UFC Vegas 66 went down last night (Sat., Dec. 17, 2022) from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event of the evening, Jared Cannonier defeated Sean Strickland via split-decision, while Arman Tsarukyan defeated Damir Ismagulov via unanimous decision after 15 minutes of back-and-forth action.
Winner: Jared Cannonier
Who He Should Face Next: Costa vs Whittaker winner
There was much controversy surrounding Cannonier’s win over Strickland, but at the end of the day “Killa Gorilla” went home with the victory and the aspirations of a bigger and better fight looming. The 185-pound division is a bit uncertain at the top because Paulo Costa claims he hasn’t received a contract to fight Robert Whittaker at UFC 284, while there is no telling when Adesanya plans to return following his brutal knockout loss a the hands of current division king, Alex Pereira. There are several ways we can play this. Cannonier could rematch Adesanya, or he can face the winner of Whittaker vs. Costa if it happens. But another good option is to face the winner of the recently-booked fight between Roman Dolidze and Marvin Vettori.
Winner: Arman Tsarukyan
Who He Should Face Next: Rafael Fiziev
Tsarukyan got back into the win column by outclassing a very durable Damir Ismagulov. He should move up a few spots in the rankings, so I am feeling a scrap against Fiziev next. Fiziev is currently riding a six-fight win streak and was last seen defeating Rafael dos Anjos this past summer. Speaking of which, if a fight against Fiziev doesn’t come to pass, then I wouldn’t mind a booking against “RDA.” Tsarukyan is on the rise once again following his brief setback against Mateusz Gamrot.
Winner: Drew Dober
Who He Should Face Next: Jaline Turner
After Dober knocked out Bobby Green (see it), he quickly called for a showdown against Jaline Turner. And much to his delight, I’m sure, Turner was quick to accept, making matchmakers’ job a bit easier. Now, I don’t really love this fight — rankings wise — because Turner is currently ranked No. 10 in the stacked 155-pound weight class, while Dober doesn’t have a spot in the Top 15…for now. Turner has won five straight and should be eying a Top 10-ranked foe, while Dober is currently on a three-fight win streak, but if they went to fight one another then let them bang, bro.
Winner: Alex Caceres
Who He Should Fight Next: Billy Quarantillo
Caceres scored a huge knockout win over Julian Erosa that earned him a $50,000 post-fight bonus and a trip back to the winner’s circle. A fight against Quarantillo sounds like an interesting option for “Bruce Leeroy.” Quarantillo is coming off a knockout win himself, stopping Alexander Hernandez at UFC 282 just last week, so their respective turnaround times could sync up in early 2023. Quarantillo is 2-2 in his last four outings and would be looking for his first back-to-back win streak in two years.
Winner: Micha? Oleksiejczuk
Who He Should Face Next: Albert Duraev
Oleksiejczuk knocked out late replacement, Cody Brundage, in the very first round in the opening fight of the main card. Oleksiejczuk was initially set to face off against Duraev after he agreed to step in for Bruno Silva, who bowed out of the Duraev fight with an injury. Duraev, in turn, pulled out of his commitment to face Oleksiejczuk. If Duraev has his issues sorted, then perhaps he should request the fight get rebooked.
For complete UFC Vegas 66: “Strickland vs. Cannonier” results and play-by-play, click HERE.