With Aldo vs. McGregor on Tap, 7 Fights That Make Sense for Other FW Contenders
With his win over Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 59, No. 5 featherweight contender Conor McGregor earned a shot at 145-pound champion Jose Aldo.
In the stacked featherweight class, multiple other competitors were deserving of a title shot, but McGregor rose above the rest by igniting MMA fans with his confidence inside and outside the Octagon. With a 5-0 start to his UFC career, the Irishman has set up what will be one of the most highly anticipated 145-pound bouts in MMA history.
During the UFC Fight Night 59 broadcast on Fox Sports 1, it was announced that No. 1 contender Chad Mendes would clash with No. 3 contender Ricardo Lamas in April. Also in February, No. 8 contender Nik Lentz is booked to meet unranked Thiago Tavares, and No. 13 contender Max Holloway is scheduled to battle unranked Cole Miller. Meanwhile, No. 6 contender Dustin Poirier is slated to move to 155 pounds.
Here are the matchups that should be made for the nine remaining competitors currently ranked among the Top 15 contenders at 145 pounds.
No. 2 Frankie Edgar vs. Urijah Faber
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With three straight wins since a close loss to Aldo, Edgar looks to be one more win away from a second shot at the featherweight championship.
Edgar needs a big-name opponent, but matchups with Mendes or Lamas could leave the UFC without an ideal next man up should The Answer lose to either of those men. That's where UFC bantamweight contender Urijah Faber comes in.
Seeing as teammate T.J. Dillashaw is currently the 135-pound titleholder and that Faber has already lost twice to current bantamweight title challenger Renan Barao, The California Kid has an uncertain future in his current weight class. With a decorated past at 145 pounds, Faber returning to featherweight would hardly be out of the question.
The former WEC titleholder has said he's looking to take big fights right now and even named Edgar as one opponent who particularly interested him.
A bout between Edgar and Faber would either set Aldo up with a big rematch for his next title defense or line McGregor up with another huge matchup for his first title defense as featherweight champion.
No. 4 Cub Swanson vs. No. 7 Dennis Bermudez
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In November 2014, Cub Swanson and Dennis Bermudez had respective winning streaks of six and seven fights snapped. In many cases, winning runs like those would warrant a spot in a championship bout, but the featherweight division has become one of the hardest divisions to earn a title shot in.
With wins over Jeremy Stephens, Siver, Poirier and Charles Oliveira, Swanson shouldn't have to work his way all the way back up the ladder. Having beaten Clay Guida and Max Holloway, the same goes for Bermudez.
I expect the UFC matchmakers to book both Swanson and Bermudez against fellow Top 10 featherweights. What better way to guarantee one gets back on track than to have them meet one another inside the Octagon?
No. 9 Charles Oliveira vs. Nik Lentz-Thiago Tavares Winner
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With three straight wins, Oliveira has risen into the featherweight Top 10 and is ready to be tested by another Top 10 145-pounder.
In June 2011, Oliveira fought to a no-contest with Lentz at lightweight after landing an illegal knee to his downed opponent. Ever since then, there has been some interest in a rematch between the two.
Now that both are contenders in the featherweight division, the matchup makes more sense than ever. Should Lentz beat Tavares in February, he should be next for Oliveira.
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No. 10 Dennis Siver vs. Rony Jason
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Opposite McGregor on Sunday, Siver planned on spoiling the UFC plans to match the Irishman with Aldo. However, Siver managed little offense against McGregor before getting stopped in the second round.
With only one win over an unranked Charles Rosa since December 2012, Siver needs to get back on track in a hurry in order to maintain his contender status. Having little success recently, it seems likely Siver will see a big step down in competition for his next outing.
Also coming off of a loss, Rony Jason would be a good opponent for Siver's next bout. After heading into Boston to meet McGregor, Siver should be allowed to meet Jason in neutral territory or, more preferably for him, in Germany or Russia.
No. 11 Jeremy Stephens vs. No. 12 Clay Guida
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Having lost two in a row, Stephens is starting to slip out of featherweight title contention. However, with knockout power almost unparalleled in the 145-pound class, Stephens is a fighter the UFC will want to keep near the top.
Likewise, being one of the bigger names at 145 pounds, Guida is likely to remain in big bouts despite a poor showing against Bermudez in his most recent outing.
Given how long they were both in the UFC lightweight division, it's a bit surprising Stephens and Guida haven't crossed paths already. However, a meeting now would ensure one well-known featherweight contender gets back on track.
No. 14 Darren Elkins vs. Nik Lentz-Thiago Tavares Loser
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After climbing the featherweight ranks with five straight wins, Darren Elkins has alternated wins and losses over his past six outings.
Given his lack of momentum and recent loss to No. 15 Hacran Dias, there is a good chance Elkins' next opponent won't be ranked. Either way, Elkins' contender status will be on the line the next time he steps into the Octagon.
A bout with the loser of a February matchup between Lentz and Tavares seems logical for Elkins' next outing. Either opponent would produce an intriguing grappling matchup opposite the grinding wrestling style of Elkins.
No. 15 Hacran Dias vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
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With a win over Elkins in December, Dias broke into the Top 15 rankings.
Since that win broke a two-bout losing streak for the Brazilian, it seems likely Dias will need another win or two to really cement himself as a contender. It's possible his next matchup comes against somebody slightly outside the Top 15 rankings at the moment.
He's only 1-1 inside the Octagon, but many would agree Tatsuya Kawajiri has the skill to beat multiple Top 15 featherweights. The standout Japanese fighter would also provide Dias with a formidable test on the ground.
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