Derrick Lewis vs. Shamil Gaziev - Curtis Blaydes just blew out his knee less than a month ago. Everyone else ahead of Lewis is booked or has something in the works, including Acosta. Spivak makes sense on paper because he's ahead of Lewis and technically coming off a (robbery) loss... but that fight feels too recent to run a rematch. I'd rather have something fresh and this would be a banger.
Tallison Teixeira vs. Rizvan Kuniev - I think Kuniev being inserted into the rankings despite his losing effort against Blaydes is an indication that the UFC sees some potential in him and also is a consolation prize for what many people saw as an arguable Decision. Given that, I think it's fair to have him fight up the rankings rather than play gatekeeper against some random.
Gabriel Bonfim vs. Gilbert Burns - Questionable win, but Gabriel's had a decent run in the UFC thus far. I think another fight against a gritty veteran would be a solid step up. This would also be a fun clash between two guys who are both "BJJ guys with hands".
Stephen Thompson vs. Jake Matthews - Jake has a surprising amount of momentum right now. Sitting just outside the Top 15 on a win streak, maybe he's finally turned that corner. Might as well give him a chance to prove it.
Steve Garcia vs. Josh Emmett - I shouldn't have to sell this fight to you.
Calvin Kattar vs. Chepe Mariscal - If I was in Calvin's circle, I'd be urging him to hang them up or at least take a massive step down in competition. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the UFC is merely going to bump him down to #15 and then feed him to an up-and-comer.
Morgan Charriere vs. Sean Woodson
Nate Landwehr vs. Bill Algeo - Both scrappy guys with big personalities who need to get back on track.
Vitor Petrino vs. Jhonata Diniz - Why not? The fight was already previously scheduled, but ended up not happening. Both guys have gone out and gotten wins at HW since then. Put it back together and see who keeps moving toward the Top 15.
Austen Lane vs. Sean Sharaf or Alvin Hines - Realistically Lane is probably getting cut at this point, but the UFC has surprised me before. Regardless, these two guys represent the absolute bottom of the barrel for him if he sticks around.
Tuco Tokkos vs. Bruno Lopes - Let Tuco prove he can put together sustained success at 205. This is a step up in competition, albeit a moderate one.
Junior Tafa vs. Ivan Erslan - Ivan came into the UFC as an okayish Euro prospect, but hasn't realized any success inside the cage yet. He's known for making everything a pocket brawl, so Tafa doesn't really have an excuse not to look live here.
Chris Curtis vs. Randy Brown - This fight has the potential to be a showcase for Brown who's already on the cusp of being ranked... and would also force Curtis to display whether he's patched up the holes in his game.
Max Griffin vs. Punahele Soriano - Puna at 170 has intrigued me and I want to see more of him. Max is difficult to put away and can be tricky if you underestimate his game, though, so I'd be eager to see how Puna approaches the fight.
Chidi Njokuani vs. Jacobe Smith - Chidi lost any momentum he had and now has to fight back against an up-and-comer. Given that last performance and his career, I think the onus is on him to show that he can stop a strong heavy-handed wrestler like Jacobe.
Eduarda Moura vs. Miranda Maverick - Moura is now on a win streak at Flyweight... might as well go ahead and let her have a shot at the Top 15 seeing as how WMMA is a bit thin. Miranda is a tough customer and will test her everywhere.
Valter Walker vs. Tai Tuivasa - Fuck it, straight to the Top 10 with Valter. Three heel hooks in a row is crazy, I don't care if he is doing it against HW slobs. Valter should be rewarded for what he's done and meanwhile Tai is given a chance to prove his relevance again... and to prove that he's not a liability on the ground anymore.
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Thomas Petersen - That was embarrassing for Kennedy. He needs to show that he can handle HW grapplers and Petersen is fresh off a win and will likely come with a gameplan to ground Kennedy and potentially finish him on the mat. Not the most elite match-up but either way, one more HW to continue heading toward the Top 15 when all is said and done.
Mike Davis vs. Ismael Bonfim - Mike needs to stay active and keep proving himself against higher levels of competition, while Bonfim needs to maintain some semblance of consistency. Honestly, lots of options for Davis here, though.
Mitch Ramirez vs. Kody Steele - Kody Steele was a highly-touted prospect in his debut... but looked badly outmatched. He desperately needs a step down in competition and it doesn't get much lower than Ramirez. Alternatively, however, you can set up a "loser leaves town" match-up between Ramirez and either Anshul Jubli or Victor Martinez -- two guys who have both been (T)KO'd twice in a row like Mitch.
Fatima Kline vs. Loser of Hill/Lucindo
Melissa Martinez vs. Puja Tomar
