UFC 183 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
At UFC 183, MMA legend Anderson Silva returned to the Octagon 13 months after suffering a broken leg that seemingly could have ended his career.
While Silva appeared a bit more tentative than usual Saturday, he still was able to show some flashes of the brilliance that made him the best fighter in the history of the sport. In the end, The Spider did enough against Nick Diaz to earn a decision win, his first victory since October 2012.
Now 39 years old, it's hard to guess how many bouts Silva has left in him. However, it does look like he can still hang with elite competitors and potentially make a run at another UFC title shot.
Here are the matchups that should now be made for Silva, Diaz and the rest of the UFC 183 combatants.
Prelim Fighters
1 of 11
Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Miesha Tate | Bethe Correia |
| Derek Brunson | Caio Magalhaes |
| John Lineker | Yves Jabouin |
| Rafael Natal | Josh Samman |
| Ildemar Alcantara | Magnus Cedenblad |
| Thiago Santos | Clint Hester vs. Luke Barnatt Winner |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Sara McMann | Alexis Davis |
| Ed Herman | Buddy Roberts |
| Ian McCall | Ali Bagautinov |
| Tom Watson | Trevor Smith |
| Richardson Moreira | None (Release) |
| Andy Enz | None (Release) |
Jordan Mein
2 of 11
Matchup: John Hathaway
Through the opening round, Jordan Mein looked excellent at UFC 183. He landed 22 more significant strikes than Thiago Alves over the first five minutes, but the Canadian slipped up in the second stanza.
Less than one minute into the second frame, Pitbull smashed Mein with a body kick. Mein dropped to a knee and could not recover quickly enough to keep the contest going, resulting in a knockout loss.
"Really don't want to hear people calling Jordan Mein a prospect this weekend. He has 38 pro fights. He's not a prospect, he's a veteran.
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) January 28, 2015"
He had an opportunity to really solidify his position as a Top 15 welterweight with a win over Alves, but Mein will now have to wait to longer to earn a Top 10 position. At 25 years old and with his immense experience, Mein is bound to be a serious threat to the 170-pound champion soon, but his time is not now.
A bout with John Hathaway, who is coming off of a deflating loss to Dong Hyun Kim, would give Mein a good chance to get back into the win column.
Thiago Alves
3 of 11
Matchup: Lorenz Larkin
Nine months since he last stepped into the Octagon, Alves took some time to warm up, but he eventually made a statement opposite Mein.
With his second-round stoppage against the Canadian, Alves has now won two in a row. It's hardly the most momentum he's had in his career, but the victory gives Alves consecutive UFC wins for the first times since he earned a title shot with a win over Josh Koscheck in October 2008.
"One time @ThiagoAlvesATT leg kicked me so hard when we were sparring I had to sleep downstairs for 2 days. #TrueStory #UFC183
— Yves Edwards (@thugjitsumaster) February 1, 2015"
Rather than rushing him toward a second welterweight title shot, Alves should be matched up with somebody who will oblige him in an exciting stand-up bout. A clash between Alves and Lorenz Larkin would result in fireworks.
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Tim Boetsch
4 of 11
Matchup: Nate Marquardt
Like Mein, Tim Boetsch had a strong start at UFC 183 only to see it go to waste in the second round.
In the opening stanza, Boetsch landed more strikes than Thales Leites and recorded a knockdown, However, the tables turned in the second round, as Boetsch was hurt and taken down somewhat early before being caught in an arm triangle that put him to sleep.
"Ok, time to close the book on Tim Boetsch in the UFC. Horrible decision to chase Leites when he was wobbled then pushes him right into sub.
— Greg Savage (@TheSavageTruth) February 1, 2015"
Boetsch hasn't made much noise as a legitimate title threat since his controversial July 2012 win over Hector Lombard. It's becoming clear that Boetsch has the power to cause problems for most middleweights, but he's not consistently skilled enough to make an extended run at the 185-pound championship.
While I do think Boetsch has a couple more big bouts coming his way, it seems unlikely his next matchup would be against a Top 15 adversary. Instead, The Barbarian may be matched up with a veteran and former UFC title challenger, Nate Marquardt.
Thales Leites
5 of 11
Matchup: Gegard Mousasi
Since returning to the UFC roster in August 2013, Leites has quickly posted a 5-0 record inside the Octagon.
In April 2009, Leites had a highly disappointing title bout with Anderson Silva. However, nearly six years later, it looks like the Brazilian is on his way to a second crack at UFC gold.
"UFC 183 bonuses: Thales Leites earns $100,000 by claiming two post-fight awards http://t.co/R4a4Ebjqg6 pic.twitter.com/rzZCh4Tj7W
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) February 1, 2015"
Leites' current steak would be good enough for a title shot in many situations, but the middleweight division has a logjam of contenders at the moment. It looks like Leites could still need multiple victories in order to earn another chance to compete for the 185-pound championship.
Gegard Mousasi doesn't have as much momentum going as Leites, but he recently scored a big win over Dan Henderson and would be able to test Leites' stand-up. A bout with Mousasi seems like a logical step forward for Leites right now.
Joe Lauzon
6 of 11
Matchup: Nate Diaz
With two straight wins heading into his UFC 183 bout with Al Iaquinta, Joe Lauzon was on the verge of breaking into the Top 15 rankings.
