UFC Fight Night 61: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
Heading into UFC Fight Night 61 with four consecutive losses, Frank Mir needed a win over Antonio Silva in a big way on Sunday.
The UFC has kept other fighters around following five defeats in a row; however, given his age and the fact that he doesn't have anything left to prove, Mir may have seen his MMA career come to an end in the event of a loss on Sunday.
Fortunately, Mir was able to avoid that situation. With a left hook less than two minutes in, Mir floored Silva and scored his first knockout win since a September 2010 victory over Mirko Filipovic.
Now, Mir can set his sights on making another run at the heavyweight belt. Here are the bouts that should be next for him and the rest of the UFC Fight Night 61 competitors.
Prelim Fighters
1 of 13
Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Marion Reneau | Liz Carmouche vs. Lauren Murphy Winner |
| Matt Dwyer | Augusto Montano |
| Mike De La Torre | Mike Wilkinson |
| Douglas Silva de Andrade | Alejandro Perez |
| Ivan Jorge | Jason Saggo vs. Marcin Bandel Winner |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Jessica Andrade | Rin Nakai |
| William Macario | Alan Jouban vs. Richard Walsh Loser |
| Tiago Trator | Niklas Backstrom |
| Cody Gibson | Yaotzin Meza |
| Josh Shockley | None (Release) |
Sean Strickland
2 of 13
Matchup: Viscardi Andrade
Despite going 2-0 at middleweight to start his UFC career, Sean Strickland decided to drop down to 170 pounds for a bout with Santiago Ponzinibbio.
While the bout was competitive, Strickland landed fewer strikes and fell short on all three scorecards. Although he didn't do enough to remain undefeated, he had a respectable showing after his first cut to 170 pounds and showcased a granite chin.
"I don't want to hyperbolize, but Sean Strickland might be entering "best chin in the division" territory.
— Bleacher Report MMA (@BR_MMA) February 23, 2015"
At only 23 years old, Strickland has plenty of time to turn things around following his first loss. Should he decide to remain in the welterweight division, his size would be big asset against other 170-pounders.
Coming off a decision loss to Nico Musoke, Viscardi Andrade would make sense as an opponent for Strickland once he's healed from a broken leg that forced him out of a UFC on Fox 12 contest with Andreas Stahl.
Santiago Ponzinibbio
3 of 13
Matchup: Tim Means vs. Dhiego Lima Winner
Since losing to Ryan LaFlare in his UFC debut, Ponzinibbio has now won two in a row.
At UFC Fight Night 61, he landed six more significant strikes than Strickland. That was enough to give him an edge on the scorecards in a competitive contest.
"#UFCPOA 's first main card fight was a doozy! http://t.co/FDCvyFYirY pic.twitter.com/c01EdS8uKa
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) February 23, 2015"
Now with a bit of momentum, Ponzinibbio should see a small step up in competition. A striking matchup with whoever wins a February 28 bout between Tim Means and Dhiego Lima would be interesting for Ponzinibbio's next outing.
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Iuri Alcantara
4 of 13
Matchup: Eddie Wineland
Iuri Alcantara entered UFC Fight Night 61 with three straight wins and was expected to continue his roll against unranked Frankie Saenz on Sunday.
However, the Brazilian was unable to stifle Saenz's wrestling. Spending nearly six minutes on top of Alcantara Saenz defeated him in a clear decision, which put Alcantara's bantamweight title shot hopes on hold for the time being.
"#UFCPOA Highlights: Watch @FrankieSaenz Hand @iurimarajo a Loss http://t.co/G9hm4MeCQO via @mikefridley pic.twitter.com/wm6kTBYssL
— Sherdog.com (@sherdogdotcom) February 23, 2015"
Eddie Wineland might be considered a step up from Saenz, but he is in a similar position to Alcantara. In May, then-unranked Johnny Eduardo stunned Wineland in a knockout loss.
A bout between Alcantara and Wineland would ensure one of the noteworthy 135-pounders gets back on track soon.
Frankie Saenz
5 of 13
Matchup: Masanori Kanehara
Despite a dominant win over Nolan Ticman in his UFC debut, Saenz was a huge underdog heading into his clash with Alcantara this past weekend.
Nevertheless, at 34 years old, Saenz became an unlikely bantamweight contender with a surprising win on Sunday. Beating a Top 10 contender like Alcantara should earn Saenz a spot in the UFC rankings when they are updated on Tuesday.
"Frankie Saenz's win is all the more impressive when you consider he apparently did it without eyeballs. pic.twitter.com/bkpQesemU6
— Dann Stupp (@DannStupp) February 23, 2015"
While Masanori Kanehara doesn't currently have a spot in the Top 15, he should, as he's coming off a win over No. 13 Alex Caceres. So, a grappling match between newly minted contenders Saenz and Kanehara would be intriguing.
Rustam Khabilov
6 of 13
Matchup: Norman Parke
In a June loss to Benson Henderson, Rustam Khabilov proved he could hang with the best lightweights in the world.
However, the Russian took a step in the wrong direction at UFC Fight Night 61. Coming up empty on four takedown attempts while allowing three against Adriano Martins, Khabilov lost on the scorecards in a split decision.
"I want to thank @AutoShopper for sponsoring me. I came up short but I will be back stronger than ever @ufc
— Rustam Khabilov (@RustamTheTiger) February 24, 2015"
Now with two losses in a row, Khabilov should see a step down in competition. On the heels of a narrow decision loss to Gleison Tibau, Norman Parke might see another fight against a fringe contender coming his way, so the Northern Irishman could get a crack at Khabilov soon.
