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- Jul 8, 2021
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Dricus Du Plessis vs Jared Cannonier – Jared, like it or not, is on a two-fight win streak at the top of a division where most of the top contenders and former champions are coming off a loss. He hasn’t fought DDP before, and he looked phenomenal against Marvin Vettori. I’m a bigger fan of letting DDP have the chance to establish himself as the UFC Middleweight Champion than I am of gifting Izzy or Sean a shot after a loss. Let’s be fair and honest to both DDP and Jared Cannonier post-UFC 300 and let the big fights come when they are needed: ie, when Izzy and Sean get back to winning ways. The battle for the heart and soul of Africa should see Adesanya coming in with a ‘W’.
Sean Strickland vs Robert Whittaker/Paulo Costa Winner – Sean hasn’t fought either of these two, and the winner is a pretty clear #4 ranked middleweight. Winner here is right back in contention.
Raquel Pennington vs Julianna Pena – I don’t think there’s a lot to discuss, to be honest, this is a division that just needs to grind out fights until something comes along that catches people’s imaginations. Pena is a clear number one contender, Pennington is the new champion.
Mayra Bueno Silva vs Irene Aldana – Why not? Bueno Silva was an underexperienced contender tonight, but she can bounce back perhaps.
Neil Magny vs Michael Morales – Neil Magny pulled it out of the bag, and this has got to be a narrative about not rushing promising talent when it comes to Malott. Nonetheless, full credit to Magny for using every second of cage time work in his favour in order to secure a late finish! He’s still on the same trajectory, however, after losing the majority of the fight… Give him Michael Morales, 24 years old, 16-0, but better seasoned than Malott. This is a HUGE challenge for Magny.
Mike Malott vs Jared Gooden – Malott was good enough, but perhaps not experienced enough, to beat Neil Magny at this stage. The ability and athleticism are there, but what seemed to be lacking was the back catalogue of gruelling fights against veterans. Step Malott down. That was a monumental chasm the UFC asked Mike to jump, and he nearly did. Jared Gooden makes a ton of sense next, especially coming off a morale-boosting win over Wellington Turman.
(Bonus Question: if Malott had won, would Malott-Morales & Magny-Gooden both make sense right now?)
Chris Curtis vs Anthony Hernandez – News broke tonight that Ikram Aliskerov was out of his fight with ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez, and if Chris Curtis is cleared to find in the next 4 weeks, he seems like the kind who would. He didn’t seem hurt, and they’ve tried to run this fight before, only this time Hernandez would be ahead of Curtis! It’s a little bit speculative, but hey – let’s try and go for that quick turnaround for UFC 298 for a fight with serious rankings implications!
Marc-Andre Barriault vs Roman Kopylov – I think Kopylov is a win away from a rankings fight, and beating someone like Barriault who was on the cusp of a top 15 spot tonight is probably the way he gets there. Barriault is a test for most middleweights, though he didn’t show his best tonight.
Movsar Evloev vs Yair Rodriguez/Brian Ortega Loser – I don’t think Movsar did enough to get a title shot, so I’m looking at a realistic next fight against a top 3 opponent. Yair and Ortega occupy those spots, and Movsar could use a win over either to draw himself closer still to the Featherweight title. Make it 5 rounds and see if Evloev can deliver a finish.
Arnold Allen vs Josh Emmett – It’s tough at the top, and Arnold Allen being on a 2-fight skid shows how competitive this division is. Emmett wanted Holloway, but Holloway draws Gaethje instead, so here’s a fresh fight for both men that’s an interesting clash of styles. This was originally booked for January 2020, but Emmett suffered an injury. Book it again!
Garrett Armfield vs Dan Argueta – Crazy that Dan Argueta has fought 4 times in the UFC, but his official record is 1-1 (2 NC) – I’m not sure I’ve seen that before! Argueta has had a rough time against experienced opponents, but has looked good at times. He’s 9-1, and stacks up pretty nicely against 10-3 Garrett Armfield. Really I think these two just need to fight because they’re not yet established names, so a competitive and fun scrap is just the ticket. Two big gyms, too, with Jackson-Wink against Kill Cliff FC. Let them scrap!
