the winners and losers of the night.

Bobby Green vs. Brad Riddell

Bobby Green showed out with one of if not his best professional performance to date. He found himself out-boxing and using evasive footwork to get the better of the prospect Nasrat Haqparast. Right from the get-go, Green moved forward with an arsenal and array of great striking, looking like a pro boxer out there. All while cruising to a deserving unanimous decision. If Green doesn’t have a #15 next to his name when rankings are updated then there will be an uproar from MMA fans across Twitter. When looking at who he should test himself in the top 15, Brad Riddell seems like the perfect candidate. Both had fought and lost to Rafael Fiziev within a few months from each other and nothing having something to prove especially Green, as he’s in his best form in his career can make for another exciting fight in the summer.

Casey O’Neill vs Cynthia Calvillo

Casey O’Neill spoiled the retirement fight of one of MMA’s pioneers Roxanne Modaferri and she did not care, somewhat enjoying the hatred even lashing out at the fans in the area. This being her first ranked opponent in her young career, she had a little trouble but got the nod in a split decision victory. Improving her record to 9-0 and moving her forward in the rankings. The next logical opponent is #10 Cynthia Calvillo, who is coming off a loss last November against Andrea Lee. Suffering a broken orbital bone in the fight, her recovery time should of been about a month and should be ready for a clash against O’Neill in the summer. A win can catapolt O’Neill into a win or two away from title contention. And for Calvillo who is on a three fight skid, regain her confidence and reignite her success from her early UFC run.

Tai Tuivasa vs Ciryl Gane

Tai Tuivasa came into the fight ranked #11 in the heavyweight division. He had a tall task when he agreed to fight not only #3 Derrick Lewis but in his backyard of Houston, Texas. The fight was as advertised with both having moments of catching each other but it was Tuivasa who landed a picture-perfect elbow that knocked out Lewis and gave Tai the biggest win in his short but promising career. With Tai winning the #3 ranked heavyweight, it only makes sense that after this fight he gets that ranking, if not then top 5 no doubt. All the top 5 fighters in the division have a bout booked or are rumored to have a fight in the works except the #1 ranked contender Ciryl Gane. Coming off a title loss last month against Francis Ngannou. With both taking relatively minimal damage in each other’s fight, this is the fight to make. With a win, Tuivasa lines himself up for a title challenge but most likely will have to wait in line behind Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones. Gane himself needs to earn his way back up with a few wins to get back to title contention and that can start with a fight against Tuivasa. Although this match makes sense, anything can happen in this crazy heavyweight division.

Robert Whittaker vs Marvin Vettori

In the main event, Robert Whittaker had a better effort than his first fight with Israel Adesanya but it still wasn’t enough to secure a win. Losing a unanimous (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) and leaving him in an odd place in the Middleweight division. He won three straight after losing the title at UFC 243 but after knocking off many of the division’s best it’ll be a harder climb this time to secure another title opportunity. But one man he hasn’t faced is #2 Marvin Vettori, who is coming off a Light Heavyweight win against Paulo Costa. Originally scheduled at 185, Costa couldn’t make weight and it was later made a 205 bout. Both men are vying for a chance to face Izzy again and write their wrongs but both have lost twice to him which puts them in a position where it will be hard to convince anyone for them to get a third shot at Izzy and title contention. Both will have to win a few more fights to get back in the title picture but it can start there.

Israel Adesanya vs Jared Cannonier

Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier faced off in a title eliminator and to determine who will face the winner of the main event. Brunson came in on a five fight winning streak and looking like the best we’ve seen him in the octagon and was looking to get a win an eventually cultivating a title shot after a long journey in the UFC. Cannonier on the other hand was coming off a win against Kelvin Gastelum but before that was outclassed by Robert Whittaker. After facing extreme adversity in the first round where Brunson utilized his wrestling and also knocked down Cannonier came back into the second round composed and scored a brutal finish late into the round. After the fight it was all about if he will face current champion Israel Adesanya or will it be a rematch against Robert Whittaker. At the end of the night we got the answer, it will be Adesanya vs Cannonier in a fresh fight as Izzy’s last two fights have been rematches. Cannonier brings in unreal power and composure that Izzy will have to adjust to but the champ has seen everything and this will set up a great fight later in the year.

Fights to Make after UFC 259

UFC 259 was the biggest card of the year so far, with a great early prelim and prelims that can main event fight nights in their own right, the whole night was filled with some great martial arts. Here we look at a few matches that need to be booked for some of the winners of last nights bouts

Askar Askarov

Riding a two fight winning streak and a draw against Brandon Moreno before that, Askarov entered this fight with a number three next to him and undefeated record as well. While Joseph Benavidez is coming off one of the most one-sided title fights that the sport has ever seen but he wanted to right that wrong and not be labeled as a “gatekeeper” of the division. Throughout the fight Benavidez couldn’t catch Askarov and many believed if he had a chance it would be in the stand up but Askarov’s improved stand up game gave him issue and his wrestling did as well. Askarov out struck and utilized his wrestling to deliver an unanimous decision victory (30-27 x2, 30-26). His next fight should come against the winner of Figueiredo vs Moreno coming later this year.

