Sheymon Moraes vs. Enrique Barzola
ESPN put on their second UFC event on free television Saturday night in Philadelphia, and the card was nothing but action. With a headliner like Edson Barboza and Justin Gaethje, fireworks are to be expected, but the UFC really delivered in Pennsylvania. However, all of the fighters that performed on tonight’s main card are in need of new opponents, so here are some matches to make after UFC on ESPN 2.
Sheymon Moraes was the first loser on the ESPN main card, but his fight with “Super” Sodiq Yusuff was a tactical scrap. Moraes was arguably winning the fight until he got knocked down in the third round, and if Moraes and Yusuff were to run it back, who knows what would happen? However, with his decision loss, a fight against someone like Enrique Barzola- who had also been on the rise until UFC Philadelphia- would make a lot of sense.
Sodiq Yusuff vs. Kron Gracie
After his decision win against Sheymon Moraes, Sodiq Yusuff called out fellow rising star Kron Gracie, and he should absolutely be given that opportunity. There are very few fighters who actually maximize their time on the microphone to set up their next fight, so Yusuff should be rewarded having the guts to call out the likes of Gracie. This would be a classic striker vs. grappler match, and with both men being able to finish people in the blink of an eye, there is no telling what might happen!
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Saparbek Safarov
Kennedy Nzechukwu made his UFC debut on this card, and without mincing words, he looked utterly terrible. He managed to land some good ground-and-pound on Paul Craig, but most of that was due to him grabbing the cage, while also constantly poking Craig in the eyes. While such a dirty fighter should be cut from the organization, everyone deserves a second chance, and Saparbek Safarov may be the only fighter in the division that Nzechukwu truly has a chance of beating.
Paul Craig vs. Sam Alvey
Paul Craig has been a fan-favorite since being signed to the UFC, and his late submission of Nzechukwu proved why. He was gassed, he was beat up, his opponent was in a dominant position, and he managed to pull out another vicious triangle choke.
Someone else fans love to watch fight is “Smilin” Sam Alvey, who uses his heavy hands and experience to turn every fight into a brawl. Whether it be another submission for Craig or another knockout for Alvey, this fight would certainly provide a finish.
Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Cynthia Calvillo
Karolina Kowalkiewicz has been a staple of the UFC Strawweight division since she got signed, and even came close of winning the title at UFC 205 when she wobbled Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Although she lost fairly convincingly to Michelle Waterson, she likely still has a lot left in the tank, and should be matched up against someone who may be the future of the division. Cynthia Calvillo would be Kowalkiewicz’s way of getting back into the win column, or Calvillo’s way of getting a title shot, which makes this an excellent fight.
Michelle Waterson vs. Claudia Gadelha
Michelle Waterson called for a title shot after her decision win over Karolina, but so does every fighter in the UFC. The truth is, Waterson needs to put in more work in order to get a crack at the belt. Someone like Claudia Gadelha- who is ranked ahead of Waterson despite coming off of a loss- could be the exact right fight to get Waterson to the posisition she wants to be in.
Michael Johnson vs. Kevin Aguilar
Michael Johnson was dominating the number 10 contender in the Featherweight division Josh Emmett for three rounds, and then got tagged with a thunderous right hand that put his lights out. This may signal the end of Johnson fighting ranked contenders for a while, but he can still welcome some of the younger fighters to the top of the division. Kevin Aguilar dominated Enrique Barzola on the prelims, and if he were to fight Michael Johnson, it would likely play out as chess match either man could win.
Josh Emmett vs. Mirsad Bektic
Josh Emmett rallied back from a loss, a series of injuries, and losing two rounds in order to knock Michael Johnson out cold, and that should earn him a competitor who is higher in the rankings. Mirsad Bektic is ranked one ahead of Josh Emmett, and with his style of wrestling and ground-and-pound, he may have a hard time against fellow wrestler Emmett. This is a fight that could kick off a title run for either man, and with Max Holloway fighting out of the division, both of them have some time to try to get to the top.
David Branch vs. Gerald Meerschaert
David Branch has surprised a lot of critics throughout his career, but he just wasn’t able to replicate that kind of success against Jack Hermansson. Someone else who plays the underdog role a lot is Gerald Meerschaert, who lost an extremely close decision to Kevin Holland on the prelims of the same card. Putting the two together could decide who gets to stay in the UFC, and could put the other right back on the cusp of the rankings.
Jack Hermansson vs. Chris Weidman
Jack Hermansson has put together a run that has surprised a lot of UFC fans, including submitting black belts Gerald Meerschaert and David Branch. It seems as though Hermansson is going to get pushed towards the title, and he has to go through some Middleweight royalty to do that. Chris Weidman being a former champion, ranked number 6 in the world, and not being matched up with anyone else at the moment bodes well for Hermansson to get this fight, and there would be major title implications for the winner of this bout.
Edson Barboza vs. Gregor Gillespie
Many people thought that Edson Barboza’s sniper-like strikes and devastating leg kicks would be enough to put Justin Gaethje away, but instead it was a strong right hand that put the Brazilian Lightweight out cold. It seems that Barboza hasn’t been able to find his stride in recent years, but there are still plenty of fun fights to make with the action striker. Gregor Gillespie has a tailor-made style to beat Barboza, but with his recent losses, Edson could adjust and get another knockout for his highlight reel.
Justin Gaethje vs. Paul Felder
The only request Justin Gaethje had after his one-punch knockout of Edson Barboza was someone who is ranked ahead of him, but that may be harder than it sounds. Al Iaquinta is set to fight Donald Cerrone, Kevin Lee is set to Rafael dos Anjos at Welterweight, Dustin Poirier is fighting Max Holloway for the interim title, Conor McGregor is retired, Dana White refuses to give Tony Ferguson a fight until his personal issues are resolved, and Khabib Nurmagomedov is suspended.
Yeah, the UFC Lightweight division is an utter mess. So who is the most all-action fighter ranked under Gaethje? Easily Paul Felder. A main event between Gaethje and Felder would generate massive viewing numbers and hype, and the two men would fight until one of them is out cold on the floor.