UFC 130 was an interesting night of fights, as many individuals came out as potential stars for the UFC in the future. Looking forward, there are a few different directions the promotion can go with future matchmaking, choices that would not only pose exciting fights, but build up the names of fighters that the organization can push towards the masses.
Rick Story vs. Josh Koscheck
Rick Story’s unanimous decision victory over Thiago Alves pushed his name toward the forefront of potential contenders at 170 pounds. With more and more experts expecting current champion Georges St. Pierre to move up to 185 pounds to challenge Anderson Silva, some have wondered who will take the reins of the welterweight division. Story is pushing for his name to be listed as one of those individuals, and a bout against a returning Koscheck would be a great measuring stick to see where he would stand.
Story used his wrestling ability to continually take Alves down and rack up points. And on the feet he pushed the action against Alves, who was expected to be able to dominate the stand-up action. Those traits would be interesting to watch if matched against Josh Koscheck, who uses a very similar style. Koscheck’s wrestling is among the best in MMA, and he’s shown a willingness to use his standup abilities to set up important takedowns and position points. However, the main issue of contention is Koscheck’s return from the eye injury he suffered during his title shot against St. Pierre. Cage rust could be a factor, and Story would take full advantage of it, but either way this would be a great fight for both competitors.
Frank Mir vs. Brendan Schaub
Brendan Schaub will face off against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134 and I believe that Schaub will walk away from that event as the winner. From there, Frank Mir versus Schaub should be booked as the next fight to determine the number-one contender for the UFC heavyweight championship.
Both Schaub and Mir have been on a recent tear in the heavyweight division, and rumors once circulated that the two fighters were going to be matched against each other, but that bout fell through. Now, the fight is needed more than ever to determine the direction of the weight class.
This fight would be Mir’s fight to win due to experience, as well as a skill set that is more developed than Schaub’s. On the feet they would be evenly matched, with the power edge going to Schaub. However, once a takedown occurs, the fight would change pace, and Mir’s ground advantage would take over. Regardless of which way the fight turned out, the lead up to the fight and the action in the cage would deliver a strong and exciting matchup to the fans.
Gleison Tibau vs. George Sotiropoulos
Gleison Tibau looked solid in his victory at UFC 130, showing his improving striking ability in the first round, bringing pressure in his BJJ game to elicit a tap out during the second round, and impressing a number of spectators. Next up should be George Sotiropoulos, who would pose a great challenge for the emerging Tibau.
As always, Tibau would enjoy a huge size advantage against Sotiropoulos, and use it throughout the fight. I see him scoring both on the feet and with multiple takedowns, en route to grinding out a decision victory.
Sotiropoulos is set to face Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 132 in a fight that he should win. Coming off that bout, a fight against Tibau would open the door for one of these individuals to step through as a title contender in 2012.
Brian Stann vs. Tim Boetsch
Both Brian Stann and Tim Boetsch walked out of UFC 130 as victors in their prospective bouts. Boetsch is new to the weight class, while Stann is putting together an impressive run that may take him towards the middleweight title. Matching these two fighters against each other has the potential to create an exciting fight that would give both of these fighters the opportunity to become fan favorites.
Stann defeated Jorge Santiago by knockout, adding the biggest name yet to his middleweight resume. He looked very patient as he picked his shots and shrugged off takedown attempts while leading with effective striking. Even though Santiago has always had a questionable chin, it was still impressive that Stann was able to finish him the way he did.
Boetsch was also dominant in his victory over Ultimate Fighter season three winner Kendall Grove, controlling every aspect of the bout, and winning the biggest fight of his career. After dropping down from light heavyweight, Boetsch looks like he is ready to make some noise in the middleweight division.
Stann would be the strong favorite coming into this bout and rightfully so. It would be an exciting fight with many different exchanges, but Stann should be able to secure a knockout during the later moments of action, and take home the victory.
Why match Story up against Koscheck? Having beat the #3 ranked welterweight Story needs to move on to Fitch, who has proved more of a challenge than Koscheck, or give GSP his next challenge. You might say that Story isn't ready for GSP, but Story is as good a challenger as anyone else and GSP needs one soon.
Schaub seems like a step down for Mir. But the only way to give Mir a step up without a rematch or title shot, is to let him fight JDS after his fight with Carwin.
I'd rather see Stann take a step up to someone like Wanderlei, if he gets past Leben, or the winner of Maia/Munoz. Boetsch can face someone like the loser of Maia/Munoz, Rivera, Palhares or Akiyama.
I think Story versus Kos would be a good matchup and even a good way to measure if Koscheck is going to be able to make a comeback from that injury. The other idea I had was Story vs. Shields. I've seen "reports" that Shields is only interested in either a rematch with BJ or a title shot. Which I think he should be because he's proved that he should get a second shot?
I don't agree that Schaub is a step down for Mir. This match was supposedly already on the books before being changed for Schaub versus Cro Cop. After Cain fights either Shane or JDS, I think that MIr would be next in line if he could defeat Schaub.
As far as Brian Stann I don't think he's quite ready to deal with the grappling of Maia. But I agree a victory in that fight would plant Stann in a major title showdown. I can hear the fans chanting USA right now….
I like Story vs. Shields!