UFC on Fuel TV 9 was a challenge to Zuffa matchmakers, as a last minute injury forced Alexander Gustafsson off of the card. Though they couldn’t put together a strong main event fight to make up for it, the undercard still gave fans enough action for the day. For the event’s winners, these fights should be the next steps for their careers:
While his UFC debut wasn’t against a highly-touted light heavyweight, Gegard Mousasi still did what was needed to dominate the bout, and didn’t disappoint in any way. In his next Octagon appearance he should face Ryan Bader, who was forced out of a May bout with Glover Teixeira at UFC 160.
Mousasi suffered a key defeat in his career when he couldn’t deal with a wrestler who could take him down and control him. In Bader, he’d be squaring off with a competitor who can fight with a similar style, which would help answer a lot of questions as to how far Mousasi can go in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
This fight could headline a UFC free TV event, or act as the co-main event of a pay-per-view card.
While the UFC usually shies away from matching fighters who are on winning streaks with opponents coming off of losses, this would be an important bout, because it would help to determine exactly where Pearson belongs in the lightweight division. Lauzon is considered a Top 15 fighter at 155 pounds, and he has the ability to truly test Ross across the board.
Lauzon has shown the ability to box with some of the best lightweights in the division, but he has shown lapses where more technical strikers could get the better of him. Pearson has the ability to stand and exchange, but he would have to be worried about Lauzon’s ground game, which can quickly end the fight.
Pearson-Lauzon would be a strong main card opener for a pay-per-view event.
Matt Mitrione vs. Shane Carwin
Matt Mitrione scorched Philip De Fries in 19 seconds in their heavyweight tilt this past weekend. While Mitrione is far from being considered a top contender in the heavyweight division, it is his ability to deliver knockouts such as this one that preserves his roster spot within the UFC. For his next fight he should be matched against Shane Carwin, who was given an extended vacation to deal with another injury.
Carwin was well-known for his knockout power before suffering multiple injuries in the last few years. He tried to make a comeback against Roy Nelson in November at the TUF 16 Finale, but was removed from the card. This fight against Mitrione would work as a “pink slip” fight during a preliminary card on either Fox or Pay per View.
Brad Pickett vs. the winner of Urijah Faber vs. Scott Jorgensen
Pickett continues to hang around as one of the middle tier contenders for the bantamweight title, putting together runs before stumbling in the fights that would make him the top contender for the belt. While he looked more versatile against Mike Easton, he is still not in the running for a title shot at this time. That’s why his next bout should be against the winner of Faber vs. Jorgensen on April 13th at the TUF 17 Finale.
If Jorgensen wins, Pickett would be looking for the opportunity to get revenge for a 2010 loss, while he would be facing Faber for the first time. Pickett has the striking ability to exchange with either one of these fighters. However, the question mark for Pickett would be the Americans’ wrestling abilities. While he showed improved wrestling against Easton, he hasn’t faced someone with the takedown skills of either Faber or Jorgensen.
This would be a good bout for a pay-per-view main card, or it can act as a co-main event for a Fox card.
Diego Brandao vs. Akira Corassani
Both Brando and Corassani looked very good in defeating their opponents this weekend. While they are both on the outside looking in when it comes to being highly-ranked within the featherweight division, their fights were action-packed, which is what these kinds of cards are expected to have. Putting these two against each other to open up another free UFC event would create the type of fight that can get the crowd excited for the rest of the main card. Corassani vs. Brandao would best be served on a main card for a UFC event, perhaps their next trip to Brazil.
The expectations were low for UFC on Fuel TV 9, but the undercard gave life to a show that did not have a big name main event. These winners did what they had to to get their hands raised, and they should be rewarded with these matchups.
UFC on FUEL TV 9: Mousasi vs. Latifi took place on April 6, 2013 at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
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Those all look like well reasoned matches to me,
I'm not terribly familiar with some of those guys, but I very much agree that Gegard should get a functional top 20 wrestler to see how he's coming along on his one (formerly?) glaring weakness.
And Mitrione/Carwin makes sense with Carwin at the tail end of being a top contender and Mitrione needing to figure out soon whether he really wants to be one or just be a fun-to-watch gatekeeper.