D
Deleted member 585708
Guest
THE WINNER'S CIRCLE:
Israel Adesanya vs Dricus du Plessis – The UFC manufactured a fresh opponent for the dominant UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya, and his feud with Alex Pereira has breathed new life not only into the 185 division, but also the UFC main event scene as a whole! Alex Pereira may be moving up to 205 next, otherwise he's a shoe-in for a trilogy fight. On the assumption that Dana White is correct about Pereira's move to light heavyweight, I'd love to see the fresh challengers continue coming. DDP is an unusual striker, and an awkward opponent. Izzy may outclass the South African, but Dricus has been putting on entertaining fights – and winning – since entering the UFC in late 2020. After stopping Brunson, DDP gets my nod.
Gilbert Burns vs Shavkat Rakhmonov – All right, Shavkat, show us what you've got. Gilbert Burns represents the ultimate contender eliminator fight at this stage, and a win over him would instantly solidify Shavkat as a serious challenger – if he can get past him... Khamzat managed it, but was in the fight of his life before costing himself title shot credentials with nonsensical weight issues. Burns has beaten Magny and Masvidal back-to-back, but Shavkat has been a human wrecking ball – and boasts a 100 % finish rate, and is one of the most exciting prospects in MMA. He did look human against Geoff Neal, but his third round submission shows he very much belongs. Let's go!
Rob Font vs Dominick Cruz – Rob Font was on the cusp of being written off ahead of his fight with surging prospect Adrian Yanez, but Font stood his ground, and showed the sheer gulf between 6th and 12th in one of the most competitive divisions in the UFC. An eye catching first round TKO, Yanez was completely overwhelmed by Font's boxing, and Rob now earns himself an intriguing clash with Dominick Cruz in my opinion. Cruz picked up a pair of high level wins in 2021, but a loss to Marlon Vera set him back a little despite looking good throughout. Two guys here who like to lead from the front, typically winning fights until something happens – who pulls ahead in this one?
Kevin Holland vs Muslim Salikhov – I loved Holland's call out of Jorge Masvidal, but it always seemed a little optimistic. With Masvidal retiring, that one is out the window – but Muslim Salikhov would give him another striking battle, and Holland doesn't lose many of those... Salikhov is an old war horse, but he isn't done yet, as he showed by stopping Andre Fialho last time out. Winner will be right on the cusp of the rankings.
Christian Rodriguez vs Rinya Nakamura – CeeRod showed everyone what happens when all the focus is one corner, and not the other. A significant underdog against touted 18 year old prospect Raul Rosas Jr, Rodriguez stood his ground and played the part of spoiler superbly. Cool under pressure won't look the same against Rinya, however, another hugely touted new prospect from Japan. Nonetheless, CeeRod has that unique opportunity to become something of a scalp collector if he can pull this off...
Kelvin Gastelum vs Andre Muniz – Every now and again someone goes on a losing streak against top level opposition, and usually gets written off as a result. Kelvin Gastelum pumped the brakes on the 'done and dusted' narrative, out-striking Chris Curtis en route to a decision win. The fact remains, though, that Gastelum's losses and inactivity leave him with a lack of credible wins against current top 15 middleweights. That said, try and get him back in there ASAP against Andre Muniz, the mat wizard. An intriguing styles clash, Muniz has beaten strikers and grapplers alike in his meteoric rise, only to run into the well-rounded Brendan Allen. Who takes it?
Luana Pinheiro vs Tecia Torres – Luana's aggression played a huge part in a highly entertaining strawweight clash, which saw her sneak past Michelle Waterson-Gomez. Tecia Torres lost by the same Split Decision margin last time out to Mackenzie Dern, but has long established herself as a gatekeeper to the top 5. Can Luana continue to climb, or is this her ceiling?
Joseph Pyfer vs Christian Leroy Duncan – We didn't get to see what Duncan was really made of in his UFC debut, as an injury to Dusko Todorovic cut it short – but every suggestion is that the Englishman could make a great foil to heavy-handed (and popular) Joseph Pyfer. The fact either of these guys could emerge as a future star with the correct build makes it a bit of a no lose for the UFC.
