UFC on Fox 14 Results: Matches to Make for the Entire Fight Card
At UFC on Fox 14, Anthony Johnson went into Sweden and silenced the second-biggest crowd in UFC history with an opening-round knockout against Alexander Gustafsson.
With his victory over The Mauler, Johnson spoiled a highly anticipated rematch between Jon Jones and Gustafsson. Instead, Rumble will now get a shot at the light heavyweight champion and best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA.
Considering Jones' recent drug test, which revealed cocaine use, it is unknown when he will defend his belt next. However, Bones now knows who his opponent is and how dangerous his power is.
Now that another UFC event is in the books, it's time to take a look at the matchups that should result from Saturday's bouts. Here are the fights that should be next for Johnson, Gustafsson and the rest of the UFC on Fox 14 competitors.
Prelim Fighters
1 of 9
Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Albert Tumenov | Tim Means vs. Dhiego Lima Winner |
| Kenny Robertson | George Sullivan |
| Makwan Amirkhani | Renato Moicano |
| Nikita Krylov | Corey Anderson |
| Mairbek Taisumov | Vinc Pichel |
| Mirsad Bektic | Kevin Souza |
| Viktor Pesta | Shamil Abdurahimov vs. Tim Johnson Winner |
| Neil Seery | John Moraga |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Nico Musoke | Tim Means vs. Dhiego Lima Loser |
| Sultan Aliev | Pawel Pawlak |
| Andy Ogle | None (Release) |
| Stanislav Nedkov | Hans Stringer |
| Anthony Christodoulou | Paul Redmond |
| Paul Redmond | Anthony Christodoulou |
| Konstantin Erokhin | Joshua Copeland |
| Chris Beal | Sergio Pettis vs. Ryan Benoit Loser |
Akira Corassani
2 of 9
Matchup: None (Release)
Following knockout losses to Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway, Akira Corassani was given a much-needed step down in competition.
However, opposite Sam Sicilia, he ended up with a similar result Saturday. In front of a supportive crowd in Sweden, Corassani was floored by a huge right hand in the opening round.
"Ouch, @SamSiciliaMMA just force fed Akira Corassani a couple of 4oz sleeping pills. Out cold before he hit the mat. #UFCStockholm
— Greg Savage (@TheSavageTruth) January 25, 2015"
Now with three consecutive knockout losses, Corassani could be released from the UFC roster. It might not be completely fair considering two of those defeats came against ranked opponents, but Corassani needed to show more against Sicilia than he did.
Sam Sicilia
3 of 9
Matchup: Rob Whiteford
Entering UFC on Fox 14 with a 3-4 UFC record, Sicilia needed a win to draw even.
With a brutal stoppage against Corassani, Sicilia did more than get back into the win column. The TUF 15 veteran silenced the Swedish crowd and reminded all 145-pounders that he's one of the hardest hitters in the division.
"Sam Sicilia silences Swedish crowd with explosive 1st round KO http://t.co/EFvqS5Tti5 #UFCStockholm pic.twitter.com/3IrXRF6ik7
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) January 25, 2015"
Having also rebounded to even his UFC win and loss columns, Rob Whiteford would make sense as an opponent for Sicilia. With somewhat similar styles focused on their wrestling and knockout power, Sicilia and Whiteford should be evenly matched adversaries.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Phil Davis
4 of 9
Matchup: Rafael Cavalcante
With a win over Glover Teixeira in October, Phil Davis earned another bout that could have gotten him over the hump and into serious title shot consideration. Once again, Davis came up short in a big matchup, though.
Despite having beaten Ryan Bader in his NCAA wrestling days, Davis was unable to score a takedown on nine attempts and didn't get enough done while standing, resulting in a narrow decision loss.
"I had incredibly high hopes for Phil Davis years ago. Today, I’m not sure he comes close to fulfilling his potential.
— Jeremy Botter (@jeremybotter) January 25, 2015"
A fighter with huge potential, Davis has had trouble transitioning his elite amateur wrestling into elite MMA wrestling. Now on the wrong side of 30 years old, he'll need to make some adjustments in a hurry in order to become a UFC champion.
Having also lost to Bader in his most recent outing, Rafael Cavalcante would be a logical opponent for Davis. The matchup would give Mr. Wonderful a chance to get back to his wrestling, and it would give Cavalcante an opportunity to show improvement in that area after allowing seven takedowns against Bader.
