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.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
It was a shocking ending to a card full of crazy finishes, as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was choked out in the first round of his main event fight at UFC Fight Night 26 against Chael Sonnen, a loss that drops Shogun’s UFC record to a paltry 5-6. It’s clear Shogun’s days as a top light heavyweight contender are done, and the UFC should now focus on matching him up against fighters who will stand and trade with him, as he will likely lose to any grappler at 205 due to his non-existent takedown defence.
One such man is Dan Henderson, who, like Shogun, is coming off of two straight losses. These two combined for one of the greatest fights in the history of the sport at UFC 139 — a fight Shogun lost via judges’ decision, but which should have really been a draw — and I believe there’s never been a better time to do the rematch than now.
Fight to make: Mauricio Rua vs. Dan Henderson II
Alistair Overeem
Alistair Overeem lost his second-straight UFC fight by knockout, this time to Travis Browne in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 26, and now with a 1-2 record in the UFC it’s safe to say he’s one of the biggest big-money flops in MMA in a while.
But the UFC has already invested so much in him that it makes no sense to dump him just yet. Instead, the UFC can match him up against the loser of the UFC 166 heavyweight title match between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, because making one of those fights is the only way the UFC get any sort of return on what has turned out to be a major bust of an investment.
Fight to make: Alistair Overeem vs. loser of Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Yuri Alcantara
Yuri Alcantara started off strong, but at the end of 15 minutes it was Urijah Faber who ended up winning a unanimous decision. It’s a loss that, for now anyways, removes Alcantara from any bantamweight title talks.
Another top-end bantamweight who lost at UFC Fight Night 26 was Brad Pickett, and I believe a fight between him and Alcantara would be absolute fireworks. This is a fight that makes sense to put on a main card in either England or Brazil.
Fight to make: Yuri Alcantara vs. Brad Pickett
Mike Pyle
Mike Pyle was on a roll with four straight wins heading into UFC Fight Night 26, but after losing in under a minute by TKO to Matt Brown, Pyle – the oldest welterweight in the UFC – is no longer in title contention. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any fun matchups out there for him.
For his next fight I’d like to see Pyle fight the loser of the upcoming welterweight fight between Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 27. If Condit loses next week he’ll be on a three-fight losing streak, and if Kampmann loses that will be two straight Ls, so even though both guys are ranked in the top 10 and Pyle isn’t, I think Pyle matches up nicely with either guy. It would make for an epic mixed martial arts bout, as all three men mentioned are well-rounded welterweights that are always looking to put on a show for the fans.
Fight to make: Mike Pyle vs. loser of Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann
Uriah Hall
Uriah Hall fell to 0-2 inside the Octagon, as the TUF 17 standout lost a razor-thin split decision to John Howard, and it’s a loss that could see him lose his job with the UFC, as Dana White was especially critical of his performance.
Provided he stays, though, I’d like to see Hall take on Nick Ring, who was his original opponent. Ring is on the downside of his career, so if the UFC still sees some potential in Hall, this is a good matchup for him to get back on track with, but don’t be shocked if he’s cut.
Fight to make: Uriah Hall vs. Nick Ring
Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon put on an absolutely terrible performance in his hometown, as Michael Johnson was able to beat him to the punch every single time and win an easy unanimous decision. This was a fight so lopsided that one judge even scored the contest 30-25.
The loss to Johnson drops Lauzon far down the ranks, and another fighter who is ranked low at 155 is Rafaello Oliveira, who recently had his leg destroyed by Edson Barboza at UFC 162. With both fighters coming off losses, and with both being ground experts, this seems like a sensible matchup, and it might be a good one for Lauzon, a Zuffa favorite, to get back on track with.
Fight to make: Joe Lauzon vs. Rafaello Oliveira
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UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen took place on August 17, 2013 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 26 was.
