The 16th edition of the Ultimate Fighter may not have been the most exciting season of the show to date, but the finale that was presented on December 15th was more than enough to make up for the season as a whole. With 11 fights on the ledger, nine of those were finished before the judges could give their say — another nice presentation of mixed martial arts on free television for the UFC. Going forward here, are some fight suggestions that can be made with the athletes that took part:
Roy Nelson may not be Dana White’s favorite fighter, but he is just the type of individual that White loves to have on the roster. When he comes in to fight he’s either going to end his opponent’s night or go out on his shield for 15 minutes. He took an opening salvo from Matt Mitrione that would have stopped most other opponents, only to turn around and add another highlight to his reel. With that in mind, matching him against Cheick Kongo would offer him an opportunity to add another highlight reel win to his resume.
Kongo is a large question mark in the heavyweight division. At one time he was making a push towards title contention, and was even a tough test for current number one contender Cain Velasquez. Since that point, he’s stumbled as of late, and dropped fights in ways that should not occur. Kongo’s striking is among the best and most technical in the division, but he’s fallen back to leaning on wrestling and holding opponents down. Against Nelson he would have a hard time taking down “Big Country,” who would also hold an advantage in grappling on the mat. The strategy by both athletes would be captivating to watch in this heavyweight tilt.
Kongo vs. Nelson would be a strong fight to open up a Pay per View or serve on the main card of a free event in 2013.
Pat Barry vs. the winner of Ben Rothwell vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Pat Barry walked out of the TUF 16 Finale with what may be one of the most violent finishes seen in MMA this year, snapping Shane del Rosario’s head back in disgusting fashion before finishing him off with a barrage of punches. While Barry is a long way off from being considered any type of contender at heavyweight, that doesn’t mean the UFC can’t make use of a fighter that does what he does in the Octagon. For his next bout, booking Barry against either Ben Rothwell or Gabriel Gonzaga after their fight next month at UFC on FX 7 would make for an enjoyable and fan-friendly contest.
Both Gonzaga and Rothwell do not have any qualms throwing leather in the middle of the Octagon. Striking is Rothwell’s main weapon, but Gonzaga also has the grappling abilities to add into his strategy when needed. Barry would have to be wary of that on the ground, because that is his glaring weakness and the world knows it. However, his ability to torch opponents on the feet would make this a must see fight against either opponent.
Barry against either Gonzaga or Rothwell would be a nice addition to the main card of an FX or Fox event in 2013.
Colton Smith vs. Steven Thompson
Colton Smith was the underdog going into the bout with Mike Ricci, but everyone forgot to tell him that. Smith suffocated the TriStar fighter for 15 minutes and dominated his way towards the TUF 16 title.
With a young MMA career behind him when he stepped into the Octagon for the first time, he should be matched against another fighter that has a short mixed martial arts resume, Stephen Thompson.
Thompson was immediately placed on the fast track after his stunning knockout of Daniel Stittgen at UFC 143. At UFC 145, he was caught up in the current run of Matt Brown, and hasn’t been back in the Octagon since. Pairing Smith and Thompson would make for an interesting fight, because their styles clash in a way that would make strategy the key to victory.
Smith uses a smothering, wrestling-based style to take his opponents down and grind out victories. While this isn’t the most exciting style for him when it comes to gaining fans, it is very effective. Thompson’s striking is very technical and has the ability to stop nearly anyone. Brown proved that he has defensive lapses when he is pushed around the Octagon by an aggressive fighter, so it will be interesting to see if Thompson would be able to deal with Smith, who comes right at his opponents.
Smith vs. Thompson should be positioned as a FX preliminary bout or the main card of a Fuel event.
Dustin Poirier vs. Dennis Siver
23 year old Dustin Poirier responded to his first defeat well by stopping Jonathan Brookins in the first round with his famed D’arce choke. In this fight, he displayed the ability to take a shot and respond quickly when pressured. Matching him against Dennis Siver would create a great featherweight fight, and set the winner up for a potential run towards the title in 2013.
Siver is a tremendous striker who knows how to land shots quickly and at will. He’s improved his defensive wrestling and grappling abilities to where he can now avoid key takedowns while landing is own when needed. Poirier has a very similar skill set, but his ground game is at a much higher level than Siver’s. However, this has the makings of a stand up battle for 15 minutes that would display a level of striking that isn’t seen too often in mixed martial arts.
Poirier vs. Siver would be a great undercard bout for a Pay per View or Fox card in 2013.
Mike Pyle vs. Mike Pierce
Mike Pyle and Mike Pierce are two individuals who sit in uncertain position within the 170-pound division. While they have both put together some interesting runs in the winner’s circle as of late, they haven’t been able to get enough hype behind them to be considered welterweight contenders. Allowing them to compete against each other would create a strong opportunity for the winner to emerge as a fringe contender.
Pyle vs. Pierce would be a stylistic matchup that wouldn’t excite many people from the jump, but has the potential to end with a sudden finish. Both Pierce and Pyle have the ability to finish opponents on the feet, and while Pyle holds the grappling advantage on the mat, Pierce has a strong wrestling base to counteract.
Mike Pierce vs. Mike Pyle would be a good fit for a FX or Fuel main card.
After the exciting TUF 16 Finale, the UFC is well-positioned to place the winners in exciting fights going forward. These suggestions would go a long way towards creating some good matchups in the future.
