All the best, most interesting, and unquestionably coolest fights the UFC needs to book, following their latest event in Boston, MA.
UFC Boston ended as something of a mixed bag, as an entire event. Some fighters massively over-performed their expectations, some under-performed, and there were a few moments of just downright weirdness. Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens put on a hell of a scrap, while Dominick Reyes showed Chris Weidman that the light heavyweight division isn’t going to be more kind to him than middleweight. Oh, and the circus that is Greg Hardy’s UFC career gained a new level of clownsmanship.
So, is it time for Dominick Reyes to fight Jon Jones? How close is Yair Rodriguez to a featherweight title shot? And is anyone gonna stop Maycee Barber’s run up the flyweight division?
To answer those questions – and maybe one or two others – I’ll be drawing on the classic Joe Silva fight booking style from years past. That means pitting winners against winners, losers against losers, and similarly tenured talent up against one another. Stay tuned for the UFC Singapore: Fights to Make article for your own chance to make your post-fight match-ups following UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz.
Now, let’s get to the fights…
DOMINICK REYES
This bout didn’t really prove anything as to how ready Reyes is to face the champ. But, it is exactly the kind of name win to likely make the UFC feel more comfortable throwing him into a PPV headliner as a B-side. I’d love to see him face Anthony Smith or Thiago Santos in a true title eliminator, but Santos’ knee is gonna need some serious recovery—and Smith was quick to announce from the booth after Reyes’ win that he’s out until February. Most of the main events for the rest of this year are already booked, but if Jones needs someone to face early in 2020, Reyes may just be the man. The other options would be the winner of Blachowicz/Souza or Walker vs. Anderson. Especially if Walker wins, that’s must see stuff. But, for now, with no clear immediate challenger, Dominick Reyes vs. Jon Jones may just be the fight.
CHRIS WEIDMAN
The latest chapter in Weidman’s post title slide has been written, and unfortunately ‘My Trip to Light Heavyweight’ is reading a lot like ‘My Last Few Fights at Middleweight.’ Weidman still has the athleticism, he even has the size. But he just doesn’t have the durability. And as a fighter who was rarely every a one-shot KO threat himself, at middleweight, he has to have durability to get his game going at light heavyweight. Without it, he’s going to be stuck on the end of some power hitters pretty much every time he enters the cage. Part of me still says that the UFC could do that Rockhold fight again, but it’s pretty clear that Rockhold isn’t about to step in the cage anytime soon. If Glover Teixeira wasn’t on such a streak, I might suggest him and Weidman. Or maybe the winner of Shogun vs. Alvey? If Weidman’s set on still fighting, he’s gotta face someone. End of the day, Chris Weidman vs. Nikita Krylov is probably about the right speed. Krylov doesn’t have killer power, and he’s got a ton of defensive holes. Chris Weidman vs. Nikita Kryolv, because the man’s gonna fight someone.
YAIR RODRIGUEZ
While he ended up on the wrong end of a lot of Stephens’ punches late, early on, Yair looked more elusive than ever before. It’s the kind of dedication to outfighting that he needs to show to win at the highest levels in the UFC. It’s too bad that the winner of Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Calvin Kattar is probably lined up for a future title shot, because that would be excellent for Yair. Although, if Kattar wins it, then Yair probably has a much better chance of getting a no. 1 contenders bout against him. A rematch with Edgar seems like a waste, and there’s no guarantee that Brian Ortega beats Chan Sung Jung (a fantastic fight if Ortega wins). So – with so many moving parts in play – the most fun, surefire option seems like a bout between Yair Rodriguez and Jose Aldo. Aldo may be riding a loss, but he’s still one of the biggest names at 145, and beating him would be a great way to get Yair into contention. And for Aldo, being the proving point for title contenders has been a fun role for him lately. Yair Rodriguez vs. Jose Aldo; let’s see if Yair is ready to chase the strap.
JEREMY STEPHENS
The speed advantage for Yair was obviously crippling for Stephens early. He just couldn’t set up his shots and get inside of Yair’s constant, creative kicking game. He’s lucky he didn’t end up on the wrong end of a TKO loss, but battled back great to win the third and reassert that he’s always going to be the man to bring out a top shelf action fight in the featherweight division. Unfortunately for him, most of the top of the featherweight division is already booked. He could take on Mirsad Bektic, but that seems like a very rough landing for Bektic off that Emmett loss. Same for a Ricardo Lamas fight. He could also go winner/loser against Arnold Allen or dial up a rematch with Renato Moicano—but that Moicano fight wasn’t much fun the first time around. Right now, I think the most surefire action bout the UFC could book is a rematch between Jeremy Stephens and Cub Swanson. Stephens broke his hand early in their first fight. A rematch would be a barnburner. Stephens vs. Swanson 2, give featherweight’s best action fighters another chance to shine.
