Fight Fixin’ is a fantasy matchmaking article that comes out after every major event and features possible matchups for main card winners and/or losers from the previous event.
Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks
Georges St-Pierre set the record for most welterweight title defences (eight), as he beat up Nick Diaz from bell to bell in the main event of UFC 158 to once again defend the UFC welterweight championship. It was a workmanlike performance by St-Pierre, who will no doubt be criticized for never really opening up to go for the kill, but even still, a win is a win, and St-Pierre will move on to his next challenge.
That next challenge comes in the form of Johny Hendricks, who defeated Carlos Condit via unanimous decision in the co-main event, in what was easily a “Fight of the Year” candidate. After the event, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Hendricks is next in line for a title shot once his possibly broken hand heals, and when he and St-Pierre fight later this year, the world will finally be treated to a fight between the two best 170-pounders in the entire world.
Fight to make: Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks
Jake Ellenberger
Also on the main card, Jake Ellenberger improved to 8-2 under the UFC banner, as he defeated veteran Nate Marquardt via first-round KO to solidify his place in the top 10 of the UFC welterweight division.
After making a run up the ladder only to lose via KO to Martin Kampmann last year, Ellenberger is once again gunning for the title. “The Juggernaut” is one of the heaviest hitters in the entire division, and when you possess the one-punch KO power that he has, you can win any fight on any given night.
For his next outing I would like to see Ellenberger welcome former Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine to the Octagon. Saffiedine is another excellent striker, but he’s more of a technician while Ellenberger is more of a one-shot knockout fighter, so it would be an interesting clash in styles, and also a great fight for the fans.
Fight to make: Jake Ellenberger vs. Tarec Saffiedine
Chris Camozzi
Chris Camozzi picked up his fourth win in a row on the UFC 158 undercard, as he defeated Nick Ring via split decision. It was a pretty competitive fight in all three rounds, but ultimately Camozzi got the judges’ nod and moves on to bigger and better things, while Ring is left to contemplate what could have been.
Quietly emerging as a contender in the UFC middleweight division, Camozzi will get a bigger fight his next time out, and I would like to see him fight the winner of April’s UFC on FOX 7 match between Francis Carmont and Lorenz Larkin. Both fighters are on impressive win streaks at the moment, so it would make sense to match the winner up with Camozzi, who is a dark horse at 185 pounds.
Fight to make: Chris Camozzi vs. the winner of Francis Carmont/Lorenz Larkin
Mike Ricci
In the opening fight of the main card, Montreal’s Mike Ricci defeated Colin Fletcher via unanimous decision to earn his first UFC win in his first fight since dropping to 155 pounds. Sure, it may not have been the most impressive performance, but at the end of the day Ricci got the W.
In his next outing, Ricci should fight another mid-tier lightweight, and one matchup that makes sense for him is a fight against Kazuki Tokudome, who recently defeated Cristiano Marcello at UFC on FUEL TV 8. Both men, who are each coming off of decision wins, are at about the same spot in the division, so a win over the other would send the winner up the ladder, while the loser would take a step back.
Fight to make: Mike Ricci vs. Kazuki Tokudome
UFC 158: St. Pierre vs. Diaz took place on March 16, 2013 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 158 was.
