While UFC 149 will receive large amount of criticism due to the overall quality of the event, it still featured a number of strong performances by fighters on the card. We witnessed the crowning of a new champion (albeit it an interim one) and the further establishment of a middleweight contender. Going forward, the UFC matchmakers can continue to develop these fighters from lesser known combatants into individuals who can do their part to carry larger events down the line. Here are a few fight suggestions to assist in that development:
Renan Pegado vs. Michael McDonald
Riding the longest winning streak in mixed martial arts, “Barao” went into his match with Urijah Faber as the favorite, and proved that he should have been considered as such by controlling the fight from start to finish. Now he holds the interim bantamweight title, and contrary to reports that Pegado would elect to wait for champion Dominick Cruz to return, UFC President Dana White stated that he believes Pegado will continue fighting top contenders. And the man who should be at the top of the list is Michael McDonald.
When the injury to Cruz was first announced, there was some speculation that McDonald would be given the title opportunity instead of “Barao,” but instead, the 21-year-old remained on the sidelines. Riding a four-fight win streak that includes two stunning knockout victories in his last two fights, McDonald has quickly become one of the top young prospects to watch in the sport. Just like Pegado, he has shown the ability to mix up his attacks and threaten opponents in a variety of ways.
Pairing Pegado and McDonald together would create an action-packed contest to fill in the gap until Dominick Cruz returns at some point next year.
It may not have looked pretty, but Tim Boetsch stopped the hype that was surrounding Hector Lombard with a split decision victory. Now that hype has been transferred to the “Barbarian,” who is riding a wave at middleweight that includes wins over both Lombard and Yushin Okami. We have yet to hear who will receive the next crack at the middleweight title, but if Boetsch isn’t given that shot, he should be matched against Alan Belcher, who is also looking to add another marquee win to his resume.
Boetsch has proven that he has the power to disconnect people from consciousness on impact, and that would be a major concern for Belcher, who has a propensity to stand and trade with opponents. Belcher does have the advantage when it comes to technical, point scoring striking, but Boetsch’s power is nearly unmatched at 185. “The Talent” would be the better of the two men on the ground, where Boetsch has shown some vulnerability in the past. This is the type of fight that could headline a card on Fuel or co-main event on Fox, and crown a future top contender to the middleweight championship.
If you turned away from the screen for a few moments, then you probably missed Ryan Jimmo at work. All he needed was seven seconds to put away Anthony Perosh. That is the type of knockout that catches everyone’s attention, and the UFC could build off of such a spectacular display by matching him against another heavy hitter in James Te Huna.
Te Huna was recently victorious over Joey Beltran in a bout that saw him land big strike after big strike. Against Jimmo there would be little chance that this bout would last all 15 minutes, as both guys are known for swinging hard and often. The UFC enjoys putting together fights that have the potential to create highlight reel fodder for years, and Jimmo versus Te Huna is the quintessential setup.
Francisco Rivera vs. Eddie Wineland
Rivera put on a striking clinic this past weekend, the type of which that becomes even more beautiful once you have the opportunity to slow it down. In what may have been his best outing in the Octagon to date, he displayed how well his standup has come along, and that continued performances at that clip will make him someone to watch in the division. A fight against a former top contender, Eddie Wineland, would determine if he is ready for that step onto the main stage.
Wineland is coming off a textbook knockout win of his own, as he stopped Scott Jorgensen earlier this year. Wineland has been known as a technical striker who is not afraid to mix it up with anyone willing to stand in front of him. It would be captivating to watch these two individuals stand and exchange striking wits until one of them gained the upper hand.
It was more difficult the second time around, but Nick Ring defeated Court McGee once again, and while he won’t get to hoist the Ultimate Fighter trophy above his head, he still can take solace in knowing he defeated that season’s winner twice. At 33 years old, Ring is in his prime and has improved to 3-1 while under Zuffa employ. Ring hasn’t yet shown that he can be a top talent at 185, but he can begin making moves towards that position with a solid showing against a fighter such as Ronny Markes.
The Nova Uniao fighter Markes is riding a two-fight win streak in the Octagon using tactics that are tried and true to his camp: striking and takedown defense. However, the Brazilian hasn’t appeared in the cage since February, so closing out the year with a potential win over Ring would be a step towards setting him up to higher-profile fights in 2013.
UFC 149 may not have been the event that everyone wanted to see, but it still brought us something to look forward to once the card was over on Saturday night. The UFC has proven to be the best at putting together excellent matchups, and these suggestions would continue that trend.
