TUF Live Finale: 5 Fights for Jake Ellenberger to Take Next

Last night at the TUF Live finale, Jake Ellenberger was moments away from stopping Martin Kampmann after landing a lead left hook that sent the Dane to the canvas.

Ellenberger would swarm his opponent, but Steve Mazzagatti wasn't ready to call a stop to the action.

Many feel that the stoppage on Ellenberger was premature, and I'll admit that I'm one of them. However, he took his loss with class and should be praised for not complaining like a lot of fighters do.

A win for Ellenberger would have made seven in a row, and marked the third in a row over a top-10 opponent. There is no question that Ellenberger should be competing with the best in the world, but who should he sign up to fight next?

Here is a look at five potential opponents for Jake Ellenberger to take next.

Josh Neer

If Josh Neer can defeat Mike Pyle at next week's UFC on FX event, he certainly won't be in title contention, but he will have a nice winning streak on his side. 

Neer has been able to secure wins against Keith Wisniewski and Duane Ludwig since returning to the UFC. A win over Pyle will be huge for his career, as Neer has never been able to win more than two consecutive bouts in the Octagon. 

Despite having wins over Joe Stevenson and Melvin Guillard, Neer hasn't gotten to battle any high-level welterweights.

If successful next weekend, he will be looking for a step up in competition, and Jake Ellenberger is definitely someone who can provide that challenge.

Aaron Simpson

With the recent announcement that Jon Fitch has pulled out of his upcoming bout with Aaron Simpson, the door is open for Ellenberger to get back into action sooner rather than later.

Simpson is a tough wrestler who is making his welterweight debut after seeing mixed success in the UFC's middleweight division.

When Simpson can't work his opponents to the ground, he tends to run into trouble in the stand-up department.

With Ellenberger's strong wrestling base, along with the dynamite in his hands, he should give Simpson fits and get back into the win column quickly.

Jon Fitch

We don't know how Ellenberger will respond to this loss. Maybe he will want to take some time off and make changes. If so, then his return to the Octagon can coincide with the return of Jon Fitch.

As mentioned in the last slide, Jon Fitch has just pulled out of his scheduled bout at UFC on FUEL against Aaron Simpson due to a knee injury. Depending on the severity, he could be back by the fall.

This fight was originally scheduled to take place at UFC 126, but Fitch ended up being moved to UFC 127 to take on BJ Penn instead. 

By the time Fitch gets back into the cage, it will have been more than two years since the last time he has been able to record a win.

Perhaps a tune-up fight is better than a contest with a difficult opponent such as "The Juggernaut."

Rory MacDonald

Both Ellenberger and MacDonald have losses to interim champion Carlos Condit, although both were able to cause a lot of damage and nearly finish "The Natural Born Killer" on multiple occasions.

After going 4-1 in the UFC, there is a lot of hype behind MacDonald, and a contest with Ellenberger would be a highly anticipated fight that shows fans just how good he truly is. 

The UFC doesn't often pair winners against losers; however, Rory MacDonald is a fighter on the rise, and after wins over Mike Pyle and Nate Diaz, he should not be competing with no-name fighters like Che Mills.

He needs to continue competing with the best, and with the top names in the welterweight division already taken, a bout with Ellenberger is a step in the right direction.

Josh Koscheck

If Koscheck is looking for a big-name fight, he made the right decision in calling out BJ Penn. If he is looking for a tough fight against a top contender, he can do no better than Jake Ellenberger.

Joe Silva likes to book fighters who are coming off of a loss against other fighters in the same situation.

With Ellenberger and Kos both being elite welterweights who are coming off of high-profile losses, a five-round bout would make a great main event for a UFC on FX event later this year.

Koscheck is coming off of a split decision loss to Johny Hendricks, and prior to that, a lackluster decision to unranked Mike Pierce. If he wants one more chance at glory, he needs to do something drastic.

A win over Ellenberger would put him on the right track, but a loss could derail him for good.