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Robert Whittaker vs Nassourdine Imavov – The title scene is pretty locked up right now with DDP vs Israel, and then Strickland heading the queue for a title shot, so I’m saying we go #3 vs #4. Khamzat has missed so many chances Imavov is now way ahead of him in the 185 rankings, which is kind of bizarre, but it is what it is. This could headline shows in Australia or France, and is absolutely perfect elevators-type fight to see if Imavov is ready to overtake the legendary Robert Whittaker – or if Bobby Knuckles is going to defend his ranking YET AGAIN, being the elite monster middleweight he is!
Ikram Aliskerov vs Chris Curtis – It’s strange to see someone lose to the #3 in any given division and acknowledge they probably aren’t going to be ranked – but this is what happens when you’re dangerously overmatched! It has happened to Abus Magomedov (to a lesser degree), and it’s now happened to Ikram Aliskerov. Still, he should have every opportunity to face someone like Chris Curtis and try to get that top 15 spot, in what would be an intriguing clash of styles. Curtis, a huge counter puncher, against a dangerous finisher with legit wrestling chops in Ikram. Does Aliskerov steamroll Curtis, or does Curtis knock his head off?
Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida – The problem Volkov has got he’s already lost to all of Aspinall, Gane and Blaydes, while Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic look like they’re on the retirement trail and/or are tied up for some time. On that basis, it’s unfortunate that Volkov follows a 4-fight win streak with a fight against a lower-ranked opponent, but in the interest of fresh match ups… let’s do it.
Sergei Pavlovich vs Marcin Tybura/Sergei Spivac Winner – Pavlovich falls to a second straight defeat and was comprehensively out-boxed tonight. He needs to bounce back, and the winner of Tybura-Spivac looks like a great opportunity for him to do that – but only if he can he halt the slide!
Kelvin Gastelum vs Abus Magomedov – Abus is that guy who needs an opponent occupying the space between the top 15 and the absolute mid-tier fighters, and thus far he doesn’t seem to have had that opportunity. Kelvin Gastelum occupies that space, he’s good, but he’s not great, and his weight issues demand he goes back to 185 in my view. Can Gastelum outwork the German-based Russian? Or can Abus put him down with that big power?
Daniel Rodriguez vs Jake Matthews – D-Rod was done a little dirty tonight (a lot dirty in fact), and so I’m against cutting the 37 year old despite being on a 3-fight skid. Give him Jake Matthews, not an easy opponent by any means, but certainly beatable. If D-Rod can arrest the slide, more power to him, otherwise he would represent one of Matthews’ best wins of late.
Shara Magomedov vs Gregory Rodrigues – Shara got it done against a very static opponent and showed glimpses of improved takedown defence. He needs a war, though, in order to capture the hearts and minds of the UFC fans, because so far he’s running entirely on pre-UFC outings. Robocop won’t give him an easy fight, yet at the same time, could be ripe to eat a bunch of nasty kicks… Just book it, there’s not much to lose, and not much worth protecting, either, without at least one exciting performance to back up all the hype.
Antonio Trocoli vs Ihor Potieria – Trocoli landed some punches early and was victim of an egregious fence grab in R2, but overall his performance was bizarre and static. I’m guessing he just dumped everything in R1, and had nothing left. Give him a bounce-back opportunity against Ihor Potieria, two big dudes and hopefully we get a better fight.
Volkan Oezdemir vs Jan Blachowicz – A run at the title for Volkan Oezdemir had seemed unrealistic, but with Jan Blachowicz being such a revered figure at 205 and one of the few fresh match ups for Volkan, it’s not an impossibility. Tonight’s destruction of a tentative-looking Johnny Walker is highlight reel stuff, but can he get past the now-41 year old Polish stalwart?
Johnny Walker vs Dom Reyes – Both these guys have serious issues with their chins, and neither will want to get KO’d here, and while it could happen with matchmaking like this, at least both fighters are in the same boat. May the best glass cannon win, and maybe the loser considers calling it a day?
Nasrat Haqparast vs Carlos Diego Ferreira – Gruelling win for Nasrat Haqparast tonight, his fourth in a row! While I don’t think it puts him in contention for a rankings spot, he’s well on his way. Give him the still-dangerous Brazilian veteran Carlos Diego Ferreira next. Ferreira has rattled off back-to-back TKO’s, and while he’s pretty much a once-a-year fighter at this point, I think he can still give Nasrat a real run for his money.
