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Fabio Maldonado: 3 Potential Fights for Him After UFC 186 Loss

UFC 186 was the home to a big return to the company, as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson appeared on a UFC card for the first time since he left the company in 2013 for Bellator. It was a big attraction, but standing in his way was a slugger by the name of Fa…

Maldonado’s boxing was a big concern for Jackson, as the Brazilian is known to dissect opponents with high volume, body shots and crazy aggression. However, Jackson turned back the clock to times past, as he used good stand-up of his own and superior overall skills to batter Maldonado en route to a unanimous decision.

We have not seen this version of Rampage in a while. As for Maldonado, it was a lopsided loss that showed his typical never-die attitude but propagated the feeling that he can’t seem to break into the next level.

So what’s next for the Brazilian boxer? Here are three guys whom Maldonado could face in his next outing.

Jan Blachowicz

Known for his stand-up and power, Jan Blachowicz matches up well with Maldonado. By that, I mean their respective striking styles would make for a dogfight on the feet that would excite fans.

Blachowicz is coming off a loss in the co-main event in Poland at a UFC Fight Night in April. Jimi Manuwa outworked him in a critically panned bout, so Blachowicz obviously would be out for revenge.

With both men losing their most recent bout, they would both be desperate to get back into the win column. Given their respective styles, desperation and knack for awesome fights, this is a matchup waiting to be had.

Rafael Cavalcante

Maldonado is not the only Brazilian light heavyweight who possesses good striking and the ability to have fun fights. Rafael Cavalcante, the former Strikeforce champion, is cut from the same cloth.

Cavalcante, known for his muay thai prowess, is a power striker who constantly searches for the knockout. He is good with kicks, knees and punches and can strike from a distance or in compact spaces.

Maldonado’s boxing vs. Cavalcante‘s muay thai would be a fun contrast that has Fight of the Night written all over it. Would Cavalcante be able to break through Maldonado’s legendary chin, or would Maldonado show why he’s one of the best technical strikers at 205 pounds right now?

Let’s find out the old-fashioned way!

Tom Lawlor

We haven’t seen Tom Lawlor in a UFC cage recently. However, he is at 205 pounds now and looking for a dance partner who can give him a good fight.

Maldonado may have another suitor here.

Lawlor is a wrestler who is known for his outlandish personality, extravagant weigh-in costumes, wild walkouts and toughness in the cage. It’s a great contrast to Maldonado—the quiet, reserved, death-in-his-eyes fighter who lets his fists do the talking.

It’s striker vs. grappler, but that’s the type of matchup that can get interesting. I would love to see Lawlor back, and a Maldonado fight would be a good test for him after a long absence from the cage.

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Kyoji Horiguchi: 3 Potential Fights for Him After UFC 186 Loss

Saturday night, Montreal was treated to a UFC flyweight championship match between incumbent king of the hill Demetrious Johnson and challenger Kyoji Horiguchi. It was a fight that did not seem to capture much fanfare, but when it was all said and done…

Johnson, considered a top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, continued his dominant reign atop the 125-pound mountain. With a superior overall game and transitions that seemed to befuddle his Japanese counterpart, Johnson owned most of the 24 minutes and 59 seconds of the fight.

Then it happened.

With one second remaining in the entire fight, Johnson produced an armbar that had Horiguchi surrender before time could expire. It is the latest stoppage in the UFC history, one certain to shed Johnson in an even more positive light going forward.

For Horiguchi, it’s back to the drawing board, though the young fighter is certainly one to watch for going forward. Let’s take a look at a couple fights that make sense for him in his next appearance.

Jussier Formiga-Wilson Reis loser

There is a pivotal bout taking place in Brazil in the near future between two top Brazilian flyweights. Their aim is for a potential title shot against the champion Johnson, which either man can snag with an impressive win.

However, the loser is back down the ladder looking to make his way back up. That is a similar position that Horiguchi is in, which makes a logical potential fight here.

Horiguchi is coming off a title shot that he lost. You have Formiga, who is on an impressive two-fight surge over Scott Jorgensen and Zach Makovsky, and Reis, who is on a winning streak against Jorgensen and Joby Sanchez.