Next fight: Deiveson Figueiredo OR Brandon Moreno

Dominick Cruz

Coming off his UFC 249 loss against Henry Cejudo and subsequent decision to fight unranked Casey Kenney many thought if this was a risk worth taking, but Cruz felt like this was his best way to get ready for the rest of the division because he knows it’s changing. Kenney was feeling good after winning three straight and took this huge step up in competition without second thought. This was a back and forth affair with both having their moments. Cruz looked as sharp as ever but had issues that were similar to the ones against Cejudo but used another gear to outpoint Kenney and win a split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27). After the fight he called out Hans Molenkamp for charity, which is great but won’t do anything for him in the UFC. The best matchup for Cruz to get back to a title fight would be against former 155 champion #7 Frankie Edgar. A dream fight that many fans have wanted for years and now is time to do it. With Edgar coming off a loss at UFC Fight Night 184 back on February due to a vicious KO, this would be for the best for both fighters.

Next Fight: Frankie Edgar

Aleksandar Rakić

When #2 Thiago Santos and #4 Aleksandar Rakić were announced, many believed that this fight wasn’t going to need the judges and that one of these men would get finished. The fight turned out to be the complete opposite, a more technical affair that saw both men utilize their defense mostly. Santos looked very nervous to close in and engage and that could be because of the multiple injuries from his knee or because Rakić was more powerful than he thought. This fight was mostly contested on the feet where there was similar striking numbers but Rakić’s strikes looked like they caused more of the damage. This led to a split decision victory. With #1 Glover Teixeira already lined up to for the next Light Heavyweight title fight, Rakić next logical opponent would be the winner of #3 Dominick Reyes vs. #5 Jiri Prochazka who are fighting in May. And the winner of that would stake claim for a title shot.

Next Fight: Dominick Reyes OR Jiri Prochazka

Islam Makhachev

After three cancelled fights in 2020, Islam Makhachev walked in the octagon to prove a point and show that he is top Lightweight material. His opponent Drew Dober was coming off three wins in a row himself and looked in top form in all those fights but that didn’t make a difference. With Khabib in his corner, his relentless wrestling and control on the ground to subsequent arm-triangle choke in the 3rd did prove that he is someone to be reckoned with in the 155 division. He called for a big name in his post fight interview, Tony Ferguson to be in fact but Ferguson has his eyes set on bigger names as of right now but a man without an opponent right now is #11 Kevin Lee who is almost ready to go after tearing is ACL last year. A win against a big name like Lee will warrant a top 5 fighter but Lee has championship experience and won’t be an easy task.

Next Fight: Kevin Lee

Aljamain Sterling

This fight had it all, high intensity, face paced, technical, and most importantly drama. Billed as a can’t miss fight, Sterling came out like a rocket and swarmed Petr Yan for the first two rounds with constant pressure and going for takedowns as well. But the 3rd and 4th round saw Sterling slow down considerable and that allowed Yan to take over but in the 4th, after a sequence of striking Sterling was on the floor and had a knee down. Yan landed an illegal knee to a downed fighter with meant he got disqualified and Sterling walked out with the belt. Not much needs to be said, this one has to be run back unless an injury or another unforeseen circumstance gets in the way this is the fight to make.

Next Fight: Petr Yan

Amanda Nunes

The greatest female fighter of all time prove against why she is the greatest to do it. Megan Anderson posed a threat a real treat due to her being a real 145er and has real power as well. But none of that meant anything, Anderson didn’t do anything offensively that posed a threat but as soon as Nunes landed it was over. Rocked, Anderson went for a desperate takedown but was unsuccessful and ended up on the bottom where shortly after Nunes locked up a triangle armor for the victory 2:03 into the 1st round. She has cleaned out the Featherweight division and most if not all the Bantamweight division too. We all know that there’s only one person who she needs to fight and that’s Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko who had 2 close fights with Nunes that many believe she won.

Next Fight: Valentina Shevchenko

Jan Błachowicz

Israel Adesanya came onto this fight seeking elite status as only the 5th dual-champion in UFC history and Jan Błachowicz came into this fight to prove he is the very best Light Heavyweight and one of the best in the UFC too. This fight was a back and fourth affair where both were fainting, striking and kicking in a very technical way. But one of the biggest storylines was the wrestling of Błachowicz and how he would be able to utilize is. And he did in the 4th and 5th, where he controlled Adesanya and did not let him up, using his black-belt in BJJ to deny anything that Adesanya was trying. After 5 rounds of an amazing fight, Błachowicz won via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-45 x2). Glover Teixeira was a backup to this fight and has earned his shot to the title after wining 5 straight.

Next Fight: Glover Teixeira

Fights To Make After UFC 257

In a historic night of fights in Fight Island where we saw 2,600 fans in attendance for the first time since March 2020, the spotlight was at its brightest because the sports biggest superstar was in the card. Many took advantage and now we see what’s in store for them in the imminent future.

