Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
UFC Fight Night 160 went down last night (Sat., Sept. 27, 2019) inside Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, featuring a Middleweight bout that saw Jared Cannonier show off his power by knocking Jack Hermansson in the second round (relive it again here). In the co-main event, Mark Madsen started off his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) career on the right foot by knocking out Danilo Belluardo in the first round.
Winner: Jared Cannonier:
Who He Should Fight Next: Yoel Romero
I hate the rankings system, but that’s what we have to go by usually when it comes to setting up fights … but not always. That said, Cannonier (No. 10) should jump up more than few spots after taking out the No. 5-ranked Hermansson.
While he won’t get a title shot next, perhaps a fight against Romero seems fitting. Yes, “Solider of God” has dropped two straight, but he is still ranked No. 3, and putting up Cannonier against Derek Brunson or Kelvin Gastelum — who is ranked ahead of him — doesn’t make sense since Kelvin has a fight coming up. Chris Weidman is at Light Heavyweight, and Cannonier has already taken out Hermansson and Ronaldo Souza, the other men ahead of him in rankings. If Cannonier can defeat Romero, he can expect a shot at the title, after Paulo Costa, of course. Plus, seeing these two hard-hitting beats should be a fest for the eyes. The only other person I can see UFC booking Cannonier against is Derek Brunson, but I’d prefer to see him opposite Romero for my money.
Winner: Mark Madsen
Who He Should Fight Next: Joaquim Silva
Madsen made a his presence felt at Lightweight immediately with his knockout win in Copenhagen, but the former Olympic silver medalist has a long way to go before he starts getting the big fights. And taking the slow route is the way to go, so I’d like to see him face off against Silva next.
Silva is coming off a loss to Nasrat Haqparast, so taking out Madsen would be a good way to get back on track. For Mark, defeating someone like Silva may not be the biggest thing for his resume, but it will show he can take on some seasoned vets on his way to bigger challenges.
Winner: Gilbert Burns
Who He Should Fight Next: Drakkar Klose
Don’t look now, but Burns has now won four straight, including his impressive decision win over long-time veteran, Gunnar Nelson. The problem is, Lightweight is pretty stacked, so cracking the Top 15 will be a challenge.
A match up against Klose seems fitting at the moment, as he is also trying to break the Top 15. Drakkar is riding a three-fight win streak and is coming off a win over Christos Giagos. A win for either man here can give him the boost he needs to break into the Top 15.
Winner: Ion Cutelaba
Who He Should Face Next: Gokhan Saki
Cutelaba bounced back nicely following his loss to Glover Teixeira by knocking out Khalil Rountree. Up next, I’d like to see Ion take on Saki, who hasn’t competed since his loss in his sophomore UFC effort to none other than Rountree. The former kickboxing stud is set to be returning soon after suffering an injury earlier this year, bouncing him from his fight against Saparbek Safarov. I want to see this fight for the sheer striking battle that is sure to ensue. It’s a good return fight for both men, and a treat for all fight fans.
Winner: Ovince Saint Preux
Who He Should Fight Next: Jimmy Crute
Saint Preux avoided his third straight loss by collecting his fourth Von Flue choke inside the Octagon, executing it to perfection on Micha? Oleksiejczuk. That said, the big fights just aren’t in “OSP’s” future just yet.
That’s why a a fight against Crute seems likely. He suffered the first loss of his MMA career against Misha Cirkunov earlier this month, so he and Saint Preux should be mounting a comeback around the same time. It’s a good match up for both men, as “OSP” needs any win he can get, while Crute can bounce back nicely by taking out a former title contender.
Winner: Nicolas Dalby
Who He Should Fight Next: Yancy Medeiros
Dalby made good in his Octagon return, defeating long-time UFC veteran, Alex Oliveira, via unanimous decision. A good next fight would be against Medeiros, who has yet to make the impact he would’ve liked in the Welterweight division.
Medeiros is gifted, but he can’t seem to put it together to break into the Top 15. He has dropped two in a row, so stopping Dalby’s momentum before it picks up further steam could be good for his confidence moving forward. On the other hand, Dalby taking out Medeiros is a nice notch on his belt. Sure, Dalby wants Mike Perry, but I don’t think his broken beak is ready to get hit quite yet.
For complete UFC: “Copenhagen” results and coverage click here.