UFC Halifax: Browne vs. Lewis fights to make

All the best, most interesting, and absolutely coolest fights to make following last weekend’s UFC event in Halifax.

UFC Halifax looked like it had the potential to be every bit as uninspired a card as UFC 208 before it. A main event with two fighters known as much for their limitations as their skills, a co-main featuring two vets on the wrong side of their primes, and a card filled with fighters who have yet to establish themselves as consistent action talent. However, where UFC 208 failed miserably, UFC Halifax delivered in spades. Five highlight finishes and six up-tempo decisions that kept the card moving with fewer commercial breaks than normal.

And that means that there are a lot of matchups to get excited about on the other side. Fighters looking to make a name for themselves (or re-make a name) showed up and delivered. So, what’s next? I’ll be following the classic UFC booking method to pick the best available bouts for each fighter. Winners vs. Winners, losers vs. losers, and similarly tenured talent against one another.

If you want a chance to book fights too, start a comment below with the phrase “With all my trainin’ and all the sex I been gettin’ my body needs some time off.” I’ll pick one winner below to join me next time. This week’s guest fight booker is Dylan Glenn, back for the second time.

Now, let’s get to the fights!

DERRICK LEWIS:

Dylan – This dude is an absolute monster. He survived the initial onslaught of kicks and joined an exclusive group of people to beat Travis Browne. He has emerged as a great prospect for the shallow heavyweight division. Next up, he should fight another top prospect and another monster in Francis Ngannou. That would be the best heavyweight fight in a long time. It could propel the winner into the title picture in the not-so-distant future.

Zane – It really is hard to deny the idea of Lewis vs. Ngannou right now. Ngannou has even shot up the rankings higher than Lewis before this latest win for the “Black Beast.” Two of the UFC’s newest top-ranked heavyweights facing off for an opportunity to make a title run? Hard to argue against that. The only argument I could see against it would be for Lewis to fight the Overeem/Hunt winner. Either way, Lewis suggested he wants to take some time off after his latest win, so it may be that his opportunities change a lot in the meantime. Lewis vs. Ngannou is the best fight to book right now.

TRAVIS BROWNE:

Dylan – Browne looked great, until he got caught. His kicks were really well placed and he had Lewis hurt bad in the first round. However, at the end of the night, he was sleeping on the canvas as another of “The Black Beast’s” victims. Next, I think is the Mark Hunt/Alistair Overeem loser. On one end, is Hunt, a guy in the top 10 he hasn’t yet fought but on the other end is a much improved Alistair Overeem from when they first met. If he loses another bout, he could be looking at the end of his tenure.

Zane – I wouldn’t say no to a rematch between Browne and Overeem, but the real gem would be Browne vs. Hunt off a loss. The other fight I’d be happy to see would be if Rothwell loses to Werdum. Browne vs. Rothwell is a bout that feels like it really needs to happen while they’re both under UFC contract. If Hunt and Rothwell both win, then I say make Browne vs. Roy Nelson. There are enough new fights out there to not replay Browne/Overeem.

JOHNY HENDRICKS:

Dylan – Well, all I can say is that Johny looked significantly better at middleweight than before. He looked really relaxed, and didn’t get exhausted in the second round as he previously has. I think the next move for “Big Rig” is a matchup in an attempt to get in the top 15 (for either guy). That’s why I like Johny vs Brad Tavares. It gives Hendricks a chance to prove himself at 185, but also for Tavares to get a big win over a top guy. I could also see a fight against Nick Diaz (if Diaz doesn’t decline the fight).

Zane – I don’t know that I trust Tavares to stay healthy enough to really plan a booking around him. And also, despite Hendricks’ run of bad performances, Tavares is a bit too much of a non-entity in the division these days for that matchup. He’s coming off a loss, but it was a notable, controversial loss, so I’m gonna say the UFC should book Hendricks against Derek Brunson. It’d be a chance for Hendricks to really assert himself immediately at the top of 185, and a quick chance for Brunson to get the notable win he missed against Anderson Silva.

HECTOR LOMBARD:

Dylan – I’m torn on Lombard here. He fought a close fight with Hendricks but again came out on the wrong side of the equation. In fact, he hasn’t won since 2014, almost 3 years ago. I feel that Hector may be on his last leg in the UFC. That is if he can’t pull off a win in his next bout. There are two fights that I can see for Lombard those being either Chris Camozzi or Uriah Hall and I think Camozzi is the better choice. The only reason is because Hall is technically ranked and I don’t think Hector deserves a chance to get back into the rankings.

