UFC Fight Night 66 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
Headlined by a main event featuring former UFC champion Frankie Edgar and former WEC champion Urijah Faber, UFC Fight Night 66 didn't disappoint.
The main attraction was competitive as expected, but Edgar slowly pulled away on the scorecards. After five rounds, The Answer had landed 55 more strikes and recorded three more takedowns than The California Kid.
With four straight wins, Edgar has made a strong case that he should meet the winner of an upcoming 145-pound title bout between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor. Faber, meanwhile, will likely opt to return to the bantamweight division.
Here is a look at what should be next for Edgar, Faber and the rest of the UFC Fight Night 66 competitors.
Prelim Fighters
1 of 13
Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Jon Tuck | Joe Proctor vs. Justin Edwards Winner |
| Kajan Johnson | Walmir Lazaro |
| Li Jingliang | Leon Edwards |
| Ning Guangyou | Rob Font |
| Jon Delos Reyes | Paddy Holohan |
| Yao Zhikui | Joby Sanchez |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Tae Hyun Bang | Jake Matthews |
| Zhang Lipeng | Shane Campbell |
| Dhiego Lima | William Macario |
| Royston Wee | Davey Grant |
| Roldan Sangcha-an | Justin Scoggins vs. Josh Sampo Loser |
| Nolan Ticman | Tateki Matsuda |
Mark Eddiva
2 of 13
Matchup: Alex White
Competing in his home country at UFC Fight Night 66, Mark Eddiva surrendered seven takedowns to Levan Makashvili, which led to a decision loss.
Eddiva was one of the Filipino competitors the UFC signed to help grow MMA in that part of the world. However, now that he has lost two in a row, he could be in danger of being released from the biggest MMA promotion going.
"Many thanks to the people who continue to support me and the team despite my less than stellar performance.
— Mark Eddiva (@MarkEddiva) May 17, 2015"
Originally booked to meet Alex White on Saturday, Eddiva should meet at last The Spartan, who is also riding two straight losses.
Levan Makashvili
3 of 13
Matchup: Phillipe Nover
Making his first trip to the Octagon, Makashvili used wrestling to pick up his first UFC win against Eddiva.
Given his win over Bellator MMA veteran Alexandre Bezerra, some had high hopes for Makashvili's debut. While he got his hand raised, a split-decision win over Eddiva was a somewhat underwhelming result from the up-and-comer.
"Levan Makashvili defeats Mark Eddiva by split decision. http://t.co/Peb6w8Qewk #UFCManila pic.twitter.com/ZYJKf7b7dg
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) May 16, 2015"
There are a lot of directions the UFC could go with Makashvili now, but a matchup with fellow UFC Fight Night 66 winner Phillipe Nover seems like the best option.
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Yui Chul Nam
4 of 13
Matchup: Noad Lahat vs. Niklas Backstrom Loser
Following a split-decision win in his UFC debut, Yui Chul Nam ended up on the wrong end of another close call at UFC Fight Night 66.
Nam landed more strikes and racked up more control time than Phillipe Nover in the second and third rounds. However, two judges awarded Nover the victory, leaving Nam with a 1-1 record inside the Octagon.
"Yui Chul Nam won that fight
— Dana White (@danawhite) May 16, 2015"
There's a chance UFC matchmakers will pair Nam with an opponent coming off a win because he really did deserve to have his hand raised on Saturday. Instead, he'll be matched up with the loser of a June bout between Noad Lahat and Niklas Backstrom, which would still be a step up in competition.
Phillipe Nover
5 of 13
Matchup: Levan Makashvili
More than five years after being cut by the promotion, Nover returned to the UFC on Saturday and picked up his first official win inside the Octagon.
Following an 0-3 stint in his last go-around with the organization, expectations weren't nearly as high in Nover's comeback. Although he was able to mount an upset against Nam, he needed some help from the judges and doesn't look to be a fighter who will be in title contention anytime soon.
"Here's the scorecard from the Phillipe Nover vs. Yui Chul Nam fight for those curious #UFCManila pic.twitter.com/DzdvwPm28Q
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) May 16, 2015"
I wouldn't be shocked to see the UFC match Nover up with an opponent who lost his last bout. However, there's also a good chance he'll see Makashvili next, as both men picked up their first UFC wins at UFC Fight Night 66.
Hyun Gyu Lim
6 of 13
Matchup: Nico Musoke
Having improved his UFC record to 3-1 in September, Hyun Gyu Lim met a surging Neil Magny at UFC Fight Night 66.
Lim looked good early, rocking Magny in the opening round. However, Magny took over on the ground and eventually stopped the Korean with ground-and-pound in the second stanza.
"Hyun Gyu Lim on every fight card, please. Hell of a round.
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) May 16, 2015"
It seems like Lim will put on an exciting contest no matter who he is matched up with. Let's see him paired against Nico Musoke next in a bout that would likely produce some fun striking exchanges.
Neil Magny
7 of 13
Matchup: Gunnar Nelson vs. John Hathaway Winner
Magny had a bit of a scare in the first round of his bout with Lim on Saturday, but he turned it around with takedowns and dominated on the canvas.
