UFC Fight Night 56: Matches to Make for the Entire Fight Card
At UFC Fight Night 56, Ovince Saint Preux picked up the biggest win of his career.
Just 34 seconds into the main event, Saint Preux landed a left hook that floored Mauricio Rua. With some follow-up punches, Saint Preux recorded a knockout victory over a former UFC champion.
Meanwhile, Shogun has now been knocked out in two straight outings. With the mileage he has on him, Rua might have start considering retirement as an option.
Here are the matchups that should be next for Saint Preux, Rua and all other UFC Fight Night 56 competitors.
Prelim Fighters
1 of 11
Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Diego Rivas | Juan Manuel Puig vs. Doo Ho Choi Winner |
| Caio Magalhaes | Derek Brunson vs. Ed Herman Winner |
| Leandro Silva | Tony Martin |
| Thomas Almeida | Chris Beal |
| Colby Covington | Kenny Robertson |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Rodolfo Rubio | None (Release) |
| Trevor Smith | Bruno Santos |
| Charlie Brenneman | None (Release) |
| Tim Gorman | Ian Entwistle vs. Anthony Birchak Loser |
| Wagner Silva | None (Release) |
Nina Ansaroff
2 of 11
Matchup: Paige VanZant vs. Kailin Curran Loser
Favored to win heading into UFC Fight Night 56, Nina Ansaroff disappointed Saturday.
"#ICYMI Nina Ansaroff pretty clearly fights injured after turning to crowdfunding to actually get this fight in the first place, loses.
— Steven Rondina (@srondina) November 9, 2014"
It's unknown whether Ansaroff competed through an injury, but she certainly didn't bring her best into Brazil. The same fighter who took Invicta FC champions Carla Esparza and Barb Honchak to close decisions had no answer to Juliana Lima's takedowns.
While Ansaroff didn't look good in her UFC debut, she'll get another chance inside the Octagon. A bout with the loser of a November 22 matchup between fellow UFC newcomers Paige VanZant and Kailin Curran would be logical.
Juliana Lima
3 of 11
Matchup: Paige VanZant vs. Kailin Curran Winner
Lima avoided a 0-2 start to her UFC career Saturday, but she didn't win over many MMA fans in the process.
"The Brazilian crowd seemed angry that Juliana Lima was speaking in English. Oops #UFC
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) November 9, 2014"
Using wrestling and top control to take the first and second rounds, Lima didn't seem concerned with working toward a finish. Following her decision win over Ansaroff, Brazilian-born Lima also spoke English in front of a Brazilian crowd, something that has repeatedly rubbed those fans the wrong way.
There still aren't many options in the developing strawweight division. Expect Lima to meet the winner of the upcoming bout between VanZant and Curran.
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Jorge de Oliveira
4 of 11
Matchup: Kajan Johnson
Moving up a division on short notice, Jorge de Oliveira was predictably shut down Saturday.
Taken down six times, De Oliveira spent nearly eight minutes on his back, resulting in a clear decision win for Dhiego Lima. Following the loss, De Oliveira should return to 155 pounds and look to pick up his first UFC victory at a more suitable weight.
Also 0-1 inside the Octagon, Johnson would be a good opponent for De Oliveira. The potential matchup would likely be a must-win for both men.
Dhiego Lima
5 of 11
Matchup: Chris Heatherly vs. Augusto Montano Winner
Following a loss to Eddie Gordon in the TUF 19 finals, Dhiego Lima needed a win Saturday to keep his UFC career going.
"Dhiego Lima is dominating Jorge de Oliveira on the ground, but just can’t seem to finish him.
— UFCONFOX (@UFCONFOX) November 9, 2014"
Facing a UFC newcomer who normally competes at 155 pounds, Lima bullied De Oliveira en route to a clear decision victory. It was a dominant win, but Lima couldn't find a way to finish De Oliveira, so he failed to overly impress.
Now that he can focus on moving up the welterweight ladder, Lima should now meet another fighter coming off of his first UFC win. The winner of a November 15 matchup between Chris Heatherly and Augusto Montano would fit that description.
Leon Edwards
6 of 11
Matchup: Edgar Garcia vs. Hector Urbina Loser
Leon Edwards was certainly competitive in his UFC debut against Claudio Silva, but he couldn't stay upright for an entire round Saturday.
The Englishman was taken down once in all three rounds and spent more than six minutes underneath Silva. According to MMADecisions.com, most MMA media members felt Edwards did enough when he was standing to win, but it was the Brazilian who came away with the victory. Edwards had no qualms with the scorecards.