Zane – Camozzi vs. Lombard is definitely a good fight. As is Lombard vs. Hall. Instead, I’m going to say book Lombard vs. Marquardt for the battle of old dudes who are still dangerous but have had trouble finding any sort of consistent UFC form. Lombard may be the favorite there as his chin has held up better lately, but he’s also had a lot, lot more trouble getting any kind of UFC wins going. Put them on the silver circuit and make Lombard/Marquardt happen. As someone very astutely noted below… I totally forgot that fight already happened. In it’s place I guess we’ll just have to agree on Camozzi.

ELIAS THEODOROU:

Dylan – Big win for the Canadian in a really close fight between the two. I half expected a split decision and somewhat disagree with that 30-27 score but a win is a win. At this point with a record of 5-1 in the 185 pound division, Elias Theodorou should get a chance to emerge into the top 15. That’s why I like a bout between him and fellow middleweight prospect Krzysztof Jotko. Jotko is already top 15 talent and would be a very fun fight between two strikers. Both have put together some wins and could put one fighter in future contention.

Zane – That was a really important win for Theodorou. Ferreira may not have been ranked, but he has been in the absolute best form of his career and seemed (to me) primed to hand Theodorou a tough loss. Theodorou showed great toughness and consistency, however, to keep pressure high and get a close win that sets him up well to compete at the top of the division. He could fight Jotko, but I kinda feel like Jotko should get something bigger for styling on Thales Leites like he did. I’d love to see Theodorou take on Brad Tavares, but if Tavares’ injury troubles prevent that, a fight against Antonio Carlos Jr. would be a solid.

SARA MCMANN:

Dylan – McMann is in a good position in this tight bantamweight division. She’s now rattled off three straight victories and two by stoppage. She managed to finish Gina Mazany quickly and soundly. She could be closing in on a future title opportunity if she keeps the wins coming and I think a fight with Raquel Pennington would benefit both. They’re both in need of top 5 caliber competition to propel themselves into the title picture. It’s fits perfectly considering both women are on winning streaks of 3 and 4 respectively.

Zane – I still really like the McMann/Carmouche fight, but McMann’s overwhelming win definitely has her lined up for bigger things. The UFC’s bantamweight division has a very distinct need for title challengers right now. The return of Cyborg likely means that Nunes/Shevchenko gets booked, as Cyborg vs. the featherweight champ is the biggest fight in WMMA (without Rousey) at the moment. And the winner of that bantamweight fight needs someone to face. The winner of Pennington vs. McMann would have a strong argument for title contention. McMann/Pennington is the fight right now.

CARLA ESPARZA:

Dylan – A tough loss for the former Strawweight champ. Really close fight but I do agree with the decision. For Esparza, she really needed to rely on the wrestling that has gotten her by up to this point in her career. She would have had a better chance at the win if she attempted takedowns and embraced the grind. I think a fight within the top 10 is a must so I’m going to match Esparza up with Joanne Calderwood. It has the makings of a fun fight.

Zane – Esparza’s in a tough place as a wrestle-boxer without size or power. That makes it tough to hold people down and hard to dominate on the feet. A fight with Calderwood would be great, as Calderwood does have flair standing, but lacks a good wrestling and grappling game. I’d also like to see Esparza rematch Jessica Aguilar from their Bellator days. I would argue for Esparza vs. VanZant, but it seems like a bad idea for the UFC to book VanZant against non-drawing vets who could beat her. Eventually, however, I’m going to say Carla Esparza vs. Angela Hill. It’s a fight that speaks to the problems both women have shown in their games, while still matching top athletes who have shown competitiveness with the elite.

THIAGO SANTOS:

Dylan – What a crazy knockout! Man, that wheel kick was amazing and perfectly timed. Santos put up a great fight against Marshman and is improving every fight we see him in. I think a step-up in competition is in line for Santos. Right now, I don’t see anybody worthwhile at 185 that fits this so I’m going to go with the winner of Rashad Evans/Daniel Kelly at UFC 209. Either guy would be a big step-up for Thiago to prove he’s ready for even bigger fights and better opponents.

Zane – As much as the idea of Santos/Kelly delights the parts of me that would love to see Kelly trundle through another weird upset win, the idea of Santos/Evans just makes me worried. Instead, I think Santos would make the perfect entry fight for David Branch into the UFC. Santos is an action fighter with known flaws that Branch could exploit (namely defensive wrestling/grappling), but he’s also the kind of top shelf aggressive athlete that will test if Branch is ready to dive into elite MW competition. Santos vs. Branch would be a great debut for the former WSOF champ.

OTHER BOUTS: Tucker vs. Knight, Ferreira vs. Camozzi, Mazany vs. Faszholz, Felder vs. Taisumov, Ricci vs. Novelli, Ponzinibbio vs. Covington, Taleb vs. Barberena, Markos vs. Herrig, Zahabi vs. Ramos, Vieira vs. Grant, Marshman vs. Hermansson, Meerschaert vs. Spicely, Janes vs. Di Chirico

All the best, most interesting, and absolutely coolest fights to make following last weekend’s UFC event in Halifax.

