Author: Donald Wood

Saturday’s UFC 166 pay-per-view has one of the most interesting cards of the year, but the focus has shifted to which stars have the most to lose this weekend.

All of the following stars must win Saturday to get on the right track, and a loss could be the worst possible outcome for their careers.

 

Junior dos Santos

After beating Cain Velasquez in the duo’s first meeting for the heavyweight title, Junior dos Santos was dominated by the new champion in the second bout and lost the title. This rubber match is a must win for dos Santos.

Dos Santos is coming off a lopsided win over Mark Hunt to earn his way back into the title picture, but this could be his last chance at the belt if he loses once again. For a fighter that has tasted a championship victory in the heavyweight division, dos Santos doesn’t want to be relegated once again.

Velasquez has proven to be dos Santos’ biggest test—the champion has outwrestled the challenger at every chance and rendered the Brazilian’s elite striking a non-factor—and a loss in another title fight would be the biggest defeat in dos Santos’ career.

Dos Santos can’t afford to lose in another main event.

 

Roy Nelson

Roy “Big Country” Nelson is one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport and a bona fide fan favorite, but an incredibly tough matchup against Daniel Cormier could be the last marquee fight he ever takes if he faces another loss.

While Nelson comes in as one of the toughest strikers in the sport, Cormier could be the best pure wrestler to ever step into a UFC Octagon. If Nelson doesn’t have the skill to stop the Olympic wrestler, the hunt for a title will likely be over unless he makes drastic changes to his physique and conditioning.

Nelson is unquestionably tough, but the lack of elite cardio makes him easy pickings for the elite athletes in the heavyweight division. With Cormier’s ability to grind his opponents down over the course of a fight, Nelson has the chance to lose once again and become nothing more than a divisional gatekeeper.

 

Sarah Kaufman

When the UFC added the women’s division to the company, one of the marquee signings was former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman. After having her first fight cancelled, Kaufman makes her long-awaited debut against Jessica Eye at UFC 166.

Kaufman fought champion Ronda Rousey in Strikeforce but lost via submission. With the talent to be a top contender in the division and the need to gain revenge for the submission loss, Kaufman must beat Eye Saturday night.

While there are plenty of women in the division that would make a viable opponent for Rousey and her championship, Kaufman has the experience in the Octagon and against the title holder to make that a great fight. She must win Saturday for that rematch to ever come to fruition, though.

 

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After one of the wildest nights in recent MMA history, the UFC 164 card featured a plethora of great finishes that made the pay-per-view memorable.

The most impressive victories were as decisive as possible and left no doubt about which fighter was the best in their respective bout on Saturday night.

 

Anthony Pettis Submits Benson Henderson

In a shocking outcome, it was No. 1 contender Anthony Pettis who defeated Benson Henderson via submission (armbar) to win the UFC Lightweight Championship and steal the show as the best finish of the night.

Henderson and Pettis had exchanged in a fierce battle though the majority of the first round, but after Hendo took down his challenger, Pettis was able to get a grip on the former champion’s arm and sink in the submission.

Not only was this a rematch from a WEC Championship match earlier in the careers of the two men, but this was also the main event of a pay-per-view. Pettis proved that he can handle anything thrown his way and will mentally and physically dominate it.

This was the perfect ending to a great PPV.

 

Chad Mendes TKOs Clay Guida

Chad Mendes has been looking to prove to the UFC that he deserves another shot at Jose Aldo and his featherweight championship, and a huge third-round TKO victory over Clay Guida is exactly what he needed.

Guida is one of the more recognizable names in the sport. While he hasn’t fought well over the last several bouts, the fact that Mendes dominated him thoroughly and ultimately ended the fight early is a testament to how strong of a contender Saturday’s winner has become.

This marks Mendes’ fourth win since losing to Aldo in January of 2012, and when the champion returns from a broken foot, Dana White and UFC officials must make this rematch happen.

 

Hyun Gyu Lim Knocks out Pascal Krauss

While the headlines were stolen by an amazing main card, the undercard featured the eventual Fight of the Night award winner, Hyun Gyu Lim knocking out Pascal Krauss in the first round.

Lim and Krauss came to the center of the Octagon and began throwing huge shots at each other. With no fear or hesitation, the two men battled toe-to-toe until Lim caught Krauss with a clean shot and buckled him.

