This past weekend the UFC put on its sixth showing on the Versus network and gave fans the rare championship bout on free television. Dominick Cruz was able to hold off the constant pressure that was brought by Demetrious Johnson and earn a unanimous decision victory. Going forward, here are some suggestions for fights to make after this card:
Stefan Struve versus winner of Matt Mitrione/Cheick Kongo
Stefan Struve is an interesting heavyweight to watch. Over the last few years we have watched him grow into a prospect that is growing each time he is in the cage. Yes, he’s suffered some highlight reel defeats during that run, but it’s hard to ignore his growth as a fighter. I would be interested in seeing him pair up against the winner of the upcoming fight between Mitrione and Kongo.
Mitrione is a storyline written in itself since he is a close friend to Pat Barry. Looking at how he pairs up against Struve, I believe that he would have a tough time dealing with Struve’s grappling abilities just as Barry did on Saturday. Mitrione is a solid striker but I do not see him being able to dominate the fight on the feet enough to force Struve into a dangerous position.
Kongo, on the other hand, is a powerful striker within the heavyweight division and has proved so over the years. In trying to turn the corner to once again becoming a contender, I think he would be able to defeat Struve if he is able to keep the fight standing. While his wrestling has improved in his last few outings, I can’t see him out grappling Struve on the mat.
Either way Struve should be placed against the winner of their upcoming matchup to see where he should be placed within the UFC’s heavyweight division.
Yves Edwards versus Matt Wiman
Both Edwards and Wiman find themselves below the log jam that has affected the UFC’s lightweight division. With recent losses on their resumes; both fighters are left to take contests to simply rack up wins. I would place both men against each other to see who would move up and down within the weight class.
Edwards versus Wiman would be an action packed fight from start to finish. I see the bout being spent on the feet with both guys exchanging combinations left and right. In my opinion I think that Edwards would hold the advantage on the ground and on the feet, however Wiman’s aggressive style would place anyone in constant danger. He presses the action and keeps his opponent backing away at all time. I think that he would pressure Edwards into a bad position and the true question is how well he would be able to capitalize on it. Edwards and Wiman would be a tough fight that would be used to place two fighters within the middle jam of the weight class.
Anthony Johnson versus Jake Shields
Anthony Johnson has become the bruiser of the welterweight division. From start to finish he punished Charlie Brenneman and finished him off with a high kick to the face. Johnson has always roamed around the outskirts of the top ten of the weight class and a bout against Jake Shields would prove if he belongs in that conversation.
Johnson is a big, powerful man at 170 pounds and uses crisp striking to stop his opponents. When placed against Shields he would have the advantage on the feet from start to finish. The question lies on if Shields would be able to get Johnson to the mat. Johnson has struggled with fighters who can lock in submission holds and Shields is one of the best at doing so. Getting the fight to the ground would be a tough test, but the tide would change if he is capable of doing so. The outcome of this bout truly depends on that one fact and would swing in either direction depending on who was better at implementing his game.
UFC Live 6 was a great card for free television and brought some fast paced fights to the Versus network. I’m looking forward to seeing what match makers do with both the winners and losers after this event.
