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.
Luke Rockhold
Luke Rockhold will forever be part of UFC lore for being the victim of one of the sport’s all-time greatest knockouts after being kicked in the face by Vitor Belfort in the main event of UFC on FX 8, but he still remains a top-level middleweight fighter, and won’t drop too far down in the rankings with the loss.
For his next fight I think Michael Bisping makes a whole lot of sense for Rockhold. Sure, Bisping is coming off a win and Rockhold a loss, but both fighters were recently victims of Belfort head kick knockouts, and both share a similar standing in the division. Bisping is the right test for Rockhold right now – Belfort was just too much for him in his first UFC fight, especially in Belfort’s backyard – and I think he’d have a much better performance in his sophomore UFC effort.
As for Bisping, a win over Rockhold would be huge for him, and it would keep him squarely in the mix at 185 pounds. The fight screams FX main event, and I would definitely like to see it, so I hope it’s booked.
Fight to make: Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bipsing
Chris Camozzi
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza did exactly what everyone thought he would and subbed Chris Camozzi with a first-round arm-triangle choke in the co-main event of UFC on FX 8. But credit to Camozzi, because he was the only fighter who would step up on short notice to fight the highly-ranked Souza, and he definitely deserves to fight another solid fighter in his next time out.
One guy I think who would make a good opponent for Camozzi is Lorenz Larkin, who dropped a unanimous decision in his UFC debut against Francis Carmont at UFC on FOX 7. Camozzi also has a common loss to Carmont, and with both fighters being strikers who like to give the fans their money’s worth, I think it’d be a fun fight that would help sort out who is actually a middleweight contender, and who is just a gatekeeper.
Fight to make: Chris Camozzi vs. Lorenz Larkin
Evan Dunham
I hate the fact that Evan Dunham is even on this list, because he was universally regarded as being robbed by the judges in his unanimous decision defeat to Rafael Dos Anjos, but Dunham knew going into the fight that he would be fighting in Dos Anjos’ backyard, and so biased judging shouldn’t be a shock to him. That said, it still sucks to lose.
Even though Dunham technically lost, the UFC will likely treat the fight as a win for him, so the judges’ error hopefully won’t drop Dunham down the rankings too much. So for his next fight I’d like to see him fight another lightweight fighter in the proverbial “mix,” and that’s none other than Takanori Gomi.
Like Dunham, Gomi was also ripped off by the judges in recent months, as he dropped a unanimous decision to Diego Sanchez back at UFC on FUEL TV 8, in a fight most believe he should have won. Since the consensus is that both men should have another win on their records in place of a loss, it makes sense that they’d be matched up against each other, because their robbery losses are a shared theme.
Plus, stylistically, this matchup would make for a potential “Fight of the Night,” as these are two of the best strikers in the lightweight division, so as long as both guys are interested in the fight, I say book it.
Fight to make: Evan Dunham vs. Takanori Gomi
João Zeferino
João Zeferino dropped his UFC debut when he lost via unanimous decision to Rafael “Sapo” Natal in the opening fight of the UFC on FX 8 main card. Zeferino wasn’t really expected to win the fight, as he took on a very tough veteran on short notice, so I’d hope the UFC gives him another shot in the Octagon, but it’s no guarantee.
Provided he does get one more chance, for his next fight Zeferino needs to take on another lower-ranked middleweight, and one guy is Jared Hamman, who is soon returning to the cage after suffering a nasty injury at UFC 150. Both Zeferino and Hamman don’t mind standing and banging with each other, so the fight might actually turn out to be pretty fun, as well as determine who is a UFC-calibre fighter and who is not.
Fight to make: Joao Zeferino vs. Jared Hamman
Jeremy Larsen
I decided to put Jeremy Larsen on this list even though I don’t know if he’ll get another fight in the UFC, for while Larsen did put on a “Fight of the Night” performance against Lucas Martins in the evening’s opening fight, he did lose and now he’s 0-2 in the UFC.
Since Larsen won FOTN, I think the UFC will keep him around for one more fight, and if they do I’d like to see him take on Daron Cruickshank, who was a cast member on TUF Live alongside Larsen. Both of these guys are very strong strikers, and this would likely make for an extremely-exciting fight that the UFC could use as prelim filler on any upcoming card.
Fight to make: Jeremy Larsen vs. Daron Cruickshank
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UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold took place on May 18, 2013 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC on FX 8 was.
Some say great knockout,
I say mugged by a dopehead in a filthy third world back alley.