Ryan Bader
5 of 9
Matchup: Rashad Evans
Bader is beginning to make a strong case at being granted a rematch with the current light heavyweight champion.
The TUF 8 winner has now won four in a row, with three of those victories coming against top-15 light heavyweights. While Bader's win over Davis wasn't dominant in the least, he was able to get his hand raised and doesn't have much work to do to earn a title shot now that Gustafsson and Daniel Cormier have moved out of the way.
"Ryan Bader: I have better MMA wrestling than Phil Davis http://t.co/occYBJFQ0V #UFCStockholm pic.twitter.com/k0CxZneBg1
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) January 22, 2015"
Should Rashad Evans be able to return to the Octagon soon, he'd be a good test to determine whether Bader is ready to compete in a championship bout. The matchup would also have the potential to set up a Jones rematch no matter the result.
Dan Henderson
6 of 9
Matchup: Michael Bisping vs. C.B. Dollaway Loser
At 44 years old, Dan Henderson has now lost in five of his past six bouts. For most, that would be a sign to call it quits, but Henderson doesn't seem to have much interest in doing so.
The former Pride FC champion had no answer for Gegard Mousasi's striking Saturday. Henderson was knocked down and stopped in only 70 seconds. While referee Leon Roberts appeared to step in a bit quickly, Mousasi was going to put Henderson away one way or another.
"Dan Henderson in the post-fight press conference #UFCStockholm pic.twitter.com/JhDUhJkd4E
— esther lin (@allelbows) January 25, 2015"
Still, expect Henderson to use that somewhat controversial stoppage as a reason to continue competing. If he does, he should remain at middleweight and meet the loser of an April bout between Michael Bisping and C.B. Dollaway.
A bout with Dollaway would be an intriguing wrestling matchup, while a rematch between Henderson and Bisping would be a big deal despite both fighters struggling recently.
Gegard Mousasi
7 of 9
Matchup: Michael Bisping vs. C.B. Dollaway Winner
Alternating wins and losses over his five UFC appearances, Mousasi has had trouble building momentum in the stacked middleweight division. That said, he looked as good as he ever has in a quick knockout win over Henderson.
Still only 29 years old, Mousasi could be entering his prime now, despite having already won Strikeforce and Dream championships before joining the UFC roster.
"Much respect to my friend @danhendo pic.twitter.com/1F79JDgOvo
— Gegard Mousasi (@mousasi_mma) January 25, 2015"
With the amount of contenders waiting in line for a shot at the middleweight belt, there's no reason to rush Mousasi back into a matchup with a top-five opponent. Instead, he should meet the winner of an upcoming contest between Bisping and Dollaway.
Given their kickboxing styles, a bout between Mousasi and Bisping would be particularly intriguing.
Alexander Gustafsson
8 of 9
Matchup: Daniel Cormier
Johnson was the only thing standing between Gustafsson and a rematch with Jones, and Rumble came through as the spoiler in a big way.
Although Gustafsson knew that Johnson's power was his greatest weapon, the Swede chose to stand and trade early on. While he landed a few solid shots of his own, Gustafsson was eventually rocked and finished with ground-and-pound during the opening round.
"Alexander Gustafsson on defeat: 'It's just a lot of pain' http://t.co/QD5l7VHnaE pic.twitter.com/Tqdqo2DSTA
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) January 25, 2015"
It was a deflating loss, but the rematch between Gustafsson and Jones is one bout the UFC obviously wants to put together at some point. The same could be said about a second meeting between Jones and Cormier. So it might be wise for UFC matchmakers to ensure one fighter gets back on track with a bout between DC and Gustafsson.
Anthony Johnson
9 of 9
Matchup: Jon Jones
Competing at welterweight only a little over three years ago, Rumble has had a wild ride toward the top of the 205-pound division.
After being released by the UFC for missing weight and losing a middleweight bout against Vitor Belfort, Johnson really turned things around. Since then, he has won nine in a row, including back-to-back knockouts against Gustafsson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
"The past two months have seen Anthony Johnson & Robbie Lawler make two of the biggest career turnaround in history. What a sport, this MMA.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) January 25, 2015"
With his win over Gustafsson on Saturday, Johnson has emerged as the top contender in the light heavyweight class. Rumble's power makes him a scary matchup for any man. He has the ability to dethrone Jones with a single punch.
Statistics via UFC.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