The winner goes into the title talks, while the loser squares off with Horiguchi in what can be considered a big 125-pound showdown.

Chris Cariaso

Chris Cariaso was recently defeated in a UFC title bout against Johnson. Horiguchi was recently defeated in a UFC title bout against Johnson.

Sounds like a good storyline to me in terms of a next fight.

Previous to his title loss to Johnson, Cariaso was on a strong three-fight winning streak that earned him a crack at the title. However, his subsequent loss to Johnson, coupled with a follow-up defeat at the hands of Henry Cejudo, really has him on the outside looking in.

He would either get a huge rebound against Horiguchi, or the Japanese fighter would return to the title picture. This is a matchup that makes a lot of sense.

Dustin Ortiz

One of the true dark horses of the 125-pound division, Dustin Ortiz is often times overlooked. However, he is a valuable asset in the division and underrated.

That said, he is coming off a loss in his last fight like Horiguchi.

It’s a great rebound fight for both men, as they similarly lost to Top Three opponents in their last fight. For Ortiz, it was a decision loss to perennial contender Joseph Benavidez.

Stick these two in the cage, lock the door and watch a masterpiece unfold. It’s a potential Fight of the Night on any card you put it on.

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Demetrious Johnson: 4 Potential Fights for Him After His UFC 186 Win

Demetrious Johnson improved his streak of title defenses to six with his win over Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC 186. He stopped his Japanese foe at 4:59 of Round 5 with an armbar.
Johnson has clearly solidified himself as one of the best competitors in mixed …

Demetrious Johnson improved his streak of title defenses to six with his win over Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC 186. He stopped his Japanese foe at 4:59 of Round 5 with an armbar.

Johnson has clearly solidified himself as one of the best competitors in mixed martial arts and the emperor of the flyweight division. After this recent win, these fight suggestions would give him some interesting matchups for the future.

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UFC 186 Results: Johnson vs. Horiguchi Fight Card Winners and Top Highlights

It wasn’t the most thrilling pay-per-view card in UFC history, but there were a few memorable moments from UFC 186 on Saturday in Montreal. The most noteworthy one took place in the main event when flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson s…

After dominating his bout with Kyoji Horiguchi throughout, Johnson seamlessly transitioned from a mounted crucifix, to full mount, to an armbar in approximately five seconds. He got the challenger to tap out with just one second remaining in the fifth round.

It was truly a spectacular finish. Former WWE Superstar and current UFC fighter CM Punk was impressed:

The same can be said for Sherdog’s Jordan Breen:

Horiguchi presented a different challenge for Johnson because of his speed and awkward style, but ever the defensive genius, Johnson never seemed out of sorts. By the third round he was clearly the fresher fighter and dominating every second of the bout.

In the co-feature, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson made a successful return to the Octagon by winning a unanimous decision over Fabio Maldonado.

While he was a bit fleshy for the catchweight bout fought at 215 pounds instead of the normal 205-pound limit for light heavyweights, Jackson did employ some new wrinkles. His head movement and leg kicks were new to the arsenal and helped to establish his superiority over the tough Brazilian.

After the bout, per MMA Fighting and Fox Sports’ Damon Martin, Jackson was both glad to be back in the UFC and respectful of his opponent’s sturdy chin:

Here’s a look at all of the results from the card. Johnson’s historic submission earned him one of the Performance of the Night bonuses. Here’s a look at the other fighters who were honored for their work.

The Bonus Winners

Fox Sports UFC tweeted the event’s official bonus winners:

The Next Great Striker

Thomas Almeida has the potential to be one of the UFC’s best pure strikers. He put those skills on display in a major way in scoring a TKO victory over Yves Jabouin on Saturday.

He ran his record to a perfect 19-0 with 18 of the wins coming by stoppage. Even UFC President Dana White lauded Almeida’s ability:

Almeida transitions from head to body like he’s throwing combinations on the video game Tekken. It’s an amazing thing to see. The scary thing is this: He’s just 23 years old. The best is yet to come for him. He’ll have more Performance of the Night bonuses in his future.