Lupita Godinez vs Michell Waterson-Gomez – Loopy Godinez may have been overrated by the bookies once more, but the Mexican favourite did squeak out a win nonetheless against one-time contender Cynthia Calvillo. Can she pick off another veteran in the very dangerous Michelle Waterson-Gomez? It should be an all-action scrap with, really, very little downside.
Ignacio Bahamondes vs Jai Herbert – Ignacio Bahamondes rolled on with his third straight victory, leaving Trey Ogden looking a little starry-eyed and slow. I want to see him face another tall, rangy striker next, and see how he looks against Herbert. Herbert has only lost to legitimate quality, so that would elevate Ignacio to that level quite quickly if he can win – otherwise, Jai rolls on.
Steve Garcia vs Tucker Lutz – Steve Garcia picked up the best win of his career to date by out-lasting and punishing Chinese finisher Shayilan. All of Garcia's UFC conquests so far have had significant weaknesses in one form or another (see Ontiveros and Chase Hooper), but Tucker Lutz would represent a better-rounded opponent in what should amount to a fun fight.
Sam Hughes vs Cheyanne Vlismas – Sam Hughes has really cornered the market in terms of rolling out the welcome wagon to touted UFC newcomers. Jaqueline Amorim, predictably, threatened early with her submission arsenal, but once Hughes had ridden that out for a round, this one became academic. Don't turn up at this level if you aren't ready to go 15 minutes, it's that simple. Give Hughes a step up now, in Cheyanne Vlismas. Vlismas needs to put a winning run together if she's to remain relevant after emerging with a ton of hype – but Hughes won't care about any of that. She will just do what she does best: test her opponent for weaknesses, and exploit them as appropriate.
BEATEN BUT NOT BROKEN:
Alex Pereira vs Jan Blachowicz – Alex Pereira remains a huge name despite the knock out loss to Izzy, and if he does indeed move up to 205, there's no reason for a big step down. Give him Jan Blachowicz, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion who, even at 40, is a massive test for anyone. Jan holds a famous win over Izzy himself, but that was a couple of years ago now, and he's failed to win 2 of his last 3 against the division's elite. Unlike with Adesanya, Pereira won't have a significant size disadvantage despite moving up, and if he can avoid getting grappled, he can absolutely win this.
Adrian Yanez vs Victor Henry – Adrian Yanez had looked phenomenal leading up to the Rob Font fight, but he has had setbacks nonetheless, particularly with the death of long-term coach Saul Soliz. It may be time to Yanez to move out of Texas at this point, but he can likely still get a very entertaining fight out of highly talented veteran Victor Henry, who is only likely to get matched up with highly rated opponents during his UFC tenure. He's already beaten Barcelos and Gravely, but failed to best Raphael Assuncao in his only UFC defeat. He provides a massive test for Yanez – and vice versa, particularly on the feet.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Jake Matthews – Ponzinibbio continues to draw high level opposition, and while defeats have been coming more and more frequently since his 2 year lay off between 2019 and 2021, Jake Matthews is likely the right level for him now. A slight step down, without being an incompetent opponent, Jake Matthews has firmly established himself in the mid-range mix.
Raul Rosas Jr vs Steven Koslow – Too much, too soon, but a valuable lesson for the overzealous teenager. Rosas Jr can rebuild back, and first round submission artist Koslow looks ideal with a 6-1 record. He lost to Cameron Saaiman in his UFC debut, another promising young kid. This could be a fun grappling fight, and a real opportunity for either to get back in the win column.
Chris Curtis vs Nassourdine Imavov – I'm sure Chris would take the opportunity to head to France for a fight like this against another ranked opponent – one that I'm not totally sure he's deserving of, but he did finish strong against Kelvin Gastelum, and certainly deserves to compete at this level. Imavov is very highly rated and well rounded, but can he out-fight another monster hitter?
Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs Lupita Godinez (see above)
Gerald Meerschaert vs Phil Hawes – A pretty poor performance from GM3 against Pyfer, but when he got hit, he stayed hit. Phil Hawes looks a very tough opponent, given his heavy hands and strong wrestling background, but Meerschaert is never beaten until he's beaten.
Trey Ogden vs Nazim Sadykhov – Sadykhov didn't look as good as billed in his UFC debut, in my opinion, but he still got past Evan Elder, and could use another stern, if unspectacular, test from Trey Ogden. Ogden keeps drawing prospects, and there's a good reason for that – like Sam Hughes, he's good enough to root out weaknesses.
Shayilan Nuerdanbieke vs Melsik Baghdasaryan – Two potent finishers with very different records, but who compete at a vaguely similar level – and should put on an absolute banger, if it's not ended too soon. I can't see either backing down here.
Jaqueline Amorim vs Viktoriya Dudakova – Amorim looked as legit as billed in her early grappling phases, nearly sinking in a rear naked choke on several occasions. After that, though, the Brazilian fell apart, and showed little potential outside the first round. Dudakova is a 6-0 debutant that people will probably keep an eye on, and speaking of: this fight will be easy on the eye, to boot.
OUTGOING:
Jorge Masvidal – RETIRED Jorge removed his gloves following the 52nd fight of a storied career! A man who will be remembered as a throwback to the much earlier days of MMA, fighting for such promotions as Strikeforce, Bodog, Sengoku, Bellator, Shark Fights, and finally the UFC, Masvidal will also forever be associated with the backyard boxing exploits of Kimbo Slice (RIP). Jorge has made his money in the game and now moves on as a promoter for Ikon Fights. All the best, Jorge!
Cynthia Calvillo – CUT – Calvillo will feel aggrieved to have lost to Godinez on the cards, but she never threatened to finish that fight, and doesn't seem to possess a real threat at this point. Talented? Sure, but 5 losses in a row is too much. I suppose Karolina Kowalkiewicz survived a similar run, but it's not for me.
Israel Adesanya vs Dricus du Plessis – The UFC manufactured a fresh opponent for the dominant UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya, and his feud with Alex Pereira has breathed new life not only into the 185 division, but also the UFC main event scene as a whole! Alex Pereira may be moving up to 205 next, otherwise he's a shoe-in for a trilogy fight. On the assumption that Dana White is correct about Pereira's move to light heavyweight, I'd love to see the fresh challengers continue coming. DDP is an unusual striker, and an awkward opponent. Izzy may outclass the South African, but Dricus has been putting on entertaining fights – and winning – since entering the UFC in late 2020. After stopping Brunson, DDP gets my nod.
Gilbert Burns vs Shavkat Rakhmonov – All right, Shavkat, show us what you've got. Gilbert Burns represents the ultimate contender eliminator fight at this stage, and a win over him would instantly solidify Shavkat as a serious challenger – if he can get past him... Khamzat managed it, but was in the fight of his life before costing himself title shot credentials with nonsensical weight issues. Burns has beaten Magny and Masvidal back-to-back, but Shavkat has been a human wrecking ball – and boasts a 100 % finish rate, and is one of the most exciting prospects in MMA. He did look human against Geoff Neal, but his third round submission shows he very much belongs. Let's go!
Rob Font vs Dominick Cruz – Rob Font was on the cusp of being written off ahead of his fight with surging prospect Adrian Yanez, but Font stood his ground, and showed the sheer gulf between 6th and 12th in one of the most competitive divisions in the UFC. An eye catching first round TKO, Yanez was completely overwhelmed by Font's boxing, and Rob now earns himself an intriguing clash with Dominick Cruz in my opinion. Cruz picked up a pair of high level wins in 2021, but a loss to Marlon Vera set him back a little despite looking good throughout. Two guys here who like to lead from the front, typically winning fights until something happens – who pulls ahead in this one?
