Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) staged its latest event last weekend (Sat., May 4, 2019) with UFC Fight Night 151, live on ESPN+ from Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In the main event of the evening, Donald Cerrone put on masterful performance against Al Iaquinta to earn a hard-fought unanimous decision win (highlights), while Derek Brunson captured a decision victory over Elias Theodorou in the co-main event (recap).
Winner: Donald Cerrone
Who He Should Fight Next: ???
With “Cowboy,” let’s wait and see how the next few months play out. Shortly after his win over Iaquinta, Cerrone called for a shot at the title or a fight against Conor McGregor. While I’m good with either one of those matchups, there is no telling what UFC matchmakers have up their sleeves moving forward regarding the “Notorious” lightweight future.
Plus, Tony Ferguson is gearing up for a return, so a fight against “Cowboy” could be up his alley. If neither one of those pans out, how about a violent showdown against Justin Gaethje? There are several options available for Cerrone, so I’d advise him to sit back and see how everything plays out before he rushes into his next battle. Especially since he is now more than ever focused on winning UFC gold, something that didn’t always seem to be important to him in the past.
Winner: Derek Brunson:
Who He Should Fight Next: Chris Weidman
I know Weidman has his sights set on Israel Adesanya and Jack Hermansson, but he won’t be getting either one of those bouts anytime soon. Going 1-3 in your last four fights doesn’t equate to getting the cream of the crop. Brunson seems fitting, as he has also had some struggles as of late, with his win over Elias Theodorou snapping his two-fight skid. “All American” is eyeing a summer return, and I’m sure Derek would like to get back in there as soon as possible to keep his momentum going. I like this matchup for both men, as it’s indicative of where they each stand in the Middleweight pecking order at the moment.
Winner: Shane Burgos
Who He Should Fight Next: Yair Rodriguez
After picking up the biggest win of his combat sports career, Shane is ready to keep taking on tougher competition. Ranked No. 12, Rodriguez seems like a good test for Burgos. “El Pantera” hasn’t competed since his buzzer-beating knockout win over Chan Sung Jung last year, so a return to action should be close. If Shane can topple the Mexican-born star, his stock will skyrocket and could be eyeing top 10 foes next. For Yair, ending Shane’s momentum would be a good feather in his cap.
Winner: Merab Dvalishvili
Who He Should Fight Next: Luke Sanders
Merab has now won two in a row and ended Brad Katona’s previously-undefeated streak. Luke, meanwhile, was last seen handing Renan Barao his fourth straight defeat, which was the biggest win of his career thus far. Both of the 135 pounders have a long way to go if they want to earn a ranking position, so I’d like to see them go at it next. One of them will take a huge leap forward, while the other will be forced to start from scratch. When you have two hungry lions trying to fight tooth and nail to get some more recognition, it makes for a good night at the arena.
Winner: Walt Harris
Who He Should Fight Next: Augusto Sakai
Walt would have had his third straight win after he defeated Sergey Spivak in Ottawa, but since his victory over Andrei Arlovski was overturned to a no contest due to a failed drug test, “Big Ticket’s” streak stands at one.
Speaking of Arlovski, he was last seen losing a decision to Augusto Sakai, so let’s see Augusto vs. Harris next. Sakai has won four in a row, two inside the Octagon and shows promise. While Harris has already competed 10 times for UFC, he hasn’t been able to quite get over the hump. His failed drug test definitely hurt him, but if he can take out the surging Braizlian big man, it could help him gain some much-needed momentum.
For complete UFC Ottawa results and coverage click here.