Instead, Lauzon ran into a rough stylistic matchup and hit a speed bump. Unable to get Iaquinta to the ground, Lauzon was overwhelmed with strikes in the second round, leading to his first knockout loss since a February 2012 clash with now-champion Anthony Pettis.
"Dammit. I'm okay, but maybe a little concussed. #UFC183 http://t.co/ovySrufjmP
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) February 1, 2015"
Despite the loss, Lauzon is still one of the more entertaining competitors in the lightweight division. A bout with Nate Diaz could produce some great grappling.
Al Iaquinta
7 of 11
Matchup: Tony Ferguson vs. Yancy Medeiros Winner
Since losing to Mitch Clarke last May, Iaquinta has been on a roll.
"3 Straight WINS. 3 Straight KO/TKO VICTORIES. Who's next for "Raging" @ALIAQUINTA #UFCHotSeat pic.twitter.com/lYCM0pgOxY
— UFC (@ufc) February 1, 2015"
The Serra-Longo fight team member has huge potential and is beginning to realize it with a sprawl-and-brawl style that has produced three straight knockouts. With his win over Lauzon, Iaquinta inched closer to the Top 15 and might only be one win away now.
With a win in a potential matchup against the victor of a UFC 184 bout between Tony Ferguson and Yancy Medeiros, Iaquinta could get over that hump.
Kelvin Gastelum
8 of 11
Matchup: Elias Theodorou vs. Roger Narvaez Winner
Undefeated and ranked among the Top 10 welterweights heading into UFC 183, Kelvin Gastelum was on the verge of doing big things at 170 pounds. However, the train came off the tracks over this past weekend.
"Coach: Gastelum was hospitalized Friday, isn't 100% heading into UFC 183 (@marc_raimondi) http://t.co/cPx34WANe1 pic.twitter.com/eXDeTxIYv1
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) January 31, 2015"
It began with Gastelum being hospitalized prior to the UFC 183 weigh-in. Gastelum then missed weight for the second time in his UFC career. To put the icing on the cake, Tyron Woodley edged Gastelum on the scorecards Saturday, leaving the The Ultimate Fighter 17 winner with his first MMA loss.
Because he's now missed weight twice, Gastelum is going to be forced to move up to the middleweight division. Rather than rush him into a bout with a larger contender, look for UFC matchmakers to ease Gastelum back into 185-pound competition.
Should Elias Theodorou defeat Roger Narvaez in March, a bout between the two TUF winners would be somewhat intriguing.
Tyron Woodley
9 of 11
Matchup: Demian Maia vs. Ryan LaFlare Winner
With a win over Dong Hyun Kim in his prior outing, Woodley was looking to build momentum against Gastelum at UFC 183, and he did.
It wasn't a dominant performance, but Woodley did enough to pick up a second straight win Saturday. With two straight wins against welterweight contenders, Woodley is back in the hunt for a shot at the 170-pound championship.
"Tyron Woodley vs. Kelvin Gastelum video highlights http://t.co/1hqIBIwlhQ pic.twitter.com/uWB2nZmGOy
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) February 1, 2015"
Unfortunately for Woodley, Johny Hendricks and Rory MacDonald are still ahead of him in the line for that title shot, and welterweight champion Robbie Lawler is recovering from injury. Woodley is going to have to pick up another win or two, possibly against the winner of a March bout between Demian Maia and Ryan LaFlare, before being booked for a title shot eliminator.
Nick Diaz
10 of 11
Matchup: Josh Burkman
Despite losing two in a row and sitting out for 22 months, Nick Diaz was given a huge opportunity opposite the greatest ever, Anderson Silva, this past weekend.
While Diaz made it interesting, landing 77 significant strikes, he wasn't able to score as often as Silva did. Ultimately, Diaz came up well short on the scorecards, resulting in his third consecutive loss.
"If this really is good-bye for Nick Diaz, @MMAEncyclopedia helps us frame his career and potential legacy: http://t.co/ADkDyBa75t
— Bleacher Report MMA (@BR_MMA) February 1, 2015"
Diaz is a fighter who only seems to be interested in big-money bouts right now. With three straight losses, he's not likely to get another one of those soon, so there's a good chance Diaz retires.
Should he decide to continue competing, though, Diaz would likely return to 170 pounds and might match up well against Josh Burkman.
Anderson Silva
11 of 11
Matchup: Michael Bisping vs. C.B. Dollaway Winner
A 13-month hiatus was surprisingly quick considering the severity of the leg injury Silva suffered in his rematch with Chris Weidman, but many wondered how the rehab and time away would impact The Spider's abilities.
As it turned out, Silva did look a bit more tentative than usual in his UFC 183 bout. However, the former middleweight champion still showed he had something left in the tank as he cruised to a decision victory, his first win in over two years.
"“This was a very important moment for me, my family and all Brazilians” @SpiderAnderson http://t.co/V5VkFLrecl pic.twitter.com/zNYXBYb53X
— UFC (@ufc) February 1, 2015"
Judging by his performance Saturday, Silva could probably use one more fight to work out some kinks before meeting a Top Five middleweight.
One potential matchup that has always intrigued fans was a clash between Silva and Michael Bisping, but the Englishman was never able to break through and earn a title shot. Now that Silva is no longer champion, the UFC can put that bout together should Bisping beat C.B. Dollaway in April.
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