UFC Fight Night 71 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
At UFC Fight Night 71, Frank Mir picked up his second straight win by knocking out Todd Duffee and proved he still has enough left in the tank to compete with top UFC heavyweights.
Only 18 months ago, Mir had lost four in a row. Then, many were calling for the former champion to call it quits. However, Mir has reaffirmed his place as a top-15 heavyweight and could soon have some big bouts coming his way again.
It seems unlikely Mir would actually be able to climb all the way to the top of the heavyweight division again. Given his name value, though, it's going to be hard for the UFC to avoid pairing Mir up with elite heavyweights now that he has a winning streak going.
With another UFC event in the books, here is a look at what should be next for Mir, Duffee and the rest of the UFC Fight Night 71 competitors.
Prelim Fighters
1 of 13
Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Sam Sicilia | Rob Whiteford |
| Jessica Andrade | Germaine de Randamie |
| Rani Yahya | Manny Gamburyan |
| Sean Strickland | Kyle Noke |
| Kevin Casey | Krzysztof Jotko |
| Lyman Good | Alberto Mina |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Yaotzin Meza | Lucas Martins |
| Sarah Moras | Rin Nakai |
| Masanori Kanehara | Mitch Gagnon |
| Igor Araujo | Hayder Hassan |
| Ildemar Alcantara | Ricardo Abreu |
| Andrew Craig | None (Release) |
Matt Dwyer
2 of 13
Matchup: Pawel Pawlak
On the heels of his first UFC win, Matt Dwyer was matched up with Alan Jouban at UFC Fight Night 71.
Dwyer held his own in an entertaining bout with Jouban. However, he wound up on the wrong end of a unanimous decision and fell to 1-2 inside the Octagon.
"That was a fantastic fight. Kudos to both Alan Jouban and Matt Dwyer for that performance #UFCSanDiego
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 16, 2015"
The loss was certainly a setback for Dwyer, but the 25-year-old has definitely shown some promise and could still have a bright future ahead. Let's see if he can get back on track against an opponent like Pawel Pawlak, who also owns a 1-2 UFC record.
Alan Jouban
3 of 13
Matchup: Albert Tumenov
With a loss to Warlley Alves on his resume, Jouban's ceiling might be limited, but he hasn't failed to put on a show in any of his four UFC appearances.
At UFC Fight Night 71, Jouban improved to 3-1 inside the Octagon while giving fans something to cheer about. Brahma appeared to hurt Dwyer with a cartwheel kick, a technique rarely seen in high-level MMA, at one point in the bout:
"Highlights: Alan Jouban lands amazing cartwheel kick on Matt Dwyer http://t.co/rGlomcugw3 pic.twitter.com/O2LJ5goJqF
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) July 16, 2015"
Having also beaten Dwyer and currently on a winning streak, Albert Tumenov would seem to be a logical opponent for Jouban now.
James Moontasri
4 of 13
Matchup: Ivan Jorge
Although he had a mediocre 1-1 UFC record, James Moontasri was paired with a surging Kevin Lee at UFC Fight Night 71.
The bookmakers considered Lee the favorite by a large margin, and it turned out that was for good reason. On the heels of his first win inside the Octagon, Moontasri was taken down and submitted in under three minutes.
"I'm sorry everyone. I'm really disappointed in my performance. I had a great training camp, and a great group of... http://t.co/lVe4dhV9zQ
— James Moontasri (@jmoontasri) July 16, 2015"
With a 1-2 record over his past three outings and having also suffered a submission loss in his latest appearance, Ivan Jorge would be the best option for Moontasri's next matchup.
Kevin Lee
5 of 13
Matchup: Efrain Escudero
When Lee opened up his UFC career with a loss to Al Iaquinta, his future seemed uncertain.
Now, Lee has won four in a row and has his sights set on becoming a contender in the lightweight division. Lee had coasted to decision wins in his past three outings, but he went out and made a statement at UFC Fight Night 71 by recording an opening-round submission.
"Maybe now people will stop doubting me. I told anybody who would listen I'm the future of this division. #JustWaitOnIt
— Kevin Lee (@MoTownPhenom) July 16, 2015"
Lee has now proved he can beat most prospects at 155 pounds. It's time for him to take on a veteran presence, and Efrain Escudero would be a good introduction to that next level.
Scott Jorgensen
6 of 13
Matchup: Russell Doane
Once one of the best in the world at 135 pounds, Scott Jorgensen has completely fallen out of title contention in the bantamweight division and is now simply battling to maintain a UFC roster spot.
Giving up five takedowns at UFC Fight Night 71, Jorgensen was beaten by Manny Gamburyan on the scorecards. The defeat leaves Jorgensen with only one win in his past six outings and two over his past nine appearances.
"Manny Gamburyan out works Scott Jorgensen to win in San Diego #UFCSanDiego http://t.co/uhiUH6kMe1 pic.twitter.com/8DdxzcBoLt
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 16, 2015"
With that lack of production, Jorgensen is going to need a win in his next bout in order to avoid being released. A clash between Jorgensen and Russell Doane, who has also dropped two in a row, would make sense as a loser-leaves-town matchup.
Manny Gamburyan
7 of 13
Matchup: Rani Yahya
Having fallen out of title contention at 145 pounds, Gamburyan decided to move to bantamweight in his last outing, and the decision has produced immediate results.
