Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) staged its latest combat sports event last Sat. night (April 27, 2019) as UFC on ESPN+ 8 went down live on ESPN+ from inside BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. In the main event, Jack Hermansson picked up the biggest win of his career by defeating longtime middleweight contender Ronaldo Souza via unanimous decision (see it). Also, Greg Hardy scored his first UFC victory after taking out heavyweight tomato can Dmitrii Smoliakov in the very first round.
Winner: Jack Hermansson
Who He Should Fight Next: Paulo Costa or Yoel Romero
Since both Costa and Romero are looking to return around the same time this year, UFC will likely try to book that fight once again. If it actually goes through, I’d like to see Jack take on the winner. “The Joker” should jump up at least three to four spots after his “Jacare” win, setting him up for bigger and better things.
As we look at the 185-pound landscape, those two names stand out as logical matchups for him. Better yet, if UFC doesn’t book Costa vs. Romero, then put Hermansson in against either of those two men.
Winner: Greg Hardy
Who He Should Fight Next: Cyril Asker
Hardy picked up his first UFC win in Florida, and no it wasn’t a “set up” fight. Now that the former NFL star has the pressure of getting his first “W” out of the way, he can perhaps be a bit more relaxed for his next outing.
That said, don’t expect a huge name for Hardy just yet, as he is still very green and putting him against top-ranked foe just isn’t in the cards yet. Asker, meanwhile, has racked up a 2-3 mark inside the Octagon and was last seen getting mauled by Tai Tuivasa.
Winner: Mike Perry
Who He Should Fight Next: Darren Till
It only makes sense, as the two men did have a brief beef in the past before turning it into the bromance you never knew you wanted. Still, it’s not like their best buds, and we are still in the fight game which means their paths have to eventually cross. And now is as good a time as any. Till is reeling after back-to-back defeats, while Mike — despite his win over Alex Oliveira — still can’t find a consistent groove inside the Octagon. Both men like to bang it out, so we can expect another sure-fire “Fight of the Night” candidate here.
Winner: Glover Teixeira
Who He Should Fight Next: Johnny Walker
Don’t go sleeping on Teixiera just yet, as the longtime veteran has now won two straight and three of four overall. His win over Ion Cutelaba was a masterful performance on the ground, proving that at age 39, he can still hang with the young studs coming up.
At the moment, there isn’t a prospect who has caught the attention of the MMA world more than Johnny Walker. Indeed, Johnny has won all three fights inside the Octagon which has helped him secure a Top-15 ranking. Johnny is confident he will get to Jon Jones (and beat him) but he still needs a few more “name” wins to get there. Enter Glover Teixiera. Glover’s name still carries a little bit of weight and would look good on Walker’s resume should he get the win. For Glover, stopping Johnny’s momentum catapults him even further up the ladder and puts him in the conversation for future championship consideration.
Winner: Cory Sandhagen
Who He Should Fight Next: Cody Stamman
Cory will probably be getting a spot in the rankings after his huge win over John Lineker, his fourth straight under the UFC banner. Up next for Cody should be a matchup against Cody Stamman, another man making waves in the 135-pound division.
Since entering the UFC cage for the first time at UFC 213 back in 2017, he has racked up a 4-1 mark with his only loss coming at the hands of Aljamain Sterling. Both Cody and Cory are looking to make plays to shoot up the ladder for bigger and better fights.
Winner: Roosevelt Roberts
Who He Should Face Next: David Teymur
Roberts remained undefeated (8-0, 2-0 UFC) after edging out Thomas Gifford in sunny Florida. Competing at Lightweight, Roosevelt has a long road to travel before he starts getting Top 15 love. A bout agaisnt Teymur seems fitting. Prior to getting choked out by Charles Oliveira, David won eight in a row (five inside the Octagon) and was seemingly on his way to the top 15. Stopping Roosevelt’s momentum could be a boost to jumpstart another win streak, while Roberts can pick up his third straight UFC win against a decent name.
For complete UFC Fort Lauderdale results and coverage click here.