Fights To Make After The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale

By Raphael Garcia

The 14th season of the Ultimate Fighter ended this past Saturday, crowning two new champions, and bestowing them with full UFC contracts. In addition, Michael Bisping was able to walk through Jason Miller and dominate the former Strikeforce contender en route to forcing a referee stoppage. Looking forward, it will be interesting to see how the UFC builds up the new prospects they have added to their roster. Here are some suggestions on what the organization should do with the night’s highest-profile winners, Bisping, John Dodson, and Diego Brandao:

Michael Bisping vs. Tim Kennedy
Bisping looked efficient during his domination of Miller over three rounds. He was able to stuff multiple takedowns, and use his boxing to score at will against his opponent. Bisping has always remained on the cusp of contendership, but this is the closest he has been in recent memory to gaining a title shot. One more solid win should place him near the top of the list of fighters ready to earn a crack at the middleweight title belt.

Strikeforce middleweight contender Tim Kennedy would be a great fighter to match Bisping against. The Team Jackson standout was due to receive a shot at the Strikeforce title held by Luke Rockhold, however multiple MMA news outlets have reported that Kennedy is on his way to the UFC. Given that Zuffa has already moved other stars over to the “main stage,” doing the same with Kennedy to make this matchup would be a great idea.

Both Bisping and Kennedy are effective boxers who know how to use footwork to move in close enough to damage their opponents, as well as use head movement to avoid taking damage. One interesting note, though, is that Kennedy is a BJJ black belt, and has a very solid wrestling background which should enable him to score takedowns at will. One additional “storyline” aspect for this fight: imagine the fans screaming “USA” for the Army Ranger Kennedy, while booing the English villain in Bisping. UFC President Dana White can probably hear the cash registers already. Kennedy should win by decision in a three-round “grind out” type fight.

Diego Brandao vs. Jonathan Brookins
The armbar that Brandao used to submit Dennis Bermudez during the featherweight TUF final may have been the closest thing to a hail-mary pass that we will see in MMA. He was being pummeled but still had the mental abilities to recognize the weakness and lock in the submission. This was a well-deserved win, considering what he withstood during the opening frame of the contest. UFC matchmakers should match Brandao against the TUF season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins.

The Ultimate Fighter season winners find themselves in a peculiar position going forward. It is apparent that much of the talent pool has been tapped, so fans and critics are beginning to question how far the new prospects can go within the organization. In the “dog eat dog” world of MMA, we will soon see more and more TUF competitors matched against each other, to weed out the best from the rest.

Both of these competitors have solid ground skills, which they used to find success on TUF. Brookins will have the advantage when it comes to wrestling, and will have an easier time scoring takedowns and maintaining dominant positions. That doesn’t mean he will be safe against Brandao, who has proved he can pull a submission out of the air when needed. This fight would go to a decision, with Brookins earning the victory.

John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama
John Dodson used a forearm to the face to drop TJ Dillashaw, and begin the process of winning the bantamweight contract for season 14 of TUF. With that win, Dodson exploded onto the UFC bantamweight scene as an interesting prospect for the division. Looking forward, a fight against Darren Uyenoyama would continue to build the fighter.

Uyenoyama defeated fellow Japanese fighter Norifumi Yamamoto at UFC on Fox, and he has shown flashes of brilliance, such as going 3-0 in Strikeforce. Matching him against Dodson would represent a challenge for both individuals, who are looking to position themselves favorably within the 135-pound ranks.

Careful handling of prospects is in the best interests of the UFC, and that includes individuals who win contracts through the Ultimate Fighter. Gone are the days of fighters from TUF like Josh Koscheck, Diego Sanchez, and Kenny Florian jumping directly into the divisional fray. These fighters must be groomed to take their place among the elite of the organization. The right kind of matchmaking can facilitate this grooming process. Let’s hope that the UFC makes matches like these, and grooms these TUF champions for future stardom.

Click here to rate the fights from the TUF 14 finale.