UFC Fight Night 55: Matches to Make for the Entire Fight Card
With three straight stoppage wins over Top 15 middleweights, Luke Rockhold is becoming hard to ignore as one of the elite contenders in the 185-pound class.
On Friday, Rockhold broke Michael Bisping down with kicks before locking up a guillotine choke in the second round. It was the first time Bisping had been submitted in his 32-bout MMA career.
Aside from Vitor Belfort, who is already set to challenge middleweight champion Chris Weidman, it appears only Ronaldo Souza sits ahead of Rockhold in line for a title shot. So, UFC matchmakers will now have to decide whether to allow Souza to sit and wait or set up a rematch between the Brazilian and Rockhold.
Here are the matchups that should be made for all UFC Fight Night 55 competitors.
Prelim Fighters
1 of 9
Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Jake Matthews | Gilbert Burns |
| Anthony Perosh | Sean O'Connell vs. Matt Van Buren winner |
| Sam Alvey | Cezar Ferreira |
| Louis Smolka | Ray Borg |
| Chris Clements | Lance Benoist |
| Daniel Kelly | Ildemar Alcantara vs. Richardson Moreira winner |
| Marcus Brimage | Manny Gamburyan |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Vagner Rocha | Justin Edwards |
| Guto Inocente | None (Release) |
| Dylan Andrews | Andrew Craig |
| Richie Vaculik | Joby Sanchez |
| Vik Grujic | Viscardi Andrade |
| Luke Zachrich | Scott Askham |
| Jumabieke Tuerxun | None (Release) |
Walt Harris
2 of 9
Matchup: Daniel Omielanczuk
Released by the UFC in January, Walt Harris required only one win outside the Octagon to earn his way back. That victory came via knockout against D.J. Linderman under the Titan FC banner.
While Harris had to be pleased to return to the UFC heavyweight division, he wasn't eased back in. The Big Ticket was welcomed back by Soa Palelei, whose dangerous ground-and-pound presented a significant stylistic problem for Harris.
"This is the probably best round of Walt Harris' UFC career.
— Luke Thomas (@SBNLukeThomas) November 8, 2014"
He started strong, landing 14 more strikes than Palelei in the opening round, but Harris was eventually taken down. Once underneath Palelei, Harris didn't last long, as he was stopped by the Australian's ground-and-pound with 11 seconds remaining in the second stanza.
Likely, Harris will need to win in his next outing in order to avoid being cut again. A bout with Daniel Omielanczuk is definitely a possibility.
Soa Palelei
3 of 9
Matchup: Shawn Jordan vs. Jared Cannonier winner
It took Palelei some time to get going, but The Hulk was eventually able to stop Harris once he took the fight to the ground on Friday.
"I like how, when Soa Palelei wins, he mostly just looks happy that he can go sit down for a spell.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) November 8, 2014"
While it wasn't the most impressive victory Palelei has earned, he now has a very solid 4-1 UFC record. One bout removed from a loss to Jared Rosholt, though, Palelei is going to need another win or two in order to earn a shot at a heavyweight contender.
A bout with the winner of a January 2015 matchup between Shawn Jordan and Jared Cannonier would give Palelei a good chance to take that step forward.
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Clint Hester
4 of 9
Matchup: Stanislav Nedkov
Clint Hester entered UFC Fight Night 55 with a spotless UFC record in four Octagon appearances.
For that reason, many believed Hester deserved better than Robert Whittaker. However, the New Zealand native proved that Hester wasn't quite ready for a step up in competition.
In a heavy-hitting matchup, Whittaker knocked Hester down in the first round. Then, he put Hester away in the second frame with a knee in the clinch.
Only 27 years old, Hester still has time to make adjustments and reach his full potential. He might look to get back on track against Stanislav Nedkov, who would also be willing to trade with Headbussa.
Robert Whittaker
5 of 9
Matchup: Nate Marquardt vs. Brad Tavares winner
He was having trouble gathering momentum at 170 pounds, but Whittaker may have figured things out by packing on a few pounds.
In his UFC middleweight debut, Whittaker ended Hester's impressive winning streak with superior striking. Becoming the first man to stop Hester with strikes, Whittaker should see some big middleweight matchups right away.
"Another finish. Robert Whittaker pulls off what I think is a pretty unlikely upset. Goes up to 185, TKO's Clint Hester. Impressive
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) November 8, 2014"
A bout with the winner of a January 2015 matchup between Nate Marquardt and Brad Tavares is a possibility. Beating either of those two men could quickly earn Whittaker a shot at a Top 15 middleweight.
Ross Pearson
6 of 9
Matchup: John Makdessi
Following a knockout win over Gray Maynard, Ross Pearson appeared to be on his way toward title contention. However, the Englishman ran into an up-and-comer who was starting to hit his stride in Al Iaquinta.
While Pearson looked good early, landing more frequently and more cleanly, he got caught in the second round. Less than two minutes into the second stanza, Iaquinta rocked Pearson and stayed on his opponent until referee Leon Roberts had to step in.
"Hope to see @RossTheRealDeal come back stronger. I thought you looked great until you got caught.
— Andy Ogle (@thelittleaxe) November 8, 2014"
Pearson will have to take a small step back now. Really entertaining against strikers, Pearson would be fun to watch in a matchup with John Makdessi.
Al Iaquinta
7 of 9
Matchup: Michael Johnson
Even when he lost to Michael Chiesa in the The Ultimate Fighter 15 finals, Al Iaquinta looked to be a lightweight with huge potential.
On Friday, Iaquinta realized that potential. Making great strides with Serra Longo Fight Team, he was confident enough to trade with Pearson and eventually caught the Englishman for a knockout win in the second round.
"Time to celebrate raging @ALIAQUINTA win in the @ufc tonight here in Sydney! Much respect to @RossTheRealDeal. pic.twitter.com/qIgCpyF6fY
— Matt Serra (@MattSerraUFC) November 8, 2014"
With a stellar win over Pearson, Iaquinta is ready to be tested by a Top 15 lightweight. A bout with fellow TUF runner-up Michael Johnson would be an intriguing matchup between 155-pounders with somewhat similar styles.
Michael Bisping
8 of 9
Matchup: Gegard Mousasi
Bisping remains among the best at 185 pounds, but he's running short on time to earn a shot at UFC gold.
At UFC Fight Night 55, he had no answers for the kicking game possessed by Rockhold. The Englishman had his hands lowered by body kicks, which left his head unprotected for a high kick that rocked him in the second round. Unable to recover right away, Bisping was submitted by Rockhold.
"UFC Fight Night 55: Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bisping fight video highlights http://t.co/brdqThwNCd via @MMAjunkie
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) November 8, 2014"
Now 35 years old, Bisping is going to have to rebound soon and against big names in order to get a title shot. A bout with Gegard Mousasi could produce some entertaining stand-up.
Luke Rockhold
9 of 9
Matchup: Ronaldo Souza
Rockhold seems to have taken his game to another level since losing to Belfort in May 2013.
In submitting Bisping on Friday, Rockhold may have become the biggest threat to Weidman's crown. In order to get a shot at the champion, it seems likely that Rockhold will need at least one more win, though.
"This @LukeRockhold is a problem for anyone at middleweight. Impressive adjustments & win from a sure to be future title challenger.
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) November 8, 2014"
With a title bout between Weidman and Belfort still more than three months away, Souza should not wait around. A rematch between Jacare and Rockhold would be highly anticipated and should produce a very worthy title challenger.
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