JOE LAUZON
A must-win fight for Lauzon… and he went out and won it—stomping Jonathan Pearce for a dominating first round stoppage. That should line him up for another action fight that feels more like the kind of bouts fans want to see him in, and less like the kind of fights where fans are just hoping he doesn’t take a bad loss. A fight with Nik Lentz would be a good way to go, or maybe Gray Maynard (if he’s not just retired now). Fights with Yancy Medeiros or Joe Duffy also sound like a whole lot of fun. Of all those, I think the fight with Nik Lentz sounds like the most ‘I’m sure I’ve already seen this fight before’ bout. So let’s actually make it happen. Joe Lauzon vs. Nik Lentz for the battle of lightweights who should have already fought at least once by now.
MAYCEE BARBER
Robertson did alright for a minute or two, before she realized that she wasn’t going to easily get this fight to the ground. Once it became clear she’d have to rely on her striking, it seemed like her confidence drained in a hurry. And from there, Barber just swarmed her. It’s a great win for Barber, which – alongside her win over Aldrich – has her pegged as a clear future contender. Bouts against Mara Romero Borella or Montana De La Rosa are decent next steps if the UFC wants to go winner loser here. A bout with Antonina Shevechnko would also be a rock solid idea. But, I think the UFC should be a little ambitious. Barber’s got the physicality. She knows where she wants the fight. Let her take on Lauren Murphy and see how fast she can capitalize on her dreams of becoming the UFC’s youngest ever champion. Murphy has some decent physicality, and is a seasoned vet, but she’s not way more technical that Barber. It’s the kind of fight that, were Barber to win it, she could start looking at bouts that set her as the clear no. 1 contender quickly. Maycee Barber vs. Lauren Murphy sounds like the best next test of Barber’s quality.
CHARLES ROSA
Rosa was getting absolutely thumped for the bulk of that fight, but hang out in his guard long enough and his submission game will find a way. His time off means that a lot of the division has moved on around him and there are a bevy of newcomers and streaking prospects that he could face. Fights with Dan Ige, Zubaira Tukhugov, Sodiq Yusuff, or Gavin Tucker would all be pretty reasonable. Of all those, I think Tukhugov represents an intriguing amount of parity. Another prospect seemingly turned veteran due to a long layoff. And a fighter who, himself, has something of an unstructured wild style. Can Rosa keep things rolling against an athlete on Tukhugov’s level? Will Tukhugov’s lack of control and consistency lead him into the same kinds of traps that Bermduez fell into. Book it and let the fans find out. Charles Rosa vs. Zubaira Tukhugov for the battle of featherweights coming off successful returns from a long hiatus.
SEAN WOODSON
He didn’t get the finish, but Woodson looked miles ahead of Kyle Bochniak in his UFC debut. He stuffed takedown attempts, landed constant counter strikes, and made great use of both his range and his height. When Bochniak stayed outside, Woodson drilled him with jabs and kicks. When he dipped in, Bochniak was met over and over with sharp knees and slick uppercuts and hooks. It was a consummate performance and one that should keep Woodson in exciting bouts. He could take on Giga Chikadze, or Gavin Tucker, or Shane Young. Hell, he could even go all the way up to a bout with Sodiq Yusuff. But, I really like the idea of a fight against Grant Dawson. As much as Woodson is all striking, Dawson is all wrestling. It’d be a great test for a fighter who’s keeping a 6’2” frame at 145 lbs. Otherwise, that Chikadze fight will absolutely have to happen sooner or later. Woodson vs. Dawson for a classic striker vs. grappler battle to see which prospect can really move up the division fast.
BRENDAN ALLEN
A fantastic debut for Allen, who got exactly the kind of grappling battle he thrives in against Kevin Holland. Not all of Allen’s aggression led him to success, but Holland’s willingness to stay on the mat with him and keep hunting for subs ended up handing Allen a dramatic RNC. While Holland isn’t the highest profile middleweight in the UFC, that’s definitely the kind of strong win that sets Allen up for bigger fights. He called for a rematch against Erik Anders, and he might honestly just get it. But it’s not a fight, technically that I’m all that interested in. I’d rather see him try to get a win back over Anthony Herenandez. Who himself is prone to some fits of wild offense everywhere, and has looked tough as hell. I’d also really like to see him take on Makhmud Muradov, a newcomer with a deep record who made his own strong introductory win to the promotion. But, that rematch idea feels too right. Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez, let Allen see if he can go get all his losses back.
OTHER BOUTS: Greg Hardy vs. Maurice Green/Sergei Pavlovich winner, Ben Sosoli vs. Chris De La Rocha, Jonathan Pearce vs. Jamie Mullarkey, Gillian Robertson vs. Lucie Pudilova, Darren Stewart vs. Eryk Anders, Deron Winn vs. Charles Byrd, Manny Bermudez vs. Kevin Aguilar, Molly McCann vs. Poliana Botelho, Diana Belbita vs. Hannah Goldy, Kyle Bochniak vs. Bobby Moffett, Randy Costa vs. Felipe Colares, Boston Salmon vs. Anderson dos Santos, Sean Brady vs. Abubakar Nurmagomedov/David Zawada winner, Court McGee vs. Chad Laprise, Kevin Holland vs. Andrew Sanchez, Tanner Boser vs. Carlos Felipe, Daniel Spitz vs. Justin Tafa