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Umar Nurmagomedov vs Sean O’Malley/Merab Dvalishvili Winner – And THAT was the big win Umar needed. It might still feel like a rush job to the top to some, but Umar’s corner were claiming a win would get him a title shot – and based on a top class performance tonight, I say book it! Umar makes for an intriguing opponent and a very tough challenge for whoever the champion is after O'Malley-Merab fight. He overcame a real puzzle in Cory, who did very little wrong tonight!
Cory Sandhagen vs Jose Aldo/Mario Bautista Winner – Cory came up just short tonight after surging prospect Umar Nurmagomedov, but he showed some real improvements and a great all-round defensive game – what was lacking was the offence. I would like to see Cory face the winner of Jose Aldo and Mario Bautista next, Aldo says he wants to work his way to a title shot, well getting through Cory would be a HUGE step in that direction. If Bautista wins… that kid is going to have to find a way to beat a really defensively sound Sandhagen. Easier said than done.
Shara Magomedov vs Kelvin Gastelum – Shara is clearly a cut above most of the cookie cutter UFC kickboxers, but he can’t climb the ladder without evolving his game and showing he’s well-rounded. Kelvin Gastelum is the acid test for future contenders at 185. Kelvin has been beaten by elite fighters in 6 of his last 9 outings but has beaten the likes of Chris Curtis and Daniel Rodriguez and can mix in the wrestling or tough out striking battles as he chooses. For Shara to beat someone like KG would be huge. And potentially, he can, if he can dictate the fight… he’s the better striker… but would he and his team dare take a challenge like this when they’re calling for fights against Nick Diaz?
Michal Oleksiejczuk vs Bruno Silva – Oleks is on a 3-fight skid, but he’s shown real guts toughness and real guts. Shara lit him up at times, and he never stopped coming forwards – Kevin Holland tried ripping his arm off, and he wanted to continue despite the referee calling a Technical Submission out of sheer fear! You can’t cut a guy like that without giving him every chance. Oleks vs Bruno Silva, though, must be last chance saloon for these guys. Lower leaves town fight if there ever was one, but I’m not going to call for Oleks to be culled just yet. He’s just too damn fun and too damn game.
Deiveson Figueiredo vs Petr Yan – Deiveson Figueiredo made it 3 in a row at Bantamweight, and looked great at times against a very, very tough opponent in Marlon Vera. The lack of a finish probably didn’t separate Figgy from some of the other elite contenders for now, though, so I’m looking for him to face former champion Petr Yan next and keep rising. We know O’Malley has Merab next, then _____ after (at least according to the fighter), so this is as good a contender eliminator as there can be right now after Yan bounced back with a win over Song Yadong.
Marlon Vera vs Henry Cejudo – This one was lined up for UFC 292, only to fall through due to a Cejudo shoulder injury. Cejudo doesn’t seem like he’s going to be super active, his time as a challenger is probably done, but if it’s still taking fights then Vera probably appeals. Vera is recognisable, but ultimately flawed – and generally engages in entertaining fights. Can Cejudo beat a top 5/6 Bantamweight? Can he prove to himself he deserves his standing as (still) an elite 135er? Run it.
Michael Chiesa vs Gunnar Nelson – I’m certainly not expecting either fighter to be particularly active, but congratulations to Chiesa on his win and snapping a 3-fight skid. A fun, veteran vs veteran affair with BJJ ace Gunnar Nelson would be about as interesting a fight as you could make for ‘Maverick’ right now, this having a special attraction feel to it. Serious plaudits for whichever of these 36 year old stalwarts can score the win – Nelson will fancy the submission, no question, but hey… Chiesa ain’t no slouch!
Tony Ferguson – RETIREMENT! Thank you, Tony, you crazy bastard. You are a legend, sir, it’s a shame about your recent run, but who cares? Remember the good times! The fun, the blood, the mayhem!
Mackenzie Dern vs Amanda Ribas II – Mackenzie Dern is determined to evolve as a fighter, and part of that evolution is avenging defeats, surely? Dern has lost to almost everyone ahead of her, and fought almost everyone around her, so in terms of relevant fights there are going to be rematches sooner or later. I think Dern-Ribas II could be a lot of fun as I think both women probably feel they still have a lot to prove.
