The UFC made its first trip to Boise, Idaho this weekend, and they brought with it a spectacular six fight main card. There were a lot of the UFC’s biggest and most underappreciated stars on the card, and I have to say that almost every fighter delivered the kind of performance we would expect from them. However, everyone that fought on this card is now looking for what step they need to make next, and I think I have a few suggestions.
Marion Reneau vs. Lina Lansberg
Marion Reneau lost a clear decision to Cat Zingano, and I have to say that it was all due to her gameplan. She didn’t have the advantage on the ground, and she didn’t know what to do from there. A fight against Lina Lansberg would be a classic striker vs. grappler, and winner would position herself for a bigger fight in the future.
Cat Zingano vs. Germaine de Randamie
Cat Zingano got back on track tonight with a dominating performance over Marion Reneau, picking up a much needed unanimous decision victory. I have to say that Zingano looked perfect in her fight, not taking much damage at all, and I think she deserves a big fight to get her name back in title contention. Germaine de Randamie hasn’t fought since being stripped of the Featherweight title and moving back down to Bantamweight, so a fight against Cat could be very beneficial to whoever wins, and it would be a good match between two heavy hitting veterans.
Myles Jury vs. Calvin Kattar
Myles Jury suffered a devastating first round KO loss at the hands of Chad Mendes tonight, but that doesn’t mean he’s not good enough to be a ranked fighter. Jury still deserves to fight the best in the world, he just might be better suited taking a fight against a lower ranked Featherweight right now. Calvin Kattar is also coming off of a hard loss, and I think these two men fighting could make for some real fireworks.
Chad Mendes vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Even though Chad Mendes looked impressive in his return, he didn’t capitalize on the moment by calling anyone out, so that’s why I think he should fight Volkanovski. Volkanovski picked up a decision victory over Darren Elkins on the prelims, which likely secured him a spot in the top ten of the division, and took the opportunity to call out Chad Mendes should he win. The two men should be ranked around each other when the rankings come out next week, so I think it could be an interesting matchup to determine who will continue their rise towards the belt.
Randy Brown vs. Mike Perry
Randy Brown suffered a bizarre knockout loss from Niko Price tonight, and while he’ll always be remembered as the guy who got knocked out while he was on top of somebody, he is still one of the most promising up-and-comers in the division. Someone else who has a promising future is Mike Perry, who just picked up a win over Paul Felder at UFC 226. Both of these men are exciting knockout artists who will undoubtedly put on a show for the fans, and I think we deserve this fight.
Niko Price vs. Curtis Millender
Niko Price proved tonight that he can knock anyone out from literally any position, which means that this is a dangerous man to agree to fight. Someone that I don’t think will be frightened by that is fellow knockout artist Curtis Millender. Both of these men are guaranteed to meet in the center of the Octagon and throw heavy leather until one of them loses consciousness, and those are the kind of fights that people pay to see.
Dennis Bermudez: Cut
Dennis Bermudez has officially suffered four straight losses, and that’s just inexcusable in the UFC. No matter how stiff the competition, no matter how hard you fought, if you lose four straight times you should be cut. It’s that simple.
Rick Glenn vs. Artem Lobov
Rick Glenn may have gotten a victory over Dennis Bermudez tonight, yet he’s still only see as a low-tier Featherweight. Glenn has a lot of work to do if he wants to establish himself in this division, and he could run that road right through Artem Lobov. Lobov is also not the most respected fighter in the division, but he’ll fight anybody, and a win over Rick Glenn could be what he needs to separate himself from the pack.
Zak Ottow vs. Ben Saunders
Zak Ottow got finished in the co-main event of the evening, but he definitely had his moments. He nearly finished the young buck Sage Northcutt with one punch, and in doing so proved that he’s still a factor in this division. Fighting another veteran like Ben Saunders could prove to be a wild fight for the fans to see, and I’m almost entirely sure that it would end in a finish.
Sage Northcutt vs. Jake Matthews
Two former Lightweights who moved up a division, a battle between Northcutt and Matthews would be an all striking affair. Both men are very young in their careers, and this could decide who is the real future of the division. After they both picked up knockout victories in their last fights, it seems like a safe bet to say this fight wouldn’t go the distance, and I feel that the best time for their paths to cross is now.
Blagoy Ivanov vs. Justin Willis
Blagoy Ivanov lost his UFC debut tonight, but he gained a moral victory in taking Junior Dos Santos to a decision. Ivanov more than proved that he belongs in the promotion, yet we don’t know what level he’s on. A fight against a ranked opponent like Justin Willis could be a good measuring stick for people to see exactly how good he is.
Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic III
Junior Dos Santos called for a trilogy fight against the former champion Stipe Miocic after his win tonight, and I think that he should get it. The first fight was one of the best Heavyweight fights of all time, and the second fight was a beautiful knockout from Stipe, so a rubber match could truly go either way. With the future of the division being so uncertain, it makes sense to get this fight out of the way, and I think it could be one of the most anticipated fights in recent memory.
