The UFC put on a very entertaining free card on FOX Sports 1 this past weekend (Sun., Feb. 18, 2018) with UFC Fight Night 126 from Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, a card that seemingly eclipsed the past few pay-per-views in terms of overall action.
In the main event, Donald Cerrone delivered a record 20 UFC wins with a TKO over a game but starstruck Yancy Medeiros.
Derrick Lewis got back on track with a TKO victory in a sloppy affair that saw “The Black Beast” fall backward for no real reason at all.
New names emerged, and others keep plugging along. Sage Northcutt got by on an extremely close decision over Thibault Gouti, and Thiago Alves got destroyed by a promising UFC newcomer.
Let’s take a look at what fights should be made after Sunday night!
5. Sage Northcutt vs. Joe Lauzon
After a decently-sized sample of fights to examine, Northcutt may be better off at lightweight than welterweight. Even though he won a contested decision on Sunday against Thibault Gouti, his UFC losses have all come at welterweight, so he will need to focus his attention on the 155-pound division if he has any designs of becoming a serious contender.
Now is the time to test him against a veteran to either win and gain some clout with a big name or give that same veteran an opportunity to school a young fighter and breathe a little more vitality into what is left of their fighting career.
Lauzon is the perfect man for the job. Although he’s coming off of a brutal KO loss to Clay Guida, Lauzon is always game and deserves another fight given his loyalty to the UFC for many years. If he can’t beat Northcutt, a young up-and-comer, he will ultimately have to evaluate how much more time he has left in this sport.
This sport has a tendency to cannibalize its older fighters once they have no use for them, almost like the horses in the book Animal Farm. Unfortunately, the end of a fighter’s career usually ends abruptly and often times, sadly. Here’s an opportunity for Lauzon to end on a possible high note.
The post Five Best Fights To Make After UFC Austin appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.