The UFC made another trip to Newark, New Jersey on Saturday afternoon, and they brought with them a title contender bout between the trash talker Colby Covington and the savage brawler that is Robbie Lawler. However, aside from the main event, there was a severe lack of name brand fighters on this card. Despite the absence of ranked fighters on the main card, all of these warriors are due for another opponent, so here are a few suggestions for what the UFC should do in the future.
Darko Stosic vs. Nicolae Negumereanu
Darko Stosic was involved in a peculiar bout against Kennedy Nzechukwu, which involved several groin strikes and two point deductions. It seems that the only reason Nzechukwu was given the nod was because of the points that were taken from Stosic, meaning that he should be expected to come back in a big way. Nicolae Negumereanu has had one UFC fight, in which he lost to one of the worst fighters in the division, so this should be an easy win for the heavy-handed Stosic.
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Klidson Abreu
Kennedy Nzechukwu was gifted a win due to unfortunate circumstances, and his performance was so horrible that the only questions Jon Anik had to ask him were about how disappointed he was with himself. However, he is still coming off of a win, so he deserves to fight another winner. Klidson Abreu picked up a debut win over the extremely durable Sam Alvey, and with these two men throwing heavy leather at each other, one is bound to hit the canvas.
Dong Hyun Ma vs. Mickey Gall
Dong Hyun Ma lost due to a gruesome eye injury, but he still showed that he loves to fight and has power in his hands. Missing weight signals that it may be time for him to consider a different weight class, and with Mickey Gall fighting on the same card, this fight makes a lot of sense. Ma is on a losing streak, and the UFC tries to throw Gall constant softballs, so the likelihood of this fight could be a lot higher than it seems.
Scott Holtzman vs. Beneil Dariush
Scott Holtzman looked absolutely fantastic en route to his TKO victory over Dong Hyun Ma, and he certainly deserves a step up in competition after such an excellent performance. Beneil Dariush is someone who has been in the rankings for years, but right now he finds himself on the outside looking in, so this fight could very well decide who becomes a top 15 fighter. This would undoubtedly turn into a high-level grappling match, but with both men possessing underrated striking, either one of them could be finished at any moment.
Trevin Giles vs. Julian Marquez
Trevin Giles has yet to find his stride in the UFC, and it is a shame to see such a good prospect fall victim to what seems to be poor fight IQ. Forcing a grappling exchange with a BJJ black belt like Gerald Meerschaert was bound to put him in a bad position, and Giles got put to sleep because of it. Someone who is bound to bring a striking battle to Giles is Julian Marquez, who swings heavy leather at all costs before shooting for a takedown, making this fight essentially even when it comes to who will land their knockout punch first.
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Darren Stewart
“GM3” Gerald Meerschaert scored another huge submission win against a young prospect and has been doing so for years. A fight against Darren Stewart would make for a classic striker vs. grappler bout, with Stewart’s heavy hands and Meerschaert’s dangerous submissions both posing huge threats to the other man.
Joaquim Silva vs. David Teymur
Joaquim Silva is a talented and powerful brawler, but that power did not help him against the uncanny brute force that belongs to Nasrat Haqparast. Silva loves to get into the cage and trade punches, and if that is what he wants, then David Teymur would be more than happy to oblige him. Both men have fast, powerful strikes, making for a fight that is bound to be a bonus winner on any fight card.
Nasrat Haqparast vs. Frank Camacho
Nasrat Haqparast is constantly adding names to his hit list, but he has yet to fight a veteran that is as tough and gritty as Frank “The Crank” Camacho. Haqparast has a lot of good performances and one-punch knockouts, but he doesn’t have any wars to his credit just yet, so Camacho may be the first man to weather the storm and fire back at the young prospect. This is bound to be a knockout either way, and both men are going to have to work extremely hard to put the other away.
Clay Guida: Retirement
Clay Guida has already been inducted into the Hall of Fame, he’s gone to war with everybody, and after being finished in under a minute, you can’t help but wonder if it’s time for him to hang it up. There is simply nothing else for Guida to accomplish, so he should transition into coaching and enjoy life after fighting.
Jim Miller vs. Drew Dober
As little as a year ago, it looked like Jim Miller was completely done with his career, but since then he has resurged with wins over young contenders and old vets like himself. After beating an old vet like Clay Guida, he should set his sights on another young contender to prove himself against, and Drew Dober could be perfect for that. Dober could very well be a ranked fighter in as little as two fights, so if Miller manages to get past him, this could prove to be a huge turning point in his career.
Robbie Lawler: Retirement
Everyone is already thinking it, so let’s just come right out and say it: It might be time for Robbie Lawler to retire. He’s been the champion, he’s on a three-fight losing streak, he’s been in too many wars to count, and it does not seem like he’s going to be turning his luck around anytime soon. Lawler needs to think about putting his health before his career, and there is no better time to do so than now.
Colby Covington vs. Kamaru Usman
Colby Covington was already the number one contender for the title, this just proved it. Covington was supposed to fight Tyron Woodley, he had his belt stripped from him, and there is an argument for Covington being the rightful Welterweight champion. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that he has earned his shot at the title.
What matches would you make? Let us know in the comments!