Solid Prelim Scrap

Chad Laprise pulled out the win over Bryan Barberena to remain undefeated, but it was a tough bout. Per the MMA Report’s John Pollack, he needed stitches once the fight was over:

The two men earned the Fight of the Night bonus.

Showdown Joe Ferraro loved the fight as well:

Barberena made a great account of himself in the fight. He actually landed more significant strikes (94-84), per UFC.com, and landed the only takedown of the fight, yet he lost the decision.

Laprise did do the most substantial damage, but he was never able to make Barberena back up or stop his pursuit. Obviously, Laprise maintains his unblemished record, but Barberena also made himself a bit of a draw. He shouldn’t have a problem finding another opponent.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

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Rampage vs. Maldonado: Analyzing Saturday’s Result at UFC 186

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Quinton “Rampage” Jackson may be 36 years old, but he was still able to show fight fans a little something different in his victory over Fabio Maldonado at UFC 186.
All three judges scored it for Jackson …

All three judges scored it for Jackson in what was a somewhat definitive performance in his return to the Octagon, per UFC News:

“That guy has a chin of steel,” Rampage said after the fight, per Fox Sports’ Elias Cepeda. “I hit him with everything but the kitchen sink.”

The fight itself fell somewhat short of expectations. Given the fighters’ respective styles and the fact that they had almost nothing to lose, some wondered if Jackson and Maldonado would throw caution to the wind and attack right from the opening bell.

On the whole, Jackson owned the advantage throughout the bout and was clearly the deserving winner. According to UFC.com, he landed 114 total strikes and 99 significant strikes, compared to 94 and 67, respectively, for Maldonado. SB Nation’s Submission Radio felt that Maldonado was basically hoping Jackson would punch himself out:

By the time the third round was wrapping up, it was clear that Jackson was running out of gas. He admitted following the win that his contract dispute with Bellator adversely affected his pre-fight preparation, per Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting:

He had managed to absorb Maldonado’s blows, though, without suffering much damage. Maldonado had a clearly defined game plan that relied on body blow after body blow. It didn’t quite work out as Rampage never looked to be in much danger. He also had Maldonado looking a little worse for wear by the final bell.

Chris Weidman was impressed by what he saw from the former UFC light heavyweight champion:

Jackson even managed to include a surprise in the form of a head kick, which Kenny Florian didn’t see coming at all:

Really, all things considered, it was about as good of a performance as anybody could have expected from Jackson. UFC fans have long labeled him as somewhat lazy and a guy who would never fulfill his massive potential.

It’s not like the Rampage of 2015 is going to be vastly different from the Rampage of old. The time for him to alter his career path has passed.

His run in Bellator wasn’t exactly glittering, either. Yes, he went 3-0 with the company, but none of those victories was overwhelmingly impressive. He basically looked like an aging fighter who was struggling to keep up with the technical and tactical shifts happening in the sport.

It’s tough to tell what the future holds for Jackson. He’s seemingly too old to contend for the light heavyweight title, and beating Maldonado isn’t the kind of victory that makes fans believe he should vault to the top of the rankings. The 35-year-old Brazilian has now lost two of his last three and five of his last nine fights.

In order to earn a rematch with Jon Jones, Jackson will have to seriously increase the difficulty level. There’s no telling whether he’ll stick around long enough to make that happen or if he can truly compete with the cream of the crop in the division.

Still, if Jackson’s remaining time UFC is nothing but midcard bouts on major cards, then that’s not a bad way to wrap up a career.

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Johnson vs. Horiguchi: Key Takeaways from UFC 186 Main Event Results

The UFC 186 main event of Demetrious Johnson and Kyoji Horiguchi served to remind us of one fact: Mighty Mouse is easily the best flyweight on the planet.
Horiguchi had his moments in the bout. A well-timed knee in the first round appeared t…

The UFC 186 main event of Demetrious Johnson and Kyoji Horiguchi served to remind us of one fact: Mighty Mouse is easily the best flyweight on the planet.

