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Jan Blachowicz vs Magomed Ankalaev II – Umm, okay? The judging tonight sucked balls, and they barely had anything to do. Seemed clear to me that Magomed endured a storm of leg kicks, but STILL did enough to win the belt. He didn't, and that robs Glover of an immediate title shot – which truly sucks. Has to be a re-run.
Paddy Pimblett vs Tony Ferguson – Paddy mentioned an injured foot, and didn't look great tonight. If he takes some time to heal up, one guy who won't be in a rush is #15 ranked veteran Tony Ferguson. Pimblett almost certainly isn't good enough for most ranked opponents, but washed Tony? That's a fight he might win, that would resonate with the UFC fan base, and would be fun. I can't really see why the UFC wouldn't push for this.
Jared Gordon vs Vinc Pichel – Honestly, I thought Jared won this fairly comfortably, and Paddy getting a Unanimous Decision will rub people up the wrong way. Give Jared a fight with Vinc Pichel, now 40 years old, but still very legit and hard to beat. Mark Madsen was able to shut down Vinc last time out, but will Gordon be able to overcome a man still 7-3 in the UFC? It seems close on paper...
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Robbier Lawler – The UFC have tried to put this fight together a couple of times, and I do want to see it. Santiago is possibly a step ahead of Robbie at this point, but the 36 year old Argentine striker probably isn't making a run at the title anytime soon – this would be purely for stylistic purposes.
Alex Morono vs Bryan Barberena – Two guys who had win streaks snapped lately. Morono (4 wins) lost to Ponz, Barberena (3) lost to dos Anjos – both have been operating outside the top 15, and feasting on both veterans and inexperienced opposition. Both are of a similar age, tons of experience, but have found something of a ceiling. Put them together, let's see who the better fighter is.
Dricus du Plessis vs Chris Curtis – Before tonight, these guys were #14 and #15. They're both still beneath Jack Hermansson, in all likelihood, given that Jack beat Curtis and lost to a guy in Dolidze who probably beats both DdP and CC. But the real beauty of this fight is that it's a guaranteed barn-burner – someone's getting finished, this will be a WAR!
Darren Till – RETIRE! Sounds crazy given Till is only 29, but it's just not happening for Darren Till. He's too good for BKFC, I don't see what attraction Bellator could possibly have for him, but could theoretically box Jake Paul... lol...
Ilia Topuria vs Calvin Kattar – I'd have no issues with Ilia vs TKZ, but let's run Ilia vs Calvin. Calvin has the potential to put it on Ilia just like he did with Giga, but Ilia is a multi-levelled threat, and a worthy challenge for a Kattar now looking to stop the rot after losing 3 of his last 4.
Bryce Mitchell vs Sodiq Yusuff – Bryce took a beating tonight, but a fight with Sodiq Yusuff could validate his top 10 ranking status, or remove it entirely. Yusuff has looked excellent against veterans and rookies alike, but the only time we really saw him fight someone in their prime was against Arnold Allen, and he lost. Give him Bryce, in a really intriguing stylistic challenge for both fighters.
Raul Rosas Jr vs Josh Weems – The 18 year old performed WAY better than his DWCS outing, easily out-grappling Jay Perrin and finishing him quickly. It's not going to be easy to find fights for someone so inexperienced, but feeding him more grapplers definitely seems like the way forward. Weems is a step up in competition, but stylistically suitable for a young man that can certainly impose himself physically.
Jay Perrin – CUT!
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs Tai Tuivasa – Jairzinho records his THIRD sub-30 second KO in his UFC career... Safe to say, this dude is DANGEROUS early, despite his reputation as a counter-striking kickboxer. Give him Tai Tuivasa, smarting from getting annihilated by Pavlovich, but someone who would swang 'n' bang with Jairzinho. This could be wild. If not, Jairzinho vs Lewis needs to happen, too...
Chris Daukaus vs Tanner Boser – It's 3 losses in a row for Daukaus, following up on a 4 fight win streak... from the sublime to the ridiculous! Daukaus could theoretically be cut here, but I want to see him face another boxer who is also fairly light for the heavyweight class. I want to see who has the skill, as both can finish, but both have struggled for results lately.
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Eryk Anders – Both these guys have had their backs to the wall lately. Edmen needed a win in the worst way after 3 straight losses, and the massive step down in competition certainly helped him achieve that aim. Eryk Anders, likewise, snapped a 2 fight skid when he TKO'd Kyle Daukaus, and it feels now would be a good time to see who can rise from the ashes the better – both are finishes, both are dangerous, both have weathered some rough times...
Dalcha Lungiambula – CUT! Four straight losses, this was always a 'loser leaves town' fight.
