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2023’s latest UFC show is in the books, and in the end, the Las Vegas-based Fight Night was a solid show.
With a number of fighters winning big at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night event, which bouts should the matchmakers look towards next?
Surprisingly, despite a handful of top-ranked fighters winning, some of them are difficult to book going forward, but there’s no doubt that the promotion’s matchmakers will find a way.
Here are five fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Marvin Vettori vs. Jared Cannonier.
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#5. UFC featherweight bout: Pat Sabatini vs. Alex Caceres
Featherweight prospect Pat Sabatini was largely at a crossroads last night. Prior to last September, he looked like he was on the fast track to contention at 145 pounds after winning his first four bouts in the octagon.
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However, he was then badly derailed by an unheralded foe in Damon Jackson, meaning had he lost last night, his spot on the UFC roster would probably have been under threat.
Sabatini didn’t lose, though. Instead, he used his dynamic grappling game to completely throttle Lucas Almeida en route to a second-round submission.
The win should put Sabatini on the cusp of contention again, and so the best idea would be to match him with someone ranked at the lower end of the 15.
With that in mind, Alex Caceres would probably work. ‘Bruce Leeroy’ defeated Daniel Pineda two weeks ago, and has won seven of his last eight bouts.
With dangerous skills in all areas and veteran savvy, he’d definitely test Sabatini’s mettle, and we’d find out if the Philadelphia native really can make it to the top – or whether he’s lacking slightly. Overall, it’d be an intriguing bout.
#4. UFC flyweight bout: Alessandro Costa vs. Steve Erceg
After being largely trucked by Amir Albazi in his first UFC bout last year, little was expected of flyweight Alessandro Costa.
However, ‘Nono’ looked brilliant in his win over Jimmy Flick last night, dominating the tough veteran en route to an impressive second round TKO.
With the flyweight division looking largely thin right now, there wouldn’t be any harm in attempting to push the Brazilian into contention. After all, with a record of 13-3, he looks like one of the better prospects there.
Who could make a good opponent for him? One option could be Steve Erceg. The Australian debuted successfully in the octagon last weekend, upsetting the heavily favored David Dvorak to burst into the top 15.
Despite the win, though, ‘Astro Boy’ is still somewhat unproven, meaning if he were to fight Costa, it’d be a tough one to pick. Either way, though, the winner would definitely climb into contention, and it’d be exciting too – making it a bout worth booking.
#3. UFC lightweight bout: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Beneil Dariush
Back in 2019, an unheralded Arman Tsarukyan gave Islam Makhachev one of his toughest-ever tests, pushing the Dagestani all the way over three rounds.
Realistically, the Armenian should never have had to face Makhachev in his UFC debut, and only did so because none of the top 155lbers in the promotion were willing to do so.
Four years later, Tsarukyan finds himself in the same spot that Makhachev, now lightweight champion, once did. Essentially, none of the fighters ranked above him want to face him, meaning that last night, he was left to dispatch the unranked Joaquim Silva.
After his win last night, though, the matchmakers owe it to Tsarukyan to give him a tougher test. With that in mind, they should look no further than Beneil Dariush.
Dariush lost to Charles Oliveira last weekend, but it was his first defeat in a long time, and he remains one of the top 155lbers in the world. More to the point, to get back on track, he needs to beat a tough foe.
If Tsarukyan wants a rematch with Makhachev, then Dariush is definitely the kind of opponent he’ll need to beat. Whether the matchmakers can put this one together is a big question, but it definitely makes logical sense.
#2. UFC middleweight bout: Marvin Vettori vs. Sean Strickland or Abus Magomedov
Despite losing badly to Jared Cannonier last night, it’s fair to say that Marvin Vettori remains one of the top middleweights in the UFC.
More to the point, ‘The Italian Dream’ is clearly one of the toughest, too. He absorbed over 200 strikes from a brutally heavy hitter over five rounds last night, and somehow managed to survive to the final bell.
Vettori will undoubtedly need some time off after this beating, but when he comes back, there’s no point in matching him with an unranked foe.
Therefore, the fight that makes most sense for him would see him face the winner of the upcoming clash between Sean Strickland and Abus Magomedov.
Strickland is ranked at No.7, while Magomedov would likely steal his ranking with a win over him. From a logical standpoint, then, this fight would work.
More importantly, though, neither man appears to hit as hard as Cannonier, meaning it’d make for a good chance for Vettori to bounce back from last night’s defeat. If he were to fail, of course, then Israel Adesanya would have a brand new challenger.
The winner of Strickland vs. Magomedov may want to fight again before ‘The Italian Dream’ is ready, but with a little sense, they’d be willing to wait.
#1. UFC middleweight bout: Jared Cannonier vs. Dricus du Plessis or Robert Whittaker
Jared Cannonier undoubtedly picked up one of his biggest career wins last night. ‘The Killa Gorilla’ dismantled Marvin Vettori over five rounds, landing a UFC record 241 significant strikes in the process, and looked phenomenal.
However, given that he’s already fought most of the fighters ranked around him, matching Cannonier next time out is tricky.
He simply isn’t ready for another crack at Israel Adesanya, he’s already beaten Sean Strickland and Derek Brunson, and the likes of Alex Pereira and Paulo Costa are already booked.
Therefore, it makes sense for ‘The Killa Gorilla’ to wait a little longer for a clash with either Robert Whittaker or Dricus du Plessis, who face off on July 8. The winner of that fight is pegged to face Adesanya for the title, but the loser will be left in a tricky spot, making them the perfect opponent for Cannonier.
Whittaker actually beat ‘The Killa Gorilla’ in 2020, while if du Plessis were to miss out on his shot at Adesanya, a win over Cannonier could throw him right back into contention.
Essentially, if Cannonier does want another crack at ‘The Last Stylebender’, beating either of these two is the best way he could get it.