Brad Katona vs Alateng Heili – Both fighters are coming off losses, but both seem to have found some favour in the UFC, Brad because he won TUF, Heili perhaps because he’s a Chinese fighter who was on a decent run of results before losing to Chris Gutierrez. The winner should get back in the good books with the UFC despite recent disappointments.
Sean Woodson vs Billy Quarantillo – Jourdain had no answer to Woodson’s frame, reach, boxing and takedown defence, but I’d like to see if someone like Billy Q does. A fight that moves Woodson closer to the rankings without rewarding him too highly (the decision holds him back a little), Billy Q is a pressure fighter and it will be fun to see if he can produce a little more than Charles Jourdain did tonight.
Charles Jourdain vs Daniel Pineda – Poor Charles… he really thought he’d won that fight! Unfortunately, though, he didn’t do enough tonight against a very awkward opponent, and continues his narrative of coming up just short of bursting through the glass ceiling. Give him the veteran Pineda next. Both fighters are close to .5 records in the UFC but can be super entertaining and aren’t quite relevant to the rankings discussion right now.
Serhiy Sidey vs Ramon Taveras III – What a fun fight! It’s 1-1, both fighters can feel a little bit hard done to in each of their defeats, so you know what? Run it back! This time, take it to the United States, put it in front of a hot crowd, and we’re gonna have a fun time settling this very entertaining score!
Ramon Taveras vs Serhiy Sidey III (see above)
Gillian Robertson vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez – Something tells me the UFC like Gillian Robertson, and why not? She finishes fights, she’s fought a who’s who, and she’s recognisable and still young! She’s on her way up at 115, her last loss was to the #12 ranked Tabatha Ricci, but Waterson-Gomez is on her way down after losing 6 of her last 7 (against elite competition). I think this is an ideal fight for that #15 ranking, and the winner could come out of this smelling like roses.
Polyana Viana vs Vanessa Demopoulos – Demopoulos is another recognisable 115er, but she hasn’t yet racked up consistent wins over experienced opposition – but she could follow up a win over Kanako Murata by trying to beat Polyana Viana, and that would start moving her a little further up the ladder. She wasn’t quite ready for Kowalkiewicz when the two met last year, so it’s a case of building up that experience against skilled opponents, and Polyana ticks those boxes despite getting dominated tonight.
Sam Patterson vs Uros Medic – Patterson dispelled some nasty memories after getting lit up by Yanal Ashmouz in his UFC debut and showed that he won’t simply lose every time he faces someone with heavy hands. His grappling was on point tonight and he cut through Lainesse like a hot knife through butter. Give him Uros Medic next, another fighter who moved up from lightweight to welterweight, hits hard, has shown a propensity to lose by submission: this will be a good range-finder for both guys and theoretically tests them both in their weaker areas.
Yohan Lainesse – CUT! I wouldn’t normally cut someone on a 2-fight skid, but Anik said his contract was up and he’s lost by R1SUB in back-to-back fights. Is it worth giving him a whole new deal? Maybe bring him back on DWCS after a few wins on the regionals?
Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Joanne Wood – Wood is the current #15 at 125, and Jasmine has been circling for a couple of fights, losing out to Tracy Cortez. JJ also put in a brutal beatdown tonight and deserves the shot at someone with Wood’s experience in a winnable but very competitive fight on paper. I’ll be tuning in whenever I see Jasudavicius on the card going forward!
Priscila Cachoeira vs Lucie Pudilova – Yes, I’d be asking Priscila to fight at 135 next or search for a job elsewhere. I’d also be telling her “win this one or, again, look for a job elsewhere”. Repeated weight misses and back-to-back losses mean she’s clinging on for dear life. Lucie Pudilova is experienced but has just a 3-7 record in the UFC. She, too, is in trouble.
Jimmy Flick vs Jake Hadley – Jimmy Flick had his back to the wall not only in this fight, but his whole career, as this was effectively a ‘Loser Leaves Town’ fight. He toughed it out, and every time he threatened a sub it looked like big danger for Malcolm X, but Von Flue sweeps aside, he once again showed he is a specialist with quite limited striking. He’s been on a similar path to Jake Hadley, strangely: both have fought Cody Durden and Malcolm Gordon, Hadley is 1-1 against the pair, but Flick beat both. Both these guys are 2-2 in the UFC, and yet ultimately Hadley probably comes in as favourite – but he needs to start living up to his potential, and beating someone like Flick who is tough, gutsy and has more experience, will set him back on the right path.