Jared Gordon vs Mateusz Rebecki – Tough defeat for Jared Gordon, who once again comes close to gaining momentum, only to stumble to a narrow decision defeat. Give him Polish grappler Rebecki next, Rebecki saw a win streak snapped last time out against Diego Ferreira (see above) and looked a little outclassed at times. Gordon will have to face a totally different stylistic challenge here, but if he can shut down Rebecki’s wrestling, he’ll have a great chance to record a very creditable win.
Felipe Lima vs Muin Gafurov – Huge victory for Lima, he looked like he was starting to slow down after a blistering first round, but came in round three and choked out Naimov! I want to see him drop back to bantamweight for his next fight, though, and you know who potentially awaits him at 135? UFC’s other Tajik, Muin Gafurov, who picked up a great win over Korean veteran Kyung Ho Kang! I like the story, I like the potential for Muin to avenge Naimov, let’s do it!
Muhammad Naimov vs Melquizael Costa – I was ready to strap the jetpack to Naimov and give him someone like Nate ‘The Train’ Landwehr, but that’s how quickly things change! Naimov sees a 6-fight win streak snapped (3 in the UFC) and now finds himself dragged back into the featherweight peloton. Melqy Costa could await him, the Brazilian 2-2 in the UFC after a victory over Shayilan Nuerdanbieke last time out, this should be a fun prelim!
Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Vicente Luque – I personally thought Dalby won the fight, but I don’t book on what I think happened, I book on what actually happened. Rinat climbs to 23-2-1, and while he’s never looked water tight and has a bad habit of fading, I think he has a legitimate shot at beating Vicente Luque at this stage. Luque is the #13 welterweight, but it feels like a matter of time before the veteran drops out of the rankings. This fight could do it – or Luque could roll back the clock and produce a vintage performance against a guy who noticeably slows?
Nicolas Dalby vs Carlos Prates – Such a shame for Dalby, who saw a four-fight win streak snapped after a dour final round wrestling halt-assault from Rinat, but he has to take it on the chin. He isn’t a guy who fights like he’s 39, so let’s keep putting him against relevant opponents. Carlos Prates has looked like a killer – but a lot of guys look like killers until they face someone like Dalby. Let’s see what he’s got!
Muin Gafurov vs Felipe Lima (see above)
Kyung Ho Kang vs Douglas Silva de Andrade – “Mr Perfect” looked anything but perfect tonight, though he did still display some slick grappling and got the better of most of the wrestling exchanges. He looked a little too hittable and seemed damaged by most of Muin’s strikes, however, and it has me wondering how long he’ll last in the UFC. Still, his overall UFC strike rate is decent at 8-5, and better than Douglas Silva’s at 7-6… but Douglas has fought at a consistently high level, and probably comes in favourite to fold the Korean veteran like a deck chair here. Or not. Let’s see!
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs Ibo Aslan – MG didn’t look like the uber-elite Dagestani entrant tonight, but he did do enough to win fairly comfortably, and Brendson’s ground game (one dangerous guillotine attempt aside) wasn’t the answer. MG did see his leg take a battering, though, and generally didn’t look like finishing this fight. If he stays at 205 (he looks undersized to me), this is not the time to rush him, he needs seasoning. Give him ‘The Last Ottoman’ Ibo Aslan. Two guys with great numerical records, but some holes in their games. Ibo having never been to a decision is a good indicator we get a finish, possibly MG’s first in the UFC.
Brendson Ribeiro vs Tuco Tokkos – Brendson is entry-level, not especially good at anything in particular, but well-rounded enough to pose problems to fighters who don’t belong. Honestly, I don’t feel Tokkos belongs, and Brendson should theoretically win this one. Alternatively, both guys will end up fighting future DWCS newcomers.
Chang Ho Lee vs Ricky Turcios – Chang Ho Lee squeaks home to claim the Road to UFC Bantamweight tournament title, a decision a few seemed to disagree with. Nonetheless, I think the UFC will give him a bantamweight opponent with a little bit of name value, and Ricky Turcios fresh off a defeat to Raul Rosas Jr looks about right. Turcios has the cardio and grappling chops to cause Lee problems, and I think the guy with the best conditioning might claim the ‘W’ here.
