Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to action last night (Sat., Nov. 5, 2016) as UFC Fight Night 98 went down inside Mexico Arena in Mexico City, Mexico in a night of exciting fights.
In the main event of the evening, Tony Ferguson picked up the biggest win of his career by taking out former Lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision (see it again here).
Also, Ricardo Lamas dazzled fight fans with his win over Charles Oliveira, while Diego Sanchez got back on the winning track with his win over Marci Held (highlights).
Winner: Tony Ferguson
Who He Should Fight Next: Eddie Alvarez vs. Conor McGregor winner
It’s easy to assume that “El Cucuy” will get the next crack at the lightweight title. After all, he just defeated the former division champion and picked up his ninth straight win in the process. But, a UFC title shot is far from guaranteed for anyone. That said, a potential speed bump in Ferguson’s road to the title could be Khabib Nurmagomedov, as he could make his own case for a title shot with an impressive win over Michael Johnson at UFC 205. If “The Eagle” fails to win, thne there is no question Ferguson deserves next crack at the title.
Winner: Ricardo Lamas
Who He Should Fight Next: Frankie Edgar vs. Jeremy Stephens winner
“The Bully” looked very impressive in his second-round submission victory over Charles Oliveira, despite the fact that he was going in against a much heavier man. Not only did he manage to submit “Do Bronx,” he also showed his great submission defense, escaping multiple attempts from the jiu-jitsu ace. Currently sitting at No. 4, Lamas is slowly creeping up the rest of the top contenders in the 145-pound title race. Perhaps a fight against the winner of the upcoming UFC 205 bout between Edgar and Stephens should be in order, as he has yet to face either of those men, and a win against either one of them could shoot him the rankings even higher.
Winner: Diego Sanchez
Who He Should Fight Next: Dustin Poirier
Sanchez got back on the winning track by taking out former Bellator MMA lightweight contender Marcin Held via unanimous decision. A fight against Dustin Poirier is something I’m digging for “The Nightmare’s” next outing. I get it, Poirier lost his last fight via knockout while Diego is coming off a win. However, Sanchez is nowhere to be seen in the top 15 rankings. As for “The Diamond,” he is holding on the the No. 10 spot despite getting his clock cleaned by Michael Johnson. In this case, matching up a longtime veteran who has alternated wins and losses over his last nine fights since 2011 against one that just had his streak snapped, just sounds right. Plus, it seems like it will be a fun bang fest all around. And who doesn’t like that?
Winner: Beneil Dariush
Who He Should Fight Next: Edson Barboza
Beneil ended Rashid Magomedov’s impressive win streak in Mexico City and is currently the No. 9 ranked lightweight on the planet. If you look at those ranked ahead of him, finding a suitable for for him is pretty much laid out for him. Eddie Alvarez is the champ, Khabib Nurmagomedov is inching himself closer to a title shot while the No. 2 guy, Rafael dos Anjos, is his teammate. And since Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz are currently fighting at Welterweight, it only leaves Edson as a logical choice since Dariush already lost to Michael Chiesa. It wil lbe a tough sell, as Barboza’s last two wins came against Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez. And Beneil’s name doesn’t carry that much weight, yet.
Winner: Alexa Grasso
Who She Should Fight Next: Julianna Lima
Grasso kept her undefeated record in tact, improving to 9-0 (1-0 UFC) by absolutely dominating Heather Jo Clark for three rounds en route to a successful Octagon debut. After doing work over at Invicta FC, Alexa proved she was definitely worth the call up to the big leagues. The challenges will only get tougher, so pitting her up against the current No. 15 ranked fighter in the division, Julianna Lima, makes sense for her sophomore UFC effort.
For complete UFC Fight Night 98: “Dos Anjos vs. Ferguson” results, including play-by-play updates, click here.