Kevin Holland vs Muslim Salikhov – I loved Holland's call out of Jorge Masvidal, but it always seemed a little optimistic. With Masvidal retiring, that one is out the window – but Muslim Salikhov would give him another striking battle, and Holland doesn't lose many of those... Salikhov is an old war horse, but he isn't done yet, as he showed by stopping Andre Fialho last time out. Winner will be right on the cusp of the rankings.
Christian Rodriguez vs Rinya Nakamura – CeeRod showed everyone what happens when all the focus is one corner, and not the other. A significant underdog against touted 18 year old prospect Raul Rosas Jr, Rodriguez stood his ground and played the part of spoiler superbly. Cool under pressure won't look the same against Rinya, however, another hugely touted new prospect from Japan. Nonetheless, CeeRod has that unique opportunity to become something of a scalp collector if he can pull this off...
Kelvin Gastelum vs Andre Muniz – Every now and again someone goes on a losing streak against top level opposition, and usually gets written off as a result. Kelvin Gastelum pumped the brakes on the 'done and dusted' narrative, out-striking Chris Curtis en route to a decision win. The fact remains, though, that Gastelum's losses and inactivity leave him with a lack of credible wins against current top 15 middleweights. That said, try and get him back in there ASAP against Andre Muniz, the mat wizard. An intriguing styles clash, Muniz has beaten strikers and grapplers alike in his meteoric rise, only to run into the well-rounded Brendan Allen. Who takes it?
Luana Pinheiro vs Tecia Torres – Luana's aggression played a huge part in a highly entertaining strawweight clash, which saw her sneak past Michelle Waterson-Gomez. Tecia Torres lost by the same Split Decision margin last time out to Mackenzie Dern, but has long established herself as a gatekeeper to the top 5. Can Luana continue to climb, or is this her ceiling?
Joseph Pyfer vs Christian Leroy Duncan – We didn't get to see what Duncan was really made of in his UFC debut, as an injury to Dusko Todorovic cut it short – but every suggestion is that the Englishman could make a great foil to heavy-handed (and popular) Joseph Pyfer. The fact either of these guys could emerge as a future star with the correct build makes it a bit of a no lose for the UFC.
Lupita Godinez vs Michell Waterson-Gomez – Loopy Godinez may have been overrated by the bookies once more, but the Mexican favourite did squeak out a win nonetheless against one-time contender Cynthia Calvillo. Can she pick off another veteran in the very dangerous Michelle Waterson-Gomez? It should be an all-action scrap with, really, very little downside.
Ignacio Bahamondes vs Jai Herbert – Ignacio Bahamondes rolled on with his third straight victory, leaving Trey Ogden looking a little starry-eyed and slow. I want to see him face another tall, rangy striker next, and see how he looks against Herbert. Herbert has only lost to legitimate quality, so that would elevate Ignacio to that level quite quickly if he can win – otherwise, Jai rolls on.
Steve Garcia vs Tucker Lutz – Steve Garcia picked up the best win of his career to date by out-lasting and punishing Chinese finisher Shayilan. All of Garcia's UFC conquests so far have had significant weaknesses in one form or another (see Ontiveros and Chase Hooper), but Tucker Lutz would represent a better-rounded opponent in what should amount to a fun fight.
Sam Hughes vs Cheyanne Vlismas – Sam Hughes has really cornered the market in terms of rolling out the welcome wagon to touted UFC newcomers. Jaqueline Amorim, predictably, threatened early with her submission arsenal, but once Hughes had ridden that out for a round, this one became academic. Don't turn up at this level if you aren't ready to go 15 minutes, it's that simple. Give Hughes a step up now, in Cheyanne Vlismas. Vlismas needs to put a winning run together if she's to remain relevant after emerging with a ton of hype – but Hughes won't care about any of that. She will just do what she does best: test her opponent for weaknesses, and exploit them as appropriate.