Chris Curtis vs Dricus du Plessis (see above)
Joaquin Buckley vs Makhmud Muradov – Buckley was fighting very well until Curtis turned the tables on him in a BIG way – a leg capture KO on the king of the leg capture KO... Buckley is now on a 2 fight skid, both ranked opponents, so it's time for a step down. Makhmud Muradov was considered a scary prospect after winning his first 3 UFC fights, but has lost to GM3 and Caio Borralho back-to-back. Now is the time for this, and it should be another barn burner.
Billy Quarantillo vs Charles Jourdain – Potentially a rough fight for Jourdain, who has lost 2 straight, but I think we all know what this fight stands for... pure, unmitigated, high level featherweight VIOLENCE! Legit bonus material on any card, right? Jourdain needs the win in the worst way, while Billy Q 2-2 in his last 4...
Alexander Hernandez vs Herbert Burns – Two guys on a two-fight losing streak who have both, at times, folded like a pack of cards – yet both are undoubtedly highly skilled. I'd love to see this, I can't imagine any potentially better 'fighter leaves town' type of fight than this.
TJ Brown vs Makwan Amirkhani – Bizarrely, these two now have virtually identical numerical records: Brown (17-9) vs Amirkhani (17-8) would have made no sense whatsoever a couple of years ago, but as Makwan's star fades (he was once a ranked featherweight), TJ scores his first UFC finish by way of submission over a vaunted submission artist who just ran out of gas. Could this be a re-run, or would Makwan lock something in before he (like Silva) potentially fades? Be fun to find out...
Erik Silva vs Lucas Alexander – Lucas Alexander had a very rough debut against Joanderson Brito, but deserves credit for stepping up at short notice. Give him Silva, who looked well short in terms of preparedness tonight, but did have some hype coming in – Silva could redeem himself with a submission, or Alexander shows us what he brings to the table... either way, both are natural finishers, so that could give us a solid show opener on a Fight Night card.
Cameron Saaiman vs Brady Hiestand – Cameron Saaiman definitely benefited from an illegal knee in my view, but he also showed some great sweeps, good grappling, and decent IQ as he chased (and secured) a third round finish. I'd like to see him face Brady Hiestand next, who is 1-1 in the UFC, and impressed against Fernie Garcia last time out. This could be another fun showdown leaning heavily on takedowns, grappling and scrambles.
Steven Koslow vs Gaston Bolanos – For those who didn't hear, the UFC signed 6-3 Bellator veteran Gaston Bolanos based on exciting finishes, and apparently he's dropping to bantamweight. It's a peculiar signing unless Gaston can actually deliver something spectacular on the big stage, and maybe he can do that against Koslow. Koslow, meanwhile, will likely try his best to test Bolanos on the ground.
Paddy Pimblett vs Tony Ferguson – Paddy mentioned an injured foot, and didn't look great tonight. If he takes some time to heal up, one guy who won't be in a rush is #15 ranked veteran Tony Ferguson. Pimblett almost certainly isn't good enough for most ranked opponents, but washed Tony? That's a fight he might win, that would resonate with the UFC fan base, and would be fun. I can't really see why the UFC wouldn't push for this.
Jared Gordon vs Vinc Pichel – Honestly, I thought Jared won this fairly comfortably, and Paddy getting a Unanimous Decision will rub people up the wrong way. Give Jared a fight with Vinc Pichel, now 40 years old, but still very legit and hard to beat. Mark Madsen was able to shut down Vinc last time out, but will Gordon be able to overcome a man still 7-3 in the UFC? It seems close on paper...
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Robbier Lawler – The UFC have tried to put this fight together a couple of times, and I do want to see it. Santiago is possibly a step ahead of Robbie at this point, but the 36 year old Argentine striker probably isn't making a run at the title anytime soon – this would be purely for stylistic purposes.
Alex Morono vs Bryan Barberena – Two guys who had win streaks snapped lately. Morono (4 wins) lost to Ponz, Barberena (3) lost to dos Anjos – both have been operating outside the top 15, and feasting on both veterans and inexperienced opposition. Both are of a similar age, tons of experience, but have found something of a ceiling. Put them together, let's see who the better fighter is.
Dricus du Plessis vs Chris Curtis – Before tonight, these guys were #14 and #15. They're both still beneath Jack Hermansson, in all likelihood, given that Jack beat Curtis and lost to a guy in Dolidze who probably beats both DdP and CC. But the real beauty of this fight is that it's a guaranteed barn-burner – someone's getting finished, this will be a WAR!
Darren Till – RETIRE! Sounds crazy given Till is only 29, but it's just not happening for Darren Till. He's too good for BKFC, I don't see what attraction Bellator could possibly have for him, but could theoretically box Jake Paul... lol...
Ilia Topuria vs Calvin Kattar – I'd have no issues with Ilia vs TKZ, but let's run Ilia vs Calvin. Calvin has the potential to put it on Ilia just like he did with Giga, but Ilia is a multi-levelled threat, and a worthy challenge for a Kattar now looking to stop the rot after losing 3 of his last 4.