UFC Halifax looked like it had the potential to be every bit as uninspired a card as UFC 208 before it. A main event with two fighters known as much for their limitations as their skills, a co-main featuring two vets on the wrong side of their primes, and a card filled with fighters who have yet to establish themselves as consistent action talent. However, where UFC 208 failed miserably, UFC Halifax delivered in spades. Five highlight finishes and six up-tempo decisions that kept the card moving with fewer commercial breaks than normal.

And that means that there are a lot of matchups to get excited about on the other side. Fighters looking to make a name for themselves (or re-make a name) showed up and delivered. So, what’s next? I’ll be following the classic UFC booking method to pick the best available bouts for each fighter. Winners vs. Winners, losers vs. losers, and similarly tenured talent against one another.

If you want a chance to book fights too, start a comment below with the phrase “With all my trainin’ and all the sex I been gettin’ my body needs some time off.” I’ll pick one winner below to join me next time. This week’s guest fight booker is Dylan Glenn, back for the second time.

Now, let’s get to the fights!

DERRICK LEWIS:

Dylan – This dude is an absolute monster. He survived the initial onslaught of kicks and joined an exclusive group of people to beat Travis Browne. He has emerged as a great prospect for the shallow heavyweight division. Next up, he should fight another top prospect and another monster in Francis Ngannou. That would be the best heavyweight fight in a long time. It could propel the winner into the title picture in the not-so-distant future.

Zane – It really is hard to deny the idea of Lewis vs. Ngannou right now. Ngannou has even shot up the rankings higher than Lewis before this latest win for the “Black Beast.” Two of the UFC’s newest top-ranked heavyweights facing off for an opportunity to make a title run? Hard to argue against that. The only argument I could see against it would be for Lewis to fight the Overeem/Hunt winner. Either way, Lewis suggested he wants to take some time off after his latest win, so it may be that his opportunities change a lot in the meantime. Lewis vs. Ngannou is the best fight to book right now.

TRAVIS BROWNE:

Dylan – Browne looked great, until he got caught. His kicks were really well placed and he had Lewis hurt bad in the first round. However, at the end of the night, he was sleeping on the canvas as another of “The Black Beast’s” victims. Next, I think is the Mark Hunt/Alistair Overeem loser. On one end, is Hunt, a guy in the top 10 he hasn’t yet fought but on the other end is a much improved Alistair Overeem from when they first met. If he loses another bout, he could be looking at the end of his tenure.

Zane – I wouldn’t say no to a rematch between Browne and Overeem, but the real gem would be Browne vs. Hunt off a loss. The other fight I’d be happy to see would be if Rothwell loses to Werdum. Browne vs. Rothwell is a bout that feels like it really needs to happen while they’re both under UFC contract. If Hunt and Rothwell both win, then I say make Browne vs. Roy Nelson. There are enough new fights out there to not replay Browne/Overeem.

JOHNY HENDRICKS:

Dylan – Well, all I can say is that Johny looked significantly better at middleweight than before. He looked really relaxed, and didn’t get exhausted in the second round as he previously has. I think the next move for “Big Rig” is a matchup in an attempt to get in the top 15 (for either guy). That’s why I like Johny vs Brad Tavares. It gives Hendricks a chance to prove himself at 185, but also for Tavares to get a big win over a top guy. I could also see a fight against Nick Diaz (if Diaz doesn’t decline the fight).

Zane – I don’t know that I trust Tavares to stay healthy enough to really plan a booking around him. And also, despite Hendricks’ run of bad performances, Tavares is a bit too much of a non-entity in the division these days for that matchup. He’s coming off a loss, but it was a notable, controversial loss, so I’m gonna say the UFC should book Hendricks against Derek Brunson. It’d be a chance for Hendricks to really assert himself immediately at the top of 185, and a quick chance for Brunson to get the notable win he missed against Anderson Silva.

HECTOR LOMBARD:

Dylan – I’m torn on Lombard here. He fought a close fight with Hendricks but again came out on the wrong side of the equation. In fact, he hasn’t won since 2014, almost 3 years ago. I feel that Hector may be on his last leg in the UFC. That is if he can’t pull off a win in his next bout. There are two fights that I can see for Lombard those being either Chris Camozzi or Uriah Hall and I think Camozzi is the better choice. The only reason is because Hall is technically ranked and I don’t think Hector deserves a chance to get back into the rankings.