Using a strong knee to the jaw, Lim rocked Krauss and followed it up with heavy strikes before the referee was forced to step in and stop the fight. This was an amazing battle that featured a very decisive ending.

 

Full UFC 164 Results

Division	Winner	Loser	Result	Round	Time
Lightweight	Anthony Pettis	Benson Henderson (c)	Submisson (armbar)	1	4:31
Heavyweight	Josh Barnett	Frank Mir	TKO (knee)	1	1:56
Featherweight	Chad Mendes	Clay Guida	TKO (punches)	3	0:30
Heavyweight	Ben Rothwell	Brandon Vera	TKO (punches)	3	1:54
Featherweight	Dustin Poirier	Erik Koch	Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)	3	5:00
Lightweight	Gleison Tibau	Jamie Varner	Decision (split) (29-28, 27-29, 29-28)	3	5:00
Flyweight	Tim Elliott	Louis Gaudinot	Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)	3	5:00
Welterweight	Hyun Gyu Lim	Pascal Krauss	KO (knee and punches)	1	3:58
Bantamweight	Chico Camus	Kyung Ho Kang	Decision (unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)	3	5:00
Heavyweight	Soa Palelei	Nikita Krylov	TKO (punches)	3	1:34
Lightweight	Al Iaquinta	Ryan Couture	Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)	3	5:00
Middleweight	Magnus Cedenblad	Jared Hamman	Submission (guillotine choke)	1	0:57

 

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Saturday’s UFC 164 pay-per-view was one of the best of 2013 and featured several marquee stars getting monumental victories.

Now the talk shifts to where each of the biggest winners goes moving forward.

All of the following fighters walked away from Saturday’s event with incredible momentum, and this is who each should square off against next.

 

Anthony Pettis

While Anthony Pettis immediately called out featherweight champion Jose Aldo after beating Benson Henderson and winning the lightweight championship, per Maggie Hendricks of Yahoo! Sports, there are more realistic choices for a next opponent.

A superfight with Aldo would be a huge sell for the UFC, but each is more valuable strengthening their respective divisions. An eventual rematch with Henderson would also be amazing, but the lightweight class is deep enough to make some entertaining fights right now.

The best possible fight would be Pettis vs. TJ Grant.

The severity of Pettis’ knee injury has any potential fight on hold for now, per UFC, but Grant had a title shot against Henderson before getting injured. If Grant is fully recovered from his concussion, the No. 1 contender should be Pettis’ first title defense.

 

Josh Barnett

Josh Barnett is one of the most underrated fighters in the history of the heavyweight division, and he has proved how talented he still is even at almost 36 years old by beating Frank Mir via TKO following a vicious knee.

The veteran fighter worked for the UFC in the early 2000s, but had become a force in both Pride and Strikeforce. While he won the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2002 from Randy Couture, he was stripped of the title and left the company.

Now that he is back and fighting strong, everyone wants to know what’s next.

The perfect match for Barnett’s next fight would be Fabrício Werdum. The Brazilian star also fought for Pride and Strikeforce and is looking to catapult himself into the championship scene. With both men fighting for the same cause, this would be an amazing co-main event.

 

Chad Mendes

There are few fighters as pound-for-pound tough as Chad Mendes, and the veteran proved his worth once again by destroying Clay Guida with a TKO in the third round and earning Knockout of the Night honors.

With four victories in a row since losing to Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship, it’s now time for Dana White and the UFC matchmakers to give Mendes the title shot he deserves.

Aldo is recovering from a broken foot that will likely keep him out though the rest of 2013, per MMA Weekly, but Mendes deserves another shot at the title. As soon as the current champion is cleared to start working out, this bout must be booked.

Mendes won’t mind the extra downtime if it leads to a championship opportunity.

 

Follow @Donald_Wood

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Saturday’s UFC 164 pay-per-view was one of the best of 2013 and featured several marquee stars getting monumental victories.

Now the talk shifts to where each of the biggest winners goes moving forward.

All of the following fighters walked away from Saturday’s event with incredible momentum, and this is who each should square off against next.

 

Anthony Pettis

While Anthony Pettis immediately called out featherweight champion Jose Aldo after beating Benson Henderson and winning the lightweight championship, per Maggie Hendricks of Yahoo! Sports, there are more realistic choices for a next opponent.

