UFC Fight Night 85 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
UFC Fight Night 85 got off to a slow start Saturday, but the main card delivered with five straight finishes to cap off the night.
In the main event, Mark Hunt scored yet another walkaway knockout when he caught Frank Mir with a right hand. The former heavyweight champion crumpled to the mat, and Hunt just walked away, knowing his work was done.
Hunt is a KO artist who knows when his latest masterpiece is finished. He doesn't need to put the additional brush strokes on his painting.
Earlier in the night, Neil Magny survived an early onslaught by Hector Lombard to become the first fighter to finish him inside the distance.
After all the results are in, one wonders what is next for the fighters who competed at UFC Fight Night 85. Pen meets paper to give you the matches to make following the action in Brisbane, Australia. These are the fights to look for next.
UFC Fight Pass Prelims
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Alan Patrick def. Damien Brown by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Patrick had little issue against the late replacement Brown, sweeping the scorecards. It put him back in the win column and moved his overall record to 13-1.
Brown will get another shot inside the cage, but his performance left a lot to be desired. Next for him should be France's Thibault Gouti, who lost his UFC debut in February. The two would likely fight in a curtain-jerker on an overseas Fight Pass card.
The options for Patrick are wide open in the deep waters of 155 pounds. He deserves a recognizable opponent, and one of the top options would be Joe Duffy. He is coming off a loss but would still be a big opponent for Patrick's next fight. It would be a solid undercard addition.
Ross Pearson def. Chad Laprise by split decision (30-27, 28-30, 29-28)
Laprise filled in on short notice and nearly walked away with a win, but it just wasn't to be in Australia. The performance will keep him around despite dropping his second straight fight. Pearson avoided back-to-back losses and will look for another notable victory next.
Shane Campbell lost to James Krause in February, and pitting him against Laprise makes sense for the summer or fall of 2016.
Pearson's next fight should be easy to make for the UFC—Diego Sanchez. The result of their first fight, a Sanchez decision win, was highly controversial. Both fighters go after it, and neither is in a position to challenge ranked fighters. Run this one back for the fans.
Fox Sports 1 Prelims
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Viscardi Andrade def. Richard Walsh by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
This fight wasn't anything to write home about, and as such don't expect anything too exciting to come by way of matchmaking for the participants.
Walsh may not be seen until another Asian or Australian card, where Keita Nakamura should be his opponent on a Fight Pass prelim.
Yes, Andrade won his second straight bout. That should earn him a bigger fight, right? Sure, but that doesn't mean it has to be another fighter who is currently winning. Erick Silva is a noted name at 170 pounds, and the all-Brazilian clash would make sense for one of the cards in Rio de Janeiro.
Leslie Smith def. Rin Nakai by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Smith vs. Nakai was a curious fight for both women. It wasn't the best performance from Smith, and Nakai is clearly not made for the UFC bantamweight life. It was the final fight on her contract, and back-to-back unimpressive losses will see her get a pink slip.
Smith typically always shows up to scrap. Marion Reneau is a quality choice, as they would engage in a barnburner that could win Fight of the Night honors. They'll throw down on the feet and on the mat. UFC should ink this fight when both fighters are ready to return.
Dan Hooker def. Mark Eddiva via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:24 of the first round
Three straight losses for Eddiva? The UFC will most likely give him his walking papers.
Hooker has shown excellent skills in his five-fight UFC career. He has a win over Hatsu Hioki and performed admirably against Yair Rodriguez. He won't get a ranked opponent next, but he should get someone who will offer a fun fight. That may be Alex Caceres.
Alan Jouban def. Brendan O'Reilly by TKO at 2:15 of the first round
Jouban didn't waste too much time in putting the stamp on O'Reilly. It was the showing he needed after Albert Tumenov tuned him up last October.
O'Reilly can meet just about any low-level UFC welterweight who is coming off a loss. Matt Dwyer comes to mind as someone who just recently fought, so they'd be on a similar timetable to return.
Jouban's loss to Tumenov may have shown he has a ceiling, but he is still a nice commodity for the UFC. Jouban puts on exciting fights, and pitting him against other exciting athletes makes for solid undercard bouts. Ben Saunders fits that description.
Bec Rawlings vs. Seohee Ham
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Bec Rawlings def. Seohee Ham by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Rawlings is not going to blow anyone away with her athleticism or crisp technique. She didn't do that at UFC Fight Night 85 either, but she did fight smart. She knew she had a size advantage and didn't put herself in too much danger.
Regardless, Ham found the mark quite a bit and wore Rawlings down. In the final round, the Australian was showing signs of wear and slowed considerably.
Ham is exciting, for sure, but she is undersized (5'1") for this division. She could be an elite atomweight in Invicta FC, but I doubt the UFC will release her. As such, one can hope the company puts her opposite another glorified atomweight in Alex Chambers for her next outing.
Rawlings' grit and pressure will test her opponent. The question is: Who does the UFC want her to test? Randa Markos should get the call.
