UFC Fight Night 82 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson has arrived as a fresh face of the UFC's welterweight division.
Johny Hendricks entered the fight appearing in great shape, but looks aren't everything.
Thompson dusted former champion, and No. 1-ranked contender, Hendricks inside of the first round at UFC Fight Night 82 in Las Vegas. He was accurate and deadly with his strikes. Hendricks stood in front of him, eating punches and kicks until he could no longer take the punishment.
The 170-pound division was not short on viable contenders before Saturday, and it certainly is not post-Saturday. Thompson looked the part of a title challenger.
What's next for Thompson, and where does Hendricks go from here? What about the others who competed at UFC Fight Night 82? Here are the matches to make following all the action in Las Vegas.
UFC Fight Pass Prelims
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Alex White def. Artem Lobov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
White moved his record back to .500 in the UFC with the victory over Lobov. His back was against the wall, and he had little trouble with the former The Ultimate Fighter finalist.
White is still not worthy of a significant fight in the featherweight division. Damon Jackson, who fought Levan Makashvili to a draw at UFC on Fox 18, would suffice as an opponent for a later UFC Fight Pass card.
As for Lobov? The UFC should hand him a pink slip. He is not a UFC-caliber fighter. His two performances inside the Octagon left a lot to be desired and showed various holes in his game. He needs a lot of work. Does the UFC need bodies for all its cards? Yes, but there are better featherweights to fill the void.
Mickey Gall def. Mike Jackson via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:45 of the first round
Gall made short work of Jackson. He dropped him with a punch and locked up the choke in under a minute.
This was a fight between two novices who wouldn't even be in the UFC if not for the stipulation that the winner would meet CM Punk. That reward goes to Gall, and the UFC should promptly cut Jackson. He isn't worthy of being in the UFC.
No date has been set for Gall vs. Punk as of yet, however in a post-fight interview Dana White suggested UFC 199 in June as a possibility, per MMAFighting's Marc Raimondi.
Fox Sports 1 Prelims
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Diego Rivas def. Noad Lahat by KO (flying knee) at 0:23 of the second round
Rivas delivered the knockout of the night in the opening Fox Sports 1 prelim. It was a nice upset to kick off the televised card.
Rivas is a perfect 7-0 now, but he's still on the outside looking in regarding getting big fights. Alex Caceres would make sense for his next outing. Caceres is coming off a win over Masio Fullen, and the winner of the fight would earn a top-15 matchup later in 2016.
The UFC has many options for a fighter like Lahat. I would side with giving him a rebound fight. Kyle Bochniak was a short-notice replacement at UFC Fight Night 81 and fought in a losing effort against Charles Rosa. Let's give him a full training camp and Lahat for the next go-around.
Justin Scoggins def. Ray Borg by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Scoggins scored the big upset of the night to announce himself as a legitimate threat in the flyweight division. Borg was a sizable favorite and possible future title contender. And Scoggins swept the cards.
Borg will need to hit the back of the line once again. Waiting for him back there should be Joby Sanchez.
Scoggins earned a top-10-level fight, but finding the right opponent is not easy. The best option available would be Wilson Reis. The Brazilian looked outstanding at UFC on Fox 18 in a win over Dustin Ortiz. The schedule would seem to fit the two together. Sign me up for this scrap.
Derrick Lewis def. Damian Grabowski by TKO (punches) at 2:17 of the first round
The "Black Beast" had another scary finish inside the Octagon. He said in the post-fight interview that calling out the champion would be too soon, and he's right. He's not even in the Top 15 of a shallow and old heavyweight division.
Grabowski dropped his UFC debut, and he should battle Luis Henrique next. Henrique dropped his debut to Francis Ngannou at UFC on Fox 17 in December.
If Lewis wants a bigger fight, then let's give it to him. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva is sitting in the back-half of the Top 15 and needs a fight. It would be a good test for Lewis as he makes a bid to be ranked, or it could put Bigfoot back in the win column. It's a win-win for the heavyweight division.
Josh Burkman def. K.J. Noons by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Burkman took a "W" in his lightweight debut and called out any top-10-level fighter in the post-fight interview with Jon Anik. That may be premature, but getting a solid win over Noons shows Burkman is ready to compete at the new weight.
The lightweight division is stacked with talent, and finding fun matchups is not that hard. It is why I would love to see Noons take on Joseph Duffy in 2016. Both are coming off losses, and both love to throw leather. It would be an immensely fun fight with decent implications for non-ranked fighters.
Burkman should not jump right into a ranked fight, but that's not a slight to him at all. It is more a case of this being a great division. Let's see the UFC book him opposite Paul Felder for his next fight. The winner would certainly be ready for a ranked opponent, and it would give fans a fun matchup.
Mike Pyle vs. Sean Spencer
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Mike Pyle def. Sean Spencer by TKO (elbows and knees) at 4:25 of the third round
This old dog may not have any new tricks, but the ones he already has are still pretty effective.
Spencer was effective early in the fight, but Pyle gained steam as it got deeper into the action. Finally in the third round, Pyle landed a spinning back elbow that hurt Spencer. He went in for the finish, took his time picking shots and forced the referee to step in to save Spencer.
