Live from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Ultimate Fighting Championship once again put on a solid show for its fans at UFC 163. As we approach the busy third and fourth quarter of the year, the UFC has a slate of big events that was kicked off with this card. Now that the event is over, the winners have a lot to look forward to in the next stages of their careers. Here are fight suggestions for some of the bigger names:
Jose Aldo vs. Ricardo Lamas or Jim Miller
Jose Aldo is in control of his own destiny at this point. The Brazilian is the winner of 16 straight fights and has a solid grip on the title of best featherweight in the world. However, he’s been talking about the lightweight division for an extended period of time, and if he is going to make the move, now is the time to do it.
Staying at 145 would place him firmly in the crosshairs of Ricardo Lamas. Winner of four straight, Lamas has looked very good since moving over to the UFC. The way he bashed Erik Koch at UFC on Fox 6 sent a message, and it has many fight fans calling for him to get the next shot. He poses an interesting style matchup for the champion because he has the ability to strike effectively enough to get the fight to where he wants it to go. Whether or not he will be able to hang with Aldo for an extended period of time is the true question.
If Aldo moves to 155, booking a fight against an opponent like Jim Miller would be a good move for the UFC to make. Miller has the full out pressure style that will show whether or not Aldo has what it takes to hang with bigger fighters. Miller is also an accomplished grappler on the ground, and could test Aldo in that area. If the featherweight champion blows the doors off of Miller the way many expect, then big things await Jose Aldo in the weight class.
Phil Davis vs. the winner of Glover Teixeira vs. Ryan Bader
Phil Davis is in an interesting position, as he was gifted a win by the judges in a controversial way. Many people believe Lyoto Machida won that bout and should be pushing towards another title shot, so Davis still has to prove that he’s earned the right to be in a position to challenge Jon Jones or Alexander Gustafsson. To do so, he should have to face the winner of the bout between Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira which is set to be the main event of UFC Fight Night 28 in Brazil.
Teixeira possesses the type of swarming game that would test how Davis would fare under fire. He has the defensive wrestling to stifle an opponent long enough to continue striking, but he can also grapple if the bout hits the floor. A victory over Teixeira would show the world that Davis has improved since his defeat to Rashad Evans, and convince critics that he deserves to be the number one contender at light heavyweight..
Ryan Bader wasn’t the level of collegiate wrestler that Phil Davis was, but he has an ability to score and stuff takedowns when he needs to. His striking has also improved well enough to enable him to hang with some of the better punchers in the division.
A fight against Davis would give Bader the opportunity that he has wanted to prove that he is a contender at 205.
A fight pitting Davis against either Bader or Teixeira would work best on a Fox network event, to give the winner the most exposure possible.
Two of the UFC’s top-ranked flyweights were victorious at UFC 163, as both Ian McCall and John Lineker had their hands raised. As the weight class continues to suffer from a shortage of title contenders, these two individuals should be placed on an upcoming card and matched against each other, with the hopes of one fighter putting on a great show and building himself up as a contender to Demetrious Johnson.
This would be a fight designed to give Lineker the opportunity to prove himself worthy to be the next challenger for the title, as McCall has already had two opportunities to defeat “Mighty Mouse.” Based on their styles, the way these two competitors fight suggest that this would be a captivating and action-packed bout.
Lineker vs. McCall would work as either an opening fight on pay-per-view, or a main card bout on Fox.
UFC 163 featured a number of fighters trying to make a way for themselves in their respective weight classes. As we draw closer to the end of the year, expect for the fighters who were able to get the win last Saturday to find themselves in bigger matchups before 2013 is through.
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UFC 163: Aldo vs. Jung took place on August 3, 2013 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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