UFC Fight Night 87 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
UFC Fight Night 87 got Mother's Day started off with a bang courtesy of a strong main card showing.
Of the six main card bouts, only one would go to the judge's scorecards. No other fight on the featured telecast got passed the second round of action.
It was all capped off by Alistair Overeem claiming his spot as the next title contender with a Karate Kid-style knockout over Andrei Arlovski. The victory puts his resume above all other heavyweights, and now he waits for this weekend's UFC 198 to see who will be champion: Fabricio Werdum or Stipe Miocic.
What's next for the other 25 combatants on the card?
Bleacher Report gives some insight into what could be next for each man and woman on the fight card as 2016 rolls on. Here are the matches to make following UFC Fight Night 87.
UFC Fight Pass Prelims
1 of 8
Ulka Sasaki def. Willie Gates via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:30 of the second round
Gates has such potential that the UFC should give him one more chance. Roldan Sangcha-an, 0-2 in the UFC, is the most appropriate opponent for him. If he can't win that one, then he's not worthy of the UFC.
Sasaki avoided being cut with the win, but it was his flyweight debut. Fredy Serrano is 3-0 in his MMA career with two UFC victories. At 36, the ceiling isn't high for Serrano, and he could be a good stepping stone for Sasaki.
Leon Edwards def. Dominic Waters by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Waters is 0-3 in the UFC. That's going to get him a pink slip.
Edwards, on the other hand, looked very much improved. His grappling is getting better. I'd match him up against Bartosz Fabinski on a future European fight card. It's too soon to push either fighter too much, and this fight would determine who to get behind moving into 2017.
Kyoji Horiguchi def. Neil Seery by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Seery is a tough foe, but Horiguchi is one of the elite. That was the tale of this fight.
Seery deserves a step down in competition, and Yao Zhikui fits the profile. That should be a win for Seery.
Now for the difficult decision. Who should Horiguchi fight? He has won two straight, but should the UFC toss the 25-year-old back into the deep end of the pool? It's difficult not to as one of the top-ranked fighters, but there also isn't a dire need to as he isn't a title contender given the fact Demetrious Johnson bested him just a year ago.
I'd keep Horiguchi on the outside looking in with a fun fight against Justin Scoggins. It's still a ranked fight, but it will continue to help his development before another potential meeting with the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.
Pump the brakes on booking that rematch just yet.
Fox Sports 1 Prelims
2 of 8
Reza Madadi def. Yan Cabral by TKO at 1:56 of the third round
Cabral has lost two straight, but he's likely going to get one more shot in the UFC. I'd like to see him against The Ultimate Fighter champion Ryan Hall. The bout has no business being on anything other than UFC Fight Pass, but it could surprise folks with a fun grappling fight.
Madadi is a character to say the least, and he always brings the fight in the cage. I'd love to see his antics against Sage Northcutt if the kid can pick up a win at UFC 200 over Enrique Marin.
Josh Emmett def. Jon Tuck by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
After the performance in Rotterdam, one would be hard-pressed not to put Tuck on the unemployment line, but he has never lost consecutive fights in the UFC. So, he has earned at least one more fight. Damien Brown is one of the first names that comes to mind for an opponent. It's not a sexy fight, but it serves a purpose to cut the loser from the roster.
Emmett impressed. Not too many muscular fighters have his type of movement. And the toughness of continuing with a bone sticking out of his hand is pretty impressive too. I say put him against Kajan Johnson. He offers a different style for Emmett, and it should be an action-filled battle.
Magnus Cedenblad def. Garreth McLellan by TKO at 0:47 of the second round
McLellan isn't a very good fighter, as harsh as that is to say. But he hasn't lost back-to-back fights in the UFC yet, so it's hard to cut him. Give him the loser of May's fight between Jake Collier and Alberto Uda.
Cedenblad has quietly put together one of the longer win streaks in the middleweight division at four straight. That has to get him a bigger fight. C.B. Dollaway has lost three-in-a-row, but he is still ranked at No. 15 in the official UFC rankings.
Dollaway would be tested, and a win for Cedenblad puts him in the hunt.
Rustam Khabilov def. Chris Wade by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Wade had an unassuming 4-0 UFC record entering this fight, and put in a respectable effort. He's likely not going to go too far in this division, but he is a quality addition to most fight cards.
Johnny Case is a similar fighter in that regard, and thus makes for a good opponent. It's also a good chance to see just what Case's ceiling is as a 26-year-old prospect.
Khabilov picked up a second quality victory. It may be time he once again tests the deeper waters of the lightweight swimming pool. Evan Dunham would be the name to watch. He pulled out of UFC 199 for undisclosed reasons which means he has no fight on the books.
It's a test for both men, and a great way to move the winner into a top-10 level fight in 2017.
Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Heather Jo Clark
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Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Heather Jo Clark by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Kowalkiewicz had a slow start, but once she got going, it was a one-sided affair. Clark couldn't take her down, and she didn't have the speed to contend with Kowalkiewicz on the feet.
This was Clark's first fight since 2014. She was coming off a significant knee injury, and she was tossed in the cage against a top-10 level fighter. She didn't get any favors. The fight to make is against another 115-pounder coming off a loss. Cristina Stanciu is a name that jumps off the page.
Stanciu's heavy leather poses a lot of risk for Clark, but it's a matchup worth exploring.
Kowalkiewicz is 2-0 in the UFC and a fun fighter to watch. Picking her next fight is not that easy.