Lupita Godinez vs Vanessa Demopoulos/Jaqueline Amorim Winner – Loopy holds a win over Vanessa, but only by Majority Decision, and it came quite some time ago in both ladies’ careers. Amorim is the surging BJJ prospect who seems to be making decent improvements in her game, and she’ll need to if she’s to outclass a game scrapper like Loopy. The division does need new blood, though, especially in the top 15.
Joel Alvarez vs Rafael Dos Anjos – Joel Alvarez looked world class tonight, his efficiency, his movement, his striking accuracy, and he looked like he could walk through Brener’s shots all night long. Alvarez is a tyrant on the ground when he’s around the head and neck area, and his striking is as good as it’s ever looked. If he could be a little more active, he’d be a true threat at 155. Try to get him in against #14 Rafael dos Anjos, a battle-hardened legend. Skip the Bobby Green call out, IMO.
Elves Brener vs Terrance McKinney – Both fighters are very dangerous, but both coming off losses. Terrance McKinney fights seem to be getting shorter and shorter with a win and a loss coming in just 57 seconds total across his last two fights. Brener isn’t quite that quick, but he has good wins over Tukhugov, Kutateladze and Kruschewsky and he will get back in the win column again without a shadow of doubt. Can he do it against another dangerous finisher in McKinney? Or will T-Wrecks fade again?
Azamat Murzakanov vs Anthony Smith – “Lionheart” seems to be reaching the end of a long and storied career, but until he actually calls it a day they will keep pitting him against hungry monsters like Azamat Murzakanov. Azamat looked great tonight, lighting Alonzo up on the feet and the moment he started to look tired, he wrapped it up beautifully with a fight-ending sequence. Give him the chance to fight a name and see where he goes from there – but a lot of people have slipped up trying to get past Smith…
Alonzo Menifield vs Ibo Aslan – Ibo Aslan loves to attack but doesn’t look that great under pressure, a characteristic that also befalls Menifield. Since the 205 division just isn’t that deep I have no issues with a fight like this as Alonzo tries to snap a 2-fight skid and recapture his form – but ‘The Last Ottoman’ will be looking for easily the biggest scalp of his career.
Kaue Fernandes vs Charlie Campbell – Kaue looked great tonight, and taking Marc Diakiese to a decision in his UFC debut is no mean feat for a rookie fighter either. The future looks bright for the Brazilian, and I’d like to see him face the all-action ‘Cannibal’ Charlie Campbell who has beaten Alex Reyes and Trevor Peek in his first two UFC fights. I like this for a prelim on literally any card, these two will come to fight, and they’re both pretty promising without having an 0 or an unblemished record to protect.
Mohammad Yahya vs Landon Quinones – Although both probably get DWCS newcomers in the coming months, it would be equally fair to pit the two 0-2 UFC lightweights against each other in a loser leaves town fight. When it’s all on the line, these fights can turn out pretty fun – and there’s literally zero risk for the UFC no matter how it unfolds.
Shamil Gaziev vs Rodrigo Nascimento – I wouldn’t be opposed to giving Gaziev a shot against #15 Nascimento, although his performance tonight was hardly thrilling. If the UFC are going to keep him around then there probably aren’t many fights outside the top 15 that make much sense. Nascimento hasn’t lost to a wrestler as yet, but has been finished by strikes twice – can Shamil score a TKO, or can Nascimento ultimately out-work him?
Don’Tale Mayes vs Justin Tafa – Tafa was out-wrestled last time by Karl Williams Mayes was largely out-wrestled tonight by Gaziev. Neither fight was much fun to watch, but this one could be – although Mayes arguably has the wrestling advantage here, I’d hope we’d see a striking battle for large periods. Tafa is a R1KO specialist, but Mayes has proven himself durable – which could suggest the tide will eventually turn his way if he can ride out the early storm.
Guram Kutateladze vs Jai Herbert – Guram showed ring rust early getting cleanly out-struck in the first round by newcomer Vucenic, but then the warrior instincts kicked in and he dragged out a gruelling win. Guram’s inactivity has been an absolute nightmare for his career, though, and unless that improves he will not amount to much more than a mid-card attraction. If he can get back in there in good time, Jai Herbert would be a great opponent. 2-2 vs 3-4-1, both guys have shown real ability despite slightly disappointing overall runs in the UFC. An evenly matched fight between two guys who can show real quality, but seemingly not consistently so.
