UFC 178: Matches to Make for the Entire Fight Card
As expected, Demetrious Johnson made it look easy against Chris Cariaso at UFC 178.
The 125-pound champion was able to go to the ground with his challenger in the first and second rounds, eliminating Cariaso's striking from the equation. Eventually, midway through the second stanza, Mighty Mouse was able to secure a kimura and retain his championship with a submission.
With wins over a majority of the Top 10 flyweight contenders, Johnson is getting pretty close to clearing out his division. It's not clear who will be next for him, but future title challengers clearly have their hands full when they meet Johnson.
Here are the matchups that should be next for Johnson, Cariaso and the rest of the UFC 178 competitors.
Prelim Fighters
1 of 11
Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Dominick Cruz | TJ Dillashaw |
| Jorge Masvidal | Ross Pearson |
| Stephen Thompson | Thiago Alves |
| Brian Ebersole | George Sullivan |
| Kevin Lee | Norman Parke |
| Manny Gamburyan | Henry Cejudo |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Takeya Mizugaki | Eddie Wineland |
| James Krause | Takanori Gomi |
| Patrick Cote | Court McGee |
| John Howard | Zak Cummings |
| Jon Tuck | Ivan Jorge |
| Cody Gibson | Davey Grant |
Amanda Nunes
2 of 11
Matchup: Rin Nakai
Amanda Nunes wasn't able to spoil Cat Zingano's return to the Octagon, but she did impress by battering her opponent with ground-and-pound in the opening round.
Spending three minutes on top in that initial frame, Nunes appeared to rock Zingano with some heavy punches. At one point, it even looked as though Nunes may have finished the fight with another unanswered blow or two.
However, Nunes faded badly in the later rounds. Landing only one significant strike during the final two rounds, Nunes may have spent too much energy attempting to stop Zingano early on. Eventually, it was Zingano who put Nunes away with ground-and-pound in the third stanza.
Because she wasn't able to shut down any of Zingano's three takedown attempts, Nunes should have her takedown defense tested again. A bout with Rin Nakai would force Nunes to improve her defensive wrestling.
Cat Zingano
3 of 11
Matchup: Ronda Rousey
Prior to Saturday, Zingano hadn't stepped into the Octagon since an April 2013 win over Miesha Tate, which earned her a shot at bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. However, injuries and a family tragedy prevented that title shot from coming together.
At UFC 178, Zingano likely established herself as Rousey's biggest threat once again.
"Ronda Rousey beaming as Joe Rogan announces that Cat Zingano will likely be her next opponent. Love that fight. Looking at January.
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) September 28, 2014"
It wasn't a flawless performance against Nunes. Zingano started slow after being away 17 months, but she rebounded in the second and third rounds to keep her UFC record spotless.
Zingano's one of the few 135-pound fighters who can be sold as legitimate competition for Rousey, so it looks like she'll meet the titleholder early in 2015.
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Tim Kennedy
4 of 11
Matchup: Dan Henderson
With a 3-0 UFC record heading into the weekend, Tim Kennedy had a chance to campaign for a middleweight title shot by beating an equally hot Yoel Romero.
After a slow start, Kennedy got it going in the second round and hurt Romero badly as the stanza came to an end. Then came the controversy. As the third round was set to begin, Romero was extremely slow to leave his stool, but the Cuban eventually continued and knocked Kennedy out less than one minute later.
Kennedy is expected to appeal the result, arguing that he should have been awarded the win when Romero failed to answer the third-round bell.
"Rep says Tim Kennedy plans to protest outcome of Yoel Romero bout at UFC 178 http://t.co/FKfX7BEFYF via @mmajunkie
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) September 28, 2014"
Based on initial reaction from the Nevada Athletic Commission, it doesn't appear Kennedy's appeal will prove successful, though.
"NAC Chairman Francisco Aguilar tells @BR_MMA that he doesn't believe @TimKennedyMMA has grounds for an appeal. http://t.co/bhIYFKKWu6
— Jonathan Snowden (@mmaencyclopedia) September 28, 2014"
Either way, Kennedy is probably going to be matched up with another fighter coming off of a loss next time around. Still, he deserves a big name and could meet Dan Henderson should the former Pride FC champion decide to make a return to the middleweight division.
Yoel Romero
5 of 11
Matchup: Ronaldo Souza
It's not always pretty, but Romero keeps on winning and is becoming one of the top contenders in the middleweight division.
Although he was nearly knocked out by Kennedy at the end of the second round Saturday, Romero was able to respond in the third round. He came out firing and put Kennedy away less than one minute into the final stanza, making Romero the first person to knock Kennedy out since Scott Smith beat the former Strikeforce title challenger via cut in August 2001.
