UFC 190 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
Saturday night marked the UFC's return to Brazil with UFC 190. On the back of a women's bantamweight fight, it was a solid card that featured a lot of action and some heavy implications for the future.
In the main event, Ronda Rousey made quick work of Bethe Correia, knocking the Brazilian out in under a minute. It was a grudge match made personal by Correia and sealed with some precise shots from the champion.
Also on the card were names like Minotauro Nogueira, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Silva and Claudia Gadelha. Each put in an effort to make their own moments on the fight card in hopes of moving closer to the coveted title picture.
With that, let's take a look at the fighters who competed on the card and make some suggestions for their next matchups.
Prelim Fighters (and 'TUF' Brazil Fighters)
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Prelim Winners
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Glaico Franca | Jon Tuck |
| Reginaldo Vieira | Jon Delos Reyes |
| Demian Maia | Gunnar Nelson |
| Patrick Cummins | Tom Lawlor |
| Warlley Alves | Omari Akhmedov |
| Iuri Alcantara | Bryan Caraway |
| Vitor Miranda | Thiago Santos |
| Guido Cannetti | Jose Quinonez |
Prelim Losers
| Fighter | Matchup |
| Fernando Bruno | Jason Saggo |
| Dileno Lopes | Richie Vaculik |
| Neil Magny | Ryan LaFlare |
| Rafael Cavalcante | Gian Villante |
| Nordine Taleb | Augusto Montano |
| Leandro Issa | Michinori Tanaka |
| Clint Hester | Caio Magalhaes |
| Hugo Viana | None (released) |
Jessica Aguilar
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Matchup: Aisling Daly
Coming into UFC 190, Jessica Aguilar was regarded as one of the best strawweights in the world, if not the best.
Coming out of UFC 190, there are a lot of questions about her.
If there's one thing she proved, it's that she's tough. She took a serious beating from Claudia Gadelha but never gave up, seeing her way to the final bell.
She needs to take a step back now.
A win would have netted her a title shot, but she'll have to settle for a step down in competition. In the course of her long and competitive career, Aguilar has surprisingly never run into longtime vet Aisling Daly.
Now seems like a good time for that.
Claudia Gadelha
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Matchup: Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Their first fight was close, so a title rematch between Claudia Gadelha and UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk would be intriguing.
Gadelha has been one of the best strawweights over the last several years, and it will pay off in the form of a title shot in the near future. Her dismantling of Jessica Aguilar was a thing of vicious beauty. It showed that she was simply the better woman and stamped her claim to a title shot.
She is probably the best matchup for Jedrzejczyk, as she is powerful and a talented on the ground. Styles make fights, and she will stylistically give the Polish champ all she can handle.
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Soa Palelei
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Matchup: Loser of Ruslan Magomedov vs. Shawn Jordan
Soa Palelei took a step up in competition Saturday night, and for a while, things were looking good.
But his fight was a tale of two rounds, and unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse in Round 2. As a result, Palelei left Brazil with a loss.
For Palelei, it shows that he is stuck in midcard hell for the time being. He has no problem smashing up lower-end heavyweights, but when he steps up to bigger fights, he fizzles like bacon in a frying pan.
So he will probably step down in competition again. With an eye on the future, matching him up with the loser of a UFC 192 showdown between Ruslan Magomedov and Shawn Jordan could be the next move for the man they call The Hulk.
Antonio Silva
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Matchup: Stefan Struve
Antonio Silva's back was against the wall coming into UFC 190. Luckily, he performed, got the win and will stick around the UFC a little bit longer.
Silva was riding a losing streak into this fight, and he had taken some devastating knockout losses in those previous bouts. It appeared that the wind was out of his sails, but a knockout of Soa Palelei secured his spot on the roster.
So where does he go next?
Why not match him up with fellow main card winner Stefan Struve. Sure, it would be a bit of a freak-show fight based on their sizes, but it would undoubtedly be a fun one to watch.
Minotauro Nogueira
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Matchup: None (Retire)
Thanks for the memories, Big Nog. You are a legendary fighter, a wonderful human being and a respected veteran of this game.
But, you know and I know that your time in the cage has elapsed.
Dana White already said that he's done giving Nogueira fights in the UFC, and evidently, Nogueira agrees with his decision. Sometimes, fighters see the writing on the wall and graciously walk away from the game they love.
Nogueira was always one of the good guys, and I hope he lives long and prospers outside of cage fighting.
Stefan Struve
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Matchup: Antonio Silva
If you're looking for UFC fighters who had their back against the wall but have since pulled through, look no further than Stefan Struve.
A man who recently returned from a heart condition, Struve was on a losing streak coming into his bout with Minotauro Nogueira. He brought the right game plan with him and secured his position in the UFC.
Struve is always going to have natural advantages. That's what happens when you're a 7'0" giant fighting average men.
That's why a bout with Antonio Silva makes sense. Both men were winners on the UFC 190 card and are giants in the division.
I guarantee it will be fun.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
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Matchup: Loser of Ovince Saint Preux vs. Glover Teixeira
Time has not been on the side of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira either, but at least he was competitive in last night's rematch with Mauricio Rua.
In a three-round decision, Nogueira found himself on the losing end, but he earned some extra cabbage for putting on the Fight of the Night with Rua. It was a fun fight that gave us a chance to remember their battle back at Pride.
Ah, the good old days.
Anyway, Nogueira shouldn't take a huge step backward in his next fight.
There is a main event next weekend in Nashville featuring Ovince Saint Preux and Glover Teixeira. The winner moves up the ladder, and the loser should be Nogueira's next opponent.
Mauricio Rua
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Matchup: Quinton Jackson
Mauricio Rua just won his Pride rematch with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Perhaps another Pride showdown is on the horizon.
That's right, it's time for a rematch with Quinton Jackson.
Rua and Jackson are undoubtedly past their respective primes, which is why an impending showdown between the two is necessary. They are nowhere near a title shot, but they are still relevant.
It's a fight that could headline a UFC Fight Night or bolster any pay-per-view offering.
Bethe Correia
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Matchup: Jessica Eye
Just as most suspected, Bethe Correia was not ready for Ronda Rousey. She did a great job selling herself, but she simply wasn't on the same level as the UFC champ.
In under a minute, Correia got smashed by Rousey on the feet, which was the only advantage most analysts gave her. It wasn't competitive either. She was clearly overpowered by a stronger, more explosive Rousey.
Now it's time for the Brazilian to take a step back.
Jessica Eye came up short last weekend in Chicago and is looking for a dance partner in the same area of the rankings as herself. That seems like a great matchup for Correia.
Both women are natural flyweights and like to bang on the feet.
Seems obvious, no?
Ronda Rousey
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Matchup: Miesha Tate
Ronda Rousey, you are amazing. But, what took you so long?!
I'm obviously saying that in jest, but how amazing has Rousey's run through the UFC been so far? Her last three fights haven't even left the first 45 seconds, and she has devastated opponents with ease.
It's like a pit bull playing with mice.
Her win cemented a third fight with archrival Miesha Tate, who was victorious in Chicago last weekend. We are not concerned about Tate's chances here. We just want to see Ronda back in the cage soon.
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