Author: Riley Kontek

On Saturday night, the UFC held a pay-per-view in Montreal that featured a main card with a championship fight and a couple notable names from MMA‘s past and present. It was an unanticipated card that turned out to be a good one, much to the surprise of fans.

While Demetrious Johnson and Kyoji Horiguchi were the headliners for their championship status, it was names like “Rampage Jackson” and “Michael Bisping” that figured to be the biggest on the card. Those fights seemingly had the most attention, which was thought to bring in most of the views.

That said, the main card also featured a young Brazilian who is set to make waves in the bantamweight division. That man is Thomas Almeida, and he is just one of the many young bantamweights the UFC currently has who makes the division the one to watch in the future.

Almeida, just 23 years old, is undefeated at 19-0. He threw himself in the 135-pound fray with his performance Saturday night, as he knocked out respected WEC and UFC veteran Yves Jabouin in under a round.

That performance, coupled with the recent outings of many of the young UFC fighters, shows that the bantamweight division is the division of the future.

Right now, we have a young champion who is one of the most improved fighters in the UFC by the name of T.J. Dillashaw. He has another young counterpart who is a big rival right now in Renan Barao, the man Dillashaw took the title from and has a rematch against already.

In the wings of it all, old-timers like Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber are still in the division and contenders in their own right. Most of the fighters in the top 10 are veterans of the division and represent the “old guard,” but the UFC has a ton of young guys who will make the division among the most competitive the company has.

Obviously, one of those guys is Almeida. He is young, powerful, exciting and aggressive—characteristics that will surely continue to get him the spotlight.

Then consider UFC on Fox 15, where prodigy Aljamain Sterling got his trademark win by choking out longtime contender Takeya Mizugaki in an incredible performance. Sterling is certainly a contender now, but he is still young and gaining experience as an undefeated prospect.

Also, Chris Holdsworth, a teammate of Dillashaw, has already pushed his stock up, though injuries have hampered some of his progress. He dominated The Ultimate Fighter 18, where he was the season champion, and he hasn’t looked back since.

We could go on all day about the numerous up-and-coming fighters, but there are almost too many to name. Some of the young and talented future contenders putting their names on the map are Cody Garbrandt, Frankie Saenz, Rob Font, Pedro Munhoz and Mitch Gagnon, among others.

Almeida‘s win on Saturday, coupled with Sterling’s win the weekend before, definitely signals things to come for the 135-pound division. There is a murderers’ row of fighters waiting in the helm to take over and make it a division the UFC can really get behind.

It’s certainly the most underrated division in the UFC and one that’s only growing with talent and prospects as we speak.

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Montreal was treated to a great card Saturday night, as the UFC made its return to the MMA-crazy town with UFC 186. Headlined by a championship bout between Demetrious Johnson and Kyoji Horiguchi, the card was littered with familiar names from top to bottom.

Two of those familiar names were long-time veterans Patrick Cote and Joe Riggs. The two experienced fighters met in the headliner of the preliminary fights, with Cote besting Riggs with a balanced, overwhelming attack.

With that win, Cote is back up the ladder and looking to make a run toward the top end of the division. Here are three fights that Cote can take next.

 

Yoshihiro Akiyama

When it comes to exciting fights and legendary chins, Cote and Yoshihiro Akiyama are two guys that fit both of those descriptions. That’s why a fight between the two would be awesome.

Akiyama and Cote are veterans of the sport, yet they have not crossed paths. Both are former middleweights that ventured down to welterweight to some success thus far.

It’s a main-card scrap on any card you assemble. It also has Fight of the Night written all over it, meaning it’s a fight the UFC seriously needs to consider.

 

Kenny Robertson

One of the most underrated welterweights on the UFC’s roster, Kenny Robertson has slowly ascended up the rankings. He’s around the same spot in the division as Cote, making this matchup pretty logical.

Both Cote and Robertson are very well-rounded, though Cote is definitely a striker first and Robertson is a wrestler first. It would be a strategic chess match with high-stake achievements on the table.

With their styles, they have the ability to bring the best out in one another. That’s why this is a matchup that could be a must-make bout.

 

Ben Saunders

Ben Saunders and Cote have something in common, which is a big reason for a potential showdown. They are both exciting, hard-nosed fighters that leave everything in the cage.

Saunders is a big welterweight with the type of striking style that matches up well with Cote. Both are strong in the clinch, and both can throw from the outside as well.

A striking match between the two, given they stood up for most of the bout, would be awesome for the fans. Otherwise, it could be an interesting grappling match as well, which is why this fight should and could be next.

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Saturday night, the UFC made its return to Montreal with a card that ended up being one of the most exciting in recent memory. UFC 186 marked the return to pay-per-view and was put on the back of UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson, as he defended his belt against top Japanese star Kyoji Horiguchi.

Also on that card was a middleweight scrap, which saw long-time UFC vets Michael Bisping and CB Dollaway meet up in a Fight of the Night performance. It was a back-and-forth fight in which both men saw their moments, but Bisping ended up taking a unanimous decision after a couple sticky situations.