Jordan Vucenic vs Mitch Ramirez – Vucenic looked razor sharp early with his striking, but ultimately his fight management wasn’t good enough to overcome the veteran savvy of Guram, so he’s left looking for his first UFC win. There’s no shame in any of that, though, as he was a late notice opponent against a very respectable opponent, but it does put the pressure on him to win ASAP. Mitch Ramirez is in a fairly similar position with a loss to veteran Thiago Moises in his UFC debut, but he also has the ignominy of losing to Carlos Prates on DWCS as well. Both guys need to show out here, but I don’t see it as a loser leaves town fight just yet.
Sam Hughes vs Bruna Brasil – Great win for Sam Hughes, she out-worked, out-cardioed, and ultimately out-fought the undefeated Dudakova showing that records on paper mean nothing in MMA – it’s all about levels of competition. I’d reward Hughes with a fight with Bruna Brasil, a fighter who has enjoyed her recent excursions to the United Kingdom with wins over Shauna Bannon and Molly McCann. Bruna looked great against Molly, but it’s hard to look that good against Hughes – if you do, you’re doing something right.
Victoria Dudakova vs Rayanne dos Santos – Rayanne is 0-2 in the UFC, but both defeats were Split Decision losses – the former Invicta Atomweight Champion is competitive, and that’s what Dudakova evidently needs. She has the skills, she has the tools, but perhaps not the experience of facing down adversity. If she can bounce back against Rayanne, it will be a more credible win than I think it might look on paper.
Jai Herbert vs Guram Kutateladze (See Above)
Rolando Bedoya – CUT! 0-3 in the UFC but all his fights were at least competitive – the problem Bedoya seems to have is he’s just nothing special anywhere in particular. His boxing, which he relies on most, is okay, not as good as Herbert’s tonight, and since we’re in the pre-DWCS stage, I can see him making way for the inevitable influx of newly contracted contenders. He might be the sort of fighter that works his way back in future, though.
Sedriques Dumas vs Warlley Alves – Like Tiuliulin, Alves is extremely lucky to still be a part of the UFC roster. The Brazilian has lost 4 straight, albeit against tougher opposition than Dumas has faced so far in his UFC run, but that’s still the kind of run you’d think would terminate his tenure with the promotion. Not so, however, at least not yet, so I’m thinking give Dumas an experienced opponent, even one who’s struggling as badly as Warlley has been and see if he becomes ‘The Reaper’ in terms of sending another lost soul towards their ‘future endeavours’.
Denis Tiuliulin – CUT! – I don’t think Denis gets another chance, he’s 1-5 in the UFC and frankly… I’m amazed he made six fights.
Cory Sandhagen vs Jose Aldo/Mario Bautista Winner – Cory came up just short tonight after surging prospect Umar Nurmagomedov, but he showed some real improvements and a great all-round defensive game – what was lacking was the offence. I would like to see Cory face the winner of Jose Aldo and Mario Bautista next, Aldo says he wants to work his way to a title shot, well getting through Cory would be a HUGE step in that direction. If Bautista wins… that kid is going to have to find a way to beat a really defensively sound Sandhagen. Easier said than done.
Shara Magomedov vs Kelvin Gastelum – Shara is clearly a cut above most of the cookie cutter UFC kickboxers, but he can’t climb the ladder without evolving his game and showing he’s well-rounded. Kelvin Gastelum is the acid test for future contenders at 185. Kelvin has been beaten by elite fighters in 6 of his last 9 outings but has beaten the likes of Chris Curtis and Daniel Rodriguez and can mix in the wrestling or tough out striking battles as he chooses. For Shara to beat someone like KG would be huge. And potentially, he can, if he can dictate the fight… he’s the better striker… but would he and his team dare take a challenge like this when they’re calling for fights against Nick Diaz?
Michal Oleksiejczuk vs Bruno Silva – Oleks is on a 3-fight skid, but he’s shown real guts toughness and real guts. Shara lit him up at times, and he never stopped coming forwards – Kevin Holland tried ripping his arm off, and he wanted to continue despite the referee calling a Technical Submission out of sheer fear! You can’t cut a guy like that without giving him every chance. Oleks vs Bruno Silva, though, must be last chance saloon for these guys. Lower leaves town fight if there ever was one, but I’m not going to call for Oleks to be culled just yet. He’s just too damn fun and too damn game.
Deiveson Figueiredo vs Petr Yan – Deiveson Figueiredo made it 3 in a row at Bantamweight, and looked great at times against a very, very tough opponent in Marlon Vera. The lack of a finish probably didn’t separate Figgy from some of the other elite contenders for now, though, so I’m looking for him to face former champion Petr Yan next and keep rising. We know O’Malley has Merab next, then _____ after (at least according to the fighter), so this is as good a contender eliminator as there can be right now after Yan bounced back with a win over Song Yadong.