BEATEN BUT NOT BROKEN:
Alex Pereira vs Jan Blachowicz – Alex Pereira remains a huge name despite the knock out loss to Izzy, and if he does indeed move up to 205, there's no reason for a big step down. Give him Jan Blachowicz, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion who, even at 40, is a massive test for anyone. Jan holds a famous win over Izzy himself, but that was a couple of years ago now, and he's failed to win 2 of his last 3 against the division's elite. Unlike with Adesanya, Pereira won't have a significant size disadvantage despite moving up, and if he can avoid getting grappled, he can absolutely win this.
Adrian Yanez vs Victor Henry – Adrian Yanez had looked phenomenal leading up to the Rob Font fight, but he has had setbacks nonetheless, particularly with the death of long-term coach Saul Soliz. It may be time to Yanez to move out of Texas at this point, but he can likely still get a very entertaining fight out of highly talented veteran Victor Henry, who is only likely to get matched up with highly rated opponents during his UFC tenure. He's already beaten Barcelos and Gravely, but failed to best Raphael Assuncao in his only UFC defeat. He provides a massive test for Yanez – and vice versa, particularly on the feet.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Jake Matthews – Ponzinibbio continues to draw high level opposition, and while defeats have been coming more and more frequently since his 2 year lay off between 2019 and 2021, Jake Matthews is likely the right level for him now. A slight step down, without being an incompetent opponent, Jake Matthews has firmly established himself in the mid-range mix.
Raul Rosas Jr vs Steven Koslow – Too much, too soon, but a valuable lesson for the overzealous teenager. Rosas Jr can rebuild back, and first round submission artist Koslow looks ideal with a 6-1 record. He lost to Cameron Saaiman in his UFC debut, another promising young kid. This could be a fun grappling fight, and a real opportunity for either to get back in the win column.
Chris Curtis vs Nassourdine Imavov – I'm sure Chris would take the opportunity to head to France for a fight like this against another ranked opponent – one that I'm not totally sure he's deserving of, but he did finish strong against Kelvin Gastelum, and certainly deserves to compete at this level. Imavov is very highly rated and well rounded, but can he out-fight another monster hitter?
Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs Lupita Godinez (see above)
Gerald Meerschaert vs Phil Hawes – A pretty poor performance from GM3 against Pyfer, but when he got hit, he stayed hit. Phil Hawes looks a very tough opponent, given his heavy hands and strong wrestling background, but Meerschaert is never beaten until he's beaten.
Trey Ogden vs Nazim Sadykhov – Sadykhov didn't look as good as billed in his UFC debut, in my opinion, but he still got past Evan Elder, and could use another stern, if unspectacular, test from Trey Ogden. Ogden keeps drawing prospects, and there's a good reason for that – like Sam Hughes, he's good enough to root out weaknesses.
Shayilan Nuerdanbieke vs Melsik Baghdasaryan – Two potent finishers with very different records, but who compete at a vaguely similar level – and should put on an absolute banger, if it's not ended too soon. I can't see either backing down here.
Jaqueline Amorim vs Viktoriya Dudakova – Amorim looked as legit as billed in her early grappling phases, nearly sinking in a rear naked choke on several occasions. After that, though, the Brazilian fell apart, and showed little potential outside the first round. Dudakova is a 6-0 debutant that people will probably keep an eye on, and speaking of: this fight will be easy on the eye, to boot.
OUTGOING:
Jorge Masvidal – RETIRED Jorge removed his gloves following the 52nd fight of a storied career! A man who will be remembered as a throwback to the much earlier days of MMA, fighting for such promotions as Strikeforce, Bodog, Sengoku, Bellator, Shark Fights, and finally the UFC, Masvidal will also forever be associated with the backyard boxing exploits of Kimbo Slice (RIP). Jorge has made his money in the game and now moves on as a promoter for Ikon Fights. All the best, Jorge!
Cynthia Calvillo – CUT – Calvillo will feel aggrieved to have lost to Godinez on the cards, but she never threatened to finish that fight, and doesn't seem to possess a real threat at this point. Talented? Sure, but 5 losses in a row is too much. I suppose Karolina Kowalkiewicz survived a similar run, but it's not for me.