Long Xiao – Will he be signed anyway? If they do, there’s a bunch of options. I like Bekzat Alkmakhan.
Ikram Aliskerov vs Chris Curtis – It’s strange to see someone lose to the #3 in any given division and acknowledge they probably aren’t going to be ranked – but this is what happens when you’re dangerously overmatched! It has happened to Abus Magomedov (to a lesser degree), and it’s now happened to Ikram Aliskerov. Still, he should have every opportunity to face someone like Chris Curtis and try to get that top 15 spot, in what would be an intriguing clash of styles. Curtis, a huge counter puncher, against a dangerous finisher with legit wrestling chops in Ikram. Does Aliskerov steamroll Curtis, or does Curtis knock his head off?
Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida – The problem Volkov has got he’s already lost to all of Aspinall, Gane and Blaydes, while Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic look like they’re on the retirement trail and/or are tied up for some time. On that basis, it’s unfortunate that Volkov follows a 4-fight win streak with a fight against a lower-ranked opponent, but in the interest of fresh match ups… let’s do it.
Sergei Pavlovich vs Marcin Tybura/Sergei Spivac Winner – Pavlovich falls to a second straight defeat and was comprehensively out-boxed tonight. He needs to bounce back, and the winner of Tybura-Spivac looks like a great opportunity for him to do that – but only if he can he halt the slide!
Kelvin Gastelum vs Abus Magomedov – Abus is that guy who needs an opponent occupying the space between the top 15 and the absolute mid-tier fighters, and thus far he doesn’t seem to have had that opportunity. Kelvin Gastelum occupies that space, he’s good, but he’s not great, and his weight issues demand he goes back to 185 in my view. Can Gastelum outwork the German-based Russian? Or can Abus put him down with that big power?
Daniel Rodriguez vs Jake Matthews – D-Rod was done a little dirty tonight (a lot dirty in fact), and so I’m against cutting the 37 year old despite being on a 3-fight skid. Give him Jake Matthews, not an easy opponent by any means, but certainly beatable. If D-Rod can arrest the slide, more power to him, otherwise he would represent one of Matthews’ best wins of late.
Shara Magomedov vs Gregory Rodrigues – Shara got it done against a very static opponent and showed glimpses of improved takedown defence. He needs a war, though, in order to capture the hearts and minds of the UFC fans, because so far he’s running entirely on pre-UFC outings. Robocop won’t give him an easy fight, yet at the same time, could be ripe to eat a bunch of nasty kicks… Just book it, there’s not much to lose, and not much worth protecting, either, without at least one exciting performance to back up all the hype.
Antonio Trocoli vs Ihor Potieria – Trocoli landed some punches early and was victim of an egregious fence grab in R2, but overall his performance was bizarre and static. I’m guessing he just dumped everything in R1, and had nothing left. Give him a bounce-back opportunity against Ihor Potieria, two big dudes and hopefully we get a better fight.
Volkan Oezdemir vs Jan Blachowicz – A run at the title for Volkan Oezdemir had seemed unrealistic, but with Jan Blachowicz being such a revered figure at 205 and one of the few fresh match ups for Volkan, it’s not an impossibility. Tonight’s destruction of a tentative-looking Johnny Walker is highlight reel stuff, but can he get past the now-41 year old Polish stalwart?
Johnny Walker vs Dom Reyes – Both these guys have serious issues with their chins, and neither will want to get KO’d here, and while it could happen with matchmaking like this, at least both fighters are in the same boat. May the best glass cannon win, and maybe the loser considers calling it a day?
Nasrat Haqparast vs Carlos Diego Ferreira – Gruelling win for Nasrat Haqparast tonight, his fourth in a row! While I don’t think it puts him in contention for a rankings spot, he’s well on his way. Give him the still-dangerous Brazilian veteran Carlos Diego Ferreira next. Ferreira has rattled off back-to-back TKO’s, and while he’s pretty much a once-a-year fighter at this point, I think he can still give Nasrat a real run for his money.
