UFC 192 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
UFC 192 was almost a tale of two halves. The prelims were stellar, with five of the seven bouts being finished in violent fashion. The main card slowed things down as every fight went to the scorecards, but the main event clash for the light heavyweight title got everyone back on their feet.
Typically following an event, the suggestions for the next fights come in about 24 hours, but there was a lot to process with UFC 192 from Houston. How should the UFC handle the prospects that won? And how about the title contenders who sit on the outside looking in?
Oftentimes it is not just a matter of who wins and loses on a particular event, but rather how they win or lose. What they show us inside the cage directly affects the path they take up the ranks in their respective divisions. A UFC matchmaker's job is complex; Joe Silva and Sean Shelby have a lot to take in after the results in Houston.
Well, the recommendations have arrived. Here is how the UFC should handle the next bouts for the winners and losers of UFC 192.
UFC Fight Pass Prelims
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Sage Northcutt defeats Francisco Trevino by TKO at 0:57 of the first round
I expect Trevino to be cut from the UFC following his post-fight interaction with the official. The UFC hasprecedent in handling that situation.
As for Northcutt, he's 19 and needs to be groomed slowly. There's ample lightweights to toss his way. A good way to test a youngster and help him grow is to put him inside the cage with a veteran past his prime. Naoyuki Kotani is coming off three straight losses, but he has been around a long time. It's a favorable matchup to continue his development.
Sergio Pettis defeats Chris Cariaso by unanimous decision
Cariaso didn't perform poorly, but he didn't look all that great inside the cage either. He has lost three straight, and he isn't getting any younger. A matchup between Cariaso and Chris Beal would give the UFC a solid flyweight contest that sends the loser out of the organization.
Pettis picked up a top-10 win in Houston, but he shouldn't be fighting anyone there for his next contest. He's just not ready. I'd recommend someone such as Chris Kelades, who is coming off a win over Beal, in order to give Pettis another strong flyweight foe without using an upper-echelon opponent.
Derrick Lewis defeats Viktor Pesta by TKO at 1:15 of the third round
The loss moves Pesta to 1-2 in the UFC. The best move is to pit him against another heavyweight coming off a loss. A good selection for him post-UFC 192 may be Timothy Johnson. As for Lewis, there are quite a few options. The heavyweight entertains with big power. A matchup against Soa Palelei would be a good mid-level test for the powerful Lewis.
Fox Sports 1 Prelims
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Yair Rodriguez defeats Dan Hooker by unanimous decision
There are so many options at 155, it's hard to pinpoint a singular name. Hooker has some decent wins, but he cannot seem to get a win streak going. The loser of UFC Fight Night 77's Yan Cabral vs. Johnny Case would seem sensible.
Rodriguez was on fire at UFC 192. But before the hype gets too strong, let's realize he only has three wins in the UFC against so-so competition. Is it time for a step up? Perhaps but I'd like to see Rodriguez get another mid-tier opponent first. Francisco Trinaldo is riding his own win streak and is coming off an impressive win against Chad Laprise. That'd be a fun matchup for Rodriguez.
Albert Tumenov defeats Alan Jouban by TKO at 2:55 of the first round
Where does Jouban go from here? Probably to a Versace photoshoot, but inside the Octagon he needs to rebound. Give him the winner of UFC Fight Night 77's Viscardi Andrade vs. Gasan Umalatov.
Tumenov, on the other hand, has earned a top-15-level fight. The issue is who is available. The only name that really jumps off the page is Jake Ellenberger. The American poses several interesting stylistic challenges to Tumenov. It's a fight Tumenov has earned, and it would help to gauge just how high up in the 170 hierarchy he belongs.
Adriano Martins defeats Islam Makhachev by KO at 1:46 of the first round
For Makhachev, give him the loser of UFC Fight Night 76's Stevie Ray vs. Mickael Lebout.
As for Martins, he has won three straight. And this was one of his most impressive outings to date. I would hesitate putting him into the mix of the top 15, but a bigger fight does await him. The winner of Norman Parke vs. Reza Madadi makes sense for all involved. They need interesting matchups and bigger win streaks. It's a suitable fight for a future Fight Night preliminary card.
Rose Namajunas defeats Angela Hill via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:47 of the first round
Hill is a decent prospect in her own right, but she is behind the eight ball. The UFC could try to give her a favorable fight to build her back up after back-to-back losses or feed her to someone else and thus give up on Hill. Given the recent results, I anticipate the latter. Maryna Moroz was a possible challenger for Joanna Jedrzejczyk, but she suffered a setback. Moroz vs. Hill would be a re-introduction for Moroz.
Namajunas is inexplicably ranked inside the top five in this division, but she's not ready for those elite women. She still has a lot of growing to do. I'd suggest they re-book the UFC 187 bout that was scrapped against Nina Ansaroff. It makes sense for Namajunas, even after coming off a win.
Julianna Pena vs. Jessica Eye
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Julianna Pena defeats Jessica Eye by unanimous decision
Julianna Pena may have entered the Ronda Rousey sweepstakes with another victory, but it wasn't all roses for the rising star. Jessica Eye gave her fits against the cage and landed some quality punches on the feet. However, at the end of the day when Pena wanted to take control, she did. It was a solid win moving her forward in the division.