Julianna Peña

Coming off of a loss against Germaine De Randamie in Fight Island in October, Peña had a lot to prove to show she is still a top contender and threat in the Women’s Bantamweight division. She was given the task of former title challenger and #7 Sara McMann. The fight was back and forth and showed both females strengths but a 3rd round rear-naked choke ended the fight and kept Peña’s title aspirations still a reality. After the fight she called out champion Amanda Nuñes, but the champion brushed it off, so Peña’s next logical opponent would be #3 Aspen Ladd, whom had a July 2020 fight against Sara McMann scrapped due to suffering a torn ACL. A fight against each other will prove two things, how Peña can hold up against the division’s best and how the injury has affect Ladd herself.

Next Opponent: Aspen Ladd

Marina Rodriguez

When looking at this fight, much of the anticipation and hype was towards Rodriguez’s opponent Amanda Ribas. Ribas was very much promoted during the build up for her personality and skills on the ground as a black belt in jiu-jitsu. You can say that Rodriguez had a chip on her shoulder in this fight. During the lead up of the fight, Rodriguez kept insisting that if the fight stays on the feet it will be ugly for Ribas and she wasn’t lying. It was a one-sided affair on the feet and finished by brutal TKO in the 2nd round. Rodriguez came in this fight #8 and Ribas #10 so it doesn’t mean too much rankings wise but the hype and eyes that were on Ribas all went with Rodriguez by the end of the bout. #6 Claudia Gadelha is waiting for a fight to start her 2021 season and this fight seems the best for both fighters. A win for Rodriguez will push her closer to the title and the same can be said for Gadelha who is coming off a lost against Yan Xiaonan in November.

Next Opponent: Claudia Gadelha

Conor McGregor

This whole event was revolved around the return of The Notorious One after being out for a year and because of how committed and concentrated he was this fight camp, it lead us to believe that we were going to witness the best Conor McGregor we’ve seen since UFC 205 when he became double champ. On the other side of the cage was a hungry Dustin Poirier ready to avenge his sub 2 minute knockout defeat against him in 2014. Although a few calf kicks stifled McGregor in round 1, he won it on most cards with his activity and landing the cleaner and more significant strikes. But in round 2, the tides turn as Poirier kept landing calf kicks that eventually immobilized McGregor against the cage and that led to the subsequent TKO. His inability to check the calf kicks led to his defeat, something that can be fixed, but this leaves McGregor in an odd position. Most of the Lightweights at the top are gunning for a title shot, and McGregor is a win or two away from that. Another Lightweight in the same position is Tony Ferguson, whose coming off a lost at UFC 256 against Charles Oliveira. This is a fan friendly fight that many have been dreaming about for years, both fighters have called each other out and now it is the time to make the fight. Both are coming off a loss and need a signature win against each other to get back into title contention.

Next opponent: Tony Ferguson

Michael Chandler

Much was made for the promotional debut of Michael Chandler. Champions of other organizations have a sketchy track record of debuts in the UFC. Most recently people made comparisons to when Ben Askren made his debut in 2019 and how it went downhill for him. But others used Justin Gaethje as an example, although he lost twice, he came back to eventually win interim gold. He was set to matchup against the craft striker #6 Dan Hooker, who’s is coming off a 2020 fight of the year candidate against Dustin Poirier. With Chandler being a wrestling based fighter, many seemed to believe Hooker’s takedown defense and abilities on the ground would give Chandler problems. Safe to say we didn’t have to think too much because 2:30 into the 1st round, Chandler sat Hooker down with an overhand left that saw him get TKO’d moments after. Chandler pressured Hooker throughout the short bout and caught him, proving Chandler might be one of if not the hardest hitting 155er in the roster. The only fighter that can dispute that claim is #1 Justin Gaethje. A fight between these two can be a title eliminator and prove who is the best Lightweight to come from outside the UFC with Chandler coming from Bellator and Gaethje from World Series of Fighting.

Next Opponent: Justin Gaethje

Dustin Poirier

Revenge was what Poirier was seeking, nothing else. A way to avenge an embarrassing defeating from the hands of Conor McGregor. While being very reserved, some might say nervous during this fight wee, Poirier had just revenge on his mind nothing else. Although being the higher ranked fighter and more active, little of the build up was about him but that didn’t bother him bot one bit because he felt that all that media, all that promotion doesn’t mean a thing when that octagon door closes. After having a rough 1st round, the game-plan was to nullify McGregor by utilizing his wrestling and most importantly his calf kicks. In the 2nd he did just that, kicking McGregors calves to a point where it paralyzed him and shortly after he got McGregor against the cage and eventually won by TKO. Easily the biggest victory in his career and the pathway to gold is right in front of him. Although in the post-fight presser, he scoffed the idea of facing Michael Chandler for the belt, he did say a fight with Nate Diaz and a trilogy with McGregor interests him he also said he respects Charles Olivera and is open to a fight with him and that’s the fight to make. Oliveira is on nan eight fight winning streak and has rightfully earned his title opportunity, a matchup between these two would be the best for the UFC and both fighters legacies.

Next Opponent: Charles Oliveira