Jared Gordon vs Mateusz Rebecki – Tough defeat for Jared Gordon, who once again comes close to gaining momentum, only to stumble to a narrow decision defeat. Give him Polish grappler Rebecki next, Rebecki saw a win streak snapped last time out against Diego Ferreira (see above) and looked a little outclassed at times. Gordon will have to face a totally different stylistic challenge here, but if he can shut down Rebecki’s wrestling, he’ll have a great chance to record a very creditable win.
Felipe Lima vs Muin Gafurov – Huge victory for Lima, he looked like he was starting to slow down after a blistering first round, but came in round three and choked out Naimov! I want to see him drop back to bantamweight for his next fight, though, and you know who potentially awaits him at 135? UFC’s other Tajik, Muin Gafurov, who picked up a great win over Korean veteran Kyung Ho Kang! I like the story, I like the potential for Muin to avenge Naimov, let’s do it!
Muhammad Naimov vs Melquizael Costa – I was ready to strap the jetpack to Naimov and give him someone like Nate ‘The Train’ Landwehr, but that’s how quickly things change! Naimov sees a 6-fight win streak snapped (3 in the UFC) and now finds himself dragged back into the featherweight peloton. Melqy Costa could await him, the Brazilian 2-2 in the UFC after a victory over Shayilan Nuerdanbieke last time out, this should be a fun prelim!
Rinat Fakhretdinov vs Vicente Luque – I personally thought Dalby won the fight, but I don’t book on what I think happened, I book on what actually happened. Rinat climbs to 23-2-1, and while he’s never looked water tight and has a bad habit of fading, I think he has a legitimate shot at beating Vicente Luque at this stage. Luque is the #13 welterweight, but it feels like a matter of time before the veteran drops out of the rankings. This fight could do it – or Luque could roll back the clock and produce a vintage performance against a guy who noticeably slows?
Nicolas Dalby vs Carlos Prates – Such a shame for Dalby, who saw a four-fight win streak snapped after a dour final round wrestling halt-assault from Rinat, but he has to take it on the chin. He isn’t a guy who fights like he’s 39, so let’s keep putting him against relevant opponents. Carlos Prates has looked like a killer – but a lot of guys look like killers until they face someone like Dalby. Let’s see what he’s got!
Muin Gafurov vs Felipe Lima (see above)
Kyung Ho Kang vs Douglas Silva de Andrade – “Mr Perfect” looked anything but perfect tonight, though he did still display some slick grappling and got the better of most of the wrestling exchanges. He looked a little too hittable and seemed damaged by most of Muin’s strikes, however, and it has me wondering how long he’ll last in the UFC. Still, his overall UFC strike rate is decent at 8-5, and better than Douglas Silva’s at 7-6… but Douglas has fought at a consistently high level, and probably comes in favourite to fold the Korean veteran like a deck chair here. Or not. Let’s see!
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs Ibo Aslan – MG didn’t look like the uber-elite Dagestani entrant tonight, but he did do enough to win fairly comfortably, and Brendson’s ground game (one dangerous guillotine attempt aside) wasn’t the answer. MG did see his leg take a battering, though, and generally didn’t look like finishing this fight. If he stays at 205 (he looks undersized to me), this is not the time to rush him, he needs seasoning. Give him ‘The Last Ottoman’ Ibo Aslan. Two guys with great numerical records, but some holes in their games. Ibo having never been to a decision is a good indicator we get a finish, possibly MG’s first in the UFC.
Brendson Ribeiro vs Tuco Tokkos – Brendson is entry-level, not especially good at anything in particular, but well-rounded enough to pose problems to fighters who don’t belong. Honestly, I don’t feel Tokkos belongs, and Brendson should theoretically win this one. Alternatively, both guys will end up fighting future DWCS newcomers.
Chang Ho Lee vs Ricky Turcios – Chang Ho Lee squeaks home to claim the Road to UFC Bantamweight tournament title, a decision a few seemed to disagree with. Nonetheless, I think the UFC will give him a bantamweight opponent with a little bit of name value, and Ricky Turcios fresh off a defeat to Raul Rosas Jr looks about right. Turcios has the cardio and grappling chops to cause Lee problems, and I think the guy with the best conditioning might claim the ‘W’ here.
Long Xiao – Will he be signed anyway? If they do, there’s a bunch of options. I like Bekzat Alkmakhan.
