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UFC Austin was one of the best Fight Night cards we have ever seen. The event saw an abundance of finishes and featured a number of popular fighters.
Names like Joaquin Buckley, Kevin Holland and Josh Emmett all scored huge wins that may set them up for some big fights next time out. For the losers, which included the likes of Calvin Kattar, it will be interesting to see where they go from here.
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The event saw a record-tying eight KOs on the card, with hard-hitting action from start to finish. A number of fighters from Texas, including Adrian Yanez and Kevin Holland, received immense support from their home crowd.
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With the event now in the rear-view mirror, it is time to look ahead to what could be next for last Saturday's competitors.
Here are five fights to make after UFC Austin:
#5. Adrian Yanez vs. Frankie Edgar - UFC bantamweight division
Adrian Yanez put on yet another breathtaking display this past weekend when he knocked out Tony Kelley in the first round. In front of his home crowd, the impressive bantamweight produced one of the moments of the night in the first fight of the main card. He now appears set for some big-time fights in the division.
The biggest rumored fight for Yanez is undoubtedly Sean O’Malley. However, it might not make sense to pit two rising stars against each other just yet as one of them will suffer a significant loss of momentum. Instead, an aging veteran like Frankie Edgar could be a better option.
Edgar is currently ranked No. 11 in the division despite losing four of his last five. He would provide Yanez with his toughest test to date and give the rising star the chance to improve on his No.15 ranking.
Edgar's manager Ali Abdelaziz has suggested that his man, who suffered two brutal KO losses in 2021, should make the walk to the octagon one last time. While a veteran vs. veteran matchup might be preferred, perhaps 'The Answer' would rather pass over the torch by bowing out against a young prospect like Yanez.
#4. Joaquin Buckley vs. Ian Heinisch - UFC middleweight division
Joaquin Buckley finally seems to be becoming the talent that fans hoped he would after his highlight-reel KO of Impa Kasanganay back in 2020. However, the promotion would be smart not to rush him into big fights too quickly and ruin Buckley’s current run of form.
With many of the fighters on the cusp of the middleweight rankings currently scheduled for upcoming bouts, Ian Heinisch is one without an opponent. He may have lost two straight but he has been in there with some of the best in the division, including Derek Brunson and Kelvin Gastelum.
If Buckley were to win this fight, it would then be time to match him up with a ranked opponent and see just how far he can go. Otherwise, he can continue to be a dynamite block on UFC undercards.
This seems like an appropriate fight for two men who are very talented but may not be ready for ranked competition right now.
#3. Calvin Kattar vs. Chan Sung Jung - UFC featherweight division
Calvin Kattar finds himself in somewhat of an odd predicament following his narrow loss to Josh Emmett last weekend. He has previously proven his class against the likes of Giga Chikadze, so fighting anyone outside of the top 10 doesn’t make much sense.
'The Korean Zombie' was open about considering retirement after losing to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 273. While he ultimately decided against it, you would imagine that fights against up-and-coming prospects in the division wouldn’t interest him much. Kattar could therefore be a good fit.
The two fighters are now in limbo after suffering losses in important fights. Matching them up ensures one of these men would be able to rebound and head back towards the top of the division.
With that being said, the loser would be in a particularly tough spot after suffering consecutive losses.
#2. Kevin Holland vs. Sean Brady - UFC welterweight division
Initially, this matchup might not be a fight UFC officials love the look of. Kevin Holland seemed poised to become a big-time star at middleweight before suffering high-profile losses to some of the better grapplers at 185 pounds. Now at welterweight, a similar style could easily be viewed as a dangerous proposition.
However, Holland has proved himself to remain a big draw for the company despite suffering those losses. With that in mind, you'd imagine that he wouldn't get smothered like he was at middleweight now he is competing against fighters who are of a similar size.
Sean Brady is an incredibly talented fighter who likely deserves far more attention than he receives. A fight with Holland would help raise his profile and likely put him in a position to finally challenge some of the top guys in the division. With a win being huge for either man in this situation, this could be a fight to make.
#1. Josh Emmett vs. Arnold Allen - UFC featherweight division
Josh Emmett called for a title shot off the back of his split decision victory over Calvin Kattar last weekend. While he is one of the few men to have not faced either Max Holloway or Alexander Volkanovski as of yet, he isn’t the biggest name yet and his win, whilst impressive, wasn’t the one-sided performance he would likely have needed.
Add in the fact that reigning champion Volkanovski is targeting a lightweight title challenge if he can get past Holloway next month, and Emmett will likely need one more win first.
Arnold Allen is in somewhat of a similar position as he does have a case for a title shot but likely won’t get one just yet. Allen is also not the biggest name and while his winning streak is impressive, he's yet to add the name of a legitimate top featherweight contender to his record.
The featherweight division is in need of some new contenders, but with neither of these men being big draws just yet, this fight makes sense. The winner would likely earn a shot at the belt, whilst the loser wouldn’t drop too far in the rankings and would remain a top competitor at 145 pounds.
