UFC Fight Night 98 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
UFC Fight Night 98 came and went, and it delivered a fantastic main card.
In the main event, Tony Ferguson and Rafael dos Anjos battled for five full rounds. It was even heading into the fifth, where Ferguson took over. The win moves him one step closer to a title shot, whereas Dos Anjos now comes to a crossroads.
Mexico City's altitude played a role on Saturday. Fighters struggled with the thin air, but most were able to pace themselves in their fights.
26 fighters entered the cage in Mexico City, which means there were 13 winners and 13 losers. I am here to handpick their next fights. UFC matchmakers, lead by Sean Shelby, I hope you are reading. Let me direct you to the appropriate bouts for each fighter coming off UFC Fight Night 98.
Preliminary Fights Quick Hits
1 of 7
Enrique Barzola def. Chris Avila by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26 30-26)
- Enrique Barzola vs. Alex White
- Chris Avila should be cut from the roster
Marco Polo Reyes def. Jason Novelli by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Marco Polo Reyes vs. Nick Hein
- Jason Novelli vs. Leandro Silva
Sam Alvey def. Alex Nicholson by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Sam Alvey vs. Winner of Tim Boetsch vs. Rafael Natal (UFC 205)
- Alex Nicholson should be cut from the roster
Douglas Silva de Andrade def. Henry Briones by KO at 2:33 of the third round
- Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Joe Soto
- Henry Briones vs. Davey Grant
Max Griffin def. Erick Montano by TKO at 0:54 of the first round
- Max Griffin vs. Winner of Randy Brown vs. Charlie Ward (UFC Fight Night 102)
- Erick Montano should be cut from the roster
Joe Soto def. Marco Beltran via submission (heel hook) at 1:37 of the first round
- Joe Soto vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade
- Marco Beltran vs. Jerrod Sanders
Erik Perez def. Felipe Arantes by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Erik Perez vs. Rani Yahya
- Felipe Arantes vs. Marlon Vera
Alexa Grasso vs. Heather Jo Clark
2 of 7
Alexa Grasso def. Heather Jo Clark by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
The debut of highly touted Alexa Grasso went just about as expected. She dominated Heather Jo Clark from the outset.
Clark is now going to be in danger of getting cut, but she'll likely get one more fight inside the Octagon. The fighter on the roster who makes the most sense for her next fight would be Danielle Taylor. A win would solidify Clark's spot on the roster, but a loss would put Taylor back in the win column after a solid UFC debut in a losing effort.
Grasso's booking is going to be interesting to watch. Does the UFC take the undefeated fighter and toss her into contender-level fights, or does it bring her along more slowly?
Hopefully, it's the latter. She still needs to grow. Meeting a returning Justine Kish would be a quality fight for both women in a similar position. That's the level of fight Grasso needs for her second outing under the bright lights.
Beneil Dariush vs. Rashid Magomedov
3 of 7
Beneil Dariush def. Rashid Magomedov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Beneil Dariush entered with a game plan and executed it perfectly. It was supposed to be a grappler vs. striker matchup, but Dariush repeatedly got Rashid Magomedov in a Thai clinch and pelted him with knees.
His long limbs helped to run up the score en route to a unanimous-decision win.
Magomedov could meet James Vick in early 2017. It's a good matchup that could provide a stellar finish for either man.
Dariush will be fighting someone inside the top 10, or at least should. In fact, why not fight Rafael dos Anjos? Dos Anjos was a loser at UFC Fight Night 98, but even with back-to-back losses he won't fall off the map. That's a great rebound fight for him and a huge chance for Dariush.
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Martin Bravo vs. Claudio Puelles
4 of 7
Martin Bravo def. Claudio Puelles by TKO at 1:55 of the second round
Never heard of either man before? That's not too surprising. This was the finale of the third season for The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America.
Bravo put it on the 20-year-old prospect. Now, where does he go from here?
Gregor Gillespie is an undefeated prospect as well. Why not test Bravo out? The 155 class is a shark-tank of a division anyway, and there aren't going to be many great matchups for Bravo out of the gate. This may be one of the better options for Sean Shelby.
Puelles is only 20 and has a bright future. There's no need to rush him. Find another newcomer on the regional circuit and see what Puelles does in his second UFC bout.
Ricardo Lamas vs. Charles Oliveira
5 of 7
Ricardo Lamas def. Charles Oliveira via submission (guillotine) at 2:13 of the second round
Ricardo Lamas took this fight on short notice after his fight with BJ Penn was cancelled. Charles Oliveira also took the fight on three weeks notice and came in nine pounds overweight. In spite of that, Lamas submitted the jiu-jitsu specialist to get back in the win column.
Oliveira won't get cut, but it should be on the table. This is the fifth time he has come in overweight. And he is not a big featherweight.
Renan Barao vs. Charles Oliveira would be a fun, exciting fight with implications on the rankings. It should be highlighted by the matchmakers.
Lamas is a top-five-ranked featherweight, but the picture is muddled with Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo and Max Holloway. Not only that, but Lamas needs at least another win before heading in that direction. The fight with BJ Penn was excellent for him, and there's no reason not to rebook that fight.
Diego Sanchez vs. Marcin Held
6 of 7
Diego Sanchez def. Marcin Held by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Diego Sanchez fought a smart fight and stuffed Marcin Held's submission attempts. The debuting Held wasn't able to do enough to threaten Sanchez on the feet to take the fight.
Held is still a good talent, but he needs to grow as a fighter. Being strictly a leg-lock specialist will allow him to rack up losses in the UFC lightweight division.
The loser of UFC Fight Night 99's Ross Pearson vs. Stevie Ray would make for a fine opponent for Held.
Sanchez wants to make one last run, but that is going to be very difficult. However, there is a fight out there that would help him in that task. Will Brooks recently lost to Alex Oliveira and needs a fight to rebound with; Sanchez vs. Brooks makes sense in 2017.
Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Tony Ferguson
7 of 7
Tony Ferguson def. Rafael dos Anjos by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
Tony Ferguson has done everything in his power to claim the next shot at the lightweight title. Will he get it? That's a difficult question, but let's start with Rafael dos Anjos.
Dos Anjos has now lost two straight, but he was in this fight against Ferguson. He just came up short in the fifth round. He is still deserving a top-10 fight. Earlier, as you may have noticed, I pinpointed Beneil Dariush as his next opponent.
Dos Anjos vs. Dariush has significant implications on the division and is a stellar stylistic matchup.
As for Ferguson, getting the title shot is still up in the air. He deserves it, but if Conor McGregor is victorious at UFC 205, a third fight with Nate Diaz is a distinct possibility. Also, No. 1-ranked contender Khabib Nurmagomedov is in action at UFC 205. If he runs through Michael Johnson, he may get his shot.
I think it comes down to this: If Eddie Alvarez wins, Ferguson gets his shot. It McGregor wins, Ferguson will fight the winner of Nurmagomedov vs. Michael Johnson while McGregor battles Diaz again. That's my crystal ball.
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