5 Fights We Need to See After UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder
Reinier de Ridder is now one of the top contenders in the UFC middleweight division.
The hulking "Dutch Knight" improved to 4-0 in the Octagon on Saturday, defeating former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker by decision in the main event of the UFC's latest stop in Abu Dhabi. It was a close fight, but it was an impressive victory for De Ridder all the same, and one that should launch him into the division's top five.
Former bantamweight champ Petr Yan also reaffirmed himself as a top-five fighter in Abu Dhabi, defeating a game Marcus McGhee by decision in the co-headliner. He probably isn't ready for another title shot just yet, but he's getting close after Saturday.
Fan-favorite middleweight contender Shara "Bullet" Magomedov was also back in action on Saturday's card, defeating Canada's Marc-Andre Barriault by decision in a wild, back-and-forth fight. The win won't be enough to push him back into the rankings, but it might well set him up for a fight with a top-15 foe, thanks in large part to his popularity.
Earlier on the card, Uzbekistan's Bogdan Guskov continued his climb up the light heavyweight ladder with a vicious stoppage of dangerous finisher Nikita Krylov. Muslim Salikhov also scored an impressive KO on the card, shutting the lights out on Carlos Leal in the first round of their welterweight fight.
Let's take a look at who the card's big winners should take on next.
Reinier de Ridder vs. Israel Adesanya
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I was in the building for both of De Ridder's ONE Championship losses to Anatoly Malykhin and never would have expected him to have so much success in the UFC after those brutal setbacks. I'm happy to have been proved wrong.
With his decision win over Robert Whittaker in Abu Dhabi, the Dutchman proved he is one of the best middleweights in the world. In fact, if things were a little less crowded at the top of the division, he might be looking at a title shot next.
Unfortunately for the 34-year-old, Khamzat Chimaev will get the next crack at champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in August, and the winner of a September clash between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho is probably next in line after that.
In other words, De Ridder will probably need to win one more fight to earn a title shot. If that's the way things go, the best opponent for him is probably Israel Adesanya.
Adesanya is one of the greatest middleweights in MMA history, but he has fallen on tough times recently, with losses to Sean Strickland, Du Plessis and Imavov. Despite his recent setbacks, he's made it clear he hopes to fight again soon, and while he's been calling for a rematch with Strickland, it doesn't sound like that's going to happen.
A fight with De Ridder makes sense in that event, particularly given most other top middleweights are already booked. It's a fascinating matchup, as De Ridder is one of the middleweight division's best grapplers, and Adesanya remains its sharpest striker.
Petr Yan vs. Mario Bautista
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Russia's Petr Yan is in a tough position.
His win over Marcus McGhee proved he's one of the top bantamweights in the world, but it wasn't that long ago he suffered a lopsided decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili, who has looked incredible as the UFC bantamweight champion.
Yan still has more work to do if he hopes to earn a rematch with the Georgian champ.
I'd like to see Yan take another step toward a title shot opposite Mario Bautista. While not the most exciting fighter in the division, he has been red-hot of late. He has now won eight straight fights, including a pair of decision defeats against former UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo and former Bellator bantamweight champ Patchy Mix.
The 32-year-old has earned an opportunity to fight a former champion like Yan. And while the Russian may want a more established name in his next fight, the fact is he's already fought most of the names in the top 10.
That excludes Umar Nurmagomedov, but I'm holding out hope he will be matched up with Sean O'Malley, since they're both riding losses to Dvalishvili at the moment.
That leaves Yan vs. Bautista as the obvious fight to make.
Shara Magomedov vs. Paulo Costa
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It's hard to get a read on Shara Magomedov. Yes, he beat Marc-Andre Barriault in Abu Dhabi, but it was a very competitive fight, and it was his first since a decision loss to career welterweight Michael Page.
At his best, he's clearly very good, but the blueprint for beating him also seems quite clear at this point.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see what the 31-year-old can make happen in his next fight.
Given his immense popularity among fans, we can expect him to get a big name in that next fight. My pick would be Paulo Costa.
The Brazilian was back in action at UFC 318 last weekend, defeating Roman Kopylov by decision in the co-main event. After that fight, I suggested he should be matched up with fellow UFC 318 winner Brendan Allen. But a fight with Magomedov is way more exciting.
Magomedov and Costa are two of the most electric strikers in the middleweight division—albeit with totally different styles. They're also two of the most enigmatic personalities in the weight class, which suggests the lead-up to their potential fight would be entertaining too.
The No. 11-ranked Costa is a big step up for Magomedov, who doesn't currently have a ranking, but this is too good of a fight to pass up. Book it for the UFC's next stop in the Middle East.
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Bogdan Guskov vs. Carlos Ulberg
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It's time to start treating Bogdan Guskov like a serious light heavyweight title contender. After beating Nikita Krylov in Abu Dhabi, he's now won four-straight fights by knockout. That's tied for the second best finish streak in the UFC at the moment, behind Jean Silva's five.
He deserves a big step up in competition.
Carlos Ulberg would be just that.
The New Zealander is already firmly in the title conversation after recent wins over Jan Blachowicz and Volkan Oezdemir. However, he will need to fight again before that happens, as the next crack at champion Magomed Ankalaev will go to Alex Pereira, and the winner of a newly announced fight between Khalil Rountree and Jiri Prochazka is probably next up after that.
Ulberg has few better options for his next fight than Guskov, unless he wants to fight Jamahal Hill or Aleksandar Rakic, both of whom are riding multiple losses. It's a fight that makes sense for him—even if it's a bit of a step down in terms of the rankings—and it's an absolutely electric matchup on paper.
Muslim Salikhov vs. Stephen Thompson
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Muslim Salikhov scored one of the best wins of Saturday's card, knocking out Brazilian veteran Carlos Leal inside a round. It was his third victory in a row—pretty impressive considering he's now 41 years old.
After his win, "The King of Kung Fu" called for a fight with former two-time title challenger Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, arguably the best karate specialist in UFC history. A few years ago, that would have been a grossly overambitious callout, but it makes sense today.
Salikhov is on the way up. Wonderboy, who is even older than the Russian at 42, is spiralling, with losses in five of his last six fights.
It would be a clash between two of the oldest fighters on the UFC roster, and two of the best representatives of traditional martial arts in the sport. It could also turn out to be Thompson's retirement fight, and it's hard to imagine a more suitable opponent for that milestone at this point in time.
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