Malcolm Gordon – CUT! 3 losses in a row and he missed weight twice in a row. Looks like Malcolm may have retired.
Sean Strickland vs Robert Whittaker/Paulo Costa Winner – Sean hasn’t fought either of these two, and the winner is a pretty clear #4 ranked middleweight. Winner here is right back in contention.
Raquel Pennington vs Julianna Pena – I don’t think there’s a lot to discuss, to be honest, this is a division that just needs to grind out fights until something comes along that catches people’s imaginations. Pena is a clear number one contender, Pennington is the new champion.
Mayra Bueno Silva vs Irene Aldana – Why not? Bueno Silva was an underexperienced contender tonight, but she can bounce back perhaps.
Neil Magny vs Michael Morales – Neil Magny pulled it out of the bag, and this has got to be a narrative about not rushing promising talent when it comes to Malott. Nonetheless, full credit to Magny for using every second of cage time work in his favour in order to secure a late finish! He’s still on the same trajectory, however, after losing the majority of the fight… Give him Michael Morales, 24 years old, 16-0, but better seasoned than Malott. This is a HUGE challenge for Magny.
Mike Malott vs Jared Gooden – Malott was good enough, but perhaps not experienced enough, to beat Neil Magny at this stage. The ability and athleticism are there, but what seemed to be lacking was the back catalogue of gruelling fights against veterans. Step Malott down. That was a monumental chasm the UFC asked Mike to jump, and he nearly did. Jared Gooden makes a ton of sense next, especially coming off a morale-boosting win over Wellington Turman.
(Bonus Question: if Malott had won, would Malott-Morales & Magny-Gooden both make sense right now?)
Chris Curtis vs Anthony Hernandez – News broke tonight that Ikram Aliskerov was out of his fight with ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez, and if Chris Curtis is cleared to find in the next 4 weeks, he seems like the kind who would. He didn’t seem hurt, and they’ve tried to run this fight before, only this time Hernandez would be ahead of Curtis! It’s a little bit speculative, but hey – let’s try and go for that quick turnaround for UFC 298 for a fight with serious rankings implications!
Marc-Andre Barriault vs Roman Kopylov – I think Kopylov is a win away from a rankings fight, and beating someone like Barriault who was on the cusp of a top 15 spot tonight is probably the way he gets there. Barriault is a test for most middleweights, though he didn’t show his best tonight.
Movsar Evloev vs Yair Rodriguez/Brian Ortega Loser – I don’t think Movsar did enough to get a title shot, so I’m looking at a realistic next fight against a top 3 opponent. Yair and Ortega occupy those spots, and Movsar could use a win over either to draw himself closer still to the Featherweight title. Make it 5 rounds and see if Evloev can deliver a finish.
Arnold Allen vs Josh Emmett – It’s tough at the top, and Arnold Allen being on a 2-fight skid shows how competitive this division is. Emmett wanted Holloway, but Holloway draws Gaethje instead, so here’s a fresh fight for both men that’s an interesting clash of styles. This was originally booked for January 2020, but Emmett suffered an injury. Book it again!
Garrett Armfield vs Dan Argueta – Crazy that Dan Argueta has fought 4 times in the UFC, but his official record is 1-1 (2 NC) – I’m not sure I’ve seen that before! Argueta has had a rough time against experienced opponents, but has looked good at times. He’s 9-1, and stacks up pretty nicely against 10-3 Garrett Armfield. Really I think these two just need to fight because they’re not yet established names, so a competitive and fun scrap is just the ticket. Two big gyms, too, with Jackson-Wink against Kill Cliff FC. Let them scrap!
Brad Katona vs Alateng Heili – Both fighters are coming off losses, but both seem to have found some favour in the UFC, Brad because he won TUF, Heili perhaps because he’s a Chinese fighter who was on a decent run of results before losing to Chris Gutierrez. The winner should get back in the good books with the UFC despite recent disappointments.
Sean Woodson vs Billy Quarantillo – Jourdain had no answer to Woodson’s frame, reach, boxing and takedown defence, but I’d like to see if someone like Billy Q does. A fight that moves Woodson closer to the rankings without rewarding him too highly (the decision holds him back a little), Billy Q is a pressure fighter and it will be fun to see if he can produce a little more than Charles Jourdain did tonight.
