4 Fights We Need to See After UFC on ESPN 49
Saturday's UFC on ESPN 49 event in Las Vegas was one of the lower-profile cards the promotion has put together this year, but it opened the door to a handful of fun matchups.
The biggest winner of the night was bantamweight contender Mayra Bueno Silva, who tapped former champion Holly Holm with a choke in the second round of the main event. The win will springboard the Brazilian into the uppermost echelon of the division and potentially even into a title fight.
In the co-main event, Australian welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena stayed unbeaten in the UFC with a hard-fought split decision win over short-notice opponent Bassil Hafez. The competitive nature of the win may have taken a bit of the wind out of his sails, but he remains one of the division's most exciting contenders and can expect nothing but big fights from here.
Several other fighters scored impressive wins on the card, including South Korean middleweight Junyong Park, who picked up a fourth-straight victory with a submission of Albert Duraev. That's the second-longest active streak in the division behind top contender Dricus Du Plessis, so he can expect a big name in his next fight.
The UFC matchmakers work in mysterious ways lately, but here are the fights we'd like to see when everybody has healed up.
Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Julianna Peña
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The UFC women's bantamweight title has been vacant since Amanda Nunes retired in June. The big question now is which two fighters will be called upon to fight to crown a new champion.
Former champion Julianna Peña, who scored an upset win over Nunes in late 2021, is likely to be one half of the matchup. Raquel Pennington, who is on a five-fight streak, could justifiably serve as Peña's opponent, but after UFC on ESPN 49, we think that opportunity should go to Bueno Silva.
The biggest appeal of giving Bueno Silva the opportunity is that she is a new member of the bantamweight elite. We've been watching the same five or six bantamweights fight each other for the division's top spots for years, but the Brazilian is a fresh face.
It's nice to see people in her position get title shots over longer-established contenders, and she definitely deserves it. Holm has been one of the best bantamweights in the world for years and has been just about impossible to finish. The last time she was stopped was by Nunes in 2019 and she hadn't been submitted since a 2016 title fight with Miesha Tate. Tapping her out was a real statement by Bueno Silva.
It was also the Brazilian's fourth win in a row. While her streak is slightly shorter than Pennington's, she has been winning more decisively, having scored three-straight submissions.
It's not the only option, but it's the most interesting one.
Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate II
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Holm's UFC on ESPN 49 loss to Bueno Silva was one of the toughest and most decisive of her long and illustrious MMA career. Given that the former boxing champion is now 41, it's not exactly surprising to see her slowing down a bit.
While it's possible Holm will work her way to a UFC title shot, it starting to feel pretty unlikely. Provided she intends to continue fighting, it seems like it might be time to start giving her fights that are more about fun and less about earning a title shot.
One such matchup would be a rematch with a fellow former champion in Miesha Tate who, after decision losses Ketlen Vieira and Lauren Murphy, is in a similar boat.
Tate and Holm first fought in 2016. It was the first defense of Holm's title reign and ultimately the last. While the boxing specialist was in control for the bulk of the fight, she was choked unconscious by a determined Tate in the fifth round.
It was a great fight that has been begging for a sequel ever since, and today, when both women are nearing the ends of their incredible careers, it seems like the perfect time.
Jack Della Maddalena vs. Sean Brady
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Jack Della Maddalena was originally supposed to fight Sean Brady at UFC 290 earlier this month. But when Brady and his replacement, Josiah Harrell, both withdrew from the card, the Australian was booked for a short-notice bout with Bassil Hafez at UFC on ESPN 49.
Della Maddalena, who is one of the most hyped contenders in the UFC right now, was expected to walk through his short-notice opponent, but ultimately got the toughest fight of his UFC career, surrendering multiple takedowns en route to a split-decision win.
While the win affirmed that Della Maddalena has some of the slickest striking in the UFC, it raised some big questions about his takedown defense. He will need to answer those questions soon, as the top of the welterweight division is full of great wrestlers and grapplers like Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, Belal Muhammad, Gilbert Burns and Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Brady is also a high-level wrestler, and as the division's No. 8 contender, is still a justifiable opponent for Della Maddalena after UFC on ESPN 49.
The Australian has said he's still open to the matchup, though he noted that he hopes to fight in Sydney this September, and isn't sure Brady will up for making the trip.
Sometimes, somebody has to compromise. Whether Della Maddalena takes the fight in the US, or Brady boards a flight to Australia, book it as soon as they're healthy and trust that it will answer a lot of questions about both of them.
Junyong Park vs. Nassourdine Imavov
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South Korea's "Iron Turtle" Park picked up his fourth straight victory at UFC on ESPN 49, submitting Albert Duraev with a rear-naked choke in round two of their main card middleweight fight. That streak—which features two other rear-naked choke finishes—is the second longest in the division at the moment, behind the six straight wins that will propel Dricus Du Plessis into a title fight in the next few months.
While it would be fair to give Park one more unranked foe before matchup him up with people inside the Top 15, we think he's earned the opportunity. Our pick for his next fight is the No. 11-ranked Nassourdine Imavov, who is the lowest-ranked member of the Top 15 without a fight booked.
France's Imavov has not fought since June when an accidental clash of heads put an end to a fight with Chris Curtis, which was then ruled a no-contest. He is undoubtedly keen to put that ugly memory behind him, and a fight with a streaking newcomer like Park would be a great opportunity to do that.
It's just too bad it's probably too late to make it happen at the UFC's August return to Singapore, as Park has had to fly across the Pacific for his last six fights. Maybe the promotion can squeeze it onto the lineup for UFC 293, which is set for Sydney, Australia this September.
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