UFC 186 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
While Kyoji Horiguchi was nearly able to go the distance with him at UFC 186, Demetrious Johnson picked up his second straight submission win and defended his 125-pound championship.
Mighty Mouse now has six consecutive title defenses as the flyweight king. Only four individuals have recorded more consecutive title defenses in UFC history. Jon Jones and Jose Aldo are the only current UFC champions with longer title reigns than Johnson.
A huge underdog heading into UFC 186, Horiguchi should be able to use this as a learning experience moving forward in his promising career. At 24 years old, Horiguchi very well could make another run at the 125-pound belt.
With another UFC event in the books, here is a look at the bouts that should be next for Johnson, Horiguchi and the rest of the UFC 186 competitors.
Prelim Fighters
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Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Patrick Cote | Ben Saunders |
| Alexis Davis | Cat Zingano |
| Chad Laprise | James Vick vs. Jake Matthews Winner |
| Olivier Aubin-Mercier | Efrain Escudero vs. Drew Dober Winner |
| Nordine Taleb | Sergio Moraes |
| Valerie Letourneau | Heather Jo Clark |
| Randa Markos | Maryna Moroz |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Joe Riggs | Amir Sadollah |
| Sarah Kaufman | Sara McMann |
| Bryan Barberena | Yosdenis Cedeno |
| David Michaud | Joe Ellenberger |
| Chris Clements | Viscardi Andrade |
| Jessica Rakoczy | Emily Kagan |
| Aisling Daly | Tina Lahdemaki |
Yves Jabouin
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Matchup: Cody Garbrandt vs. Enrique Briones Loser
With his opening-round knockout loss to Thomas Almeida at UFC 186, Yves Jabouin has alternated wins and losses over his past six outings.
Having beaten Mike Easton in his previous outing, Jabouin was arguably at the highest point in his career. However, the Tristar Gym member then sat out the next 10 months before meeting Almeida on Saturday. Now 35 years old, time may be running out on Jabouin's prime fighting years.
Despite his knockout loss over the weekend, Jabouin is most fun to watch against fellow strikers. There's a good chance he'll be matched up with the loser of a July bout between Cody Garbrandt and Enrique Briones.
Thomas Almeida
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Matchup: Rob Font
Now undefeated in 19 professional bouts, Thomas Almeida is starting to look like one of the brightest prospects in the bantamweight division.
With only two UFC appearances, it's still a bit early to test him against 135-pound contenders. However, at 23 years old, there's no reason for Almeida to rush things. If he continues to perform like he has been, he'll be standing across the cage from Top 15 bantamweights sooner rather than later.
"Fight Recap: Thomas Almeida moves to perfect 19-0 w/ 1st round TKO over Yves Jabouin #UFC186 http://t.co/U78GEjDTP4 pic.twitter.com/AeG2g00fB9
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 26, 2015"
For now, a bout with Rob Font would make sense for Almeida. Font is also still climbing the ladder and scored a knockout victory of his own in his most recent trip to the Octagon.
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Shane Campbell
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Matchup: Kajan Johnson vs. Zhang Lipeng Loser
Following an Abel Trujillo injury, Shane Campbell was asked to step in as a replacement opponent against fellow Canadian John Makdessi.
Without any UFC appearances, Campbell wasn't ready for the more experienced Makdessi at UFC 186. Before the opening round came to an end, referee Phillippe Chartier was forced to step in and stop the bout due to strikes.
Having competed at both 155 and 170 pounds throughout his career, Campbell will have to decide where he'll want to compete under the UFC banner. The WSOF veteran competed at a 160-pound catchweight against Makdessi.
To give Campbell a more realistic chance at picking up his first UFC win, he should now be matched up with the loser of a May bout between Kajan Johnson and Zhang Lipeng.
John Makdessi
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Matchup: Joe Proctor vs. Justin Edwards Winner
Following a controversial loss to Alan Patrick, Makdessi was inactive for 14 months before returning to a bout against UFC newcomer Campbell.
As expected, Makdessi took it to his inexperienced adversary. With seven seconds remaining in the opening round, The Bull was able to stop Campbell with punches.
"John Makdessi wins by TKO, 9th career win by TKO/KO #UFC186
— Jason Floyd (@Jason_Floyd) April 26, 2015"
With his striking, Makdessi has the potential to become a Top 15 UFC lightweight. However, his wrestling and ground game have led to the setbacks he has had along the way.
For that reason, it might make sense for UFC matchmakers to pair Makdessi with the winner of a June bout between Joe Proctor and Justin Edwards as a test before throwing the Canadian at a more highly regarded opponent.
