The UFC made its first trip to Argentina tonight, and despite having few big names on the card, it absolutely delivered. Of course there were a few finishes here and there, but the main theme of the night was hard-fought, entertaining decisions. However, despite a night full of action, there are still a lot of fighters in need of another match-up, and I think I have a few suggestions.
Poliana Botelho vs. Cortney Casey
While Poliana Botelho did get submitted in the first round tonight, I still think that her stock is extremely high. In my opinion, she deserves a lower ranked opponent like Cortney Casey. Casey is someone who probably doesn’t deserve her ranking in the first place, so I would like to see her prove me wrong by beating someone like Botelho, and Poliana could finally snake her way into the rankings with a big win in this match-up.
Cynthia Calvillo vs. Lauren Murphy
Cynthia Calvillo pulled off an impressive rear-naked choke tonight, but the fact remains that she missed weight. Because of this, I think that she needs to take a fight up a division. Lauren Murphy is a top contender at Flyweight, and with Calvillo being only a couple of fights away from the title at Strawweight, I think that these two should collide in the Octagon.
Guido Cannetti: Retirement
Guido Cannetti got submitted in devastating fashion tonight, and there have been talks of this being his last professional fight. I think now is the perfect time for Cannetti to hang it up. While I’m sure he still has some miles on him, he doesn’t want to spend all of them in the cage. He put on a good show, he lost, and now it’s time for him to move on to something else.
Marlon Vera vs. Ricky Steele
Marlon Vera got a huge submission win tonight, but he has been spotty in his career so far. I think that welcoming a newcomer to the UFC could prove that he has what it takes to be a next-level fighter. Ricky Steele has been signed, but he hasn’t been given a dance partner so far, so I would like to see if he could prove how good he is against Vera.
Cezar Ferreira vs. Julian Marquez
Cezar Ferreira fought to a grinding decision, yet he didn’t come out on top. However, he is still one of the top fighters in the world, and I think he should get a fight against a highly touted prospect. Julian Marquez has had a wave of fans behind him through his whole UFC career, and I would like to see him prove himself against a perennial contender like Ferreira.
Ian Heinisch vs. Alessio Di Chirico
Ian Heinisch made a statement in his UFC debut, beating an extremely tough Cezar Ferreira on the scorecards. However, I would like to see Heinisch fight a disciplined striker like Di Chirico. He is a good wrestler, but I think that he might get beaten up on the feet against someone with good Muay Thai, so I would like to see this fight take place.
Khalil Rountree vs. Nikita Krylov
If anyone was going to get a knockout tonight, you would think it would have been Khalil Rountree. However, he was the one who ended up on the canvas. Someone else who is popular yet coming off of a loss is Nikita Krylov, and I think that this could be an interesting striker vs. grappler fight.
Johnny Walker vs. Tyson Pedro
Johnny Walker surprised everybody with his epic KO win of Khalil Rountree, and he deserves a ranked opponent right away. Tyson Pedro is someone who has already hit a wall in his career, and needs to get a win over a prospect to prove he can still contend for the title. I think that this fight benefits all parties involved, and I would love to see it become a reality.
Darren Elkins vs. Austin Arnett
Darren Elkins fell to a true veteran of the sport, but I think that he should take a step back. He should fight someone who can get him a realistic win, and that could be Austin Arnett. Arnett got his first UFC win on the prelims tonight, so matching him up against the ranked Elkins isn’t preposterous to suggest.
Ricardo Lamas vs. Jose Aldo II
Ricardo Lamas knocked out the human zombie that is Darren Elkins, and I think that earns him a big fight next. Lamas was scheduled to rematch Jose Aldo not too long ago, and I think that fight had a lot of fans excited. I would love to see the UFC make that again, and hopefully we get to see it happen this time.
Neil Magny vs. Mike Perry
Neil Magny did everything he could to stay in the fight against Santiago Ponzinibbio, but ultimately he got knocked out. He obviously needs to take some time off, much like Mike Perry has to after his broken arm. I think that a fight against Perry could be a chance for him to show he can handle a power puncher, and I would love to see “Platinum” get another shot at a ranked opponent.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Leon Edwards
Santiago Ponzinibbio proved that he deserves a title shot, but he won’t get one because of how many contenders there are at Welterweight. However, he could work on taking out those contenders. Leon Edwards is a prospect that is also in title contention, so beating him could be the final step that finally grants Ponzinibbio his title shot.