"What an insane turnaround. Yoel Romero goes from out on his feet to smashing Kennedy in less than a minute.
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) September 28, 2014"
While it was disappointing for everybody else involved, Romero may benefit from an upcoming title fight between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort being delayed. Before, Ronaldo Souza probably could have waited for the winner, but the Brazilian may now meet Romero in a title-shot eliminator.
Dustin Poirier
6 of 11
Matchup: Hatsu Hioki
Dustin Poirier came into UFC 178 with three straight wins and an opportunity to halt the meteoric rise Conor McGregor has been on.
Things did not go as planned for Poirier on Saturday, though. Less than two minutes in, he was lit up by a McGregor combination and could not recover, which resulted in his first career knockout loss.
Despite the setback, Poirier has proven he's among the elite in the 145-pound class. He'll have another noteworthy bout coming his way, possibly opposite Hatsu Hioki.
Conor McGregor
7 of 11
Matchup: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Loser
McGregor passed his first big featherweight test with flying colors.
The Irishman wasted little time Saturday disposing of Poirier, stopping his opponent in under two minutes. Many felt Poirier would be able to challenge McGregor on the ground, but he didn't even have enough time to attempt a takedown.
It's a little too early to be giving McGregor title shots, but he might be one more victory away.
"Conor McGregor shrugs off Chad Mendes’ comments: ‘We’ll see what he says when we’re face to face, man to man’ http://t.co/iulte1j1vG
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) September 28, 2014"
Another feud may be in the works. Should Chad Mendes lose to Jose Aldo again next month, he might be McGregor's final hurdle before fighting for the 145-pound championship.
Eddie Alvarez
8 of 11
Matchup: Bobby Green vs. Edson Barboza Loser
Opposite Donald Cerrone, Eddie Alvarez was hardly eased into UFC competition.
The former Bellator MMA champion made his debut against one of the best in the lightweight division. While he came up short on the scorecards, Alvarez looked like he belonged, answering a question many had when he was competing under a different promotion.
"I believe Eddie Alvarez will have a successful run in the UFC. Definitely jumped into deep end of the pool but he's a gamer.
— Duane Finley (@DuaneFinleyMMA) September 28, 2014"
Alvarez isn't going to get a title shot any time soon now, but he can get right back into the mix with a big win or two. He may have an opportunity to get back on track against the loser of a November matchup between Bobby Green and Edson Barboza.
Donald Cerrone
9 of 11
Matchup: Myles Jury
Since losing to Rafael dos Anjos in August 2013, Cerrone has been on a roll.
At UFC 178, Cowboy bested Alvarez in the former Bellator MMA champion's UFC debut. The win extended Cerrone's winning streak to five fights, putting him near the front of the line for a shot at the lightweight championship.
However, it's going to be hard to justify awarding Cerrone a title shot over Dos Anjos or Khabib Nurmagomedov right now. Cowboy is going to have keep plugging away until the opportunity opens, and his next step could come against Myles Jury.
Chris Cariaso
10 of 11
Matchup: Ali Bagautinov
While he did win three fights in a row prior to challenging Johnson, Cariaso was widely viewed as a contender unprepared to take on the champion.
"Chris Cariaso absolutely unconvincing saying he’s going to be the next champion. Looks like he doesn’t believe it.
— Jeremy Botter (@jeremybotter) September 28, 2014"
As it turned out, pretty much everybody was right in their assumption that Cariaso had little chance to dethrone Mighty Mouse at UFC 178. Kamikaze couldn't keep the fight standing and eventually got caught in a kimura during the second round.
He may not be champion material right now, but Cariaso is still a high-level flyweight contender. A bout with Ali Bagautinov, who is also coming off of a loss to Johnson, would be logical.
Demetrious Johnson
11 of 11
Matchup: Ian McCall vs. John Lineker Winner
It's looking more and more like Mighty Mouse is on a completely different level than the rest of the 125-pound weight division.
At UFC 178, Johnson picked up his fifth title defense by submitting Cariaso. That mark matches the title reigns by UFC legends Tito Ortiz and Matt Hughes.
"Demetrious Johnson Taps Chris Cariaso, Retains Flyweight Gold in UFC 178 Main Event http://t.co/ajiJziEVIj pic.twitter.com/A1MzBH7KwJ
— Cage-Fights.com (@cagefights) September 28, 2014"
Running out of legitimate threats, Johnson could have another rematch coming his way. The winner of a November bout between Ian McCall, who Mighty Mouse has already beaten, and John Lineker could produce the next flyweight title challenger.
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