After every UFC event, I'll write an article on the match ups I think should be made for each fighter. We know Mark Hominick is going to be fighting Jose Aldo, so I won't make a pick for him
Cut List
Amilcar Alves, Will Campunazo, Mike Guymon, and Tim Hague haven't shown that they can fight at the UFC level, and Mike Brown needs to go out and get a few wins before he comes back to the featherweight division.
Matchups to Make
Pat Barry vs Matt Mitrione
They hinted at the fight during the show, and it's one that makes sense: Barry is a logical step up in competition for Mitrione, and Barry needs to show some consistency in order to become a real contender. This would be a real close fight, and one that I would want to see.
Melvin Guillard vs the winner of Ben Henderson v Mark Bocek
Melvin said that he wanted a step up in competition, and either Henderson or Bocek would provide that. Both those guys have great ground games, something that Guillard has always had trouble with. Whoever wins this fight would be right at the top of title picture, and the other would settle into the role of gatekeeper.
Evan Dunham vs Cole Miller
With both these guys coming off losses, this fight becomes very interesting. Dunham lost a lot of momentum in losing, and can't afford another loss after this. Miller got controlled by Wiman, but had looked very impressive in the fights leading up to it. Either Dunham regains some of his hype and gets back to winning, or Miller shows that he may have been overhyped. Should be a good scrap to put on a fight night card.
Matt Wiman vs Mac Danzig 2
Matt Wiman had one of his best performances to date in dominating Cole Miller, and this is a fight I think both guys want. The first fight was stopped way too early, and with both guys coming off impressive wins, the timing is right for a rematch.
Joey Beltran vs the winner of McCorkle v Morecraft
Beltran has established himself as a low level gatekeeper, and a fight against either of these guys could help to see if they are UFC-caliber or not. A win for either fighter means continued employment, while a loss can mean walking papers.
Waylon Lowe vs Cody McKenzie
Lowe's aggressive takedown style matches up well with McKenzie's guillotine based offence, and provides an interesting match up for the two prospects.
Yves Edwards vs Danny Castillo
I got this idea from Sherdog, and it's a fight that makes a lot of sense. Castillo has two straight wins in the WEC, but isn't close to a title shot. Edwards has two straight wins as well, but also isn't in the title picture. Both these guys are known for exciting fights, and a match up between the two should be interesting
Willamy Friere vs Tyson Griffin
Griffin has fallen on some hard times, dropping three straight fights (though his last decision loss to Nik Lentz is questionable). Friere came in with some hype and didn't show a whole lot in his loss to Waylon Lowe. A win for either of these guys would be huge, while a loss would likely mean walking papers. Often, these fights are the ones that end up being awesome.
George Roop vs Josh Grispi
Roop got tooled, as expected, in his fight with Mark Hominick, but has shown that he's willing to take on anybody. Grispi got tooled, unexpectedly, in his UFC debut against Dustin Poirier. Roop would make for a good comeback fight for Grispi, someone with a little name value that should be easily put away. For Roop, if he manages to win, that's a big win that guarantees employment for a few more fights. I don't feel Roop is all that good of a fighter, so he may as well take big fights while he can still get 'em.
Rani Yahya vs Dustin Poirier
Both Yahya and Poirier looked impressive in their UFC debuts, winning dominant decisions over highly regarded opponents in Mike Brown and Josh Grispi. A fight between the two creates a new challenger in the featherweight division, something it desperately needs. This fight would pit the all-ju jitsu attack of Yahya versus the brutal striking of Poirier, and would be the kind of fight that results in a spectacular finish either way.
Demarques Johnson vs the winner of Amir Sadollah v Duane Ludwig
Johnson is a fairly exciting fighter, but I'm not sure if he can be anything more than a low level gatekeeper. The same goes for Sadollah and Ludwig, and a battle between the winner of that fight and Johnson could help one of them move into the next tier of welterweights, while also serving as an exciting matchup.
Charlie Brenneman vs John Howard
Brenneman was able to top control the shit out of Amilcar Alves, and should face a stiffer test in his next outing. Howard got expectedly dominated by Thiago Alves' striking in his last fight, and could use a bounce back. Howard won't be facing the same kind of dangerous striker in Brenneman, and would likely be the better fighter standing. If Brenneman wins, he moves up a crowded welterweight ladder, if he loses, he's in the same position he was in before this fight. For Howard, a win means a return to contender status, while a loss could have him worrying about being cut. That worry should make both fighters try to finish and impress.
Chris Cariaso vs Brad Pickett
Cariaso managed to win a decision over Will Campuzano, but still has yet to look impressive. Meanwhile, Pickett has proven to be an exciting and talented fighter in the bantamweight division. Cariaso has a chance to prove that he belongs by taking on a guy like Pickett, while Pickett gets a chance to prove he should be right in the mix for a title shot. Most every other bantamweight in the UFC is booked right now, and the UFC is likely to acquire more talent in the lighter divisions soon (by either lightweights moving down or signing outside talent) and those fighters could also match up with Cariaso, but as for fighters currently on the roster, Pickett is the best option.
That covers all the fighters on the card, UFC 126 is coming up soon, and I'll do picks and matchups for it closer to the date. Now time to work on some non-mma original content.
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