Dear Sean Shelby, UFC matchmaker, please wait until after Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Claudia Gadelha on July 8 to book Kowalkiewicz's next fight. Should Jedrzejczyk retain the belt, book the Polish strikers against one another for a title tilt in Poland.
That's the fight to make, truly. If Gadelha wins, or the UFC doesn't view her as a title contender just yet, a fight against former champion Carla Esparza makes the most sense. Esparza needs to prove herself against another quick striker, and Kowalkiewicz needs a top-five level opponent. Win-win.
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Nikita Krylov vs. Francimar Barroso
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Nikita Krylov def. Francimar Barroso via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:11 of the second round
This is one ugly, shallow division.
Look up and down the roster and the options are limited for almost everyone. The best fight to make for Barroso is simply welcoming a new 205-pound fighter to the division—whoever that may be. A new signee will help the division fill out.
Krylov is the real enigma here. He may be the butt of some jokes, but he's 4-1 since dropping to 205-pounds with four-straight wins. His lone loss is to Ovince Saint Preux, who just fought Jon Jones for 25 minutes. I say there are two enticing options.
Option 1: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (if Shogun beats Corey Anderson at UFC 198 that is). This is the best option and the most entertaining. It's a great chance for Krylov to make a name for himself and a winnable fight for Shogun.
Option 2: Should Shogun lose, book Krylov vs. Ilir Latifi. It'd just be a fun fight. It won't elevate the winner to new heights, but it sure would light a crowd on fire. That's really all we are after with Krylov fights anyway.
Germaine de Randamie vs. Anna Elmose
5 of 8
Germaine de Randamie def. Anna Elmose by TKO at 3:46 of the first round
Elmose was outmatched. Plain and simple. The UFC newcomer got decimated by a veteran who was bigger and stronger.
Elmose is undersized for the division, but the UFC has no flyweight division nor is there indication that she can make strawweight. Thus, I'll stick with booking her at bantamweight—where her UFC career may be short.
Elizabeth Phillips is the only name that seems appropriate. Phillips is coming off a win, but she hasn't fought since July of 2015. Not much else makes sense for Elmose.
GDR is right back in the thick of things at 135 pounds with her performance. Liz Carmouche is still out there, somewhere, waiting for a fight. She is ranked in the top-10 of the UFC's rankings, but she hasn't fought in more than a year. Given where they are both at in regards to the division, it's a fight that is mutually beneficial.
Gunnar Nelson vs. Albert Tumenov
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Gunnar Nelson def. Albert Tumenov via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:15 of the second round
From a divisional perspective, this was the most intriguing fight on the card. A talented grappler, Nelson, coming off a loss to one of the division's elite against a rising prospect, Tumenov, seeking a signature victory.
It was almost all Nelson on Mother's Day.
Tumenov has improved his takedown defense, but not enough to deal with the top end of the division. At least not yet. Tumenov has to take a step back, and a fight against Peter Sobotta makes sense. Sobotta was originally supposed to fight Dominic Waters on this same card but fell out with an injury.
That's the level of fight Tumenov is stuck on until he can prove to stop the takedown.
Nelson may have earned him a spot back in the top-15 of the UFC's rankings with his performance, and without question earned a ranked opponent for his next fight. He looked outstanding. I think a fight with the winner of Rick Story vs. Tarec Saffiedine would make nice on a Fight Night main card.
Nelson dropped a split decision to Story in 2014, but there's nothing wrong with running that fight back given the improvements to his game. Nelson vs. Saffiedine/Story has divisional implications and is just simply pleasing from a sporting aspect.
Stefan Struve vs. Antonio Silva
7 of 8
Stefan Struve def. Antonio Silva by TKO at 0:16 of the first round
The fight was quick and decisive. Silva entered, got hit and crumbled. And that's the problem.
Bigfoot is 4-7-1 with all seven losses coming by way of knockout since 2010. He is an adult who makes the decision to continue fighting, but the UFC should no longer oblige him. They should cut him from the roster. There is no match to make for Bigfoot.
As for Struve, the future may be bright.
He is still only 28 years old with a lot of physical potential. Hopefully the UFC does not rush him back up the ranks into a premiere bout. Let Struve continue to work himself back into the upper echelon by fighting some of the lesser established fighters.
Walt Harris is someone that fits the bill. Harris is coming off a win in April himself, and a fight against Struve helps fill out an undercard for early Fall. The UFC needs to slowly work Struve back up the ladder, and this is a fight that can help accomplish just that.
Alistair Overeem vs. Andrei Arlovski
8 of 8
Alistair Overeem def. Andrei Arlovski by TKO at 1:12 of the second round
What's next for Overeem is quite clear—a heavyweight title shot. No other heavyweight has a better claim, and no other heavyweight has the fan-pleasing style to leap ahead of him.
The question of what's next for Overeem is a matter of who and when. The who will be answered this Saturday at UFC 198, but the when is completely up in the air. Overeem, in the post-fight interview with Jon Anik, called for a November main event at the Madison Square Garden debut.
That works for me.
As for Arlovski, this makes two straight knockout losses to title contenders. The options for Arlovski are slim, but Ruslan Magomedov may make the most sense as an opponent.
The fight with Magomedov serves two purposes: a non-top-five opponent for Arlovski and a named opponent for Magomedov. A win for the Russian would elevate him as a new name in the division, or it would show he's not ready for the elite.
Other fights against the likes of Ben Rothwell or Josh Barnett may look better on paper, but they do nothing to help the division. Arlovski vs. Magomedov is the better fight to book.
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