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The UFC’s latest trip to Mexico went down last night, and overall, the event proved to be a largely fun one.
UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval 2 featured some big wins for many fighters – so what is next for them? As always, the promotion’s matchmakers have plenty of options ahead of them.
On that note, here are five fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval 2.
#5. UFC bantamweight bout: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios
The most disappointing part of last night’s UFC event was the cancellation of the bantamweight bout between hot prospect Raul Rosas Jr. and TUF 29 winner Ricky Turcios.
The fight looked like the perfect test for the young Rosas Jr., who had shown huge improvements in his last bout against Terrence Mitchell. Turcios was clearly a step up in competition for him but not a huge leap forward.
Unfortunately, ‘El Nino Problema’ took ill backstage during the event, forcing the promotion to scrap the bout not long before it was due to begin. Given that the illness that sidelined Rosas Jr. isn’t likely to be a long term issue, it seems silly not to simply re-book this fight as soon as possible.
Thankfully, the UFC appear to have the same idea, as it has been reported that the bout will take place at next week’s Fight Night event, albeit at a catchweight. With any luck, the two young fighters will have their chance to shine after missing out last night.
#4. UFC lightweight bout: Manuel Torres vs. Jared Gordon
One of last night’s biggest winners was lightweight prospect Manuel Torres. ‘El Loco’ shone in front of his Mexican countrymen by submitting Chris Duncan, recovering from eating an early big shot to do so.
Given that he’s now 3-0 in the UFC and 15-2 overall, Torres looks like the kind of fighter who should be elevated up the ladder somewhat in his next bout. It wouldn’t be fair to throw him in with a ranked foe, of course, so it’d be a better idea to match him with a hardened veteran instead.
One name who could make sense is Jared Gordon. ‘Flash’ was last seen in November, when he beat Mark Madsen for his second octagon finish. Gordon is a highly experienced fighter with a UFC record of 8-5-1, and he’s already used to facing hot prospects.
Would Torres be able to beat him? It’s difficult to say, but at this point, ‘El Loco’ needs a step up, and this would be a good challenge for him, one he should be able to pass if he has got elite potential.
#3. UFC flyweight bout: Brandon Moreno vs. Manel Kape
Home country hero Brandon Moreno came up short in last night’s headliner, getting edged out over five rounds by Brandon Royval. The former UFC flyweight champ has lost his last two bouts, but with both defeats coming via decision, he’s still a very viable talent at 125 pounds.
Nevertheless, he’s out of title contention, meaning he probably needs to face off with a rising star next. That way, either he would win and climb back into contention or someone else could.
The best opponent for him would probably be Manel Kape. ‘Starboy’ has won his last four bouts, and with a flashy striking style, he's looking for that one big win to put him over the top, both as a title contender and a potential star.
A win over Moreno, one of the more beloved fighters in the flyweight division, would do that. Could he pull off a victory over the super-tough ‘Assassin Baby’ though? It’s difficult to say.
This fight could easily headline or co-headline a Fight Night event, so it’d be well worth putting together.
#2. UFC flyweight bout: Brandon Royval vs. Amir Albazi
Initially, last night’s headliner should’ve seen former flyweight champ Brandon Moreno taking on No.2 ranked Amir Albazi. Realistically, this fight was probably going to be a title eliminator, with the winner going on to face reigning UFC champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Of course, with Albazi sidelined with an injury, Brandon Royval slipped into his spot and picked up the biggest win of his UFC career to date by outpointing the former titleholder.
Should the win give Royval the title shot? Probably not, as he only lost to Pantoja in December. Therefore, it’d probably make sense for him to face Albazi for the shot, with ‘The Cannibal’ sitting out and waiting for his next challenger.
With Albazi having won his last six bouts, he might well be the most dangerous man in the division right now, but whether he could take out Royval is up for debate.
Either way, a clash between these two would be a likely war, and the winner would definitely warrant a title shot.
#1. UFC featherweight bout: Brian Ortega vs. Movsar Evloev
The big winner last night was undoubtedly Brian Ortega. ‘T-City’ returned to the octagon following two years on the shelf and looked as dangerous as ever, rebounding from a poor first round to submit Yair Rodriguez impressively.
There will likely be calls for Ortega to receive a shot at new featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria following the win, but the promotion ought to hold off on that for now. Realistically, Alexander Volkanovski probably deserves a rematch with ‘El Matador’, while Ortega ought to win at least one more bout before climbing into contention.
The best fight for him would be against No.5 ranked Movsar Evloev. The Russian is unbeaten in both the UFC and MMA overall at 18-0. Even talents like Arnold Allen and Diego Lopes have been unable to stop his takedowns and relentless pressure.
Would he really want to go to the ground with a submission artist as skilled as Ortega, though? It’s a fair question and would provide a true test of the Russian’s overall abilities.
Put simply, this would be a fabulous fight to put together to decide the next big contender in the featherweight division and would be the perfect bout for both men right now.
