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Another Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event is in the books, as UFC Fight Night 163 went down last night (Sat., Nov. 9, 2019) from inside inside CSKA Arena in Moscow, Russia, featuring a featherweight bout that saw Zabit Magomedsharipov outlast Calvin Kattar in a back-and-forth main event (highlights). In the co-headlining act, Alexander Volkov picked apart Greg Hardy, who went the distance with the towering Russian in Heavyweight action, though he ended up losing on all of the judges scorecards (recap).
Winner: Zabit Magomedsharipov
Who He Should He Fight Next: Holloway vs Volkanovski winner
14 straight wins, six inside the Octagon should be more than enough to get “Zabeast” his first-ever shot at UFC gold. There really isn’t anyone ahead of him who deserves it more. The only thing that I can foresee forcing Zabit to wait a bit longer — or even take another fight in the interim — is if Alex defeats Max at UFC 245 and the promotion gives “Blessed” an instant rematch. Other than that, there is no reason for Magomedsharipov to fight again if it’s not for the title.
Winner: Alexander Volkov
Who He Should He Fight Next: Francis Ngannou
Alexander didn’t have the easiest of times against Greg Hardy, as “Prince of War” came to fight. In the end, though, “Drago” did enough to get the unanimous decision win. Afterward, Francis Ngannou took to social media to call for a fight against Volkov, a bout that could of very well happened at this event. Nevertheless, since “The Predator” is bored and can’t seem to get a fight, this one makes sense. Francis has been waiting for a shot at the title, but since no one knows when Daniel Cormier vs Stipe Miocic part three will happen, Ngannou wants to stay active and Alexander is more than enough to keep him busy.
Winner: Danny Roberts
Who He Should Fight Next: Rustam Khabilov
Danny snapped a two-fight losing streak after knocking out Zelim Imadaev in the very first round. I’d like to see Roberts return against Khabilov next, who was also victorious this past weekend in Moscow after defeating Sergey Khandozhko. Both men are simply trying to do their respective parts to climb the stacked 170-pound ladder and a win for either man here will go a long way in accomplishing that goal.
Winner: Ed Herman
Who He Should Fight Next: Magomed Ankalaev
Herman has now won two in a row after a horrid three-fight losing streak that could’ve seen his time inside the Octagon come to an end. His win over Khadis Ibragimov is just his second since 2016, so he needs to keep this momentum going. A fight against Magomed makes sense for various reasons. Both men fought and won in Moscow — with Ankalaev defeating Dalcha Lungiambula via knockout — so their return time should be around the same time. Plus, they haven’t exactly been lighting the division on fire, so they need wins — and fast — in order to gain some steam to try to break into the top 15.
Winner: Anthony Rocco Martin
Who He Should Fight Next: Gunnar Nelson
Martin has now won five of his last six fights, so he’s due for a fight against a veteran that could help crack the top 15. Gunnar fits the bill nicely. While Nelson isn’t ranked, he does carry decent name value despite losing two in a row, most recently coming up short against Gilbert Burns. Gunnar needs a win in the worst way, so he’ll come out eager to prove he’s far from done, and will gave Martin a tough challenge. If Anthony can get past the submission specialist, it would give him a huge boost to possibly break into he top 15 in the most talent-rich division UFC has.
For complete UFC Moscow results and coverage click here.