Julianna Pena
She may have called out Rousey, but do not expect that fight. Even if the timing would work out, there are other contenders ahead of her, and the performance wasn't that exciting against Eye.
If Pena truly does want that title shot, then a fight against a contender should be next. There are really only three names that spring to mind since she would likely avoid fighting friend Miesha Tate: Cat Zingano, Amanda Nunes and Sarah Kaufman.
Pena is more than one fight away from Rousey. Thus, I like the fight against Kaufman. She will be at a disadvantage standing, and that will force her to continue to work on her hands. We would see just what she is made of against another strong bantamweight.
Jessica Eye
Eye is entertaining, but she is just so clearly outmatched in this division. The size and strength discrepancy continues to be on display. Can she surprise and spring upsets? Sure, but she won't be a title contender. She's a gatekeeper at 135 pounds.
I'd like to see her against Raquel Pennington. Rocky is coming off a solid win over Jessica Andrade, and she showed some improvement against Holly Holm before that as well. It's a solid fight for Pennington to see if she can possibly earn a top-10 ranking.
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Joseph Benavidez vs. Ali Bagautinov
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Joseph Benavidez defeats Ali Bagautinov by unanimous decision
Joseph Benavidez
Benavidez is in no man's land. After the brutal knockout loss to Demetrious Johnson, his path to the title is going to include a longer win streak than four fights. But perhaps he is back on the precipice of that title shot.
There are two men ranked near him whom he hasn't fought, but only one really makes sense. That is John Dodson.
That would be a heck of a fight and worthy of a main card slot. A win over Dodson would have to signal another Benavidez title chance. There just would not be another contender with that resume or could challenge Johnson in the same way.
Ali Bagautinov
He may have lost at UFC 193, but Bagautinov had his moments. He is currently ranked as the division's No. 14 contender, but it's pretty clear he's a top-10-level fighter at flyweight.
I would love to see a fight between Bagautinov and Dustin Ortiz. It's a top-10-level opponent, but neither are ready to be in a title-challenging position. This is a fight that makes a lot of sense.
Ruslan Magomedov vs. Shawn Jordan
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Ruslan Magomedov defeats Shawn Jordan by unanimous decision
Ruslan Magomedov
Magomedov continues to pile up the wins and is now 3-0 in the Octagon. Heavyweight is a shallow division, and as such there is no other option for Magomedov other than a ranked opponent.
The trouble is selecting an opponent from the options available.
The name I settled on was Roy Nelson. The American is coming off a loss, but it's one where he looked better than he has in a couple of years. Nelson remains a ranked fighter and would be a big challenge for Magomedov. He's the best option on the table.
Shawn Jordan
Jordan is a fun fighter to watch, but he is not a premiere heavyweight. And there's nothing wrong with that. The UFC needs fun fighters.
I project Jordan vs. Chris De La Rocha could provide some fireworks for the fans on a future preliminary card.
Ryan Bader vs. Rashad Evans
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Ryan Bader defeats Rashad Evans by unanimous decision
Ryan Bader
Daniel Cormier. Wait, no, that's not it. That would be it if there wasn't that one guy waiting to make a return. Jon something.
So, there's the quagmire. Who does Bader fight? Jon Jones is going to get the title shot when he returns, and we all know that. The only way Bader gets the title shot is if Jones' return is delayed or if Jones made a decision to go to heavyweight. I'm not expecting either of those to happen.
Bader understands this, and at the post-fight press conference, he said he wouldn't mind getting a loss back against Glover Teixeira. That fight makes sense. That is, if Teixeira defeats Patrick Cummins in his next fight. The only other option would be a title eliminator against Anthony Johnson.
With the landscape of 205 pounds looking like a wasteland, it's not prudent to automatically get rid of a contender, and that's why I wouldn't go down that route. A Bader-Teixeira rematch makes sense, or a fight against Cummins on a Fight Night wouldn't be bad either.
Rashad Evans
Evans was away from the cage for a long time, and it showed. He was tentative at UFC 192.
Evans remains one of the division's best, and now the struggle is to find him an appropriate fight. My preference is the winner of Fabio Maldonado vs. Tom Lawlor before any big name in the division. Both men would be a favorable matchup for Evans, but the matchup would still have its dangers. It would be a fight that would really tell us if Evans is back or not.
Jumping the gun on another big fight with Evans isn't the best plan right now. Give Evans someone lower on the totem pole in an effort to see just where he stands.
Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson
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Daniel Cormier defeats Alexander Gustafsson by split decision
Daniel Cormier
Jon Jones. Period.
Cormier will be taking some time off after this beating, and that gives the UFC plenty of time to evaluate and reinstate Jones to active competition. And when he does come back, he gets a shot at the title that he was stripped of.
There's no other option for his next defense if Jones is back.
Alexander Gustafsson
Back-to-back losses against Anthony Johnson and Cormier will be a significant setback for the Swedish fighter.
The UFC should not force him back into a big fight right away. He needs to be rebuilt. He needs wins. Sadly, there's not really an interesting fight for him against the ranked opponents. The best option I see on the horizon is a fight with the winner of Gian Villante vs. Anthony Perosh.
Gustafsson has lost three of his last four. To be a credible contender, he needs more than one win against a top-10-level guy. He needs a win streak, and that starts with lower competition. It's time to press reset on Gustafsson as a contender.
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