Tonight marked the UFC’s first ever event in Utica, New York, and as has been the theme for every other New York fight card so far, at least something has to go wrong. Despite the controversies surrounding the Athletic Commission and all of the weird fight sequences we got to see tonight, this was still a good fight card, and a lot of fighters made their marks on their divisions. With these warriors having just fought, that means they need to know what’s next for them, and I think I have a few ideas.
Gian Villante vs. Jake Collier
Gian Villante lost a close split decision to Sam Alvey tonight, but he certainly had his moments, and showed that he’s no easy out for anyone in the division. Someone else with the same blue collar mentality is Jake Collier, a blood and guts fighter who always leaves it all in the Octagon, and you can make a safe bet that this fight doesn’t go the distance. With both men coming off of tough performances, and with Villante likely losing his number 15 ranking, it would make sense to pit these men against each either to see who can get back to the top of their weight class.
Sam Alvey vs. Corey Anderson
One of the reasons I love Sam Alvey as a fan is because not only does he make my job easy, but he always calls his shot. After his first trip to the Light Heavyweight division, Alvey took the opportunity to call out Gian Villante, who he fought and beat tonight. With another big win under his belt, he did what most fighters these days don’t even dream of by actually saying who he wants to fight next, and I think he deserves the Corey Anderson fight based on the fact that he’s putting an effort into making people want to watch him fight.
Daniel Teymur vs. Brandon Davis
Daniel Teymur got caught in the nastiest rear naked choke I’ve seen since the GSP vs. Bisping fight tonight, and I have so much respect for this warrior for holding out as long as he did before he was forced to tap out. However he still lost, and should be matched up with somebody else who is a fairly new UFC Featherweight. Mississippi’s own Brandon Davis would be a good clash of body types and fighting styles to see against Teymur, and as a fan of both of these fighters myself, this is a dream match-up for me.
Julio Arce vs. Mads Burnell
Julio Arce won his fight by a devastating submission, and just last Sunday Mads Burnell lost a fight by a devastating submission, so both of these men could prove to use each other as a stepping stone. If Arce can manage to get back-to-back finishes he could firmly establish himself as a contender at Featherweight, where Mads Burnell can use this opportunity to prove that there aren’t any holes in his ground game. I see this fight playing out as a fast paced grappling battle, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the matchmakers put these two men together based on their relentless skills on the mat.
Jake Ellenberger: Retirement
After the third straight knockout loss, you have to wonder just how much Jake Ellenberger has left. He’s one of the most respected fighters in the UFC, and with the company unlikely to cut one of their most seasoned veterans, I would like to see Ellenberger make the smart move and walk away without taking anymore damage. I honestly think that he is a little too over the hill to compete with the rest of the Welterweight division, and it would be shame to have to watch such a legend of the sport take anymore unnecessary damage.
Ben Saunders vs. Yushin Okami
Just when you think Ben Saunders might be on his way out of the promotion, he comes back with a vengeance and just absolutely dusts Jake Ellenberger. With perhaps the most impressive performance on the card, Saunders deserves to fight another legend of the sport, and he would certainly get that in Yushin Okami. Not only is Okami a former UFC title challenger and fan favorite, but he has a ground game that would make Royce Gracie blush, and I think it would be extremely interesting to have the two powerful grapplers test their might against each other.
Daniel Spitz vs. Arjan Bhullar
Daniel Spitz not only suffered a painful knockout loss, but he put up little to no offense in a two round fight, and that leaves me to wonder where his place in the division is. Someone else with a few holes in their game is Arjan Bhullar, who became only the second fighter ever in the UFC to be submitted by an omoplata (an easy submission to escape, and not a piece of history you want to make). This fight could determine which man has the skills to stay in the UFC, and it could be an interesting clash of styles to watch unfold.
Walt Harris vs. Travis Browne
Travis Browne is known more now for being the husband to Ronda Rousey instead of a fighter, and that means he has to make a return against somebody like Walt Harris. Harris is a hungry contender with huge knockout power, yet he has obvious holes in his game, and the seasoned veteran in Browne should be able to shed some light on which man is deserves to have a ranking next to their name. Walt Harris could easily add to Browne’s huge losing streak, but if Travis takes this fight as seriously as some of his previous bouts, we could see the return of the man who many thought would be champion one day.
Vinc Pichel vs. Stevie Ray
Vinc “From Hell” Pichel not only has one of the best nicknames in the UFC, but he put up a hell of a fight against Gregor Gillespie. While he still did have to tap out due to a beautiful arm-triangle choke, Pichel holds one of the best reputations in the division for being a durable and potent striker, and that could prove useful against someone with as good of a chin as Stevie Ray. You can hit both of these guys with a literal kitchen sink and it will only make them hit you harder, and that’s why this fight absolutely needs to happen.
Gregor Gillespie vs. Francisco Trinaldo
As of right now, it looks like Gregor Gillespie is one of the hottest prospects in the UFC, and I’m fully onboard this hype train. I feel like Gillespie deserves to be ranked after his performance tonight, and for someone with such a bright future, why not give him a huge test to see if he really is as good as we think he is? Francisco Trinaldo has some of the most dangerous jiu-jitsu in the Lightweight division, and after coming off of a couple of tough losses, he could be the perfect person to determine if Gregor can truly hang with the top of the division.
Jimmie Rivera vs. John Lineker
Jimmie Rivera’s unheard of 20 fight win streak came down with a crash tonight in only 33 seconds, thanks to a beautiful Marlon Moraes head kick. While this is a huge setback for Rivera, he’s still at the tip top of the division, and deserves an opponent that’s as tough as he is. John Lineker is an absolute freak of nature, and if he were to go to war with Rivera, it could be a gritty battle between two of the best fighters in the Bantamweight division.
Marlon Moraes vs. Dominick Cruz
After a clean 33 second knockout, it’s pretty clear that Marlon Moraes is in title contention, but I feel like there’s one man in particular that he has to go through before he gets his shot. Dominick Cruz is somebody who could get an immediate title shot off of a loss, but with TJ Dillashaw defending his belt against Cody Garbrandt at UFC 227, it would seem that both of these fighters need to take one more fight before they can get to the belt. Dominick Cruz is still the greatest Bantamweight of all time, and if Moraes truly wants to hold the belt, then these two will need to fight each other anyway.