It was a big fight for both men, as both needed to get back into the win column. For Bisping, he got that win, while Dollaway now has to go back to the drawing board and search again for a victory in his next affair.

So where does Dollaway go from this loss? Let’s take a look at three matchups he could see in the near future.

 

Gegard Mousasi-Costa Philippou loser 

The Philippines is set to have its first-ever UFC show in the month of May. On that stacked main card is an intriguing middleweight bout, as power boxer Costa Philippou looks to thwart the rapid assent of former Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi.

The matchup between the two promises to be fireworks, as both are proficient on the feet. A win for either man pushes them into title talks, while the loser finds himself on the outside looking in, in need of a dance partner to get them back on track.

That’s where Dollaway comes in. Seeing as Mousasi, Philippou and Dollaway are all top-20, if not top-15, middleweights in the UFC, the losers could find value in fighting one another.

My preference is Dollaway vs. Philippou, though if Mousasi were to lose his bout in the Philippines, he would certainly be a fun matchup for “The Doberman” as well. 

 

Kelvin Gastelum-Nate Marquardt loser

Speaking of international UFC fights on the horizon, UFC 188 in Mexico City plays host to a pivotal middleweight bout of its own. Star of the future Kelvin Gastelum makes his return to 185 pounds after weight troubles at 170 to take on long-time vet Nate Marquardt on the main card.

Marquardt, a former King of Pancrase and Strikeforce champ, has had his ups and downs since returning to the UFC but has seemingly righted the ship since moving back to 185. Gastelum, at just 23 years old, has already become a contender, despite his young age and seeming inexperience. 

The winner moves closer to the title picture. The other could possibly be booked with fellow top middleweight Dollaway, whose style coincides perfectly with either man.

It’s an intriguing option, to say the least.

 

Ed Herman

Ed Herman is coming off a loss to Derek Brunson. Dollaway is coming off a loss to the aforementioned Bisping.

Might these two men find common ground that could lead to a pivotal bout at 185?

Both men are TUF runner-ups who have had long careers in the UFC thus far. They have similar credentials, though one could argue that Dollaway has been more of a success to this point.

Dollaway is a boxing wrestler. Herman is a boxing jiu-jitsu artist. 

Styles make fights, and these two have the type of styles that could lead to a fun, strategic chess match.

 

 

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UFC 186 was the home to a big return to the company, as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson appeared on a UFC card for the first time since he left the company in 2013 for Bellator. It was a big attraction, but standing in his way was a slugger by the name of Fabio Maldonado.

Maldonado’s boxing was a big concern for Jackson, as the Brazilian is known to dissect opponents with high volume, body shots and crazy aggression. However, Jackson turned back the clock to times past, as he used good stand-up of his own and superior overall skills to batter Maldonado en route to a unanimous decision.

We have not seen this version of Rampage in a while. As for Maldonado, it was a lopsided loss that showed his typical never-die attitude but propagated the feeling that he can’t seem to break into the next level.

So what’s next for the Brazilian boxer? Here are three guys whom Maldonado could face in his next outing.

 

Jan Blachowicz

Known for his stand-up and power, Jan Blachowicz matches up well with Maldonado. By that, I mean their respective striking styles would make for a dogfight on the feet that would excite fans.

Blachowicz is coming off a loss in the co-main event in Poland at a UFC Fight Night in April. Jimi Manuwa outworked him in a critically panned bout, so Blachowicz obviously would be out for revenge.

With both men losing their most recent bout, they would both be desperate to get back into the win column. Given their respective styles, desperation and knack for awesome fights, this is a matchup waiting to be had.

 

Rafael Cavalcante

Maldonado is not the only Brazilian light heavyweight who possesses good striking and the ability to have fun fights. Rafael Cavalcante, the former Strikeforce champion, is cut from the same cloth.

Cavalcante, known for his muay thai prowess, is a power striker who constantly searches for the knockout. He is good with kicks, knees and punches and can strike from a distance or in compact spaces.

Maldonado’s boxing vs. Cavalcante‘s muay thai would be a fun contrast that has Fight of the Night written all over it. Would Cavalcante be able to break through Maldonado’s legendary chin, or would Maldonado show why he’s one of the best technical strikers at 205 pounds right now?

Let’s find out the old-fashioned way!

 

Tom Lawlor

We haven’t seen Tom Lawlor in a UFC cage recently. However, he is at 205 pounds now and looking for a dance partner who can give him a good fight.

Maldonado may have another suitor here.

Lawlor is a wrestler who is known for his outlandish personality, extravagant weigh-in costumes, wild walkouts and toughness in the cage. It’s a great contrast to Maldonado—the quiet, reserved, death-in-his-eyes fighter who lets his fists do the talking.

It’s striker vs. grappler, but that’s the type of matchup that can get interesting. I would love to see Lawlor back, and a Maldonado fight would be a good test for him after a long absence from the cage.

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