HOT FIGHTS! GET YOUR HOT FIGHTS! FRESH AND READY!… Hey man, you want to buy a hot fight? Because I got the best fights on the market, no questions asked.
I know that there are actual fights getting booked, for real, out there in the world. But, what’s the fun of actually knowing when you can make it all for yourself. Fantasy fight booking is where the real action is. Trying to guess the future before it becomes reality, so that you can say “I was there picking this fight to get booked way before all the rest of y’all.” Those are the moments I live for.
On that note, I’m following the tried and true Silva/Shelby model of fight booking. Similar records, winners vs. winners, losers vs. losers, big fights for big fighters, etc. The trick to creating a really solid fantasy is to make it look a lot like reality. Now, let’s get fight booking.
Nate Diaz: I gotta admit, the idea of a Nate Diaz title shot with RDA doesn’t really have a lot of appeal. I know he was reportedly injured last time (and he looked it), but RDA is a terrible terrible style matchup for him. Diaz could potentially be in line for a WW title shot, but frankly outside of this McGregor win, his WW career has never been all that interesting. The thing I thik makes the most sense is an Eddie Alvarez fight, as a non-PPV headliner, while RDA heals up. Nate wins that, give him another shot at the champ. He loses, try and figure out more fun “big” fights for him to take. If they do want to make Robbie Lawler vs. Nate Diaz however, this would be the time to do it.
Conor McGregor: His most likely next step is a quick retreat back to featherweight, where fish closer to his own size swim. This wasn’t any kind of career breaker for McGregor, but it did pull down a whole host of potential options. Obviously the first one is that Lawler is off the table, and frankly the optics on an RDA fight are pretty weird. Losing to fringe lightweight contender Nate Diaz shouldn’t put you in line for the lightweight title. So the UFC has two choices, Frankie Edgar or Jose Aldo. I’m fine with either and have a sneaking suspicion they’ll go with Aldo, under the guise of Edgar’s injury. Aldo is still the bigger fight for McGregor, even with McGregor’s quick victory over him already in ocket.
Miesha Tate: I think the UFC’s intentions are pretty clear. I’d like to say that there’s some sense in doing Tate vs. Nunes and Rousey vs. Holm and then the winner of Rousey vs. Holm vs. the winner of Tate vs. Nunes and the loser vs. the loser… but that’s all convoluted and the goal for the UFC has to be to have Rousey fight both Tate and Holm. And since there’s no guarantee she beats Holm, then fighting Tate first probably feels like the safer bet (not that it’s guaranteed either). So Miesha Tate fights Ronda Rousey, because it’s a fight Rousey actually sounds like she wants right now.
Holly Holm: Holly Holm has a bunch of options. She could wait and fight the loser of Rousey vs. Tate 3 in the hopes of another title shot if she wins. But if the loser of that fight is Rousey, then there’s no guarantee that Rousey doesn’t just retire, so waiting may be a bad idea. She could fight Amanda Nunes, who is on a hell of a roll right now and would be a great style matchup. But, I’m actually going to go with Cat Zinagano. She hasn’t fought since her loss to Ronda Rousey and this would be an excellent way to build her for a second Tate fight with real momentum if she could get a win. And it’d be a fun striking bout with an aggressive puncher in Zingano who wouldn’t be at a physical disadvantage against Holm.
Ilir Latifi: Two options. Latifi can fight Patrick Cummins after Cummins beats Lil’ Nog, or he can fight Ed Herman. I actually like the Herman fight, as Herman showed some new craftiness in his last bout against Tim Boetsch and while he’s still not a fast fighter, he is a constant brawler who would almost certainly keep after Latifi win or lose.
Gian Villante: The loser of Igor Pokrajac vs. Jan Blachowicz would be about right. Maybe the loser of Hester vs. Pezao as well. I’ll go with Pokrajac vs. Blachowicz loser because I feel like I have too much interest in Hester/Pezao to see one of them potentially derailed further at LHW by Villante. Selfish, but there you have it.
Corey Anderson: Either the winner of Hester vs. Pezao, or the winner of Krylov vs. Barroso. Anderson still has some real problems with his game and seems like he needs to be kept on a steady path of tough but not impossible fights. If he gets thrown up the division too quick, he could just suffer an ugly, unnecessary setback, and I think he could make any of those fights fun (maybe not Barroso).
Tom Lawlor: I know this isn’t going to sound like it makes much sense, but Jimi Manuwa. They’re both coming off a loss, they’re both good power punchers, and they’re both experienced vets who badly need momentum right now. Because LHW is so paper thin on new talent, it feels like a waste to see either guy drop back and fight someone less experienced (Anderson just about got taken for a bad loss doing just that). So, why not give Lawlor a boost and a shot at redemption against an action fighter who needs his own comeback fight?
Amanda Nunes: Amanda Nunes is obviously in line for some kind of title shot, but she has none of the pull of the belt holding trifecta. Rousey will probably fight Tate, so she would be smart to gun for a fight with Holm, and she just might get it. If she doesn’t, however, her best bet is to take on Julianna Pena. Pena isn’t nearly the name fight of the others, but if Nunes beats her then she’s got an almost complete lock on the claim to the next available title shot.
Valentina Shevchenko: Roll officially slowed. This was a fine performance in a loss and not a huge setback, but it does take her off the Holm-esque “two win contender” track. She could take on Marion Reneau in a bout of losers who didn’t lose that badly, but I’d actually like to see her fight Jessica Eye. Eye really hasn’t shown much more than an outside striking game and not a great one. It’d be a chance for Shevchenko to put on a showcase, and an opportunity for Eye to redeem herself as a potential contender. And neither would face the prospect of getting grappled to death (probably).
Siyar Bahadurzada: He’s back and he’s more well rounded and he has the feel of a solid mid-card action fighter. No reason to rush Siyar, just find him some more fun bouts. A fight with Alexander Yakovlev would pitch two well seasoned vets against one another, or assuming Alan Jouban beats Brendan O’Reilly (he should) then that would be a fun scrap. If Lyman Good is planning to return from injury anytime soon, Good vs. Bahadurzada would be a great fight. Since I don’t know when Good is going to come back though, I’ll argue for Yakovlev.
Darren Elkins: Darren Elkins vs. Brian Ortega? Maybe. It’d be a hell of a test for Ortega. Otherwise I’d be okay with him getting a shot at Dennis Bermudez, but that doesn’t feel like it’d be the most competitive bout in the world. Elkins is best off when he’s keeping the gates, not when he’s trying to walk through them. Would also be pretty cool with seeing Elkins fight Cole Miller. Miller or Ortega would both be fine, but at the end of the day, I think I’d go Ortega. Keep on keeping the gates, Elkins.
Diego Sanchez: Sanchez won, and with his popularity, that means I have to figure out something to do with him. I’d be fine seeing Sanchez fight Nik Lentz, who has some similar cardio problems to Jim Miller but is a better wrestler. I’d also be 100% behind Sanchez fighting Josh Burkman, as another fighter that is hanging on to lightweight by the skin of his teeth. Hell, he could even rematch Ross Pearson if Pearson beats Abel Trujillo. Of all of those, the Burkman fight somehow feels the most likely and the most reasonable.
Other Bouts: Taleb vs. LaFlare, Thatch vs. Silva, Miranda vs. Cedenblad (w/win over McLellan), Skelly vs. Nover, Miller vs. Makdessi, Saggo vs. Ray, Ishihara vs. Rivas, Erosa vs. Fullen