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Arman Tsarukyan vs Dustin Poirier @ #UFC300 – The idea that Dustin is asking for an injured Rafael Fiziev is amusing, but let’s lock in a proper fight. While Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira look for a fight with Islam Makhachev, Dustin should be competing against big game. Arman is now big game.
Beneil Dariush vs Benoit St Denis – We can wait for this one, but I think it absolutely makes sense considering the trajectory of both fighters. Dariush has a shot at deflecting BSD, but St Denis might just crush Dariush en route to a title shot in the very near future!
Jalin Turner vs Rafael dos Anjos – Jalin is a scary dude, but he’s looking up that ladder at someone like RDA and that means the veteran has to do what Dan Hooker did – defend that ranking. I’d even consider this a #UFC300 possibility.
Bobby Green vs Mateusz Rebecki – Rebecki deserves the opportunity to fight a ranked opponent having gone 3-0 so far in the UFC. Rebecki might have to wait for this after the manner of Green’s defeat tonight, but it would be worth it in my opinion. Green, fully recovered, would have a decent shot at winning against a grappler?
Deiveson Figueiredo vs Henry Cejudo @ #UFC300 – In terms of non-title superfights, you can’t do any better than this. Figgy is awesome, he’s a monster at 135, just as Cejudo was. This doesn’t need much spiel from me: this would be an awesome piece of matchmaking for a major event. These two have been working together, but if Dana offered the big bucks, they’d get it done. Two elite fighters and former champions facing off. MAKE IT HAPPEN! (don’t forget the shit Merab got for not fighting Aljo)
Rob Font vs Said Nurmagomedov – Font is very good, no question, but not elite. The same can be said about Said at this point, too, albeit the two have very different striking styles. This would be a war, and I can’t overstate that Font really needs to show out here or he’s in trouble. Font has lost 4 of his last 5.
Sean Brady vs Geoff Neal – When someone is as dominant as Brady was tonight, all you can do is aim up the rankings and say “can you do that to ___?” and Geoff Neal looks like the ideal candidate. If Brady can dominate Neal, who is coming off a loss, then Sean continues to climb the ladder at 170 and develop into a significant threat – but watch out for that monstrous power of Neal! (Brady called out Ian Garry… that also works).
Kelvin Gastelum vs Rinat Fakhretdinov – Rinat is the #15 despite drawing with Elizeu Zaleski, and should be looking up the rankings. If Kelvin is even ranked at 170 at this point is another matter, but this fight still makes some sense. Kelvin has a horrible win-loss record of late, but only against high calibre opposition. If Rinat wins, he slots right in with guys like Brady, but if Kelvin wins, he justifies a longer stay on the roster – but don’t forget he’s 2-6 in his last 8. It doesn’t matter who you fight, that’s not a good look.
Joaquim Silva vs Terrance McKinney – The main downside for Joaquim is he’s just not an active fighter. He’s powerful, well-rounded, and well-conditioned, though, which is the kind of opponent Terrance McKinney needs to start proving he can overwhelm. McKinney, an R1 killer, tends to fade when things don’t go his way: which direction does this fight go? I’d love to see! But I’d want to see it sooner rather than later.
Clay Guida vs Chase Hooper – Clay Guida is coming to the end of the road, but still looks fit and determined. Chase Hooper actually tapped Clay in a grappling bout via calf slicer, but this wouldn’t be a grappling bout… could Hooper impose himself on someone like Clay? I think as far as pseudo-rematches go, this would be a pretty good one! And a natural way to try and build Chase, while testing Guida.
Dustin Stoltzfus vs Dusko Todorovic – Dustin Stoltzfus had a 1-4 record in the UFC and was realistically somewhat lucky to be here tonight – but he made the most of it by beating Puna to the punch and then tapping him in R2! Give him Dusko next, a fighter that has real toughness but hasn’t been able to put much of a run together lately. The loser here is in trouble.
Puna Soriano – CUT! For me, that was a loser leaves town fight, and Puna didn’t show a whole lot. He has a powerful left hand, but this is the UFC in 2023. You need more than that.
Miesha Tate vs Pannie Kianzad – Miesha went back to basics and dominated Julia Avila tonight. Not only that, Tate also got the finish against a ranked opponent. Time to start looking up the ladder. Pannie Kianzad is #7 but has lost 2 of her last 3, and is the clear choice for a fighter that needs to defend their ranking. Only problem is, I think it might be late in 2024 before Tate fights again…
Julia Avila vs Josiane Nunes – Rough one for Avila, whose inactivity has been largely dictated to her. She had nothing for Tate in the wrestling stakes, but whatever, we move on. Josiane Nunes is 3-0 in the UFC but is herself only fighting once a year, which isn’t ideal. Both are just about ranked, Nunes has been fighting at featherweight but shouldn’t have much issue making 135 given she’s very small at just 5’2. Winner moves upwards, should be a decent scrap on the feet as neither are the type to hunt takedowns.