Following a submission win over Cody Gibson, Gamburyan picked up a big win over Jorgensen to improve to 2-0 at 135 pounds. A win over Jorgensen doesn't mean what it used to, but it did show Gamburyan can compete with some of the big-name bantamweights.
"My hard work and dedication payed off. @ufc thank u everyone for believing in me 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/JTSru0PjD9
— Manny Gamburyan (@MannyGamburyan) July 17, 2015"
With two straight wins of his own, Rani Yahya is in a similar position to Gamburyan. Since he'd also present a different challenge than Jorgensen on the ground, the Brazilian would be a good opponent for Gamburyan.
Marion Reneau
8 of 13
Matchup: Milana Dudieva
Coming off of a submission win over Jessica Andrade, Marion Reneau had a chance to test Holly Holm on the ground. Instead, she didn't attempt a takedown and was beaten by a wide margin in a stand-up bout.
"That was intense! Holly Holm and Marion Reneau refused to break apart their stare down #UFCSanDiego pic.twitter.com/uGuvWS6KOj
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 14, 2015
"
At 38 years old, Reneau got a late start to her UFC career. If she wants to compete for UFC gold, she'll have to rebound in a hurry and put several wins together.
That road could start with Milana Dudieva, who also recently suffered her first UFC loss.
Holly Holm
9 of 13
Matchup: Julianna Pena
While UFC fans are still waiting to witness her finishing ability, Holm keeps on winning.
At UFC Fight Night 71, Holm cruised to a decision win over Marion Reneau and improved to 2-0 inside the Octagon. It would have been nice to see Holm add an exclamation point to the win by stopping Reneau, but she played it smart and picked Reneau apart.
"Holly Holm got a lot of hate last night. But of the top women at 135 in the UFC, who are you confident she’d lose to? There aren’t many.
— Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) July 17, 2015"
Everybody wants Holm to challenge Ronda Rousey for the 135-pound belt at some point, but she isn't quite ready. Instead, a bout with The Ultimate Fighter winner Julianna Pena, another rising star, could be interesting while Holm perfects her arsenal.
Josh Thomson
10 of 13
Matchup: None (Bellator MMA)
A former Strikeforce champion, Josh Thomson hasn't been able to make as much noise as he'd like inside the Octagon.
In his latest appearance, Thomson was only able to muster one takedown on six attempts against Tony Ferguson. Though Ferguson has also been excellent on the ground, Thomson figured he needed to get the bout to the canvas in order to win, and that proved true in a decision loss.
"@TonyFergusonXT @ufc it was a pleasure to have fought you man. You're very talented with a bright future. Keep it up bud.
— Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) July 16, 2015"
While Thomson has lost three in a row, all the defeats came in decisions with ranked opponents. He definitely has what it takes to compete in the UFC lightweight division, but The Punk may find a home elsewhere rather than remaining on the UFC roster.
Scott Coker and Bellator MMA have been scooping up Strikeforce veterans, and Thomson would be a great target for them to pursue next.
Tony Ferguson
11 of 13
Matchup: Eddie Alvarez
Since losing to Michael Johnson in 2012, Ferguson has been on a warpath toward lightweight title contention.
In beating Josh Thomson, Ferguson cemented the fact that he has reached elite status at 155 pounds. The victory gave El Cucuy six straight wins and best record for a TUF winner through 10 UFC appearances.
"Tony Ferguson is 9-1 in the UFC. That's the best record of anyone EVER from "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series after 10 UFC bouts.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) July 16, 2015"
Another big fight should be coming Ferguson's way, and I'd love to see him scrap with former Bellator MMA champion Eddie Alvarez.
Todd Duffee
12 of 13
Matchup: Jared Rosholt vs. Tim Johnson Loser
An athletic specimen, Todd Duffee has always been a heavyweight with big potential. However, his striking defense continues to let him down in big spots.
Duffee stormed toward Frank Mir with a combination at UFC Fight Night 71, but he didn't keep his hands up while doing so and got countered. After eating Mir's left hand, Duffee crashed to the canvas in one of the more devastating knockouts in recent memory.
"Todd Duffee hit the ground like a fallen tree.
— Bleacher Report MMA (@BR_MMA) July 16, 2015"
It's back to the drawing board for Duffee, who is now closing in on 30 years old. If he's going to become a contender, Duffee will need to make some strides with his striking and avoid the lengthy absences that have become regular in his career.
Next, Duffee could meet the loser of an August bout between Jared Rosholt and Tim Johnson.
Frank Mir
13 of 13
Matchup: Ben Rothwell
About 17 months ago, many were calling for Mir to end his MMA career.
Mir decided to continue competing despite suffering four straight losses, though, and he has returned with some of the best striking we've ever seen from him. At UFC Fight Night 71, Mir flattened Duffee for his second straight opening-round knockout win.
"WATCH: Frank Mir knocks Todd Duffee out cold with massive haymaker punch at #UFCSanDiego https://t.co/i0Pn2eemtf pic.twitter.com/ddL6fbB7iS
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 16, 2015"
It seems crazy, but Mir is sneaking back into heavyweight title contention. A win over an opponent like Ben Rothwell would confirm Mir is really back and ready to make a run at UFC gold.
Statistics via UFC.com.
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