UFC 202 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
UFC 202 delivered on all fronts.
Nine of the 12 fights ended with finishes, and the main event between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz went five full rounds of back-and-forth fisticuffs. Every fan should be pleased after Saturday's slate of fights.
McGregor got the majority decision over Diaz, but it was not easy. Diaz perhaps came closest to finishing the fight with his third-round flurry before the bell. Regardless, McGregor evened up the series at one apiece.
Also victorious were Anthony Johnson and Donald Cerrone. Each put on a fantastic showing against top-level competition in Glover Teixeira and Rick Story, respectively.
UFC matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby now have the difficult task to match each of the 24 fighters with another opponent for later this year.
Bleacher Report is here to help.
Who is the right fit for each athlete following the UFC's latest event? Dear readers, click on the next slide button for the answer.
UFC Fight Pass Prelims
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Marvin Vettori def. Alberto Uda via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:30 of the first round
Uda is now 0-2, so the UFC will likely cut him. He was stopped in both fights by mediocre competition.
Vettori picked up his sixth straight professional victory in his UFC debut. At 22, he's a viable prospect to watch. Unfortunately, the middleweight division doesn't offer him a lot of options. That's why it's more prudent the UFC signs another newcomer to stand opposite Vettori in his next fight. If he looks good in victory again, then it will be time to put him in against a veteran.
Colby Covington def. Max Griffin by TKO at 2:18 of the third round
Covington dominated this fight. Griffin was never a factor. With that said, Griffin deserves one more fight. He can take on his UFC 202 counterpart Sabah Homasi.
Covington exclaimed he'll one day be champion, but the 28-year-old should slow his roll just a bit. It was a good performance, but he hasn't taken a leap into the deep end just yet. Fellow welterweight Tom Breese called Covington out on Twitter. That's a good fight to make. No need to make this more difficult than it is. Book it.
Lorenz Larkin def. Neil Magny by TKO at 4:08 of the first round
The Larkin who showed up at UFC 202 is a title contender. Plain and simple. Vicious leg kicks rendered Magny useless, and then Larkin beat his opponent until the ref pulled him off Magny's crumpled body.
Magny wasn't able to be a threat because of the leg kicks; he would have been much more competitive otherwise. The result shouldn't ruin the work Magny has done to date.
Magny was originally slated to fight Dong Hyun Kim. That's still the fight to make.
Larkin now should join the rankings at 170 pounds. A rematch with Robbie Lawler is one of the more viable and eye-popping matchups, but there are other avenues for Lawler to explore. Instead, Larkin should collide with Kelvin Gastelum. A win moves him into the thick of the hunt for 170-pound gold.
Lawler may be the easy choice, but it's not the right one. Not yet at least. Larkin vs. Gastelum is much better for the winter.
Fox Sports 1 Prelims
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Cortney Casey def. Randa Markos via submission (armbar) at 4:34 of the first round
Casey has looked phenomenal in her last two bouts, and submitting Markos in the first round is a quality result. Her size and athleticism match up well with most of the women in the division. Maryna Moroz should be next on the docket for Casey as she tries to prove she's a strawweight contender.
Markos is back at the end of the line and at a crossroads already in her career. She has plateaued in her development. As Bleacher Report's Patrick Wyman noted, Markos left Tristar because they were "trying to change her." Now we may see why.
Stick her against fellow grappler Jessica Penne. It will provide entertaining ground exchanges while seeing who can get back in the win column.
Artem Lobov def. Chris Avila by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
I don't enjoy being harsh, but this was a dreadful fight between two fighters who are only on the roster because their teammates are Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, respectively.
Avila lost. Just cut him. He gave a terrible performance.
Lobov doesn't deserve his spot either, but he won. Dan Hooker doesn't have a fight booked, so that will work. And if Lobov loses, cut him immediately.
Raquel Pennington def. Elizabeth Phillips by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Don't look now, but Pennington has put together three straight wins in the bantamweight division. Both of her UFC losses have come by way of split decision (Jessica Andrade, Holly Holm). There are a number of directions that Pennington and the UFC can go.
Valentina Shevchenko is the best option. The next title shot will go to Ronda Rousey or Julianna Pena. Shevchenko has to take at least one more fight, and Pennington isn't a true title threat right now.
Phillips is 1-3 in the UFC, but she's serviceable. Cat Zingano needs a rebound opponent, and Phillips could be the right choice.
Cody Garbrandt def. Takeya Mizugaki by TKO at 0:48 of the first round
Mizugaki took a beating for 48 seconds.
He has taken some punishment over the years, and subjecting him to more against elite-level bantamweights is just wrong. When he returns, he should meet a low-level fighter or another veteran in a similar position. That's why Kid Yamamoto is the best selection. Yamamoto and Mizugaki could fight on a card in Japan in 2017 or on any pay-per-view undercard.
For Garbrandt, it's easy: Dominick Cruz. That's the fight to make, and it's time to pull the trigger.
Tim Means vs. Sabah Homasi
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Tim Means def. Sabah Homasi by TKO at 2:56 of the second round
Homasi came in on short notice and got punished by the Dirty Bird.
Homasi will get another crack in the UFC, and fellow UFC 202 combatant Max Griffin is a choice opponent. The UFC can cut the loser of that bout from the active roster.