Adriano Martins
7 of 13
Matchup: Jim Miller vs. Paul Felder Winner
Only two appearances removed from a brutal knockout loss to Donald Cerrone, Martins has made a quick turnaround and scored the biggest win of his career on Sunday.
A significant underdog heading into UFC Fight Night 61, Martins surprised Khabilov by winning in the wrestling department en route to a decision win. With two straight victories, including a win over the current No. 14 contender, Martins could sneak into the Top 15 rankings.
"UFC Fight Night 61: Adriano Martins vs. Rustam Khabilov video highlights http://t.co/IgUlxov5qd via @MMAjunkie
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) February 23, 2015"
Now contender material, Martins should be booked for another Top 15 matchup. Should Jim Miller get back on track in April, he'd be a good test for the Brazilian. Likewise, Paul Felder would be an interesting adversary for Martins if he scores an upset against Miller and makes a big move in the 155-pound class.
Cezar Ferreira
8 of 13
Matchup: Ed Herman
Competing in Brazil, Cezar Ferreira was unable to make the most of his home-field advantage on Sunday.
For the second time in three outings, Ferreira was knocked out in the first round. As the Brazilian pressed forward three minutes into the contest, Sam Alvey blasted him with a left hand. Ferreira was unable to recover, and his ceiling seems to have lowered as a result.
"Alveys knockout of Cezar Ferreira was almost exactly the same as Dolloway's. Ferreira is a counter uppercut waiting to happen.
— Connor Ruebusch (@BoxingBusch) February 23, 2015"
Another middling UFC 185-pounder coming off a knockout loss, Ed Herman would make sense as Ferreira's next adversary. Beating a veteran like Herman would give Ferreira a quick boost of momentum, while the bout would also provide Short Fuse with a chance to rebound in a big way.
Sam Alvey
9 of 13
Matchup: Elias Theodorou vs. Roger Narvaez Winner
Following a loss to Tom Watson in his official UFC debut, Alvey has turned the tides with two big knockouts.
On Sunday, Alvey stopped The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil winner Ferreira with a huge left hand. With that win coming three months after a knockout win over Dylan Andrews, Alvey is starting to build momentum and should soon see bigger fights coming his way.
"Sam Alvey on KO of Cezar Ferreira: It was a little surprising it happened so quick http://t.co/SPpGRaj1ry via @MMAjunkie
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) February 23, 2015"
Should Elias Theodorou beat Roger Narvaez in March, the Canadian would be a good matchup for Alvey. If Alvey can stop two TUF winners in a row, he might be ready for a shot at a Top 15 middleweight.
Edson Barboza
10 of 13
Matchup: Myles Jury
With wins over Bobby Green and Evan Dunham, Edson Barboza looked to be hitting his stride and on the way toward the top.
However, the Brazilian ran into an opponent with even more momentum on Sunday. While Barboza actually landed at a higher percentage at UFC Fight Night 61, he couldn't keep up with Michael Johnson's pace, as The Menace almost doubled his output.
"Michael Johnson vs. Edson Barboza video highlights http://t.co/1P1z4MEXYB pic.twitter.com/D5TqjbOIrE
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) February 23, 2015"
Despite the setback, Barboza remains a fighter with the potential to challenge for a lightweight championship. A bout with Myles Jury would provide some entertaining striking while giving both fighters a chance to bounce back against a fellow contender.
Michael Johnson
11 of 13
Matchup: Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Burns Winner
In beating Barboza, Johnson extended his winning streak to four fights, becoming one of the hottest contenders in the lightweight class.
With only one takedown in a decision win over Barboza, Johnson showed he can stand with just about anybody at 155 pounds. Now, he'll need to take out an elite wrestler to prove he's ready for a shot at the belt.
"UFC Fight Night 61 results: Michael Johnson upsets Barboza, wants Benson Henderson http://t.co/m5A8dGocxj @FollowTheMenace
— Blackzilians (@blackzilians) February 23, 2015"
Should Josh Thomson win his showcase matchup with Gilbert Burns in March, he'd be a good test for Johnson. Thomson was supposed to meet Johnson in July, but The Menace had to withdraw due to an injury.
Antonio Silva
12 of 13
Matchup: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Mirko Filipovic Loser
After earning a title shot with a stunning win over Alistair Overeem, Silva has quickly gone four in a row without a victory.
Not many thought Frank Mir would be a huge threat when standing against Silva, but he was able to knock the Brazilian out in less than two minutes. The loss left Silva with three knockout defeats in his past four appearances.
"Antonio Silva says he plans to take some time off and spend time with his family
— Jason Floyd (@Jason_Floyd) February 23, 2015"
If the UFC keeps Silva around, he'll likely see an unranked opponent next. The loser of an April matchup between Gabriel Gonzaga and Mirko Filipovic seems like a good option.
Frank Mir
13 of 13
Matchup: Mark Hunt vs. Stipe Miocic Winner
Mir is a great example of how quickly things can turn around in the heavyweight division.
Heading into this past weekend, many thought Mir was preparing to step into the Octagon for the last time in his long career. Now, he's suddenly a legitimate contender again with a win over Silva.
"ICYMI: Frank Mir TKO’s Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in 1st round of UFC Fight Night 61 main event. VIDEO: http://t.co/w0H6Ae2fon
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 23, 2015"
The former heavyweight champion showed improved boxing from the orthodox stance, so it would be interesting to see him test that against a better striker. It's doubtful Mir would win a stand-up bout with Mark Hunt or Stipe Miocic, but he could make a strong statement by showing he can hold his own when standing with either of those guys.
Statistics via UFC.com.
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