6 Fights We Need to See After UFC 301
UFC 301 caught a lot of flack for the shortage of ranked fighters and big names on the bill, but in the end, the Saturday-night card in Rio de Janeiro over-delivered in terms of action.
In the main event, we saw flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja score the second defense of his title reign, turning away a very game Steve Erceg with a hotly debated decision win.
The co-main, meanwhile, saw featherweight legend Jose Aldo make a triumphant return after almost two years away, outclassing Jonathan Martinez to a decision win of his own at bantamweight.
In the middle bout of the main card, No. 10 light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith silenced his doubters with a quick submission win over the formerly unbeaten Vitor Petrino. The impressive performance was preceded by huge wins from a pair of Brazilian middleweights. First up, Caio Borralho scored a knockout of the year contender over former light heavyweight contender Paul Craig. Next, the always-entertaining Michel Pereira added to his extensive highlight reel with a wild, first-round submission win over Ukraine's Ihor Potieria.
All of the main card's winners can expect very big fights when they return to the Octagon—and the same goes for the vanquished Australian Erceg, who should arguably be the new flyweight champ right now.
Here are the fights we're hoping will be made next.
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Amir Albazi
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Not everyone believes Alexandre Pantoja deserved his decision victory against his unheralded title challenger Steve Erceg at UFC 301, but there is no doubt the Brazilian fought an excellent fight, flaunting veteran craftiness and jaw-dropping toughness in spades.
In terms of his next move, he has options. Rematches with Brandon Royval and Brandon Moreno are both possibilities, but he has beaten both men quite recently, and both of them twice, so it feels prudent to match him up with somebody else.
Of the contenders he has yet to fight, the best option is clearly once-beaten Iraqi Amir Albazi.
While Albazi's last win, a split-decision defeat of Kai Kara-France, was questionable, he has otherwise looked dominant in the Octagon and has shown he's capable of finishing people on the feet or the mat.
A Pantoja vs. Albazi fight would make a great addition to any upcoming card, but would perhaps be best suited for one of the promotion's increasingly frequent cards in the Middle East, given Albazi's heritage.
Steve Erceg vs. Manel Kape
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Whether Erceg deserved the decision against Pantoja or not, he looked absolutely incredible on Saturday. He was clearly the more effective striker in the cage, as he managed to land some huge punches and elbows against the champ, and more than held his own when the fight was on the mat.
After the fact, there is simply no denying he's one of the best flyweights on earth.
If the Australian continues to improve, it feels inevitable that he will soon challenge for the flyweight belt again, but unless the UFC surprises by giving him an immediate rematch with the champ, he will most likely need to take another fight in the meantime.
Our pick for an opponent is Portugal's Manel Kape, ideally at UFC 305, which is set for August 18 in Perth, Australia.
Kape, a former Rizin champ, has won four straight fights at flyweight. Ordinarily, that would make him one of the top contenders in the division, but he has been significantly hampered by bout cancellations. He will most likely fight for the title before all is said and done, but will probably need at least one more win before that happens.
A win over somebody like Erceg, who gave the champ everything he could handle, would be just the ticket for the Portuguese fighter. The fight would also be a great opportunity for Erceg to get back on track against a proven commodity, and a real treat for the fans, as the pair are among the best strikers in the division.
Jose Aldo vs. Henry Cejudo
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Jose Aldo looked as good as ever against Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301—maybe even better than ever.
Not bad at all for a 37-year-old who hadn't fought in nearly two years.
The fight with Martinez marked the final obligation on Aldo's current UFC contract. While it's possible he won't re-sign with the promotion, he seemed interested in doing so after his fight in Rio, especially if he gets a crack at reigning bantamweight champ Sean O'Malley.
An Aldo vs. O'Malley fight would be incredible, both for the fans watching and for the UFC's coffers. However, the next crack at O'Malley should go to surging contender Merab Dvalishvili, who recently defeated Aldo. If that's the way things shake out, Aldo will need to take another fight in the interim.
Our pick, in that event, is a clash with former two-division champ Henry Cejudo.
Like Aldo, Cejudo recently came up short against Dvalishvili. However, it was a competitive fight that took little away from the former Olympian's reputation as one of the best fighters in the history of the lighter weight classes. Even after that setback, he's still probably only a win or two away from a title shot.
Matching him up with a fellow legend Aldo makes a ton of sense, and the winner would be right in the mix for a crack at the O'Malley vs. Dvalishvili winner.
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Anthony Smith vs. Jan Blachowicz
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It seemed like everyone was counting Anthony Smith out in his UFC 301 main card fight with undefeated Brazilian finisher Vitor Petrino, but in the end, the former light heavyweight title challenger silenced his doubters with a quick submission victory.
It was a crucial win for Smith, who was riding a knockout loss against Khalil Rountree, as it will keep him in the light heavyweight Top 10, where fights with the division's biggest stars await.
When the UFC matchmakers sit down to decide his next move, we're hoping they will line him up with former champ Jan Blachowicz.
Blachowicz has not fought since he came up short to Alex Pereira by split decision last summer, having been forced out of a planned January fight with Aleksandar Rakic with an injury. However, he remains one of the division's best fighters and is one of the few people in the top 10 that Smith has yet to fight.
This one makes all the sense in the world for both guys and would make a great addition to any upcoming pay-per-view, or a solid headliner for a Fight Night.
Michel Pereira vs. Chris Curtis
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Michel Pereira looked like he was well on his way to a title shot at welterweight, but after struggling to make weight for the division, was sent north to middleweight. It's safe to say he looks even better in his new weight class.
At UFC 301, he scored his third straight win since moving up to 185 pounds, dropping and choking a former light heavyweight in Ihor Potieria inside a round.
Potieria wasn't ranked ahead of UFC 301, so it's unlikely Pereira will land in the middleweight rankings after the win, but it's fair to say he has earned a fight with a top 15 foe.
If the UFC matchmakers agree, we hope they'll consider matching the Brazilian up with No. 15 contender Chris Curtis.
Curtis is riding a decision loss to Arnold Allen, but he took the fight on short notice, and only came up short by the thinnest of margins. Unfortunately, the fight left him with a hamstring injury, but when he's healthy, he looks like just the guy to welcome Pereira to the middleweight rankings.
Both men are excellent strikers, and both have found new life at middleweight after decent runs at welterweight. Match them up in a pay-per-view opener, and tell the judges to take a smoke break. They probably won't be needed.
Caio Borralho vs. Marvin Vettori
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We'll be talking about Caio Borralho's brutal, one-punch knockout of Paul Craig for weeks. In fact, it would probably be in the conversation for the best KO of the year if it weren't for Max Holloway's unbeatable knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.
One way or the other, the win will give Borralho a nice push up the middleweight ladder, as Craig was ranked one spot ahead of him, at No. 13, before their fight.
In his post-fight interview, the streaking Brazilian called for a fight with former title challenger Jarred Cannonier. Having won eight-straight fights, he arguably deserves that opportunity, but Cannonier is matched up with Nassourdine Imavov in June, so it makes sense to give Borralho somebody else.
The good news is that Marvin Vettori is available.
Italy's Vettori has not fought since a lopsided decision loss to Cannonier last June, and should soon be ready to get back into action. Despite the outcome of his last fight, he remains one of the best fighters in the division, with all the striking and grappling skill to challenge Borralho, and the iron chin required to survive the Brazilian's knockout power.
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