Charles Jourdain vs Daniel Pineda – Poor Charles… he really thought he’d won that fight! Unfortunately, though, he didn’t do enough tonight against a very awkward opponent, and continues his narrative of coming up just short of bursting through the glass ceiling. Give him the veteran Pineda next. Both fighters are close to .5 records in the UFC but can be super entertaining and aren’t quite relevant to the rankings discussion right now.
Serhiy Sidey vs Ramon Taveras III – What a fun fight! It’s 1-1, both fighters can feel a little bit hard done to in each of their defeats, so you know what? Run it back! This time, take it to the United States, put it in front of a hot crowd, and we’re gonna have a fun time settling this very entertaining score!
Ramon Taveras vs Serhiy Sidey III (see above)
Gillian Robertson vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez – Something tells me the UFC like Gillian Robertson, and why not? She finishes fights, she’s fought a who’s who, and she’s recognisable and still young! She’s on her way up at 115, her last loss was to the #12 ranked Tabatha Ricci, but Waterson-Gomez is on her way down after losing 6 of her last 7 (against elite competition). I think this is an ideal fight for that #15 ranking, and the winner could come out of this smelling like roses.
Polyana Viana vs Vanessa Demopoulos – Demopoulos is another recognisable 115er, but she hasn’t yet racked up consistent wins over experienced opposition – but she could follow up a win over Kanako Murata by trying to beat Polyana Viana, and that would start moving her a little further up the ladder. She wasn’t quite ready for Kowalkiewicz when the two met last year, so it’s a case of building up that experience against skilled opponents, and Polyana ticks those boxes despite getting dominated tonight.
Sam Patterson vs Uros Medic – Patterson dispelled some nasty memories after getting lit up by Yanal Ashmouz in his UFC debut and showed that he won’t simply lose every time he faces someone with heavy hands. His grappling was on point tonight and he cut through Lainesse like a hot knife through butter. Give him Uros Medic next, another fighter who moved up from lightweight to welterweight, hits hard, has shown a propensity to lose by submission: this will be a good range-finder for both guys and theoretically tests them both in their weaker areas.
Yohan Lainesse – CUT! I wouldn’t normally cut someone on a 2-fight skid, but Anik said his contract was up and he’s lost by R1SUB in back-to-back fights. Is it worth giving him a whole new deal? Maybe bring him back on DWCS after a few wins on the regionals?
Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Joanne Wood – Wood is the current #15 at 125, and Jasmine has been circling for a couple of fights, losing out to Tracy Cortez. JJ also put in a brutal beatdown tonight and deserves the shot at someone with Wood’s experience in a winnable but very competitive fight on paper. I’ll be tuning in whenever I see Jasudavicius on the card going forward!
Priscila Cachoeira vs Lucie Pudilova – Yes, I’d be asking Priscila to fight at 135 next or search for a job elsewhere. I’d also be telling her “win this one or, again, look for a job elsewhere”. Repeated weight misses and back-to-back losses mean she’s clinging on for dear life. Lucie Pudilova is experienced but has just a 3-7 record in the UFC. She, too, is in trouble.
Jimmy Flick vs Jake Hadley – Jimmy Flick had his back to the wall not only in this fight, but his whole career, as this was effectively a ‘Loser Leaves Town’ fight. He toughed it out, and every time he threatened a sub it looked like big danger for Malcolm X, but Von Flue sweeps aside, he once again showed he is a specialist with quite limited striking. He’s been on a similar path to Jake Hadley, strangely: both have fought Cody Durden and Malcolm Gordon, Hadley is 1-1 against the pair, but Flick beat both. Both these guys are 2-2 in the UFC, and yet ultimately Hadley probably comes in as favourite – but he needs to start living up to his potential, and beating someone like Flick who is tough, gutsy and has more experience, will set him back on the right path.
Malcolm Gordon – CUT! 3 losses in a row and he missed weight twice in a row. Looks like Malcolm may have retired.
it was close but rematches get tiresome. So ok for a new challenger. Sean should be able to get back to top of contention with another win. Izzy needs a win too, could be a good rematch. But anyone of the other contenders is fine.