Horiguchi had his moments in the bout. A well-timed knee in the first round appeared to catch Johnson as he was shooting for a double leg. The second frame actually opened with the Japanese challenger scoring a takedown.

But Johnson made sure those moments of success were fleeting for his opponent. Like just about every one of Mighty Mouse’s opponents, Horiguchi couldn’t keep up with Johnson’s frenetic pace and well-rounded skills. Johnson battered him for four rounds and waited till literally the last second to sink in a vicious armbar that ended things.

ESPN Stats & Info noted the record-setting nature of the win for Mighty Mouse:

Although the final result was expected, there were still some things to take away from the bout going forward. Here’s a look at what we learned about these two fighters and the division at UFC 186.

Demetrious Johnson Is What He Is

Johnson’s place in the MMA hierarchy is an interesting question to analyze. On one hand, he’s a technical marvel. His ability to seamlessly blend the various aspects of MMA with perfect speed and fluidity is almost unrivaled.

If you’re looking for flash, it’s nearly nonexistent. Take it or leave it, that’s who Johnson is.

Johnson’s win over Horiguchi was the quintessential Mighty Mouse performance. Over the course of five rounds, he showcased his striking, clinch game and ground work before ultimately getting the finish.

Still, Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie observed the negative reaction from fans during Johnson’s fight:

The lingering question of whether Johnson can become a draw has surrounded his championship run. At this point, it’s safe to say that his style of fighting isn’t going to change. There are going to be those who love to watch him for his technical prowess and dominance, while there will still be those who simply can’t get behind his brand of fighting.

Ultimately, there isn’t much more Johnson can do to earn fans’ respect. He is simply an efficient fighter who will likely hold his title for at least a few more defenses.

This Isn’t the Last You’ll See of Kyoji Horiguchi

Believe it or not, there will come a day when Johnson is no longer the champion of the flyweight division. That’s hard to believe after the performance he just put on, but it’s an inevitable truth. The 28-year-old is still in his prime now, but eventually, the field has to catch up.

And when it does, Horiguchi just might one of the men to hold that title.

The 24-year-old entered this bout woefully underprepared to take on someone with the ability and cardio of Johnson. The challenger even related this much to Damon Martin of Fox Sports in the lead-up to the fight:

Horiguchi was ultimately right. This wasn’t the best timing for him to fight for the title. After all, the four opponents he has beaten in the UFC have two wins among them. However, the effort wasn’t a lost cause. The Kid Yamamoto-trained fighter impressed some in the early in the fight, including Fox Sports:

It wasn’t much, obviously. This was still a comfortable win for Johnson. Horiguchi is far from a finished product, though. Many of his issues could be attributed to technique. He moved away from throwing knees to more looping strikes that allowed Johnson to change levels without fear of repercussions.

Expect Horiguchi to climb the ladder after a few fights and be back to face Johnson in the distant future.

Mighty Mouse is Running Out of Opponents

The idea that a division is “cleaned out” is not true. There’s usually at least one more contender waiting in the wings. The statement might be true for the flyweight division, though.

After another dominant win for Johnson, he now holds a win over five of the Top Seven in his division, according to the UFC rankings on fight night.

With Johnson already struggling to earn the interest of the casual fan, a lack of a true rival is another detriment to his appeal. The UFC does still have a few options, though.

A rematch of his five-round unanimous decision win over John Dodson could be intriguing. Dodson’s speed made him an interesting challenger in January 2013. Wins over Darrell Montague and John Moraga have once again made him the No. 1 contender.

The other option—who might much like Horiguchi might not be ready yet—is Henry Cejudo. The former Olympic gold medalist is 2-0 in the UFC with wins over Chris Cariaso and Dustin Kimura. Brian Hemminger of the MMA Oddscast noted just how close Cejudo might already be to a title shot:

It might seem like a long shot that someone with as little experience as Cejudo has a shot at upending Mighty Mouse, but that’s just how far ahead of the curve he is as a champion. His greatest challenges might still be a year or two away.

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