UFC 141 Results: Following Win over Nam Phan, Who's Next for Jimy Hettes?

When the main card for UFC 141 was announced there were plenty of critics of the featherweight matchup between Ultimate Fighter veteran Nam Phan and undefeated prospect Jimy Hettes.

In fact, with Hettes only having one previous Octagon appearance (a win over Alex Caceres), there were many that had never heard of the young fighter.

On Friday night, Hettes not only made sure that the critics were silenced, he emphatically introduced himself to legions of fans.

While the performance was the first time that the 24-year-old was unable to submit his opponent, the one-sided fight was easily one of the most lopsided decisions in recent memory.

When the scorecards were announced, no one was surprised to hear 30-25, 30-25 and 30-26 uttered from Bruce Buffer’s mouth.  There was no doubt that Hettes had officially arrived in the 145-pound weight class.

Immediately following the fight, buzz about the grappling ace’s next bout began to build.

Hettes’ relentless pace, ability to secure takedowns from anywhere and arsenal of submissions are something that can pose problems for nearly anyone in the division.

There’s no need to rush Hettes toward a title shot, but with the dominant display he put on against a fighter as experienced as Phan, he may only need a couple of more fights before it makes sense.

Perhaps the biggest litmus test for Hettes’ skills would be a matchup with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.  The former Sengoku and WEC competitor is undefeated since moving to the UFC and has scored highlight finishes over Leonard Garcia and Mark Hominick in the past year.

Whomever matchmaker Joe Silva tabs for Hettes in his next bout, it may very well be a showcase for the next legitimate challenger to the featherweight strap.

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, Follow @RobTatumMMA.