Cody Brundage vs Josh Fremd – Cody Brundage wrecked it in Texas against a home state boy! And in doing so he delivered the second slam KO of the night! Awesome stuff from Cody, who was about as close to getting cut as a fighter could possibly be – full credit to him for surviving and winning in exciting fashion! Give him Josh Fremd next, in some ways a similar size and threat as Zach Reese was, but more experienced and a little better rounded at this stage. I would fully expect a finish here.
Zach Reese vs Val Woodburn – Both guys had rough debuts, both are 0-1. You can see Reese is a finisher, he was digging for some pretty nasty looking subs, we haven’t really seen the best of Woodburn yet though, so whoever wins gets to show a little more of what brought them to the dance.
Drakkar Klose vs Renato Moicano – Wow! I don’t think Klose can be denied a ranked opponent any longer, his record was already pretty impressive and his only defeat in his last 7 outings came against Beneil Dariush! Klose shut down Solecki’s grappling early then slammed his head off the canvas like a basketball… DAMN! Give him Renato Moicano #14 in the rankings and a lethal submission threat – but is susceptible on the feet. Can Klose answer the same riddle at a higher level? I wanna find out!
Joe Solecki vs Claudio Puelles – Poor ol’ Joe Solecki, this was a tough fight for him and he came out game planned-up before receiving a BRUTAL SLAM KO for his troubles… Joe’s a fun grappler, but this is a setback. I’d like to see him face Puelles next, Puelles being an out-and-out grappler. Hopefully we don’t get a sloppy kickboxing fight, but something tells me neither would be scared to engage with the other on the mats. Puelles, like Joe, still has a very positive UFC record despite both coming off horrible losses aesthetically speaking (anyone who recalls Puelles-Hooker will feel the cringe)…
Rodolfo Bellato vs Modestas Bukauskas – Bellato toughed it out, but he was getting pieced up on the feet tonight. He absolutely must tighten up his striking defence if he’s to achieve anything at 205, but credit where it’s due tonight. Give him Modestas Bukauskas next, the Lithuanian will test Bellato on the feet again and that’s exactly what the Brazilian needs.
Ihor Poteiria vs Bogdan Guskov – Potieria looked great for a while, putting together some excellent combinations, but ultimately looked just a little bit lightweight when he couldn’t get it done. He ran out of gas and fell victim to Bellato’s GnP, and he’ll be extremely disappointed to have lost. I could see him dropping to 185 as he looked really lean, but assuming he doesn’t, give him Bogdan Guskov. Ihor must get it done this time, but at least tonight he earned some plaudits for a solid offensive performance. He showed he can hang for sure, but he’s running out of time to beat someone not named ‘Shogun’.
Jared Gooden vs Gabriel Green – Couple of things here: Gooden could potentially have the chance to wield the axe for a second successive fight against a guy who has lost 2 in a row, and that’s a fun little narrative, but then again, Green has fought and lost at a pretty high level: Ian Garry and Bryan Battle back-to-back is no joke. Green will need to bounce back or he’s gone, and Gooden becomes the welterweight division’s executioner! I think we get a fun little scrap, particularly given that Gooden has finally shown he can tough it out and come back swinging at this level.
Wellington Turman – CUT! Poor Wellington Turman… it was all going so well until it wasn’t, and given that’s 3 losses in a row, a finish, and 3-6 overall, I think that’s time for the Brazilian.
Veronica Hardy vs Antonina Shevchenko – I think now that Hardy has won 2 straight since returning after a 3-year absence it’s time to put a little promotion behind her. She’s still young despite being around for so long, and while she obviously hasn’t fought as often as she would have liked, there’s still some upside here. Give her Antonina Shevchenko, another fighter who benefits from a little name value by association. Antonina at 39 is never making a run at flyweight, so testing Hardy is the right spot for her. Stylistically, it also makes a little sense as both are primarily strikers albeit with different approaches.
Jamey-Lyn Horth vs Tereza Bleda – Tereza Bleda and Jamey-Lyn Horth are both 1-1 in the UFC, but went around it the opposite way (WL vs LW). Bleda is the fighter coming off the win, and has fought a couple of tough Brazilians – now I’d like to see the Czech face a North American. Bleda at just 22 has real potential, and a good pedigree coming out of Oktagon. Horth just suffered her first pro defeat, and the Canadian looked to lack just a little bit of aggression in the fight with Hardy despite pushing her close. I kinda like the prospect of a finish here, not just from a narrative stance, but also from a stylistic perspective.