CB Dollaway
6 of 11
Matchup: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nate Marquardt Loser
Since a win over Francis Carmont vaulted him into middleweight title contention, CB Dollaway has lost two in a row.
On Saturday, Dollaway was bested by Michael Bisping on the scorecards. While it was a disappointing setback in a big opportunity for The Doberman, Dollaway did have some bright spots during the contest. He was able to score two takedowns on Bisping and also recorded a knockdown in the opening round.
"#UFC186 Video Highlights: Watch Michael @bisping Rough up C.B. Dollaway http://t.co/5yZXpro4Eo via @po_st pic.twitter.com/eY9DT1QlrA
— Sherdog.com (@sherdogdotcom) April 26, 2015"
Despite the loss, since he's ranked at 185 pounds, Dollaway has still earned at least one more bout with a big-name opponent. Look for him to be matched up with the loser of a June bout between Kelvin Gastelum and Nate Marquardt, who would also be coming off of two straight defeats.
Michael Bisping
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Matchup: Tim Boetsch vs. Dan Henderson Winner
It wasn't the prettiest win, but Bisping got back on track against Dollaway at UFC 186.
With the win, Bisping avoided suffering consecutive losses for the first time in his MMA career. At the same time, he's now alternated wins and losses over his past nine contests.
"Michael Bisping has been one of the best middleweights in the world for about seven years. That’s hard to do. Hall of Famer.
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) April 26, 2015"
Unable to string two wins together, Bisping has fallen away from consideration for a title shot in the middleweight division.
One bout that could get The Count back into the headlines would be a rematch with Dan Henderson should the former Pride FC champion beat Tim Boetsch at UFC Fight Night 68. A clash between Bisping and Boetsch would also be intriguing should it come to that.
Fabio Maldonado
8 of 11
Matchup: Patrick Cummins
Fabio Maldonado continues to fall short against top light heavyweights, but it's not like he looked like he didn't belong inside the Octagon with former UFC champion Rampage Jackson at UFC 186.
The Brazilian went three rounds with Jackson before falling on the scorecards. During those three rounds, Maldonado landed 94 total strikes and even recorded a surprising takedown during the second round.
As unsuccessful as he's been against ranked opponents, Maldonado still sits among the Top 15 combatants in the shallow light heavyweight division. It wouldn't be surprising to see him paired with another ranked adversary like Patrick Cummins for his next bout.
Rampage Jackson
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Matchup: Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Winner
Although he didn't stop Maldonado on Saturday, Jackson showed some improvement in his UFC return.
The former UFC champion still ignored the wrestling aspect of MMA, but he worked in several kicks and knees that we haven't been accustomed to seeing from him. For a fighter who likes to box in a phone booth, those knees could prove useful against better competition.
"Rampage still has it! Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson beats Fabio Maldonado by decision in 1st UFC fight in 2 years. pic.twitter.com/gEAgZ3gkP2
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 26, 2015"
Rampage and Mauricio Rua have remained among the better light heavyweights in the world for the past 10 years. However, Jackson has never been given an opportunity to avenge his 2005 Pride FC knockout loss to Shogun.
Should Rua beat Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in August, the UFC should put that rematch together. Of course, this is assuming Rampage is able to work out his legal issues with Bellator MMA.
Kyoji Horiguchi
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Matchup: Joseph Benavidez vs. John Moraga Loser
Without a win over a currently ranked 125-pounder, it was surprising to learn that Horiguchi would be awarded a title shot so soon.
As anticipated, the Japanese fighter was beaten in his first UFC championship bout. However, Horiguchi nearly went the distance with Johnson and was competitive through the first couple rounds.
If nothing else, Horiguchi gained valuable experience and proved he can compete with the best in the world.
I don't see any reason Horiguchi should have to fall all the way down the flyweight ladder. No, he should meet the loser of a May tussle between 125-pound contenders Joseph Benavidez and John Moraga.
Demetrious Johnson
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Matchup: John Dodson vs. Zach Makovsky Winner
At this point, if they haven't already, UFC matchmakers are running out of legitimate threats to throw at Johnson.
Mighty Mouse took down another challenger Saturday, submitting Horiguchi as the final horn sounded. Horiguchi gave Johnson some problems early on, but the champion solved those and took over with takedowns over the last few rounds.
"Demetrious Johnson submits Kyoji Horiguchi with ONE SECOND left in the match... the latest finish in UFC history. pic.twitter.com/c7u8NnFRYu
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 26, 2015"
Even though he's already lost to the titleholder, it's hard to think of anybody more capable of beating Johnson at 125 pounds than John Dodson. Should The Magician beat Zach Makovsky in May, he is the best man for the job of meeting Johnson next.
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