Zane – Camozzi vs. Lombard is definitely a good fight. As is Lombard vs. Hall. Instead, I’m going to say book Lombard vs. Marquardt for the battle of old dudes who are still dangerous but have had trouble finding any sort of consistent UFC form. Lombard may be the favorite there as his chin has held up better lately, but he’s also had a lot, lot more trouble getting any kind of UFC wins going. Put them on the silver circuit and make Lombard/Marquardt happen. As someone very astutely noted below… I totally forgot that fight already happened. In it’s place I guess we’ll just have to agree on Camozzi.

ELIAS THEODOROU:

Dylan – Big win for the Canadian in a really close fight between the two. I half expected a split decision and somewhat disagree with that 30-27 score but a win is a win. At this point with a record of 5-1 in the 185 pound division, Elias Theodorou should get a chance to emerge into the top 15. That’s why I like a bout between him and fellow middleweight prospect Krzysztof Jotko. Jotko is already top 15 talent and would be a very fun fight between two strikers. Both have put together some wins and could put one fighter in future contention.

Zane – That was a really important win for Theodorou. Ferreira may not have been ranked, but he has been in the absolute best form of his career and seemed (to me) primed to hand Theodorou a tough loss. Theodorou showed great toughness and consistency, however, to keep pressure high and get a close win that sets him up well to compete at the top of the division. He could fight Jotko, but I kinda feel like Jotko should get something bigger for styling on Thales Leites like he did. I’d love to see Theodorou take on Brad Tavares, but if Tavares’ injury troubles prevent that, a fight against Antonio Carlos Jr. would be a solid.

SARA MCMANN:

Dylan – McMann is in a good position in this tight bantamweight division. She’s now rattled off three straight victories and two by stoppage. She managed to finish Gina Mazany quickly and soundly. She could be closing in on a future title opportunity if she keeps the wins coming and I think a fight with Raquel Pennington would benefit both. They’re both in need of top 5 caliber competition to propel themselves into the title picture. It’s fits perfectly considering both women are on winning streaks of 3 and 4 respectively.

Zane – I still really like the McMann/Carmouche fight, but McMann’s overwhelming win definitely has her lined up for bigger things. The UFC’s bantamweight division has a very distinct need for title challengers right now. The return of Cyborg likely means that Nunes/Shevchenko gets booked, as Cyborg vs. the featherweight champ is the biggest fight in WMMA (without Rousey) at the moment. And the winner of that bantamweight fight needs someone to face. The winner of Pennington vs. McMann would have a strong argument for title contention. McMann/Pennington is the fight right now.

CARLA ESPARZA:

Dylan – A tough loss for the former Strawweight champ. Really close fight but I do agree with the decision. For Esparza, she really needed to rely on the wrestling that has gotten her by up to this point in her career. She would have had a better chance at the win if she attempted takedowns and embraced the grind. I think a fight within the top 10 is a must so I’m going to match Esparza up with Joanne Calderwood. It has the makings of a fun fight.

Zane – Esparza’s in a tough place as a wrestle-boxer without size or power. That makes it tough to hold people down and hard to dominate on the feet. A fight with Calderwood would be great, as Calderwood does have flair standing, but lacks a good wrestling and grappling game. I’d also like to see Esparza rematch Jessica Aguilar from their Bellator days. I would argue for Esparza vs. VanZant, but it seems like a bad idea for the UFC to book VanZant against non-drawing vets who could beat her. Eventually, however, I’m going to say Carla Esparza vs. Angela Hill. It’s a fight that speaks to the problems both women have shown in their games, while still matching top athletes who have shown competitiveness with the elite.

THIAGO SANTOS:

Dylan – What a crazy knockout! Man, that wheel kick was amazing and perfectly timed. Santos put up a great fight against Marshman and is improving every fight we see him in. I think a step-up in competition is in line for Santos. Right now, I don’t see anybody worthwhile at 185 that fits this so I’m going to go with the winner of Rashad Evans/Daniel Kelly at UFC 209. Either guy would be a big step-up for Thiago to prove he’s ready for even bigger fights and better opponents.

Zane – As much as the idea of Santos/Kelly delights the parts of me that would love to see Kelly trundle through another weird upset win, the idea of Santos/Evans just makes me worried. Instead, I think Santos would make the perfect entry fight for David Branch into the UFC. Santos is an action fighter with known flaws that Branch could exploit (namely defensive wrestling/grappling), but he’s also the kind of top shelf aggressive athlete that will test if Branch is ready to dive into elite MW competition. Santos vs. Branch would be a great debut for the former WSOF champ.

OTHER BOUTS: Tucker vs. Knight, Ferreira vs. Camozzi, Mazany vs. Faszholz, Felder vs. Taisumov, Ricci vs. Novelli, Ponzinibbio vs. Covington, Taleb vs. Barberena, Markos vs. Herrig, Zahabi vs. Ramos, Vieira vs. Grant, Marshman vs. Hermansson, Meerschaert vs. Spicely, Janes vs. Di Chirico