Matches to Make for Winners and Losers from UFC 237
We have a new strawweight queen. Jessica Andrade capped off UFC 237 in Rio with a memorable knockout over Rose Namajunas and started a new era in the division.
The winningest woman in UFC history got gold around her waist to validate her stature. Now she becomes the hunted in the division. Who's next?
The now former champion may have a case for a rematch, but is that the right call to make? Namajunas may have the pressure of being champion off her shoulders, but the other contenders behind her will still put a bull's-eye on her back.
In the co-main event, Jared Cannonier landed strong leg kicks that eventually broke former middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The Spider collapsed in pain and had to be helped out of the Octagon. It was not a fluke injury. It was Cannonier's doing.
A long night ended tough for most Brazilians and longtime UFC vets, but the UFC will soldier on with or without them. The matchmakers will be hard at work determining the next steps for all involved, and we are here to play fantasy booker.
Grab a pen and paper and let's get to work making matches for each winner and loser after UFC 237.
Preliminary Fights Quick Hits
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Viviane Araujo def. Talita Bernardo by KO at 0:48 of the third round
- Talita Bernardo vs. Melissa Gatto
- Viviane Araujo vs. Cortney Casey
Raoni Barcelos def. Carlos Huachin by TKO at 4:49 of the second round
- Carlos Huachin vs. Randy Costa
- Raoni Barcelos vs. Alejandro Perez
Luana Carolina def. Priscila Cachoeira by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
- Priscila Cachoeira vs. Sabina Mazo
- Luana Carolina vs. Mara Romero Borella
Clay Guida def. B.J. Penn by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
- B.J. Penn should be cut.
- Clay Guida vs. James Vick
Warlley Alves def. Sergio Moraes by KO at 4:13 of the third round
- Sergio Moraes vs. Mickey Gall
- Warlley Alves vs. Stephen Thompson
Thiago Moises def. Kurt Holobaugh by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
- Kurt Holobaugh should be cut.
- Thiago Moises vs. Marc Diakiese
Ryan Spann def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by KO at 2:07 of the first round
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Ovince Saint Preux
- Ryan Spann vs. Nikita Krylov
Irene Aldana vs. Bethe Correia
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Irene Aldana def. Bethe Correia via submission (armbar) at 3:24 of the third round
Irene Aldana picked up her third straight victory with her submission win at UFC 237, and it will push her into title contention.
On the losing end was Bethe Correia. She is a fighter who will come forward and make a fight exciting. That will continue to earn her a spot on the UFC roster. Perhaps the best matchup for her at this juncture will be the loser of the June 1 bout between Tonya Evinger and Lina Lansberg.
So, what about Aldana?
The bantamweight division is a mess with many of the top-ranked contenders coming off losses or suffering an injury. No. 1-ranked contender Germaine de Randamie is healthy and able to take a fight. Why not give Aldana a shot against the skilled striker in a potential title eliminator?
It is a perfect time to test Aldana and give her a chance to claim a title shot.
Thiago Alves vs. Laureano Staropoli
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Laureano Staropoli def. Thiago Alves by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Laureano Staropoli was not a known commodity coming into UFC 237, but he leaves with a big win over a longtime UFC vet in Thiago Alves.
Alves will stick around, but identifying an opponent can be difficult. The UFC may use him once again against an up-and-comer, but perhaps a meeting against another vet makes more sense. Keita Nakamura is coming off a loss as well and the fight could provide some fun action for an upcoming undercard.
Before Alves is reduced to a continual gatekeeper role, the UFC should give him another chance to shine.
Staropoli won't launch himself into the rankings or get a ranked fight next. He's still a fight or two away from that with the deep talent pool at welterweight.
Geoff Neal is a name that sticks out for Staropoli to fight next. Neal and Staropoli are in similar positions, and they can battle one another to see who gets to take the next step up the 170-pound ladder.
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Jose Aldo vs. Alexander Volkanovski
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Alexander Volkanovski def. Jose Aldo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
It finally happened. Jose Aldo lost a non-title UFC fight. Where does that leave him?
He is still a top-tier featherweight, but he is way outside of the title picture. If the title picture were a football field, this loss puts him in the parking lot of a different stadium. He'd need at least another three or four fights to even be considered. Is that possible, as he is on the backside of his career?
Immediately feeding him to a contender seems like the wrong move as well. So, why not someone on the backend of the rankings? No. 14-ranked Darren Elkins is coming off back-to-back losses, is a veteran of the sport as well and could be a good restart for Aldo.
Book that.
Volkanovski is likely the next title contender. The only fighter who could jump him is Frankie Edgar, but Edgar hasn't fought in some time because of injury. Volkanovski's recent outings and victories put him in prime position to challenge for the title.
It's difficult to see how he gets jumped. Time for the UFC to just make the fight and end any speculation. Maybe Edgar can fight the winner of the title tilt.
Jared Cannonier vs. Anderson Silva
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Jared Cannonier def. Anderson Silva by TKO at 4:47 of the first round
Anderson Silva lost because he suffered an injury. Yes, that's true. It's also true that Jared Cannonier caused that injury with hard leg kicks that were part of his game plan. Do not get it twisted: Cannonier flat-out beat Silva and got a stoppage.
Silva didn't slip on a banana peel.
But Silva, who is 44, did get injured. How long is he going to be out? That makes predicting his next move difficult. And honestly, he should just hang up his gloves. Silva has nothing left to prove and is not performing up to his old standard. And his body has been failing him.
Induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame and call it a career.
Cannonier picked up the biggest win of his career and not nearly enough people are talking about him. Let's change that.
What if the UFC granted him a huge opportunity? What if it put him against Kelvin Gastelum?
Gastelum may be one win away from another title shot, but Cannonier could steal his thunder and put himself right in the mix for the 185-pound title. Some of the other contenders are already booked, and this seems like a great reward for a stellar performance for Cannonier.
Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade
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Jessica Andrade def. Rose Namajunas by KO at 2:58 of the second round
Rose Namajunas controlled this fight and was the better fighter. She was winning almost every exchange and showed her stand-up skills and grappling were on point. But sometimes brute strength is all that is needed. Jessica Andrade lifted and dumped Namajunas on her head to claim the title.
Should Namajunas get an immediate rematch?
No. Immediate rematches should be given to longtime champions who have earned that right or to a fighter who lost a narrow decision in a back-and-forth fight that captivated fans' imaginations. Neither is the case here. Namajunas suffered a second-round KO.
The next title contender for Andrade will come from the UFC 238 matchup between Tatiana Suarez and Nina Ansaroff. That fight is a title eliminator, and they deserve their shot.
Namajunas can be a great backup plan should an injury prevent that winner from a title fight, but otherwise the UFC needs to look at other options.
The top two options available are No. 6-ranked Weili Zhang and No. 9-ranked Carla Esparza.
Zhang is an interesting fighter, but she isn't ready for Namajunas just yet. That fight may only stymie her growth. More importantly, Esparza is just a way more compelling fight. A rematch of the inaugural strawweight title fight is intriguing given Namajunas' progression as a fighter.
Namajunas vs. Esparza is the fight to make, while Andrade battles a new challenger later in the year.
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