Fights To Make After UFC On Fuel TV 3

By Raphael Garcia

UFC on Fuel TV 3 was a great Tuesday night card that brought sterling finishes along with some back and forth battles. These are the type of cards that the UFC can use to build some lesser known fighters into household names within the MMA community, and this event did just that. Going forward, the UFC’s matchmaking team, led by Joe Silva, has some solid bouts that can be created from the winners and losers of these fights. Here are some suggestions for what should come next for some of these combatants:

Chan Sung Jung versus winner of Hatsu Hioki/Ricardo Lamas

For the second time, the “Korean Zombie” pulled out a win in a bout where he was the underdog. After the event, he called for an opportunity to face the current champion Jose Aldo. While a three-fight win streak is a solid foundation for being considered a top contender in the weight class, Jung still needs another solid win in a division that is beginning to take shape. Jung should face off against the winner of the Hatsu Hioki – Ricardo Lamas bout that is set for UFC on FX 4 this June. Aldo is defending his belt against Erik Koch this July at UFC 149. This would set up a timeline to have the winner face either Aldo or Koch towards the later part of this year.

We all know that Jung is not going shy away from a standup battle. His past bouts have shown that as a strength, but it can also be a weakness when be faces a technical striker. Both Lamas and Hioki have shown the ability to land accurate blows when fighting opponents who try to wade in swinging wild shots. When the fight hits the ground, all three men have strong grappling skill set, with a number of submission wins between them.

The winner from this grouping of fighters would be a sure bet to receive a title shot after UFC 149, barring any close decision or draw debacle.

Dustin Poirier vs. Chad Mendes

Dustin Poirier was once on the opposite end of a major upset when he defeated Josh Grispi back at UFC 125. That win vaulted him into contender’s status in the featherweight division, a position he would have cemented with a victory in Virginia. Instead, he was caught in a submission that rendered him unconscious and knocked him back down the rankings at 145. To begin his comeback, he should face another fighter that was a highly-touted prospect in Chad Mendes.

Mendes and Poirier are two fighters who will stay near the top of the 145 rankings. They are young, dynamic fighters who are interesting to watch each time they step into the Octagon. If matched against each other, their styles would create an interesting contrast.

Mendes would have the wrestling advantage, as he has been able to take down and control his opponents almost at will. Poirier is a very technical striker that can land combinations in succession from multiple angles. The focus would be what happens when this fight hits the mat, and whether Mendes will be able to stifle Poirier’s grappling abilities, as “The Diamond” has shown the skill set to submit fighters when needed. Both Mendes and Poirier are in need of a win to restart the momentum they’ve lost with recent defeats, and matching them against each other would be a great start.

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis

If the lightweight division is considered the most exciting weight class in mixed martial arts, a Cerrone-Pettis matchup is one of the most stirring fights that can be created.

Cerrone and Pettis only move in one direction, and that’s straight forward while attacking their opponent. They both have exceptional standup abilities, as they link multiple combinations together with crisp footwork. Even though they both strike in volume, Pettis would have the more technical abilities on the feet, as he lands more accurate and powerful strikes. On the ground, Pettis has a very active guard, but Cerrone has shown a higher acumen for being able to control opponents and submit them when the opportunity arises.

Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone would be a great matchup to create a potential contender, with the winner to challenge for the title after Nate Diaz. This is the type of fight that would shine as the main event on a free televised UFC event.

Yves Jabouin vs. Francisco Rivera

Both Jabouin and Rivera found a way to be successful at UFC on Fuel TV 3. The bantamweight division has been blown wide open with the injury to Dominick Cruz that will most likely have him out until next year. Every fighter in this weight class now has the opportunity to place himself higher up on the ladder by putting together a string of wins, in the hopes of getting a shot at the interim titleholder. Placing these two fighters together on a card near the end of August or September would help keep as many bantamweights active as possible throughout the year, to keep the division fresh with emerging contenders.

Besides that, both Rivera and Jabouin are heavy strikers with 16 knockout victories between them, so this is another opportunity to put a fight in front of fans that can catch their attention and satisfy their desire for highlight reel finishes.

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Mark Bocek

Rafael dos Anjos and Mark Bocek are two individuals that have almost become afterthoughts in the 155-pound weight class. They that have recent victories that place them in the middle of the pack among lightweights, and both need two or three solid wins before reaching number one contender status.

Bocek has four losses on his record, three of which come to Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, and Benson Henderson. He dominated John Alessio at UFC 145, controlling the majority of the bout. Dos Anjos has had a tougher road at 155, which has seen him lose to some top tier fighters. However, his recent bouts have shown improvements, especially in his standup abilities. That would be an important aspect of this fight, as both Bocek and dos Anjos have very solid ground grappling games that would nearly cancel each other out. Whichever fighter can score more frequently on the feet would be the individual to pull out the victory. 

UFC on Fuel TV 3 was a strong card for a Tuesday evening show. Even though big names were not featured across the board, the bouts delivered their share of action and finishes. The next steps for these fighters can create some intriguing fights in each of these weight classes.