Even though the UFC Live 4 suffered what was considered a setback because of the change in the main event situations, this event still brought about an evening of exciting battles. With spectacular submissions, upsets, and come from behind knockouts, the fans walked out with their appetites for action very satisfied. Now, the UFC matchmakers must go to work and prepare bouts for those involved Sunday night. Here are a few suggestions:
Chieck Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione
Coming back from an extended layoff, Chieck Kongo went back to his highlight reel knockout ways as he put down Pat Barry in the first round. He survived two scary moments where the fight could have easily been stopped, however Kongo caught the charging Barry with a right handed uppercut that dropped his foe and left him unconscious almost instantly.
Mitrione took a little longer, but he was able to give the fans a knockout performance as well, dropping Christian Morecraft in the second round. Mitrione had his opponent staggered during the first round, but Morecraft was able to will himself through the bell. In the second round things went differently, as Mitrione dropped him and stepped away, because he clearly knew his opponent would not be able to return to his feet.
Kongo vs. Mitrione would be a great heavyweight matchup. While neither fighter is on the short list of contenders, they would provide an action-packed fight, especially coming on the heels of their performances Sunday night. The UFC could even press the “storyline” of Mitrione being a close friend of Barry’s looking to gain some sort of revenge for what happened during UFC Live 4. Either way, this match should be made immediately.
Charlie Brenneman vs. Jake Ellenberger
Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman was a major underdog, going into his bout against Rick Story with just a few days notice. However, he pressed the action for the first two rounds and held on through some tough positions in the third to pull out a major upset. The Philadelphia native was able to celebrate going from not being included on the card to earning what may be the biggest win of his career.
Jake Ellenberger would be a great progression in opponent for Brenneman. While this is a great win, no thought should be given to idea that he should be placed among the ranks of the welterweight title contenders. However, Ellenberger is close to being included with these individuals. Matching these two individuals up later this year would serve as a strong contender eliminator, to push the winner towards contendership at the start of 2012.
It would be interesting to see if Brenneman could withstand the pressure that Ellenberger applies to his opponents. Both fighters are great wrestlers, and their struggle to maintain the best ground position would likely force the fight back to the feet. Once there, Ellenberger should be the more powerful of the two, and should be able to secure some form of finish.
Tyson Griffin vs. Chan Sung Jung
Tyson Griffin was able to walk away from his UFC debut as a featherweight with a win. Recent struggles at 155 had pressed Griffin to go down one weight class, and he was able to outpoint former title contender Manny Gamburyan at UFC Live 4.
Griffin should face off against the “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in his next fight. Jung is coming off a highlight reel submission victory over Leonard Garcia, and would pose an interesting challenge for Griffin.
Griffin is a tough wrestler who seeks to snatch takedowns no matter where he is in the cage. Jung, on the other hand, has not only been working on his wrestling with Team Alpha Male, but possesses a ground grappling attack that cannot be ignored when trying to apply pressure from the top. On the feet, they are both prone to trade punches with their opponents, though neither is the most technical of strikers.
This fight is best suited for another free UFC event, or as a Facebook fight before a major Pay-Per-View event. While neither fighter is known as being a finisher, they would provide an exciting matchup for the fans in attendance, and watching at home.
Michael Johnson vs. Edson Barboza
“The Ultimate Fighter” alumnus Michael Johnson displayed the power that he has in his hands when he dropped and finished Edward Faaloloto in the first round of their confrontation at UFC Live 4. While he fell short against Jonathan Brookins in becoming the Ultimate Fighter, Johnson was still expected to become a major name in the lightweight division.
Johnson’s next opponent should be another young fighter who has exploded onto the UFC scene with exciting finishes and action-packed bouts: Edson Barboza. Barboza has been rapidly gaining fans due to his penchant for standing and banging with his opponent while using chopping leg kicks.
Johnson-Barboza would be an interesting matchup. Both fighters would likely try to keep this battle on the feet. However, doing so would give the advantage to Barboza, who also has a solid takedown defense that would probably stifle Johnson’s attempts to take him down, were he to get the better of the standup. Barboza should walk away with a decision victory in a stand-up fight that would see both fighters pushing forward at various times.
Charles Oliveira vs. Nik Lentz
Oliveira-Lentz was awarded Fight of the Night even though it only went two rounds, and ended in controversy. As the athletic commission begins to review the illegal knee that was the set up to the downfall of Lentz, people still should respect the battle that these two lightweights gave the fans. Even if this fight is not overturned and ruled a no contest, UFC matchmakers should put them back together as quickly as possible to finish this bout without a taint on the victory.
