Author: Riley Kontek

Saturday was a busy night if you are an MMA fan. Between UFC 180, Bellator 131 and WSOF 15, there were enough fights to last the normal fan a month or two.

In the UFC, Fabricio Werdum overcame a slow start to earn a TKO stoppage over Mark Hunt in the second round for the interim heavyweight strap. It was a fun fight that looked like Hunt would succeed early on, until Werdum scored a big knee and follow-up shots.

In Bellator, bitter rivals Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar participated in a sluggish, underwhelming brawl that saw Ortiz take a split decision. It was a fight that was built up more on animosity than it was on the potential for an all-time classic.

And finally in WSOF, three champions were victorious in their respective bouts, as Dave Branch, Justin Gaethje and Jessica Aguilar all scored victories in the triple main event. They solidified themselves as top fighters in their divisions with their respective wins.

Who were the five stars that came out of this trifecta of big-time shows? Let’s examine right now.

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Saturday night, the UFC made its triumphant debut in Mexico with UFC 180. Headlined by a heavyweight title fight, the card saw many Latino fighters compete, including two of the top featherweights in the world.

Former title challenger Ricardo Lamas took on surging 145-pounder Dennis Bermudez in a pivotal bout for the division. The fight lasted just one round, as Lamas was able to choke out Bermudez with a beautiful guillotine choke.

That fight was a huge win for Lamas, who stopped one of the rising fighters at 145. The win put him back in the title picture, which is crowded in the shark tank that is the featherweight division.

Who should Lamas fight next? Let’s take a look at three potential opponents going forward.

 

Chad Mendes

Chad Mendes and Lamas are the last two men to compete with Jose Aldo for his UFC Featherweight Championship. It would kind of make sense if those two men were to meet in the cage.

Both men are great wrestlers who have greatly improved their striking. They are both also Top Five 145-pounders who have a lot to offer in this division.

It’s a bout that could easily headline a Fight Night card or bolster a pay-per-view. The winner is back in title consideration, and the loser has to take another fight to get back into the good graces of the Top Three.

 

Conor McGregor-Dennis Siver winner

Conor McGregor and Dennis Siver are set to do battle in the main event in Boston next year, and assuming the winner doesn’t get a title shot, he could be next for Lamas.

Both men are strikers with decent takedown defense, something that could give Lamas trouble. However, given his well-roundedness, he would be a threat to take out either man as well.

However, a McGregor win might get him a title shot. If that’s the case, this bout would not be possible. 

If he doesn’t get the title shot, McGregor-Lamas books itself.

 

Frankie Edgar-Cub Swanson winner

With how McGregor-Siver may crown the top contender to Aldo, the same can be said for Cub Swanson-Frankie Edgar.

If the winner of that fight doesn’t get an immediate title shot, he could square off with Lamas. Either way, both men match up very well with Lamas.

Swanson would be looking for redemption against Lamas, who bested him earlier in his career. For Edgar, it would be another big name on his way back to another title shot.

Either way, the fight that came out of this situation would be awesome.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

On Saturday night, the UFC made its triumphant debut in Mexico with UFC 180. Headlined by a heavyweight title fight, the card saw many Latino fighters compete, including two of the top featherweights in the world.

Former title challenger Ricardo Lamas took on surging 145-pounder Dennis Bermudez in a pivotal bout for the division. The fight lasted just one round, as Lamas was able to choke out Bermudez with a beautiful guillotine choke.

So what did we learn from this important fight? Let’s take a look back at this awesome win for Lamas.

 

What We’ll Remember from the Fight

We will definitely remember the finish—and how quickly Lamas snatched that guillotine choke. It was fast and violent and of near-perfect form.

Lamas hurt Bermudez on the feet at some point, which may have led to the eventual end. However, when Bermudez gave up his neck, Lamas was incredibly quick to snatch said neck and squeeze like a boa constrictor.

That was a memorable win for Lamas and a huge finish over a tough, talented fighter in Bermudez.

 

What We Learned About Bermudez

Although he is one of the brightest up-and-coming 145-pounders, he still has some work to do. He is definitely a top guy with the UFC, but he will need to tighten some things up to compete with the elite at 145.

The featherweight division is a shark tank, and Bermudez will not find any easy fights. He has drastically improved since TUF 14, and if he can continue to do so, he will be a threat at 145.

 

What We Learned About Lamas

He is still elite at 145. Despite his title hiccup against Jose Aldo—something he shouldn’t be ashamed of—Lamas is still one of the best featherweights in the world. 

Bermudez had the longest winning streak in the UFC featherweight division coming into Saturday night, and Lamas took care of him with ease. That is a giant feat, considering many people were taking Bermudez over Lamas.

With one sweet tapout, Lamas has put himself right back into title contention.

 

What’s Next for Bermudez?

There are plenty of options for Bermudez going forward. Two guys who come to mind who could be his next opponent are Dustin Poirier and the Conor McGregor-Dennis Siver loser.

Poirier is a top fighter who is still looking to break the threshold of consistent top-10 fighters. His loss to McGregor proved that he is still struggling.

As for the McGregor-Siver loser, either one would match up interestingly with Bermudez. The winner would be back into the title picture, while the loser would be scrambling to recover.

 

What’s Next for Lamas?

He’s definitely not going to be next for a title shot given that he’s not far removed from his last bout with Aldo, but he is right back into the picture. That’s why a bout with Chad Mendes would be best for Lamas.

Mendes and Lamas are both former title challengers with legit skills. Pinning them against one another would result in a high-quality featherweight bout that would keep the winner on Aldo’s radar.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com