A superfight with Aldo would be a huge sell for the UFC, but each is more valuable strengthening their respective divisions. An eventual rematch with Henderson would also be amazing, but the lightweight class is deep enough to make some entertaining fights right now.

The best possible fight would be Pettis vs. TJ Grant.

The severity of Pettis’ knee injury has any potential fight on hold for now, per UFC, but Grant had a title shot against Henderson before getting injured. If Grant is fully recovered from his concussion, the No. 1 contender should be Pettis’ first title defense.

 

Josh Barnett

Josh Barnett is one of the most underrated fighters in the history of the heavyweight division, and he has proved how talented he still is even at almost 36 years old by beating Frank Mir via TKO following a vicious knee.

The veteran fighter worked for the UFC in the early 2000s, but had become a force in both Pride and Strikeforce. While he won the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2002 from Randy Couture, he was stripped of the title and left the company.

Now that he is back and fighting strong, everyone wants to know what’s next.

The perfect match for Barnett’s next fight would be Fabrício Werdum. The Brazilian star also fought for Pride and Strikeforce and is looking to catapult himself into the championship scene. With both men fighting for the same cause, this would be an amazing co-main event.

 

Chad Mendes

There are few fighters as pound-for-pound tough as Chad Mendes, and the veteran proved his worth once again by destroying Clay Guida with a TKO in the third round and earning Knockout of the Night honors.

With four victories in a row since losing to Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship, it’s now time for Dana White and the UFC matchmakers to give Mendes the title shot he deserves.

Aldo is recovering from a broken foot that will likely keep him out though the rest of 2013, per MMA Weekly, but Mendes deserves another shot at the title. As soon as the current champion is cleared to start working out, this bout must be booked.

Mendes won’t mind the extra downtime if it leads to a championship opportunity.

 

Follow @Donald_Wood

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Saturday’s UFC 164 pay-per-view was one of the best of 2013 and featured several marquee stars getting monumental victories.

Now the talk shifts to where each of the biggest winners goes moving forward.

All of the following fighters walked away from Saturday’s event with incredible momentum, and this is who each should square off against next.

 

Anthony Pettis

While Anthony Pettis immediately called out featherweight champion Jose Aldo after beating Benson Henderson and winning the lightweight championship, per Maggie Hendricks of Yahoo! Sports, there are more realistic choices for a next opponent.

A superfight with Aldo would be a huge sell for the UFC, but each is more valuable strengthening their respective divisions. An eventual rematch with Henderson would also be amazing, but the lightweight class is deep enough to make some entertaining fights right now.

The best possible fight would be Pettis vs. TJ Grant.

The severity of Pettis’ knee injury has any potential fight on hold for now, per UFC, but Grant had a title shot against Henderson before getting injured. If Grant is fully recovered from his concussion, the No. 1 contender should be Pettis’ first title defense.

 

Josh Barnett

Josh Barnett is one of the most underrated fighters in the history of the heavyweight division, and he has proved how talented he still is even at almost 36 years old by beating Frank Mir via TKO following a vicious knee.

The veteran fighter worked for the UFC in the early 2000s, but had become a force in both Pride and Strikeforce. While he won the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2002 from Randy Couture, he was stripped of the title and left the company.

Now that he is back and fighting strong, everyone wants to know what’s next.

The perfect match for Barnett’s next fight would be Fabrício Werdum. The Brazilian star also fought for Pride and Strikeforce and is looking to catapult himself into the championship scene. With both men fighting for the same cause, this would be an amazing co-main event.

 

Chad Mendes

There are few fighters as pound-for-pound tough as Chad Mendes, and the veteran proved his worth once again by destroying Clay Guida with a TKO in the third round and earning Knockout of the Night honors.

With four victories in a row since losing to Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship, it’s now time for Dana White and the UFC matchmakers to give Mendes the title shot he deserves.

Aldo is recovering from a broken foot that will likely keep him out though the rest of 2013, per MMA Weekly, but Mendes deserves another shot at the title. As soon as the current champion is cleared to start working out, this bout must be booked.

Mendes won’t mind the extra downtime if it leads to a championship opportunity.

 

Follow @Donald_Wood

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com