5 Fights We Need to See After UFC Fight Night 232
Brendan Allen's transformation from middleweight prospect to bona fide title contender is complete.
The Kill Cliff FC rep asserted himself as a serious threat to the champion Sean Strickland in the main event of Saturday's UFC Fight Night 232 card in Las Vegas, battering Scottish fan favourite Paul Craig to a third-round submission via rear-naked choke.
The win over Craig, a former light heavyweight contender, will send the No. 10-ranked middleweight crashing into the uppermost reaches of the division, where fights with some of the toughest fighters in the sport await.
Of course, Allen is not the only fighter celebrating a big win after the Saturday card in Vegas. In the co-main event, Ecuadorian welterweight Michael Morales picked up the biggest win of his career, outfoxing Australian contender Jake Matthews to a unanimous-decision win.
Chase Hooper also won big in Vegas, submitting Jordan Leavitt in with a first-round rear-naked choke, as did strawweight contender Amanda Ribas, who stunned with a come-from-behind knockout win over Luana Pinheiro in round three.
Here's what we'd like to see next for Allen, Morales, Hooper and Ribas. We'll also project a fitting next fight for Craig.
Brendan Allen vs. Khamzat Chimaev
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Brendan Allen was already ranked No. 10 at middleweight ahead of Saturday's card in Vegas, and after scoring a sixth straight win over Paul Craig in totally one-sided fashion, he can expect a fight with one of the division's top dogs next time out.
If he has his way, it'll be Robert Whittaker, Jared Cannonier, or Khamzat Chimaev, all of whom he called out for No. 1 contender fights after beating Craig.
We like the Chimaev idea, because Whittaker should be fighting Kamaru Usman, and Cannonier probably deserves a title shot.
Chimaev is ranked No. 8 at middleweight, but scored that spot on the strength of a dubious majority decision win over the former welterweight champ Usman, who stepped into the fight on just 10 days' notice. He's still got some work to do to prove he's really a contender at middleweight, and a fight with somebody like Allen, who is dangerous on the feet and the mat, would be a great opportunity for him to do that.
Allen, meanwhile, would stand to score a win over one of the biggest names in the UFC right now. It makes sense for both guys.
Paul Craig vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
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When Paul Craig is in control of a fight, he's a force to behold. He imposes constant pressure, his top game is suffocating, and his submissions are among the best in the heavier divisions. Unfortunately, everything seems to fall apart when things aren't going his way. Sure, he's scored a couple of amazing, last-second submissions in his career, but not lately. These days, he's a great hammer and a truly terrible nail.
His two-fight run as a UFC middleweight illustrates this problem beautifully. In his debut in the division, he was able to control Andre Muniz and scored an effortless-looking second-round TKO win. Then he ran into Allen, and when he wasn't able to control the fight, he completely fell apart.
There's no question that he's a good fighter. He is, after all, the last man to beat top light heavyweight contender Jamahal Hill. But he now faces the same problem as a middleweight that he did at light heavyweight—he's just not consistent enough to become a serious title threat.
As Craig once again looks to get back on track after a high-profile loss, we'd like to see him matched up with a fighter in a similar position in Edmen Shahbazyan. Shahbazyan, a former training partner of Ronda Rousey, was once considered a future title challenger at middleweight but is now 1-4 in his past five. Much like Craig, he is as prone to extremely disappointing performances as he is to highlight-reel wins.
Match the two middleweights up and trust that the loser's days as a serious contender are over for good.
Michael Morales vs. Nicolas Dalby
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After his unanimous-decision win over Jake Matthews in Las Vegas, Michael Morales is now 16-0 overall and 4-0 in the UFC welterweight division. That streak—particularly the win over Matthew—has pushed him right to the cusp of the top 15, but he's not quite there.
We'd like to see him take the final step in that direction against a fighter in a similar position: Denmark's Nicolas Dalby.
Dalby, a former Cage Warriors champion who is now in his second run with the UFC, has also won four straight fights in the promotion's welterweight division. His latest win, a second-round knockout of Brazil's Gabriel Bonfim, was particularly impressive. It also occurred earlier this month, so he's on a similar schedule to Morales.
Book this one for an early 2024 Fight Night card, and give the winner a fight with whomever is ranked No. 15 or 14 at welterweight at the time.
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Chase Hooper vs. Jared Gordon
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Chase Hooper had a ton of hype after a quick submission win over Daniel Teymur in his UFC debut in 2020, but immediately struggled against tougher competition in his next fight, losing a decision to the amply more experienced Alex Caceres. He then went 2-2 in his next four fights as a featherweight, before moving up to lightweight in search of greener pastures.
That seems to have been the right move.
After a decision win over Nick Fiore in his lightweight debut this past May, he improved to 2-0 in the division last weekend, scoring a first-round submission win over Jordan Leavitt. Leavitt has shown flashes of brilliance in the Octagon, and has been in there with some tough opposition. This was a nice win for Hooper, and should set him up for another tough test at lightweight.
Our pick is a fight with Jared Gordon.
Gordon was back in action at UFC 295 earlier this month, where he rebounded from a couple of disappointing fights against Paddy Pimblett and Bobby Green with a first-round knockout against former Olympian Mark Madsen.
A fight between Hooper and Gordon makes sense for both guys and looks like a lot of fun on paper. It might even be worthy of a spot on a pay-per-view.
Amanda Ribas vs. Loopy Godinez
5 of 5
Amanda Ribas is 3-3 in her past six fights. That paints a bit of a bleak picture at a glance, but context is everything. Two of the Brazilian's recent losses have come against bigger, stronger opposition at flyweight. At strawweight, which seems to be her natural weight class, she's 2-1 in her past three. The loss came against longtime contender Marina Rodriguez in 2021, and she has since rebounded with two wins in the weight class: first, a 2021 decision win over Virna Jandiroba, and this past Saturday, a stunning wheel kick knockout against Luana Pinheiro.
So let's not get it twisted. As her No. 10 ranking suggests, Ribas is still a legit contender at 115 pounds and should be treated as such.
Our pick for her next fight is a fight with No. 11 contender Loopy Godinez. Godinez, who was born in Mexico but now reps Canada, has won four straight fights, including a split decision against Tabatha Ricci at UFC 295 earlier this month.
She and Ribas are pretty much neck-and-neck in the division. Match them up in 2024 to see who's ready to take the next step.
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