Markos has much greater upside than Rawlings, but she still needs quite a bit of work. It's a favorable matchup for Markos while still being competitive. It should help the UFC see where the ceiling is for Markos and to give Rawlings another fight under the bright lights.
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Steve Bosse vs. James Te Huna
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Steve Bosse def. James Te Huna by KO at 0:52 of the first round
In a quick fight, Te Huna suffered his fourth stoppage consecutive defeat—two submissions and two knockouts.
The UFC is likely to cut ties with the Aussie, and rightfully so after yet another finish. He has run his course in the UFC.
Bosse is not a great fighter, but he has huge power and loves to throw it. The good, or perhaps bad, news is that light heavyweight is a wasteland of a division. That means he'll get another notable name for his next fight.
Who makes sense?
Tom Lawlor vs. Bosse would be a fun fight. Lawlor is crafty but enjoys a good brawl. Bosse may get the stand-up fight he looks for, or Lawlor could take him down and ensure he gets a victory.
Dan Kelly vs. Antonio Carlos Junior
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Dan Kelly def. Antonio Carlos Junior by TKO at 1:36 of the third round
Perhaps the most unexpected result of the night, month or even year was Kelly's stunning comeback TKO upset over Carlos Junior. "Shoe Face" was in control of the fight up until Kelly puts his 38-year-old hands on his face repeatedly to end the contest.
If this was Carlos Junior's second straight defeat, I would call for him to get booted from the promotion, but it isn't. So, he still deserves another chance. Unfortunately for him, any goodwill he had as a possible prospect in the division is now gone. Give him Marcelo Guimaraes in Brazil.
Kelly is just someone to root for. His body is in tatters after years of judo, and yet he is still in the cage competing and winning. Immobile and no longer that athletic, Kelly's future is bleak.
After back-to-back wins, he should get to fight someone with a little name recognition. Why not fellow old man Roan Carneiro? If he can slip past the Brazilian, Kelly could earn a Top 15-level fight.
Jake Matthews vs. Johnny Case
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Jake Matthews def. Johnny Case via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:45 of the third round
What happens when you pit two well-rounded, developing and fun prospects against each other? An exciting three-round battle.
Matthews was down on two of the judges' scorecards heading into the final frame. Had he not gotten the finish, he was looking a split-decision loss. But body work paid off as Case faded due to the punishment. Finally, Matthews got into position to finish the fight and delivered.
The loss snapped a 12-fight win streak for Case. He has nothing to hang his head about, as he showed he is on par with Matthews. The UFC should give him a rebound fight against Mehdi Baghdad later this year.
Matthews puts the UFC in a tough matchmaking position. He just picked up an exciting and impressive win, but he is only 21 years old. How should the company handle the result in conjunction with his development as a fighter?
Yancy Medeiros fits the criteria the UFC needs to focus on for Matthews' next opponent. He is well-rounded and loves to put on a show but isn't a top-of-the-line fighter. He'll challenge Matthews anywhere the fight goes but won't put him out of his depth.
Matthews vs. Medeiros would be a great lightweight tilt.
Neil Magny vs. Hector Lombard
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Neil Magny def. Hector Lombard by TKO at 0:46 of the third round
Ask someone who the best welterweights in the world are and you'll likely wait a long time before they reel off Magny's name, but he is one of the best in the world. And not because he is the No. 9-ranked contender in the division.
Magny is a jack of all trades and a master of none. So, how is he this good? Because in each subsequent fight, he improves on all of those trades. He gets incrementally better and better. His win over Lombard was all about his resolve.
Lombard was terrorizing Magny until he got tired. Thus, the Cuban-American won't fall far. No. 12-ranked contender Kelvin Gastelum would make a lot of sense for his next opponent.
Magny deserves a top-tier opponent, but the upper echelon at 170 pounds is muddled. Of those men available, Dong Hyun Kim is the best option. Both men are just outside of the title picture, and this would be a fight to determine who enters that fray.
Mark Hunt vs. Frank Mir
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Mark Hunt def. Frank Mir by KO at 3:01 of the first round
Let's begin with identifying Mir's next opponent.
He shouldn't fight anyone ranked or a heavy-hitter. The UFC has to be careful with its matchmaking following another knockout loss on Mir's resume. The best option is Jared Rosholt.
Rosholt is a grappler who doesn't have expert-level hands. Mir would be a solid favorite, and it may be one of the last times we get to see his stellar ground work come into play.
With Hunt, the real struggle is that the heavyweight division is booked up. The champion and his first seven contenders are all slated to fight in the coming months. It's impossible to gauge who Hunt should fight before the results come in from those crucial fights.
The UFC has three possible title contenders in play in Cain Velasquez, Alistair Overeem and Ben Rothwell. If all of the fights go on as planned, Hunt should fight one of the two who fail to get the title shot—that is even if they win their scheduled fights.
Should Junior dos Santos beat Rothwell, then Hunt should meet JDS next. It's a rematch, but one that should excite most fans. It's just a pleasing stylistic matchup. But until those results start to come in, Hunt's opponent is a complete question mark.
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