Marlon Vera vs Henry Cejudo – This one was lined up for UFC 292, only to fall through due to a Cejudo shoulder injury. Cejudo doesn’t seem like he’s going to be super active, his time as a challenger is probably done, but if it’s still taking fights then Vera probably appeals. Vera is recognisable, but ultimately flawed – and generally engages in entertaining fights. Can Cejudo beat a top 5/6 Bantamweight? Can he prove to himself he deserves his standing as (still) an elite 135er? Run it.
Michael Chiesa vs Gunnar Nelson – I’m certainly not expecting either fighter to be particularly active, but congratulations to Chiesa on his win and snapping a 3-fight skid. A fun, veteran vs veteran affair with BJJ ace Gunnar Nelson would be about as interesting a fight as you could make for ‘Maverick’ right now, this having a special attraction feel to it. Serious plaudits for whichever of these 36 year old stalwarts can score the win – Nelson will fancy the submission, no question, but hey… Chiesa ain’t no slouch!
Tony Ferguson – RETIREMENT! Thank you, Tony, you crazy bastard. You are a legend, sir, it’s a shame about your recent run, but who cares? Remember the good times! The fun, the blood, the mayhem!
Mackenzie Dern vs Amanda Ribas II – Mackenzie Dern is determined to evolve as a fighter, and part of that evolution is avenging defeats, surely? Dern has lost to almost everyone ahead of her, and fought almost everyone around her, so in terms of relevant fights there are going to be rematches sooner or later. I think Dern-Ribas II could be a lot of fun as I think both women probably feel they still have a lot to prove.
Lupita Godinez vs Vanessa Demopoulos/Jaqueline Amorim Winner – Loopy holds a win over Vanessa, but only by Majority Decision, and it came quite some time ago in both ladies’ careers. Amorim is the surging BJJ prospect who seems to be making decent improvements in her game, and she’ll need to if she’s to outclass a game scrapper like Loopy. The division does need new blood, though, especially in the top 15.
Joel Alvarez vs Rafael Dos Anjos – Joel Alvarez looked world class tonight, his efficiency, his movement, his striking accuracy, and he looked like he could walk through Brener’s shots all night long. Alvarez is a tyrant on the ground when he’s around the head and neck area, and his striking is as good as it’s ever looked. If he could be a little more active, he’d be a true threat at 155. Try to get him in against #14 Rafael dos Anjos, a battle-hardened legend. Skip the Bobby Green call out, IMO.
Elves Brener vs Terrance McKinney – Both fighters are very dangerous, but both coming off losses. Terrance McKinney fights seem to be getting shorter and shorter with a win and a loss coming in just 57 seconds total across his last two fights. Brener isn’t quite that quick, but he has good wins over Tukhugov, Kutateladze and Kruschewsky and he will get back in the win column again without a shadow of doubt. Can he do it against another dangerous finisher in McKinney? Or will T-Wrecks fade again?
Azamat Murzakanov vs Anthony Smith – “Lionheart” seems to be reaching the end of a long and storied career, but until he actually calls it a day they will keep pitting him against hungry monsters like Azamat Murzakanov. Azamat looked great tonight, lighting Alonzo up on the feet and the moment he started to look tired, he wrapped it up beautifully with a fight-ending sequence. Give him the chance to fight a name and see where he goes from there – but a lot of people have slipped up trying to get past Smith…
Alonzo Menifield vs Ibo Aslan – Ibo Aslan loves to attack but doesn’t look that great under pressure, a characteristic that also befalls Menifield. Since the 205 division just isn’t that deep I have no issues with a fight like this as Alonzo tries to snap a 2-fight skid and recapture his form – but ‘The Last Ottoman’ will be looking for easily the biggest scalp of his career.
Kaue Fernandes vs Charlie Campbell – Kaue looked great tonight, and taking Marc Diakiese to a decision in his UFC debut is no mean feat for a rookie fighter either. The future looks bright for the Brazilian, and I’d like to see him face the all-action ‘Cannibal’ Charlie Campbell who has beaten Alex Reyes and Trevor Peek in his first two UFC fights. I like this for a prelim on literally any card, these two will come to fight, and they’re both pretty promising without having an 0 or an unblemished record to protect.
