Thale Leites picked up his seventh consecutive victory at UFC Fight Night 49 with a knockout over Francis Carmont in August.
The victory moved him up to No. 11 in the middleweight division, and it is time for the UFC to put Leites in a premier bout in the division that could elevate him to being a contender for the gold.
Leites once challenged for the UFC middleweight title. At UFC 97 he was involved in a lackluster 25-minute fight against Anderson Silva. The former champion would not engage with Leites’ ground game, and that resulted in a disappointing fight.
Leites then dropped a split decision to Alessio Sakara and was released from the UFC in the summer of 2009.
Since that time he has gone 10-1 without a loss since 2010.
The Brazilian’s lone loss in that time was to Matt Horwich via submission, which Leites avenged with a submission of his own two years later. The win over Horwich earned Leites a spot back on the UFC’s roster.
Leites returned to the UFC in 2013 against Tom Watson. After defeating Watson, Leites moved on to Ed Herman and Trevor Smith before advancing to the Carmont bout.
Carmont was ranked in the Top 15 of the UFC’s official rankings prior to their bout. After beating him, Leites has earned a fight against someone in the Top 10, if not the Top Five.
Leites has shown growth in his game. He is no longer just a jiu-jitsu specialist. His newfound knockout power makes him a fun fighter to have in the division. His well-rounded abilities give him the chance to knock off anyone within the division.
There is a logjam toward the top of the division, and many of the Top 10 fighters are already locked into bouts. There are still others, such as Yoel Romero, who are available for Leites to take on in meaningful middleweight action. And should Nick Diaz fall out of the proposed fight against Anderson Silva, Leites makes sense as a replacement.
Whomever the UFC chooses as Leites’ next opponent, he has to be a Top 10 adversary.
Four wins within the Octagon make him a potential contender, but he lacks the signature win. The division needs more interesting contenders as it becomes increasingly less interesting. There is a need for fresh contenders for Chris Weidman’s title.
Putting Leites against a highly ranked opponent will also show fans if he is a legitimate contender or not. A win would legitimize Leites’ resurgence in the division, while a loss would give his opponent another quality victory. It may not quite be a title eliminator, but it will set the winner up for just that type of fight.
There are quality options for Leites’ next fight. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva just needs to settle on the right one. Anything less than Top 10 opposition is a failure and a disservice to both Leites and the fans.
Leites has done everything to earn a top-tier opponent, and there is every reason to schedule him against one for his next fight.
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