Cut List - Todd Brown, Joe Stevenson, Steve Cantwell, Rob Kimmons
Diego Sanchez vs Jon Fitch 2
I recommended this fight in the last Armchair Matchmaker, and I'm sticking with it - Sanchez vs Fitch 2 would decide a top contender in the division, especially if the belt gets vacated (in the event St. Pierre moves up to middleweight). There last fight was very close, and the two are both at the top of the welterweight heap. I don't seem to share the same disdain of rematches as a lot of fans, especially when a rematch could go either way.
Martin Kampmann vs the loser of Mike Pyle v Ricardo Almieda
Kampmann has now lost back to back close decisions, and a third loss could be devastating. At the same time, he's too far up the standings to be fed a can. A fight with the loser of the upcoming Pyle/Almeida fight would provide a mid level fighter that Kampmann should be able to beat, while still having some name value. For the other guy, it would be a chance to upset a big guy in the division and move yourself way up the ladder. Either way, it's a good fight.
Mark Munoz vs Rousamir Palhares
You really can't say anything bad about a performance in which you win by knockout less than a minute into the fight. Munoz is definitely a contender at middleweight, and needs a tougher test than Dolloway to see exactly where he is in the division. Palhares is coming off a submission win as well, and is in a similar position - he clearly has talent, but isn't at the top quite yet. A match up between the two makes sense and would be a good clash of styles: Munoz power and wrestling versus Palhares brutal submissions.
CB Dolloway vs Alessio Sakara
Dolloway can protest his stoppage all he wants, it was fair. Both these guys lost on the main card, and will have to rebound after having their winning streaks cut. Sakara has the stand up skills to exploit Dolloway, but Dolloway has the wrestling skills to negate Sakara. Could be a very good match up for both guys, and should make for a good fight.
Brian Bowles vs Takeya Mizugaki
With both guys victorious, it makes sense to match the two up. Bowles needs one or two more fights before he can fight for the title, and Mizugaki is a tough, yet beatable test for him at this point. Mizugaki is tough enough to make Bowles work, but it should still be Bowles match to lose.
Damacio Page vs Reuben Duran
Both these guys lost on the card: Page by first round guillotine (again) and Duran by close split decision. Page did show solid striking early in his fight, as did Duran. A fight between the two could produce fireworks, and lead to a KO of the Night award for the winner. A loss on the other hand could lead to a tour through the minor leagues before another UFC fight.
Chris Weidman vs Dongi Yang
I was hoping Weidman would be able to finish Sakara, but he still took a clear decision victory. Yang brutalized Rob Kimmons, scoring mount again and again before forcing the stoppage. A test between the two would show where Weidman is in terms of development, as well as showing whether Yang is a gatekeeper or a contender himself.
Danny Castillo vs Evan Dunham
Danny Castillo managed to pull out a decision against former TUF winner Joe Stevenson, and a fight against Evan Dunham, who has lost two in a row, gives him a chance to make a move in the division. Dunham would still be the favorite in a fight against Castillo, but his stock dropped a lot with the loss to Melvin Guillard. A fight against Castillo is definitely winnable, but Castillo would be a live underdog.
Shane Roller vs Melvin Guillard
Both these guys are coming off big stoppage wins: Roller won KO of the Night for laying out Thiago Tavares with a straight right, and Guillard overwhelmed Evan Dunham with hooks in the first round of their fight. A fight between the two puts the winner at the top of the division, while the loser will have to go back and get a few wins in a row to get back up. Guillard's powerful striking versus Roller's submission game would be a great match-up, and one that helps sort out the division.
Dave Branch vs who cares?
Just put him in there with somebody. If he wins, awesome. If he loses, he's cut.
Thiago Tavares vs Cole Miller
Both these guys are coming of losses - Tavares got KO'ed by Roller after looking solid in the first, and Miller got controlled by Matt Wiman on route to a decision loss. Both these guys are also pretty exciting, so a fight between the two should provide fireworks. Neither guy is likely to be cut after a loss, given their tenure and tendancy to get in brawls, so they can focus on beating the shit out of each other instead.
Igor Pokrajic vs Ricardo Romero
Pokrajic remains in the UFC, but at this point it's obvious that he is nothing but a low level gatekeeper. Romero looked like a solid prospect, but got stopped early on in his a fight with Kyle Kingsbury. Pokrajic would be a solid test for Romero to see if he belongs in the UFC, or if he's not at that level.
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