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The UFC’s latest Fight Night event went down last night in Las Vegas. While it was largely unheralded coming off the back of a big pay-per-view show, it delivered some decent action in the end.
With a number of the fighters in action last night capable of swift turnarounds, which fights should the promotion’s matchmakers look for next?
Hopefully, a number of the event’s big winners will be given the chance to face off with a ranked opponent in their next visit to the octagon.
Here are five fights to make following UFC Fight Night: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Ion Cutelaba.
#5. UFC heavyweight bout: Derrick Lewis vs. Sergey Spivak
The obvious fight to make is to re-book the heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Sergey Spivak that was supposed to headline the event.
The bout was called off midway through the event when Lewis was forced out by doctors backstage due to an apparent stomach illness. It reportedly also landed him in the hospital. However, before the night was out, ‘The Black Beast’ was released and medically cleared to fight.
Quite what happened to the heavyweight veteran is a bit of a mystery.
With that considered, the promotion ought to re-book his fight with Spivak as soon as possible. Perhaps on the final show of the year, a Fight Night event which is set for December 17 in Las Vegas, given that the two cards in between appear fully booked.
Either way, there’s no reason to make Lewis or ‘The Polar Bear’ wait, particularly because, as heavyweights, they don’t have any weight to cut.
It was hugely disappointing to miss out on this fight last night, particularly as the rest of the event lacked name value.
#4. UFC flyweight bout: Jennifer Maia vs. Natalia Silva
One thing the UFC loves to do is match two winning fighters from an event against each other on a future card. So one bout that certainly makes sense after last night would be a flyweight clash between Jennifer Maia and Natalia Silva.
Both women were victorious last night, with former title challenger Maia outpointing Maryna Moroz and Silva dispatching newcomer Tereza Bleda with a flashy spinning-back kick.
On paper, this bout does feel like a huge step up for Silva. Her fellow Brazilian Maia is currently the No.8-ranked fighter in the flyweight division and has far more experience at the top level. However, Silva is riding an eight-fight win streak dating back as early as 2018.
More to the point, she has an aggressive style that could bring out the best in Maia, who has often been accused of fighting safely at times.
The truth is that for all her skills, Maia should probably be considered a gatekeeper of sorts after losing to the likes of Valentina Shevchenko and Manon Fiorot – and so a clash against a hot up-and-comer like Silva is logical matchmaking for both parties.
#3. UFC welterweight bout: Muslim Salikhov vs. Neil Magny
The wildest finish last night was definitely produced by welterweight Muslim Salikhov. The 'King of Kung-Fu’ used a flashy spinning kick to end the night for Andre Fialho, taking his overall UFC record to an impressive 6-2.
Is the native of Dagestan a contender at 170lbs, then? Given his best win was probably last night’s or his 2021 victory over Francisco Trinaldo, it’s hard to say. However, as he turns 39 years old in 2023, it’s probably time to give him a shot at a higher-level opponent and let him sink or swim.
With that considered, the UFC could do much worse than to match him with the welterweight division’s top gatekeeper, Neil Magny.
Magny fought just a couple of weeks ago himself, turning back Daniel Rodriguez to claim his 20th win in the octagon, setting a record in the welterweight division.
Essentially, any fighter who can beat ‘The Haitian Sensation’ is probably a worthy title contender, and anyone who can’t probably doesn’t belong in the top ten.
Therefore, he’d be the perfect fight for Salikhov to prove himself against, and given the wild striking style of 'King of Kung-Fu’, it’d probably make for a very fun fight, too. Therefore, the promotion ought to consider booking it for early 2023, perhaps as the headliner of a Fight Night event.
#2. UFC light-heavyweight bout: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Khalil Rountree
Light-heavyweight prospect Kennedy Nzechukwu made the most of his unexpected headline slot last night by knocking out Ion Cutelaba in an entertaining comeback. While the win likely won’t be enough to move him into the top 15 at 205lbs, he probably isn’t that far off now.
However, the truth is that ‘The African Savage’ still isn’t quite a complete fighter, largely due to his lack of experience at the highest level. He didn’t start fighting professionally until late 2016, after all.
With that in mind, it’d be a bad idea for the UFC’s matchmakers to throw him in with a bad stylistic match. Someone like Anthony Smith or Nikita Krylov, for instance, would likely take him to the ground and comfortably beat him.
Khalil Rountree, on the other hand, is a dangerous striker who isn’t likely to want to take any opponent down. He’s the No.14-ranked fighter in the division and is coming off three wins in a row, which makes him a step up for Nzechukwu.
Despite his experience, though, Rountree would still be a beatable foe for ‘The African Savage’. He definitely hits hard, but he’s vulnerable too, and has been knocked out in the octagon twice. He’s also arguably less durable than Nzechukwu.
Given that Rountree only fought on October 29 – edging out Dustin Jacoby – the timing would also make sense for a bout between him and Nzechukwu. So, the matchmakers should look to book it for early 2023.
#1. UFC welterweight bout: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Michel Pereira
One fighter who competed last night and already has a date in mind for his next trip to the octagon is welterweight Jack Della Maddalena.
The Australian picked up his third win in the UFC by knocking out Danny Roberts. He immediately asked for a fight at next February’s UFC 284, which is set to take place in his hometown of Perth.
Given that Maddalena barely took any damage in his clash with Roberts, it makes perfect sense for him to be booked on that card. Given that he’s now on a 13-fight win streak overall, it only makes sense to book him against a ranked opponent.
With that in mind, then, a good match for him could be Michel Pereira, who is currently No.14-ranked in the division. ‘Demolidor’ is riding a five-fight win streak, having traded in his wild antics for a more measured approach, and he’s definitely got the striking chops to give Maddalena a major test.
However, Pereira’s been stunned in a couple of his previous fights. Also, he already has eleven losses on his ledger. So, he’d also make for a beatable opponent for the young Australian, who already seems to have an aura of invincibility around him.
Overall, this fight would almost guarantee fireworks, and given that Pereira does not have a fight booked in the near future, it makes plenty of sense to get it signed for Perth against an Aussie.