Now with seven wins in a row, Magny is more than ready for a ranked opponent. Given that he hasn't beaten anybody inside the Top 15, it's unlikely he'll meet an elite contender, but he should at least get a chance against one of those Top 15 welterweights now.
"Great fight @NeilMagny !!!! Got hurt bad in that first round and now has a 7 fight win streak. Looks better every time he fights
— Dana White (@danawhite) May 16, 2015"
Should Gunnar Nelson get back into the win column against John Hathaway in July, he'd be a good test to see if Magny is ready for a Top 10 opponent.
Luke Barnatt
8 of 13
Matchup: Chris Camozzi
With three straight losses, most UFC competitors would be in danger of being released. However, Luke Barnett lost two controversial split decisions before falling in a tough matchup against Mark Munoz.
I have a hard time believing this will be the last time we've seen Barnatt inside the Octagon.
"@LukeBarnatt Head up, mate. Much respect for your toughness and heart. The best is yet to come. #TheBigSlow
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) May 18, 2015"
A bout with Chris Camozzi, another towering middleweight who is in need of a win, could be interesting. It's also a matchup that has the possibility of earning Fight of the Night honors, which could keep both men around even longer.
Mark Munoz
9 of 13
Matchup: None (Retired)
Very seldom do I get emotional about MMA happenings these days, since it seems like I've seen about everything in the sport. I had a case of the feels during Munoz's farewell at UFC Fight Night 66, though.
We rarely see fighters leave on their own terms, but that's exactly what Munoz did after beating Barnatt on the scorecards.
"Fairytale finish for the 'Filipino Wrecking Machine' @mark_munoz, hanging up the gloves after his win at #UFCManila pic.twitter.com/Onz9LdG2Sq
— UFC Aus/New Zealand (@UFC_AUSNZ) May 17, 2015"
Munoz had title aspirations when he joined the UFC roster. He never reached that point, but he walks away with a respectable career, having beaten title challenger Demian Maia and The Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall Grove, as well as contenders Tim Boetsch, C.B. Dollaway and Chris Leben.
Costas Philippou
10 of 13
Matchup: Uriah Hall vs. Rafael Natal Loser
Following a knockout win over Lorenz Larkin, Costas Philippou was given a big bout against Gegard Mousasi.
Unfortunately, Philippou keeps falling short against elite middleweight competition. Fighting smart, Mousasi avoided Philippou's power by scoring four takedowns and completely shutting down the Cyprus-born 185-pounder on the ground.
"Nice respect here between @mousasi_mma & Costas Philippou (minus his eyes being closed!) #UFCManila pic.twitter.com/u0ZlEqVbXx
— James Lynch (@LynchOnSports) May 16, 2015"
Clearly, Philippou needs to take a step down in competition and work on his wrestling. He's had UFC bouts with Uriah Hall and Rafael Natal cancelled, so it would be interesting to see one of those matchups come together for Philippou.
Gegard Mousasi
11 of 13
Matchup: Thales Leites
With two straight wins, Mousasi is back in the hunt for a title shot. However, with a submission loss to Ronaldo Souza in September, he still has some work to do to jump to the front of the line of contenders.
Beating Philippou was a big step in the right direction. However, it didn't prove Mousasi is ready to take on the 185-pound champion.
""I wanted to finish him, but he's a strong guy" - @mousasi_mma on his win over Costas Philippou at #UFCManila pic.twitter.com/kwU6wfHiyG
— UFC United Kingdom (@UFC_UK) May 17, 2015"
A matchup with Thales Leites would be a logical progression for Mousasi. If he beats the Brazilian, Mousasi could be ready for another shot at a Top Five middleweight.
Urijah Faber
12 of 13
Matchup: Dominick Cruz
Faber had a chance to sneak back into the title picture at 145 pounds, but he came up short against Edgar in the UFC Fight Night 66 main event.
Given that he was already approaching another title shot in the bantamweight division, it seems likely that he'll drop back down to 135 pounds. In order to compete for UFC gold in that division, though, Faber may have to agree to battle Team Alpha Male teammate T.J. Dillashaw.
"Few bumps & bruises, but all n all a good time. Congrats to @frankieedgar @ufc awesome seeing… https://t.co/bvMu7zjQaI
— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) May 16, 2015"
Before that can happen, Faber is going to need to rebound with a big win against a bantamweight. If rival Dominick Cruz can heal up before the end of 2015, this would be the perfect time for a rubber match between him and Faber.
Frankie Edgar
13 of 13
Matchup: Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor Winner
Edgar continues to roll through the competition on his way toward another shot at UFC gold.
On Saturday, The Answer edged Faber with five takedowns and 41 more total strikes landed. Although he wasn't able to finish, Edgar picked up a clear win over a future Hall of Famer.
"Thanks for all the love. Mission Complete! Hats off to @UrijahFaber dude is a stud! Can't wait to get home to my babies.
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) May 16, 2015"
Now that he's won four in a row, I don't see anybody more deserving of a featherweight title shot than Edgar, even if it means a rematch with Jose Aldo. Since Aldo isn't going to compete against Conor McGregor for two more months, Edgar could also meet Chad Mendes if the UFC doesn't want him to wait.
Statistics via UFC.com.
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