UFC Fight Night 65 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
Following a loss to former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, Stipe Miocic was given an opportunity to rebound in the UFC Fight Night 65 main event opposite Mark Hunt.
With six takedowns and an incredible 361 total strikes landed, Miocic battered Hunt before ending the bout with ground-and-pound in the fifth round. The win gave Miocic four victories in his past five outings, making him one of the top contenders in the heavyweight class without question.
Could Miocic's recent success net him a shot at the heavyweight championship? What will be next for Hunt following a second consecutive knockout loss at 41 years old?
Here are the matchups that should be made for Miocic, Hunt and the rest of the UFC Fight Night 65 competitors.
Prelim Fighters
1 of 9
Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Dan Hooker | Diego Brandao |
| Kyle Noke | Sean Strickland vs. Igor Araujo Winner |
| Sam Alvey | Elias Theodorou |
| Bec Rawlings | Alex Chambers |
| Bradley Scott | Marcelo Guimaraes |
| Alex Chambers | Bec Rawlings |
| Brendan O'Reilly | T.J. Waldburger vs. Wendell Oliveira Winner |
| Ben Nguyen | Louis Smolka |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Hatsu Hioki | Jimy Hettes |
| Jonavin Webb | Andreas Stahl |
| Dan Kelly | Ed Herman |
| Lisa Ellis | None (Release) |
| Dylan Andrews | None (Release) |
| Kailin Curran | Izabela Badurek |
| Vik Grujic | Sean Strickland vs. Igor Araujo Loser |
| Alptekin Ozkilic | None (Release) |
Jake Matthews
2 of 9
Matchup: Mairbek Taisumov vs. Alan Patrick Loser
At 20 years old, Jake Matthews came into UFC Fight Night 65 with high expectations, having already submitted his first two UFC opponents.
With the first takedown of the bout, Matthews was looking pretty good against James Vick on Saturday. However, The Celtic Kid got caught in a guillotine choke as the opening round was nearing an end and had to tap before the horn sounded.
"James Vick … huge. Subs Jake Matthews with just secs remaining. Matthews is just 20 and will get better but that momentarily stops his mo.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 10, 2015"
Like Matthews was, Mairbek Taisumov and Alan Patrick are both on the rise in the lightweight division. The loser of a June bout between the two would wind up in a similar position as Matthews and could make a good dance partner.
James Vick
3 of 9
Matchup: Rashid Magomedov
With his win over Matthews at UFC Fight Night 65, Vick is now 4-0 in official UFC bouts.
With a huge reach and a dangerous ground game, Vick is turning into a real threat in the 155-pound class. At 28 years old, The Texecutioner is entering his prime and could be ready to make a run into title contention right now.
"Wow. James Vick chokes out Matthews (guillotine), after getting beat to the punch for the better part of the opening round.
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) May 10, 2015"
In his next outing, Vick could meet another undefeated up-and-comer like Rashid Magomedov, with the winner potentially earning a shot at a top-15 lightweight.
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Anthony Perosh
4 of 9
Matchup: Gian Villante vs. Tom Lawlor Loser
At 43 years old, Anthony Perosh is still at it. However, with his second UFC knockout loss inside one minute, The Hippo could have some decisions to make regarding his future in MMA.
With five UFC wins, Perosh has already done more than anybody thought he would inside the Octagon. However, when a fighter Perosh's age gets steamrolled by an opponent like Sean O'Connell, it's probably about time to start planning a retirement bout.
"It wasn't my day today. Congrats to my opponent @realOCsports today. Thanks to everyone for their support. #UFCAdelaide
— Anthony Perosh (@AnthonyPerosh) May 10, 2015"
Grappling has always been Perosh's greatest strength, so it'd be interesting to see him paired with fellow grappler Tom Lawlor should the The Ultimate Fighter 8 veteran lose to Gian Villante at UFC on Fox 16.
Sean O'Connell
5 of 9
Matchup: Brendan Schaub
Where most fighters would be released following an 0-2 start inside the Octagon, O'Connell was given a third chance, and he's making the most of it.
On Saturday, O'Connell recorded his second consecutive knockout win by overwhelming Perosh in only 56 seconds. While Perosh never dropped to the canvas, O'Connell was landing a lot of unanswered shots and would have continued inflicting unnecessary damage to his opponent had the bout continued.
"That didn't take long! Sean O'Connell just swarmed on Anthony Perosh and got a quick first round TKO #UFCAdelaide
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) May 10, 2015"
It's unlikely that O'Connell will be considered a contender anytime soon, but he does deserve a high-profile matchup now. Perhaps he could welcome former heavyweight Brendan Schaub to the 205-pound division.
Brad Tavares
6 of 9
Matchup: Clint Hester
Coming off of a win over Nate Marquardt, Brad Tavares was looking to solidify his position as a contender in the middleweight division.
However, at UFC Fight Night 65, the Hawaiian suffered his second knockout loss in three outings. Only 44 seconds in, Robert Whittaker rocked Tavares, and he couldn't recover before a couple of follow-up punches put him out cold.
"Thank you all for the very kind words! It wasn't my night tonight. Congrats to mr Whittaker! I'll be back even better,You guys are the best!
— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) May 10, 2015"
Now, Tavares could use another matchup with a dangerous striker to get confidence in his stand-up back up. A bout with fellow TUF veteran Clint Hester could accomplish that.
Robert Whittaker
7 of 9
Matchup: Uriah Hall vs. Rafael Natal Winner
Since a knockout loss to Stephen Thompson, Whittaker has been on a roll.
On Saturday, the New Zealand-born middleweight recorded his second straight knockout and third consecutive victory. At 24 years old, Whittaker seems to have found his stride, and the TUF Smashes winner could be on his way toward 185-pound title contention.
""This is who I am" @RJWhittaker1990 #UFCAdelaide pic.twitter.com/G2yne8Rqgy
— UFC Aus/New Zealand (@UFC_AUSNZ) May 11, 2015"
Given his age and the fact that he has been knocked out before, it'd be nice to see Whittaker tested by one more really good striker before he competes against ranked middleweights. Should Uriah Hall beat Rafael Natal on May 23, he'd be an intriguing matchup for Whittaker's next outing.
Mark Hunt
8 of 9
Matchup: Mirko Cro Cop
Hunt's resurgence has been one of the better stories in MMA over the past few years, but his run could be coming to an end at 41 years old.
At UFC Fight Night 65, Hunt suffered his second straight knockout loss and third in five outings. While Hunt was still conscious, Miocic pummeled him, and the beating wasn't going to stop until the final horn sounded.
"Mark Hunt posts picture of swollen face: 'The old warhorse got beaten up' http://t.co/gzd5rRG65b via @MMAjunkie
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) May 10, 2015"
Despite his recent setbacks, Hunt is still a ranked heavyweight and will likely have another big-name opponent coming his way. A rematch with Mirko Cro Cop, whom Hunt edged via split decision under the Pride FC banner, is a possibility.
Stipe Miocic
9 of 9
Matchup: Travis Browne vs. Andrei Arlovski Winner
He really impressed with his dominant win over Hunt, but Miocic will probably need at least one more win in order to earn his first UFC title shot.
In his most recent outing, Miocic was beaten by Junior dos Santos. A win over Hunt, at this point, isn't enough to allow Miocic to jump to the front of the line of heavyweight contenders.
"That was fun.
— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocicufc) May 10, 2015"
The winner of an upcoming bout between Travis Browne and Andrei Arlovski would also probably need one more win in order to get a crack at the belt, so Miocic should meet him.
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