Beneil Dariush vs Benoit St Denis – We can wait for this one, but I think it absolutely makes sense considering the trajectory of both fighters. Dariush has a shot at deflecting BSD, but St Denis might just crush Dariush en route to a title shot in the very near future!
Jalin Turner vs Rafael dos Anjos – Jalin is a scary dude, but he’s looking up that ladder at someone like RDA and that means the veteran has to do what Dan Hooker did – defend that ranking. I’d even consider this a #UFC300 possibility.
Bobby Green vs Mateusz Rebecki – Rebecki deserves the opportunity to fight a ranked opponent having gone 3-0 so far in the UFC. Rebecki might have to wait for this after the manner of Green’s defeat tonight, but it would be worth it in my opinion. Green, fully recovered, would have a decent shot at winning against a grappler?
Deiveson Figueiredo vs Henry Cejudo @ #UFC300 – In terms of non-title superfights, you can’t do any better than this. Figgy is awesome, he’s a monster at 135, just as Cejudo was. This doesn’t need much spiel from me: this would be an awesome piece of matchmaking for a major event. These two have been working together, but if Dana offered the big bucks, they’d get it done. Two elite fighters and former champions facing off. MAKE IT HAPPEN! (don’t forget the shit Merab got for not fighting Aljo)
Rob Font vs Said Nurmagomedov – Font is very good, no question, but not elite. The same can be said about Said at this point, too, albeit the two have very different striking styles. This would be a war, and I can’t overstate that Font really needs to show out here or he’s in trouble. Font has lost 4 of his last 5.
Sean Brady vs Geoff Neal – When someone is as dominant as Brady was tonight, all you can do is aim up the rankings and say “can you do that to ___?” and Geoff Neal looks like the ideal candidate. If Brady can dominate Neal, who is coming off a loss, then Sean continues to climb the ladder at 170 and develop into a significant threat – but watch out for that monstrous power of Neal! (Brady called out Ian Garry… that also works).
Kelvin Gastelum vs Rinat Fakhretdinov – Rinat is the #15 despite drawing with Elizeu Zaleski, and should be looking up the rankings. If Kelvin is even ranked at 170 at this point is another matter, but this fight still makes some sense. Kelvin has a horrible win-loss record of late, but only against high calibre opposition. If Rinat wins, he slots right in with guys like Brady, but if Kelvin wins, he justifies a longer stay on the roster – but don’t forget he’s 2-6 in his last 8. It doesn’t matter who you fight, that’s not a good look.
Joaquim Silva vs Terrance McKinney – The main downside for Joaquim is he’s just not an active fighter. He’s powerful, well-rounded, and well-conditioned, though, which is the kind of opponent Terrance McKinney needs to start proving he can overwhelm. McKinney, an R1 killer, tends to fade when things don’t go his way: which direction does this fight go? I’d love to see! But I’d want to see it sooner rather than later.
Clay Guida vs Chase Hooper – Clay Guida is coming to the end of the road, but still looks fit and determined. Chase Hooper actually tapped Clay in a grappling bout via calf slicer, but this wouldn’t be a grappling bout… could Hooper impose himself on someone like Clay? I think as far as pseudo-rematches go, this would be a pretty good one! And a natural way to try and build Chase, while testing Guida.
Dustin Stoltzfus vs Dusko Todorovic – Dustin Stoltzfus had a 1-4 record in the UFC and was realistically somewhat lucky to be here tonight – but he made the most of it by beating Puna to the punch and then tapping him in R2! Give him Dusko next, a fighter that has real toughness but hasn’t been able to put much of a run together lately. The loser here is in trouble.
Puna Soriano – CUT! For me, that was a loser leaves town fight, and Puna didn’t show a whole lot. He has a powerful left hand, but this is the UFC in 2023. You need more than that.
Miesha Tate vs Pannie Kianzad – Miesha went back to basics and dominated Julia Avila tonight. Not only that, Tate also got the finish against a ranked opponent. Time to start looking up the ladder. Pannie Kianzad is #7 but has lost 2 of her last 3, and is the clear choice for a fighter that needs to defend their ranking. Only problem is, I think it might be late in 2024 before Tate fights again…
Julia Avila vs Josiane Nunes – Rough one for Avila, whose inactivity has been largely dictated to her. She had nothing for Tate in the wrestling stakes, but whatever, we move on. Josiane Nunes is 3-0 in the UFC but is herself only fighting once a year, which isn’t ideal. Both are just about ranked, Nunes has been fighting at featherweight but shouldn’t have much issue making 135 given she’s very small at just 5’2. Winner moves upwards, should be a decent scrap on the feet as neither are the type to hunt takedowns.