It was a second straight loss for Spencer, but he should get at least one more shot in the Octagon. However, after back-to-back losses he shouldn't be fighting anyone of note. Edgar Garcia is in a similar situation, and as such would make sense for a loser-leaves-town match between the two.
Pyle is a tough fight for anyone in the division. He's versatile. He just shouldn't be fighting anyone ranked.
Court McGee vs. Pyle would be an exciting fight. Two crafty vets slinging heavy shots at one another is a good prelim for any upcoming card.
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Misha Cirkunov vs. Alex Nicholson
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Misha Cirkunov def. Alex Nicholson via submission (neck crank) at 1:28 of the second round
Cirkunov was the biggest favorite on the card—and for good reason. This was a mismatch. Cirkunov finished with a brutal neck crank that had an audible pop on Nicholson's jaw.
It would not surprise me if Nicholson got cut following the event, but he likely gets one more fight in the UFC. The UFC can throw him in against Tim Boetsch perhaps, but regardless of who it is, it has to be a debuting fighter or someone coming off a loss.
Cirkunov is the breath of fresh air the light heavyweight division needs. If I'm the UFC, I toss him into the deep end of the pool against fellow UFC Fight Night 82 winner Ovince Saint Preux. The UFC should see exactly where he fits in relevant to the division contenders.
Joseph Benavidez vs. Zach Makovsky
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Joseph Benavidez def. Zach Makovsky by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
No. 1-ranked flyweight contender Benavidez couldn't get the finish, but he did take a clear-cut decision against No. 8-ranked Makovsky.
Makovsky is a solid fighter, but he's simply not among the division's elite. He's a gatekeeper. He would be best served taking on someone outside of the Top 15, but the flyweight division is not very deep. So that may leave him keeping that gate once again, and if so, No. 14-ranked Sergio Pettis could be the guy.
As for Benavidez, he won his fifth straight. While it may not be the most enticing of options, he's earned another title shot. Demetrious Johnson defends the gold against Henry Cejudo at UFC 197 later this year. Benavidez should have locked up a future date with the winner with his UFC Fight Night 82 performance.
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Rafael Cavalcante
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Ovince Saint Preux defeats Rafael Feijao by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
This fight wasn't very memorable, but OSP did enough to earn the victory. Saint Preux dropped heavy shots in the final 15 seconds that nearly got the fight stopped before the horn. The No. 6-ranked contender picked up a win over No. 13 in his attempt to move into contention.
Feijao has now lost three straight and is just 1-4, 1 no-contest in his last five. That's not good. And certainly worthy of the UFC cutting him. Will he be cut? I don't know. He is still valuable in a shallow division.
If the UFC keeps him around, Sean O'Connell makes sense for his next outing—preferably in Brazil.
As for OSP, as previously mentioned, I would love to see him in a bout with Misha Cirkunov. They are a good matchup, and the winner would move into serious contention at 205 pounds. There's no reason to overthink this fight following Saturday's performances.
Roy Nelson vs. Jared Rosholt
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Roy Nelson defeats Jared Rosholt by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
This was a boring fight. There's no way around it.
Rosholt took minimal chances, and Nelson couldn't find sustained offense to ignite the crowd's enthusiasm. Just by the mere fact he came forward and actually pushed the fight most likely earned him the victory. It was a drab affair.
Rosholt is not an exciting fighter, and I'm not sure where the UFC goes with him from here. Josh Barnett recently lost to Ben Rothwell, and maybe that's a fight the UFC can book later this year. Otherwise, I'm at a loss, and Rosholt's performances do not make me care that much about seeing him fight again.
Nelson has more options, but not that many. Several of the fighters ranked ahead of him already have a victory over the pudgy heavyweight. Travis Browne is the one fighter who does not immediately jump off the page.
Browne's last victory did little to inspire a big fight for him. Nelson would be a good test before he gets back into title contention. I would watch it, but please put it on Fox Sports 1 or UFC Fight Pass. I don't want to have to pay for it as part of a pay-per-view, and I doubt fans want to either.
Stephen Thompson vs. Johny Hendricks
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Stephen Thompson defeats Johny Hendricks by TKO (punches) at 3:31 of the first round
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new contender at 170 pounds.
Thompson announced himself with a startling destruction of Hendricks. His strikes consistently found the mark and made Hendricks pay. After the fight, Thompson made his case for a title shot, but he may be a bit too far outside to earn that distinction just yet.
Hendricks is now in a rough spot. He had a bad weight cut that caused him to drop out of a fight against Tyron Woodley and then Thompson destroyed him. Hendricks would be a small middleweight should he move up.
Dong Hyun Kim seems to be the best option available for Hendricks, and it's a stylistic matchup that should excite the hardcore MMA fans.
As for Thompson, it will be a waiting game to see what the UFC does with Robbie Lawler. Will it be an immediate rematch for Carlos Condit, or will the UFC give the shot to Hendricks. Thompson could easily fight the one left out in a title eliminator. Or the UFC could go with Demian Maia.
Any of those three men would be exciting fights for Thompson. The UFC has options, but first it needs to decide what to do with the welterweight championship.
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