Bryce Mitchell vs Sodiq Yusuff – Bryce took a beating tonight, but a fight with Sodiq Yusuff could validate his top 10 ranking status, or remove it entirely. Yusuff has looked excellent against veterans and rookies alike, but the only time we really saw him fight someone in their prime was against Arnold Allen, and he lost. Give him Bryce, in a really intriguing stylistic challenge for both fighters.
Raul Rosas Jr vs Josh Weems – The 18 year old performed WAY better than his DWCS outing, easily out-grappling Jay Perrin and finishing him quickly. It's not going to be easy to find fights for someone so inexperienced, but feeding him more grapplers definitely seems like the way forward. Weems is a step up in competition, but stylistically suitable for a young man that can certainly impose himself physically.
Jay Perrin – CUT!
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs Tai Tuivasa – Jairzinho records his THIRD sub-30 second KO in his UFC career... Safe to say, this dude is DANGEROUS early, despite his reputation as a counter-striking kickboxer. Give him Tai Tuivasa, smarting from getting annihilated by Pavlovich, but someone who would swang 'n' bang with Jairzinho. This could be wild. If not, Jairzinho vs Lewis needs to happen, too...
Chris Daukaus vs Tanner Boser – It's 3 losses in a row for Daukaus, following up on a 4 fight win streak... from the sublime to the ridiculous! Daukaus could theoretically be cut here, but I want to see him face another boxer who is also fairly light for the heavyweight class. I want to see who has the skill, as both can finish, but both have struggled for results lately.
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Eryk Anders – Both these guys have had their backs to the wall lately. Edmen needed a win in the worst way after 3 straight losses, and the massive step down in competition certainly helped him achieve that aim. Eryk Anders, likewise, snapped a 2 fight skid when he TKO'd Kyle Daukaus, and it feels now would be a good time to see who can rise from the ashes the better – both are finishes, both are dangerous, both have weathered some rough times...
Dalcha Lungiambula – CUT! Four straight losses, this was always a 'loser leaves town' fight.
Chris Curtis vs Dricus du Plessis (see above)
Joaquin Buckley vs Makhmud Muradov – Buckley was fighting very well until Curtis turned the tables on him in a BIG way – a leg capture KO on the king of the leg capture KO... Buckley is now on a 2 fight skid, both ranked opponents, so it's time for a step down. Makhmud Muradov was considered a scary prospect after winning his first 3 UFC fights, but has lost to GM3 and Caio Borralho back-to-back. Now is the time for this, and it should be another barn burner.
Billy Quarantillo vs Charles Jourdain – Potentially a rough fight for Jourdain, who has lost 2 straight, but I think we all know what this fight stands for... pure, unmitigated, high level featherweight VIOLENCE! Legit bonus material on any card, right? Jourdain needs the win in the worst way, while Billy Q 2-2 in his last 4...
Alexander Hernandez vs Herbert Burns – Two guys on a two-fight losing streak who have both, at times, folded like a pack of cards – yet both are undoubtedly highly skilled. I'd love to see this, I can't imagine any potentially better 'fighter leaves town' type of fight than this.
TJ Brown vs Makwan Amirkhani – Bizarrely, these two now have virtually identical numerical records: Brown (17-9) vs Amirkhani (17-8) would have made no sense whatsoever a couple of years ago, but as Makwan's star fades (he was once a ranked featherweight), TJ scores his first UFC finish by way of submission over a vaunted submission artist who just ran out of gas. Could this be a re-run, or would Makwan lock something in before he (like Silva) potentially fades? Be fun to find out...
Erik Silva vs Lucas Alexander – Lucas Alexander had a very rough debut against Joanderson Brito, but deserves credit for stepping up at short notice. Give him Silva, who looked well short in terms of preparedness tonight, but did have some hype coming in – Silva could redeem himself with a submission, or Alexander shows us what he brings to the table... either way, both are natural finishers, so that could give us a solid show opener on a Fight Night card.
Cameron Saaiman vs Brady Hiestand – Cameron Saaiman definitely benefited from an illegal knee in my view, but he also showed some great sweeps, good grappling, and decent IQ as he chased (and secured) a third round finish. I'd like to see him face Brady Hiestand next, who is 1-1 in the UFC, and impressed against Fernie Garcia last time out. This could be another fun showdown leaning heavily on takedowns, grappling and scrambles.
Steven Koslow vs Gaston Bolanos – For those who didn't hear, the UFC signed 6-3 Bellator veteran Gaston Bolanos based on exciting finishes, and apparently he's dropping to bantamweight. It's a peculiar signing unless Gaston can actually deliver something spectacular on the big stage, and maybe he can do that against Koslow. Koslow, meanwhile, will likely try his best to test Bolanos on the ground.