Mohammad Yahya vs Landon Quinones – Although both probably get DWCS newcomers in the coming months, it would be equally fair to pit the two 0-2 UFC lightweights against each other in a loser leaves town fight. When it’s all on the line, these fights can turn out pretty fun – and there’s literally zero risk for the UFC no matter how it unfolds.
Shamil Gaziev vs Rodrigo Nascimento – I wouldn’t be opposed to giving Gaziev a shot against #15 Nascimento, although his performance tonight was hardly thrilling. If the UFC are going to keep him around then there probably aren’t many fights outside the top 15 that make much sense. Nascimento hasn’t lost to a wrestler as yet, but has been finished by strikes twice – can Shamil score a TKO, or can Nascimento ultimately out-work him?
Don’Tale Mayes vs Justin Tafa – Tafa was out-wrestled last time by Karl Williams Mayes was largely out-wrestled tonight by Gaziev. Neither fight was much fun to watch, but this one could be – although Mayes arguably has the wrestling advantage here, I’d hope we’d see a striking battle for large periods. Tafa is a R1KO specialist, but Mayes has proven himself durable – which could suggest the tide will eventually turn his way if he can ride out the early storm.
Guram Kutateladze vs Jai Herbert – Guram showed ring rust early getting cleanly out-struck in the first round by newcomer Vucenic, but then the warrior instincts kicked in and he dragged out a gruelling win. Guram’s inactivity has been an absolute nightmare for his career, though, and unless that improves he will not amount to much more than a mid-card attraction. If he can get back in there in good time, Jai Herbert would be a great opponent. 2-2 vs 3-4-1, both guys have shown real ability despite slightly disappointing overall runs in the UFC. An evenly matched fight between two guys who can show real quality, but seemingly not consistently so.
Jordan Vucenic vs Mitch Ramirez – Vucenic looked razor sharp early with his striking, but ultimately his fight management wasn’t good enough to overcome the veteran savvy of Guram, so he’s left looking for his first UFC win. There’s no shame in any of that, though, as he was a late notice opponent against a very respectable opponent, but it does put the pressure on him to win ASAP. Mitch Ramirez is in a fairly similar position with a loss to veteran Thiago Moises in his UFC debut, but he also has the ignominy of losing to Carlos Prates on DWCS as well. Both guys need to show out here, but I don’t see it as a loser leaves town fight just yet.
Sam Hughes vs Bruna Brasil – Great win for Sam Hughes, she out-worked, out-cardioed, and ultimately out-fought the undefeated Dudakova showing that records on paper mean nothing in MMA – it’s all about levels of competition. I’d reward Hughes with a fight with Bruna Brasil, a fighter who has enjoyed her recent excursions to the United Kingdom with wins over Shauna Bannon and Molly McCann. Bruna looked great against Molly, but it’s hard to look that good against Hughes – if you do, you’re doing something right.
Victoria Dudakova vs Rayanne dos Santos – Rayanne is 0-2 in the UFC, but both defeats were Split Decision losses – the former Invicta Atomweight Champion is competitive, and that’s what Dudakova evidently needs. She has the skills, she has the tools, but perhaps not the experience of facing down adversity. If she can bounce back against Rayanne, it will be a more credible win than I think it might look on paper.
Jai Herbert vs Guram Kutateladze (See Above)
Rolando Bedoya – CUT! 0-3 in the UFC but all his fights were at least competitive – the problem Bedoya seems to have is he’s just nothing special anywhere in particular. His boxing, which he relies on most, is okay, not as good as Herbert’s tonight, and since we’re in the pre-DWCS stage, I can see him making way for the inevitable influx of newly contracted contenders. He might be the sort of fighter that works his way back in future, though.
Sedriques Dumas vs Warlley Alves – Like Tiuliulin, Alves is extremely lucky to still be a part of the UFC roster. The Brazilian has lost 4 straight, albeit against tougher opposition than Dumas has faced so far in his UFC run, but that’s still the kind of run you’d think would terminate his tenure with the promotion. Not so, however, at least not yet, so I’m thinking give Dumas an experienced opponent, even one who’s struggling as badly as Warlley has been and see if he becomes ‘The Reaper’ in terms of sending another lost soul towards their ‘future endeavours’.
Denis Tiuliulin – CUT! – I don’t think Denis gets another chance, he’s 1-5 in the UFC and frankly… I’m amazed he made six fights.
