4 Fights We Need to See After UFC Fight Night 246
The UFC visited Canada for the second time this year on Saturday night with a 13-fight card in Edmonton, Alberta.
The top spot on the card went to a flyweight clash between former champ Brandon Moreno of Mexico and streaking Iraqi contender Amir Albazi. In a spectacular display of skill, the main event went to Moreno, who launched back into title contention with a wide unanimous decision victory.
The co-main event also featured a former champ, with two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas taking on Erin Blanchfield at flyweight. Blanchfield ultimately picked up the biggest win of her career, surviving some early adversity to score a unanimous decision.
Outside the top two fights, the card featured a ton of Canadian talent, but arguably the biggest winner of the night was American middleweight Dustin Stoltzfus, who shut the lights out on durable Quebecer Marc-Andre Barriault on the main card.
Keep scrolling for the fights we're hoping to see next for Moreno, Namajunas and Stoltzfus, as well as another fight that needs to be made in the wake of the card.
Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval
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After his exciting decision win over Amir Albazi, Brandon Moreno arguably deserves a rematch with reigning flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja, who he narrowly lost his title to in the summer of 2023. However, the next crack at Pantoja will go to former RIZIN Fighting Federation champ Kai Asakura, which means Moreno will have to wait his turn.
Thankfully, there's another great option for Moreno: Brandon Royval.
Like Moreno, Royval is arguably deserving of a title shot but was passed up for Asakura. As luck would have it, he and Moreno are tied 1-1 across two thrilling fights, with Moreno winning the first encounter via first-round TKO due to a shoulder injury, and Royval winning the second with a narrow decision.
Now seems like the perfect time to set the two up for a tie-breaking trilogy fight. Not only is there no better option for either guy, but the winner will be in prime position for a fight with the Pantoja-Asakura winner sometime in the first quarter or two of 2025.
Erin Blanchfield vs. Alexa Grasso
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Erin Blanchfield's win over Rose Namajunas was probably the biggest of her career—even if the judges' verdict was the subject of some debate. The win also separated the top-ranked flyweight from a decision loss to Manon Fiorot in a fight that could have earned her a title shot.
Now that she's back in the win column, Blanchfield is once again one of the frontrunners for a title shot against all-time great Valentina Shevchenko, but that opportunity will first go to her former foil Fiorot.
That means she'll have to fight somebody else in the meantime.
She proposed an excellent idea to that end after her win over Namajunas: Alexa Grasso.
Alexa Grasso shocked the world in 2023, submitting Shevchenko to win the flyweight belt. However, after a draw with Shevchenko in their immediate rematch, she then surrendered the title to the Kyrgyzstani legend with a decision loss at the Las Vegas Sphere in September.
The Mexican former champ will soon be ready for the opportunity to rebound, and Blanchfield seems like the perfect choice when that time comes. It's an excellent style clash on paper, and the winner would probably be next in line for the winner of the yet unscheduled fight between Shevchenko and Fiorot.
Dustin Stoltzfus vs. Gregory Rodrigues
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Marc-Andre Barriault is not an easy guy to knock out, but in Edmonton, Dustin Stoltzfus became the second man in a row to do so, flattening the Canadian with a right hook in round one. The bonus-winning victory won't turn Stoltzfus into a title contender, but Barriault is a former two-division TKO champ in Canada. Beating him should set the American up for a nice step up in competition.
There are a lot of great options for Stoltzfus' next fight, but our pick is Gregory Rodrigues.
Brazil's "Robocop" isn't currently ranked at 185 pounds, but he might well have been if it weren't for a handful of poorly timed losses. Overall, he has been incredible in the UFC, and after three straight wins, he looks like a great test for Stoltzfus, who has won two of his last three.
Not only that, but the pair match up incredibly well, as proven knockout threats with a willingness to let their hands go.
Book it for a pay-per-view undercard or Fight Night main card, and get the bonus checks ready ahead of time.
Derrick Lewis vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
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Heavyweight knockout artist Derrick Lewis was supposed to fight Jhonata Diniz in Edmonton, but he was forced out of the matchup with health issues at the very last minute.
After the card, it would make sense to book Lewis against Diniz again, except that the rising contender has already been rebooked to fight Marcin Tybura at UFC 309 later this month. That means Lewis will need to fight somebody else.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik is the guy.
Lewis and Rozenstruik have been members of the heavyweight top 15 for years, and despite fighting nearly everybody else in the rankings, have remarkably never fought each other. Now's the time.
Rozenstruik was recently matched up with former interim title challenger Sergei Pavlovich, but win or lose, it's time to pit him against Lewis next. It's a great fight on paper, as they're both excellent knockout artists, and it makes a ton of sense for both guys at this stage of their careers.
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