Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night 190
UFC Fight Night 190 went down in Las Vegas on Saturday night, and the card produced plenty of memorable action.
In the main event, surging heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane picked up arguably the biggest victory of his career thus far, outhustling former Bellator champion Alexander Volkov to a clear-cut unanimous decision win.
In the co-main event, another promising young heavyweight took a big step up the proverbial ladder, as Canada's Tanner Boser knocked out longtime light heavyweight contender Ovince Saint Preux.
Elsewhere on the card, we witnessed big wins from rising talents like Kennedy Nzechukwu, Timur Valiev, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Jeremiah Wells, and Julia Avila.
When all was said and done, it was the kind of card that will keep fans talking for days. One of the biggest topics of discussion, as always, is what's next for the card's biggest stars.
Keep scrolling for five fights we are hoping to see when the dust has settled.
Ciryl Gane vs. Francis Ngannou/Derrick Lewis Winner
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With his workmanlike decision victory over Alexander Volkov in the UFC Fight Night 190 main event, French heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane is now a flawless 9-0 as a pro. That record, which also includes wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Junior dos Santos and Tanner Boser, should be enough to earn the muay thai specialist a shot at the UFC heavyweight title.
That title is the property of Gane's former training partner Francis Ngannou. While Ngannou is expected to fight Derrick Lewis next, Gane could more than fairly be given a crack at the winner.
Of course, it's possible the next heavyweight title shot could also go to former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones or former heavyweight king Stipe Miocic, but at this stage, Gane's claim to a shot is undeniable. The only question is whether he's willing to wait for it.
Alexander Volkov vs. Marcin Tybura
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Alexander Volkov didn't get the win he sought against Ciryl Gane, but the towering Russian striker has arguably never looked better than he has in his past few fights. As such, he's unlikely to lose much ground in defeat.
As Volkov looks to get back on track, he should be matched up with Poland's Marcin Tybura.
When Tybura, the former M-1 heavyweight champion, signed with the UFC back in 2016, he was touted by many as a future title challenger. While he struggled with consistency over his first few years with the promotion, he's recently been showing signs of a fighter who's putting it all together, having quietly constructed a five-fight streak with notable triumphs over Sergey Spivak, Ben Rothwell and, most recently, Walt Harris.
Tybura is looking for a big step up in competition at the precise moment Volkov is looking for a chance to get back on track. Book these two big boys for a pay-per-view main card or a Fight Night co-headliner to see who belongs at the top of the heap.
Tanner Boser vs. Serghei Spivac
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After a disappointing split-decision loss to Ilir Latifi in early June, Canadian heavyweight Tanner Boser got back on track in the UFC Fight Night 190 co-main event, defeating another former light heavyweight in Ovince Saint Preux with a second-round knockout.
While that win isn't going to catapult Boser into the heavyweight top 10—particularly given it was preceded by controversy in the form of a disputed fence-grab—it should earn him a step up in competition. Somebody like Serghei Spivac would be just that.
Spivak recently debuted in the heavyweight top 15 with a decision triumph over submission specialist Aleksei Oleinik. While he may be averse to fighting somebody outside the rankings, a fight with Boser makes sense, and it would give us a real sense of which man belongs among the heavyweight elite.
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Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Tim Means
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Kazakhstan's Shavkat Rakhmonov is one of the most exciting prospects in the UFC.
After a second-round submission defeat over Michel Prazeres on the UFC Fight Night 190 undercard, the 26-year-old welterweight is a fantastic 14-0 overall, with seven wins by knockout or TKO and seven by submission. Needless to say, he has a bright future.
Despite the fact that Rakhmonov is only two fights into his UFC career—he debuted with a short-notice win over Alex "Cowboy" Oliveira last year—there's no reason to bring along a talent like him slowly.
He's more than ready for another well-established name, such as Tim Means, who picked up an impressive decision victory over Nicolas Dalby on the UFC Fight Night 190 main card.
Means is on a three-fight win streak, having also recently beaten "Platinum" Mike Perry and Laureano Staropoli. He also enjoys quite a bit of popularity among hardcore fight fans. As a 45-fight veteran, he should give us an idea of whether Rakhmonov is a flash in a pan or a legitimate, top-15 talent.
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Misha Cirkunov
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Nigerian light heavyweight prospect Kennedy Nzechukwu picked up an impressive comeback win on the UFC Fight Night 190 undercard, weathering some early adversity to stop Danilo Marques with a volley of third-round strikes. Interestingly, it was Nzechukwu's second comeback in a row, as he also turned the tables on Carlos Ulberg in his previous fight.
Now on a nice streak in the perilous light heavyweight division, Nzechukwu deserves a step up. From here, it would be nice to see him fight somebody like No. 13-ranked contender Misha Cirkunov, who has recently been struggling to assemble a meaningful win streak.
Cirkunov hasn't fought since he was smashed by Ryan Spann in March and is undoubtedly keen to get back on track. Let him attempt to do so against the rising Nzechukwu.
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