Cody Brundage vs Josh Fremd – Cody Brundage wrecked it in Texas against a home state boy! And in doing so he delivered the second slam KO of the night! Awesome stuff from Cody, who was about as close to getting cut as a fighter could possibly be – full credit to him for surviving and winning in exciting fashion! Give him Josh Fremd next, in some ways a similar size and threat as Zach Reese was, but more experienced and a little better rounded at this stage. I would fully expect a finish here.
Zach Reese vs Val Woodburn – Both guys had rough debuts, both are 0-1. You can see Reese is a finisher, he was digging for some pretty nasty looking subs, we haven’t really seen the best of Woodburn yet though, so whoever wins gets to show a little more of what brought them to the dance.
Drakkar Klose vs Renato Moicano – Wow! I don’t think Klose can be denied a ranked opponent any longer, his record was already pretty impressive and his only defeat in his last 7 outings came against Beneil Dariush! Klose shut down Solecki’s grappling early then slammed his head off the canvas like a basketball… DAMN! Give him Renato Moicano #14 in the rankings and a lethal submission threat – but is susceptible on the feet. Can Klose answer the same riddle at a higher level? I wanna find out!
Joe Solecki vs Claudio Puelles – Poor ol’ Joe Solecki, this was a tough fight for him and he came out game planned-up before receiving a BRUTAL SLAM KO for his troubles… Joe’s a fun grappler, but this is a setback. I’d like to see him face Puelles next, Puelles being an out-and-out grappler. Hopefully we don’t get a sloppy kickboxing fight, but something tells me neither would be scared to engage with the other on the mats. Puelles, like Joe, still has a very positive UFC record despite both coming off horrible losses aesthetically speaking (anyone who recalls Puelles-Hooker will feel the cringe)…
Rodolfo Bellato vs Modestas Bukauskas – Bellato toughed it out, but he was getting pieced up on the feet tonight. He absolutely must tighten up his striking defence if he’s to achieve anything at 205, but credit where it’s due tonight. Give him Modestas Bukauskas next, the Lithuanian will test Bellato on the feet again and that’s exactly what the Brazilian needs.
Ihor Poteiria vs Bogdan Guskov – Potieria looked great for a while, putting together some excellent combinations, but ultimately looked just a little bit lightweight when he couldn’t get it done. He ran out of gas and fell victim to Bellato’s GnP, and he’ll be extremely disappointed to have lost. I could see him dropping to 185 as he looked really lean, but assuming he doesn’t, give him Bogdan Guskov. Ihor must get it done this time, but at least tonight he earned some plaudits for a solid offensive performance. He showed he can hang for sure, but he’s running out of time to beat someone not named ‘Shogun’.
Jared Gooden vs Gabriel Green – Couple of things here: Gooden could potentially have the chance to wield the axe for a second successive fight against a guy who has lost 2 in a row, and that’s a fun little narrative, but then again, Green has fought and lost at a pretty high level: Ian Garry and Bryan Battle back-to-back is no joke. Green will need to bounce back or he’s gone, and Gooden becomes the welterweight division’s executioner! I think we get a fun little scrap, particularly given that Gooden has finally shown he can tough it out and come back swinging at this level.
Wellington Turman – CUT! Poor Wellington Turman… it was all going so well until it wasn’t, and given that’s 3 losses in a row, a finish, and 3-6 overall, I think that’s time for the Brazilian.
Veronica Hardy vs Antonina Shevchenko – I think now that Hardy has won 2 straight since returning after a 3-year absence it’s time to put a little promotion behind her. She’s still young despite being around for so long, and while she obviously hasn’t fought as often as she would have liked, there’s still some upside here. Give her Antonina Shevchenko, another fighter who benefits from a little name value by association. Antonina at 39 is never making a run at flyweight, so testing Hardy is the right spot for her. Stylistically, it also makes a little sense as both are primarily strikers albeit with different approaches.
Jamey-Lyn Horth vs Tereza Bleda – Tereza Bleda and Jamey-Lyn Horth are both 1-1 in the UFC, but went around it the opposite way (WL vs LW). Bleda is the fighter coming off the win, and has fought a couple of tough Brazilians – now I’d like to see the Czech face a North American. Bleda at just 22 has real potential, and a good pedigree coming out of Oktagon. Horth just suffered her first pro defeat, and the Canadian looked to lack just a little bit of aggression in the fight with Hardy despite pushing her close. I kinda like the prospect of a finish here, not just from a narrative stance, but also from a stylistic perspective.