"Leon Edwards: "I felt it was a good decision. I lost the fight."
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) November 9, 2014"
Now, Edwards may have to win his next bout to maintain a UFC roster spot. Look for him to meet another UFC newcomer who lost in his first trip to the Octagon. Edgar Garcia and Hector Urbina will make their debuts on November 15.
Claudio Silva
7 of 11
Matchup: Sean Pierson
It wasn't the prettiest win, but Silva made sure he remained undefeated inside the Octagon with his victory at UFC Fight Night 56.
Silva didn't have much success when standing, but he made sure to score a takedown in every round. That helped him steal a couple rounds and walk away with a split-decision victory over Edwards.
"Toughness, ground work get Claudio Silva by Leon Edwards via split decision http://t.co/Rd5N5gnr4t
— UFCONFOX (@UFCONFOX) November 9, 2014"
He might not be ready, but a 2-0 UFC record should earn Silva a bout with a veteran. Inactive since a narrow decision win over Kenny Robertson in June 2013, Sean Pierson would be a good opponent to ease Silva upward.
Alan Jouban
8 of 11
Matchup: William Macario
Alan Jouban has to be sitting around Sunday wondering what exactly went wrong at UFC Fight Night 56.
Following a rough opening round against Warlley Alves, Jouban took over in the second and third rounds. In the final 10 minutes, Jouban landed 31 more significant strikes than Alves, as the Brazilian was clearly running low on gas.
It looked like a clear 29-28 decision for Jouban, but the judges went the other way. The MMA media almost unanimously disagreed with the decision, according to MMADecisions.com.
"Yep. Terrible decision. Alan Jouban weathered early storm, beat Warrley Alves late 29-28. Boo.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 9, 2014"
Despite the result, it was an entertaining matchup. That's why UFC matchmakers should now pair Jouban with another Brazilian who has a similar approach to Alves. William Macario would come out swinging against Jouban in a matchup that would almost guarantee entertainment.
Warlley Alves
9 of 11
Matchup: Albert Tumenov
Alves started extremely strong Saturday, hurting Jouban badly in the opening round. However, Alves may have worn himself out looking to finish.
The Brazilian didn't have much left in the second and third rounds. Over those two frames, Alves only managed to land 29 significant strikes. Still, the judges somehow awarded Alves the second round and the fight in a unanimous decision.
"Here's the Warlley Alves/Alan Jouban scorecard. All 3 judges scored it the same. R1 and 2 to Alves, R3 to Jouban pic.twitter.com/S1TRBk3KCd
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) November 9, 2014"
While the decision was controversial, Alves showed how dangerous he can be out of the gates. It'd be intriguing to see him matched up with Albert Tumenov, who has recorded knockouts in his past two appearances.
Mauricio Rua
10 of 11
Matchup: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Things are not looking good for Rua right now, but the MMA community can be quick to push fighters into retirement sometimes.
Shogun has been knocked out in his past two bouts. However, prior to those losses, Rua went six appearances without a knockout loss. Rua has taken a good amount of punishment over the years, but the decision to call it quits shouldn't be taken out of his hands.
"Mauricio Rua: "I'm going to get through this, talk to my team and think about the future" @shogunrua http://t.co/D84CLVl1h8
— Cage Pages (@CagepagesFS) November 9, 2014"
If Rua does opt to compete again, he should meet another aging light heavyweight. A rematch of a 2005 Pride FC bout with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira could be interesting.
Ovince Saint Preux
11 of 11
Matchup: Anthony Johnson
Following a loss to Ryan Bader, Saint Preux rebounded in a big way and may now be in an even better position than the adversary who recently beat him.
Saint Preux made it look easy Saturday against Rua. As tough as they come, Rua hadn't been knocked out in the first round since February 2006, and that loss was due to a broken arm. Nonetheless, OSP was able to put Rua away in 34 seconds.
"“@HighlightsESPN: UFC fighter Ovince St. Preux made a name for himself w this 34-second TKO of Shogun http://t.co/d2kdezwiSz” @Smart_Stop
— Ovince St. Preux (@003_OSP) November 9, 2014"
Due to some legal troubles, Anthony Johnson missed out on a potential title shot eliminator with Alexander Gustafsson. As a result, Rumble may have to take a matchup that doesn't make the most sense when looking at the 205-pound rankings.
He might not be quite deserving, but Saint Preux could find himself in a bout with Johnson, which could provide some explosive striking exchanges.
Statistics via UFC.com.
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