Means has now won back-to-back fights. His style makes him a danger to anyone in the division, although he isn't thought of as an elite welterweight just yet. Given his style and current form, the UFC should look toward the rankings for his next opponent.
Jake Ellenberger just got back in the win column, beating Matt Brown while looking the best he has in years. Let's see if that was a one-time deal or if he's truly back. Means will give everyone all the answers to that question and many more as he pushes the fight.
That's a welterweight war to get behind.
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Hyun Gyu Lim vs. Mike Perry
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Mike Perry def. Hyun Gyu Lim by TKO at 3:38 of the first round
Hey, Big John McCarthy, what did Lim ever do to you?
Lim was the bigger, stronger fighter in this matchup, but he was also slower. That was the biggest difference between Lim and Perry. The latter used his speed advantage to brutalize Lim again and again to earn the victory. Eventually, McCarthy stopped the fight.
Lim wasn't ranked or on the brink of being ranked. The loss stings but doesn't completely diminish him. At UFC Fight Night 93 on Sept. 3, Scott Askham meets Jack Hermansson. The loser should do battle with Kim in the winter.
Perry's successful debut put him on the map.
His next fight likely won't be on a main card, but he should still get a credible opponent. Perhaps Michael Graves fits the mold for what the UFC should do with Perry. Graves will pressure Perry and try to take him down. Perry will be able to show his takedown defense, and a win would mean quite a bit for his career.
If not Graves, then the UFC should pick someone in a similar position. That's all that is required for Perry's next fight.
Rick Story vs. Donald Cerrone
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Donald Cerrone def. Rick Story by TKO at 2:02 of the second round
Cowboy continues to look outstanding at welterweight. UFC 202 was a chance for him to prove his previous outings weren't an aberration while collecting a win over a legit contender.
He did.
Story is now a confirmed gatekeeper. There's nothing wrong with that, and if he can beat a few guys who are trying to come through the gate, he'll earn another premier fight.
Who's coming up the ranks? Kamaru Usman.
Usman vs. Story is not a sexy fight. It's not a fight for all fans. But it will show the UFC where Usman is at in his progression. The fight is a great starting point for Story to prove he's still viable while testing a prospect.
Cerrone stated his intentions to move down to lightweight for a shot at Eddie Alvarez and the title. It makes sense. Cerrone did beat Alvarez in 2014. I just don't think it's the fight to make, and you'll see why in just a couple of slides.
Being an elite lightweight and now an elite welterweight gives Cerrone a bevy of options. The title shot at 155 is on the table if the chips fall just right, and Tony Ferguson is also a mouthwatering matchup as well. For the sake of matchmaking, however, Cerrone should stick at 170 for at least one more fight.
Who is the best opponent available?
Robbie Lawler. Tell me you wouldn't tune in to watch that fight go down. Cerrone vs. Lawler is a stellar fight that could elevate either man to a title shot at 170, and if Cerrone loses he is still a contender at lightweight. It's the best option for Cowboy and an amazing fight for the fans.
Anthony Johnson vs. Glover Teixeira
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Anthony Johnson def. Glover Teixeira by KO at 0:13 of the first round
One punch. That's all it takes from Rumble before you wake up reciting spelling words from third grade.
Ask Teixeira. He is probably still trying to sound out "angriest."
Teixeira doesn't have too many options due to the defeat and his resume. Most of the rematches at his feet aren't enticing. That leaves Antonio Rogerio Nogueira as the best fit for Teixeira's next opponent. It could headline a Fight Night card in Brazil as well.
As for Rumble? A rematch with Daniel Cormier is the only fight that makes sense, and it seems inevitable at this juncture.
Sign it. Simple as that.
Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor
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Conor McGregor def. Nate Diaz by majority decision (48-47, 47-47, 48-47)
McGregor and Diaz threw down. It was a spectacle that will live on in UFC lore. UFC 202 was capped off by this special fight between two unrelenting athletes who wanted to put on a show.
Determining what comes next for each fighter is hard. This isn't a case where the main event was between a champion and a top contender, so you can look at the rankings for guidance. No, these are two fighters who agreed to fight out of their respective weight classes for no other reason than to brawl (and make money).
Let's begin with Diaz.
He said he will not take another bout until he gets a trilogy fight with McGregor, according to Damon Martin of Fox Sports. That's certainly a possibility. A third fight between the two is going to happen at some point. He can sit and wait.
If he does take a fight, it should be at lightweight and against a top contender. Tony Ferguson and Donald Cerrone are names that leap off the page. Both are solid matchups, and Diaz beat Cerrone to a pulp in 2011.
Diaz won't get a title shot at lightweight, and the UFC should avoid pitting him against a fighter like Khabib Nurmagomedov. Waiting for McGregor and booking the rematch with Cerrone seem to be the only realistic options.
As for McGregor, Dana White wants him to defend the featherweight title. It just doesn't seem like it will happen. Expect the UFC to strip him of the belt as he moves to 155 pounds.
There is only one fight to make: Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez.
The purists will cry foul, as Nurmagomedov and Ferguson sit on the sidelines, but this is a business. Alvarez vs. McGregor for the lightweight belt is the best fight to make under the circumstances. And while some fans may complain, almost everyone would purchase that PPV.
And should McGregor claim lightweight gold, the trilogy fight with Diaz would become a whole lot bigger. You can see the dollar signs from here.
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